Switching

I finally did it. I switched camera systems from Sony to Fujifilm. Here, I will list why I made the switch, my first impressions, and why all of this doesn't really matter.

So why did I switch camera systems? That is a question I pondered for a while before I made the move, and to be honest, I don't think I have a super logical answer. If I had to get down to it, it was based off of how I felt while using the camera.

The Sony system was good, maybe a little too good. It was an awesome tool that I could throw anything and everything at and it would perform well. I actually started my photographic journey with Sony, with the Sony A7. I later upgrade to the A7 III and it did everything I needed it to do and more. In fact, I was probably spoiled with this initial camera system, and I think that was to my detriment. The camera was so good, it made me think I was a better photographer than I was. It didn’t force me to be creative or intentional—I could just point and shoot, and a great image would appear. I didn't have to think. I didn't have to "create". I was in for a wake up call... then I got my first Fuji camera.

The first Fujifilm camera I bought was the Fuji X-T30. I was looking for a "fun" camera. Unfortunately, I got to the point with my Sony where I didn't shoot for the fun of it. I thought I was good, I started charging a bit too early, and I would only pick up my camera if I was being paid to do so. I look back on this time as a sad time because I was just using this art form as a way to put extra cash in my pocket. I didn't want to take out my expensive camera for fun.

So I got a fun camera. I saw this X-T30 on Facebook for super cheap, a guy just wanted to get rid of it. I took it off his hands, and boy did I realize, I had a lot to learn. Unlike the Sony, the Fuji made me work for every shot. It forced me to think about my settings, composition, and light in a way I hadn’t before. This is where I realized I had a true love for photography.

As I used the Fuji more, I started shooting just for shooting's sake. I started having fun again. I would take my camera to random places like I used to before just to take pictures. My Sony would stay on the shelf unless I had a paid gig, then I would break it out, but I found myself drawn to the Fuji more and more. Maybe it was because the Fuji had more dials and switches that I had to be mindful of. Maybe it was because I had to be more intentional with the focus. Whatever it is, this small Fuji camera made me fall in love with the PROCESS of taking photos, rather than the final photos themselves, and in doing so, it made me feel a stronger connection to those final images.

The beginning of this year I decided to make a big change. I decide to start doing photo series and sharing it with you all. This was huge, because it gave me more motivation, and a pretty strong excuse to go out and take more photos, and I picked up my Fuji for the projects Every. Single. Time.

After all this time learning it, feeling like a more competent photographer, and taking more images that I connect with and am proud of, I start having a little thought in the back of my head, "What if I only shot Fuji?"

This was crazy to me initially. I am kind of a tech nerd and if you compare Fuji to Sony, Sony comes out on top most of the time, tech wise. Sony has better auto focus, has more dynamic range, and "most importantly", the Sony has a FULL FRAME sensor while the Fuji has a CROP SENSOR. This would be switching to a less capable machine for everything.

I knew all of this. I did a lot of research. And even with all of this information and tech sheets, nothing beats the way I feel when I shoot with the Fuji camera. (Also, a lot of that tech stuff doesn't really matter as much anyways because most modern cameras are so good, most are capable of just about everything. The tech stuff is just the companies seeing who has the largest stick).

So after battling with this for a few weeks I pulled the trigger. I sold my Sony A7 III and an extensive collection of lenses and bought a Fujifilm X-T4. Now, I went through a trading site, and the first X-T4 I got was malfunctioning. This made me really start doubting this decision, but I returned it, got one new, and man I am glad I made this decision.

First Impressions

I won't lie, I did notice a difference when I switched systems. It is just different overall. The ergonomics are different, it has a different level of auto-focus, the list goes on. But instead of being put off by these differences, I decided I needed to embrace them. I think it is important to remind ourselves that just because something is different, that doesn't mean it is bad or wrong. Also, I embraced them because "different" is just what my photography needed.

These differences caused me to think differently in how I approach various situations. For instance, I need to be more mindful in darker situations, or learn how to control artificial light in a more seamless way due to the camera not being as low-light friendly. I need to be more attentive to the focus due to the camera needing a little more guidance in what I want to focus on, rather than reading my mind on what I wanted (which is what I was used to). As I made these changes, I noticed something. My photos came out better. Better in the sense that it feels like an actual person made the photos, rather than something clicking a button. I felt like I was MAKING photographs, rather than TAKING them. That aligns with one of my favorite Ansel Adams quotes, "You don't take a photograph, you make it."

Overall, I had to make changes. Changes to the way I shoot, the way I edit, and my workflow in between. Some view change as a bad thing, but I view this as much needed. Before, my photographs were lifeless, even if they included alive things in them. They felt uninspired. With these changes, I am more attentive to the process. I am more involved. I feel like I am an active part in making the photograph, making the moment in front of me rather than just clicking a button. Right now, I am happy with my decision, I will most likely give an update later on when I have more experience with this new system.

Why It Doesn't Matter

Up until now, I discussed why I switched and how it was important to me, and what my first impressions are since the switch. I discussed why it mattered to me, but now I want to discuss why it shouldn't matter at all.

The camera is a tool, the photographer is the one making the picture. I want to quote Ansel Adams one last time here, “You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

If one claims to be a photographer, it shouldn't be the camera that makes them a photographer. Being a photographer is more than that, and I feel like I am just beginning to see that truth. Lately, I discovered that being a photographer isn't the art of just capturing light that creates a scene in front of, it's more the art of observing. It's realizing that we get used to what is around us, and that people see things differently. The camera just allows us to capture what we see in the way we see it. The specs shouldn't matter, especially today with most modern cameras being enough to carry anyone wherever they want to go. But specs shouldn't matter to begin with. The only thing that matters with a camera is if I want to use it. Not the megapixels, the autofocus, the dynamic range, the list goes on. What really matters is if I want to make photographs with the tool in front of me. For me personally, I wasn't inspired to do so with my Sony. That has nothing to do with the camera per se, just it wasn't the right fit for me. But with the Fuji, just looking at it screams to me to go outside and observe what's going on around me, and making a couple photographs out of it. It feels good in the hand, and it keeps me excited just to go look and see the world.

I know this might come off as a little pretentious, and I am sorry for that, but the point I want to make is it doesn't matter. Get the camera that is available to you, and if you are privileged enough, get the camera that feels right to you. Leave worrying about the specs to the YouTubers and sales people that try to make you feel like you NEED the latest tech. You don't. Go enjoy the process and the photos will come.

At the end of the day, the camera is just a tool. What really matters is how it makes you feel and whether it inspires you to go out and create. Specs and tech features are secondary to the joy of making images that feel personal and meaningful.

-Denver