Thanks for this great and honest video. I came to Fuji through the X100F and then moved to the X-Pro3. I'm not a pro-I mainly take photos of my family-but I've found that this is the perfect camera for me, for many of the reasons you describe. I love the 'shoot now, review later' workflow, which keeps me present in the moment, looking at my family and not at the camera's screen. In terms of the 'analog' approach, I think it's possible to take a middle path. I shoot mostly using the EVF, so I know that the pictures are exposed correctly, but I don't review them until the end of the day (except for occasionally using the screen to show someone a really good shot). If I'm really confident about exposure, and if I'm using my 23mm and 35mm lenses, I'll switch to the OVF. I'll shoot RAW, but I also play around with JPEGs and recipes, and I've set Lightroom to auto-apply the settings to my RAW files, so that I can do some creative experimentation in-camera. Often I end up applying one of my home-made presets to the RAW file, but sometimes I'm inspired to tweak or replicate the in-camera edit. I don't miss the screen at all for shooting; I've always preferred a viewfinder. I find that I'll flip down the screen a few times a day to adjust settings, then flip it back up the rest of the time and just use the dials. For me, it's not so much about the analog experience as it is about streamlining my interactions with the camera. 'Set it and forget it.' I like having this almost inert, basically screen-less object with few buttons or displays; all the images are on the inside. (Except for the little sub-monitor, which reminds me to imagine what the world might look like in Acros Yellow or whatever other simulation I'm exploring.) I spend a lot of time in front of a computer every day, and I'm glad the X-Pro3 feels so different from a computerized experience. When I was contemplating the X-Pro3, I wondered about getting the X-T4, since its screen can flip around completely. If I'd done that, I'd have IBIS, video, and a better battery, and I could still close up the screen. I tried an X-T30, in part because of the videos on this channel, and really liked Auto Mode and the movie functions, but in the end I didn't like how many buttons and controls there were on the body. (I know this is exactly what some people like about the T bodies.) I returned the X-T30 and grit my teeth and paid for the X-Pro3 without trying the X-T4. I've accepted that, with cameras, it's all trade-offs.... Now, when I want to shoot an incidental video-like the video diaries you talk about-I use my phone or a DJI Pocket. As compensation, I have this simple, perfect (for me) stills-only camera. It's a bigger setup than just using an X-T4, but part of me likes keeping my photos and videos physically separate, in two distinct workflows. Am I finicky and silly in enjoying a stills-only camera? Who knows! Maybe in 2022 I'll buy a used X-T4, when my bank account has recovered from the X-Pro3. There's a lot of judgment around the this camera, and some people feel irritated by it or even judged by it (and its "Pro" moniker, which implies that this is the "pro" way to shoot), and I guess that's unavoidable and certainly understandable. Ultimately, though, I'm grateful that a big company like Fujifilm decided to make this weird, quirky, yet technically-advanced device, which is obviously not the perfect thing for everyone but is ideal for me. I certainly don't feel like a "Pro" photographer, but I do find that this camera and its design are a perfect fit for me and my habits of mind.
@@TheIkaika777 bigger grip, heavier, thicker, thats not an XT* line style really. Thats just an Steroid XT* mixed XH* weird thing. I love Fuji more than anyone, this is a fact for me. Even slight changes could mean a lot. XT3 is way superior in terms of style. XT4 is just big enough to not consider it. OH and that non-sense Flippy Screen that us photographers dont need and took away our vintage stand up way of shooting from above stealthy?.. no man. How can you say its just the same thing as XT3? non-sense, peace.
@@EzeRazor, the T4 grip is slightly bigger and that minor trade-off is a bigger better battery, and the T4 is only 2mm wider than the T3 which is the same thickness as an SD card so it’s negligible, it’s 5mm thicker because of the grip and again it’s negligible. They’re both the same height and the T4 is a little over 2oz heavier and again it’s negligible. Don’t make it sound like the T4 is the same size and weight as a Nikon D850. My T2, which is lighter than the T3, feels the same in my hand weight and size wise as my T4. Get used to the fact that the X-T line will be a smidge bigger and heavier due to the bigger better battery and awesome IBIS moving forward.
@@TheIkaika777 hi mate my perspective is quite different from yours so its ok yours and its ok mine. No flippy screen camera could ever be a good looking camera. Subjective feelings im keeping my xt3. I hv a feeling the xt5 will come more like the xt3 than the xt4 but with ibis and bigger battery. Otherwise im moving from line up so dont need to get used to whayever i disagree. If ur happy with a flippy screen also good for you bro.
@@jethrobucoy7887 Viewfinder and rangefinder cameras can suffer from internal reflections when light enters at certain angles. I can't say I've noticed this with the X-Pro1, but it's possible. Manual focus lenses require EVF, focus peaking and magnification, by pushing in the rear dial. The EVF isn't up to 2021 standards, but it's useable. The main X-Pro1 failing from my perspective is lack of dioptre correction, anything less than perfect vision requires a screw in correction lens, which can be tricky to find. Nikon dioptre lenses fit, if you can source the right type.
@@borderlands6606 Diopters are available on web all day long from Nikon ,model was 19 if I can remember correctly. The OVF on xpro-1 and xpro-2 is way better then xpro-3 which only has fixed magnification.
@@jethrobucoy7887 It is better then on xpro-2 and certainly better then on xpro-3.If you going for OVF then the latest model is a such disappointment with fixed magnification.
There are so many different cameras available now, I like that Fujifilm has a niche camera (that isn't some cookie cutter let's please everybody) which appeals to certain photographers and not to others. It reminds me of the Plymouth Prowler. Most people wouldn't get it or understand it. Those that did understand and got it, were thankful that a company made a new product especially for them.
You all prolly dont care but does anybody know a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly forgot the password. I appreciate any help you can offer me
@Ryan Knox I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Way back when - I'm 73 - there weren't a lot of affordable cameras out there that the average amatuer could chose to use. Plus the price of film ect. I bought the XPRO3 and have used it for nearly a year and the thing is, like the old days, when you managed to save up and buy something decent you hung onto it and learnt it's quirks and foibles by experience over time and boy does this camera pay you back in pure enjoyment, plus it doesn't cost a fortune in film purchases . Another added plus is that the LCD screen doesn't have the EVF eyepiece sticking out over the image when you're shooting from waist level.
I can accomplish the majority of that experience with my X-T4. I leave the screen closed if nothing more to protect it and open it occasionally if I'm in a situation I want to make sure I get it right because I won't be able to reshoot. I'm kind of slow, like with film, because I don't want to go through hundreds of photos. I've even tried burst mode shooting and I can't do it. For me the best thing for slowing down is prime lens instead of zoom.
I’d even be happy with some low-end cameras... an Instax frame is about the same size as 645, and while they’d need new winding mechanisms, the light meters and shutters could be preserved. A Holga/Diana equivalent based on the Mini 11? A 6x7 or 6x9 based on the autofocus Instax Wide 500AF? A panorama 35mm camera with the guts and exposure modes of the Mini Neo line? The optics aren’t astonishing, but having reliable entry-level medium format or pano35 cameras would be a lot of fun.
Speak for yourself. I love the aesthetic and workflow of shooting film, but i loath having to develop it, and worry if i got my shots. The xpro 3 solves this for me.
A year had passed and its stil feels like 1st day every time I grab my xpro 3. There's a magical joy using this camera and this is also the reason why Im going to rangefinder system now. :) thanks Omar for sharing your thoughts!
I'm so glad you put this video out. I have the X-pro3 as well as the X1000V and XT3 and I agree completely with your description of the shooting experience with this camera compared with that of the other bodies. In fact, I group the X100V experience as closer to the X-Pro3, with the XT-3 as different from those two. I seldom use the X-Pro3 screen at all when I am out shooting, usually opening it only for an adjustment via the Q menu. In addition to the screen design, I give a shout out to both the quality, "dense" body construction (much more so than with the X100V which celebrates lightness and simplicity). I walk each morning, always with a camera, and find myself grabbing either the X-Pro3, the X100V, or a Leica M, rather than the XT-3. There is certainly nothing wrong with the latter--it is a true workhorse--but the fun factor is not the same. Shooting with the X-Pro3 has also led to my setting the display on the Leica M to "off" as well, so I do not review images on that either until I am at my computer later on. Two notes: Fujifilm actually did put a great deal of design and engineering (and construction cost per unit) into the hybrid viewfinder on the X-Pro3 and X100V. My understanding is that the viewfinder in each of those models is a significant factor in the relatively high retail price. I suspect the magnification value as well as the size of the EVF are dictated in part by the hybrid structure. Second, like you I also think the exposure compensation dial should either lock or at least have stiffer detents as it is very easy to move as you bring the camera up to eye level. Also, I find my thumb often moves the power switch to "on" without my realizing it, so I just cycle it off and on again. I could do with that switch being a bit harder to move. I love the design of the X100V, but I think the X-Pro3 is much more elegant and looks and feels like a more substantial camera, in keeping with traditional true rangefinders. Finally, I spent many decades shooting slide film, which requires getting the exposure right, or pretty darn close, and I like the similarity of shooting the X-Pro3 with the LCD hidden from view.
