A Month on the Road with the Fuji x100/Why It Is Still My Soulmate
By Andy Eclov
Hi Steve, thanks for the opportunity to share my story!
My name is Andy, I’m a 21-year-old musician from Chicago. I spend about 3-5 months out of the year touring with my band and, for a while, I would bring my 1D with several lenses and two-speed lights on tour, but that was ultimately too much to lug around and too much to risk losing.
I then spent about a year shooting photos only with my shiny new iPhone 5 so that I would be forced to compose with the provided lens, and have to work to get nice lighting situations. Just like Steve said in his recent article, I sometimes focus too much on the beauty and acquisition of photography gear and not enough on the process.
iPhone
The convenience was obviously there with the iPhone, but the quality was suffering, and so was my interest in taking photos. Being able to shoot a photo, edit it in-hand, and upload it to my blog in less than 5 minutes was an undeniable benefit that I didn’t want to go without by going back to the Canon gear. So I spent my countless hours of research and review-reading focused on the mirrorless systems. The Fuji x100 was an easy choice. It stood out to me physically, the viewfinder is attractive, and the photos have a certain sparkle to them when compared to similar cameras’ photos. Being a collector of 35mm rangefinders and SLRs made the Fuji impossible to pass up.
Iphone
I spent a couple of months carrying the x100 with me everywhere, spending as much time as possible getting to know it and it’s quirks. I scoured the internet in search of every accessory I could justify (or afford).
Fuji
But before too long, the snowy and freezing Chicago suburbs got in the way of any motivation to go out and take photos every day. Besides the studio project from time to time, my x100 was bound to taking photos of my puppy in the kitchen for a while.
Finally the time came to head out on another tour, and I was delighted to finally have an opportunity to shoot with the Fuji. I appreciate that I was able to spend so much time getting the camera set up just right for my exact specifications, it seems like a very customizable interface – once you get the hang of it.
Fuji
The camera came out every time I got out of our van. No matter what the scenario, it was beautiful to see it through that viewfinder. It gave me a reason to be the first one awake every day. I’d try to get an idea of what the city we were in each night was like, and then the next morning I’d walk and snap photos for a while before we moved on to the next place.
I used my wifi SD card to send my images from my camera to my phone, where I would edit them with VSCO cam and some other apps, and then post them to my blog right away. Before long I couldn’t stand the quality I was losing by compressing the original files through my iPhone anymore and decided to take the time to shoot RAW and edit more carefully and selectively.
Fuji
I think shooting with the Fuji x100 has made me a better photographer and I think it will continue to do so. More than anything, it keeps me in love with my photography. Though it may be nearly outdated already by some’s standards, I think this camera will stay with me for a long, long time.
I keep a detailed blog of my travels here: noctevolant.tumblr.com
My X100 is definitely a keeper. When and if it dies it will sit on the shelves with my other antiques.
I bought a lightly used X100 last year with a hood and filter for $600 and it’s the best camera purchase I’ve ever made. It’s not just the image quality – it’s the user experience. I simply love taking the camera everywhere. I’ll sling it over my shoulder with the leather half case and hood and carry it around all day in the city – it is never a chore to carry. The firmware updates with better AF, MF, and focus peaking have made it an amazing general use camera.
I really like the petrified wood photo. Interesting colors and interesting subject matter.
Cool photos, I dig your blog too. What accessories did you get? Is there a picture of your set up on your blog somewhere?
I’ve just cycled through a couple of different lens hoods and soft release buttons. I actually made my own brown leather wrap that I had on for a while. I don’t think there’s any pictures of it on my blog since I got the camera, but I’ll post a few tonight – along with my new x-e1 🙂
I wish I knew someone with one of these cameras, everyone that blogs about them say they are life changing as far as cameras go, and I’m curious to see why.
For now I’ll just throw an OM 24/35/50 on my Alpha 7 o_O
I love your second photo with the iPhone, It captures a great urban atmosphere and looks amazing. Said that actually, and this is a personal matter, I am not very fond in VSCO filters upon digital files, now I find them a bit cliché. But that’s just me I guess.
I agree. Whenever I see the pictures processed with VSCO, I immediately notice they are “VSCO” regardless of the contents. VSCO is good for commercial photographies, but I’m not sure if they are good for those intimate contents. Fundamentally, it is nothing but fake and kitsch, sorry. Clement Greenberg says:
“Kitsch, using for raw material the debased and academicized simulacra of genuine culture, welcomes and cultivates this insensibility. It is the source of its profits. Kitsch is mechanical and operates by formulas. Kitsch is vicarious experience and faked sensations. Kitsch changes according to style, but remains always the same. Kitsch is the epitome of all that is spurious in the life of our times. Kitsch pretends to demand nothing of its customers except their money – not even their time.” (wiki)
Disagree. Here I think it’s done very well. Subtle and just highlighting the tones and mood of the subject matter. Instagram filters this is not.
Awesome post. Most cameras just come and go, but the X100 is a keeper 🙂