Howdy folks, newbie here :)

I have recently been bitten by the photography bug, and so went shopping (as one does).

What I think I’m looking for is a primarily landscape/slow-moving wildlife camera, that will do double duty as my travel/events camera. I set out with an uninformed budget of approximately 1500 CAD (~1050 USD). I have no real intent of going pro, but want a good camera I can grow into. I had it down to 5 options, in decreasing order of price:

  • Fuji XT-5
  • Fuji XT-50
  • Fuji XT-30 ii
  • Nikon Z fc
  • Olympus OM Mark IV (V?)

(Yes, Fuji’s aesthetic speaks to me lol). After discussing with the local camera shop, they recommended the top two, which were the ones that most had my attention but due to price were only mid-range in my purchase list. They had kind off “poo-poo”-ed the other three as going backwards (xt-30), or great cameras but would hit their limits in personal growth or technical ability (Nikon and Olympus).

After handling the two X-Ts, I found the XT-50 too small, even with a handle attachment, as I have fairly large hands. Which kind of leaves me at the XT-5. So, some questions:

a) Is this way too much to spend on a first serious camera? There seem to be mixed comments about this. This is a pricey camera (2800 CAD incl. 16-50mm kit lens, USD 1965 - double my initial budget). It is by all accounts pretty good, with some autofocus issues, e.g. for bird shots - that Fuji claims to be working on addressing. I’m willing to pull the trigger (click the shutter?) if it’s worth it, I think - I don’t mind spending more once on something that will last me a LONG time. Not really a factor, but this aesthetic has added value of being a show piece - you can have it on the shelf and appreciate that it’s pretty.

b) Is ergonomics worth the extra ~300 bucks over the X-T50? On the surface it seems not, but a few have said it can be the difference between enjoying the hobby and letting it sit on the shelf.

c) Re: the autofocus - have any of you with similar cameras had any issues with this?

d) Are there durability issues with cameras, beyond the obvious? Internal components that can break, and etc?

e) Am I nuts? 😁

I’d be happy to look into some more Canon’s, Nikons, and Sony, this is just the grouping that is holding my attention. I know you can get some fabulous cameras for this type of money.

Thanks in advance!

  • @[email protected]English
    1•5 days ago

    I just want to make you aware of what nearly every person starting out with photography eventually comes to learn sooner than later: you and your hobby and your bank account will go through some changes. Don’t expect to put out a couple thousand dollars and be done with it.

    Of course, a cropped sensor is more than a reasonable place to start. Some would argue it’s a reasonable place to foster a career in photography.

    Ergonomics has more to do with what kind of photography you’re shooting than anything else. Sports and wedding photography will dictate the need for a different set of controls than landscape or studio photography.

    I’m a slow picture taker. I started with shooting film in the early '90s on a Canon AE1 Program. The ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras spoke to me. I have been able to do some photoshoots for events, for bars/restaurants, and did a lot of studio photography with Fuji XT cameras. There have been times I found Fuji limiting in either its control system, it’s autofocus, or (more often) it’s low light performance. Most of the time my experience has helped me to work around any limitations. For example, it’s totally possible (sometimes preferable) to take great high ISO black and white images in low light when color images would look like ass. The high ISO noise in Fujfilm cameras can be great in B&W.

    As I started getting into adapting third party lenses to my Fuji system, I became more invested in the characteristics of the lens itself. At the same time, as I was using manual focus lenses more and more, my photo taking got more intentional. It just made sense for me to shift to Leica where I could slow down even more and take advantage of the total characteristic of an expensive lens on a full frame sensor. As the name implies, a cropped sensor is not gathering the characteristics of the perimeter of the lens. I can tell you that my gateway combination was the Fuji XE2 and Voigtlander 40mm f1.4. A fantastic affordable manual focus pocketable-ish setup that I sometimes wish I still had.

    I have different cameras for different things. The only digital cameras I have right now are the Leica M-P and Fuji X100V. The rest are 35mm and medium format film cameras. I’m shooting different subject matter today than I was five years ago so the cameras and ergonomics work well for my current needs. If I were to start shooting something else, I’d first consider how fast the subject was moving and what focal length I’d need then build a system around that. Last I looked at cameras, I was considering medium format or the Lumix S5 IIX. If I were considering a career in landscape photography, I would certainly get a medium format camera.

    Another word of warning from experience, don’t spread yourself too thin. I had so many cameras and lenses but didn’t have the time to really become proficient with any of them. Again, this pointed me in the direction of Leica. One camera and a few quality lenses will make you a better picture taker than a cabinet full of gear.

    • @[email protected]OP
      1•2 days ago

      Hahaha ever since I saw your msg I’ve been wanting to use the phrase: You want to disabuse me of the notion that this is a one-and-done purchase. I like it, what I’m learning as I read and review responses is that there’s a lot to learn, a lot of growth to be had, and a lot of money to be spent.

      I’m glad to hear that the cropped sensor is a reasonable starting point, and maybe even a little overdoing it - I can live with having a few functions that remain mystical for a while!

      Thanks for sharing about the issues you had with Fujis, it sounds like they’re at least decent cameras with largely foreseeable issues across the years? Based on your comments and some of the known issues with the X-Ts, it seems like they’ve done this before.

      I love the story of how you got to where you are, I see a reflection of how I think I’d want to approach this - with intent, both in the photos and learning/buying the equipment. Even as I’ve started talking about this, I’ve already started looking at things a little differently - seeing much smaller photo opportunities around the city, moments that would have been fun to capture.

      All this to say, I don’t mind learning the camera/lenses, their advantages and drawbacks. If you’re gonna spend more than 2k on any given item, might as well get to know its abilities - I think the lenses are gonna be a danger to my pocketbook after looking into them a bit hahaha. Man, they get expensive. I think my hope is that the X-T5 (which I seem to be settling on) will be a solid all-rounder for at least a couple of years, to investigate the hobby further, build my skillset, and see what I actually end up using it for. While I started at landscapes/slow-moving nature, as I mentioned above about seeing small opportunities, it seems to be evolving just by talking about it.

      I really appreciate this last bit of advice. Its a good philosophy that I keep coming across - it’s not just about the camera, it’s about the person behind it and how they use it.