I'm in full agreement over the merits of mirrorless over DSLR for travel, but there's nothing about shooting raw+jpeg and keeping an eye on the histogram that is incompatible with enjoying photography. Why shoot with an interchangeable lens camera for that matter, don't lens changes interfere with your enjoyment of photography? Seems like kind of an arbitrary line in the sand you're drawing.
theSuede wrote:
Using the word "outperforms" in this manner was bound to upset a lot of people (me included)."
WOW, hats off to the OP for finding such a novel way whether carefully planned, or be it a serendipitous experience that has been able to bring out the fragility of our society. When I first opened the thread I thought he was just using some nice travel shots to show what he felt was some positive attributes afforded to him through the use of his Fuji. Having hiked around some rugged terrain with my only camera which is a D4 today, he had me thinking that his motive was to show some advantages that might be realized with a smaller kit! But, reading my way into 6 pages of whatever this has turned into now makes me question if the OP was merely trying to "upset a lot " of sensitive and fragile individuals who can barely deal with the thought of someone posting that the baby Fuji might for some offer advantages over a big camera like the mighty 800, 5dwhatever, etc. Now I am thinking that if Jack was to mention the D4 in the same light, I might need therapy to calm myself and help me get over the very thought that a tiny and obviously inferior in every way camera to my D4 might at times appeal to him. And this is all without even going into the insensitivity shown with the title of the thread......I must go lie down now. I am just SO upset by all of this
Seriously, can we be any more pretentious or dramatic as we take the original post SO very far from the intent of the OP? Jack, I enjoyed your shots AND can see some real advantages to your choice in equipment for YOUR days in the sun!!
Greg ...Show more →
Tariq Gibran wrote:
Sort of a funny/ defensive post from someone who took the time to post a thread entitled "My Fuji XE-1 outperforms my D800......" in the "Alternative Gear and Lenses" internet forum. Guess you should have been out shooting jpegs instead. Me...I posted most of my responses while editing raws and making prints for a quality conscience client today.
+1. I can't understand why, after posting on a gear forum, the OP is so surprised that there are people interested in discussing the merits of his gear with him.
sebboh wrote:
edit: just looked at the full sized IR images, there are blown highlights with xe-1 and the grey background is way brighter than the d800 shot. very different exposures. not really any conclusions to draw from that. in general i like the xe-1 shot better at 1600px and the d800 shot better at 100%. meh. i'd find the a properly exposed and processed shot much more useful.
+1 @ the exposure variance ... but if that illustrates how the camera meters, then it does have some viability of useful information @ how it performs, hence the tendency to blow highlights (in native modes). Of course, EC would be no biggie to incorporate if it does tend to meter off a tad/tendency to blow highlights.
rxgolf wrote:
Having hiked around some rugged terrain with my only camera which is a D4 today, he had me thinking that his motive was to show some advantages that might be realized with a smaller kit!
+1 ... I like to "romp & stomp" too and a non-FF, non-pack mule, gear approach has merit.
I've just been trying to objectively understand what the tradeoffs involved are if I leave my FF approach behind.
I brought my Canon 6D and OM-D to Guatemala and I did many side by side comparisons and I was amazed by how many times the OM-D image was better. I don't think I'll ever give up shooting FF and I love my 6D but smaller sensor cameras are getting better and better all the time and when I travel my OM-D will likely get the nod over
Nice comparison, but just curious: why are the OMD crops at a higher magnification than the 6d, when it has less megapixels?
Actually I have enjoyed the thread and I think that Jack is taking it way too seriously. I think there has been some good discussion and some valid points made, I would like to see Sebboh's concept taken up. I it is a gear forum after all. I would be curious to see some actual tests, I do not have the 800e or any Nikon, but have Canon.
apsphoto wrote:
Actually I have enjoyed the thread and I think that Jack is taking it way too seriously. I think there has been some good discussion and some valid points made, I would like to see Sebboh's concept taken up. I it is a gear forum after all. I would be curious to see some actual tests, I do not have the 800e or any Nikon, but have Canon.
Alan
Well ... Jack does have both the D800 & the XE-1 and since nobody thought my link to IR's review/testing/comparison shots was valid, maybe Jack can show us how it's really done.
If Roger is lurking around ... I'm pretty sure he has both the D800 and XE-1 as well.
chez wrote:
But Jack, who says people are not enjoying their photography in their quest for technical perfection in their photos . Who are you to judge this? So you like taking snapshots of your drinks and food on your vacation...I could not even be bothered to take my camera out in those situations. Should I tell you to go out and take some real photos rather than wasting time on snapshots? No...because I really don't care how someone else enjoys their photography. Some just like snapping away, others like to calculate everything to perfection...whatever turns everyone's cranks should be just fine. Judging someone looking for perfection in their photography and thinking shooting snapshots of their dinner plate is where it is at is a little silly IMHO....Show more →
allstarimaging wrote:
Tariq, I want to be the first to congratulate you on your promotion to forum sheriff.
I think more than anything else, these kinds of catty responses from you are what keep this thread annoying and alive. If the first time someone had said that the word "outperform" wasn't the right word here, you had simply said "yeah, you are probably right", this thread would have gotten 3 likes and instead of being on the front page, it would be on page 5.
The basic problem is that your message is that you prefer the Fuji for travelling because it is smaller and lighter, which is just a completely obvious message that probably almost everyone here would agree to, including myself. Then you wanted to present some decent but unspectacular travel shots, and used some sensationalism to get yourself more attention than it would have otherwise received, and you are handling the pushback in a humourless way.
Aw, lighten up Jack, no need to get fussed up about it. It's a broad church, and no one attacked you personally I don't think. We are all different and good that you like what you got, we all do too I am sure, very nice images.
