alan frost photography

I rarely write about camera gear but I thought I would make the topic of this post an exception. I never thought I would arrive at this particular juncture and I would like to explain how and why this came about. If you don’t think this is likely to be of interest to you then I would simply urge you to go the end of this post and read the final paragraph.

I think I should start at the beginning. Ten years ago having decided that black and white photography was my creative passion, I threw caution to the wind and totally embraced B&W by purchasing a second hand Leica M Monochrom together with two prime lenses – a 50mm Summilux and 28mm Summarit. I later added some additional primes – 90mm Summarit, 35mm Summilux and a Zeiss 18mm plus a Leica SL by way of a second body but with very different functionality. I was working then, earning well and photography was my hobby; it still is. Yes it was an indulgence, but no more so than many other expensive hobbies and nothing like as costly as having a classic sports car or small boat. As much as I love the Monochrom (and still do) it does have its quirks and limitations. Over the years this combination of equipment gave me the opportunity and inspiration to make some images which I will always treasure.

There are though occasions in life when the temptation to acquire another gadget is hard to resist. I don’t know any serious photographer who hasn’t suffered from GAS (Gear Addiction Syndrome) at one stage or another. I have to admit I am no different.

Two years ago just before the UK went into its first Covid Lockdown I bought a Fuji X100v. I had always wanted a smaller, lightweight version of my Leica Monochrom which still offered good quality RAW files. Its rangefinder form factor appealed to me as it is very similar to the Leica M. In addition to its sharp and fast 23mm F2 fixed prime lens (equivalent to 35mm in full frame terms) it offers the choice of an optical viewfinder as well as an EVF. I was also keen to try for myself the Fuji Film Simulations and in particular the Acros for B&W with the added choice of a red, yellow or green filters. You may wish to read some of my other posts about the X100v – Fujifilm X100v and Capture One first thoughts and The Fuji X100v has arrived – first outing.

I enjoyed using the X100v and it introduced me to the possibilities of colour. Fuji are well known for their colour technology and with time on my hands during Lockdown I familiarised myself with CaptureOne to process the RAW files.

At about the same time I wanted to explore the possibility of having a telephoto lens which would give me greater reach. I found the 90mm to be too limiting in certain situations. The Leica L Mount 90-280mm would fit the bill but not at a cost of nearly £5,500. At less than half the price (£2,600) Panasonic offer a 70-200mm zoom lens but whilst more affordable (just) both these lenses are large and heavy to lug around. The Leica SL camera is a heavy beast in its own right – there had to be an alternative. Not only was weight a factor but the lack of an articulating screen on the SL was a disadvantage when using the camera on a tripod, particularly at low level.

Having enjoyed the little Fuji X100v and knowing a number of people who were more than satisfied with Fujifim’s XT range of cameras I thought I would way up the pros and cons of changing to a lighter set up. After much research I bought a Fujifilm X-T3 and three zoom lenses – 10-24mm, 16-80mm and a 55-200mm. A holy trinity of lenses, all of which are weather sealed. If I only wanted to carry one camera and one lens, the 16-80mm (24mm – 120mm) was an ideal walk around/travel option. Given the APSC crop factor of the Fuji sensor I now had a reach of 300mm. This opened up many new possibilities when framing a composition. The Leica SL, 18mm and 28mm were all sold to help cover the cost.

Time marched on and whilst the three zoom lenses on the X-T3 covered most eventualities I missed using the Leica prime lenses I had retained. The 35mm, 50mm and 90mm. Being able to shoot wide open at F1.4 on the 35mm and 50mm lenses has its own creative charm not to mention the option of faster shutter speeds albeit at the expense of a shallower depth of field. To be frank I simply couldn’t bring myself to part with them. Besides I still had the Monochrom although it does need servicing.

To accommodate the use of these Leica lenses I decided to look into the possibility of buying an M Mount lens adapter which would allow me to use these primes on the Fuji X Mount. I was delighted to discover that Fuji themselves made such an adapter and I did some research to establish which lenses were compatible. Whilst not specifically listed I came to the conclusion all three lenses would work. I kept in mind the crop factor which made the 35mm a 52mm in full frame terms, the 50mm a 75mm and finally the 90mm a 135mm. They are of course all manual focus only but that doesn’t bother me. This is how I have taken images for years and I enjoy this style of photography. I like having control particularly when shooting wide open. In fact I regard myself as a manual shooter rarely relying on the camera to work out the exposure or point of focus for me.

There is one final part to this tale. The Fuji rangefinder form factor is my preferred choice of camera body style. However the X100v has a fixed focal length of 23mm. The X-T3 allows me to change lenses but is a larger camera. Combine the best of both worlds and what do you get? A Fujifilm X-E4 or X-Pro3. The X-E4 was the more attractive choice, the X-Pro3 being much larger and more expensive. So I bought the X-E4 earlier this year and also opted for the accessory kit. It provides a handgrip and built in arca swiss compatible tripod plate and together with a thumb grip, the handling is much improved. More to the point this camera is a great combination with the Leica primes. The X-E4 is very similar in size to the X100v, so these lenses do make the set up a bit front heavy, particularly the 90mm, but the combination works well for me and the results are superb. Aesthetically it looks great too. I might even apply some black duct tape over the make and model inscriptions – to make it even more discreet!

Over the last two years I have invested in quite a lot of new kit, but I have now arrived at a place where I am lucky enough to have all the bases covered and to me the best of all worlds. The camera bodies are all Fujifilm. I am more than happy with the quality of the RAW files. I am not the type of person always on the hunt for more megapixels. 26.1MP in all three cameras is a good sweet spot as far as I am concerned.

The Fujifilm zoom lenses are all excellent and whilst they are not that fast, they are sharp at their respective price point and serve a very definite purpose which is why I chose them.

Talking of lenses the Leica primes are absolutely superb. Build quality, sharpness, and speed are second to none. They are just a pleasure to use and all the time the Monochrom needs servicing the X-E4 is a first class substitute. If ever I tire of them, which I doubt, they hold their value well too.

The X100v has its place in the line up as well. Compact, it’s an ideal take anywhere camera. It also gives me a 35mm equivalent prime lens, to compliment the Leica primes having allowed for the 1.5x crop factor of the sensor.

Whilst there are some differences in the controls and functionality of the X-T3, X-E4 and the X100v, there are broad similarities so I have spent some time customising the function buttons of each camera so that the differences are kept to a minimum. This helps me when swapping from one camera to another. I suspect the X-T3 will largely be used with the zoom lenses whilst the X-E4 will best suit the Leica primes plus its a useful back up body to the X-T3 should it ever fail unexpectedly. The X100v will be in a pocket or on a wrist strap when I just want to go out and take a camera with me without compromising on quality.

There is one other key advantage. As each camera shares the same sensor, work flow and processing will be consistent irrespective of the camera used.

So there it is. A very happy marriage in my opinion of Fuji bodies, their zoom lenses and renowned Leica glass. Have I switched camera systems, well no, not exactly!

I hope you have enjoyed this rather long post and if you have any comments or questions do use the comments section, and I will be pleased to respond as helpfully as I can.

Thanks as always for reading and getting this far.

I would like to finish with one final point – a quote by Ansel Adams.

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.”

So whatever camera gear you own or choose to buy, do remember the gear is simply a means to an end. The acquisition of new or more equipment might enhance the pleasure of releasing the shutter and open up new creative opportunities, but the camera equipment on its own will not make you a better photographer. As Ansel Adams so succinctly put it in the quote above – when it to comes to making a great photograph, it is the creative skills of the person behind the camera that really matters.