The best Fujifilm camera on the market

I switched from my Canon dSLR to the Fujifilm X-Pro1 back in February 2014. That switch came just as I was about to sell my 60D and fast zooms for a 5D Mark II and primes. The X-Pro1 was being talked about by the pros I followed but I just wasn’t sure if I would want it or the 5D. Only a few days after the X-Pro1 arrived I knew I made the right decision.

But this post isn’t about the X-Pro1. Although it was replaced with the X-Pro2, the X-Pro1 is still a solid camera and hasn’t been replaced in my bag.

But the X70. Oh my. Now this camera is epic.

I have had the camera for about 2 months now and have carried is almost everyday since it arrived. I can’t say that any other camera has had that staying power. Of course new cameras come with excitement, but the excitement has endured.

I was shooting the X-Pro 1 with both the 18mm f2 lens and the 35mm f1.4 lens. I love them both for very different reasons but I hate switching lenses in the field. It is dusty here in New Mexico. And with the introduction of the X70 they basically gave me a faster focusing, pocket-able, wifi X-Pro1/18mm combo. Plus it features the beautiful Classic Chrome film simulation!

At the end of October I took both of my cameras with me on a week long elk hunt in northern New Mexico and I took 350+ photos with my X70 and only 1 photo with my X-Pro1. That single frame was more of an after thought. It was on the last day and I felt bad I hadn’t used it yet. On that trip I hiked miles with it in my jacket pocket which meant I could pull it out in an instant and get shots like this:

When I first got the camera the size felt too small in my hands. I wouldn’t say I have big hands, but I am no Trump. I forced myself to use it for a week. I left the X-Pro1 at home and always had the X70 near me. After a week it felt comfortable and the button layout became second nature. Besides the size I also love the touch screen, the ISO adjustment with the focus dial, and of course the quality.

The one big thing I do NOT like is the time it takes to charge the battery with the USB cord. That being said I can charge it as I drive my truck so with that and my second battery I have never been without. I would’ve liked it if Fujifilm included a plug in battery charger for my desk. That way I could charge them as I charge my other batteries before a trip. A second thing is that I wish the X70 was waterproof. I don’t shoot in bad weather much, but if I did this thing would be dead by now.

Now the X-Pro2 is amazing. I used a friends for a few minutes and loved it. The medium format stuff that Fujifilm is coming out with soon is even more jaw dropping. All that said, I still think the X70 is the best if not the most underappreciated Fujifilm camera on the market right now.