I have been a user of Fuji cameras since 2015. I started with a second-hand X-E2 whilst I was still a Nikon user and then after the sale of my Nikons I have also had the X-E3, the X-Pro2, the X-T1, the X-T3, the X100F and the X-T4. Of these, I still have the X-Pro2, the X100F and the X-T4. I just love the feel and the results of Fuji’s camera equipment.
Now I hear that the X-T5 is due for release later this year with a 40-megapixel sensor. My first reaction was, “Ooh, that sounds good”. My Nikon D800 had a 36-megapixel sensor and it was awesome. You had to watch the shutter speeds if you hand-held the camera but the results were excellent. The thought that I could get a similar resolution with an X-T camera made me think about acquiring one.
But then I took a deep breath and let reality settle in. The question that hit me hard was, “Would my photography benefit from such a camera?” Would my pictures suddenly become world-class”? “Would people finally see the photographic genius I truly am?”
The answer of course is no – to all of these questions. As Ansell Adams said:
“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.”
I obviously have not used an X-T5, but would I see a difference in the quality of my images if I had? The answer is almost certainly a no. I would not. I have been putting together an anthology of my colour photographs over the last 10 years for a book and what impressed me was the quality (in terms of photographic quality) of the images from all of the cameras, no matter their “bells and whistles” or lack of, and the fewer megapixels they had.
Indeed one of the best cameras I have used both ergonomically and quality-wise was the 6-megapixel Olympus E1. The only downside to that camera was its restrictive ISO when hand-held with a long lens.
So, I think I have come to terms with the revelation that I do not need the X-T5 or any other camera at the moment. If I have the urge to spend money on photography, then it will be on printing paper and ink. If I want to buy hardware it will be a lens which is by far the more sensible investment. But even that for me is not necessary as I sold three lenses a couple of years ago as I never used them. The lenses I have now, I use and this is the same as the three bodies I own. They are all used regularly. There are none skulking at the back of my shelves trying not to be noticed.
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