For the few years that I’ve been writing on my blog, I’ve never written a post about the equipment I use or the camera that I love. If you’re a complete technical whiz then you’re at the wrong spot because I am not and this post will touch on nothing of the sort. If you’re a creative and love visuals – look no further. I’ve got you covered!

So, if you’ve been wondering – I started my photography business with a NikonD50, which by now, is pretty much old school news. I didn’t love it. It worked and everything but for some reason I didn’t consider it my “baby” 😉 That’s when I started doing a TON of research on different camera systems. Pretty much everyone was Canon – where’s the fun in that?! I’ve always been one to side with the lone black sheep.

I found the FujiXT-1 somehow. I don’t remember what website pointed me that way or which amazing photographer I stalked that used it (although I do know that James Day is fantastic and he uses the Fuji system). Anyways, this camera is small, lightweight, simple, and perfect (to me).

Enough with the blabbing, right? I’m going to share some recent images of my sister taken with the FujiXT-1. I have the 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm equivalent lenses (the XT-1 is mirrorless which means the light skips a mirror and passes directly to the image sensor which then displays onto your viewfinder so the lenses aren’t the typical measurements). That was my one bit of technical info 😉

These were all taken with the 50mm equivalent lens.

Meet the FujiXT-1.

What I love about the Fujixt-1:

• It’s not automatic; if you’re looking for a camera that’s going to do all of the hard work for you, then this isn’t the camera for you. It’s manual controls simulate an old film camera and have made me fall in love with this system.
• It’s smaller and lightweight! Tired of lugging an enormous Canon/Nikon body for 8 hours on a wedding day? Don’t! If you placed the Fujixt-1 images next to images from a DSLR either on screen or off, they look exactly the same. If you can’t notice the difference, a client never will (no offense to clients – just making a photographer point).
• It’s viewfinder – amazing! Okay call me crazy but I am head over heels in love with the Fujixt-1’s viewfinder. Basically, it shows you what the image is going to look like before you ever take it. It’s magical.
• Fuji comes out with software updates. I’ve been there – you purchase a brand new Nikon DSLR body and then 2 years later, they’ve advanced the system tenfold. Well, I don’t have to worry about that with my little Fuji! They come out with software updates fairly regularly where all you have to do is download them from your camera. They have them for lenses too! No more falling behind after only a year of use.

One of the downfalls of the FujiXT-1:

• The battery. You probably need to purchase around 5-6 of these bad boys (they’re not too pricey from what I can remember…) because your battery will die on you at some point. I would say at senior sessions, etc. I don’t have to change it out. At weddings, I usually have to switch right before the ceremony. So maybe 2-3 batteries per wedding – and that’s A LOT if you consider Canon/Nikon can probably go two to three weddings without having to switch at all.

The Fuji system has some downfalls – of course. But I think as long as my XT-1 holds up, it will be what I use for my digital work.

Now it’s time for me to challenge myself with medium format film – hello, Pentax645N!