After owning the X-PRO3 for a year I sold it. The X-T4 made more sense to me. and you can always keep the screen closed. The X-pro3 was a great camera don't get me wrong but for me, It had to many cons for my shooting style. If you're into street photography the X-PRO3 is it!
I got the X-Pro2 a month back and one of the biggest things I've noticed and loved about it is how everything is a little slower. There's slower that frustrates you, but it's not that. It's making sure you're more deliberate with you photos. I really don't see the argument that these are just for street photography either, sure no flippy screen is meh, but I use mine for macro and landscape photography and having the limitations actually is more fun.
The X-Pro2 is an excellent street camera. As such, the X-Pro3 screen is a clear improvement. As is the bigger viewfinder. The rear panel emphasizing the choice of film simulation is a great complement to the intuitive analog controls of the exposure triad, all available before the camera is turned on.
I always check my photos in the EVF, so the X-Pro3's lack of a back LCD (by folding it inside) isn't a problem for me. Also I use the "Info" screen on my X-T1, with only a black screen showing numbers, drive modes, and no real-time images. (I don't know if the X-T2, 3, & 4 have this screen. I would miss it a lot if I upgrade to those cameras and they don't have it) Basically I only work in the EVF. Maybe I'll get it an X-Pro3 one day when the X-Pro5 is out or something.
I bought one Sunday and so far I LOVE it. I wear reading glasses so having to put on and take off my reading glass to see the back of the screen is a pain. So with most mirrorless cameras I just use the viewfinder. The LCD is there for when I need to make changes on the menu. But for it me not having a rear screen is not a big deal. I don't miss it.
Gaffers tape. I’m sure someone’s mentioned this, but if you want to experiment with no back screen on whatever camera you have then use gaffers tape to cover it up. I mean, you can always just turn the LCD off or only show minimal settings on the back too. U can turn your image preview in the EVF off too if you want to delay gratification. That being said, I think I’d just need to play with an Xpro 3 to really get it. I know the camera experience is more than taking features away …. Frankly I’m curious to use an OVF again as I remember back in the day of being like “oh wow that turned out great!” After a shot. All in all it’s the spectrum of experience that we all enjoy differently so it’s great to have all these options.
As an older guy, ... my mind is still wired for film shooting, and all the accumulated lessons (read that to mean disappointments) are still lurking in the process. I'm still fine with using my older Nikon APS and the newer (but still old) full-frame Nikon D750 for more serious shooting. I bought the Fuji X100T to get a bit more of the film day's feel. You set up your fav film sims and do all the thinking about composition and exposure ahead of pulling the trigger on the shot. I till have the habit of framing some shots with the knowledge that I'll crop and tweak in the final production phase. I don't miss paying out bucks with film to exposure bracket and take various perspectives on my subject. I don't miss that awful experience of getting my slides back and standing at the light box in the lab, with my loupe, inspecting the slides and quickly discarding about half of them before I even get home. But, I miss the exquisite joy of seeing a perfectly exposed Velvia slide of something beautiful or interesting. It was, ... well, ... delicious and intoxicating. Since light and the moment are fleeting, my mind is still trained to try and make the right decisions with digital shooting. Shooting digital still has analog-type thinking. Having used the x100T for a while, I've learned how the sensor records, ... same as with film. The lens perspective and performance is the same as analog, ... it does better in some conditions. I don't miss the constraints of having only one type of film loaded, or carrying extra bodies so I can shoot Velvia in one body and some sort of more forgiving, higher ISO film, in another body. I used to shoot Velvia in my Nikon F5, Sensia in another smaller Nikon body, and some flavor of print film in my Leica M3. Just shooting the x100t with my film-programmed mind, without going overboard, gets me what I want. I can't see dropping so much money on an X-Pro3 and lenses for a "forced analog." If you are disciplined, you can create analog experience with any digital camera. The one thing I will say is that I simply cannot get the look of the Velvia slide film in the digital experience. I looked at my prints from Velvia and they are just stunning, compared to digital. Granted, ... I'm a jpeg shooter. To me, shooting jpeg is a bit like shooting film. With large jpeg, I can tweak a bit, but I have to accept what the sensor (film) is giving me. Finally, ... we go to overkill with photography. I'm not a pro, ... just an accomplished photographer documenting my life's experiences in a static visual journalism, ... and one that enjoys arty photographs as much as more "real life" pictures. I leave the video recording to my phone, ... and I'm happy to have that be more "real life" in its look. I was looking at camera prices over the pandemic-affected holidays and I honestly was disappointed with the costs - same with guitars, another of my passions. I just posted a few holiday pictures to friends, taken from iPhones, x100T and D750, ... and quality was not a concern - the images are well-received. It's odd, ... I thought that I'd be less materialistic with the pandemic, but I find that staying at home, on the computer, makes me more vulnerable to shopping entertainment - sooo bored with the COVID restrictions. On the good side, ... I'm cooking more, reading more, and plan to be gardening more (soon) and recording more music (I did buy an on-sale hand-held 4 track recorder). Travel photography is on hold, as are pics of social gatherings, and my garden photos. I am still toying with the idea of firing up my film bodies with some Velvia. Maybe the most significant difference between film days and a digital sensor days is that I don't print any more, ... and I don't pull out the slide projector for home slide shows and the stories that come with them. It's fun to reach in my storage areas to pull out albums and review, but, like my LP collection, ... it mostly sits in storage as we have too much going on in the now to bother with the extra effort it takes to access these viewing formats. But, it's the viewing format that incapsulates the charge one gets from the end result of analog photography. The film cost will probably make for a short-and-sweet return to the past, like seeing a teenage year's sweetheart at a class reunion :); but reunions are fun for what they are, right?
I bought my xt4 (rather than the cheaper xt3) because I could close up the back and shoot like I was shooting film. I don't change "film" while I'm out. I choose one, and go shoot.
I like setting my Fuji cameras in EVF only for street photography, but occasionally want to shoot from the waist. On my T3 and 100V that means a 2-step process of pulling the LCD out then down and changing the view mode. When I’m done then having to reverse that. With my Pro3 I can be in EVF mode and if I want to get a shot from the waist I just pull the screen down in one step and it automatically the screen turns on. To go back to EVF only I just close the screen. They may have had me in mind with the Pro3 but it works great for my style.
The small printing on tactile dials in endemic in all cameras with analog-style controls. I have to wear reading glasses to see print on my XT-3 and Lumix LX1000-2. Same thing when I pull out any of my old 35mm SLRs.
Isn't it? Design is such an important factor for visual people. Makes me wanting to pick the camera up, which I couldn't imagine to happen with e.g. a Sony.
OMAR did you realize that THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIDEO YOU EVER MADE on your channel!? Man: the dark background, the gorgeous yellow lights, the perfect skin tone, the frame, the key light... all these details are magnificient and the more elaborate I ever saw on your channel (and I watched dozens of your videos). OMAR: PLEASE teach us HOW YOU DID THAT! Not only the gear, but the lights, the EXPOSURE (did you expose to get a dark background first, then set up the correct amount of key light on your face? How did you proceed? What is the method to get such results?), how did you set up this scene? I would pay to know this! Have a nice day ;) Go 2021!
That hidden screen is why I’m getting an Xpro3 next week. Was saving up for a Leica digital M as I still shoot film, already have the M3, M6, M7 and lenses. Saw/heard about the Xpro3 for the first time when browsing. Screw it. Lots of money saved. And shooting with a digital “rangefinder” about a year sooner than I would have been able to! Win Win.
Hi Omar, I find it fantastic the way you tell the relationship you have with your cameras, I am a Fuji user and I feel very similar things with my camera, congratulations on buying your new camera !!! approved
Omar, I discovered your podcast about a half year ago. I just wanted to say that it helps me A LOT during the lockdown, when I study or work on projects for school. Thank you for that! I wish you and your family all the best for 2021. I hope there will be some new episodes soon!
One of my best photography experiences was about 12 years ago, when I graduated from University in England. My family had flown to England to visit me and we planned a trip to Scotland. At that time, I was still using my first ever DSLR, a relatively entry level Sony Alpha A350. Till that point, it was my only DSLR, and I had used it for four years already, so it's fair to say that I was very familiar with it. On the first day of the trip my mom dropped my camera and the screen broke. I was furious at the time, but it was what it was, and luckily the rest of the camera's functions were still operational. It turns out that the broken screen was a blessing in disguise, because I had to spent the rest of the trip taking photos exactly like how you described the X-Pro 3 in this video. It was a wonderful experience. I had to plan ahead of each shot, think about what aperture and shutter speed to use. And once the photo is taken, it was done. I can't check it, and it was pointless to take it again. so I just moved on and stayed in the moment of the beautiful scenery of Scotland. Many years later, I still miss that feeling. And so watching this video made me realise, that I can experience that feeling again! And so I just ordered a X-Pro 3 and am so excited to get my hands on it! Thanks for the video!
When the X-pro3 was announced, I was like, “What the hell, what a dumb design choice. Who would actually buy that?” I now own one, so I guess the answer to that is me. I get it now. I know that it’s not for everyone, but it makes me actually want to go out and shoot more.
