x-pro* - x100* - x-t* et x-e* - Manual focusing & viewfinder
Hello everyone! First of all, I want to let you know that this very long text is an automatic translation (sorry!).
As the proud owner of an X-Pro3, it's currently in for repairs—apparently for quite some time... Until it's back, I'm going to look into buying another Fujifilm X body. I was planning on getting a second one to complement my X-Pro anyway.
What initially drew me to the X-Pro was its optical viewfinder. And I confess, I'm completely obsessed with it; I use it 95% of the time. Having owned several cameras with an EVF or just the screen, I was tired of having to look at a digital image to take a picture. We already spend so much time in front of a computer or on smartphones. The OVF allows me to disconnect, take my time, and compose through a glass: so pleasant and relaxing! I'm not looking for surgical precision in photography.
The other point for me is to shoot exclusively in manual focus. I don't actually own an autofocus lens, but three Voigtländer lenses (18mm, 23mm, and 27mm). I have nothing against using AF, but since I really enjoy using a manual focus ring, the feeling of using a focus-by-wire ring is quite depressing for manual focusing (especially after experiencing the Voigtländer lenses). I also regularly shoot using hyperfocal distance or zone focusing.
Therefore, I would like a second camera body (smaller and lighter than the X-Pro) that offers me the same photographic experience I just described: OVF and 100% manual focus. But I know that apart from the X-Pro, this camera body doesn't exist... Buying a second X-Pro doesn't make sense and I would also like to add that I don't wish to go back to using a film camera either. So I have to compromise:
- either keep the OVF, in which case there aren't many options : X100vi. I've already tried to buy one and I had the opportunity to test three used ones (X100t, X100f, and X100v), but they all had several problems (either the front/rear dials malfunctioned, the focus ring was sticky or too loose, or the shutter release worked erratically: am I cursed?). In short, I returned them all and I've never been able to properly try an X100. The used X100 market has made me suspicious. So, if I were to go for that camera, I would buy a new X100vi (even though I'm convinced an X100t would suit me perfectly).
- Or I could go for an X-T20 or X-T30* or an X-E* and resign myself to using an EVF. For these cameras, I'm surprisingly less worried about the used market.
At this stage, I'm not looking for buying advice, but rather to hear from photographers who use an X-Pro* in the same way I do (OVF + manual focus) and who have bought a second Fuji body. What compromises did you make? What bothers you most about this second body? etc.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!