Would you shoot a wedding exclusively with Fuji X?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 21335
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted member 21335

Guest
So one probably for the wedding photographers but keen to hear your thoughts/experiences. Last time I shot weddings was with a D700 and was a few years ago now but as some of you know, I've decided to go back into it starting this year. I have two bookings, one on the back of a christening I shot in December. Now, I have a 5D mkIII and I also have an X-Pro 1. I have been discussing with a couple of photography friends and also reading endless online threads about shooting solely with the Fujis. It seems some photographers have made the leap. One of my friends has suggested that perception by clients is everything and if he hired a photographer who turned up with the Fuji, he would be a little annoyed. So I'd like to hear your thoughts.
 
I'm going to shoot my next wedding with an x-pro1 and x100s. I doubt any clients will be thinking during the day what camera the photographer is using. Plus when they see the photos they won't care as long as they are good.
 
amtaylor said:
I'm going to shoot my next wedding with an x-pro1 and x100s. I doubt any clients will be thinking during the day what camera the photographer is using. Plus when they see the photos they won't care as long as they are good.
Click to expand...


That would hopefully be my thoughts too. I'd really like to see the images from your next wedding!
 
You might be waiting a while. It ain't until august as I only do a few nowadays. I should promote myself a bit more really. Ive got a couple of friends wedding in between so I'll have chance to practice at least
 
I shot one last year on mostly my Fuji XP1 + 18/35 lenses. I had a DSLR with a 85/1.4 for tele shots, but the Fuji did most of the work, bride and groom were very happy with the results. The only thing I'd change is I'd add an extra body since switching between 28eq/35eq on the same body is a bit of a pain.

Here are two from that wedding:
5uYc3fX.jpg


bNiSLpu.jpg


I don't really shoot weddings so it was a one off job, don't have many more examples. Since Fuji have introduced the XT1, 23/1.4, and 56/1.2 I'd definitely shoot an entire wedding on the X system.
 
Last edited:
If I had a 5D MK III then I would use that all day long. Maybe carry the X-Pro as a back up for some candid shots when people have their guard down.
 
Unsure how to multi quote on this ipad app (n00b) so will have to try and reply like this. Yes, the 5D would be up to the job no doubt. I have a few ideas why I would like to use the Fuji system. As has been said, the new lenses are very appealing, as is the new XT1. I could easily afford to get into a second body with a great range of prime lenses. I also really like the EVF and how it seems to nail focus wide open every time. I also like the size and silence of them. It would make carrying toe bodies easier and the image quality is so close I was shocked. The only reservation I would have is shooting moving subjects like bride and groom walking down the isle etc, which is what I was discussing with a friend earlier. But he did say, "they're not moving that fast". So if yo uh ave any experience of this, please share. :)
 
Making sure all lenses have the latest firmware might help with AF issues.
 
gazmorton2000 said:
One of my friends has suggested that perception by clients is everything and if he hired a photographer who turned up with the Fuji, he would be a little annoyed. So I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

Images you produce is everything. You dont want to be working for the kind of client that judges you on the size of your camera. I would tell your friend to get the priorities right.
Fuji is fine to shoot a wedding on. If I were you id shoot it on the 5d mark iii and run the fuji along side it. Then see how you feel the fuji deals with things. Change when you dont need to ask the question.
 
wouldnt the 5dIII be much better at the high iso/low light stuff?
id take both i think
 
pingu666 said:
wouldnt the 5dIII be much better at the high iso/low light stuff?
id take both i think
Click to expand...

I've only played with the X-Pro1 at very high ISO settings really but it's fairly capable. Possibly better when converted to B&W but even in colour it gives useable shots.

