u/SockedandLoaded

I do very much enjoy shooting with this camera. Some thoughts:

- the sensor is just unmatched. So much so that it has become my daily carry, above my 40MP Fujifilm X-E5. I use that more for nighttime street photography. The richness in detail everywhere in the frame is just addictive and after you get used to it you want it for every single shot.

- the sensor makes you rethink so many aspects of your shooting. Particularly when shooting handheld. It gives you really interesting opportunities for things like motion blur.

- built-in ND filter is now one of my favorite features, especially once you master your toggle switch on the front of the camera.

- film simulations on the focus ring ❤️. Discrete and programmable ( functions in AF mode, not when AF is set to Area of Off.

- it's a great portrait camera. I haven't included any here to preserve subject privacy, but I am blown away with the results you can get. It handles skin tone wonderfully.

- f4 is less annoying as you get used to it. Once the sun is mostly down, 12800ISO ceiling becomes really limiting without a flash.

- if you plan to do Street or candid photography then get the black one. The silver one is simply too big and eye-catching, and it will attract the eyes of your subject, along with people who are not your subject, and affect their expressions and your composition.

I saw this yesterday... I was horrified that the sensor was out in the open like that... but as it was sunny it was possible to see the sensor was in good condition, despite some worrying finger smudges.

I went into the store today at lunch and asked to have a look at it confirmed that the sensor was in good condition close up, and decided to buy the camera using the stores online service because I have better buyer protection and the longer return period.

10 minutes later I went back to the shop to collect the camera, Only to find that the staff had attempted to clean the sensor first with some sticker remover spray, And then used something small and sharp to scrape off something they apparently saw.

They scratched the sensor so that it now has a 1 cm long gash on it that didn't exist earlier. This was after I'd haggled them down from 2,200 to 1,800, because it was mixing missing the box, body cap, cables etc.

I had to reject the collection and cancel the sale... the body was in really good condition and it had just over 3,000 actuations.

I've looked up how much it would cost to replace the sensor and it makes no sense to buy it now.

I feel like someone who just I finished up a really promising date , only to watch the the date get run over by bus.

I saw a post on a Fujifilm subreddit yesterday asking for advice on which bits to buy. I prepared this detailed response and now cant find the question, so am posting here:

A bag:

I got a few, but this crossbody sling, fits an RF nicely with room for the all attachments I've described below. It has room for an extra camera, two lenses for that camera, and all the batteries you need for both cameras. It can be pulled quite snug across the body. I had to but strong black tape over the clasp to prevent theft of the bag from my body... I have a couple of other 3L and 4L bags but this is the one that feels most economic and snug, and the one I take with me most often.

VSGO 3L Camera Sling Bag,... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4KY4BWF?ref=ppx\_pop\_mob\_ap\_share

A easy to detach strap:

the camera is bulky but actually fits in your front jeans pocket if you can remove the strap. I've used this trick to get the RF into stadiums and restricted events where they say a camera must fit in the pocket, and not have detachable lenses ( Wembley stadium, Arsenal's Emirates stadium, Formula 1 ).

VKO Camera Strap Quick Release... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DDPJZS53?ref=ppx\_pop\_mob\_ap\_share

A flippable lens hood:

I love the look of the lens hood that comes with the RF, but removing and putting on the lens cap is fiddly and annoying ( something I like to do in some situations to show that I'm not filming or taking candids that might make people feel uncomfortable ). I also like to preserve the original gear as much as possible. I did a bunch of research and settled on the freewell lens hood. It has a removable cup which is attached to a flippable door. depending on how much contrast you want to show in the scene. the built-in missed filter is dreamy and allows for some bokeh and blur effects that aren't possible natively. It fixes the weird problem where everything in shot is in focus. £129.99 for much improved light control options.

Freewell the Real Lens Hood -... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FJDSFDJN?ref=ppx\_pop\_mob\_ap\_share

A grip:

Like a lot of people, especially those with large hands, I felt the grip was nowhere near as deep as would make me feel comfortable freeholding. I found this grip on Ebay from a Chinese seller called Telesale for £81. it's since seems to have jumped up to being £271... so I think I was one of a few lucky early buyers. shop around there because I've seen ads for the same product for under £50 on other camera sites in the past.

A thumb grip:

the exact same reason I felt a thumb grip really helped with holding it and prevents accidentally touching the rear aspect ratio dial. I went with the Haoge:

Haoge Thumb Up Grip for Fujifilm... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FD8MB1WG?ref=ppx\_pop\_mob\_ap\_share

A mini tripod:

this medium format sensor is no joke, it's super sensitive and unless you have the shutter speed at the absolute max, and will pick up camera shake. you can get particularly great shots with the fixed lens at low angle because of its wide angle... so some sort of small carry tripod is helpful. I didn't buy this specifically for the GFX but it kind of lives on it especially when I'm doing street photography... It allows me to use my forearm as an anchor, the tripod base and a grip when folded, and my trigger hand as another anchor. Works well as a mini tripod for those low angle shots, too.

the trigger function and electronics don't work with the GFX but I use it as a hand tripod and only use it for trigger functions with other X-series cameras. definitely worth buying if you have other Fujifilm system X series cameras. if you don't there are third party models with an identical design that will trigger the RF.

https://www.jessops.com/p/fujifilm/tripod-grip-tg-bt1-202527?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad\_source=1&gad\_campaignid=20671165581&gbraid=0AAAAADhMnhBlixFrrSQIbyGwkdwhOzOuz&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh-HPBhCIARIsAC0p3cfWIRxa9HcbsVGhxxT0SqTVqZkNHJU5mni6AjvWIgxNIALIkR2qhsoaAmxnEALw\_wcB

A Flash:

the usability of the RF in low light quickly tails off as darkness descends... That either means a second camera with wider aperture capability and a higher iso limit, or a flash. I went for the Godox i30 Pro. it's a bit bulky but actually fits well with the look of the RF.

none of my links are referral links or appear to break the rules of the subreddit so I hope this post passes.