Bramley Apple
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WHY I’M GIVING UP ON MY FUJIFILM X100V? 2 of 6
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 08:30:01 +0000 UTCI love this camera, albeit not for the reasons I initially anticipated, but it is time to let it go.
To know the reason for my decision, you’ll have to wait until Saturday, whilst in the next days we’ll retrace my story with this exceptional machine (and my beautiful models).
I mainly wanted the X100V as an introduction to Fujifilm ecosystem, to understand if the medium format GFX camera could work for nudes.
This shooting with Stelladiplastica has been one of the most inspired, I was really committed to extract as much as possible from the new camera and experimented a lot (check out the bonus section of this post with the 4 versions of my favorite photo from this shooting, already published but worth looking at once more and in all 4 interpretations).
Right from the beginning I was shooting manly in black and white and in square format, because this was the main use case I had in mind for the medium format GFX, if I was going to buy it.
Initially, on the X100V, this square crop was going to replicate the experience of shooting with my beloved 6x6mm Rolleiflex film camera, with its slightly wider than normal 75mm fixed lens, and the flipping screen mimicking a waist level viewfinder (check out bonus photo on yesterday post).
Whilst, on the interchangeable lens GFX, the idea was to use my favorite 35mm format classic lenses, that would still cover the full extension of the larger medium format sensor, especially cutting off the problematic margins to a square 1:1 crop. It would have been like using the Hasselblad I never owned.
And, when converting the square photos in color, using the film simulations from Fujifilm, they looked and felt like Polaroid instant images.
Editing Stelladiplastica’s shooting, my initial enthusiasm for the Fujifilm ecosystem was gradually fading away, because CaptureOne was disrupting completely my workflow in Lightroom, developed in many years.
A waste of time I couldn’t afford, and an unnecessarily steep learning curve to get good results.
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Comments
Eric Adeleye
Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep reading. I'm still on the fence about investing further into the Fujifilm GFX system. I currently use the GFX 50R and have the GF 45-100mm f/4 lens and the Mitakon 65mm f/1.4 G lens. I've seen some really exciting products released by Nikon and Sony that have caught my. For now, I'm refraining from buying another camera system outside of Fujifilm because I don't want to maintain having multiple camera systems. Prior to switching to Fujifilm, I shot with Nikons up until 2019 when I switched from the Nikon D810 to the Fujifilm X-T3. If Nikon would have released the cameras like the Z9, Z8, and the Z6 III back in 2018, I would have never switched camera brands. I will admit that Fujifilm does treat their customer base very differently from how Nikon and Sony treats their customers. Fujifilm is excellent at customer service and creating opportunities for customers to interact with Fujifilm staff as well as use their gear, this is something that Nikon and Sony doesn't do unless you are a brand ambassador.
Bramley Apple
Hi and welcome onboard! I don't want to give away too much, but I like the X100V, so keep on reading until Saturday, I just couldn't integrate it in my workflow. The GFX is still a camera I think about... And no, I have never printed books of my work. I used to make BW prints from film in the 90ties, but I've properly printed only one digital photo in all my life.
Eric Adeleye
Greetings. I'm new to your Patreon as a subscriber. I originally came across your work on Bluesky and saw your post about the Fujifilm X100V. The post on Bluesky got me curious about checking our more of your work which led to me subscribing to your Patreon so I could view your work and read your thoughts about the X100V. I own the X100V as well. I primarily use the X100V for street photography. I viewed your photographs your photographs and they look good to me. I'll read your post again to gain some understanding about what you didn't like about the X100V. I own the GFX 50R, and I've found it great portraiture and nude photography that I do. I look forward to viewing your work. I do have one question. Do you sell photography books of your work?
