I changed my main ‘big’ camera from a Canon 80D DSLR to a Fujifilm T-X4 mirrorless about two weeks ago and Ithought it might be helpful to share my expereinces here.
My motivation/excuses/reasons for change were:
- Modern digital cameras are computers to which a lens can be fitted to the front. I am relatively tech-averse, and wanted a more intuitive camera than the Canon.
- The Canon was big, heavy and complicated to use and an indication of my love for it was only using the shutter about 7000 times in over two years. I wanted a lens/computer combination which was lighter and with more ‘traditional’ controls, with fewer things interred in the Q-button endless submenus and menus.
- So… ta-dah! The Fujifilm X-series looked like an option with the mechanical dials for ISO and shutter speed with aperture settings around the base of the lens. I chose the X-T4 because, serendipitously, there was one in the window of the London Camera Exchange (Chichester): it was in excellent condition, and relatively lightly used, coming with a 16-80mm zoom lens, an original box with straps and wires, and a manual (of 440 pages!). Bye, bye Canon. I traded it in.
- Other reasons for choosing the X-T4 were:
- a lovely ‘heft’, in terms of weight and handling
- a solid, mechanical feel to the controls
- in-body image stabilisation and relative weather-proofing – both of which may, hopefully, enhance my wildlife snapping, and, finally,
- my age, which influences decisions of weight, IS, in-your-face controls and ageing vision (causing difficulties in seeing the screen – particularly relevant when looking at menu items – as they can be seen in the electronic viewfinder on the X-T4)
First impressions from these early days are:
- The weight, heft and mechanical feel are all good and confidence-inspiring
- The manual is fairly easy to read and understand compared to the Canon equivalent
- The aperture ring is very easy to move when zooming, inadvertently putting the camera into aperture control
- The automatic focussing is very fast – too fast for my current memory cards, of which the camera will accommodate two
- Battery life is short, compared with the 80D
- Fujifilm’s film simulation modes/filters are fascinating
- Taking pictures of moving subjects is easy and I find the results pleasing!
Where next?
- Look on line for tuition
- Contemplate more lenses
- By a polarising filter
Watch this space as I explore the X-T4 in coming weeks and months…
