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Archive 2013 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......

  
 
philip_pj
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p.12 #1 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


bobbytan, let me bring you up to date.

Jack actually has that serious level of belief in his statements. It became clearer later on, it's no big deal, just a form of minor self-suggestion, we all do it to some extent in the abstract.

First up, he said his D800 would have spent most of the time in the hotel room if he could have been bothered bringing it. It makes you look a certain way to peers when you can't be bothered using one of the best and most flexible cameras made for something you enjoy photographing, its crime being larger than a compact camera.

There follows a bunch of nice images (leaving aside clipping at both ends, syrupy colour, lack of detail) for which we all know Nikon RAWs would street the Fuji in IQ, within bare minutes in LR.



Apr 22, 2013 at 01:48 AM
philip_pj
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p.12 #2 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


The thread, while rather strange by our usual standards, raises several significant points, they persist even to this last page.

Here is one, just as an example:
Claim: 'hauling 18 lbs on my shoulder isn't fun for me'.

Reality: FF cameras with top flight lenses need not weigh 18 pounds (8.2 kgs for the metric crowd). My regular 'no compromise' walking kit of 21mm, 35-70mm, 100mm and FF cam tips in at 2.25 kgs or under five pounds.

This is not a knock, but it is symptomatic of the kind of exaggerated and erroneous claims so commonly seen today that no one usually corrects them, so they float along unchallenged.

Uninformed people who are ignorant of the facts might be reading and actually believing this information is true.

For the sake of completeness, I just looked up Jack's gear used for the jpegs here, it comes to 771 grams for the two primes and the body, that only covers eq. of 21mm and 50mm, not much is it? If you need reach you might add the 18-55mm - brings it to around 1100 grams - so for each kit of three lenses - a massive weight saving of 2250 - 1100 = 1150 grams, or 2.5 pounds.

Compared with an a99 plus some of CZ's best. I mean really. All that lost functionality, ergo and image quality, DOF control for 2.5 measly pounds...

You would also never carry heavy photo gear on one shoulder - daypacks and belt packs work much better, and you can walk long distances with them.

It's not like they giving these Fujis away either, I figured maybe people just saw them as a cheap alternative..but Jack's gear costs all of $2500 new at BH, surprisingly high to me at least. And that gave him just eq. of 21mm and 50mm. So even more money is needed!



Apr 22, 2013 at 02:17 AM
Jman13
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p.12 #3 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Ok, I've largely stayed out of this crazy argument (why anyone cares which camera another person prefers is completely beyond me), but this reaction, Philip, is one of the most arrogant responses I've ever read on this forum.

philip_pj wrote:
Claim: 'hauling 18 lbs on my shoulder isn't fun for me'. Reality: FF cameras with top flight lenses need not weigh 18 pounds (8.2 kgs for the metric crowd). My regular 'no compromise' walking kit of 21mm, 35-70mm, 100mm and FF cam tips in at 2.25 kgs or under five pounds.


This was my claim, and it was my reality of my full frame kit. I physically put my shoulder bag on the scale. Now, it was fully loaded, and when reducing to what I'd normally bring (still a lot), it was still in the neighborhood of 13-14 lbs. I generally use autofocus lenses, so you picking out manual focus lenses that don't fit my shooting style adds nothing to the argument. My m4/3 kit with similar capabilty to my 13-14 lb general carry (giving up a little DOF control and a little base ISO noise) weighs a little more than 6 lbs.

I just looked up Jack's gear used for the jpegs here, it comes to 771 grams for the two primes and the body, that only covers eq. of 21mm and 50mm, not much is it? If you need reach you might add the 18-55mm - brings it to around 1100 grams - so for each kit of three lenses - a massive weight saving of 2250 - 1100 = 1150 grams, or 2.5 pounds.

Now you're just twisting facts to fit your narrative. Yes, it's "only 2.5 lbs." It's also less than HALF the weight of the full frame kit. That's an absolutely enormous weight savings. For YOU, this may not be worth it...for many people, it's the difference between being encumbered by gear or feeling unburdened and enjoying the day of shooting. I can fit that exact kit into a small Lowepro Rezo 110 AW bag (I know, because I own that same kit and it fits), where I think that bag can barely fit a D800 body by itself. It's not just weight, but physical size as well.

Compared with an a99 plus some of CZ's best. I mean really. All that lost functionality, ergo and image quality, DOF control for 2.5 measly pounds...