Do you actually use the OVF? I was recently wondering about getting the X-Pro 3, upgrading from x-t200, but I mainly use zoom lenses and I know that I'd be using the EVF 99% of the time anyway, so it made no sense for me to pay for the OVF in the first place. I ended buying the X-T30 II, that's got the same sensor, image quality output and even slightly better low light AF, while having all the features the X-Pro 3 has.
@@philipcooper8297 Every now and then it comes in handy to have the OVF, but I use the EVF most of the time. So I agree with your reasoning, but I still think I made the right choice. I personally think the size of the X-Pro series is perfect, and the build quality is insane. The X-T30 II is awesome, but the body is a bit too small for my tastes. If the X-T4 was more like the X-T3 in design, that would be the perfect camera!
@@cbschrader Thank you for your response. Yes, the X-T30 II is tiny, especially when you use bigger lenses. I might get a grip for it later on. It's also not weather sealed, unlike the X-Pro 3, but that was never an issue for me. I also had my eye on the X-E4, a baby X-Pro camera, but that thing is even smaller than the X-T30 II and has only limited controls (not enough physical buttons and dials). I might reconsider when/if they release X-Pro 4.
Dear Omar, I've just finished watching your video and you are so right. The X-Pro3 is beautiful and the shooting experience is amazing. I bought a X-T3 in December 2019 because of your videos related to the X-T2 so please don't make buy a X-Pro3. In August 2020 I bought myself an analog camera, a Fujica ST 605n, and you are right again, we took so long to press the shutter button. Keep up the good work. Happy New Year!
In the beginning I had trouble with the Back button Focus as well. I settled on the button above the "Q", and while in the beginning I had a hard time locating it, after 1 year I'm used to it and it works for me now!
I kinda run my X-T4 like that, with the screen toward the camera. I only flip it out to show pictures to other people or get odd angles when I don't want to get down on the ground and ruin my pants.
I shoot my XT4 with the screen flipped away. It doesn't have the OVF, but I love the workflow. I hope the XPro keeps that system into the future when I am ready to upgrade.
Someone may have already addressed this, (tried to find if someone had), but the "AE-L, AF-L" button next to the "Drive" button is the "back button focus" by default, when set to manual mode.
I actually went for the xpro2 over the xpro3 (because B&H had a used one in great condition for literally half the price.) Either way, the experience and image quality remains the same; never going back to a DSLR! Glad to see you covering this. Love the channel, man, appreciate all the FujiLove! Cheers from Brooklyn 😎
Never say never! I have a graphite X-pro2 which I loooooove but still love the OVF (no lag, no radiation, no flickr, unlimited resolution) so I switched back to DSLRs for my full frame gear. Also, small bodies don't go well together with big lenses.
I've had the xpro2 and loved it. sold it off a few years ago and last year got the xt5. for some reason I just am not a fan of the xt5. the body and dials don't do it for me like the xpro2 did. I'm seriously deciding if I should get an xpro3 and sell off the xt5. I did love the way the xpro cameras handled.
You coined it well with "Forced Analogue Experience". In addition, I'd say you're forced to shoot with OVF or EVF rather than LCD ( though at a push you could )... as for chimping, just press PLAY button, and follow up viewing the result through the eyepiece.... basically you are primarily using the eyepiece, whether optically, electronically or both / hybrid, rather than the LCD... I love the XF 23 f/2 which in my opinion is the best all-round lens for it. Back button focus is fine... maybe one more function button would be good ? ( maybe not )
Even with the XPro3 you can get a 0.5 or a 1sec preview in the EVF after you press the shutter. I never look at the LCD. SO WYSIWYG is alive and well even with the analog experience
My one complaint when shooting in OVF is you can’t make the focusing square as small as when your in EVF mode. That makes using the spot meter (a key element in the analog experience) less precise. Please Fujifilm, fix this with the Xpro 4.
my biggest issue with moving from my DSLR to MILC, was the lack of a top lcd display. I always turn off screens on every camera I have. It's a waste of battery, I hate looking at a screen instead of through the vf. With my Olympis camera I could hide the screen like here with the Fuji. I love the fact that it doesn't have a visible rear screen. coupled with the iso/shutter dial on top it feels like going back to a top lcd display for your settings but in a small body. I love everything about this camera and it will be my next purchase
I think it gets us to slow down and in this crazy world of rushing to get an outcome and instantly wanting to see the outcome of something. Maybe it gets us to not worry about the outcome and just enjoy the process. It's almost a mindfulness based approach which I'm big into mindfulness in fact, it's part of my day job, so I've learnt to shoot mindfully, and if you understand mindfulness, this camera I suspect was designed with that in mind, and the Japanese are very mindful people so my thinking is it's a mindfulness approach
The screen is easily one of my favorite creative tools. With it folded out of the way, my brain has to be more engaged, more observant, more prepared which ultimately shows in the results. And the ergonomics are enough different than the X pro2 that I chose a used pro3 as it better fit my hands otherwise the previous version would have come home and used screen off.
Still shoot film all the time and therefore it makes sense. When digital first became available for professional use the term “chimping” was coined as a derogatory term by film users... if you ‘chimp’ you are not good enough. Often I shoot theatre/events and have to turn the rear screen off so as not to disturb others. So the x-pro 3 is a camera designed for me....however I still have an x-pro 1 and x-pro 2’s so I have the best of both worlds. Omar you NEED an x-pro 2!
There are SO many interesting aspects of this X-Pro 3 camera model and how it's been received by potential and actual customers, and then HOW Fuji will choose to interpret all of that into designing the X-Pro 4. I appreciate the Pro-4 is still a ways off in the future, but it'll be really interesting to see where they take this model. Omar, very interesting series of videos! And thanks for passing along news of that FujiXweekly website...didn't know of that before.
I love the idea of the X-Pro 3. I got an X100V to get into photography last year and once it dies I’ll get the X-Pro 4/6 or whatever the current one is.
I shoot an old Canon 5D classic, the rear screen is so bad it's the same experience. However, the images are fantastic if I can nail the focus and exposure. I use vintage lenses so its very similar to film. I do want to try a Fujifilm camera and this might be the one I try. The X-T cameras are very cool as well.
I have the rear screen turned off all the time on my X-Pro 2. I initially did it to save battery life but it also cut down on my chimping significantly. Now it's just how I use the camera and don't need the screen to be hidden. The X-Pro 3 would be a nice camera to have but I jumped off the upgrade wagon after getting the X-Pro 2. I get the results I want with it.
This is the thing about Leica that so many people miss. It's not because they're expensive that a lot of people want them (well, not everyone anyway), it's because the link from your brain to the moment is super fast. Cameras that try to fit everything in to them like multiple focus modes, auto this and that - film styles and metering modes etc etc etc makes the brain to moment connection super slow. I pick up my Fuji X-E3 (or even my Ricoh GR3) and go to shoot the moment, but first I have to look at the camera, at the tiny icons littered over the screen, like what's the ISO setting, is my focusing mode correct? Where's the focus point, is it in the middle or off to one side? By the time you've looked down, adjusted things and looked up that moment is gone and your brain has context switched and has to now switch back to photographer. Leica cameras like the M9, have so little to consider. Just a simple meter and real manual focus. You pick the camera up to your eye and no matter what, you're usually ready to press the shutter button within moments and even if you are adjusting something basic your eye is still on the scene you're about to photograph. You don't get pulled away mentally from photography enough that your brain has to context switch, it sits in photographer mode, not in the IT support desk mode. ;) I don't own a digital Leica, I used to have an M9 but I sold it years ago as I wasn't photographing enough to warrant having it. I bought a Fuji and it's a great camera but I really miss the purity of the M9, it's the best camera I've ever owned and I totally get the whole artsy fartsy thing with them, it's something you have to try out to appreciate. I was interested in the X-PRO 3 because it felt like it might be stripping away a lot of the guff, if it has proper manual focus etc then I might be tempted but I think it's probably still being held back by too much tech. I feel that the real experience of a camera is the purity, speed and ease of the camera being set by your fingers. If someone brings out a camera with three dials (ISO, aperture and shutter) along with instant manual focus that focuses in the same place every time you rotate it to a specific point, then I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Keep the screen on the back, give us a few basic settings but keep it all manual and super fast to use. Less is more yo! It's like when we moved from film to digital, companies realised they could add so many features and now the way a film camera feels to shoot vs a digital camera is so different when it really didn't need to be. I think we mostly attribute the film/digital sensor as the thing that separates them but I think it's more the inbuilt tech overload in digital. I hope a company makes a digital simplistic film style camera that doesn't cost thousands like a Leica, in fact you'd think it would be a lot cheaper and more accessible, plus I'm sure pros and newcomers alike would both love using it. Wow, I need to shut up and go to bed.
You'll never get the same focusing experience like a proper coupled rangefinder with anything but a Leica, or the 3-dimensional image you can get from focusing on a ground glass screen in a reflex camera. But, you can turn off a lot of the fluff in this camera, and the optical viewfinder is basically a window to the world. There's a period of letting go involved, and with a good camera with a good autofocus system, once you learn how it behaves it's just a simple act of compose>shoot>move on. I debated on this camera's merits and realized nothing will feel close to how I feel when I use my medium format TLR, but that's not a practical, everyday camera. This one gets close to the film experience not via rangefinder couplings or prisms, but by letting you see the world in real-time through the viewfinder, and not worrying about how it will look. That's the point of this camera. I use an XE-2 as well, and while it's a good camera, when I see into the viewfinder I see a cruddy approximation of what the actual image looks like, so sometimes I just get caught up with how it looks in a tiny screen and skip taking a picture, just because the screen tells me this will be a wasted effort. But in doing this, I'm really just fishing around for what image I'm creating in my head versus paying attention to what's going on outside or composing more carefully. Try it.