3165 by Nod on Talk Photography
Was shot at max ISO and is a crop from the original. SOOC apart from the crop, shot in JPEG.
 
yeah thats pretty good :)
i think theres a double wammy vs full frame as they have the bigger sensor, plus the lenses you can get on FF are very fast, theres rarely even faster lenses for crop.
 
personally I wouldn't but only because ive never used a Fuji X, and if you are shooting a wedding you need to be comfortable with the kit - that said if you use one regularly then why not ? It certainly appears to be up to the job. Results are everything and I doubt the B&G will care what camera you are using on the day, so long as they get good pictures.

Admittedly if the pictures are crap, you can expect the resultant daily mail article to include " He didn't even have a DSLR" :lol:
 
Nod said:
Making sure all lenses have the latest firmware might help with AF issues.
Click to expand...

Thanks, goes without saying. :)

mart77 said:
Images you produce is everything. You dont want to be working for the kind of client that judges you on the size of your camera. I would tell your friend to get the priorities right.
Fuji is fine to shoot a wedding on. If I were you id shoot it on the 5d mark iii and run the fuji along side it. Then see how you feel the fuji deals with things. Change when you dont need to ask the question.
Click to expand...

That's the reason I thought I would ask here. My friend is a photographer himself, shooting with a D800. But after he said that, it made me think about how the public (the people booking the photographer) would perceive you shooting with two small bodies and that it may lose bookings solely based on that.

JonathanRyan said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the simple reply. I came across your blog post when I was Googling the subject. :thumbs:

pingu666 said:
wouldnt the 5dIII be much better at the high iso/low light stuff?
id take both i think
Click to expand...

I don't know about MUCH better but it certainly has an advantage, especially with focussing in really low light. I think I might try both for the first one I have booked and take it from there.

boyfalldown said:
Yes
Click to expand...

Thanks :thumbs:

Nod said:
I've only played with the X-Pro1 at very high ISO settings really but it's fairly capable. Possibly better when converted to B&W but even in colour it gives useable shots.
Was shot at max ISO and is a crop from the original. SOOC apart from the crop, shot in JPEG.
Click to expand...

Thanks. It is very capable indeed.

simonblue said:
Yes :)
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

pingu666 said:
yeah thats pretty good :)
i think theres a double wammy vs full frame as they have the bigger sensor, plus the lenses you can get on FF are very fast, theres rarely even faster lenses for crop.
Click to expand...

There are some exceptional Fuji lenses out now. The 35mm F1.4 is a corker and the new 56mm F1.2 is supposedly superb, although I haven't used that one personally.

big soft moose said:
personally I wouldn't but only because ive never used a Fuji X, and if you are shooting a wedding you need to be comfortable with the kit - that said if you use one regularly then why not ? It certainly appears to be up to the job. Results are everything and I doubt the B&G will care what camera you are using on the day, so long as they get good pictures.

Admittedly if the pictures are crap, you can expect the resultant daily mail article to include " He didn't even have a DSLR" :LOL:
Click to expand...

:lol: Yeah I can see that article now! I am comfortable using both bodies so that's not an issue. The points in favour of the Fuji's are, smaller so carrying two around all day would be easier. Less intrusive. People are less inclined to react when you lift it to your face because of the size. This isn't just speculation, I have experienced this in several environments.

There are several blog posts on the line now about wedding photographers shooting solely with them and they love them. Admittedly. they would be excellent photographers regardless of kit.
 
Even the sunsets?
 
Phil Young said:
I'd shoot one with an x20!
Click to expand...

As much as I love my X20 I don't think I would go lower than an APS sensor sized Fuji. If they wanted a large print it would be pushing it too much.
 
I would add that if you find the Fuji more fun to use you are more likely to take better pictures. That should not be underestimated. If you are more in the zone mentally with a fuji then you will more likely produce better work. I find this to be the case. Now we have basically passed the point of sufficiency I tend to rate cameras very highly for how fun/inspiring they are.
 
Last edited:
Terrywoodenpic said:
As much as I love my X20 I don't think I would go lower than an APS sensor sized Fuji. If they wanted a large print it would be pushing it too much.
Click to expand...

