 |
| Sunrise at the Atlantic Ocean in Acadia National Park, Maine (click to enlarge) X-T2, 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 32.1mm; 1/75th sec. @ f/18; ISO 200 |
I'll say upfront that I haven't read the comments and I stopped reading that particular site several years ago as I don't agree with most of what was written in the past. I found no or very little value in reading that site. I may not have a right to write this but I will.
First, a blogger should only speak for himself or herself and give his/her opinion as to why he/she formed that opinion. I don't think anyone should "declare" anything of the such or speak for the industry. Why? Opinions are just that—opinions. They are neither right nor wrong, just opinions. Why would that opinion matter to you?
If you care what I think here it is. If you don't, read no more. Thanks for stopping by and I'm sure you will find many other things of interest in the over 600 posts I have written.
First, of all, I have now owned and extensively used my X-T2 in many conditions since the middle of September. My opinion is the camera certainly is built to professional standards. It is based on a metal frame, weather-sealed (tested to be accurate by me), is of high quality engineering and materials and, based upon my 46+ years of photographic experience, having owned over 50 different cameras and photographing with them professionally over those years, I believe its construction and build is substantial (superior when compared to professional cameras of yesteryear) and is of a professional caliber. So, let's take build quality off the table as a criteria for being a professional tool.
If you are a professional photographer or photograph for income and the X-T2 serves your purposes well as a tool that consistently and reliably gets the job done as you need it to be done, then in your view, it can be classified as a pro camera. Simple as that. You use it to make money. It gets the job done reliably for you. End of story.
As an example, I spent last week in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park along with several well known professional photographers. Two very well-known, highly respected and established professional photographers, Bill Fortney and Jack Graham, use Fuji cameras and lenses exclusively. Their livelihood is based upon their photography and they certainly wouldn't use tools that didn't meet their stringent requirements. Is the camera of professional caliber to them? I would think so.
There are a lot of different kinds of photography out there. Most require different tools for specific reasons. One camera body that will serve, for example, a professional sports photographer well, may not serve a high fashion studio or advertising photographer at all. Fast but lacking in pixels, for example. Does that mean the professional sports photographer's Canon 1DX Mark II or Nikon D5 is not a pro camera? No, it means different cameras serve different genres of photography differently. The X-T2 can serves several types of photography professionals just fine. But it may not serve others. Different strokes for different folks.
Like most crafts, every type of photography requires a specific set of needs from the tools used and to make a blanket statement that a certain camera is no good for any professional photography is, in my view, quite an amazing assertion. Opinions are just that-opinions. Neither right nor wrong, just an opinion. Even mine.
Again, why does his opinion matter to you anyway? Be more concerned if all attributes of a tool fit your needs based upon your opinion. Do your research and form your own opinion.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
All content on this blog is © 2013-2016 Dennis A. Mook. All Rights Reserved. Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution. Permission may be granted for commercial use. Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.
Spot on Dennis, as a professional photographer who uses Fujifilm exclusively for my work I couldn't agree more with what you have written. My colleagues use whatever camera system works for them and I respect that choice. Whether the X-T2 is a Pro camera is down to individual opinion but for me it definitely is. like you I too gave up reading that particular bloggers site few years ago but I did go and read this particular feature. I can tell you nothing has changed, he made some glaring mistakes by not reading the manual and then he said that the X-T2 is not for sport and wildlife because the AF is 'slow and clunky'. As someone who shoots sport and wildlife with my X-T2 I couldn't disagree more with this person, especially as the only thing he shoots is the walls of his house and his kids. Anyway thanks for posting this balanced article.
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis, spot in article ! I'm obviously very curious now to know which site you are talking about just to make my own opinion. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGilles, I don't plan on furthering this assertion. I'm sure you will be able to find the original statements if you check the Internet.
DeleteThanks for the comment
A agree with you but want to make an additional point. Many of us who do not photograph for a living or even for money (there is a difference) cannot or do not choose to have multiple systems. For them, the more specialized a camera, the less one camera can serve their purpose. I use the Fuji X T-2 for essentially everything from macro to the vast landscape and it serves me well. In the film era, my preferred tool was a 4x5; it didn't work too well for my children's birthday parties. Ideally sports photographers could have a D5, landscape photographers a Phase One and the rest of us??
ReplyDeleteEric, thank you for your comment. I classify myself as a generalist photographer and choose gear that serves multiple purposes. Right now, the Fuji X-T2 serves my purposes brilliantly.
DeleteIn my 4x5 days, I used a 90mm f/8 Schneider Super-Angulon, a 120 f5.6 Schneider Symmar (if my memory serves me well) and a 210 mm f/5.6 Nikkor. Zone System all the way! So glad we now have digital.
Great article Dennis. I especially appreciate the distinction you make of speaking for yourself and speaking for the industry...an idea lost too often nowadays. I am a former Canon user from the film days and always used "pro" gear like the EOS1n. Now I use only Fuji and the X-T1 and as a travel photographer I have total confidence in the size, weight and features of the X series. Equipment that doesn't fit in your pack doesn't make money either. :)
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. Pro in build maybe for street, portrait, landscape. Action and sports? Not a chance. No one in action sports shoots Fuji.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Just as one would not use a $6400 US Nikon D5 for street photography nor would one drive a Suburu WRX Rally Car in a Forumla 1 race or use a sledge hammer to put up crown molding. Different tools for different jobs. Each has its place
DeleteWell said sir! Why should it matter what label someone puts on a camera/system. If it works for you, great if not use something else.
ReplyDelete