Changing Photo Gear
My girlfriend and I went to Paris for the week-end and I carried my photo gear for 2 days for a grand total of 20 pictures.
I took my Nikon D7000 with the 16-85mm DX (and the 35mm ƒ/1.8 DX for low light). The camera bag weighed 2.7kg all included. We walked a lot during the 2 days and I felt the camera and the bag getting heavier with each kilometer.
I am looking for a camera that would match (or exceed) the IQ of my DSLR while being more compact and weighing less.
I really like the Fuji X series and particularly the X-E1 but I am not sold on it yet. My main issues are the autofocus issues, the lack of lens (60mm is the maximum it can reach) and the lack of support from Adobe Lightroom for its RAW files.
The autofocus issues looks to be improved with each firmware updates (and the X100s show promises for the 2nd generation). I like the lens roadmap (especially the 23mm ƒ/2) if they can pull it off.
The main issue is the lack of support from Adobe. I don't want to buy into a system based on the X-Trans sensor to be able to generate only JPEG files out of the camera... I enjoy the latitude provided by post-processing RAW files too much to give it up.
This also means that I will not get a X100s even with all the improvements from the X100 (phase detection, focus peaking, etc.). It is an ideal combo with a 23mm lens in a small package but again it is based on the X-Trans sensor.
Yesterday, I read Duncan's review of the Sony DSC RX1. This camera looks fun to use and provides gorgeous pictures (you have to read it on a Hi-DPI display to really enjoy the images quality) but it is way too expensive for me. I would not say that it is overpriced. For the same budget, I would take a RX1 over a Nikon D600 + Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2 lens any day but both are above my budget at the moment.
I am considering waiting for the 2nd generation of Fuji X cameras, provided their RAW files are supported by Adobe. In the meantime, I could carry out a Sony DSC RX100. It looks to be a competent compact camera with a fast lens at the wide end. That would be a temporary solution but I don't take my DSLR as much as I could because it is too heavy. Having a compact camera with good IQ would make it fun again to shoot every time I am out.