This is where you start to get arrogant. First off, you are assuming that the DOF control is critical here. For travel photography, it's really not, and believe it or not, some of us don't WANT ultra shallow depth of field all the time. When I shot full frame, I regularly stopped my 50/1.4 down to f/2 if I could, because it was just too shallow for my liking at f/1.4 most of the time. Now I shoot my X-E1 with 35/1.4 at f/1.4 and get a similar look. Second of all, for many people that "2.5 measly pounds" can make all the difference in the world. You're talking about carrying TWICE the amount of gear for a pretty minor (all things considered) step up in image quality, and what other functionality is missing?

You would also never carry heavy photo gear on one shoulder - daypacks and belt packs work much better, and you can walk long distances with them.

Here it is with thinking that what YOU do works for someone else. I can't STAND using a daypack (no easy access to gear), and I would never consider a belt pack that was big enough to carry a full frame kit. If I'm out and about shooting, I want fast access to my gear that can be easily maneuvered...that means a shoulder bag for my needs. I've traveled with my former crop Canon kit (which included a DRebel, Tokina 12-24, Canon 50/1.4, and Canon 80-200/2.8...a light carry leaving several things at home) around Europe all day long in a shoulder bag. Despite 'only' weighing 6.3 lbs for the gear, with the size of the bag I needed, plus other accessories, my back and shoulder were absolutely killing me. Partly because the size of the bag puts the weight further off axis, which adds more strain. Over a full day of shooting, it adds up.

I've also traveled with my m4/3 kit, and more recently with my Fuji X-E1, and I can shoot all day out of my shoulder bag without getting sore or uncomfortable. That alone is worth the difference to ME. And since all of these cameras meet my image quality needs, it doesn't matter one lick to me whether a full frame kit would have slightly better image quality. Frankly, I doubt overall that there'd be that much difference. The DR on the X-E1 is outstanding, and I can hold detail in pretty much any image I can practically run across.

Just because YOUR preferences would put the D800 in your bag all the time doesn't mean everyone has those same preferences.

There comes a point where the image quality is plenty good enough for a shooter's needs, and when that point is reached, other concerns like ergonomics and size play a much larger role in what will work better. If YOUR personal image quality standards aren't met by these smaller cameras, then don't use them. No problem. For many of us, they easily meet these standards, and so for me, the weight and size are far more important...to ME. If you GAVE me a full D800 kit with the best Nikon lenses, I would turn around and sell them to buy more mirrorless gear. And I'm not joking even in the slightest.



Apr 22, 2013 at 06:05 AM
theSuede
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p.12 #4 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Of course there's a size and weight difference! I can't find or even imagine anyone denying that. Exactly how much that size difference affects your usage is up to you - but of course smaller and lighter is good for most practical purposes.

But as other have already mentioned, the title COULD have been read as a rather philosophical afterthought about what we need and what we use (not always the same thing...) - but the extended discussion implied something entirely different.
.....................

BTW: I'm way faster than Usain Bolt over the 100m sprint. He's totally useless!

I ran at the local stadium yesterday, and he didn't even bother to show up. So I was miles ahead of him at the finish line.



Apr 22, 2013 at 07:28 AM
jcolwell
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p.12 #5 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


As Jordan says, "why anyone cares which camera another person prefers is completely beyond me"; however, I want to weigh in on some of Philip_pj's comments about reality and uninformed people, because my experience is considerably different than his.

philip_pj wrote:
Reality: FF cameras with top flight lenses need not weigh 18 pounds (8.2 kgs for the metric crowd).


My regular 'no compromise' event kit consists of two 1D-series bodies, three f/2.8 L-zooms, a fast 85mm lens, and etc. It weighs 12 kg (27.7 lb) when packed in my TT Airport Commuter. I also take this when I travel, if there will be event photography at the other end (which there frequently is). Since this is over the Air Canada 10 kg limit, I also take a MEC (i.e. REI) shoulder bag with typically a 5DII, X-Pro 1 kit, X100, 18 ZE, TS-E 24/3.5L II, 135/2L (about 4 kg), which provides sufficient weight margin in reserve that I can balance off some of the TT weight, if somebody asks, "how heavy is that?".

philip_pj wrote:
You would also never carry heavy photo gear on one shoulder ...


My normal day bag is a courier bag that weighs 5.5 kg (12 lb).

While I'm away on travel, I often use the MEC shoulder bag mentioned earlier (which is not a photo bag), to carry a 1D-series body, two f/2.8 L-zooms, 18ZE, X100, Extender, and flash. This weighs about 6 kg (13 lb), and I'll happily cart it around for hours on end.

OTOH, sometimes, I take only my RX100.



Apr 22, 2013 at 07:34 AM
RustyBug
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p.12 #6 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


philip_pj wrote:
The thread, while rather strange by our usual standards, raises several significant points, they persist even to this last page.