Great review, I love my Z6ii but I am looking for a smaller different camera and I thing the x pro3 might be it, and I love the little display showing me my “film“
Thanks for this excellent review. I was planning to swap my X-Pro2 for the X-Pro3 a week from now, but you have convinced me to stay with what I have .... and save a bunch of money towards more glass.
I'm an xpro2 user BECAUSE it slows me down. I can think about the picture result before I take it...just like using film. I do like the 1Gb thing and I'm going to give it a try!
Beauty of the X-pro3, in fact X-pro2 as well. It slows you down when you want to, one flick away back to EVF to have your efficiency back. Omar....get the X-Pro2, it offers 90% of what the X-Pro3 offers with the same ergo, better yet, it has D pad as well.
nice review Omar. I have an xpro2 and am currently thinking about either a x100V or the xpro3. On my xpro2 I bought a leather case for it. The case has a removable section that covers the view finder, so if I want the analog experience I can put the cover on the screen. If not then I just take the leather cover off. You can't hardly find any x100V's right now. they are going for anywhere from $1739 to $2600, crazy.
Omar love your Chanel given up on my xt3 my z6ii killed it but keeping my xpro 2 permanently set on black and white . Now that takes me back to my film days but I bont need to buy a bulk film loader to save money
Because of the limitation of the optical viewfinder with wide and tight lenses, IMO, the X100V makes more sense then this camera: it is more compact, has the same viewfinder and you can disable the EVF/LCD completely from your work process. What you gain is a better 35mm lens and a camera Tha actually fits in your pockets, ws and all. I get the xpro is a interchangeable lens camera and the x100 is more of a glorified compact, but I think the 35mm is the lens that makes more sense on this format and you are better using a regular dslc with an electronic viewfinder or a reflex one if you are serious into using UW lenses or portrait ones. The X100V also comes cheaper with a very good lens included and you can carry it with you at any time.
dude, you can just assign one of the button/dial in Function (Fn) Setting to Playback (I assigned Fn2 in my XPro3), so you can directly review the images you took in less than half a second without need to take your eyes off from the viewfinder & worry you will lose the moment!
Still on the fence on whether to shift to Fuji or Sony coming from Nikon APS-C DSLR. Nikon Z-mount doesn't have a promising APS-C road map. Was leaning towards the Fuji X-S10 with a 16-80/4 then Tamron just announced a 17-70/2.8 for Sony. With regards to instant feedback and immediate adjustments using digital, it's also a double edged sword as a lot of people tend to not be deliberate and shoot away as memory is cheaper than film. So they take a lot of shots with just hopes that at least some will turn out ok. A camera is still a tool though and people will only be proficient with something if they deliberately practice with that tool.
If you want the analogue experience on the X100V, you can go OVF and simply disable the LCD screen. Hit the playback button if you want to cheat. Not sure about the X-T3/X-T4 or older X100 cameras.
I enjoyed your video. Being a LOT older than you, I find the X-Pro 3 a delight to use. I don't care about the EVF. It's all about the optical viewfinder. That to me is what the camera is all about. Want a better EVF, just get a different camera. I hope in the next X-Pro, they make the optical viewfinder even better.
Instead of masking tape, you could change the view mode to viewfinder only (eye sensor to save battery), and unbind the view mode button so you can't change it easily
As a photographer who shoots mostly film, I would've probably kept my X-Pro3 if it had a standard screen. While I appreciate the efforts Fuji went through to make the 'analog experience', I felt like this screen arrangement hindered too much of its normal use. It surely is overly beautiful though.
I also shoot mostly film. When I use my xpro-3 I find it easier to do a quick touch focus and shot using the screen doing street photography, shooting from the hip. When I’m doing landscape I’ll use the viewfinder more. It’s a pretty phenomenal camera once you figure out how to give your film settings the right look.
Though I don’t need any new cameras , I am very curious what the x-e4 will be. I didn’t prefer the way they took the e3 (to do that they need much better touch ability like I have seen on my Panasonic’s) let’s hope for something soon.
I've had this hypothesis forming in my head for a while-that photographers sometimes enjoy an abstraction. What I mean is, it becomes helpful or more enjoyable to *not* see exactly what your shooting. Maybe it's the surprise of seeing what you got, or maybe it's easier to "be in the moment", or a way to see things differently or maybe it's useful as a way to slow down and think about what you're doing. Of course it's built-in to film photography, but in the digital world, we've only seen a few cameras attempt to give you an abstraction. In addition to the X-Pro 3, I would argue that the 'Monochrom' cameras from Leica fall into this as well. Also, didn't Leica make a camera without a back-LCD too? In my case, I occasionally like to use the black and white picture style on my Canon (EOS R, so I'm seeing the effect in the viewfinder) to focus more on light and shadow as compositional elements. Sorry for the ramble, but I think my theory speaks to why the X-Pro 3 appeals to some folks, and by their marketing, why they made it.
A friend of mine loves his old polaroid camera for this reason. Many a time I've sat in his darkened lounge in a drunken stupor, staring at the abstract shapes formed on those little glossy paper squares.
I still shoot film, digital has always seemed sterile and the images did not have fell to them, the images feel clinical. I have been looking for a digital camera that emulates the feel and look of the analog experience and it seems a Fuji has it. Having said that price wise… I am looking at an X Pro 2
Omar I had an X100 then an x100f and what I STRONGLY disliked about it was the fake as hell shutter sound, I tried disabling it but it removed some of the pleasure of taking the photo. It's like driving an electric car, its nice but you don't hear anything. Some of us like that feedback, it closes the cycle of taking the photo. It's like having closure, not sure how to explain it.
For me the problem is not only the screen, its the EVF, it dettaches me from my sorroundings (maybe is the same feeling you call "the moment"?). Used to have an Xpro-1, and i loved that thing for the OVF, but autofocus was crap and manual focusing (with focus by wire) is not good, at all. This X-Pro 3 seems almost perfect if you dont care for MF (you can have the Lecia M8-9-10 for that)
Thanks for this great and honest video. I came to Fuji through the X100F and then moved to the X-Pro3. I'm not a pro-I mainly take photos of my family-but I've found that this is the perfect camera for me, for many of the reasons you describe. I love the 'shoot now, review later' workflow, which keeps me present in the moment, looking at my family and not at the camera's screen. In terms of the 'analog' approach, I think it's possible to take a middle path. I shoot mostly using the EVF, so I know that the pictures are exposed correctly, but I don't review them until the end of the day (except for occasionally using the screen to show someone a really good shot). If I'm really confident about exposure, and if I'm using my 23mm and 35mm lenses, I'll switch to the OVF. I'll shoot RAW, but I also play around with JPEGs and recipes, and I've set Lightroom to auto-apply the settings to my RAW files, so that I can do some creative experimentation in-camera. Often I end up applying one of my home-made presets to the RAW file, but sometimes I'm inspired to tweak or replicate the in-camera edit. I don't miss the screen at all for shooting; I've always preferred a viewfinder. I find that I'll flip down the screen a few times a day to adjust settings, then flip it back up the rest of the time and just use the dials. For me, it's not so much about the analog experience as it is about streamlining my interactions with the camera. 'Set it and forget it.' I like having this almost inert, basically screen-less object with few buttons or displays; all the images are on the inside. (Except for the little sub-monitor, which reminds me to imagine what the world might look like in Acros Yellow or whatever other simulation I'm exploring.) I spend a lot of time in front of a computer every day, and I'm glad the X-Pro3 feels so different from a computerized experience.
When I was contemplating the X-Pro3, I wondered about getting the X-T4, since its screen can flip around completely. If I'd done that, I'd have IBIS, video, and a better battery, and I could still close up the screen. I tried an X-T30, in part because of the videos on this channel, and really liked Auto Mode and the movie functions, but in the end I didn't like how many buttons and controls there were on the body. (I know this is exactly what some people like about the T bodies.) I returned the X-T30 and grit my teeth and paid for the X-Pro3 without trying the X-T4. I've accepted that, with cameras, it's all trade-offs.... Now, when I want to shoot an incidental video-like the video diaries you talk about-I use my phone or a DJI Pocket. As compensation, I have this simple, perfect (for me) stills-only camera. It's a bigger setup than just using an X-T4, but part of me likes keeping my photos and videos physically separate, in two distinct workflows. Am I finicky and silly in enjoying a stills-only camera? Who knows! Maybe in 2022 I'll buy a used X-T4, when my bank account has recovered from the X-Pro3.
There's a lot of judgment around the this camera, and some people feel irritated by it or even judged by it (and its "Pro" moniker, which implies that this is the "pro" way to shoot), and I guess that's unavoidable and certainly understandable. Ultimately, though, I'm grateful that a big company like Fujifilm decided to make this weird, quirky, yet technically-advanced device, which is obviously not the perfect thing for everyone but is ideal for me. I certainly don't feel like a "Pro" photographer, but I do find that this camera and its design are a perfect fit for me and my habits of mind.
