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 p.6 #4 · Worth it to Upgrade from Fujifilm X to GFX Series for Landscapes? | |
Peter Figen wrote:
Sometimes asking for opinions like this only confuses the issues, particularly when you get a bunch of people giving you their opinions based on, well, other people's opinions and having scant or zero hands on experience with the cameras in question. There have been multiple times over the last twenty-five or more years when I just had to go on my gut intuition when considering whether to buy certain photographic items that many others considered crazy or stupid or just wtf would you think about that, and there are times when you just have take the plunge and go for it, not knowing 100 percent in advance how it's going to work out for you. And these are often not trivial purchases, but for me, one was the first drum scanner I bought in '98. Big big risk, but one that has paid off in spades and still does to this day. Second was the first large format inkjet printer shortly after the scanner. Again, why the hell did I need one? Turns out I really didn't know until I had it. I suppose another related item would be the Gretag Spectrolino I purchased just after the first drum scanner. Almost no photographers were using those back then and not only did it let me make great profiles, it also afforded a competitive advantage. And then, about two years ago, I was in the same position as Andy, the OP here, not really knowing exactly how the idea of buying this relatively new medium format digital camera would fit into my photographic styles and needs, so I dipped in with a single body and a couple of GF lenses, then added a few more lenses, Fringer adapters and more lenses, more adapters and even more lenses, and damn if the whole thing didn't start falling into place and I cannot imagine going back to the Canon files I previously thought were so great but now were painfully not by comparison.
The latest "chance" I took was in buying the Gibson J200 previously owned by John Prine. A rare opportunity that had to be acted on rather quickly and not something I was able to see in person before buying, and I have no idea yet how it's going to figure into my style of playing or if it's going to be a good investment or ever pay back the ten grand I spent (and yeah, I'm about to pay my use tax on it) but sometimes you just take a chance and go for it.
Another thing to consider is Andy's personal history. Read his personal life altering story on his web site. When you go through something like he has it often makes you realize that we don't necessarily have all the time in the world left and that at any time something can come can take it all away from you which is another powerful reason to do it now and enjoy it sooner....Show more →
Two thoughts on the just take a chance and go for it notion.
1. Yes. But also no. I have also taken chances on things and ended up finding something extremely positive. On the other hand, I've taken chances on things and had the opposite happen. So, I suppose that from the life advice perspective it is fine and sometimes even good to just take a chance. Hell, I've given that advice to my own kids more than once. But I've also advised them against it. You see, even the question of whether to "just go for it" is contextual.
2. I'm not against giving life advice here, and sometimes that is actually what is needed more than another dissertation on DR or color or diffraction blur and all the rest. But let's keep in mind that the original post didn't ask for that. The summary line of the request was: "In summary, is the GFX experience worth it for landscape work, despite the extra money invested and weight carried in the kit?" In addition, it was framed as a comparison to the OP's experience with a smaller format system.
So, there are two categories of response that a person might find valuable. One is the anecdotal from those who believe that — in this case — it was worth it for whatever reasons and from those who have considered it and decided against it. Some think it is worth it, and some think it isn't. Not sure how helpful that is, though it does provide a chance to talk it out.
The second category consists of attempts to parse out the actual differences and then help the person figure out what kind of profile they fit. There's quite a bit of experience with that around here, too. Note that this ends up being advice focused on helping the person think through the issues. There's no objectively right or wrong answer, I suppose, but at least it may help a person get "un-stuck."
I know that some folks don't like longer, nuanced answers that might try to balance sometimes competing imperatives. They would rather just hear "the right answer" or the answer they were hoping to hear. It isn't always that simple.
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