Considering switching back to Canon from Fuji

I've been using the Fuji X-T1 now for a year. There are some things I love and some things I don't, but it's the things I miss from the 5Dc that don't seem to exist currently on the Fuji system that bug me the most.

I'm going to list my main pros and cons for each system, mostly just thinking as I write, for my own sake. Maybe this chimes with someone else?

Canon 5Dc w/fast 50mm
Pros (the things I really miss while being on Fuji)
1) Full frame DOF
2) Sheer number of good quality affordable compatible lenses
3) Fuji colours are nice, but the Canon colours have a different more pleasing quality to them.
4) So easy on Canon to pick a focus point, as quick as a flick of the joystick - about 3 button presses on the Fuji
Cons (why I jumped ship in the first place)
1) Viewfinders do not remotely help when trying to use manual wide aperture lenses
2) An end to mis-focusing shots - the on sensor detection ensure focus before releasing shutter
3) Lack of 'toys' - those things you get from an EVF, the levelling display, the auto rotate, the camera app... all of which I've never used!

Fuji X-T1 w/35/1.4
Pros (the things I enjoy that I couldn't do with the 5Dc)
1) Less obtrusive, smaller size, electronic shutter etc
2) ISO noise much lower at equivalent ISO and colours coupled with Photo Ninja are pleasing and easy to manipulate.
3) More pixels (that was pretty much a given, whatever I replaced the 5Dc with)
Cons (the regrets)
1) Major headache getting used to PhotoNinja. Never have used Lightroom, but was a diehard DPP user. Naturally, lost that.
2) Battery life is abysmal.
3) Cannot use DXO Optics Pro - I've never used it, but saw a demonstration at a trade show and was blown away.
4) The control layout is no longer unfamiliar on Fuji - but it is definitely not as quick to drive as the Canon.
5) While the body is smaller and lighter, it means my hands are cramped around it and find it uncomfortable. The hand grip is GBP 100, which is frankly ridiculous for some mass-produced machined aluminium.
6) I've stuck with two of the smaller lenses, but the latest beast being released by Fuji are no different in size and weight to Canon's FF offerings.

If I switched back, I'd be selling off the X-T1 with a 35/1.4 and a 60/2.4 macro.

I'd be looking for a used 5D2 or 6D, with probably a 50/1.2 if money stretched. Saying that, I got on very well with the 50/1.8, some of my best shots ever with the 5Dc and 50/1.8 combo. I have a pile of SD cards now, which is frustrating for me to have to change back to CF.

Anybody else been through this thought process?

I have not been through the same thought process but I have looked carefully at the 6D as a second (landscape and general use body) to compliment my 1DX.
Whist the specifications of the 6D are fairly basic these days it does combine a very nice sensor with a light and affordable body. Much as I liked my 5D (original version) the 6D is in a different league in most respects. The sensor resolves much more, I am not talking about the higher MP, it drags out much more detail with good lenses - perhaps somewhat more than you would expect from 8MP more than your 5D. The ISO performance is in a different league, only bettered by the 1DX in the Canon range - and then not by that much! For manual lenses you may have to resort to Live View (5D didn't have it) but with it you can get exactly the focus you want.

You should have a play with one first as no camera exactly fits anyone's need, but I think you will be impressed. I don't know what type of images/subjects you are after but I would suggest you have a look at the Canon 16-35 F4 L IS and Canon 24-70 F2.8 L 2. The 24-70 is just the Dog's dangly bits for a single lens for general photography, I hear the F4 version is pretty good too.

Just my thoughts.

I voted "stick with the Fuji", because I personally think the pros outweigh the cons (and you're going to get a biased opinion from most users on this forum, it's still predominantly Canon user based), but I would actually recommend looking into a Sony a7 of some variety. Yes, they cost a bit more, but you can use all the Canon FF lenses you mentioned as well as just about any other lens you can imagine.

Buy a 6D & 50 STM. Done. And in no way expensive. I've found the AF on the new STM quick, accurate & consistent. As you noted, there's plenty of good quality reasonably priced EF mount lenses out there. I've toyed with going Fuji or Pentax, probably moreso Pentax, but the overall Canon system keeps me hooked.

speedync wrote in post #17697881
Buy a 6D & 50 STM. Done. And in no way expensive. I've found the AF on the new STM quick, accurate & consistent. As you noted, there's plenty of good quality reasonably priced EF mount lenses out there. I've toyed with going Fuji or Pentax, probably moreso Pentax, but the overall Canon system keeps me hooked.

