Playtime!

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)

Every time I come to Japan I have to come here: Yodobashi Akiba the biggest location of the biggest camera store in the world. Playtime!

Since my last trip to Japan was more than two years ago there are a lot of new toys to play with this time. A long time ago Lomography took off in Vienna, Austria. I also had one and shot a couple of films with it back then but I was surprised that tomography is still alive here.

But I was not interested in a low cost toy like film camera and so I went straight to the Fuji aisle to check out the new lenses. The great thing about those shops in Japan is that every single lens from every brand is on display and ready to attached on your camera. The first lens I attached was the Fuji XF50/1.0WR.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/110 sec, ISO160)
 FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (50mm, f/1, 1/1250 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (50mm, f/1, 1/1000 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (50mm, f/1, 1/450 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO160)

AF was surprisingly fast but maybe because I expected AF to be very slow. Confirmation bias at work. I think AF is silent and fast enough but is not a speed demon. Bokeh looks very nice but the focal length sits somewhere in the middle. It’s not long enough for a portrait and full body tele lens and too long for a normal lens. I would have preferred a 35/1.0 (Fujis original plan). But there is no doubt that this lens can produce some amazing images in the right hands. It just isn’t the right lens for me.

Talking about not for me: Of course I had to play with the medium format cameras from Fuji even though I have no plans to enter into this system. Cameras and lenses are very well made and a joy to use. The perfect system for portrait or fashion photographers. Well, never say never again.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/110 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/150 sec, ISO160)

Another impressive lens: The Nikon Z 50/1.2. Very nice but of course big and heavy too. I briefly played with it and also with the new Nikon Z9 (extremely impressive!) for a short time. I was a little tired because I just arrived in Japan the day before. I already visited the borderless team labs experience in the morning before I came here for lunch (excellent Sushi in the food court of this amazing camera store) and to get purchase a watch for a friend that is only available in Japan.

So I came here, bought the watch, had lunch and played with various cameras and lenses  before I decided to return to my hotel. But since I already had to carry a bag with the watch I went to the stereo floor to get two audio cables from Furutech. I wanted those cables badly for a long time but not enough to pay more than two times more for it at home. On my very first full day in Japan I already bought everything I planned to buy so that I don’t have to think about it anymore.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (23mm, f/1.4, 1/340 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (23mm, f/2, 1/170 sec, ISO160)

The first visit was on Sunday but now fast forward to Saturday. My first free day after a long and exhausting week of meetings, lunches and dinners. It might have been exhausting but it was great. I finally met my contacts again in person after two years. Some of them I met in person for the first time after countless video meetings. Great! But I looked forward to Saturday and I had a lot of plans but when Saturday finally was here the weather was horrible. Heavy rain! What to do?

I decided to go to the Yodobashi camera store one more time to play with camera gear and to have lunch. The perfect place to sit out the rain. I haven’t tried the new 18, 23 and 33mm lenses from Fuji. First I tried the XF 23/1.4R LM WR simply because this is a very important focal length for me beside the 14mm. I have both the XF23/1.4R and the XF23/2WR so naturally I was interested in this lens

In short the lens is great. I really like the new aperture ring solution with the lock function even though I wouldn’t need it. I’m in aperture priority mode most of the time. AF is fast and silent. The lens seems to be sharp wide open and Bokeh is OK but nothing special.

Next lens I tried was the XF 18/1.4R LM WR. The 18/2 from Fuji was my first lens and I also owned a Ricoh GR so I used to shoot a lot with this focal length. Again AF was fast and silent and the lens sharp even when shot wide open.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (18mm, f/1.4, 1/350 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (18mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (18mm, f/1.4, 1/550 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (33mm, f/1.4, 1/320 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (33mm, f/2, 1/400 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)

The last lens I tried was the XF 33/1.4 R LM WR. Same thing: AF fast and silent, lens sharp wide open.

So the new lenses have a silent AF, are sharp wide open, are WR, have a very nice aperture ring that can be locked in A and they have a rather slim and very clean design. What’s not to like? They only have one drawback but it is a big one: weight! Don’t get me wrong: those are not super heavy lenses but they are surprisingly dense. The weight of the XF 23/1.4 R LM WR is 375 gram. On my X-Pro3 that only weighs 500 grams it just doesn’t feel right. On a heavier camera like the Fuji X-H1 it would be a different story but if you put this lens on the X-H1 you will end up with a setup that is only 30 grams lighter than a Nikon Z7 plus Nikkor Z 35/1.8S. Only 30 gram more that would give you a high resolution full frame camera and slightly faster lens. Mmmh.

I get why Fuji wanted to offer it all in the new lenses and that they didn’t like to compromise on the build quality either but when I finally ditched my full frame DSLR and completely switched to Fuji the main reason was size and weight. This was a key feature of Fuji and the main attractor for a lot of people. In the recent past Fuji has put out some amazing glass like those new primes or the XF 8-16 R LM WR but when compared to the full frame lenses from Nikon there is no weight or price advantage.

Where is the advantage of the smaller sensor if lenses and cameras are that close in size and weight. I really wished that Fuji had tried harder to keep the weight down for those lenses and I hope that they will make some small and light primes in the future. An update of the 18/2 would be a good start.

