Well not quite 2 weeks....

But there was a lot packed into those 11 days - a crazy big Irish wedding, amazing ancient sights and scenery, and a heck of a lot of good food, people, and beer. Oh yeah... and the XT-10 & XT-1 with the new Firmware 4.0 plus a few rather nice pieces of FujiFilm glass.

After many months of dreaming about this big trip and even bigger wedding in Ireland, the time finally came. The lead up to the trip and shooting said wedding was made even better with the arrival of the XT-10 and the new firmware 4.0 update that proved the XT-10 to be a formidable force in 'budget' mirrorless cameras, and breathed new life into the XT-1, even though it didn't really need it.

For this trip, my wife and I were primarily hired to shoot a wedding on the west coast of Ireland in the incredibly picturesque town of Dingle. Jaw-dropping would be an understatement. Of course, it would be a pity to not see more of a country than just one place and Ireland is a place of wonder and awe. We packed a rather nice bit of kit for this one, including the fresh and sharp Fujinon XF16 and XT-10.

So how about that XT-10?

Well, what can I say? It's a damn fine camera and a perfect match for the XT-1 for shooting weddings in a discrete and professional manner. I actually ended up using the XT-10 for most of the trip because of its compact size and to give it a fair run for its money. Did it impress me just like almost every Fuji product I've used before it? Absolutely!

For the wedding I shot with the XT-1 over my shoulder with the XF56 and had the XT-10 on a holster with the XF16. A light-weight combo that after 16 hours of shooting did not leave me sore, fatigued or in any state of pain. The only ailment was the tiredness that was to be expected from shooting a day that long! I also got to experience the true value of the SP-1 Instax printer and how integral it is for creating a truly memorable wedding photography service that leave clients overjoyed on their big day! Alas, I cannot share their photos just yet.

XT-10 or X100?

Something that's fairly obvious and should be considered by anyone buying into the Fujifilm X-series is the power in a small package with the XT-10. Shortly after the announcement of the XT-10, I did the usual level of research regarding its specs, size and reported performance, and well, it's almost the same size as the X100 series but does a heck of a lot more! So, I sold off my X100s and jumped on the XT-10 the day after it was available in Australia. I also made a point of picking up the XF27 so I had a very pocketable and discrete option for shooting streets and other settings. Do I miss the X100? Absolutely! Does the XT-10 rock! Yes! I will probably get back into the X100 game when they announce their next model. Until then, the equally discrete and lightweight XT-10 paired with the XT-1 will continue to suit my needs appropriately. More on the XT-10 down the page.

And what about the XF16? It's fair to say that it got a good work out, and yet again, the weather sealing was tested and passed wonderfully when paired with the XT-1. Irish summers aren't particularly summery at times, so long exposure shots with the XT-1 and XF16 on a tripod often meant it got rather wet. Well, quite wet. It really is a sensational combo and the close focusing ability of the XF16 (10cm) is rather useful in a country full of beautiful flowers and other majestic scenery.

Let's get to the burning question - XT-1 VS XT-10

At the time of purchasing the XT-10 there were great end of financial year sales going on and the lovely folks at DigiDirect offered me a killer deal on a second XT-1 rather than the XT-10 (think $100 price difference). Sure, it was tempting but I took the XT-10 instead. Why? As I said before, it's almost the same size as the X100 series (it's actually shorter) and when paired with the XF27 is only slightly deeper in size, which makes it 'pocketable' for me. I also liked some of the new features not present on the XT-1, most notably the full-auto switch that can be useful when handing over your camera to someone who doesn't know what to do, or when teaching a friend casually about composition or something similar. The buttons and dials also feel a bit firmer too, and the d-pad buttons are far more pronounced making it just a little better than the XT-1. Reality is, I simply didn't want a copy of another camera body that's going to sit in storage frequently. I wanted a different option when weather sealing wasn't required and when I wanted the tidiest and most discrete camera option.
The XT-10 performs just as well as the XT-1 on most fronts. Obviously it can't handle burst shooting anywhere near as good but I have found it to be adequate in JPEG only mode when shooting kids playing sports. I'll be honest in saying that I do miss the metering switch that sits atop the XT-1, since I do like to switch between 'average' and 'spot' metering a fair bit. Other than these points they're very similar cameras with enough subtle differences to warrant their individual existence and purpose.