I went into my camera shop to get an xt4 & left with an xpro3,still don’t know why,but man I love it📸
as much as I love Fuji, the XT4 is just ugly.. really. But XT3 and Xpro 3 are just ❤❤
@@EzeRazor, how can the X-T4 be ugly, it’s just a T3 with IBIS.
@@TheIkaika777 bigger grip, heavier, thicker, thats not an XT* line style really. Thats just an Steroid XT* mixed XH* weird thing. I love Fuji more than anyone, this is a fact for me. Even slight changes could mean a lot. XT3 is way superior in terms of style. XT4 is just big enough to not consider it. OH and that non-sense Flippy Screen that us photographers dont need and took away our vintage stand up way of shooting from above stealthy?.. no man. How can you say its just the same thing as XT3? non-sense, peace.
@@EzeRazor, the T4 grip is slightly bigger and that minor trade-off is a bigger better battery, and the T4 is only 2mm wider than the T3 which is the same thickness as an SD card so it’s negligible, it’s 5mm thicker because of the grip and again it’s negligible. They’re both the same height and the T4 is a little over 2oz heavier and again it’s negligible. Don’t make it sound like the T4 is the same size and weight as a Nikon D850. My T2, which is lighter than the T3, feels the same in my hand weight and size wise as my T4. Get used to the fact that the X-T line will be a smidge bigger and heavier due to the bigger better battery and awesome IBIS moving forward.
@@TheIkaika777 hi mate my perspective is quite different from yours so its ok yours and its ok mine. No flippy screen camera could ever be a good looking camera. Subjective feelings im keeping my xt3. I hv a feeling the xt5 will come more like the xt3 than the xt4 but with ibis and bigger battery. Otherwise im moving from line up so dont need to get used to whayever i disagree. If ur happy with a flippy screen also good for you bro.
Still using the X-Pro1. I turned off the screen long ago, so the X-Pro3 makes perfect sense.
I just got a xpro 1 recently and is it me or the ovf isn't that good in bright scenes? And how's your experience with manual focus lens?
@@jethrobucoy7887 Viewfinder and rangefinder cameras can suffer from internal reflections when light enters at certain angles. I can't say I've noticed this with the X-Pro1, but it's possible. Manual focus lenses require EVF, focus peaking and magnification, by pushing in the rear dial. The EVF isn't up to 2021 standards, but it's useable. The main X-Pro1 failing from my perspective is lack of dioptre correction, anything less than perfect vision requires a screw in correction lens, which can be tricky to find. Nikon dioptre lenses fit, if you can source the right type.
@@borderlands6606 thanks I'll keep the nikon diopter in mind I've used the focus peaking and it's not as good as the modern fuji's
@@borderlands6606 Diopters are available on web all day long from Nikon ,model was 19 if I can remember correctly. The OVF on xpro-1 and xpro-2 is way better then xpro-3 which only has fixed magnification.
@@jethrobucoy7887 It is better then on xpro-2 and certainly better then on xpro-3.If you going for OVF then the latest model is a such disappointment with fixed magnification.
"If you're watching a lot of videos, I think you know if the camera is for you" I feel seen and slightly attacked at the same time 😂. Thank you!
There are so many different cameras available now, I like that Fujifilm has a niche camera (that isn't some cookie cutter let's please everybody) which appeals to certain photographers and not to others. It reminds me of the Plymouth Prowler. Most people wouldn't get it or understand it. Those that did understand and got it, were thankful that a company made a new product especially for them.
You all prolly dont care but does anybody know a method to get back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly forgot the password. I appreciate any help you can offer me
@Louis Ismael Instablaster :)
@Ryan Knox I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Ryan Knox it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thanks so much, you saved my account !
@Louis Ismael happy to help :D
Way back when - I'm 73 - there weren't a lot of affordable cameras out there that the average amatuer could chose to use. Plus the price of film ect. I bought the XPRO3 and have used it for nearly a year and the thing is, like the old days, when you managed to save up and buy something decent you hung onto it and learnt it's quirks and foibles by experience over time and boy does this camera pay you back in pure enjoyment, plus it doesn't cost a fortune in film purchases . Another added plus is that the LCD screen doesn't have the EVF eyepiece sticking out over the image when you're shooting from waist level.
I can accomplish the majority of that experience with my X-T4. I leave the screen closed if nothing more to protect it and open it occasionally if I'm in a situation I want to make sure I get it right because I won't be able to reshoot. I'm kind of slow, like with film, because I don't want to go through hundreds of photos. I've even tried burst mode shooting and I can't do it. For me the best thing for slowing down is prime lens instead of zoom.
I mean, all we really want is for Fuji to start making their film cameras and discontinued filmstocks again (starting with Natura 1600).
I’d even be happy with some low-end cameras... an Instax frame is about the same size as 645, and while they’d need new winding mechanisms, the light meters and shutters could be preserved. A Holga/Diana equivalent based on the Mini 11? A 6x7 or 6x9 based on the autofocus Instax Wide 500AF? A panorama 35mm camera with the guts and exposure modes of the Mini Neo line? The optics aren’t astonishing, but having reliable entry-level medium format or pano35 cameras would be a lot of fun.
If they ever re-released a fuji tiara or fuji klasse I would throw my money at it immediately.
Speak for yourself. I love the aesthetic and workflow of shooting film, but i loath having to develop it, and worry if i got my shots. The xpro 3 solves this for me.
A year had passed and its stil feels like 1st day every time I grab my xpro 3. There's a magical joy using this camera and this is also the reason why Im going to rangefinder system now. :) thanks Omar for sharing your thoughts!
I'm so glad you put this video out. I have the X-pro3 as well as the X1000V and XT3 and I agree completely with your description of the shooting experience with this camera compared with that of the other bodies. In fact, I group the X100V experience as closer to the X-Pro3, with the XT-3 as different from those two. I seldom use the X-Pro3 screen at all when I am out shooting, usually opening it only for an adjustment via the Q menu. In addition to the screen design, I give a shout out to both the quality, "dense" body construction (much more so than with the X100V which celebrates lightness and simplicity). I walk each morning, always with a camera, and find myself grabbing either the X-Pro3, the X100V, or a Leica M, rather than the XT-3. There is certainly nothing wrong with the latter--it is a true workhorse--but the fun factor is not the same. Shooting with the X-Pro3 has also led to my setting the display on the Leica M to "off" as well, so I do not review images on that either until I am at my computer later on. Two notes: Fujifilm actually did put a great deal of design and engineering (and construction cost per unit) into the hybrid viewfinder on the X-Pro3 and X100V. My understanding is that the viewfinder in each of those models is a significant factor in the relatively high retail price. I suspect the magnification value as well as the size of the EVF are dictated in part by the hybrid structure. Second, like you I also think the exposure compensation dial should either lock or at least have stiffer detents as it is very easy to move as you bring the camera up to eye level. Also, I find my thumb often moves the power switch to "on" without my realizing it, so I just cycle it off and on again. I could do with that switch being a bit harder to move. I love the design of the X100V, but I think the X-Pro3 is much more elegant and looks and feels like a more substantial camera, in keeping with traditional true rangefinders. Finally, I spent many decades shooting slide film, which requires getting the exposure right, or pretty darn close, and I like the similarity of shooting the X-Pro3 with the LCD hidden from view.
After owning the X-PRO3 for a year I sold it. The X-T4 made more sense to me. and you can always keep the screen closed.
The X-pro3 was a great camera don't get me wrong but for me, It had to many cons for my shooting style.
If you're into street photography the X-PRO3 is it!
Ha yeah good point. The XT4 is the ultimate hybrid. you can completely flip the screen over and never use it if you want.
And X-T4 has IBIS people! Maybe no Ti, but IBIS instead for the X-Pro 4?
THE BEST X-Pro3 review I’ve seen. You flawlessly explained why its so unique and “analogue” experience ) GoodJob)
I enjoy photography A LOT with my xpro3. It is what brought me back bringing my camera always with me!
I got the X-Pro2 a month back and one of the biggest things I've noticed and loved about it is how everything is a little slower. There's slower that frustrates you, but it's not that. It's making sure you're more deliberate with you photos. I really don't see the argument that these are just for street photography either, sure no flippy screen is meh, but I use mine for macro and landscape photography and having the limitations actually is more fun.
You always sound excited about photography, it is intoxicating!
The X-Pro2 is an excellent street camera. As such, the X-Pro3 screen is a clear improvement. As is the bigger viewfinder. The rear panel emphasizing the choice of film simulation is a great complement to the intuitive analog controls of the exposure triad, all available before the camera is turned on.
I always check my photos in the EVF, so the X-Pro3's lack of a back LCD (by folding it inside) isn't a problem for me. Also I use the "Info" screen on my X-T1, with only a black screen showing numbers, drive modes, and no real-time images.
(I don't know if the X-T2, 3, & 4 have this screen. I would miss it a lot if I upgrade to those cameras and they don't have it)
Basically I only work in the EVF.
