As part of the simplification of my photography gear, I decided to try a little something unorthodox – I sold all my newer gear in favor of an older camera and lenses. It’s not the oldest gear I’ve used (I used to have some film cameras and lenses) but it’s definitely outdated in 2020. Especially for digital photography.
I already wrote about my purchase of a Fujifilm X-T1 and 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, but I’ve also since purchased the 18mm f/2 and the 35mm f/1.4, both of which are lenses I’ve previously owned and sold (I think I’ve had three copies of each now). These three lenses are Fujifilm’s original X series lineup.
Why the return to “old” tech? Simplification, creative spark, learning to enjoy the process more, and a desire to rely more on my vision than my megapixels come to mind. I can honestly say that the OG X-T1 is my favorite camera I’ve ever owned. Fujifilm really nailed it and while subsequent models have seen improvements to the already amazing tech in the camera, they’ve also seen a significant increase in size and weight.
Some may not mind, but for me, it’s a definite deal breaker, a fact I learned the hard way when I “upgraded” last year. So, instead of looking forward to the latest and greatest, I started looking backward to the gear that served me well in the past. Truth be told, I used the X-T1, 18mm f/2 and 35mm f/1.4 professionally for four years. It was plenty good enough in 2015 when I was getting paid to shoot and it’s plenty good enough in 2020 when I’m not.
I’ll be sharing more on each of these lenses in the future, including why I think the 60mm f/2.8 macro gets a bad wrap and why the 18mm f/2 is so underrated. Stay tuned.
Lea & Lens 