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I will use whatever gear suits best.

In that evening I saw a photog using a Micro 4/3 and I was impressed he was putting great attempts in such brutal light.

I do wish I did some snaps with my Fuji. It sat in my car as I decided to grab different gear.

I was running around trying different perspectives while many just sat and shot identical shot after shot after shot.......not my thing I wanted to do.

My point of discussion is we just shoot what we shoot. Picking different tools is not a bad thing.

AlanU wrote in post #18685971
Lucas you can criticize and analyze all you want. If you were in that low light environment like that you'd be saying different. It was a very tough situation. I am not a pro in shooting drag cars ...very rusty documenting this sort of thing. Image has been stated that it's not perfect but it did hold up rather well considering 20,000 iso in brutal light conditions.

So if you owned a d850, 5dmk4, A7iii or A9 would you use your Fuji for extremely low light images that you are attempting to have faster shutter speed for action?

As you can see I'm not brand agnostic unlike many loyal users of one brand. I use camera's like tools not solely based on loyalties. Loyalty is strong in many forums. Oddly I meet more folks now that are more open minded in brands for their tools.

Again with this assumption that anyone in here has brand loyalty, that' such a non-argument. I shot with multiple systems for a while before realizing it was basically pointless. I've also made it very clear to you on multiple times that I have no loyalty to Fuji. I've even argued in defense of Sony when you overblew their color issues. If someone else makes a significantly better system for my needs, I'd switch. I'm actually anxiously awaiting what Canon and Nikon bring to the table with their new mirrorless systems, though I sincerely doubt it'd be enough to make me consider going that route, Fuji does everything that I need it to do and does it well.

Don't be defensive, if you post your shots then you're opening yourself up to criticism. I have been in very similar circumstances very often, I didn't blame my tools for how the shots turned out. There's no reason you couldn't have just dropped the SS down for the static shots then ramped it up again when you saw the lights counting down (where are the launch shots btw?).

Here's a shot at a similar ISO value from my X-Pro2 (it was pushed about half a stop in post)... doesn't look much worse to my eyes.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/28CS​zKJ

AlanU wrote in post #18685962
I see someone that has never documented night drag racing Night sports is another tough one which I do not shoot by the way......

I actually should have lowered the shutter speed because I wasn't using primes to get a perfect "launch" image with f/2.8 glass. I wanted versatility so I just stuck with the 70-200. I really wanted fast shutter speeds but I wanted to move around more for different perspectives.

If I was up close with a prime the fuji would work. With my 50-140mm....um noooo way!!

I know exactly how drag races at night are..been to enough. But the issue is you post a photo of static subjects and say you demanded high shutter speeds and need the 5D4. If thats the case then you should have posted cars actually moving in the race. Or did those come out like crap and you dont want to show them? so this photo proves nothing that pretty much any camera could capture.

05Xrunner wrote in post #18685978
I know exactly how drag races at night are..been to enough. But the issue is you post a photo of static subjects and say you demanded high shutter speeds and need the 5D4. If thats the case then you should have posted cars actually moving in the race. Or did those come out like crap and you dont want to show them? so this photo proves nothing that pretty much any camera could capture.

This.

WTF is a professional camera anyway, is it the one I'm using to take the shot? No need to answer that.

I use Fuji professionally and have done for the last few years, haven't experienced any lockups (well one but that was a dodgy 3rd party battery and not the camera). I have read that some others have alright, with the X-T2 and X-H1 but I mostly shoot with X-PRO2's so nothing bad there.

I've found Fuji to be spot on consistent shoot after shoot, there is no way I'd risk ruining a shoot for a client because I thought the camera is not going to preform and the client doesn't care about the camera used anyway, not that they'll ever know what camera unless I bill out something to them. The DR of the camera is clearly up there, within half a stop of a Sony's 135 sensor - that's amazing but still they are all piddly when you plonk down a proper full frame camera and work those images up

I do love all this comparing Fuji with their little sensor to the bigger 135 ones. Says a lot to me but I couldn't watch that vid - I hate those comparisons.

As for shooting cars at night with Fuji I think if you go look at a how a professional photographer manages to get the shots at night that be of benefit to you. You know the kind who uses his Fuji cameras to produce the official imagery for one of the worlds biggest night time races, races that cost millions to run a car in. So I guess Fuji can do the job there or perhaps it's the photographer and he is just risking his contract be shooting with a hobbist camera system... either way the shots look amazing.

I'm [extra] grumpy today as the roof of my office collapsed yesterday & now it's raining and the weekend and I'm having to work at home and the kids are running about. Least my lovely wife just placed some beer down in front of me. No gear damage thankfully as it was all cased up and the roofed missed it somehow. Sigh.

05Xrunner wrote in post #18685958
I see 2 static cars. where was the demand in shutter speed?

I asked him same couple of days ago.

I wasn't trying to start a war within the Fuji thread. I love my Fujis. I've had more fun with them than my Canons.

Technically the Canon 5D series is "technically" a prosumer camera, while the 1D series is the Pro. Just so happens a lot of pros use the 5D series. As Kim said, what determines a "professional" camera?

Better yet.. some of these "entry level" Canon Rebel cameras are packing more tech than "pro" cameras from a few years ago.

Using the exposure dial on your X-PRO2 ( or X100F ) to change ISO like it was on manual...
https://twohotshoes.co​m …osure-dial-on-the-x-pro2/

A few words about how I do that, anyone else do similar?

Two Hot Shoes wrote in post #18685995
WTF is a professional camera anyway, is it the one I'm using to take the shot? No need to answer that.

