I've a few things to say about the latest article by Leigh Diprose for Fujfilm Australia. Let's start witih: bullocks.
Note: All stresses mine.
Subject: Are You Carrying Excess Camera Baggage?
History has shown us when a company releases something revolutionary the world changes, and that's exactly what happened when Fujifilm released the X100 back in 2012 to the photography world.
When a company releases something revolutionary the world changes - that's a pretty all order. Any sources for that? Seeing as how I didn't expect a reference list, I assume we'll have to guess. Are you perhaps thinking of the Ford Motor Company? Build automobiles affordable to the masses so that people have the freedom to move? Or perhaps you're thinking of something more contemporary: the iPod that allowed people to take their music with them and spawned a massive and growing audiophile culture of which there is no end in sight?
Certainly you're not referring to slightly mixing things up in the ILC camera market? By stirring in your vision of a perfect camera you're changing the world? In a shrinking market? Shame on you for even suggesting that.
What we've seen since then is a change for what we think is the better - a lighter, smaller camera system that still offers high quality photographs.
Okay, but how did the world change?
The main advantage I see when I'm out in the field is that photographers like myself can roam freely without having to lug around the 'excess baggage' of their heavier Digital SLR's, lenses and associated accessories.
So limber photographers are now the world?
From the constant feedback I hear this is certainly the case for many of the X-Series wedding, landscape, portrait and street photographers out there - no more do they have to put up with sore backs due to long hours of holding their heavier Digital SLR's.
Yep, photographers are the world.
So, for all the non Fujifilm X-Series users (and in the interest of saving photographers backs around the world), I thought it would be a good idea to calculate some of the weight a typical photographer might carry based on their photographic genre. I'm not going to mention brands here, but I'm sure you can work out what main Digital SLR brands are out there.
How about mentioning micro four thirds as well? Maybe 4X5? An iPhone would fit there nicely.
I encourage you to share these calculations with the Digital SLR photographers out there and ask them the question - "How's your back?"
I encourage you to add in micro four thirds camera users into the mix and have them ask X photographers the question - "How's your back?"
[Enter bullocks calculations that ignore the fact that dSLRs get at least 3x better battery life than X cameras and need only one battery and no extra grip. Ignore the fact that lighter F/4 zooms not only exist, but they provide the same FOV/DOF as Fujfilm's 16-55/2,8 XF lens. Ignore the fact that F/1,8 primes exist that provide the same FOV/DOF as Fujifilm's 56mm lens. Ignore the fact that if you minus it all out, there are no more than a few hundred grams difference between any equivalent system. But even if you're going to paint Fujfilm X cameras in the most flattering light, a micro four thirds or Nikon 1 fan could do the same for his camera of choice and ask you: "How's your back?"]
Now back to the commentary:
So there you go, if you use an X-Series kit you should feel like you can photograph for longer periods of time without getting a sore back.
How much of a narcissist do you have to equate your back pain with the ills of the world? Let me guess, your comfort is an antidote to world hunger, disease, terror, the rise of nationalism and religious extremism, the devastating effects of global warming, and our constant problems of forgetting the past, among countless others?