Fujifilm has carved a unique niche in the photography industry, capturing the interest of both professional and amateur photographers worldwide. Their journey, from the production of their first camera, the Fujica 6, to their latest digital innovations, illustrates a commitment to innovation and quality that has consistently set them apart.
Coming to you from Taylor Jackson, this informative video explores Fujifilm's evolution and its impact on photography. Jackson's visit to the X Summit in Tokyo provides a firsthand look at Fujifilm's history, starting with its origins as a film company before entering the optics space and eventually manufacturing cameras. The video highlights how Fujifilm's initial focus on medium format cameras and film has influenced its current product line, which is renowned for its color reproduction, camera aesthetics, and the compact and lightweight nature of its kits.
By maintaining a balance between nostalgic design elements and contemporary digital technology, Fujifilm has created a distinctive place for itself in a crowded market. This blend appeals to photographers who value both the tactile experience of using physical dials and the convenience of modern digital features. Furthermore, the video touches on Fujifilm's strategic decisions, such as becoming the title sponsor for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, which helped establish its presence in the global market.
The company's ability to innovate while staying true to its roots is a key takeaway from the video. Their continuous development of medium format and APS-C cameras, along with the introduction of the X100 series, has seen them build out an impressive and varied library. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jackson.
If I could re-visit my buy-in to aps-c Sony cameras, I would go Fujifilm now. The most expensive lesson you can learn when you're new to digital photography is the cost of switching platforms.
Would I prefer the Fujifilm X-T5 vs my Sony a6700? After handling both cameras and looking at the features that matter to me, I'd definitely would have chosen the Fujifilm.
Was that possible? It would have come with 3x the cost, so no, not really.
Buying guides on sites like this often try to tell new photographers that this will be their situation. The problem is most new photographers are blissfully unaware that unless they are earning good money from photography - or have bags of spare money - switching brands after you start buying lenses for your camera is probably going to be too expensive.
Math check??? If you bought a Sony a6700 for 1/3 the price of an X-T5, either you got a heck of a deal on the a6700 or you were about to pay waaaaaay too much for the X-T5. Current $MSRP on a6700 is $1299 and X-T5 is $1699. That's 25% not 300%.
The sale of the previous camera (a6400) gave me $600 towards the new one. So it cost $1400-$600=$800. The cost of the X-T5 is $1699, so using the same money, that comes down to ~$1100.
The lenses I have are mostly too old to bring in much more than 1/2 the cost of the lenses I'd need to replace them with. So instead of $800 to upgrade, I'd be looking at around $2200 + spare batteries and possibly new filters.
The price of Fujifilm or Sony stuff is not the issue. But once you've made a choice, and invested in that choice over a number of years, it becomes increasingly difficult to switch brands unless you are willing to pay for it.
I just didn't think the extra money could be justified when all I'd be fixing are small, but annoying, issues.
They don't, some do...
Fujifilms are the iPhone of digital cameras... The perfect companions for hipster Cartier-Bresson wannabes that cannot afford a Leica.
Negative. Fujifilm is a camera brand for people who actually care about photography more than goofy gimmicks. It's also the top brand for users who demand the best image quality and features within the APS-C size sensor lineup. Most people who shoot with Fujifilm are average people who want a affordable camera and a great photography experience. To be clear... If your referring to those Fujifilm X100 users: No one like them. Nobody. Not even other Fujifilm users.
1. An extensive, quality lens catalogue that complements the retro design aesthetic of their cameras.
2. Feature parity across camera systems has made shooting experience and aesthetic appeal matter more to enthusiasts than incremental advances in photography edge cases.
3. Price, which is bolstered by the decade+ of commitment to the APS-C sensor format, meaning there's a ton of glass looking for a new home at a discount, most of it built to stand the test of time.
Why do influencers, YouTubers, bloggers, and camera website writers love posting about FujiFilm?
Because they're all friggin' narcissists
I delved into the X100v during covid "before the hype" and just before i was about to become a dad. The idea behind the purchase
was to have a small, fun camera that i could take everywhere "camera bag soon got replaced by a baby bag" and
had great profiles SOOC so i didnt have to do any edits. Honestly it was perfect for that time in my life.
APSC is fine but left me wanting a that little bit more, especially for my landscapes etc. The Nikon Zf was the next best thing seeing as
all my glass is Z mount. Ive now got the best of both worlds with the Zf and Z8.
At the end of the day and Hype aside. It is a great little camera, the Simulations are fantastic and its a
tool at the end of the day to be an extension to your creativity just like any camera.
Personally I love Fujifilm because of two primary reasons:
1.) Full support for it's APS-C users: Coming from both Sony and Canon where APS-C users are always an afterthought... I appreciate the fact that Fujifilm always provides the newest and most current features to it's cameras. They also provide pro level glass at an affordable price point. Even years after it's cameras initial release, Fujifilm continues to provide firmware updates and new features to give it's users the best photography experience possible.
2.) Fujifilm Cameras: Unlike most other brands, Fujifilm camera's are both beautiful and tactile. There's no need to dive into endless menu strolling. Everything crucial can be one with a simple dial turn or button press. Fujifilm has also mastered the art of blending vintage feedback with cutting edge image quality. Even the newest Nikon iteration (ZFc) pales in comparison.
Some photographers love Fujifilm, some don't. If I wanted to buy an X100vi, I'd be in for a long wait.