... exaggerated and erroneous claims so commonly seen today that no one usually corrects them, so they float along unchallenged.

Uninformed people who are ignorant of the facts might be reading and actually believing this information is true.
+1


theSuede wrote:
But as other have already mentioned, the title COULD have been read as a rather philosophical afterthought about what we need and what we use (not always the same thing...) - but the extended discussion implied something entirely different.
+1

This thread kinda reminds me about the old school debate over whether or not to buy (more $$$) the best film (vs. good film) and how much film to pack. The philosophical approach to that answer for many regarding the cost for the best film available or the cost to pack that much film was to compare those costs against the cost of the shot your missed if you hadn't prepared yourself for a best opportunity with the best film available.

I think that part of the OP's post is to infer a similar aspect of the cost of the "missed shot" that would have occurred if he had taken his D800 and then subsequently failed to use his D800, unwilling to incur the cost of carrying it. If I put it in the context of film ... for vacation shots I could have packed Kodak Gold 200 instead of Fujichrome 50 and the pics for sharing with friends would have been just fine. Objectively, not the same quality ... but functionally could serve a similar purpose and thus saved me the cost of bringing the more costly film, or in this case it saves the OP the cost of bringing the more costly (heavier/bulkier) camera and still provides suitable "fit for purpose" functionality.

Some approach things from the perspective of being prepared with the best available, always. Others approach from "fit for purpose". For each of us ... your call at how you approach it.

I suppose a similar claim that Kodak Gold 200 outperforms Fujichrome 50 could have been suggested back in the day as well. They might have said it has more latitude (negative vs. slide) or handles lower light (higher ISO) or offers higher shutter speed and smaller apertures (at the expense of grain pattern) or has the convenience of being processed in vastly more convenient manner (1 Hour Photo) and so they prefer using it over slow slide film for a variety of reasons ... thus the suggestion that Kodak Gold 200 outperforms Fujichrome 50 or K25. But, if you never put Kodak 200 side by side with Fujichrome 50 or K25 ... plenty of people could believe the compelling case presented for Kodak Gold 200.


Hey Jim,

You sound like me, back in the day ... I dressed out @ 27 lbs, and went every where with it always, including a 14 mile mountain climb down Philip's way ... although I have to admit, I was a bit overdressed and paid for that one.

Edited on Apr 22, 2013 at 03:10 PM · View previous versions



Apr 22, 2013 at 07:44 AM
TSY87
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p.12 #7 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


when a company finally comes out with a FF mirror less camera with interchangeable lenses (not leica) I will really have to consider ditching my current setup (nikon/zeiss lenses, d800). Hopefully sony isnt too far out from making this a reality.


Apr 22, 2013 at 10:57 AM
michael49
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p.12 #8 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Jman13 wrote:
...
There comes a point where the image quality is plenty good enough for a shooter's needs, and when that point is reached, other concerns like ergonomics and size play a much larger role in what will work better. If YOUR personal image quality standards aren't met by these smaller cameras, then don't use them. No problem. For many of us, they easily meet these standards, and so for me, the weight and size are far more important...to ME......


I think this pretty much sums it up.

At some point the IQ differences become small enough that other factors play a much larger role.

OM-D with 45 1.8 @ f/1.8....
http://brownphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-wBsFPVH/0/XL/i-wBsFPVH-XL.jpg

6D with 100 f/2 @ f/2.2....
http://brownphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-NWHsLRn/0/XL/i-NWHsLRn-XL.jpg



Apr 22, 2013 at 11:02 AM
allstarimaging
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p.12 #9 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


phillip_pj wrote: You would also never carry heavy photo gear on one shoulder - daypacks and belt packs work much better, and you can walk long distances with them.

Yep, daypacks, beltpacks, backpacks, that's how I want to roll and spend my vacation time. Throw in a tripod, some long glass, monopod and a back up body and I'd be fully loaded ready to capture anything and everything that came my way. Sounds like a good time.







Apr 22, 2013 at 11:18 AM
DaveOls
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p.12 #10 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


I hope this guy carrying all the equipment on the last image has a good chiropractor or back surgeon!


Apr 22, 2013 at 12:58 PM
bobbytan
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p.12 #11 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Good one, Mike! The MFT has some nice fast lenses that will blur out the background very nicely. The 75/1.8 does this best IMO although I have not seen what the f0.95 Voigtlander lenses can do. The 75 is every bit as good as the Canon 135L.

michael49 wrote:
I think this pretty much sums it up.

At some point the IQ differences become small enough that other factors play a much larger role.

OM-D with 45 1.8 @ f/1.8....

6D with 100 f/2 @ f/2.2....




