This photo says it all.
On the left is my Nikon D1X that I bought 20 years ago from Calumet Photo in Chicago. It was the replacement for my Nikon D1 that I bought in 1999 from Keeble & Shuchat Photography in Palo Alto, California. The Nikon D1 was a 2.7 megapixel camera and was the first real professional level DSLR.
The D1X is a 5.3 megapixel camera. I can still charge the battery and it still works just fine. I used it when I lived in Arkansas for three years photographing musicians, crafts people, and nature. It cost a little over $5000.00. It’s big, it’s heavy, its a brick. The tiny LCD screen on the back it pretty much useless. There’s no menu system to speak of. Anything ISO 400 and above is very noisy. But at the time it was the best professional level DSLR available.
At 5.3 megapixels I can print on A3 paper and made outstanding prints.
On the right is my new Fujifilm X-T30. It has a 26 megapixel sensor. It weighs only a little more than a feather. It has an extensive menu system. It has a nice big LCD on the back. You can easily customize the look of your JPEG images using the built in film simulations. So many more features that I’ll probably never use. I bought it from B&H Photo in New York for $899.00.
Shortly after getting the Fuji X-T30 I sold all of my remaining Nikon gear with the exception of the D1X and a 20 year old 20mm f/2.8 D lens. So for the first time since 1973 I no longer shoot with Nikon.
Shortly after getting the X-T30 I rented an Fuji 100-400mm lens from Lensrentals.com. It was the first time I’ve ever rented a lens and what a truly great experience. I had it for a week and after that week I ordered one. Here’s an image from the first time I went out with it.
And here are a couple more photographs from last week when I was out along the river below Big Hill Park.
I’ve added a 16-80mm f/4 lens as well as two third party lenses; a Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 and a 7 Artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye.
I am really enjoying shooting with the X-T30. A very nice, small, feature pack mirrorless camera.
More to come.
“Tri-X, f/8, and be there”
