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Looking to jump into the Fuji system


dgeorge959

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I'm looking into jumping into the Fuji system and have been looking at either an X-T2 or the X-H1 as my first camera. I shoot mainly landscapes and scenes without a lot of motion. I've heard the X-H1 had some issues, but I'm not fully informed about them. My current set up is a Canon 5D Mark 1 with a 20-35mm lens. Any insight and help is much appreciated!

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Welcome @dgeorge959. Both are excellent cameras and depending on the lens you're using, they should be very suitable for landscapes too. Image quality is the same. I've had both and I've also used them professionally for a while. Just a short list of the most significant differences that I can recall.

- There's obviously quite a difference in the form factor of the camera. The H1 has a deep grip and is a bit less 'retro-styled'. For long handheld shoots I prefer the H1, but you can also mount a grip to the T2 to reach more or less similar. However, mounting a grip on the T2 doesn't change the position of the shutter release button and that is again a way better experience with the H1 for long handheld shooting. Of course this is all moot, when you use a tripod;

- The H1 is a bit more robust built and has slightly better weather-sealing. It is more aimed at 'pro-use'. The outer coating is more resistant to scratches and markings. The mount is more robust to better handle large lenses like the 200mm and the 100-400 zoom. The result is that the H1 is a bit bigger and heavier, but compared to your 5D still small;

- The H1 has an annoying bug in some series: occasionally you get read/write errors when writing to the SD Cards. The only way out is to switch off and on the camera. Always use the Fuji recommended SD cards, insert/eject with care (camera switched off) and format the cards in the camera (every time after transferring the files). But even then... I've had 3 H1's over 3 years time and 2 of them had the recurring issue. Fuji wasn't able to fix it. I never heard of T2's with the similar recurring issue, but the T3 has it as well. Many Fuji-users have never experienced it, but it's an annoying issue for a small group; 

- Obviously the H1 has IBIS (in-body image stabilization) but that is less relevant for landscape shooting. However, even when you turn it off, the H1 uses noticeable more battery power than the T2. So, while they use the same battery, you really want at least 1 or 2 spare batteries with the H1;

- The H1 has the top sub-LCD which I always found very handy. However, this comes at the expense of the exposure compensation dial on the T2 top plate. The H1 has a button combined with the front- or rear dial for Exp. Comp. It's a matter of preference and getting used to;

- The H1 has a touch screen as LCD. Fortunately you can switch it off entirely, because it's not a very good one (slow, lagging and sometimes non-responsive). It takes up battery life as well. In landscape photography it can be a nice feature to select focus points (when on tripod) and release the shutter, but most users I know, switch it off anyway;

- The H1 has Bluetooth connectivity to the Fuji app (the T2 only Wifi). Bluetooth works way better, but the Fuji app is still 'crap' so you might not need it. A real significant difference though is the EVF. The H1 has a visibly much better EVF with higher resolution but also, more importantly. a higher refresh rate resulting in smoother movements and less noise in low-light situations;

- The AF is more or less the same, but the H1 was designed for high speed action/sports. In my experience the AF of the H1 reacts a bit quicker when a subject is moving (less threshold) but the result is that specifically with eye-AF the H1 can sometimes erratically switch between eyes with only the slightest movement. The T2 is a bit more 'relaxed' and as a result sometimes works better in AF-C mode. However, with landscape this might not interest you at all;

- More important is that the H1 allows you to change the behavior of the manual focus ring on the lens. Not only the direction, but also the response (linear vs. non-linear). When you work with MF (like many do in landscape photography) linear MF allows you to control the ring way better. The focus shift isn't depending anymore on the speed with which you move the ring (like it is with non-linear). The T2 only supports non-linear. Some of the Fujinon lenses have a focus clutch with hard stops on the lens (the 14/2.8, the 16/1.4 and the old 23/1.4. For those lenses it doesn't make a difference. 

- Both cameras a popular on the second-hand market, but the H1 a bit more. So, expect to pay a premium for an H1 in very good condition. The difference is easily $200-300 between comparable T2's and H1's.

