Fuji Love

I've always loved solid camera bodies, opting for metal over plastic.  But I've paid the price from the wallet and my neck.  On the plus side, every one of my Nikon SLRs has been super reliable and fun to use.  

I currently have a Nikon D800 and love it.  It produces what I feel is near "medium format" quality pictures.   But here is my single biggest issue with the D800 -- Combine a Nikon metal tank of a body with a Nikon metal pro lens and you are easily over 4 lbs.  I normally shoot with a vertical grip with extra batteries, pushing it to over 5 lbs!  After full day of shooting or touring, I come home with neck and back pain and I'm tired.  Because of this, the Nikon stayed at home when I would have preferred taking it wine tasting, touring down town, or on some other small outing.  I have my iPhone so it lulled me into feeling safe because I had a camera.  (No, I'm not camera obsessive but I have Photography in my blood wanting to work).  This article is about my XT-1.  (I've since upgraded to the XT-2 and wow!  I'll write about that later.)

Nikon, My First Camera Love

Film

I drive Nikon camera bodies; I love the look, and the results.  I've been a Nikon driver since my first SLR 30+ years ago when I received a Nikon EM for Christmas with an E series lens.  I used the camera all through college and figured out how to force it to complete specific assignments in a college photography course where a manual camera would have been much better.  I don't remember how the camera ended it's life.  I think it died of natural causes and when I checked the used market it was worthless.  The E series lens was worth even less.