Why I Switched from Canon to Fuji for Client Photography: My Journey and Experience

[@WesKriesel]

Have you ever had a camera completely change your brand loyalty? Tell me about it

[@lillyknight525]

Similar story to you really. I started with Canon from the M-series (M100, M50, M6ii) then moved to full frame (RP, R, R6). I always had my eye on Fujifilm (love the colours, size, weight and range of lenses compared to the RF mount), but I was put off by the tracking autofocus compared to Canon's, and I was a bit concerned about low light performance and the whole full frame vs aps-c debate. Then last summer I purchased an X-T30 II with a couple of f2 primes just to see if I liked it, and I absolutely loved it. I knew right away that Fujifilm was the way to go. So as soon as the X-T5 was announced, I sold all my Canon gear and fully committed to Fujifilm. There are still things I'm learning and I still find a few quirks here and there that were not an issue with Canon, but I still love it nevertheless. It gave me a new found enthusiasm for photography, particularly for my own personal work and casual photography. The best part about Fujifilm is that they're innovating and evolving so quickly, that it's only going to get better!

[@WesKriesel]

I love it! There's a part 2 video idea - i live what Fuji is doing with tech, and even social media presence. Including the noticeable intent of having diversity in their ambassadors.

[@ZombieRofl]

I would love to switch from Canon, but I heavily invested into the system, so it's almost impossible to switch.

[@SummersSnaps]

Yeh this really hit home for me. Early this year I had a job and the XT4 (for the first time) really let me down. I decided I was at a cross roads. I didn't want to leave Fuji but I needed to feel like going into 2023 with confidence in my cameras features. I visited Fujifilm's House of Photography in Sydney and stayed and tested the camera for over an hour, extensively playing with it and ensuring the things that were annoying or not working right with the XT4 were rectified on the XH2S (f/w 3.00). Suffice to say I now have an XH2S and am loving it.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! It's so important to get hands on experience to help make decisions like this!

[@JustinhoPaolo]

Hi just curious what let you down with the xt4. I’m an xt4 user myself.

[@kullumphoto]

I had switched from Canon to fujifilm. It was for personal preference. I do not hate canon. I had sold my r5 and r6 to the x-h2s and the 50sii and have no regrets! Hard to ignore fujifilm colors!

[@WesKriesel]

I agree! Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@craigcarlson4022]

I love it - "I'm impulsive, I'm experimental, ...I make decisions by intuition." Straight up honest. Thank you. Problem is, after owning them several times and selling those Fuji's off, my gut still keeps drawing me back to them. I also have two Canon mirrorless bodies, one of which is at KEH awaiting their price offer, and a bundle of Canon lenses that has kept me with the brand. I may pick up a older used Fuji just to be able to play around with the film sims, etc. Glad I stumbled upon your channel.

[@WesKriesel]

Fuji cameras have something about them... Something magical?

[@craigcarlson4022]

@@WesKriesel Agree. Even with their wacko menu system, i still find myself coming back to them again and again.

[@parmanduke]

I have the X H2S and agree with your assessment 100%. There is a WOW!!! factor one gets from Fuji images. I have an R6 which hardly gets any use and will likely be sold soon.

[@WesKriesel]

I am the same! Given a Canon setup and a Fuji, I'll hardly pick up the Canon.

[@TheVFXbyArt]

I shoot both canon and fuji. Canons shoot an objective image where the magic happens in post. Fuji shoots a subjective image.

[@TheVFXbyArt]

0:44 See the blown highlights on canon shoot of the wedding veil? On the fujis, you can use the DR 400 mode to give you 3-5 stops of highlight detail rolloff.

[@WesKriesel]

Good eye and good point. That particular sample was actually from my old Canon T5i.

[@Vlay76]

I will choose Fuji for the very same reason as you did!

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment.

[@Apaolino21]

Well said! Totally understand where you’re coming from.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@alexmaccape8411]

I switched from Fuji to Canon. Events, weddings and all paid gigs -> I use R6mkII and RF 24-105/2.8L. That’s it. One body, one lens, super quality results.

[@artoriaslee]

your kind words have brightened my day. we need more positivity in this world!