It's interesting which threads people lurk in - this thread has seen almost exclusively pro-Canon comments and I posted the same message in the Fuji section - which has seen more 'different tools for different jobs' answers.

I am very much leaning toward the 6D and 50/STM - I do miss the ease of getting to the controls of the Canon bodies. The only worry with the 6D is that it doesn't have the rear joystick, but I suppose I can cycle through the points using the back button and scroll wheel.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17697562
I voted "stick with the Fuji", because I personally think the pros outweigh the cons (and you're going to get a biased opinion from most users on this forum, it's still predominantly Canon user based), but I would actually recommend looking into a Sony a7 of some variety. Yes, they cost a bit more, but you can use all the Canon FF lenses you mentioned as well as just about any other lens you can imagine.

Hi thanks for the reply - I think for me the choice is now 1) go back to what I had, or 2) spend more time with the Fuji. The risk that the Sony is just another Fuji to me is too much risk.

I know the MILCs have come a long way, but I've used a Sony A7 in a shop, and the speed of operation and access to certain core settings are generally buried in the menus or require several pushes of a Q button to set up.

johnf3f wrote in post #17697320
I have not been through the same thought process but I have looked carefully at the 6D as a second (landscape and general use body) to compliment my 1DX.
Whist the specifications of the 6D are fairly basic these days it does combine a very nice sensor with a light and affordable body. Much as I liked my 5D (original version) the 6D is in a different league in most respects. The sensor resolves much more, I am not talking about the higher MP, it drags out much more detail with good lenses - perhaps somewhat more than you would expect from 8MP more than your 5D. The ISO performance is in a different league, only bettered by the 1DX in the Canon range - and then not by that much! For manual lenses you may have to resort to Live View (5D didn't have it) but with it you can get exactly the focus you want.

You should have a play with one first as no camera exactly fits anyone's need, but I think you will be impressed. I don't know what type of images/subjects you are after but I would suggest you have a look at the Canon 16-35 F4 L IS and Canon 24-70 F2.8 L 2. The 24-70 is just the Dog's dangly bits for a single lens for general photography, I hear the F4 version is pretty good too.

Just my thoughts.

I did love the 5D - its simplicity and the colours when paired with good glass just make it a joy to use. I miss that about the Canon system too - all your core settings such as compensation are accessible with your thumb and scroll wheel fingers - on the fuji you have to lift your hand away and rotate dials, or worse, the AF point selection is painful.

I'm not going near third party lenses or manual lenses this time (with the exception of the TSE range). I'm 29, but my eyes just can't do it. Besides, I like to see the scene, fire and move on.

I hate doing it, but I might have to go into a shop to get a demo, or maybe even hire it for a couple of days. A friend has one, but is currently in East Asia.

UKmitch86 wrote in post #17697921
Hi thanks for the reply - I think for me the choice is now 1) go back to what I had, or 2) spend more time with the Fuji. The risk that the Sony is just another Fuji to me is too much risk.

I know the MILCs have come a long way, but I've used a Sony A7 in a shop, and the speed of operation and access to certain core settings are generally buried in the menus or require several pushes of a Q button to set up.

You can reprogram almost every button on the back of the camera to whatever you want it to be. You can also reprogram the Q menu to show whatever menu items you may find to be useful. Once you set up the body how you like it they are incredibly fast and intuitive.

I'm no brand loyalist, I went from Canon to Fuji to Sony, there were things I liked about each one, but now that I'm with Sony I really don't see any need to go back anywhere else.

speedync wrote in post #17697881
Buy a 6D & 50 STM. Done. And in no way expensive. I've found the AF on the new STM quick, accurate & consistent.

How does it compare to the 50/1.4? I really like mine but the AF doesn't seem that quick.

mike_d wrote in post #17698578
How does it compare to the 50/1.4? I really like mine but the AF doesn't seem that quick.