Apr 22, 2013 at 01:02 PM
bobbytan
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p.12 #12 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Nice hiking gear!

allstarimaging wrote:
phillip_pj wrote: You would also never carry heavy photo gear on one shoulder - daypacks and belt packs work much better, and you can walk long distances with them.

Yep, daypacks, beltpacks, backpacks, that's how I want to roll and spend my vacation time. Throw in a tripod, some long glass, monopod and a back up body and I'd be fully loaded ready to capture anything and everything that came my way. Sounds like a good time.




Apr 22, 2013 at 01:03 PM
RustyBug
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p.12 #13 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


michael49 wrote:
I think this pretty much sums it up.

At some point the IQ differences become small enough that other factors play a much larger role.

OM-D with 45 1.8 @ f/1.8....
http://brownphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-wBsFPVH/0/XL/i-wBsFPVH-XL.jpg

6D with 100 f/2 @ f/2.2....
http://brownphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-NWHsLRn/0/XL/i-NWHsLRn-XL.jpg


Now this is something that provides at least an attempt to be (real world) objective regarding the performance differences involved. A person can look at this and see the differences. Some will say, "Yup, pretty darn close." Others will say, "See, there's the difference." Individual preferences and expectations will of course vary, but at least it is fairly represented on both sides of the equation.

Presenting something like this and touting the advantages to using the smaller setup for the differences involved is worthy, notable and helpful information. It helps give people a reference for discernment. Just posting up one side of the equation and claiming "blows the doors off" superiority isn't exactly the same.

Imo, most Alt Gear users simply want fair representation so they can do their own assessment, relative to their individual needs and preferences. I've been an advocate of renting gear for a long time, but with the prolific amount of offerings involved, that can be impractical for a lot of members for a variety of reasons. Our postings here with our fellow Alt Gear members have historically been with the intent of helping them. That's part of the hallmark of being an FM member, aspiring to share and help our fellow members. Making a claim of superiority without supporting evidence doesn't do a whole lot for helping our fellow members in that regard.

Michael ... thanks for the comps. They are helpful and interesting to see the diff between the Canon and the OM setups.


Edited on Apr 22, 2013 at 02:52 PM · View previous versions



Apr 22, 2013 at 01:31 PM
RustyBug
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p.12 #14 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Jman13 wrote:
Just because YOUR preferences would put the D800 in your bag all the time doesn't mean everyone has those same preferences.


+1 @ everyone has variable preferences. Heck, many of us have multiple preferences. Preferences are not something that we should judge of one another, we are all fully entitled to our own preferences and opinions. We can all make a valid and persuasive case for our preferences.

There are plenty of times that I choose my lighter camera over my heavier one, but in doing so I know the tradeoffs involved and that is based on my preference at the time for which tool is better suited for the task at hand that I intend to use it for and my desired expectations of performance. Which in my case, my FF is actually lighter (515 grams less) than my crop body.

But, this (imo) is the salient point ... the OP posted a thread that he claimed was about superior performance (objective), and is trying to justify it with his preferences (subjective) when others are trying to objectively challenge his claims of image superiority (clipped on both ends, etc.). Then, he backpedals into "fit for purpose", or claims (without evidence/support to the claim) the D800 would have done the same ... which I question whether the D800 would have clipped both ends simultaneously as the XE-1 did ... particularly noting the beard and the white car (forget the wet fish specularity excuse).



Apr 22, 2013 at 02:00 PM
bobbytan
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p.12 #15 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Have fun on your next vacation with these DLSR rigs.












Apr 22, 2013 at 03:04 PM
SFlights
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p.12 #16 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


I don't see a difference between the two photos...


Apr 22, 2013 at 04:44 PM
carstenw
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p.12 #17 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


One photo is a big-a$$ Sigma, the other one is 4 Canons. See it now?


Apr 22, 2013 at 04:50 PM
bobbytan
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p.12 #18 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


Never mind the difference. More importantly, can these rigs take photos like the Fuji X-E1? Of course not! These rigs will never make it all the way to the summit of Mt Everest ... but the Fuji will easily scale Mt Fuji and conquer Mt Everest and bring those photos home.

carstenw wrote:
One photo is a big-a$$ Sigma, the other one is 4 Canons. See it now?




Apr 22, 2013 at 05:10 PM
carstenw
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p.12 #19 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


You underestimate the power of sherpas!


Apr 22, 2013 at 05:12 PM
bobbytan
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p.12 #20 · My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......


The Sherpas will carry your gear to and from your home in the USA?

carstenw wrote:
You underestimate the power of sherpas!




Apr 22, 2013 at 06:00 PM
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