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@Las_cacas]

Near perfect camera, i love it too... almost sold it, decided to keep it, glad i did... wish the ISO button could be remapped, thats the only down fall, but no big deal. It's replaced my sony cameras that now sit on the shelf....

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@daveb6711]

I started with Canon back in the day before buying the Sony a7 and Fuji X-E2 at the same time back in 2013 to try out mirrorless. I loved the Fuji but AF was unusable so it was returned. I've basically owned most of the Sony a7 variants since then including the a7IV which is by far everything you could ever want from a camera. Last winter I found a Fuji X-T2 on Craigslist for $200 and basically fell in love. Fast forward to today and I own a X-T5, X-T3, and X-E3 and love all of them. The only reason my Sony gear still exists is that the AF definitely yields better results and ultra wide angle lenses for astrophotography are much better, but really it sits in a case 90% of the time.

[@WesKriesel]

So glad Fuji has come so far especially out with usable AF! Sounds like you’re a true Fuji fan!

[@johnpeterka8355]

Wes, thank you for your video! We have used Fujifilm X-T1s, X-T2s, X-T3s, and X-T4s. The sales people in Cleveland, Ohio referred to our X-T1 as a poor man's Leica. Like you, we liked the cameras and colors straight out of camera. We discovered early on that not all Fujifilm lenses provide the best images. Actually, shooting in manual with adapters provides options galore. We were looking forward to the X-T5 until it arrived and I tried it at our local store. The ergonomics was like a Sony brick and there is no battery grip. I loved the Fujifilm battery grips because they made portrait shots so easy (and I had room for my fingers). The GFX series is more than we need for weddings and other genres we shoot. We have tried the Leica SL2, Panasonic S1, Canon R5, Canon R3, Nikon Z7, and the Sony A7R V. We really liked the colors out of the Leica, but the auto focus hunts too much. The Panasonic colors were good, but I wished the camera had better autofocus. The Nikon Z7 was nice, but it had terrible low-light performance and auto focus. I would have to purchase a grip for the A7R V and hope my fingers could fit between the grip and lens. The Canon R5 with the color fidelity from Colin Walker worked very well (until I created and used my own profile) and the resolution was very good. Unfortunately, I got impatient and traded it in on an R3 because the R5 firmware took so long to be released. I love everything about the Canon R3 except I would have preferred a higher megapixel sensor, especially in those rare situations where we need to crop a photo. It is a low-light beast. We are awaiting the Nikon Z8 announcement for Wednesday morning. If the Z8 is a "baby Z9" with better low-light performance and equal or better auto focus, we trade in our Fujifilm and Canon gear for the Nikon ecosystem. Otherwise, we will sell our X-T4 gear and purchase either an R5 or R6 Mark II. Like you, we love the Canon menu system.

[@WesKriesel]

Sorry I missed this comment earlier. Lots of great choices out there!

[@amermeleitor]

And which was the decision? Did you purchase the Z8? I'm thinking about a change too

[@johnpeterka8355]

@@amermeleitor We went with the Nikon Z9 and a Z7 II, rather than the Z8 because my wife wanted the lighter camera without sacrificing the image quality. She loved the Fujifilm ecosystem and the Canon menu system. However, the Canon lenses were too heavy for her. The last wedding we shot, she did not take as many photos because of the weight. She said her neck hurt for three days after the wedding. With her Z7 II, she uses her lighter primes - 35 f/1.8 S, 50 f/1.8 S, and 85 f1/8 S. I preferred the Z9 over the Z8 because of the body, dual CF Express cards, and GPS, not to mention that it feels like it is much better built. Like the Canon R5 coupled with a battery grip being bulkier and heavier than the R3, the same can be said about the Z8 and Z9. I like the feel of the Z9. I know that as soon as Canon releases its R1 that I will want it badly. However, the more I use the Nikon Z9 the more it grows on me. I still prefer the Canon menu system. I must admit that I had more passion shooting with the Fujifilm X-T1s through X-T4s. My favorite zoom was the 50-140 f/2.8. However, I purchased and sold most of their other lenses. I even adapted a few lenses that worked extremely well with focus peaking. When Fujifilm released its X-T5, I was very disappointed because the camera was too small for my hands and a battery grip was not available. I never gave the H2 or H2S serious consideration. If the X-T5 would have had the body size of the H2/H2S and the weight of the X-T4, there is no doubt my wife would have preferred to stay with Fujifilm. For the moment, we are in the same camera ecosystem. Good luck to you!

