Fujifilm X-Pro2 x Tokyo
This is the story of how I fell in love with the Fuji X-Pro2 and why I believe we will be together for a long, long time.
I started out as a Canon user. My first camera was the 5D Classic (or 5D Mark I). It was a camera that felt like an extension of my inner being - with it I was able to make photographs that very accurately reflected the emotions I was feeling inside.
As time went by, I graduated to the 5DMII and then to the 5DMIII. It was a natural progression, since the 5DMIII retains the magical qualities of the original 5D Classic but comes packed with much better image quality.
An example of what the 5DMIII is capable of - one of my favorite images
In the last couple of years, I have begun dreaming of a camera that is portable and light enough to be used as a travel camera, and that also has the ability to double as a work camera (i.e. the image quality has to be of a high enough standard). I also wanted this hypothetical camera to have that something special - what I think of as the X factor - that my 5D cameras seem to have.
Then my friend Toni Cuhadi (a Fuji fan himself) asked me to consider trying Fujifilm.
Before I talked to Toni I hadn't heard much about Fuji cameras at all. I had a vague idea that Fuji cameras make good street photography equipment - some of the photographers I admire (like Xyza Cruz Bacani) use cameras like the Fuji X-E2. Other than that, I didn't quite know what to expect about Fuji cameras.
After doing the usual feverish pre-camera-purchase online research about everything I could find out about Fujifilm and their line-up of cameras and looking at what their cameras are capable of through the reviews of fellow photographers, and after making a trip down to the Fuji gallery to experience holding the camera in my own hands, I decided to go with the X-Pro2.
And the rest is history.
In this post I will share with you some of the photographs I took with the Fuji X-Pro2 while I was in Tokyo recently. All the photos here have been edited in Lightroom, mostly because I enjoy tweaking the colors of my images. (Sometimes I shoot JPEGs too and upload them straight out of the camera - they will be the topic for another post in future!)
Remember: this post isn't meant to be a review. It's only meant to give you a taste of the possibilities and the kind of images that can be created by this mean little photo machine that is the X-Pro2.
But before we go on, here are some reasons why I think the X-Pro2 is an almost perfect camera:
1. First of all, the camera itself looks REALLY good, like an object of desire that has been crafted with utter care and precision. Its look is also a nostalgic throwback to the good old days of manual film cameras, which I love.
2. When you hold the X-Pro2 in your hands, everything feels just right. The buttons and dials inspire love.
3. It's very light. Which makes me want to bring it on trains and travel across oceans with it.
4. It has in-camera film simulations inspired by the actual films traditionally produced by Fuji. That's why the JPEGs look so good out of the camera - every JPEG comes treated with one of these gorgeous-looking film simulations (depending on which one you select), including the popular films Classic Chrome (color) and ACROS (black and white).
5. Its image quality and dynamic range rival that of my 5DMIII, which means it functions as a work camera for me as well these days. I still rely on my 5DMIII for most jobs but I do hope to eventually transition into using only Fuji cameras, since they are so portable and work so well.
6. Since this is not an actual review, I will not touch on many of the more technical aspects of the camera that I love, like how it has a great electronic viewfinder and a WIFI function (which, while not the best, allows me to post my photos on the go, unlike my 5DMIII), and how wonderful it is to finally have TWO SD card slots (allowing you to shoot on one and backup on the other), etc.
7. I will instead talk about how with the X-Pro2 I have a newly rekindled passion again in making photographs on my own time or when I am traveling, simply because I have so much fun using it. It's a new-found love for an old hobby.
I can probably still think of more reasons but what I really want to do is show you some of the photos I made with the X-Pro2. So here you go!
