SLC is not NYC

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/5.6, 1/450 sec, ISO200)

Unless you are a mormon there is no real reason to come here. Except to visit Antelope Island or to stand in line for a brand new iPhone.

OK, maybe that sounded a little harsh but honestly there is not much to see in Salt Lake City. A clean and tidy city centre with a big church and a big shopping mall. But we are not coming to the South West of the USA for its cities. Of course San Francisco is beautiful and there are some very interesting places in Los Angeles but beside that there is not much to see and Salt Lake City is no exception.

In short: You have to visit Utah but you don’t have to visit Salt Lake City. Btw: the people below are standing in line for the brand new iPhone Xs. Of course I was too cool for that. I got mine 10 days later in Santa Barbara. 😉

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (24.2mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (29.2mm, f/5.6, 1/680 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/8, 1/240 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (22.7mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600)

The XF 16-55/2.8 WR was THE lens of this vacation so it was also on my camera during my walk through Salt Lake City. And because of that I could conveniently change the focal length without the need to switch lenses. Everything perfect? Not really. I discovered that 16mm is not wide enough for me most of the time.

It’s not wide enough for interior and it’s also a problem when I take pictures of buildings. In order to get the whole building in the frame I need to tilt the camera up. As soon as you point your camera upwards you get buildings that look like they are falling back. Not nice! The only solution is to take the picture from farther away but that’s not always possible.

I also realised that I practically never shot at the long end of the lens. Most of the times I stayed below 35mm. That’s why I think a XF 14-35/2.8 WR would be the perfect lens for me if Fuji could make one and keep the size reasonable. In the meantime I will go back to my three lens solution (14/2.8, 23/2 and 35/1.4) for my cities and my trips to Asia.

But the XF 16-55/2.8 WR is a very convenient lens that is optically excellent. You don’t compromise on image quality when you use this lens over a prime lens.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/5.6, 1/1100 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18.2mm, f/7.1, 1/550 sec, ISO250)

After a brief walk through the inner city and a stop at Starbucks we got to our car and drove back to our hotel. The trip to Salt Lake City was definitely worth it because of Antelope Island. Antelope Island is a magical place and one of the best opportunities to take pictures of bison and wildlife. And the scenery is beautiful too.

Regarding Salt Lake City: It’s clean and pretty but it’s pretty boring too. Of course you can visit it. There is nothing wrong with SLC but it’s not must see. Just don’t complain when you are not exactly overwhelmed. You have been warned.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16mm, f/7.1, 1/210 sec, ISO250)