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Newbie, getting an XT1 soon and after accessory advice!


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History:

 

I'm a big lover of “hands on” cameras with knobs, dials and buttons; I have just sold my Leica Digilux 3 and before that I owned a Digilux 2. I bought the Digilux 2 for the mechanical controls; focus ring, aperature ring, speed dial etc. which I loved, it was like using my original Minolta 35mm film from the 1990s again!

The Digilux 2 eventually wore out so I replaced it with a Digilux 3 (a four thirds SLR) which seemed a natural progression. Though the Digilux 3 was technically better than the Digilux 2 and took better pictures I found it a pain to lug about due to it being so big and heavy- believe me it was very heavy!

 

XT1:

 

A year ago I saw the Fuji XT1, I though it looked perfect. It had all the knobs, dials and buttons I could dream of, I never dreamed I'd see an ISO dial on a camera- wow it was like someone was reading my dreams!

 

I was only put off by the electronic viewfinder. Since then I have seen so many reviews raving about it I thought, what I'd go for it!

 

Anyway, here are my thoughts on what to buy with the XT1, if anyone has any comments I'd love to hear them!

 

Flash:

 

I am looking to get an XT1 with the Fuji EF-X20 flash, I can get one second hand for about £100. It's a lot smaller than the Metz Flash I had before, however the XT1 is so sensitive compared to the Digilux I expect to use it more as a fill in flash than to fill a room in dark situations. I also like the way it fits on the camera, it's not massive but big enough to do the job, it also looks the part and matches the XT1s style. The Metz flash I had was almost as big as the XT1 and I would rather not have something that big again!

 

Lenses:

 

I am looking at buying the XT1 body then buying the 23mm 1.4 prime lens- probably second hand for about £400 but there are some companies selling them new for not much more. I reviewed the last pictures I took with the Digilux (holiday to Amsterdam) and most of the shots were wide angle shots of people in bars, streets or buildings.

 

I did have a 70-300mm zoom with a four thirds adapter but I rarely ever used this other than messing about once or twice.

 

What's everyone's opinion on a 23mm F1.4 prime? I love the manual aperture and focusing ring, one thing I missed on the Digilux 2 was that I could pre-focus it on my lap and know it would be correct for the shot the moment I lifted it up and pressed the button.

 

I really have my heart set on getting a prime lens over a zoom and my gut feeling is that 23mm is the best focal length.

 

I am sure 16mm would be too wide. I looked at 35mm which is more like the 49mm I had on my old 35mm film SLRs but I do like taking wide shots so I reckon it may be a bit too restrictive. What's everyone's opinion on primes? Anyone got any opinions on what the "best focal length" is?

 

Most of the shots I do are in the street or landscapes, I rarely do portrait shots or macro shots.

 

If I was going to get a zoom I'd probably go for the XC 50-230. Yes, I know this is no where near as good quality as the 23mm prime but I'd probably not use it enough to warrant the cost of an XF lens – I know I can pick an XC zoom up on eBay for about £100. If I did find myself using it more than I expected then I could upgrade to an XF zoom later.

 

One other option is to buy an X mount to something else adapter and buy an old manual zoom like I used on the Digilux. Anyone had any experience with X Mount Lens adapters?

 

Bag:

 

I am also after a bag as I gave the Lowe Slingshot 300 away with the Digilux. I really don't want a bag anywhere near that size and even looked at the Amazon Basics Medium DSLR gadget bag which has some cracking reviews!

 

All I want is a bag I can put over my shoulder to store the XT1 with a prime lens, the flash and a compact zoom like the 50-230mm. I'll store the charger separately and I'll probably not carry my tripod around with my like I did with the Digilux as I never used it that much and it got in the way.

Again, any bag ideas people have would be appreciated!

 

Lastly, can anyone recommend a good UK seller? I will probably buy most of my stuff second hand on eBay but I'd like to buy the XT1 body new. There are some companies with too good to be true prices which I am very wary of!

 

Sorry that's a bit of a mammoth introduction, I am really just open to any kit suggestions people have!

 

Cheers!

Rob

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IMO

 

Flash: Have you looked at the Nissin i40? Good reviews for it if you're looking at 3rd party flashes. I rarely use flash so no personnel opinion for this.

 

Lens: 23mm f1.4 is a good starting point. Great lens as well. Tons of reviews on it. It's my go to for street/city life photography. All around great focal distance. *Please have a look in the adapting lens section of this forum for more info on this.