I hope this has helped you a bit to make a choice 

Edited by Herco
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Thank you for the breakdown @Herco! Auto focus isn't a huge concern for me, but it is nice to have a quick system. I know image quality comes from pairing the body with a good lens so I have been looking at the 10-24 f/4 as well. I'm leaning towards pairing a X-T2 and the 10-24 together to create a good first Fuji kit. 

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Herco, as always, gave you an an excellent breakdown.

As for your leaning towards an X-T2, that is what I have, bought new. I have felt no limitations that would make me want to upgrade to later models. When I was looking, the write ups described the X-T2 as a good workhorse and that is what I have found it to be. 

When I read your post, I immediately thought of the 10-24 as the near equivalent of your Canon lens.  I don’t have it (as I use the small prime collection) but I have never seen or heard a substantive complaint on that lens.

Go buy them and enjoy,

David

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1 hour ago, dgeorge959 said:

That is great to hear @dward! How do you like the primes? Are they worth looking into over the 10-24?

I can’t really say if they are worth looking into verse the 10-24 zoom. Horses for courses (my way of skipping the primes vs zoom debate). I like the idea of primes so I have the primes. 

I can say that I have a set of lenses that allow me to take the photographs I want to take, at a level of quality that satisfies me. My use cases are casual travel and family events or put another way, vacations and holidays. 

I know that I did not directly answer your question but hopefully I addressed your interest.

David

 

Edited by dward
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29 minutes ago, dward said:

I can’t really say if they are worth looking into verse the 10-24 zoom. Horses for courses (my way of skipping the primes vs zoom debate). I like the idea of primes so I have the primes. 

I can say that I have a set of lenses that allow me to take the photographs I want to take, at a level of quality that satisfies me. My use cases are casual travel and family events or put another way, vacations and holidays. 

I know that I did not directly answer your question but hopefully I addressed your interest.

David

 

Totally understand. I was asking because I tend lean towards primes as I'm mainly a film shooter and the older primes are just fantastic. While with digital and especially wide angle I was able to find some less expensive zooms that covered my needs and allowed me to travel light. 

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1 hour ago, dgeorge959 said:

Totally understand. I was asking because I tend lean towards primes as I'm mainly a film shooter and the older primes are just fantastic. While with digital and especially wide angle I was able to find some less expensive zooms that covered my needs and allowed me to travel light. 

The 10-24 is a great landscape lens. Often zoom lenses have a strong and a weak end and with the 10-24 the strong end is definitely towards the 10mm end, which is usually great for landscape.

The 8-16 is an expensive alternative. I would only recommend it if you really need the f2.8 and the 8mm end. It requires special filterholders as well, which makes it even more expensive. It is good, though you need to stop down to f5.6 for best performance. Wide open it suffers a bit from vignetting and distortion, which is well corrected afterwards but correction always affects image quality in corners and edges. It’s also a bulky lens due to its nature.

As for primes the most obvious choices are the 14/2.8 and the 16/1.4. The 16/1.4 is one of Fuji’s best XF lenses, but the 14 isn’t far behind. Both have the focus clutch that allows you to manually focus with hard stops. Great for landscape.

A lesser known alternative is the Zeiss Touit 12/2.8 for X-mount. This is a fantastic lens. It has the great Zeiss color rendering and contrast. You only need to be a bit aware of potential flare and ghosting. So be careful whenever the sun is in the frame.

I have no experience with the Samyang/Rokinon lenses for Fuji. There seems to be a great 10mm prime… It’s only manual focus though…

Edited by Herco
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22 hours ago, dgeorge959 said:

Thank you for the breakdown @Herco! Auto focus isn't a huge concern for me, but it is nice to have a quick system. I know image quality comes from pairing the body with a good lens so I have been looking at the 10-24 f/4 as well. I'm leaning towards pairing a X-T2 and the 10-24 together to create a good first Fuji kit. 

An excellent combination. I owned several X-T2 cameras and the 10-24 is a good match for this body size. Also, although this range has evolved to the X-T4, the improvements are not huge over the X-T2. So this seems like a good choice for an introduction to Fujifilm. Best of luck!

 

Ian.