To be fair I did once shoot a wedding with a Fuji S602 bridge - although that wasn't by design ( I was there as a guest and the 'pro' had a complete equipment failure).

really there shouldn't be much problem doing a large print from any modern sensor - although the issue with M4/3 or smaller would be the Dof and the lack of separation from background even at small F numbers
 
The Fuji X cameras are fantastic but until they come up flash system on power with the Nikon Creative Flash system ( or similar) I would be reluctant. Although there are work-arrounds, I have an FT-1 (excellent camera), Cannon off-camera TTL lead and Fuji X20 flash but with a guide ratio of 20 plus the power hungry X2 AAA batteries the flash system doesn't really cut the mustard and Fuji need to grip this. I really like to use fill in flash rather than up the ISO.

Of course, if anybody has any solutions I'm totally open to trying it out. :-)


Sent from my iPad using Talk Photography Forums
 
radio trigger and a couple of off camera flashes (or do they not have a hotshoe ?)
 
big soft moose said:
radio trigger and a couple of off camera flashes (or do they not have a hotshoe ?)
Click to expand...

I could use a more powerful independent flash hand-held as I like to direct it but it wouldn't be 'dedicated' or TTL so I don't think that would cut it.

More than one flash gets a bit unwieldy and slows up your work-flow. The X-PRO1 and X-T1 both have a hot shoe.

The X cameras are very good, the lenses are really sharp but the flash system has been an afterthought. Fuji don't even produce an TTL off-camera cable.......

I started off shooting weddings with a Hasselblad and 120mm roll film using a Metz flashgun off camera and using TTL metering back in the 8Os. How hard can it be Fuji....?

The setup I'm using now is just about works but it's not brilliant because of the not very powerful Fuji flash with GN of 20. The Cannon TTL off camera lead is the only thing known to work with it.

Hopefully one of the independent flash manufacturers will realise there is a market and get in on the act. Fuji are missing a trick,
 
pingu666 said:
yeah thats pretty good :)
i think theres a double wammy vs full frame as they have the bigger sensor, plus the lenses you can get on FF are very fast, theres rarely even faster lenses for crop.
Click to expand...

eh? :D

As Gazmorton points out there are some nice wide aperture lenses available for smaller formats and of course you can use your wide aperture full frame lenses on CSC's with ease.

FF v smaller sensors is another question and personally I'd consider the output required and how it's going to be viewed and the merits of each system. For example shooting with a f1.2 lens on full frame may be a little....challenging.... if your going for anything other than razor thin DoF but on a smaller format you can have the f1.2 exposure to keep your ISO down and/or your shutter speed up and that may either in whole or in part negate the advantage of FF plus of course if you maintain the FoV that razon thin DoF may be less of an issue.
 
big soft moose said:
To be fair I did once shoot a wedding with a Fuji S602 bridge - although that wasn't by design ( I was there as a guest and the 'pro' had a complete equipment failure).

really there shouldn't be much problem doing a large print from any modern sensor - although the issue with M4/3 or smaller would be the Dof and the lack of separation from background even at small F numbers
Click to expand...

I had one of those, it was my first digital camera. I did hear that a fair few found their way into the hands of studio shooters :D

DoF is a double edged sword and an issue with FF can be getting enough and not ending up with one eye in and one eye out. With a smaller format you can have the exposure advantage of the wide aperture and deeper DoF due to the shorter focal length or greater camera to subject distance. Taking MFT as the extreme shooting at f1.8 with a really sharp 25mm lens will get you a faster exposure but the same DoF as a FF 50mm at f3.6 and sometimes that can be an advantage when f1.8 on FF just doesn't deliver the required DoF and you need to stop down to f3.6.
 
Nick, Canon off camera flash cables apparently give full TTL flash capability with Fujis. At a guess, PWs or similar would do the same.
 
Nod said:
Nick, Canon off camera flash cables apparently give full TTL flash capability with Fujis. At a guess, PWs or similar would do the same.
Click to expand...