 

Batteries: A must! As per Macro's comment...i have 3 total. 

 

Bag: If you have some cash, I recommend a Billingham for day to day. But if you plan on harsher climate, then I recommend Loewe flipside. Not too big and you can cram all your gear in it...incld tripod. 

 

Also, check out the accessories section in this forum for more info. Cheers!

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Flash: The X-T1 comes with an accessory flash - I might add an EF-X20 as well, but *only* to use as a second off-camera flash in an absurdly small package. If I'm using flash as my primary light source, I picked up a second-hand EF-42, and bounce it.

 

Batteries: The off-brand ones on ebay are fine. 2/3rds the capacity of the on-brand ones, but at that price, who cares? I have seven (I shoot three-day events off-grid, sometimes).

 

Lenses: You couldn't prise my 56/1.2 from my cold dead fingers. But that's a different style of shooting. Consider the 18 or the 27 as well as the 23. The 23 is a fantastic lens, but if you aren't using the extra stop, that's a lot of weight and expense you don't need, and the camera is absurdly low-profile with a pancake. Apparently the 23 makes nicer pictures of test charts, but I never shoot the things personally.

 

Bags: If you use a pancake and the included flash, you're down from "bag" territory to "jacket pocket"... or maybe one of the neoprene cases they sell for compact cameras. For larger lenses, I'm a massive fan of attaching a shoulder strap to the bottom of the camera - Black Rapid or a knock-off, perhaps, and I also use the larger handgrip because I prefer the handling... but with a small prime? I'd use a traditional strap, although possibly not the included one. I like the Mindshift Ultralight Camera Cover 10 as a way of clamping the camera to my body and protecting it, while it's still on its strap.

Wex are a UK seller I'd recommend. Amazon tend to have very competitive prices, and if the foibles of their returns system work for you, they might be a workable option too.

If you're buying the X-T1 new, seriously consider the 18-135 bundle. It's a fantastic "do everything" lens that really does do everything, and you'll never get it cheaper. I would strongly recommend that over, say, the XC zoom, because the effective price to you will be roughly the same, you won't miss the extreme long end... and some jobs just aren't well-suited to a single prime. WR is a great reassurance, too.

 

Adaptors: I have the Kipon tilt-shift F mount adaptor. It works just fine. I never use the thing, but keep thinking I should. Personal taste is a thing, but I reckon that you can do the shift in software just fine, these days, so I'd buy the tilt only adaptor if I were re-purchasing (it's well under half the price, or at least was). Don't really recommend bothering, to be honest - long lenses (and that includes ones that would be normal on the full-frame) really miss the autofocus, and wide lenses are a double compromise by the time you're taking one that has been built to work with a flipping mirror, and then getting only wide out of something built to be ultrawide. If you have nice long lenses sitting around *anyway*, and want a cheap way to use them very occasionally... then *maybe*... but the system lenses are so good, I'd just stick with them. (Let's face it, the lens lineup is the main reason to go for Fuji over Olympus or Sony).

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Welcome, Rob.

 

I too am new to Fuji with an X-T1 purchased a few months ago.

 

Nobody has mentioned it yet but batteries. Get a couple spares. I also ended up getting the vertical grip. Just to have that extra battery. The X-T1 is the first digital I have owned in a long time that just seemed to die on me - for some reason the time between me noticing the battery gauge is red to the camera no longer functioning is seconds.

 

I have not found a bag I'm crazy about yet - most of the smaller bags don't like to play with the vertical grip. I'm using a small Tamrac backpack. It's nice to carry but didn't come with enough dividers so the gear shifts around in it (which I don't really like).

 

These LensCoat Battery Pouches are great. The Fuji battery fits loosely in them so it is easy to get in and out. Plus, as a bonus the little flash that comes with the X-T1 fits snugly too!

 

Mike

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Cheers for the help guys!

I am planning to buy a load of batteries, I actually had 6 with the Digilux and numbered them so I would use them in order!

 

I just found out there are two Fuji X forums - very similar interface which is why I got confused about my profile being cancelled, I actually was on a diffrent site!

 

I have been using the other one more so I'm going to keep using that one as I have four threads on there rather than the one I have on here.

 

Maybe we'll chat again on the other forum!

 

Cheers!

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