Maybe I'll get it an X-Pro3 one day when the X-Pro5 is out or something.
This mode is still in the other cameras! And you can disable the screen altogether, whichever you prefer
I bought one Sunday and so far I LOVE it. I wear reading glasses so having to put on and take off my reading glass to see the back of the screen is a pain. So with most mirrorless cameras I just use the viewfinder. The LCD is there for when I need to make changes on the menu. But for it me not having a rear screen is not a big deal. I don't miss it.
No worries - all those kiddies shouting out for flippy screens will be in the same shoes eventually ;-)
Gaffers tape. I’m sure someone’s mentioned this, but if you want to experiment with no back screen on whatever camera you have then use gaffers tape to cover it up. I mean, you can always just turn the LCD off or only show minimal settings on the back too. U can turn your image preview in the EVF off too if you want to delay gratification.
That being said, I think I’d just need to play with an Xpro 3 to really get it. I know the camera experience is more than taking features away …. Frankly I’m curious to use an OVF again as I remember back in the day of being like “oh wow that turned out great!” After a shot.
All in all it’s the spectrum of experience that we all enjoy differently so it’s great to have all these options.
As an older guy, ... my mind is still wired for film shooting, and all the accumulated lessons (read that to mean disappointments) are still lurking in the process. I'm still fine with using my older Nikon APS and the newer (but still old) full-frame Nikon D750 for more serious shooting. I bought the Fuji X100T to get a bit more of the film day's feel. You set up your fav film sims and do all the thinking about composition and exposure ahead of pulling the trigger on the shot. I till have the habit of framing some shots with the knowledge that I'll crop and tweak in the final production phase. I don't miss paying out bucks with film to exposure bracket and take various perspectives on my subject. I don't miss that awful experience of getting my slides back and standing at the light box in the lab, with my loupe, inspecting the slides and quickly discarding about half of them before I even get home. But, I miss the exquisite joy of seeing a perfectly exposed Velvia slide of something beautiful or interesting. It was, ... well, ... delicious and intoxicating. Since light and the moment are fleeting, my mind is still trained to try and make the right decisions with digital shooting. Shooting digital still has analog-type thinking. Having used the x100T for a while, I've learned how the sensor records, ... same as with film. The lens perspective and performance is the same as analog, ... it does better in some conditions. I don't miss the constraints of having only one type of film loaded, or carrying extra bodies so I can shoot Velvia in one body and some sort of more forgiving, higher ISO film, in another body. I used to shoot Velvia in my Nikon F5, Sensia in another smaller Nikon body, and some flavor of print film in my Leica M3. Just shooting the x100t with my film-programmed mind, without going overboard, gets me what I want. I can't see dropping so much money on an X-Pro3 and lenses for a "forced analog." If you are disciplined, you can create analog experience with any digital camera. The one thing I will say is that I simply cannot get the look of the Velvia slide film in the digital experience. I looked at my prints from Velvia and they are just stunning, compared to digital. Granted, ... I'm a jpeg shooter. To me, shooting jpeg is a bit like shooting film. With large jpeg, I can tweak a bit, but I have to accept what the sensor (film) is giving me. Finally, ... we go to overkill with photography. I'm not a pro, ... just an accomplished photographer documenting my life's experiences in a static visual journalism, ... and one that enjoys arty photographs as much as more "real life" pictures. I leave the video recording to my phone, ... and I'm happy to have that be more "real life" in its look. I was looking at camera prices over the pandemic-affected holidays and I honestly was disappointed with the costs - same with guitars, another of my passions. I just posted a few holiday pictures to friends, taken from iPhones, x100T and D750, ... and quality was not a concern - the images are well-received. It's odd, ... I thought that I'd be less materialistic with the pandemic, but I find that staying at home, on the computer, makes me more vulnerable to shopping entertainment - sooo bored with the COVID restrictions. On the good side, ... I'm cooking more, reading more, and plan to be gardening more (soon) and recording more music (I did buy an on-sale hand-held 4 track recorder). Travel photography is on hold, as are pics of social gatherings, and my garden photos. I am still toying with the idea of firing up my film bodies with some Velvia. Maybe the most significant difference between film days and a digital sensor days is that I don't print any more, ... and I don't pull out the slide projector for home slide shows and the stories that come with them. It's fun to reach in my storage areas to pull out albums and review, but, like my LP collection, ... it mostly sits in storage as we have too much going on in the now to bother with the extra effort it takes to access these viewing formats. But, it's the viewing format that incapsulates the charge one gets from the end result of analog photography. The film cost will probably make for a short-and-sweet return to the past, like seeing a teenage year's sweetheart at a class reunion :); but reunions are fun for what they are, right?
I bought my xt4 (rather than the cheaper xt3) because I could close up the back and shoot like I was shooting film. I don't change "film" while I'm out. I choose one, and go shoot.
Same
I like setting my Fuji cameras in EVF only for street photography, but occasionally want to shoot from the waist. On my T3 and 100V that means a 2-step process of pulling the LCD out then down and changing the view mode. When I’m done then having to reverse that. With my Pro3 I can be in EVF mode and if I want to get a shot from the waist I just pull the screen down in one step and it automatically the screen turns on. To go back to EVF only I just close the screen. They may have had me in mind with the Pro3 but it works great for my style.
The small printing on tactile dials in endemic in all cameras with analog-style controls. I have to wear reading glasses to see print on my XT-3 and Lumix LX1000-2. Same thing when I pull out any of my old 35mm SLRs.
For the extra film experience, bring the 1GB card to your local store, print the pictures, and throw away said 1GB card :)
Why? Did you use to throw your film away?
@@alastairroystonlickbottomi1242 No but you can’t reuse it
@@caleb.gray92 It's also a joke
@@321estrellas Good for you.
drop the sd card and wait until tomorrow
I sold my XT3 to get the Xpro3. No regrets. I love the xpro. just looking at it: it's a beautiful machine
Isn't it? Design is such an important factor for visual people. Makes me wanting to pick the camera up, which I couldn't imagine to happen with e.g. a Sony.
I thought of upgrading to the X-Pro3 from my X-Pro2, but I gave up. I just love the X-Pro2.
OMAR did you realize that THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIDEO YOU EVER MADE on your channel!?
Man: the dark background, the gorgeous yellow lights, the perfect skin tone, the frame, the key light... all these details are magnificient and the more elaborate I ever saw on your channel (and I watched dozens of your videos).
OMAR: PLEASE teach us HOW YOU DID THAT!
Not only the gear, but the lights, the EXPOSURE (did you expose to get a dark background first, then set up the correct amount of key light on your face? How did you proceed? What is the method to get such results?), how did you set up this scene? I would pay to know this!
Have a nice day ;) Go 2021!
I switched to this camera last from a Canon 5D Mark 2, and honestly, best decision I've made. I LOVE this camera and the experience of using it!
That hidden screen is why I’m getting an Xpro3 next week. Was saving up for a Leica digital M as I still shoot film, already have the M3, M6, M7 and lenses. Saw/heard about the Xpro3 for the first time when browsing. Screw it. Lots of money saved. And shooting with a digital “rangefinder” about a year sooner than I would have been able to! Win Win.
Hi Omar, I find it fantastic the way you tell the relationship you have with your cameras, I am a Fuji user and I feel very similar things with my camera, congratulations on buying your new camera !!! approved
Omar, I discovered your podcast about a half year ago. I just wanted to say that it helps me A LOT during the lockdown, when I study or work on projects for school. Thank you for that! I wish you and your family all the best for 2021. I hope there will be some new episodes soon!
Best camera in the world. Probably.
“I call it pee pee” 😂
😂
Wee wee.
One of my best photography experiences was about 12 years ago, when I graduated from University in England. My family had flown to England to visit me and we planned a trip to Scotland. At that time, I was still using my first ever DSLR, a relatively entry level Sony Alpha A350. Till that point, it was my only DSLR, and I had used it for four years already, so it's fair to say that I was very familiar with it.
On the first day of the trip my mom dropped my camera and the screen broke. I was furious at the time, but it was what it was, and luckily the rest of the camera's functions were still operational. It turns out that the broken screen was a blessing in disguise, because I had to spent the rest of the trip taking photos exactly like how you described the X-Pro 3 in this video. It was a wonderful experience. I had to plan ahead of each shot, think about what aperture and shutter speed to use. And once the photo is taken, it was done. I can't check it, and it was pointless to take it again. so I just moved on and stayed in the moment of the beautiful scenery of Scotland.
Many years later, I still miss that feeling. And so watching this video made me realise, that I can experience that feeling again! And so I just ordered a X-Pro 3 and am so excited to get my hands on it! Thanks for the video!
When the X-pro3 was announced, I was like, “What the hell, what a dumb design choice. Who would actually buy that?” I now own one, so I guess the answer to that is me. I get it now. I know that it’s not for everyone, but it makes me actually want to go out and shoot more.
What the hell were you thinking? X Pro series are the best from the Fujifilm since the beginning of digital era.
😂
Do you actually use the OVF? I was recently wondering about getting the X-Pro 3, upgrading from x-t200, but I mainly use zoom lenses and I know that I'd be using the EVF 99% of the time anyway, so it made no sense for me to pay for the OVF in the first place. I ended buying the X-T30 II, that's got the same sensor, image quality output and even slightly better low light AF, while having all the features the X-Pro 3 has.