...

I do love all this comparing Fuji with their little sensor to the bigger 135 ones. Says a lot to me but I couldn't watch that vid - I hate those comparisons.

...

There definitely has been a strange surge in recent weeks with "why I switched to Sony" videos and other BS. I think the claims of "career-ending" Fujifilm lock ups is a red herring for folks who simply feel like they want to have what the Sony marketing machine and their foot soldiers have convinced people is the greatest and best camera for the moment. If you want to switch from Brand X to Sony, go for it! I really don't care why you did it, if it works for you, fantastic. But clicks make money, so there is a backstory that helps to generate income. The whole idea that "professional" photographers had one lock up, or that a friend shooting a wedding had a lock up and they can "no longer trust" the gear they have been shooting with for years is just ridiculous. You don't need a dramatic rationalization story to satisfy your dynamic range envy, just f'ing switch brands and have fun.

Whatever. The marketing emphasis on designating something as a "Professional" camera is laughable. Take a look at the youtube series made by the old Digital Rev crew - Cheap Camera Challenge:

https://www.youtube.co​m …g&list=PL7ECB90​D96DF59DE5

it is about knowing what you want to do and doing it with the tools that you have. Gear reviews sell gear. Sure, we can all appreciate wonderful gear and there are professional situations that demand particular gear requirements, but the amount of bashing and arguing over how many faeries can dance on the head of a pin is getting to the point of absurd.

I switched from Canon to Fujifilm a few months ago after shooting with Canon FFs (5D, II, III, IV) for about 15 years. I did my research, considered Sony briefly and realized that their system has attributes which are appealing, but their overall ecosystem and user experience and customer service are not my cup of tea. To me, the Fujifilm ethos, history and expertise, as well as their reliance on and acceptance of customers helping to refine their offerings is more in line with what I was missing from Canon. The smaller size, less expensive excellent lenses, and all of the commonly praised aspects of their systems is terrific as well.

To each their own. If you feel like changing brands, go for it. You don't need a reason, just do what keeps you engaged and enjoying shooting. Bashing things to make you feel better about switching? If that's how you get clicks, I simply disagree with your business model.

Also, Two Hot Shoes - sorry about your office roof. That sucks.

kirk

nice article.

I have not. I honestly forget about the EC dial most of the time.

Out and about with the family, ISO and shutter speed are typically on auto.

When I'm actually working on a particular shot, especially with strobes, everything is on manual, and usually just changing shutter speed to cut down ambient for a specific look.

If a very minor lockup that happens every blue moon and takes what 2sec to open the battery door eject and put the battery back in for it to be fine is a big deal. Then every pro on the planet shoulda dumped canon over the whole AF issue with the 1D3. Yet I owned the 1D3 3 times in my life shooting canon and to this day it was still one of my favorite bodies ever and never had any AF issues out of the 3 bodies I owned.

05Xrunner wrote in post #18686033
If a very minor lockup that happens every blue moon and takes what 2sec to open the battery door eject and put the battery back in for it to be fine is a big deal. Then every pro on the planet shoulda dumped canon over the whole AF issue with the 1D3. Yet I owned the 1D3 3 times in my life shooting canon and to this day it was still one of my favorite bodies ever and never had any AF issues out of the 3 bodies I owned.

My all-time favorite lens when I shot Canon was my 50L, but there were tons of negativeness towards it due to it's "misfocus" abilities.

Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony, etc. All of them have suffered from some ill-fated camera body or lens issue at one time or another. One of the nice things about Fuji is, some of their mishaps were software related, and fixed with a firmware upgrade.

05Xrunner wrote in post #18686033
If a very minor lockup that happens every blue moon and takes what 2sec to open the battery door eject and put the battery back in for it to be fine is a big deal. Then every pro on the planet shoulda dumped canon over the whole AF issue with the 1D3. Yet I owned the 1D3 3 times in my life shooting canon and to this day it was still one of my favorite bodies ever and never had any AF issues out of the 3 bodies I owned.

Yes, similar to the Fujifilm X camera batteries are crap because they do not last long - really, carry a couple of spares - it's not rocket science.

kirk

Also - I think the increased mirrorless rhetoric from the Sony camp in the past month or two is in anticipation of the upcoming unveiling of the Nikon Z and the Canon whatever they are going to call it FF mirrorless offerings that will directly compete for Sony market share. It appears that the APS-C Fujifilm X line has been whacked with collateral damage from this not so subtle marketing blitz by Sony, if for no other reason than the fact that you cannot completely bash cameras that do not exist yet.

Kirk

Two Hot Shoes wrote in post #18685995
WTF is a professional camera anyway, is it the one I'm using to take the shot? No need to answer that.

I think the answer to that is what do people who consistently work in the field use? Any modern camera can take a good shot given the right conditions. So much so that a $300 camera and an $8,000 look virtually the same under easy conditions.

However the issue at hand, in my mind at least, is a professional is someone who use the camera as a tool regularly. The camera is the means, not the end. Now, if you shoot once a week for 2 hours, you have a different use of the tool than someone who shoots 10 hours every day. In general, those that use the tools more are better with them. Since they are using them more they are subject to more wear and tear. Some hold up better than others. And I would guess Fuji cameras do not hold up as well as more established brands. They haven't in my experience.

For example, I could use a $50 drill from Home Depot for the few times a year I would use it and it would literally perform the exact same as a $400 drill a carpenter uses. But if I tried to use that $50 drill every single day it wouldn't feel great.