[@amermeleitor]

@@johnpeterka8355 thanks a lot for the reply! I only can afford one system and at low prices. Nikon have not good enough cameras in the entry level range, mostly in video / photo hybrid work. So I'm thinking about selling my Nikon stuff and to buy Canon or Fuji.

[@johnpeterka8355]

@@amermeleitor If you are okay with smaller bodies or ones that can be mounted in a cage, you might want to look at the Sony's. You might be able to pick up a real deal on a Sony A7 III. According to DXOMark, there is a lot of very good Sony glass or glass that can be adapted. Canon can be more expensive that Nikon. I would examine the current glass I have to see if it could be used on whatever camera you select. The glass is what makes the ecosystem expensive. Lastly, you might check into used gear sold by Adorama, MPB, KEH, Lens Rentals. or even photographers like Manny Ortiz. Good luck!

[@scotthullinger4684]

You switched to FUJI ... from ANY other brand ... because you're intelligent and insightful -

[@JDGothard]

My first rangefinder and slrs were Fuji, so I have a softspot in my memories for Fuji as a brand. I may have to rent a body and lenses to try the newest iterations and play around. Your review describing the excellent auto focus really piqued my interest! The kind of shooting I do most also requires that. Thanks and hope all is well!!

[@WesKriesel]

Hey Jeff! I highly recommend trying the new Fuji's if you haven't. Budget optio: X-S10 and pricier X-H2s are my go-to cameras.

[@JonathanRobinson11]

Nice video. Trying to decide between the X-H2 and X-H2s. Is the autofocus that much better on the x-h2s? Do you use the x-h2 for specific situations? I do mainly landscape and portrait work but also some events. Thank you.

[@WesKriesel]

Thanks for watching and for the comment. When the X-H2 came out, I had problems with it being reliable and returned it. The X-H2s was way better, however, over the series of firmware upgrades that Fuji put out, the AF got noticeably worse. I actually switched over to the Sony FX30 in the last month for hybrid shooting. However, that's not probably a good event photography camera. It's part of a cinema camera line from Sony but can still take stills, so it could work for portraits and landscape. I prefer the Fuji colors, but am working on presets to fine tune the Sony raw images to look more like the Fuji look I prefer.

[@angiemyhre.photography]

Man such a good video, I am so torn between the cannon R6 mark ii, and this fuji. I’m gonna be doing family portraits outside, some weddings, and some video but not a lot, and travel with it. Basically my everything camera. Oh and low-light capability is a must for the weddings

[@WesKriesel]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I love shooting Fuji. Canon's menu system is simpler, but on everything else, I prefer Fuji.

[@arifkizilay]

hi Wes, I wonder if fuji will come up with a new medium format camera soon? I will be looking forward to that.

[@WesKriesel]

Interesting- I bet they have a new development coming

[@amermeleitor]

Just imagine a new GFX with the new processor and AF from the XH2S...

[@gregorylacomble7091]

I’m on fuji since the beginning of my photography journey, first with the X100T. Now I’m going pro (I a documentary style alla Kevin Mullins, that’s the stuff I love doing) and I thought about switching to another brand or not. I made the decision to stick with Fuji for the reasons you mention, and for the love of Fuji, that sort of magic touch and the way you want to take the camera and shoot. Two XT-5’s for me as I love their look, the dials, the form factor, and its autofocus is good enough for me 👍😃 my favorite pair is 18mm 1.4 on one and 33mm 1.4 on the other, a documentary photographer l’a dream and so light set up easily hold with a peak design leash and a peak design capture clip at bell 😊

[@georgestiros4392]

HATED THE R 5. Traded it for the Sony A7R4. Love the camera as I owned the A7R previously. Now I need to sell the Lumix S1R and I am thinking of getting the Fuji Film XH2S. What do yo think . and which lens should I get?

