What does “better” mean?

Like many people who enjoy photography, I wonder sometimes if piece of gear X, Y or Z would be better than what I am currently using.

I have been using the Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 zoom lens since I bought my first Fuji in 2013. I have been happy with it and it has spent a lot of time on my cameras, first an X-E1 and now and X-T3. From time to time it has occurred to me that the Fujinon 16-55mm might not only give me a slightly wider angle of view and a constant f/2.8 aperture, but also access to that elusive beast… better image quality.

Of course, “better” means different things in different contexts.

Rather than wonder about it anymore, I decided it was time to rent rather than take the plunge of buying. Vistek Ottawa makes renting easy and a mere CDN$30 let me use the lens for a weekend.

All told, I liked the lens very much but my two conclusions surprised me.

First, using the 16-55mm for two days reminded me why I decided to invest in the Fuji system in the first place: to drastically reduce the weight of the gear I was carrying, especially when travelling. There’s no question that the 16-55 is lovely piece of gear, but my X-T3 felt a bit front-heavy with it and, frankly, I didn’t think I’d want to carry it around all day. And I was losing built-in Image Stabilization (which I really appreciate).

Second, I decided that if I was ever to commit to carrying around heavier equipment I would only do it if it came with a much larger sensor. The kind of sensor you might find in, say, the Fujifilm GFX medium format system.

So, no 16-55mm for me, but an eye open for Fuji’s forthcoming update to the GFX 50s expected for this fall.

In the meantime, here’s an example of what I got up to with that lens on the weekend. It’s a beautiful chunk of glass, but not “better” for my needs and wants.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 at 16mm

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 at 16mm

Street art in chilly Montreal

I had the chance to spend a bracing morning recently in Montreal. Well, let’s not lie: “bracing” is far too polite a word for how cold it was. “Frigid” or “bitter” would be more fitting.

Still, a walk on a sunny winter’s day in COVID-time meant that we had the street pretty much to ourselves. It was a treat strolling along Boulevard St-Laurent and taking in some of the street art that is to be found all along the way. It was also another chance to put my new Vallerret photo gloves to the test and they did not disappoint. I’ll likely do a blog post on them once I’ve spent more time with them in different conditions.

The images below were all taken with my Fujifilm X-T3 and 18-55mm zoom, which I find to be a good general purpose lens: a useful variety of focal lengths (mild wide angle to short telephoto), lightweight, with image stabilization.

Fog-bound in Ottawa

It’s been quite a while since I’ve gone out with my camera with no other purpose than to see what I can see. When I pick up the camera these days, it’s almost always because I am working on an exercise or assignment for my course. An added bonus this time was the chance to meet up with another local photographer—we’ve been connected by social media for a number of years but have just never met IRL. We came close to meeting once, when we were both at the same invitation-only event and didn’t know it.

Yet another reason to push myself out the door—as if I needed another—was to use my new Fujifilm X-T3. I had bought it a couple of weeks back and it was time to press the shutter in earnest. I am still happy with my little X-E1 and it has served me very well, but I wanted to be able to take advantage of the new tech available in the Fuji system.

The weather was uncharacteristically foggy for this time of year, so what a great opportunity to see familiar parts of Ottawa in a less-familiar way.

All images taken with my Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon 18-55mm zoom.