Now X-T3 - PSA for the Fuji Fanboys and Girls

dazzajl

I've noticed that the X-H1 and Battery Grip package is down to £889 at a few places. Including WEX and Jessops, that both offer good trade in prices.

Might be useful to anyone who facies the tank like build and IBIS

And for those that love the new arrivals, perhaps not too long until an H2??

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/fujifilm-x-h1-digital-camera-body-with-vertical-battery-grip-1653587/

RaymondLin

they must be clearing stock for the new one.

dazzajl

RaymondLin said:

they must be clearing stock for the new one.

Either that or it's sold well below projected numbers??

stickyfiddle

I actually wonder if they might just kill the H line. IBIS is nice, but it's chunkier and heavier than an X-T without being full-frame. I'm not convinced there's enough of a market there. 

dazzajl

stickyfiddle said:

I actually wonder if they might just kill the H line. IBIS is nice, but it's chunkier and heavier than an X-T without being full-frame. I'm not convinced there's enough of a market there. 

That would make a lot of sense. It doesn't really fit into the family very well and the X-Pro 3 has gone in completely the other direction. They could take the bits they like and put them in an X-T3s or the 4

RaymondLin

stickyfiddle said:

I actually wonder if they might just kill the H line. IBIS is nice, but it's chunkier and heavier than an X-T without being full-frame. I'm not convinced there's enough of a market there. 

Part of the reason is that it ran concurrently to the X-T3 and that has a better sensor, AF etc.

People (in my head at least), look at both and in my head in getting the X-H1 I would essentially paying more money for an X-T2 when the same money could get me an X-T3.  Despite the IBIS.

Whitecat

Jessops is in trouble (again) - maybe they are just clearing some stuff out and other outlets are price matching?

Jimbro66

Before I moved to Fuji I was using a prosumer DSLR with a bunch of fast zooms and a few good primes. All excellent quality but it's bulk and weight meant I rarely had it with me on a casual basis, only for specific projects. The appeal of Fuji was cameras and lenses which were relatively small and light whilst having excellent IQ - particularly the sooc jpegs.

After buying an X-E3 with a two f2 primes a couple of years ago I found I was regularly taking that out while the DSLR kit stayed at home. The Fuji kit felt familiar being very much like the Pentax and Nikon film SLRs I'd used since my teens. So much so that I fairly recently bit the bullet, sold all my DSLR kit and moved completely to Fuji.

The X-E3 is great in being very compact and fairly inconspicuous but it lacks some features I had been used to in the DSLR so (coming to the point at last) I decided to get an additional Fuji body. The choice was X-T3, X-H1 or the newly launched X-Pro3. The X-H1 seems to be well regarded on the Fuji X Forums and is very well spec'd and recently keenly priced but as soon as I handled it I could see that it was very little different to the DSLR I'd given up and therefore missed the whole point of the Fuji move. The X-Pro3 does appeal but being so new it carries a high price ticket. So that left the X-T3 which ticked most the boxes apart from its lack of image stabilization. I opted for the X-T3 whilst also keeping the X-E3.

Having gone through that process I do find it hard to see why anyone would give up good DSLR kit to move to a X-H1. From Fuji forum comments the X-H1's IBIS (that most DSLRs have, not to mention most compacts) is the main appeal. Hmmm. Not enough.

Hopefully the next X-T will incorporate IBIS as not many Fuji lenses have OIS -  we'll see.

RaymondLin

Jimbro66 said:

Before I moved to Fuji I was using a prosumer DSLR with a bunch of fast zooms and a few good primes. All excellent quality but it's bulk and weight meant I rarely had it with me on a casual basis, only for specific projects. The appeal of Fuji was cameras and lenses which were relatively small and light whilst having excellent IQ - particularly the sooc jpegs.

After buying an X-E3 with a two f2 primes a couple of years ago I found I was regularly taking that out while the DSLR kit stayed at home. The Fuji kit felt familiar being very much like the Pentax and Nikon film SLRs I'd used since my teens. So much so that I fairly recently bit the bullet, sold all my DSLR kit and moved completely to Fuji.

The X-E3 is great in being very compact and fairly inconspicuous but it lacks some features I had been used to in the DSLR so (coming to the point at last) I decided to get an additional Fuji body. The choice was X-T3, X-H1 or the newly launched X-Pro3. The X-H1 seems to be well regarded on the Fuji X Forums and is very well spec'd and recently keenly priced but as soon as I handled it I could see that it was very little different to the DSLR I'd given up and therefore missed the whole point of the Fuji move. The X-Pro3 does appeal but being so new it carries a high price ticket. So that left the X-T3 which ticked most the boxes apart from its lack of image stabilization. I opted for the X-T3 whilst also keeping the X-E3.

Having gone through that process I do find it hard to see why anyone would give up good DSLR kit to move to a X-H1. From Fuji forum comments the X-H1's IBIS (that most DSLRs have, not to mention most compacts) is the main appeal. Hmmm. Not enough.

Hopefully the next X-T will incorporate IBIS as not many Fuji lenses have OIS -  we'll see.

Not sure how Fuji managed to make their body so much larger for the X-H1 just because of the IBIS...

Jimbro66

^^ Point well made Raymond. Until very recently the X-H1's price was in a similar ball park to the Sony. I know which I'd rather have.

dazzajl

All very valid points and there is no doubt the H1 is an oddball. Just the fact that I love it is probably enough to guarantee its status as niche. In fairness I should really be a FF snob and have shot on EOS 1s, 5s and 6s for decades and largely been very happy with them.