You just made a few strident remarks, so people gave their views, because strange as it sounds this site most likely has a lot of lurkers and I just wouldn't want them to think jpegs are the answer when you can shoot both, if you get a special one process it up if you like. For enthusiasts it's part of the craft, they like it you don't.
And the bit about the D800 being a lesser camera than a small Fuji. Lots of people have both these fine cameras, and appreciate both for what they do, whereas you sounded like the big thing was crap, viz: 'Fuji XE-1 significantly outperformed my Nikon D800'
That is all, no need to call us names. It's in the nature of the forum to look for imperfections, and attend to outrageous claims like your thread title, I mean it sounds like you were serious. Believe me, if a regular did this they would get an absolute shellacking! It's the internet lol.
"I get way more keepers with my XE-1 than my D800 ... 'cuz I use it in way more places."
Jack,
I really do appreciate you sharing the images here, and I do get what you're trying to say. But, just because we started asking IQ probing questions is not an indictment of you. The truth of the matter is that while I asked about 1/2 dozen honest, direct and legitimate questions regarding your opinion/experience with the XE-1 ... you chose to ignore every question I asked without offering a direct response to any of them.
I even defended the ability to correct WB @ jpg for those occasions when a camera misses, and defended your "just for fun" pleasure shooting as relaxing, etc. ... yet you still ignored answering any of my efforts to discern additional objectivity regarding the camera you are giving high praise to.
I realize you got grand praise (without question) over in your landscape forum post. I'm guessing that you were expecting a similar response here in the Alt Gear Forum ... but, surprise, surprise ... there are gear heads in the gear forum. I cannot reiterate enough the fact that I appreciate what you brought us, and that I am sincere in what I've tried to ask of you wanting to learn more about the XE-1.
Sadly, from my perspective you ignored my efforts to learn about it (instead crying foul @ how dare anyone get all technical), while others have engaged my questions. The fact that the images are very "real world" is (as I've stated before) valuable information/insight. You are obviously an accomplished photographer and your input/opinion/experience with the XE-1 is pertinent information for those of us who might be looking for an option to being a pack mule with our FF gear. I am certainly one who is interested in such an alternative ... thus the questions and observations, which are not an indictment ... they are just questions and observations.
Sorry, for the angst that this has caused you, but let's face it ... you caught our attention, and now we want to know more about it. What's so wrong with that? Wasn't that your entire point for posting the thread in the first place ... i.e. to make us salivate for the XE-1? I for one, would appreciate if you would resume the dialogue, but realize that the questions and observations that have spawned from your post are natural and normal questions. If this is too much to ask, then I understand ... and again thank you for sharing.
Now, just because I've had questions @ the chopping fish image, I'm not throwing the baby out with the bathwater just yet. I realize that it was a very relaxed shooting environment, so no worries there. I'm not suggesting you should have done anything different, but I'm wondering to what degree the polarizer may have had on what we are seeing in the various images you've presented. Can you speak to that any from your experience with the XE-1 and polarizer combination vs. no polarizer?
Ok..page seven and still going. I'll summarize for one last time where I was going with this post:
Definition of PERFORMANCE
a : the execution of an action
b : something accomplished : deed, feat
c: the fulfillment of a claim, promise, or request : implementation
Where my XE-1 outperforms the D800 for me is in the following ways:
1) JPEGS- That's all I shoot and the jpegs from the XE-1 are as good as any I have seen and require little to no processing. This has been well documented in a number of reviews. To the point where jpegs are so good you don't need to shoot RAW. You can be confident in the output from the camera.
2) Exposure- The XE-1 meters very well and to me meters better than my D800 in many situations.
3) White Balance- The XE-1 delivers consistently good white balance in all types of lighting situations. More consistent than my D800.
4) Ergonomics- The small form factor for the type of shooting I was doing is way better than lugging around a huge camera and backapck. In additon the simple setup of an apeture ring, exposure comp dial, and quick menu on the back of the camera are all easier and faster to work with than the Nikon D800.
5) Color- The color straight frm the camera of the Fuji is better and more consistent to me than my D800.
6) The viewfinder- The Fuji XE-1 is better than the Nikon viewfinder. I can make adjustments to exposure comp and see the immediate result in the viewfinder without taking my eye away from the camera or my subject.
7) Enjoyment- I find shooting the Fuji XE-1 to be more enjoyable than my D800. It so easy to just grab it on the way out the door that I find myself shooting more than I was with my big DSLR gear.
Does the Nikon focus faster, have more resolution, less lag time yes. But if performance is going to be measured by more than speed and resolution than the Fuji does outperform my D800 in many ways.
Jack, you posted wonderful pictures that back up your impressions that XE-1 is a very capable and enjoyable camera. I am sure I am not the only one who would like to see some more.
mirkoc wrote:
Jack, you posted wonderful pictures that back up your impressions that XE-1 is a very capable and enjoyable camera. I am sure I am not the only one who would like to see some more.
+1
chez wrote:
.... So you like taking snapshots of your drinks and food on your vacation...I could not even be bothered to take my camera out in those situations. Should I tell you to go out and take some real photos rather than wasting time on snapshots?.....
Hey, hey. I'm no "foodie" but this photo from my Guatemala trip reminds me of those wonderfully simple breakfasts each morning.........
carstenw wrote: Sure, but would you post it in front of hundreds of people who weren't there and have no warm memories of that place?
Oh wait...
Interesting comment.. so how many people have memories of the HDR interior shots on your 500px site. Are we now only allowed to post images that are approved by the forum police??
Me...I posted most of my responses while editing raws and making prints for a quality conscience client today.
Maybe the D800 was dropped a few times 
. Are we now only allowed to post images that are approved by the forum police??