@@philipcooper8297 Every now and then it comes in handy to have the OVF, but I use the EVF most of the time. So I agree with your reasoning, but I still think I made the right choice. I personally think the size of the X-Pro series is perfect, and the build quality is insane. The X-T30 II is awesome, but the body is a bit too small for my tastes. If the X-T4 was more like the X-T3 in design, that would be the perfect camera!
@@cbschrader Thank you for your response. Yes, the X-T30 II is tiny, especially when you use bigger lenses. I might get a grip for it later on. It's also not weather sealed, unlike the X-Pro 3, but that was never an issue for me. I also had my eye on the X-E4, a baby X-Pro camera, but that thing is even smaller than the X-T30 II and has only limited controls (not enough physical buttons and dials). I might reconsider when/if they release X-Pro 4.
Dear Omar,
I've just finished watching your video and you are so right. The X-Pro3 is beautiful and the shooting experience is amazing.
I bought a X-T3 in December 2019 because of your videos related to the X-T2 so please don't make buy a X-Pro3.
In August 2020 I bought myself an analog camera, a Fujica ST 605n, and you are right again, we took so long to press the shutter button.
Keep up the good work.
Happy New Year!
Just a quick side note, I follow FujiXWeekly even before I bought my X-T3 and the Film Simulations are awesome.
I didn't get the X-Pro 3 at first, either. Now I could appreciate it and it would look nice on the shelf next to my Leica M5.
The M5 and X-Pro cameras have almost identical proportions.
I complete agree about upping the EV screen resolution.
In the beginning I had trouble with the Back button Focus as well. I settled on the button above the "Q", and while in the beginning I had a hard time locating it, after 1 year I'm used to it and it works for me now!
The pictures you showed from that walk are some of the very best I've seen on your channel
I kinda run my X-T4 like that, with the screen toward the camera. I only flip it out to show pictures to other people or get odd angles when I don't want to get down on the ground and ruin my pants.
Same but I still get on the ground
6:40 That hawk got me man 😂😂. Keep up the good vids Omar!
I laughed pretty hard out loud
I shoot my XT4 with the screen flipped away. It doesn't have the OVF, but I love the workflow. I hope the XPro keeps that system into the future when I am ready to upgrade.
Someone may have already addressed this, (tried to find if someone had), but the "AE-L, AF-L" button next to the "Drive" button is the "back button focus" by default, when set to manual mode.
Great video Omar!
I just got my Xpro3 last week :)
I actually went for the xpro2 over the xpro3 (because B&H had a used one in great condition for literally half the price.) Either way, the experience and image quality remains the same; never going back to a DSLR! Glad to see you covering this. Love the channel, man, appreciate all the FujiLove! Cheers from Brooklyn 😎
Never say never! I have a graphite X-pro2 which I loooooove but still love the OVF (no lag, no radiation, no flickr, unlimited resolution) so I switched back to DSLRs for my full frame gear. Also, small bodies don't go well together with big lenses.
I've had the xpro2 and loved it. sold it off a few years ago and last year got the xt5. for some reason I just am not a fan of the xt5. the body and dials don't do it for me like the xpro2 did. I'm seriously deciding if I should get an xpro3 and sell off the xt5. I did love the way the xpro cameras handled.
You coined it well with "Forced Analogue Experience". In addition, I'd say you're forced to shoot with OVF or EVF rather than LCD ( though at a push you could )... as for chimping, just press PLAY button, and follow up viewing the result through the eyepiece.... basically you are primarily using the eyepiece, whether optically, electronically or both / hybrid, rather than the LCD... I love the XF 23 f/2 which in my opinion is the best all-round lens for it. Back button focus is fine... maybe one more function button would be good ? ( maybe not )
Even with the XPro3 you can get a 0.5 or a 1sec preview in the EVF after you press the shutter. I never look at the LCD. SO WYSIWYG is alive and well even with the analog experience
My one complaint when shooting in OVF is you can’t make the focusing square as small as when your in EVF mode. That makes using the spot meter (a key element in the analog experience) less precise. Please Fujifilm, fix this with the Xpro 4.
I just love ur sense of humor :D all the best Omar
Great review! I really appreciate your thoroughness and honest takes. (Your files on your desktop is giving me hives, though. LOL)
my biggest issue with moving from my DSLR to MILC, was the lack of a top lcd display. I always turn off screens on every camera I have. It's a waste of battery, I hate looking at a screen instead of through the vf. With my Olympis camera I could hide the screen like here with the Fuji. I love the fact that it doesn't have a visible rear screen. coupled with the iso/shutter dial on top it feels like going back to a top lcd display for your settings but in a small body. I love everything about this camera and it will be my next purchase
I think it gets us to slow down and in this crazy world of rushing to get an outcome and instantly wanting to see the outcome of something. Maybe it gets us to not worry about the outcome and just enjoy the process. It's almost a mindfulness based approach which I'm big into mindfulness in fact, it's part of my day job, so I've learnt to shoot mindfully, and if you understand mindfulness, this camera I suspect was designed with that in mind, and the Japanese are very mindful people so my thinking is it's a mindfulness approach
The screen is easily one of my favorite creative tools. With it folded out of the way, my brain has to be more engaged, more observant, more prepared which ultimately shows in the results. And the ergonomics are enough different than the X pro2 that I chose a used pro3 as it better fit my hands otherwise the previous version would have come home and used screen off.
I enjoy my Xpro3 on occasion, with it's lack of feedback. IMO, there's too much feedback in life, so it's nice to escape to the analog past.
Still shoot film all the time and therefore it makes sense. When digital first became available for professional use the term “chimping” was coined as a derogatory term by film users... if you ‘chimp’ you are not good enough. Often I shoot theatre/events and have to turn the rear screen off so as not to disturb others. So the x-pro 3 is a camera designed for me....however I still have an x-pro 1 and x-pro 2’s so I have the best of both worlds. Omar you NEED an x-pro 2!
Ohh man i can't wait for xpro4. I can imagine if they add the hinge from flipy screen but on the bottom so we can take selfies once in a while 🤔.
There are SO many interesting aspects of this X-Pro 3 camera model and how it's been received by potential and actual customers, and then HOW Fuji will choose to interpret all of that into designing the X-Pro 4. I appreciate the Pro-4 is still a ways off in the future, but it'll be really interesting to see where they take this model. Omar, very interesting series of videos! And thanks for passing along news of that FujiXweekly website...didn't know of that before.
I used to be indifirent to fuji but xpro3 DR gray - LOVE.
I love the idea of the X-Pro 3. I got an X100V to get into photography last year and once it dies I’ll get the X-Pro 4/6 or whatever the current one is.
Love my Xpro 3 and the shooting experience.
I kept my X-Pro1, LCD turned off, small prime, my fav jpg recipes - it's my camera for when I want to take pictures just for fun.
You can use it for pro work too.
Sold my X-Pro2 right before the release of the 3 and have no regrets with my 3. Love the video's Omar...
I shoot an old Canon 5D classic, the rear screen is so bad it's the same experience. However, the images are fantastic if I can nail the focus and exposure. I use vintage lenses so its very similar to film. I do want to try a Fujifilm camera and this might be the one I try. The X-T cameras are very cool as well.
I have the rear screen turned off all the time on my X-Pro 2. I initially did it to save battery life but it also cut down on my chimping significantly. Now it's just how I use the camera and don't need the screen to be hidden. The X-Pro 3 would be a nice camera to have but I jumped off the upgrade wagon after getting the X-Pro 2. I get the results I want with it.
This is the thing about Leica that so many people miss. It's not because they're expensive that a lot of people want them (well, not everyone anyway), it's because the link from your brain to the moment is super fast. Cameras that try to fit everything in to them like multiple focus modes, auto this and that - film styles and metering modes etc etc etc makes the brain to moment connection super slow.
I pick up my Fuji X-E3 (or even my Ricoh GR3) and go to shoot the moment, but first I have to look at the camera, at the tiny icons littered over the screen, like what's the ISO setting, is my focusing mode correct? Where's the focus point, is it in the middle or off to one side? By the time you've looked down, adjusted things and looked up that moment is gone and your brain has context switched and has to now switch back to photographer.
Leica cameras like the M9, have so little to consider. Just a simple meter and real manual focus. You pick the camera up to your eye and no matter what, you're usually ready to press the shutter button within moments and even if you are adjusting something basic your eye is still on the scene you're about to photograph. You don't get pulled away mentally from photography enough that your brain has to context switch, it sits in photographer mode, not in the IT support desk mode. ;)
I don't own a digital Leica, I used to have an M9 but I sold it years ago as I wasn't photographing enough to warrant having it. I bought a Fuji and it's a great camera but I really miss the purity of the M9, it's the best camera I've ever owned and I totally get the whole artsy fartsy thing with them, it's something you have to try out to appreciate.
I was interested in the X-PRO 3 because it felt like it might be stripping away a lot of the guff, if it has proper manual focus etc then I might be tempted but I think it's probably still being held back by too much tech. I feel that the real experience of a camera is the purity, speed and ease of the camera being set by your fingers. If someone brings out a camera with three dials (ISO, aperture and shutter) along with instant manual focus that focuses in the same place every time you rotate it to a specific point, then I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Keep the screen on the back, give us a few basic settings but keep it all manual and super fast to use. Less is more yo!
