Fujifilm X-Pro3 First Impressions From a Sony Photographer
The Fujifilm X-Pro 3 is a mirrorless, digital rangefinder-style camera designed to give the user an analog experience with a digital body. It’s totally changed the way that I look at photography, and particularly how I approach street photography.
Before we dive in- This isn’t going to be a technical review of the specs, or resolution, or dynamic range of the sensor, but simply a reflection on my first few months with the camera as a photographer who predominantly shoots with Sony cameras.
My History With Sony
Photo credit: @hartheplug
I’ve been shooting with Sony cameras since I began taking photography seriously, and even long before. It was the brand my parents had lying around when I was younger.
Honestly, it always felt like the only real option for me.
The autofocus and low light performance are incredible, even on the aps-c lineup, and there are a million features that make Sony’s cameras incredible tools.
I don’t have any problem with my Sony camera that I was looking to address, or with any other kind of camera out there. After all, if you’re a hobbyist, regardless of what you shoot with, if it was made in the last decade, there’s a good chance it’s way overkill for what you’re doing anyway.
I know that’s true for me at least, with every piece of gear I own.
But I think that as cameras continue to advance, our connection with the art of taking photos is diminshing more and more. Sometimes it feels more like I’m using a computer than a camera.
Where Does Fujifilm Fit In?
Fujifilm’s aps-c line is technically inferior to the latest full-frame Sony or Canon body when you read the spec sheets, but they’re still more than enough for most people.
And if you’ve ever shot with a Fuji camera, you’ll know that the true value of something like the X-Pro 3 is not its resolution or autofocus capabilities, but rather how it feels to use.
Disclaimer: Bear with me, because I’m not trying to sell you anything. I’m sure Fujifilm’s marketing team loves videos like these, but I’m not sponsored by Fujifilm or trying to convince you to buy a camera. For the record, I put down a whole lot of my own cash to have a used X-Pro 3 shipped over from a great reseller located in Japan.
My Use Case
I’m a street and travel photographer. What matters to me in a camera is that it’s easy to bring with me, capable of taking high-quality images, and unobtrusive.
But there’s another factor that matters to the artistic, human side of me that isn’t a ‘photographer’ necessarily. That part of me doesn’t care about low-light performance or resolution, and that part of me is absolutely obsessed with the way a camera feels.
What Makes the Fujifilm X-Pro 3 Special?
My Sony gear gets more shots in focus, shoots cleaner images, and really performs ‘better’ in almost every category, but it doesn’t seem to have the almost magnetic quality that the X-Pro 3 does. That camera seems to constantly draw me to it, making me want to pick it up even if I have nothing to shoot.
Truth be told, the X-Pro 3 has suffered through many pointless snaps of my keyboard or a plant by the window in my office just for fun.
Every piece of the camera feels like it was crafted with the intention of connecting the user to the process of photography, and in that pursuit, the X-Pro 3 is successful, to say the least.
Fuji’s film simulations are also invaluable. Seeing the world in classic chrome or Astia, or black and white is inspiring. It makes me notice things I might have missed before.
The manual controls, the aperture ring, the tactile feel of every button and dial on the camera, the optical viewfinder- All of these details come together beautifully to make taking a photo feel so good.
Flaws of the Fujifilm X-Pro 3
I don’t want this blog to read like an indictment of Sony or any other camera manufacturer for that matter.
I love my Sony gear, and I’ll continue to invest in the Sony ecosystem as a professional tool, but there’s something romantic about the Fuji world, and I don’t see myself going back anytime soon.
That said, there are a few things that I wish were different. Those of you considering buying an X-Pro 3 should read on.
The Screen
The screen is really cool. I’m one of the seemingly few people who actually like it and gasp I like the sub-monitor too. Yep, I love it. I think it’s cool. It makes me like the camera more from an aesthetic standpoint, I think the film simulation art on the back really ties the whole thing together for me, and it reminds me to focus on the viewfinder more.
That said, a simple tilt screen like the one on the Fujifilm X-100v or X-E4 would be better. At this point, I’d upgrade to an X-Pro 4 that had a regular tilt screen if the other specs and details were right for me too.
I do like that the screen is protected, and I love the analog feel, but I just shoot with the screen folded down a lot of the time anyway, so after all that it would be more practical to have a more traditional screen.
The Price
The X-Pro 3 is expensive. Too expensive. And there’s not a lot to justify paying the elevated price tag. An X-Pro 2 can be had for about half the price, (at the time of writing- November 2022) and if you can live with a slower, older camera and a fixed back screen, you should just buy that.
Another option that would have probably scratched the same itch for me is the Fujifilm X-E 4. I don’t love it as an alternative because of the ergonomics and lack of weather sealing. I also have toyed with the idea of an X-100 body, but again- ergonomics come into play and now I can’t swap lenses.
Moral of the story: the X-Pro 3 is a bit much for what I imagine will be a secondary camera to most people. At least for me, this camera would never be my main body for professional work, video, etc.
So, do I feel like I paid a bit too much? Yeah. Do I regret it? Not quite. The build quality and experience help to justify the price tag, and the camera has been an absolute joy to use. Plus, there is not currently another better option at a higher or lower price point in the Fujifilm lineup that checks all the right boxes for me.
Other Misc. Issues
When shooting at waist level, I find my hand gets too close to the light sensor by the viewfinder frequently. This causes the screen to go dark as if I have the camera to my face. Fujifilm… Why would I have the screen folded down if I was going to use the viewfinder on this particular body??
The exposure compensation dial is really easy to accidentally adjust as well. I have found myself shooting at + or - 1/3 on accident here and there. Not a big deal to fix in Lightroom, but a bit annoying nonetheless.
Since the screen is hidden and the sub-monitor is always on, I have accidentally left the camera on for extended times while walking around with it in my bag. This is a really minor issue since the camera goes to sleep after a while, save for one thing- I shoot with the Fujifilm 27mm f/2.8 WR, and on that lens the focusing mechanism causes the front element to move in and out. I do worry that I’ll leave the camera on and the focus motor may be damaged by having its movement restricted while in my bag.
Alright, I think that about does it for this one. Remember to check out the video version of this article, and the other content I’ve been putting out on YouTube. Creating over there has been so much more rewarding for me than Instagram, so I plan to keep at it I’d love to have you following along!
If you have anything to add, don’t hesitate to connect with me on Twitter or Instagram, or shoot me an email at nick@gunairy.com.
Thanks as always for reading, get out and try something new today!
- Nick