The Fuji XPro III - the Story So Far

Your photography is a record of your living, for anyone who really sees.”
- PAUL STRAND

I’M NOT A GEAR, TECH PERSON. I invest every several years or so in a new camera, usually when stones are falling out of the current one and the poor thing is begging to be put out of its tortured misery. And … it was time for a change. I had been using the Sony a7iii for around 4 years with a few Zeiss lenses and it never felt at home in my hands. And let me tell you I’d put the set up through its paces. The shutter count at the time of selling was over 110,000 clicks. This wasn’t some decision made on a whim.

What didn’t feel right about it?

I want things simple. I’m not a tech person. I shoot on full manual most of the time so I’m not asking much from a camera. I don’t need a shit load of menus and gadgets that are simply distracting me. The Sony felt like that. It felt like I was shooting with a computer and I simply was never able to reconcile this with what I want from an experience taking photographs.

Enter the FUJI Xpro III. Let me tell you what this camera is for me … it’s a wonderful shooting experience. The enjoyment of shooting this camera in just 3 hours was magical. I never had that in 3 years with Sony.

Its menu’s for a start (remember I’ve never used Fuji before) are a revelation to me in their simplicity and ease of use. Fuji has also facilitated a different kind of shooting experience with the Xpro iii in particular (I also purchased the XT4) and it is is one that parallels shooting film. The flip-down screen for example isn’t easily accessible and this will annoy some people. For me, it’s a revelation and it sings to my heart as a street/documentary photographer. Another distraction removed right there.

The film emulations are to die for and the ability to create your own recipes using them as a base filter is a joy. I’ve actually started shooting JPEG only with this camera and after so many years shooting RAW files it was a little uncomfortable at first.

I dare say when I shoot weddings I’ll back up in RAW but I’m totally happy with the JPEGS pretty much straight out of the camera. I’ve tweaked the shadows and blacks a little and pushed the contrast slightly in Photoshop post but I’m experimenting with getting the correct recipe in camera. (I’ll feedback with a few recipes in due course)

A NEW CAMERA IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

For me that’s a fact and I’ll never ever change my mind about it. And a quality camera that feels good in your hand will support you to have a more enjoyable shooting experience. That’s pretty much it.

a SHALLOW REVIEW

I understand what I’m writing here is less of a review and more an excited, kid in a candy store, shout out for a new toy but frankly that’s the point. I don’t want anything else from the camera. I want simplicity and a romantic, cool as fck, experience when taking photographs. Fuji delivers.

This isn’t in any way negating the Xpro III as a serious professional camera in any way. I’ve been a working photographer for 12 or so years so I need it to support me in that regard too. The titanium build, the 26-megapixel BSI X-Trans 4 image sensor (I googled that shit), the 4k video (I’m a YouTuber) I’m sure will all come in handy but frankly what I researched was durability and simplicity of use and I spoke to others who were using fuji to get their opinion. I spoke of my considerations with using Sony. I directed them to the style of images I shoot and explained my approach. The championing of Fuji was … well it was a lot.

So … I took a shot … and purchased the Xpro III and the XT4. Aware of the crop sensor I opted for two wide lenses. The 23mm f2.0 and the 16mm f2.8. So far I’m very happy with the results I’m getting and I’m profoundly happy with the shooting experience.

In short, and it is early days, this camera is everything I hoped it would be. It’s an experience that has facilitated me falling into that space of why I got into taking photographs in the first place … for the sheer fun of it.

And … I will feedback here and there with some juice relative to the images I’m getting out of the camera as well as the film emulation recipes I’m creating.

The images shown on this blog post were all shot on the Fuji Xpro III using the Classic Chrome emulation which does a great job of mimicking Kodachrome reversal film.

I hope you like the pics. A little self plug … I have a Street Photography YouTube channel. I’d be honoured if you’d head across and subscribe. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the little movies I make over there.

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