Cameras and Ecosystems

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Ultimate World Cruise


CONTENT WARNING:
The following post contains excessive technical material non-geeks may find boring.

Restating the mission statement defined earlier.

My goal is to capture and share these moments, thoughts and experiences with nothing but old fashioned words and still images.

With that said, now is the perfect time to discuss why the Fujifilm ecosystem and X-T5 were packed for this trip.

If you are expecting detailed specifications and technical comparisons between different manufacturer's equipment you are going to be disappointed.  That is the approach commonly taken by the professional YouTube photographers.  Reviews and recommendations presented here are very subjective and focus on producing a predetermined outcome.  Achieving a specific goal usually requires a unique set of features.  Therefore, equipment selection is based on a required feature set to produce the desired outcome rather than purchasing the latest and greatest equipment based on detailed specifications and technical comparisons.

With that in mind, the selected camera system for this trip should be ergonomically friendly, travel well and contain the necessary feature set.  Being chronologically enhanced, a lightweight more compact kit with image stabilization is very appealing.  A retro design with dedicated dials for quick exposure triangle adjustments is also a definite plus.  That covers the basic ergonomics, so on to other features and how photographic genres enter into the equation.

No matter what the genre (wildlife, landscape, architecture, action, street, still life, astrophotography, etc.) it is important to understand what MUST be accomplished while shooting and what is best left for post processing.  Once this is understood, much of the technical complexity of photography is simplified thus making life in the field much more enjoyable.  All this will be covered in detail while on the trip, so onto the specific features that attracted me to the Fujifilm ecosystem.

Each photographic genre requires manipulation of focus and basic exposure triangle settings (shutter, aperture and ISO) in uniquely different ways.  Feature sets exist to detect and quickly react to changing situations by automating the prioritization and execution of these adjustments.  Implementation is what differentiates the various ecosystems.  

In no particular order, what attracted me to Fujifilm's ecosystem was their implementation of the following features: retro body design, color science, film simulations, availability of Fujifilm and third party lenses, vintage lens compatibility, GPS tagging, battery life, weather sealing, programmable buttons, IBIS image stabilization, high resolution ASPC sensor, exposure compensation, advanced autofocus system, subject recognition, subject tracking, focus peaking, continuous shooting frame rate and frequent firmware updates including bug fixes and feature enhancements. 

To sum it up, camera selections should be based on an adaptable ecosystem that can be intuitively adjusted to reliably produce the desired outcome even during unpredictable situations.  As a lifetime Nikon shooter, I switched to Fujifilm several years ago.  Both are excellent systems, but my needs and expectations changed.

Yes, this is a lot of information with no specifics, justifications or examples.  It was intended to be an overview charting the direction of future 'Photo Notes' posts.  It will be a busy cruise.  As always, opinions and suggestions are welcome.

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