Why I Chose Fujifilm X100T Mirrorless Camera With Fixed Focal Length Lens For My Travel Photography

Why I Chose Fujifilm X100T  Mirrorless Camera With Fixed Focal Length Lens For My Travel Photography, It’s quite a long title for a blog post, don’t you think so? Anyway, time and time again I get asked a questions regarding a camera choice and I’ve written quite a lot about it, maybe some of you just don’t get it, or simply don’t understand or just don’t want to understand or simply plain ignorance because you have a million dollar in your bank account.

Okay, I just want to make it quick here. I want to talk just a little bit about mirrorless camera. There are basically two types of mirrorless camera, one which you can change the lens and the other with fixed focal lens like what I’m using here which is Fujifilm X100T, yes you can also use different lens with Fujifilm X100T but you need to use an adapter but then, you can’t take out the 23 mm fixed focal lens and insert a new focal length, you just need to screw an adapter in front of the fixed focal lens and then only you can add another lens in front of it.

Sometimes it can becomes a dilemma for us especially for those of you who wanted to switch from DSLR or just wanted to buy your first mirrorless camera to decide whether you need a fixed focal length camera or with the one with Interchangeable lens, in Fujifilm among the mirrorless camera that have Interchangeable lens is Fujifilm X-T1, X-A2, X-E2, X-Pro1 and few others. In Fujifilm line with Fixed Focal Length is Fujifilm X100s, X100T, some of the fixed focal length lens have zoom capabilities, I’m not promoting Fujifilm here, same goes to other brands as well.

The reason why I chose Fujifilm X100T with fixed focal lens is because I already have a DSLR Camera, which is Canon 5D with interchangeable lens, so why do I need another camera with interchangeable lens? The other things is, I want a small compact camera. A mirrorless camera with interchangeable lens whether with a Zoom Lens like 18-55mm, 10-24mm, 55-200mm or wit a set of different prime lens will only add bulk and weigh when it comes to moving around and not to mention, it will take space in our camera bag or our backpack.

But to those of you who have never own a DSLR and just wanted to make a mirrorless camera as yours only camera for travel purpose, then maybe you would like to consider having a Fixed Zoom Lens or the one with an interchangeable lens.

In my opinion the reason why people chose a mirrorless camera is because of its lightweight and compact in size compared to big bulky DSLR camera. I think it will defeat its purpose if we have too many accessorises or too many lens to travel with. With so many lens to chose, I don’t think they are any different than DSLR, yes just weight a little. Furthermore a mirrorless camera with 55-200mm, 56mm or 18-55mm will look like more or less a DSLR camera. Yes, it is still small but not compact enough.

Lets makes things clear, I’m not a Travel Photographer who makes a living by selling my travel photographs or doing any kind of stocks photography. I’m a photographer who likes to travel, and I do travel a lot. So I need a small camera that I can take anywhere without breaking my neck or breaking bones. A small size mirrorless camera is a good choice for me, I don’t need a huge camera bag to carry the camera, I can use small pouch bag or waist bag to put my camera inside and nobody will notice that I carry a camera.

During my Trans-Siberian trip which in winter, I just hang my Fujifilm X100T inside my down-jacket, and nobody will ever notice that I carry a camera. If I wanted to take a photograph, I just unzip my down-jacket a bit, and with just one hand I can take a picture and most of the times people on the street, in the subway doesn’t bother or pay attention to me because to them, I’m just a tourist with a camera.

Some people said they need an interchangeable lens for their mirrorless because “sometimes” they need to have a good portrait shot with 56mm lens or “sometimes” they need to have a great view or a landscape with 10-20mm lens or “sometimes” they need to take a bird photography or wildlife during travel.

Lets forget about “Sometimes,” instead focus on your priority. My priority when traveling will always be about people and places, even if I need to take a photograph or a portrait of a person, I wanted to include a little bit of an environment, environmental portraiture if you may say. I want to photographs some of the iconic or well recognise landmark in each city that I visit. I don’t need 56mm or 85mm equivalent portrait lens.

23mm focal length lens is equivalent of 35mm in Full Frame camera, 35mm is considered as classic wide angle shot. I like this focal length even though not wide enough for some architecture or landscape shot. I like the classic look and it doesn’t distort so much like 14mm, 16mm when we include people in the photographs.

We can argue about this until the cows come home, but only you have the ultimate answer of your own choice and preferences. At the end of the day, it will be you and your body to cary those camera and not me.

Whatever choice that you will make, there will always be pros and cons, you will always miss some shots that you wanted to take because you don’t have the right focal length lens with you, but then, when it comes to traveling, take the time to enjoy and relax and sometimes you just need to keep your camera inside your backpack and truly enjoy the moment. Yes, you will loose the picture to show to your friends back home, but definitely not the moment.

Last year I did my Trans-Siberian trip and frankly speaking, I didn’t take so many picture, instead I just wanted to really be in the moment, to truly enjoy the moment, without a distraction of a camera. If you ever give me the best camera in the world, I can never ever captured how magnificent  the Siberian landscape covered with miles and miles of white powdered snows, let alone “captured” the harsh Siberian winter, no cameras will ever be able doing that. You need to get there.

A camera, any camera is just an apparatus for us to captured our little experience or memory and shared it with someone we love, be it our friends or family. Talking about travel photography, if we can inspire people to travel to the place that we have been with the photographs taken with our camera, for me, that was good enough.

We can only show only a fractions of a place that we have been to, and if our friends and family need to see more, then, they have to travel there themselves. Whether you have 20 million or 100 million megapixels camera with you, none will ever be able to capture the original landscape. You have to be there to really experience it. Other than that, it is just a marketing ploy from camera manufacture for their own survival.

Take my advise, spend less and worry less on camera and spend more on travel, buying flight tickets, booking hostel or hotels and etc,etc. Lets your friend buying expensive DSLR camera but they stuck at home, and you, on the other hand buy not so expensive mirrorless camera but travel far away to Tajikistan or Siberia and brings back good memory and unforgettable and priceless experience, the choice is yours.

*Related Post : Why I Choose To Travel With Fujifilm X100T For Trans_Siberian Adventure