Hello to all friends out there!
Many of us wandered about the perfect camera for doing every kind of photography stuff we are into. Until 5 years ago it was DSLR world for the best all-around serious use.
Mirrorless changed many rules, or filled a big gap, depending on the vision you may have.
As always, any camera can work fine for you, depending on your needs.
When I am not on professional assignments, I use photography as a diary. I react to what happens in front of me in an instinctive way, putting together a record of what goes in my mind. There’s no need to get technical about it, at least for me. So, often these pictures are notes.
From family stuff to encounters, experiences, wanderings and sensations, intimate moments, friends and moods.
For this kind of camera work, I prefer compact cameras, I always did.. The work is about an instinctive reaction to life and encounters. Sometime is just about a light, or a color, but often this work goes on and evolves more deeply and seriously than any other genre of photography I can think about, for me.
If you walk a lot, and you cross lines from one corner to the other of the city map, staying light is definitely a good idea. The camera is perfectly carried in a pocket rather than in a dedicated photo-bag.
When you work in the street, a little camera can let you work in a non intrusive way. I don’t like to shoot hiding myself, but it is enough not to be too invasive with strangers.
It is totally indicated for an instinctive kind of photography where you get without wanting any obsession for control, losing sometime the moment and mood of what’s happening.
Not to mention the possibility of taking small videos…I have made a collection of so many video moments that I will make something out of it sooner or later.
The X70 has the same sensor of the X-E2/X-T10. It means really good image quality as soon as soon as that’s requested for any use you may have in mind; even if I use only RAW professionally, this camera goes 90% of the times in JPG way. CLASSIC CHROME jpgs are a beauty and they remind me of the slide photography years, without the need of too much post-production work, definitely ideal if you are taking notes or working on something personal.
Sometimes it’s not only about photo-notes, but it goes more seriously and deep into the project itself, and that’s where the camera delivers the same quality you get from the X System.
The camera has a fixed 18mm lens, that can crop to a 23 and 35 focal (so 28-35-50mm equivalent) leaving it perfect for everyday uses. It has a tiltable monitor for different framing if you need it. I care mostly about the chance to mount an external viewfinder. If you have never used one, you should give it a try. It makes the framing absolutely clear, thing that you can’t do with a lens that it’s not 1.4, since is totally independent from any through-the-lens vision. Even in the darkest situation, the vision stays clear. It is so important to me that I ended leaving permanently mounted a small self-made finder that was obtained from an old dead 28mm film point and shoot.
I use external viewfinders even on the X-E2S too, for the same reasons.
As usual on Fujifilm cameras, there are no tricky setting. You’ll find the dials where they have always been on classic cameras in the last 60 years, you can control everything with a quick look while you walk, and this is one of the most important aspects to me.
Point and shoots cameras are fun, and liberating. With a good lens in front and basic controls, is what I choose to use daily.
As usual on Fujifilm cameras, there are no tricky setting. You’ll find the dials where they have always been on classic cameras in the last 60 years, you can control everything with a quick look while you walk, and this is one of the most important aspects to me.
Point and shoots cameras are fun, and liberating. With a good lens in front and basic controls, is what I choose to use daily.
Continue to read:
Episode #1
Episode #2 -My Photography-
Episode #3 -X70
Episode #4 -X70 part2
Episode #5 -Final