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I liked the R5 so I didn't feel as strongly as you. Why are you moving away from the Lumix? What are you looking for specifically?

[@georgestiros4392]

I find it a bit too heavy, Sometimes the focusing could be a bit slow. But I must say, i love the image quality. I am going to Band H to test the feel of the Fuji Film Thank you

[@georgestiros4392]

maybe get the the S5ii X that is coming out in May

[@DineshBhadwal]

What about the sensor size? For portraiture, full frame has been the staple.

[@WesKriesel]

You’re not wrong. Just sharing my preference, and my focus is event photography, not portraits.

[@Bradum]

I'm confused. I had the X-T4, and now have the X-H2s (for a bit had them both at the same time).... There is a lot to like about the X-H2s over the X-T4, but they're both 26MP X-trans sensors. The AF is better, they've added subject tracking, the IBIS is better, but the resolution and general image quality is the same. (and then I watched 10 seconds longer any you say it was possibly the lenses. better start watching the whole video before commenting.)

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@oregonduc]

I went from Canon t2i > Canon M > Panasonic G5 > Sony 3N > Canon M50 > Fuji XS10 > Fuji XH2S. When I was in Africa I had my t2i in 2012 and it was too slow for wildlife so fast forward when XH2S launched I bought it so I could have better hit rate for fast moving objects. Plus video doesn’t have the rolling shutter issue due to stack sensor.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@LyndonPatrickSmith]

The 16-55 & 55-140 2.8 zooms don’t balance well with the X-T4 anyways, so your decision was probably sound even though you didn’t try those lenses on the T4. Re: the person asking about low light with Fuji. It’s personal, but I only add noise reduction on Fuji files at iso 4000 and up. The 2.8 zooms are great, but for low light you really need one or 2 of the new high-end Fuji primes (18 and 56 for example). Personally I’d go 18 1.4 and the new Viltrox 75 1.4.

[@paceyombex]

75mm *f/1.2*

[@LyndonPatrickSmith]

@@paceyombex thanks for the correction.

[@paceyombex]

@@LyndonPatrickSmith no problem

[@WesKriesel]

Interesting point about the lens balance on the X-T4! Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@betodrk]

Using a SmallRig L bracket grip on an X-T4 really helps with balance. Plus, you can get more compact for travel if needed be, paired with a small, light lens.

[@dantecorbett2221]

With all the AF updates that has come to the X-H2 that put it on par with the X-H2s. Would you still recommend not going for the X-H2 for events? Also how bad is the lowlight compared to the X-H2s. Also I think the 16-55mm F2.8 needs an update to the newer motors that are in the new 33mm and 23mm. Maybe even F2.0 instead. I'm an EOS R user and I love it but for all the reasons to leave I'm ready to leave :D. Thanks for your feedback and response.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I'd totally recommend the X-H2s but I'm not sold on the X-H2. I feel like the higher megapixels are more of a compromise than a benefit.

[@professionalpotato4764]

The 16-55 needs to be lighter too. I'm still wondering where the weight savings are on some Fuji lenses.

[@amermeleitor]

From some time up to now I am thinking about selling my Nikon gear to get into the Fuji or Canon system. Nikon need to launch more and better entry level cameras. I need good APSC cameras, like R10, R7, R50, XH2, XH2S, XS20 and a cheap good all around full frame like the R8. But Nikon is so slow to move in the market! And slow to upgrade the entry level tier of cameras!

[@bigd7696]

I have no brand loyalty. I purchase whatever does what I am looking for. I just sold my X-H2S to get the R6MII, purely because the X-H2S autofocus was so disappointing. 40 fps and most shots slightly out of focus on targets coming or going fast, dogs, etc. No update or setting or lens allowed me to capture what I wanted consistently. With the Canon I get 99 out of 99.1 shots in perfect focus. I used EVERY possible AF setting and lens combination on the Fuji. The cheapest lenses on the Canon do what the most expensive Fuji lenses could not. The Canon weighs no more than the X-H2S and the cheap primes weigh very little. The X-H2S nails static targets fairly well, especially a small bird in a tree. Colors are good on the Fooj and I enjoyed it and the lenses. But to say the X-H2S AF is on par with the Canon is lunacy, it isn't even close. The low light quality on the Canon is also substantially better. I WOULD have preferred to keep the Fuji if the promised AF did what they had claimed.

