Had An Opportunity To Spend Time With The Fuji Rep; Here Is What I Told Him

From the loop road in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (click to enlarge)
X-T2, 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 32.1mm plus polarizing filter; 1/2 sec. @ f/22; ISO 200

Part of The Great Smoky Mountains Photography Summit, a couple of weeks ago, was a vendor area.  One of the vendors in attendance was Fujifilm.  The Fujifilm representatives brought multiple copies of every Fuji cameras and lenses for attendees to sign out and use while at the Summit.  Since I am a Fuji user, I didn't have any need to sign out gear, but I thought I would take the opportunity to handle some of the gear I didn't have and speak with the Fuji representatives.  Additionally, I had many of the Summit's attendees ask me about my use and thoughts about Fuji cameras and lenses for nature, wildlife and travel photography.  Toward the end of the Summit I heard a lot of positive feedback from many of those who checked out and used the Fuji loaners.  I would bet there will be some converts.

Seizing the opportunity to bend the ear of the Fuji representative about my thoughts and personal recommendations for improvements, I found him to be quite interested and receptive to what I had to say.  I told him that I had had my X-T2 for about 6 weeks (at the time) and had made over 5000 images with it in many types of conditions, both weather and light conditions.  My thoughts centered mainly around the X-T2 but I also had some lens recommendations for him as well.  We had an opportunity to photograph together and talked more about Fuji gear.  In the end, he asked me to email my thoughts to him, which I did, as he wanted to include them in his bi-weekly report to Fuji.  

Your ideas and recommendations may be entirely different but here are mine based upon how I use gear and the types of photography I practice.  

Here are my thoughts and recommendations in no particular order of priority:

In reference to the X-T2

RAW + JPEG—We should be able to use the RAW setting only and view the file at 100% on the LCD.  Why does Fuji make us set the camera for RAW + JPEG in order to see a 100% view of the file?  No other digital camera I've ever owned requires that.  Make no mistake, I love the JPEGS and I frequently use the JPEGS right out of the camera, but we shouldn't have to use up the extra memory card space to see a RAW file at 100% on the LCD to check for focus, etc.

Diopter Adjustment Knob—There are no markings whatsoever on the diopter adjustment knob so a photographer has no way of knowing where it is set and if it has or has not been accidentally moved.  There is no cue for instant orientation.  At the very least a white line would be helpful.  It is not fun autofocusing a lens when it appears as though it won't come into focus, therefore feeling as though something is wrong with the camera or lens. By the time one figures out the diopter adjustment dial has moved, a photographic opportunity may have been missed.  

Two suggestions.  Place a small white line in the "valley" of the knurled knob at the "null" or "neutral" position, thereby giving a user an instant cue as to the knob's position.  

Second, make the knob much more difficult to accidentally move by increasing the resistance of the click stops or, even better, take a cue from Nikon (or others) and institute a system where the knob is normally locked.  One pulls the knob out and turns it to adjust it, then pushes it back in to lock it.  I currently have gaffer's tape covering my dial as it often moves just taking it in and out of my bag.  Annoying.

Self-Timer—the self timer, which many photographers use in lieu of a cable release, defaults to off each time one turns off the camera.  I found this to be annoying as I would make images, turn my camera off to conserve battery power as I moved to another perspective, then forget to turn the self-timer back on when I turn the camera on (that happens when one is intensely concentrating on one's photography).  One then has to physically go in the Q-Menu and turn the self-time back on each time.  

My suggestion is to create a menu option—one that would also be able to be placed in the "My Menu" area for easy access, that gives us a choice of a) self-timer resets when camera is turned off (which some would want) and b), self-timer retains setting when camera is turned off.  By giving us both choices, photographers would have the option to have it either way, depending upon their needs in any particular situation as well as their method of working.

Formatting Memory Cards—two issues here.  First, after deep diving into the menu system and formatting card 1, the camera makes us deep dive a second time to format card 2.  That is annoying.  (I do know you can also hold in the "trash can" button, then push the rear control dial to get to the formatting options). 

At the very least, after formatting card 1, keep the same menu active (instead of defaulting back to My Menu) that would immediately allow us to format card 2 without having to go back through the same procedure once again.  Additionally, let us put the format command into the My Menu area for easy access, if we choose.  

Second, give us one additional option.  Give us a menu option that allows us to format both cards simultaneously, thereby cutting my efforts in half.  The menu choices would be: Format Card 1?, Format Card 2, Format Both Cards?

Bracketing—As no doubt everyone knows, why limit us to a 3-exposure bracket?  I don't understand that limitation at all unless it has to do with technical limitations in conjunction with 3-exposure brackets for film simulations, ISO, Dynamic range, etc.  I begging for 5 frames!  I don't even need 9, just 5!  Please?