When I decided to look seriously at the cost, faff and risk of a move to a new brand I looked at the T3 vs H1 choice in (probably too much) depth and on paper, the T3 definitely takes the edge. When I got away from the pros and cons and into the real world of working with it every day, the choice for me was made in a heartbeat. The H1 feels exactly how I like a camera to be. It's a tough, rugged and a very reassuring lump to hold and create with and even though that makes it larger and heavier than it's cousins, it's more or less halved the weight and bulk of a two body/6 lens type kit.

It has that feel of a precision engineered tool that you get with the EOS 1D series, its quicker to react than any of the 5D cameras and in the last couple of months of using it, not one client (and they're all regulars) have noticed they're not getting 5D mk iii or iv files.

But..... coming back to the beginning. Its definitely not going to tick all the right boxes for the majority, it's not a pretty camera and you can get quite a few cameras with the same sensor that are a lot smaller.

However.... I thought the new price was worth a mention   

Jimbro66

Interesting to read a different point of view on the X-H1 @dazzajl. It just proves the point that different cameras, like different guitars, suit different folk. I suppose Fuji have tried not to deter would-be customers who prefer the size and feel of a more traditional DSLR by offering the X-H1. It really would be interesting to know how much of a sales success it has been for them. Bearing in mind that there is very little in the way of third party lenses for Fuji cameras they have the pricing of lenses (and thus profitability) fully under control so any camera body that draws customers to the brand more or less guarantees profitable lens sales.

Returning to your opening post, yes the current X-H1 deals are unmissable for anyone who fancies that camera.

dazzajl

I’m fairly sure it’s been a sales disaster compared to all the other X bodies. The wrong camera at the wrong time for what the market wants it seems. 

Which of course means it’s a now an amazing bargain. For the oddballs

At the risk of derailing my own thread, I hope the sales failure crown isn’t stolen by the X-Pro 3. That’s definitely a bold statement. 

stickyfiddle

@dazzajl It's good to hear your perspective. I'm quite sure it's every bit as great a camera as all the other Fujis, and ultimately it's about finding whatever handles well for you and inspires you to take photos. For me that was the XT3, which was honestly so much about familiarity after using an XT1 for years that I didn't even consider the XH1 - for me it felt like a step "back" towards DSLR and would have required me to learn a new layout, which I didn't want. 

dazzajl

I know all about the new layout grief @stickyfiddle ;

I’ve been EOS since my 100, the film one. I’ve had all sorts of other stuff to play with along the way but work has always had an SLR Canon kit and arriving at the first job with the Fuji felt like I’d been changed from right to left handed overnight. Amazing how much we do on muscle memory 

dazzajl

X-T3 with the battery grip now £919 after cash back in the WEX sale. 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/fujifilm-x-t3-digital-camera-body-black-1674325/

Grumpyrocker

dazzajl said:

X-T3 with the battery grip now £919 after cash back in the WEX sale. 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/fujifilm-x-t3-digital-camera-body-black-1674325/

Saw this deal a few days ago and was sorely tempted. But have decided to hold onto my X-T30 until Fuji finally incorporate IBIS into (hopefully) X-T4 or X-T40.

For those without a camera already though it's an absolutely cracking deal. 

dazzajl

Grumpyrocker said:

dazzajl said:

X-T3 with the battery grip now £919 after cash back in the WEX sale. 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/fujifilm-x-t3-digital-camera-body-black-1674325/

Saw this deal a few days ago and was sorely tempted. But have decided to hold onto my X-T30 until Fuji finally incorporate IBIS into (hopefully) X-T4 or X-T40.

For those without a camera already though it's an absolutely cracking deal. 

IBIS in an X-T4 or 40??? The way Fuji work I wouldn’t bet on it but you never know. It would certainly be a great way to make the X-T vs X-Pro choice about something more substantial than body styling. 

Grumpyrocker

Well (apart from the X-H1) the Fuji lineup is now very conspicuous in its lack of IBIS. Pretty much every other camera company has it in their mirrorless lineup. 

Though to be fair I don't find IBIS that useful for much of my stills shooting apart from long focal lengths - and my 50-230mm and 50-140mm f/2,8 both have IS anyway. But for video work without a tripod IBIS is really great. Had a Panasonic G80 for a while and the IBIS combined with the IS in the 12-60mm made video look like it was shot on a steadycam.   

dazzajl

Grumpyrocker said:

Well (apart from the X-H1) the Fuji lineup is now very conspicuous in its lack of IBIS. Pretty much every other camera company has it in their mirrorless lineup. 

Though to be fair I don't find IBIS that useful for much of my stills shooting apart from long focal lengths - and my 50-230mm and 50-140mm f/2,8 both have IS anyway. But for video work without a tripod IBIS is really great. Had a Panasonic G80 for a while and the IBIS combined with the IS in the 12-60mm made video look like it was shot on a steadycam.   

I have zero interest in video but from that perspective, Fuji are alienating themselves from what is now a huge part of the camera buying market. Maybe they feel that Panasonic and Sony have such a lead over them in that part of the market, they’ve chosen to deliberately go the other way??

goldtop

The persuasive stuff for me on IBIS are the charts that one of the camera review websites provides. It shows how the percentage of 'keepers' at various shutter speeds changes wit/without IS. In all cases, there's a marked improvement over the non-IS keepers. That makes it clear to me that in one-off shots - the stuff that comes and goes - you are far better off with IS.

For those shots where you have time to prepare/compose, I suppose it's not so necessary. I don't currently do much video, so that's less relevant for me.

FWIW, it was the lack of IBIS on the X-T3 that made me look at the X-H1 and then I found the FF Sony A7ii. As the size comparison above shows, it was an easy decision.