If you want to know how the different finishes of the Fuji X-Pro3 look and feel Yodobashi Camera has you covered as you can see in the image below.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/70 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (23mm, f/1.4, 1/300 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/105 sec, ISO160)

Of course Fuji still offers the X-E4 which I think is a brilliant camera. When I sold my 50/2 the guy told me that even though he has a Fuji X-T4 plus XF 16-55/2.8 WR he shoots much more with the X-E4. It’s easy to see why. The X-E4 is small enough to take it with you even if you don’t plan to take a lot of images. It’s an impressive camera but I would like an even smaller camera with an integrated lens.

I wish that Fuji would make something like the Ricoh GR. I super compact and light APS-C camera with an integrated lens that slips into the body. I once owned the Ricoh GR but I just didn’t like the colours, the wonky white balance and the extremely slow AF. If Fuji would make an improved GR I would buy it in an instance.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (23mm, f/1.4, 1/200 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO160)

Finally there are first third party lenses for Fuji that I also checked out briefly. They are cheap but it is easy to see why. The build quality of the 23/1.4 that I tried is cheap. There is an aperture ring without physical stops and Bokeh is really wonky.

Of course it is always great to have cheaper third party alternatives but at least this 23/1.4 from Tokina isn’t worth the money. For the same price you will get the Fuji XF 23/2 WR which is even smaller and lighter and far superior. If you really need f1.4 try to find a second hand XF 23/1.4 R.

After I played around in the Fuji section for quite some time I walked over to the Nikon section. First stop: the Nikon Z9! It was on display with the 70-200/2.8 and as soon as I lifted it up it reminded me of the time when I shot with the Nikon D1 later D2H and the 70-200/2.8 or many years later the Canon 6D with the 70-200/2.8 from Canon. Back then it wasn’t something special. It felt quite normal to shoot with a camera lens combo of almost 3kg. But I completely switched to Fuji X in 2016 and now I think I was crazy back then.

Beside the weight and size the Nikon Z9 is a very special experience. The speed is addictive and the effect of zero shutter black out because there is no mechanical shutter is something that needs to be experienced in person. It’s clear that this is the future of photography. The only indicator that you are taking images is a flashing grey frame around the viewfinder and a cool artificial shutter sound. Wow! I really applaud Nikon. Every time they are behind the competition and with their backs against the wall they produce a game changer. In 2007 it was the Nikon D3 and now it is the Nikon Z9. What a impressive camera. If Nikon manages to make a kind of baby Z9, a Z9 without the integrated vertical grip, it would be the perfect allrounder.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/75 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/105 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/120 sec, ISO160)

I’m aware that Sony and Canon are the big boys now but for the travel photographer Nikon offers a very attractive line of lenses. There are very nice f4 zooms but my choice would be the f1.8 primes. The 20/1.8, the 35/1.8 and the 50/1.8 would be perfect 1:1 substitutes for my 14/2.8, 23/2 and 35/1.4 only that they are even faster but of course slightly bigger and heavier too. There is even a rather compact and light 24-200 travel zoom.

In the past I shot Nikon, Canon and Sony. The Sony A7R had an impressive sensor, my Canon glass (24-70/2.8II, 70-200/2.8II and 16-35/4IS) was amazing but only with the Nikons I fully enjoyed the shooting experience and the ergonomics. That’s why I always check out what they do. But not everything they do is great: The Nikon Zfc looks nice but I’m not impressed. The dials feel cheap and plasticky. I think that it is available in cyan, beige and pink is not a good sign either. I think it is a nice idea but execution is poor.

Talking about execution. The most impressive camera for me beside the Nikon Z9 was the new Hasselblad, the 907X. Not so sure about its ergonomics but the touch and feel is excellent. It looks like a Hasselblad from 50 years ago but it is of course a digital camera or better a frame connector to be combined with the digital back from Hasselblad. I was not sure to which degree the rear display would fold out but as I didn’t want to break it I just l handled the camera with the rear display only slightly tilted out. Again: not so sure about the ergonomics, I think the Oscar in that regard goes to the medium format cameras from Fuji, but the polished steel and the black leatherette is just sexy! The last time I had this “I want to have this camera”-impulse was with the Fuji X100.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO160)
 FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO400)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/170 sec, ISO160)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO200)

I also briefly checked out Sigma but for me they are trying too hard to be different. Very strange camera designs. I was surprised by the build quality of the Laowa lenses. I rather strange brand name but they seem to offer some very special glass.

And I also checked out Olympus m43 or to be more precise their 150-400/4.5 with integrated 1,25x teleconverter. What a cool lens for bird- or wildlife photography. Translated to full frame that’s a 300 to 800mm lens that becomes a 1.000mm lens with the flick of a switch. And all that at a weight of well below 2kg. That is truly impressive but unfortunately so is its price. In Europe it costs 7.500 Euro. Still I think it makes a strong case for the traveling wildlife photographer. To get this kind of reach on a full frame camera you would need a 600/4 monster (like in the picture above) add a telefoniert and than you would still need to crop the image.

I was a passionate bird photographer almost 20 years ago with a Nikon D1. I wish I would have todays gear back then. It is just amazing how camera gear has improved over the last couple of years. It’s even more impressive if you consider that this is a shrinking market. But what camera manufacturers put out nowadays is extremely impressive. Fantastic times for everyone passionate about photography.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO320)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO500)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO160)

This shop is the most amazing camera shop on the planet. I visited B&H when I was in New York but it is not even close. B&H compares to Yodobashi Camera like a microcar compares to a full size luxury SUV. This shop is in a different category altogether. And it is not only about cameras. This is just one floor out of eight.

So I should rephrase: This is the most amazing shop on the planet! At least for me it is. There is only one problem: I can only go there when I’m in Japan.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/120 sec, ISO160)