I have a vivid memory of the first time I set my eyes on a Fuji X camera. I was at home having a look at the latest offerings from Photokina 2010, when all of a sudden up popped a photo of the X100.
I must admit that I was immediately fascinated by it. It was love at first sight, the beginning of a close relationship that is still flourishing 5 years on.
As a photographer I’ve always attached great importance to the quality of the images my cameras produce, but I also care deeply about its exterior design and looks.
A photographer spends a lot of time with his gear so these are important considerations for me.
When I first started using the X100 it was as a supplement to my DSLR cameras. Gradually, though, It started to become part of my everyday working gear. The technological evolution of these cameras in just five years has been remarkable, reaching new heights with the introduction of the X-Pro2.
We must not forget a second, very important ingredient: the quality of the lenses.
I am in love with the Fujinon 23mm / 1.4 (35mm FF) because I love the perspective these optics give and I would say that 85% of my images have been made at this focal length.
Usually I have a 16mm/1.4 and 56mm/1.2 keeping it company in my bag. Bright (extremely sharp)lenses which allow me to avoid flash in most situations, in fact I never use flash with them.
I sincerely believe that with just these three lenses I could travel the world. Sometimes, when I have to do a particular assignment for the newspaper where I work, I use the XF50-140mmF2.8 zoom for the versatility it provides, but I’ve always preferred fixed lenses.
As a photojournalist the discretion of my cameras is very important to me. The more unnoticed I am the better, and the size of the Fuji helps me enormously in this area.
They are not perceived as aggressive by the people who are being photographed, whether we be shooting in the street or elsewhere.
On many occasions they allow you be nearly invisible, a virtue greatly treasured by any photographer who wants to truly reflect that which he is reporting.
I approach these cameras in a different way to the way I work with my DSLR cameras. I would almost say that they inspire in me a philosophy of silent work that invites me to walk and observe, without the excessive weight that so often has a negative impact on my back when using larger cameras, enjoying photography in its purest form, by focusing exclusively on walking , observing and shooting. There is no better way of understanding documentary photography.
David Airob