[@WesKriesel]

Well said. I’ve been avoiding doing the firmware updates because people report the xh2s actually performs worse after the updates. I still have an RF35mm lens; maybe I should switch back?

[@stanleygabrel1045]

What about low light high ISO performance in your new Fuji?

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for the question. I have been very happy with the low light ISO performance! Thanks for watching and contributing a question.

[@Bradum]

Why would anyone suggest the X100V instead? It's a fixed lens camera, and the sensor is non-stacked. It would make a terrible wedding photography camera.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching

[@WelcometotheJones]

I’m sold my entire Canon kit and my Fuji XT-3 has been my main camera till I decide on a new system. I’ve considered a Sony A7iv and the Fuji XH2. I love the idea of staying with Fuji but my concern is low light, considering full frame has been where I’ve had success. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, by the way I shoot a lot of natural light and low light!

[@WesKriesel]

Fantastic! I would try renting one of the new Fujis to answer your questions on low light - and my preference is the X-H2s over the X-H2.

[@WelcometotheJones]

@@WesKriesel Thanks that was my thought also. Thanks again, really enjoy your content!

[@kalistratov_photos]

I shoot with an xt-5 in low light most of the time. I rely on f1.4 aperture of my sigma 56, usually combined with iso 800 and ss/125. However, you can go with higher iso, since the grain on fuji looks like film grain. I prefer keeping iso as low as possible.

[@paceyombex]

If you have fast primes, then It shouldn't be a problem really. Unless you're expecting the low light capability of something like A7S III

[@Hartmut_B_Dus]

I switched from Nikon to Fuji.

[@WesKriesel]

Excellent! Enjoying the switch? Which Fuji camera?

[@Hartmut_B_Dus]

@@WesKriesel I haven't regretted the change. Today I work with the X-H2 and the X-H2S.

[@pete_stewardson]

@@Hartmut_B_Dus Which Nikons did you switch from?

[@Hartmut_B_Dus]

@@pete_stewardson D5500 and D7200

[@ericrjennings]

I’m a Fuji fan but the reasons you mentioned conflict with your “why”. Speed, resolution, AF, image quality is all better on the R5 …. But as for ergos and feel, that’s real and enough for most people.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I'm satisfied with the Fuji performance in those areas and don't miss the R5 ("better" though it may be).

[@germanshepherdmom5411]

I’m not loyal to any one camera company. I shoot Nikon, Fuji and Canon. One of these days I’ll make a decision and cut one of them out…someday😂

[@WesKriesel]

No need to choose! What's the camera you reach for the most?

[@germanshepherdmom5411]

@@WesKriesel for morning sunrises and landscape it’s always the Fuji X-T4, for wildlife my Nikon Z9 but the R5 is pretty spectacular for wildlife as well. My husband said the same thing, why do you have to choose, enjoy them all. It would be nice to just go all in on one system.

[@KardosoMedia]

Now switch to Sony! JK…

[@WesKriesel]

The power is strong in that one. (I think that's a Star Wars reference) 😂

[@caveless_caveman]

The X-T4 and the X-H2S has the same resolution, so any difference in image quality is all about the lenses.

[@paceyombex]

I haven't seen the direct comparison, but since the X-H2s got the new sensor, there might be some improvement in IQ, other than resolution.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for the watching and for leaving a comment! You are right, I believe. The stacked sensor would give speed improvements for processing, right? Not image quality?

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. Maybe some subtle improvements in areas other than speed of focusing and processing?

[@Michaeltje2.0]

@@WesKriesel no its pretty much equal as the xt4... only the reading of the stacked sensor is quicker. image quality is about the same as xt4. But it doesn't matter which system you are on, lenses are the reason for a sharp or soft image.. also with user error of course. I shoot with the xt4 and if you put the 50mmf2 on it and nail the focus for let's say portrait or pet photography, it's super sharp. also with the 50-140 f2.8.