It's like when we moved from film to digital, companies realised they could add so many features and now the way a film camera feels to shoot vs a digital camera is so different when it really didn't need to be. I think we mostly attribute the film/digital sensor as the thing that separates them but I think it's more the inbuilt tech overload in digital. I hope a company makes a digital simplistic film style camera that doesn't cost thousands like a Leica, in fact you'd think it would be a lot cheaper and more accessible, plus I'm sure pros and newcomers alike would both love using it.
Wow, I need to shut up and go to bed.
You'll never get the same focusing experience like a proper coupled rangefinder with anything but a Leica, or the 3-dimensional image you can get from focusing on a ground glass screen in a reflex camera.
But, you can turn off a lot of the fluff in this camera, and the optical viewfinder is basically a window to the world. There's a period of letting go involved, and with a good camera with a good autofocus system, once you learn how it behaves it's just a simple act of compose>shoot>move on.
I debated on this camera's merits and realized nothing will feel close to how I feel when I use my medium format TLR, but that's not a practical, everyday camera. This one gets close to the film experience not via rangefinder couplings or prisms, but by letting you see the world in real-time through the viewfinder, and not worrying about how it will look. That's the point of this camera.
I use an XE-2 as well, and while it's a good camera, when I see into the viewfinder I see a cruddy approximation of what the actual image looks like, so sometimes I just get caught up with how it looks in a tiny screen and skip taking a picture, just because the screen tells me this will be a wasted effort. But in doing this, I'm really just fishing around for what image I'm creating in my head versus paying attention to what's going on outside or composing more carefully.
Try it.
Great review, I love my Z6ii but I am looking for a smaller different camera and I thing the x pro3 might be it, and I love the little display showing me my “film“
One of the first thing I deactivated on my XT3 when I git it was the automatic playback. My present self can't thank my past self enough.
I”I’ll check that later.” Haha, that cracked me up!
For back button focus I used that blank button above the Q button for BBF
Thanks for this excellent review. I was planning to swap my X-Pro2 for the X-Pro3 a week from now, but you have convinced me to stay with what I have .... and save a bunch of money towards more glass.
I'm an xpro2 user BECAUSE it slows me down. I can think about the picture result before I take it...just like using film. I do like the 1Gb thing and I'm going to give it a try!
When outside i review images through the EVF so wouldn’t stop me from looking 😆
Beauty of the X-pro3, in fact X-pro2 as well. It slows you down when you want to, one flick away back to EVF to have your efficiency back. Omar....get the X-Pro2, it offers 90% of what the X-Pro3 offers with the same ergo, better yet, it has D pad as well.
nice review Omar. I have an xpro2 and am currently thinking about either a x100V or the xpro3. On my xpro2 I bought a leather case for it. The case has a removable section that covers the view finder, so if I want the analog experience I can put the cover on the screen. If not then I just take the leather cover off. You can't hardly find any x100V's right now. they are going for anywhere from $1739 to $2600, crazy.
20 yrs of shooting film, and well this is my first digital camera I've ever purchased. This is going to be cake. (:
Omar love your Chanel given up on my xt3 my z6ii killed it but keeping my xpro 2 permanently set on black and white . Now that takes me back to my film days but I bont need to buy a bulk film loader to save money
Ma anche dalla Grecia to seguiamo Omar ! Bravissimo , che bella camera ! La compro subito !
Niki , saluti dalla Grecia !
I watched your videos before buying my xt30 now I am watching you over again for Xpro3 😅😅😅
That makes sense. I keep the screen off almost 95% of the time Basically it’s on on my camera for video only
Because of the limitation of the optical viewfinder with wide and tight lenses, IMO, the X100V makes more sense then this camera: it is more compact, has the same viewfinder and you can disable the EVF/LCD completely from your work process. What you gain is a better 35mm lens and a camera Tha actually fits in your pockets, ws and all.
I get the xpro is a interchangeable lens camera and the x100 is more of a glorified compact, but I think the 35mm is the lens that makes more sense on this format and you are better using a regular dslc with an electronic viewfinder or a reflex one if you are serious into using UW lenses or portrait ones.
The X100V also comes cheaper with a very good lens included and you can carry it with you at any time.
Screen is the reason most of us buy this camera!
dude, you can just assign one of the button/dial in Function (Fn) Setting to Playback (I assigned Fn2 in my XPro3), so you can directly review the images you took in less than half a second without need to take your eyes off from the viewfinder & worry you will lose the moment!
Still on the fence on whether to shift to Fuji or Sony coming from Nikon APS-C DSLR. Nikon Z-mount doesn't have a promising APS-C road map.
Was leaning towards the Fuji X-S10 with a 16-80/4 then Tamron just announced a 17-70/2.8 for Sony.
With regards to instant feedback and immediate adjustments using digital, it's also a double edged sword as a lot of people tend to not be deliberate and shoot away as memory is cheaper than film. So they take a lot of shots with just hopes that at least some will turn out ok.
A camera is still a tool though and people will only be proficient with something if they deliberately practice with that tool.
Great video.... I luv it. The X-Pro3 is just the way I do, when I shoot B/W.... I shoot in jpeg and I have my X-E3 on B/W.... so there is no way back.
If you want the analogue experience on the X100V, you can go OVF and simply disable the LCD screen. Hit the playback button if you want to cheat. Not sure about the X-T3/X-T4 or older X100 cameras.
I have 3 Fuji cameras and the pro3 is by far my favourite
I enjoyed your video. Being a LOT older than you, I find the X-Pro 3 a delight to use. I don't care about the EVF. It's all about the optical viewfinder. That to me is what the camera is all about. Want a better EVF, just get a different camera. I hope in the next X-Pro, they make the optical viewfinder even better.
I still have an xt3. I program the evf for viewfinder only while shooting.
love the vid you make some great points! I’m thinking of getting the X-pro 3 in a few years when the prices go down for now I’ll stick with my X-T1
Proud owner of x100v and xt30. Beautiful cameras indeed. Thank you so much for the Fuji content!
Instead of masking tape, you could change the view mode to viewfinder only (eye sensor to save battery), and unbind the view mode button so you can't change it easily
As a photographer who shoots mostly film, I would've probably kept my X-Pro3 if it had a standard screen. While I appreciate the efforts Fuji went through to make the 'analog experience', I felt like this screen arrangement hindered too much of its normal use. It surely is overly beautiful though.
I also shoot mostly film. When I use my xpro-3 I find it easier to do a quick touch focus and shot using the screen doing street photography, shooting from the hip. When I’m doing landscape I’ll use the viewfinder more. It’s a pretty phenomenal camera once you figure out how to give your film settings the right look.
I was on the fence with this camera. I think I may get it on loan and try it out. I am waiting for the X-E4 to come out.
Though I don’t need any new cameras , I am very curious what the x-e4 will be. I didn’t prefer the way they took the e3 (to do that they need much better touch ability like I have seen on my Panasonic’s) let’s hope for something soon.
I've had this hypothesis forming in my head for a while-that photographers sometimes enjoy an abstraction. What I mean is, it becomes helpful or more enjoyable to *not* see exactly what your shooting. Maybe it's the surprise of seeing what you got, or maybe it's easier to "be in the moment", or a way to see things differently or maybe it's useful as a way to slow down and think about what you're doing. Of course it's built-in to film photography, but in the digital world, we've only seen a few cameras attempt to give you an abstraction. In addition to the X-Pro 3, I would argue that the 'Monochrom' cameras from Leica fall into this as well. Also, didn't Leica make a camera without a back-LCD too?
In my case, I occasionally like to use the black and white picture style on my Canon (EOS R, so I'm seeing the effect in the viewfinder) to focus more on light and shadow as compositional elements.
Sorry for the ramble, but I think my theory speaks to why the X-Pro 3 appeals to some folks, and by their marketing, why they made it.
A friend of mine loves his old polaroid camera for this reason. Many a time I've sat in his darkened lounge in a drunken stupor, staring at the abstract shapes formed on those little glossy paper squares.
Fuji sent me this camera and I love it so much more than I thought I would. Honestly even more than the XT3
I still shoot film, digital has always seemed sterile and the images did not have fell to them, the images feel clinical. I have been looking for a digital camera that emulates the feel and look of the analog experience and it seems a Fuji has it. Having said that price wise… I am looking at an X Pro 2
Omar I had an X100 then an x100f and what I STRONGLY disliked about it was the fake as hell shutter sound, I tried disabling it but it removed some of the pleasure of taking the photo. It's like driving an electric car, its nice but you don't hear anything. Some of us like that feedback, it closes the cycle of taking the photo. It's like having closure, not sure how to explain it.
For me the problem is not only the screen, its the EVF, it dettaches me from my sorroundings (maybe is the same feeling you call "the moment"?). Used to have an Xpro-1, and i loved that thing for the OVF, but autofocus was crap and manual focusing (with focus by wire) is not good, at all.
This X-Pro 3 seems almost perfect if you dont care for MF (you can have the Lecia M8-9-10 for that)