Put it this way. I don't notice any difference between it and my EF 28 IS USM. There may well be a difference, but I just haven't noticed it. So it can't be that much

Stick with Fuji. I don't own the X-T1 but Ive shot with it and its a great camera IMO, you must like it too. The 35 f/1.4 is an excellent lens and its $400 while the Canon 50 f/1.2 you are thinking of is $1400. The Canon is a slightly better lens but nowhere near $1,000 better. Fuji also has the excellent Fuji 56 f/1.2 for $900 while the Canon counterpart (85 f/1.2) is twice as expensive! Again, the Canon 85 is slightly better but nowhere near double the price difference. You could own two excellent primes for the price of the Canon 85 f/1.2 alone. This is part of the reason I moved over to Panasonic and the m43 system from Canon and sold all my gear. I was able to get the entire Olympus set of f/1.8 primes (17, 25, 45 and 75) for LESS than the Canon 85 f/1.2 Not to mention that once my images have been resized and compressed for the web work I do, I notice zero difference between my Olympus 75 f/1.8 or my Panasonic Leica 25 f/1.4 and any Canon L glass Ive ever shot. I mean, if we were talking 36x48 prints and you were standing a foot away pixel peeping then yes, of course the Canon FF camera and lenses would be noticeable, but is that what you are doing?

dexter75 wrote in post #17698746
Stick with Fuji. I don't own the X-T1 but Ive shot with it and its a great camera IMO, you must like it too. The 35 f/1.4 is an excellent lens and its $400 while the Canon 50 f/1.2 you are thinking of is $1400. The Canon is a slightly better lens but nowhere near $1,000 better. Fuji also has the excellent Fuji 56 f/1.2 for $900 while the Canon counterpart (85 f/1.2) is twice as expensive! Again, the Canon 85 is slightly better but nowhere near double the price difference. You could own two excellent primes for the price of the Canon 85 f/1.2 alone. This is part of the reason I moved over to Panasonic and the m43 system from Canon and sold all my gear. I was able to get the entire Olympus set of f/1.8 primes (17, 25, 45 and 75) for LESS than the Canon 85 f/1.2 Not to mention that once my images have been resized and compressed for the web work I do, I notice zero difference between my Olympus 75 f/1.8 or my Panasonic Leica 25 f/1.4 and any Canon L glass Ive ever shot. I mean, if we were talking 36x48 prints and you were standing a foot away pixel peeping then yes, of course the Canon FF camera and lenses would be noticeable, but is that what you are doing?

It's good, but doesn't give me the same feeling of confidence when I need to quickly change aperture, ISO, shutter or exposure compensation.

The thing is, the lenses are fantastic, but I'm not getting the best from them if I can't feel comfortable with the body.

The other undeniable aspect to all this is that going to smaller and smaller sensors reduces the effective aperture - now, I'm not a bokeh whore, but I like to have the option - the 35/1.4 is in reality a 52.5/2.1, and worse, the longer 90/2 is really 135/3. Obvisouly, the 2.8 zooms and f/4 zooms are significantly poorer in this regard. With the 4/3rds sensors, I don't know how much smaller they are but this will compound the issue.

I do print, quite a lot, but generally no larger than 12" on the longest side - the difference in diffuse backgrounds is definitely noticeable however at most sizes, but granted yes, maybe not overall image quality.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #17697998
You can reprogram almost every button on the back of the camera to whatever you want it to be. You can also reprogram the Q menu to show whatever menu items you may find to be useful. Once you set up the body how you like it they are incredibly fast and intuitive.

I'm no brand loyalist, I went from Canon to Fuji to Sony, there were things I liked about each one, but now that I'm with Sony I really don't see any need to go back anywhere else.

Sure, you can reprogram. I think I'm realising that I'd simply been with Canon for a long time and the positions and markings have become second nature. It wasn't about learning something else, it was about unlearning the Canon, then relearning.

As an aside, there are subtle ergonomic differences with the modern DSLR style - one noticeable thing for me is the fact you have to contort your right hand on the fuji, whereas the Canon allows you to retain a grip, while only using thumb and forefinger to change virtually all the settings you need to. The scroll wheels on the fuji are accessible, but my hands certainly feel like they're not as conveniently placed as on the Canon.

Don't get me started on the D-pad on the Fuji.

The number of AF points on the 6d makes having a joystick useless, it is much better to focus recompose as the outer points are not cross type.

For the sort of money you are talking for a 6d and the 50 1.2 you could get a used 5d mark 3 and the sigma art 50 with money left over.

jimeuph1 wrote in post #17699154
The number of AF points on the 6d makes having a joystick useless, it is much better to focus recompose as the outer points are not cross type.

For the sort of money you are talking for a 6d and the 50 1.2 you could get a used 5d mark 3 and the sigma art 50 with money left over.

I like focus recompose most of the time, but you can't always get away with it when the dof is shallow.

I think I'm going to get a used 6D, a new 50/STM and a used 135/2. I might have to throw in ~£200 extra.

I wish there was someone who wanted to swap the opposite way! This forum has a high number of US users and fewer Brits.