FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (230mm, f/10, 1/210 sec, ISO200)

We are still in the White Sands National Monument, NM. The lights gets golden and we shoot like crazy.

We haven’t explored much of the area but decided to stay where we are to capture the changing light. Sometimes it is better to focus on on one sport instead of driving around the whole time and miss the most attractive light.

FUJIFILM X-M1 (28.2mm, f/6.4, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-M1 (28.2mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO200)

The shadows start to grow. Just take a look at the shot above. My wife and I about 50 feet tall. Everyone seems to enjoy the place. There are no roller coasters, no music, no entertainment. People just slide down the dunes, enjoy the puddles of water, take pictures or simply stare into the sun.

I enjoyed to shoot with two camera bodies. Nothing beats that. No need to hassle with lens changes which are always a problem especially in dry and dusty places like the South West of the USA. But as I switched lenses I constantly changed in between the fantastic viewfinder of the Fuji X-T1 to the rather small and low resolution viewfinder of the Fuji X-Pro 1. I love the X-Pro 1. Especially the optical viewfinder but when the XF14/2.8 became my favorite lens I switched to the EVF and never switched back. The OVF is brilliant but useless for all lenses outside the 16mm to 35mm ranged it doesn’t work with a tele zoom lens of course.

As I switched the cameras it was clear to me that I will sell my Fuji X-Pro 1 when back home. There is no way to get back from the brilliant viewfinder of the X-T1. It spoils you. The viewfinder of my Sony A7R does not even come close.

FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (192.9mm, f/8, 1/420 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (90mm, f/5.4, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (26.5mm, f/8, 1/140 sec, ISO200)

I also enjoyed the light weight of both cameras. The X-T1 plus kit lens weighs next to nothing and the X-Pro 1 with Fuji’s slow tele lens, the XC 50-230 OIS, is very light too. When shooting with two DSLRs I always felt the weight of the cameras. One on my neck the other one on my shoulder. I was so used to it that it was nothing special. But when you start to use a lighter camera it is hard to get back to a DSLR plus heavy lens. And not only for traveling. A big camera feels unnatural after you shot with a small mirror less camera for an extended time. We quickly get used to it.

Speaking about unnatural. When I returned from my three week vacation my car felt much too small and most of all very uncomfortable. The Buick Enclave we rented was the most comfortable car I ever had. I didn’t like it looks but the comfort was impressive. Most of the roads I drove were in a rather poor state but this vehicle sailed over potholes that would have swallowed half of my car. This year we had a Chevrolet Tahoe. While it was even bigger and had a nice V8 it was not as comfortable as the Buick.

After every US trip it is hard to get back to my car. Like after you shot with the Fuji X-T1 it is hard to get back to the X-Pro 1. The main reason for me is the viewfinder. But it is like with the cars. After a couple of weeks I got used to my small car again and I guess the same would be true for the EVF of the X-Pro 1. The only thing that I think can’t work is to constantly switch in between those two cameras. And I think the same is true for the X-T1/X-T10 combo. Those cameras are very similar so the X-T10 would make a nice second camera body but I doubt that I could stand the smaller viewfinder of the X-T10. The best second camera for the X-T1 is just another X-T1. I don’t consider to get one. Like a lot of Fuji shooters I’m looking forward to the next generation of the X-Pro.

FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (216.9mm, f/10, 1/250 sec, ISO200)