Nod, I have got one. The problem is that the Fuji flashes are not that powerful. Mine has a Guide Number of 20. The triple AAA batteries when brand new give you about 20-50 shots. The recycling time between flashes is mind numbingly tedious between 20-30 seconds. Unacceptable for weddings, PR or press work.

Like I said earlier the it works in a fashion with the Cannon TTL cable but it's not reliable. It's the only thing letting Fuji down at the moment.

The only reason the Cannon TTL cable works with the X series cameras is that the pin configuration just happens to be the same.

I am not aware of any other flashgun that will give Fuji TTL dedication.
 
Yes, as everybody knows, the weak spot in the Fuji line up at the moment is the flash.

A good solution would be the Elinchrom Quadra with its remote power setting system*. I can't honestly see a need for TTL in most wedding situations.

----
* Garry will be along soon to tell us why the Safari 2 with Wavesync would also be ideal. I haven't seen that kit so I don't know how the remote power options compare.
 
I find the little efx20 flash powerful enough used at the wider apertures available on the Fuji cameras . In a domestic situation it certainly is.
However there is certainly room for a fully TTL flash with around a 50 output. The difficulty will be in making one small enough to compliment the cameras in the X range.
I have two Canon style off camera cables one by canon and one a look alike. They both work very reliably with Fuji TTL.
I would have thought that Fuji will be working on this. Even more so if it becomes a professional need.
I often Just place the the EF X20 and use it as a slave manual flash. For slave use the in built flask on the X20 fires, but out of sync with the shutter, so only acts to fire the slave.
 
big soft moose said:
To be fair I did once shoot a wedding with a Fuji S602 bridge - although that wasn't by design ( I was there as a guest and the 'pro' had a complete equipment failure).
Click to expand...

woof woof said:
I had one of those, it was my first digital camera. I did hear that a fair few found their way into the hands of studio shooters :D
Click to expand...

Ah the S602 loved that camera and whilst not my first digital it was my introduction to serious photography.

Steve
 
In a word - No!

While the Xpro is good at higher ISO, I would argue that a D4 or D3s is better. In a darkish church that could be vital. Battery life is also poor, so more spares and more changes needed. Flash is also poor on Fuji. At the moment there is also not the lens lineup for pro work (2.8 zooms). They are not weather sealed like a pro Nikon setup would be, and the Af on DSLRs is better.

I know that sounds like I am slating the Xpro - I am not trying to, but as things stand it is not the right camera for weddings compared to say a D3s. It can do the job, yes, and in some cases very well, but Fuji have a way to go before this could be considered in the same bracket as a D3/D3s/D4 and whatever Canon offer.
 
I'll tell the people using them for weddings that then ^^.

I do think the flash is now the main weak point of the system
 
cambsno said:
In a word - No!

While the Xpro is good at higher ISO, I would argue that a D4 or D3s is better. In a darkish church that could be vital. Battery life is also poor, so more spares and more changes needed. Flash is also poor on Fuji. At the moment there is also not the lens lineup for pro work (2.8 zooms). They are not weather sealed like a pro Nikon setup would be, and the Af on DSLRs is better.

I know that sounds like I am slating the Xpro - I am not trying to, but as things stand it is not the right camera for weddings compared to say a D3s. It can do the job, yes, and in some cases very well, but Fuji have a way to go before this could be considered in the same bracket as a D3/D3s/D4 and whatever Canon offer.
Click to expand...

I find this reasoning very strange. I was using a 5dii and a 5di with a 35l and 135l. They arent weather sealed. Does that mean they aren't up to the job either as they aren't weather sealed 2.8 zooms? High iso handling is always improving and they are better than either of my 5ds. Does that mean the cameras of the past weren't up to either as they aren't as good as a d4? It bugs me people suggesting that you can only do a job with the latest and best equipment when its been done perfectly fine for decades. The simple thing is that if you can use them properly you work round the weaknesses of any system
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top