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My change from a Canon DSLR to a Fuji X-T2 was driven by size and weight because I travel (backpack) and hike often.  My Canon set-up included a 15-85mm, a 50mm, a 90mm and a 70-300mm but the 15-85 was my go-to lens.  I loved the zoom range and the fact I didn't need to change lenses often... whether I was taking landscapes in the mountains (without tripod), architecture in cities or candid portraits. 

I took advantage of a "try before you buy" program for Fuji at my local camera store and fell in love with the XF23mm f/2 so decided to pair it with the XF14mm.  I've been very impressed with the sharpness and colour that both lenses produce.  Other lens variables can, if required, be corrected in post (Capture One does a much better job with RAF files than LR - especially for foliage).  A year later, I did another "try before you buy" to test the XF10-24.  I loved the extra wide end and being able to zoom through this range BUT after getting used to the diminutive Fuji primes, found the 10-24 big and heavy to use / carry.   In my usage, it produced satisfying images throughout the zoom range (and I am a pixel peeper who studies MTF charts and the like before buying) although I would agree, slightly softer at the long end.

All that to say, I doubt you'd be disappointed with either the XF10-24 or any of the Fuji primes.  While I've heard good things about the Rokinon/Samyang primes, I've not tried them and it should be noted they are manual focus only.  For me, I'm staying with my smaller, lighter primes... it just suits where I am with my photography right now.  I can also tell you I LOVE my X-T2 and would only trade it in for the X-T4.

 

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4 hours ago, jeffbobdean said:

I guess you may well have discovered him already but if not check out Andy Mumford's youtube channel lots of fujifilm reviews and inspirational videos mostly aimed at landscape photographers.

Yeah, I've seen some of his work. He does a good job and has good information. Any one else you would suggest watching?

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On 9/24/2021 at 2:20 PM, annee08 said:

My change from a Canon DSLR to a Fuji X-T2 was driven by size and weight because I travel (backpack) and hike often.  My Canon set-up included a 15-85mm, a 50mm, a 90mm and a 70-300mm but the 15-85 was my go-to lens.  I loved the zoom range and the fact I didn't need to change lenses often... whether I was taking landscapes in the mountains (without tripod), architecture in cities or candid portraits. 

I took advantage of a "try before you buy" program for Fuji at my local camera store and fell in love with the XF23mm f/2 so decided to pair it with the XF14mm.  I've been very impressed with the sharpness and colour that both lenses produce.  Other lens variables can, if required, be corrected in post (Capture One does a much better job with RAF files than LR - especially for foliage).  A year later, I did another "try before you buy" to test the XF10-24.  I loved the extra wide end and being able to zoom through this range BUT after getting used to the diminutive Fuji primes, found the 10-24 big and heavy to use / carry.   In my usage, it produced satisfying images throughout the zoom range (and I am a pixel peeper who studies MTF charts and the like before buying) although I would agree, slightly softer at the long end.

All that to say, I doubt you'd be disappointed with either the XF10-24 or any of the Fuji primes.  While I've heard good things about the Rokinon/Samyang primes, I've not tried them and it should be noted they are manual focus only.  For me, I'm staying with my smaller, lighter primes... it just suits where I am with my photography right now.  I can also tell you I LOVE my X-T2 and would only trade it in for the X-T4.

 

Thanks! I will have to look at the primes a little closer. I know primes are generally sharper, but with how good lenses have gotten these days it's hard to differentiate. That's also great to hear about the XT-2!

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2 hours ago, dgeorge959 said:

Yeah, I've seen some of his work. He does a good job and has good information. Any one else you would suggest watching?

He's the main apsc Fuji landscape photographer I watch although not so much now as his is mainly mountain photography (he has specific reviews of the 10-24 and an XT2 v XH1 review although you've already had some good feedback on these above).  The only other fujifilm landscape photographers I regularly watch use the GFX series which whilst it seems superb is too expensive/heavy for me.  However, Adam Gibbs does occasionally still use his XT when hiking and Thomas Heaton dabbled who with an Xt now mainly uses an XT4 for video  and a GFX 50R for stills. 

 

 

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