Ireland is a truly magical country. Whether it's the rolling green hills and mountains, decaying ancient ruins along roadsides, or incredible calorie filled Irish breakfasts, it is always a welcoming and inspiring place. My wife and I can't thank the couple who made it all happen enough (wedding blog to come soon) and the wonderful people who took care of us, fed us, gave us beds to sleep in, and most importantly, took me to the pub. A truly hospitable and generous bunch! I can only hope it doesn't take us another life-time to get back there and explore it even further.

#discoverireland

Cheers!

Mathieu

Before I get started, if you're here for photographic proof of what I have written below, I don't have it quite yet. Well, I do, but unfortunately I cannot share the pictures I have been taking so you're just going to have to trust me until I get usable proof in my next post. I merely want to get numerous other XT-1 users excited for the new update to Firmware 4.0.

As I write this I'm a few hours out from getting on a plane headed for Ireland to shoot a pretty massive wedding between a fine Australian lad and a lovely Irish las. In preparation for the big day I have assembled a very nice and flexible kit for my wife and I to shoot with - she loves the Canon stuff and I'm a big Fuji convert.
After selling my X100s I was quite adamant about getting my hands on the XT-10 after seeing how much smaller it is than the XT-1 and in some aspects, smaller than the X100 series, thus making it 'pocketable' and discrete. I opted to pick up the XF27 as well and honestly, I am a much happier camper with this setup than with the X100s. A significant reason for that though, is the interchangeable lens ability of the XT-10 and the absolutely impressive new Firmware 4.0. The AF system of Fuji's X-series has been reinvented with this update and I have been achieving results that were simply unattainable with the old firmware. Kids running wild shot in continuous zone focus mode on the XF56 at F1.2? Yep. That happened this week for me.

If you're keen to read up about all the specifics involved in the new update, take a look at this link.
Since picking up the XT-10 a day after its release here in Australia, I have been testing it each day on a whole bunch of active school kids, which unfortunately means I can't share the actual proof of what I'm writing just yet. Onto the camera.

The XT-10 feels solid in the hand but could certainly benefit from a grip of some sort. One of the features I have really enjoyed (aside from the new AF system) is the face and eye recognition. This function is absolutely brilliant when paired with the XF56 at F1.2. It's snappy and every time I've shot with it it's made the mark. It will certainly be interesting to see how it holds up at the wedding next week.

Let's get to the really good stuff - Continuous and Zone focusing.
Good God! Or should I say 'Good Fuji!'?
The new focusing system is amazing! Is it perfect? No. Is it on par or better than many of the big guns? YES!
Imagine this. 4 young kids running around a play ground, chasing each other and me snapping in Continuous Zone focusing mode in High Burst with the XF56 at F1.2, focusing on 1 kid. Guess how many photos out of 5 hit the mark? 4! The 5th didn't make the mark because one of the kids came straight towards me at lightning pace and the shallow depth of field of 1.2 meant that the top the kid's head was in focus and not their face. Regardless, the camera tracked beautifully and I achieved something I'd never experienced before with the X-series cameras. Stopped down to F5.6, I spent some time on the sidelines shooting a basketball game. 30 something shots later, not a single miss! The XF16 also tracked exceptionally well and handled objects that were moving laterally and towards the camera exceptionally.
At this point I'd say it tracks better than my trusty Canon 7D and it is definitely better than my long standing (pre-Fuji) favourite, the 6D.

My apologies that I don't have the proof you're all probably looking for of my very large claims. You're just going to have to trust me. I will be posting photos via my usual Facebook and Instagram feeds over the coming weeks whilst in Ireland, hopefully providing insight into how well the XT-10 and XT-1 focus in low light situations with the new firmware. 

Cheers!

Mathieu