Why I Chose Small Compact Camera Like Fujifilm X100T

© 2015 Wazari Wazir | Kuala Lumpur Train Station

© 2015 Wazari Wazir | Kuala Lumpur Train Station

Actually this is not so much about Fujifilm X100T camera but more about on why in certain situation it is better to have a small compact camera than using a big bulky DSLR camera. Most professional photographers doesn’t use a small compact camera as their main arsenal, most of them are using it as their backup or simply a second camera in case their big brother are in trouble but nowadays the image quality that you can get from a small compact camera like Fufilm X series and other brand with similar specification is good enough for serious task.

Take a street photography for an example, if we were given a task to photographed or document a life on the street, I think nothing can beat small compact camera, simply because people don’t really bother, people don’t really care about you, you are not means serious business, you are just another “tourist” in the city. I’ve use DLSR all my life and whenever I take it out on the street, people will always pays attention to it and sometimes I miss a lot of great moment and most of the times I feel uncomfortable.

The photographs above were taken at Kuala Lumpur Train Station, actually I’m not there to test out the camera but I get down there for another assignment and I would like to take a few quick shot there. What I can tell you guys here is that, people don’t really bother about my presence there, not many people take a second look of me. They just going through their life, I don’t think I can shoot comfortably there with my big DSLR camera without someone pay attention to it and asked a few question about my presence.

I like the compact size of my Fujifilm X100T camera and I also like the sound of the camera, I can say it is almost dead silent in a busy surrounding, you can’t really know whether you have a taken a shot without looking at the LCD to confirm it.

© 2015 Wazari Wazir | A Man Sticking a Stamp on a Asean 2015 First Day Cover

© 2015 Wazari Wazir | Malaysia Post Office Employee Putting a Stamp on Asean 2015 Commemorative First Day Cover

© 2015 Wazari Wazir | Malaysia Post Office Employee Putting a Stamp on Asean 2015 Commemorative First Day Cover

After that I went to Pos Malaysia office located at Dayabumi Complex to buy a First Day Cover and Asean Commemorative stamp in conjunction with Malaysia being ASEAN Chairmanship 2015.

People there don’t really about me as well, it’s like I’m not there, It’s like I’m invisible to them and there is no loud sound of shutter camera to scare them away and the small size of my Fujifilm X100T camera put them at ease, they just keeps on doing their routine. I was sitting in front of a man who are busy sticking a new ASEAN stamp on the First Day Cover, even though he knew my presence because I’m also doing what he do, sticking out the stamp and even though he knew I’m having a camera on my side, he just don’t bother or felt threaten by my presence. Maybe he think that I’m just taking a photographs of my new acquire stamp when in fact, I’m photographing him.

Same goes to the Malaysian Pos Office employee, I did not get his attention, he is so busy stamping my stamp with Asean 2015 logo and does not look uncomfortable even though I’m right in front of him taking his picture. The situation might be different if I were to use my normal big bulky DSLR. I might raise a few unwanted attention there. There is a lot of stamp lover there buying the first cover editions.

Some people asked me about other brand of Mirrorless camera, are they any better than Fujifilm X-series, I honestly can’t answer that simply because I’ve never had any experience with them, yes Fujifilm X100T camera may not be the greatest Mirrorless camera on the market but I simply love it. I like the classic look of the camera, the sturdiness of the X100T body and I also like the new Classic Chrome Film Simulation mode, in fact all of the photograph above were taken with Classic Chrome Film simulation mode.

The point here is that, sometimes a small compact camera like mirrorless camera is good enough with this type of photography. A small compact mirrorless camera may not be suitable for a wildlife photography, fast moving subject like sports photography but when it comes to traveling, I think I don’t need other camera rather than my new Fujifilm X100T camera, I’m not doing any kind of stock photography for sale, I’m just a hobbyist, photographing here and there for a visual memory and this small compact mirrorless camera is all that I need at this period of time. I want to travel light and I want to travel far without putting too much stress on my body and on my wallet.

“When photography gets so technical as to intimidate people, the element of simple enjoyment is bound to suffer. Any man who can see what he wants to get on film will usually find some way to get it; and a man who thinks his equipment is going to see for him is not going to get much of anything.”

– Hunter S. Thompson –