Touchscreen—From using other camera systems with touchscreen LCDs, I found an LCD touchscreen very valuable when photographing landscapes, nature and when using a tripod.  I would find it advantageous to have an LCD in which a touchscreen function could be turned on, or remain turned off, as some photographers don't like them or accidentally hit them with their nose, etc..  

In the on position, give us three options.  First, give us the option to touch a place on the displayed live image on the LCD screen and the camera will immediately focus on that spot and expose the frame.  Second, focus only with no exposure.  Third, no focus, no exposure, just allows us to get to Q-Menu settings (and other settings) by touch instead of by pushing a variety of buttons.

JPEG Engine—There are times when I love using the in-camera JPEG conversion.  However, let me select and save a standard setting for in-camera created JPEGS like I can with the film simulations.  That would be helpful and save much time rather than going through all of the menu items for each JPEG I want to create and save.

Buttons—I like to work with my eye to the viewfinder and press buttons to make changes as necessary.  In my opinion, the 4-way button pad is fine now.  One improvement could be made and I think Olympus has done it right.  They knurl the 4-way pad buttons giving an instant cue as to you are touching the right place without looking.

However, the top Fn button, the AF-L and AE-L buttons as well as the Fn button on the front of the camera still are hard to find and easily press without looking.  I would suggest raising the relief from the plane of the camera body just a millimeter or two.  I have placed a little dab of Sugru on each of those buttons and, to me, makes a world of difference in easily identifying and finding them without having to take my eye from the viewfinder and look at where they are.  Doesn't need to be as tall as the so called "joystick" but a bit higher than they are now so they are easily found.

Leveling Guide—Adding a second axis, "downward/upward" to the leveling capability would be beneficial to landscape, technical and other photographers who use tripods and need a level camera.  We can now level our cameras left to right but not pitched up or down.

Auto ISO—With more and more photographers, including myself, using Auto ISO, it is of great importance that the ability of the shutter speed to be controlled (in Aperture Priority) according to the focal length of the lens attached—even zoom lenses, be available.  Give us a menu option to not have the shutter speed go below the focal length of the lens, as well as a set shutter speed, before increasing the ISO.  Also, allow us to modify that setting to higher shutter speeds as well as lower, depending upon our physical ability and any particular circumstance.  A sliding scale would work well.  

For example, on full frame sensors, the old standard rule of 1/focal length is the slowest shutter speed one could reliably hand hold (without IS).  However, for an APS-C sized sensor, that doesn't quite apply.  One needs to factor in the crop factor so actually a higher shutter speed, 1/1.5 X focal length would be more accurate.  Some photographers have greater skills than others and some circumstances require higher shutter speeds than others. 

If there were an option provided—a sliding scale—that one could set to "normal" for 1/focal length, slide to the left to allow slower shutter speeds than 1/focal length or slide to the right to require higher than 1/focal length shutter speeds, this would be of great value.  That would allow older photographers who may not be able to hold a camera as steady as years past the option to set a higher minimum shutter speed and achieve a greater level of success.

In reference to lenses

Lenses—In my opinion, Fuji's lenses are second to none.  I love them.  Nikon has nothing on Fuji, again, in my opinion.  Fuji provides a plethora of great lenses.  However, there are some gaps that could be filled and supported by the market.

Olympus just introduced a professional level 12-100mm f/4 (24-200mm~) lens.  Very attractive for an all around travel and walk-around lens covering 99% of what most photographers will ever need.  The Fuji 18-135 is similar but not quite wide enough for an all around lens.  On my wishlist is a Fuji 16-80mm f/4 (24-120mm~) image stabilized lens that could take the place of the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 that has image stabilization (not quite wide enough or long enough for many purposes) and the 16-55mm f/2.8 that does not have image stabilization (but not quite long enough for all around purposes).  From those with whom I've spoken, everyone seems to think a lens of this nature would be a very desirable and best selling lens, potentially an alternative kit lens. Small, sharp, reasonably fast, wide enough and long enough to meet most all walk-around needs.

I am anticipating the upcoming 80mm macro lens.  I suspect all the design work is already completed but it would be very nice to have it accommodate the 1.4x and 2.0x tele-converters.  That would make it much more versatile and which could increase sales of both the lens and the converters.  But, again, I suspect the design work is completed and final tweaking is ongoing before introduction.

I don't know who will read this, but if you have any other suggestions for Fuji engineers, please leave them in comments below.  You never know who will take this info back to Fuji for consideration.

With all of this above written, the bottom line for me still is, that if none of these suggestions were implemented, the X-T2 and Fuji lenses are still one heck of a camera system for which I am very thankful.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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