THE CULT OF FUJI - PART ONE

January 31, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

THE CULT OF FUJI -
PART ONE

JANUARY 31, 2025

 

                                                                  A NEW INTERPRETATION OF AN OLD LOCAL FAVORITE, THE ST. JOHNS BRIDGE

This week I would like to discuss the bane of most photographers, the desire for the latest and “greatest” camera equipment. We even have a name for it, Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS), which seemingly hits normally rational photographers at the point where they cannot figure out why their artistic efforts have hit a plateau. Rather than reading a book, taking a class, taking a trip to an exciting place, or just “practicing” more of their craft, they fall victim to the notion that all they need is a new camera or lens. I have successfully resisted this idea for over 16 years. I finally bought my first and only digital camera in 2008, when the experts at my local camera shop assured me that the nearly ten year old technology had finally advanced to the point that my usual neglect of my gear would not instantly break my new purchase. They still wouldn’t sell me the camera until I bought my first camera bag to take it home in.

 

                                                                  PORTLAND'S NEWEST SKYSCRAPER, THE RITZ CARLTON

My Canon EOS 50 slowly became an extension of my brain and a constant companion, allowing me to more fully realize my artistic vision. I ignored newer models - Canon eventually got to the EOS 90 with a few random numbers thrown in to confuse customers. I ignored the full-frame revolution because my urban landscape photography actually suited my “inferior” camera.  My usual subjects were far away, didn’t move, and didn’t talk back - the extra “reach” of the smaller sensor was an advantage for my imagery. I ignored  Canon’s move to mirrorless, and the subsequent generations of the new cameras and lenses that rendered my camera a near antique. I only had to get my very robust camera fixed a few times in all of those years, and only lost a few lenses to my neglectful ways. I knew that the camera was somewhat out of date, but it suited me. I ignored the fact that it was certainly large and heavy compared to newer models, since once you start to bring a tripod along the size and weight of your camera is essentially meaningless. Since I am in the tiny minority of photographers who actually still dream of the cover photo rather than the two-page spread, I even bought a rather large extended grip that allowed me to take vertical shots without contorting my hands. Of course by the time I did this I the ”wrong way” was such a part of my muscle memory that I barely utilized this feature. I was so used to my “tank” of a camera that I almost didn’t understand the horror that bystanders frequently exclaimed when they saw what I was carrying around all day.

                                                                  A WALK ON DIVISION - TWO BOLLARDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

For the last three days of our stay in England my camera suddenly ceased to work. I could only use my phone, and I was actually surprised at the images it was capable of producing once I did some post-processing. Of course the amount of enlargement was severely limited, but for this blog I think most readers could not tell the difference between an iPhone image and a “real camera” image. After recovering from jet lag it was time to see if I could fix the old war horse. I took it to the two places in Portland that still did this kind of camera repair work. The first simply declared that they wouldn’t and couldn’t fix it - it was too old. I declared that I was too old, we all laughed, and that was that. I went to the second place, the nice technician declared that he could fix it for $269.00. When I inquired where he had instantly come up with such an exact price, he admitted that was the sum they used when they doubted that they could fix something but needed enough money to begin a fruitless investigation.

 

                A LOCAL CLASSIC

So it was time to go about replacing my camera, and I began looking into the very interesting world of buying used camera gear. The used camera market has recently begun working like the used car market, fortunately without the sleazy sales people, as long as you stay off Ebay. There are a number of reputable sources of used gear, both online and at both of the camera repair shops I had already visited. Most professionals have long shopped that way, buying the last model of a camera once everyone with Gear Acquisition Syndrome had traded it in for the latest and greatest.  The only trouble is that new cameras have become so unbelievably expensive that used cameras are no bargains either. In order to replace my old camera with the corresponding new Canon, certainly not “top of the line”, would run to almost $4000 dollars. This was a price that I would not pay - it was something beyond what I could even understand.

 

                                                                  LINES AND SHADOWS ON DIVISION STREET

The technicians showed me several alternatives. My now very heavy paperweight of an EOS 50 could turn into a fully functioning EOS 70, 80 or 90 for around $600 - $800. I would be holding a more modern version, with somewhat improved specs - but the virtue was that there was almost no learning curve involved. It was the same camera, with all of the same controls. Even with a little more plastic involved, it was still a tank. My one lens could be fixed for $100, or I could buy one that seemed to be almost brand new, for what do you know, $100! The only trouble with this strategy was that the kind gentleman admitted that in only a couple of years the newer model Canon I was about to purchase would not be able to be repaired.

 

                   

                                                                  THE NEWEST APARTMENT HOUSE ON DIVISION. AFTER USING EVERY ENGLISH TWIT NAME IN THE BOOK, AND THEN JUST NAMING BUILDINGS AFTER MEANINGLESS ADDRESSES ON THE STREET, WE'VE NOW GONE ONTO ARTISTS. AT LEAST ROTHKO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR FAIR CITY.

 

This is what led me to finally buy a “new camera”, a Fuji X-T3. The Fujifilm line of cameras are the only ones that I had ever hankered for when someone brought one into my booth at Saturday Market. When anyone ever let me take a look at their Fuji, I instantly realized that it was the modern version of the “poor man’s Leica”. These cameras were clearly very well made examples of the best Japan could produce, exuding quality in every button, switch, and dial. And there were so many of these controls. The cameras were “retro” not only in appearance, but in the fact that there were more tactile controls than any other modern camera. A state of the art mirrorless digital camera that seemed to provide all of the old-school controls that I was used too. Of course it was not a handmade Leica, but Fujifilm was still in a very good economic position. A new Fuji and lens cost less than one fifth of the corresponding Leica, while offering a very similar user experience.

 

                                                                  DIVISION AT NIGHT

I was too cheap to buy a new model, the  Fuji XT-5, which would still run almost $3000 with a new lens. I opted to buy a nearly new XT-3, saving more than $1000 and advancing all the way from 2008 to 2016. The learning curve for the rest of 2024 loomed very large indeed, as I had to adjust to an entirely new camera world, even if the camera was over eight years old. It has been a difficult but exciting journey.

 

                                                                  THIS SHOP ON DIVISION DOESN'T SELL EITHER FLOWERS OR BICYCLES. I TRULY DO NOT UNDERSTAND SHOP DISPLAYS, BUT I DO GUESS IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. I STILL HAVE NOT VENTURED INSIDE.

I have gone on too long as usual, so my introduction to the cult of Fuji will have to wait until next time. All of the images shown here were captured with my new camera as I have walked around the city and my neighborhood.  Next time I will show you some of the same photos after I have put my own spin on them with some post-processing - something I didn’t realize went against a large part of the Fuji ethos. It is a very fine piece of camera gear, but I didn’t realize that I had joined a cult similar to the cult of Apple or the cult of Volvo. More on that next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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