So here’s the thing.
As a full frame rangefinder / DLSR shooter, I was not impressed with the cropped sensor X100F.
I was losing depth of field, the shutter wasn’t as responsive, I have to be aware of the ND filter constantly, and the electronic viewfinder was, well, electronic.
Its saving grace is the size. So compact. Super compact. Have I told you how compact it was?
Then again, I do have a phone that has a camera.
Oh, but the sensor. Good sensor, not full frame, but almost. Like a rocket.
In your pocket.
I guess this was how the medium format users felt in the 90s when the Olympus mju came out.
When the Contax T2 was announced.
So the couple above? I did not, and still, don’t know them.
I have finished shooting Handmade – a wine and food event held at the Builders Arms Hotel, and was ready to leave.
I would not have noticed them if they weren’t sitting next to my bag.
The shot was taken as I was walking towards the door.
In fact, I did not know what I was taking as I pressed the shutter without looking.
What I saw on my computer screen this morning gave me goosebumps.
Such intimacy from two complete strangers.
The way she held out her pinky? Even my normal wedding clients don’t often reveal that much.
I felt like I did something wrong. Yet at the same time, so right.
If I didn’t have the X100 with me, I would not have taken this photo.
That’s a fact.
A DSLR would’ve ruined the moment completely.
A phone camera would’ve given me blown highlights or grainy shadows.
I guess camera reviews nowadays are simply missing the point.
It’s never about what’s under the hood.
It is all about intent.
You simply need to ask yourself what are you going to do with the images.
Are you going to print it out? Are you simply going to share on social media?
Are you shooting for personal work? Are you shooting for clients?
Are you going to be moving around a lot? Will you be clamping the camera to a tripod held down by sandbags?
I think in terms of getting people to open up, capturing the fleeting and unexpected moments, the X100F is better than a DSLR.
Now you have to decide if that’s important to the way you work, and if you’re willing to spend money for that.
