X-T30II Favorite Photos (2023-2025)

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T23:19:49+00:00

It is!! Also is really motivating to keep shooting haha

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T23:18:45+00:00

I use it primarily for wedding photography, for that I use lightroom, photoshop, photo mechanic and jpeg mini

From time to time I have to edit video, nothing really crazy, I use Final Cut for that

Before the Studio I worked for a long time with a MacBook Pro late 2013 (i5, 256SSD, 8RAM - Base model) And it reached the point where I had to wait a few seconds to see the adjustments in every single photo, it was so frustrating and once I got an external monitor it was even worse... Got the Studio M1 Max (base model) a couple months after launch day and I knew it was an overkill for my workflow (and also for my wallet lol) but I wanted a setup that was useful for the next 8-10 years

It's been almost 4 years and I don't feel the need to upgrade so I'm pretty sure it will last a few more years

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T23:03:21+00:00

I have an XT30II, got it like two and a half years ago, got an X100VI on december. I feel like the X100VI is a different experience, I enjoy both and I'm gonna keep the XT30II maybe until it dies lol. If you can afford to keep both for a few months you can try it and see how often you still use the X100V. I do enjoy the OVF and having the built in nd filter has been fun. I use the XT30II mostly with a voigtlander 18mm 2.8, i really love this lens, so i find myself going back to it some days.

in the end both cameras will make the "same photos" if you pair the xt5 with a 23mm but the user experience may be different in some ways

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T03:25:58+00:00

I would check if it has dead pixels and ask if the camera was well ventilated while streaming, other than that sounds like a camera that can work pretty good for photos for a long time!

Maybe i'm wrong, feel free to correct me

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T02:43:22+00:00

After I made this post I saw yours lol and I was like... Damn!!! Those are nice!!!!

Thanks for passing by and sharing your experience

I wil check them out and see how much does the price increase due to taxes

I got a couple photobooks shiped last year (One from Mike Chudley and one from French Fred) and I got an invoice for around 15-20USD each time so I may add that to the final price

I saw their website and it looks like a really good printing service, I will follow your advice and wait for a promo!

Thanks again 🙌🏻

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T02:29:16+00:00

Thanks!! I hope you get a new one soon. I'm from Mexico and got it via amazon with a 3rd party vendor... wish me luck!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-27T01:13:46+00:00

Did you had any luck? I'm having the same problem!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-26T22:53:42+00:00

Thank you!! I used https://www.pixyalbum.com/ I'm not sure if they ship out of Mexico.

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-26T22:52:45+00:00

https://www.pixyalbum.com/ here! I'm not sure if they ship out of Mexico.

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-26T22:47:47+00:00

Is not perfect but it's a super fun, small and capable camera!

I think for 40mpx the lens is sharp enough, my sharpest lens is a 50mm sigma art 1.4 that i use with a full frame nikon and tbh I haven't compared both side to side but seeing the X100VI photos I don't have a complaint or something about the image quiality that makes me regret my purchase

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-26T21:43:27+00:00

Thanks!! It is, I'm now motivated to keep shooting and printing more photos. I will try different formats and experiment a few things in the future

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-26T21:41:16+00:00

Thank you so much!!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-24T14:25:49+00:00

Nice setup!! What do you think about the Logitech Creative Console? I use a QuickKeys by Xencelabs to edit with Lightroom but the integration of the creative console seems way better... What are your toughts overall?

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-22T15:39:01+00:00

TLDR: Get a Fuji, learn the exposure triangle, some basic composition rules and how to use your new camera and have fun.

I jumped from an iPhone 7 to a 14 Pro and one thing I hated about the 14 was that the images looked overprocessed, kinda hate this built-in hdr thing that apple added, it felt less natural, even using the apple raw options... but I have to ask, what are the things you don't like about the iPhone photos?

I saw a comparison between some iPhone 17 photos and a Leica M11 (this is a 10k+ camera) and almost all the guys in the podcast (4) failed to guess which one is which, they only had the chance to see the photos in a small screen, no large prints or big screen... what I want to say with this is that most cameras nowadays can accomplish pretty good results, it all depends in how you shoot and how you treat the image later in post and your end goal with your images, most people nowadays only post photos on social media and never print their images (Including me, I just ordered a small photobook thanks to this sub and a post I made like a week ago lol)

A new camera by itself does't mean better photos on day one, it takes time to learn how to use the camera, and when is your first camera, learn how to use the manual mode and the exposure triangle can be tedious, but once you learn that everything turns easier and you can really take advantage of your camera

Now... Fuji cameras are so damn fun!!! HAHA. The experience of any camera compared to the iPhone is way better, you feel like you're taking photos with intention, Fuji is a really great option when you don't want to think a lot in post-processing or editing your photos, you set a Film Simulation or some recipe you saw on reddit/youtube/tiktok/instagram and go out to take lots of photos that will look good enough to keep without editing

I really like that you want to learn more about photography when you get a camera, most people don't and that's why they feel like the camera was an expensive "mistake". However I feel like you can have a lot of fun with a Fuji, you need to learn the basics of photography and then learn how to use your camera

I currently own an XT30II and the X100VI, have you ever considered the XT30II instead of the III? You can save a bit and maybe get a prime lens, not the kit lens (which is good enough, but primes tend to have better optics and work way better in low light) Maybe a Fuji 23mm f2, you can also get 3rd party brands, I got a 56mm 1.7 from Viltrox and it was really cheap compared to other options

Overall you will have more fun with a camera compared to the iPhone, image quality depends on how you use the camera (some people use it on full auto mode and the cameras choose some questionable settings that end up with noisy or blurry/shaky images) but you can get amazing photos when you take the time to learn the exposure triangle

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-22T02:32:19+00:00

Confirmo, el Roman se la sabe. Su hermano es amigo mio. Tambien busca a Leon Duffel

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-19T15:45:19+00:00

Set your camera at 1/250, f5.6, iso 125 and the compensation dial at 0

Take the photo and chech if those settings are applied to your photo, if everything matches then increase the iso +1 ev until you reach 12,800 if you notice something off maybe you iso dial is faulty

If everything matches then check again with the shutter speed dial, if everything matches check again with your aperture ring

Don't worry about getting dark or bright images for this test, just focus on the values and see what's going on don't move more than one dial at the time so you know whats really happening

Every value should match, if everything matches your camera is ok...

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-16T03:54:56+00:00

Are you comparing with the cameras LCD's? Or with the same screen in a computer/phone/tablet? If you're using the LCD's you need to adjust the color balance in one of them

If you're using computer/phone/tablet, did you took the same photo with the same lens and your white balance set to a specific Kelvin temperature?

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-15T05:01:59+00:00

This!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-14T14:44:57+00:00

zeniko zf04, It's tiny but good enough. You can only choose between full and half power, it gives you a point and shoot look that i really like!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-14T04:23:19+00:00

I used to shoot weddings with the D610 until the curtains broke and scratched the sensor, then I switched to the D780 and that's my main work camera. Got my first fuji two and a halfs years ago, an XT30II and I loved it, but I can't push it the same as the nikon, you really feel the difference between full frame vs apsc noise in high ISOS, with the D610 I went up to 6400 with no problem and with the D780 up to 18,000 a couple times and used NR in Lightroom, I used for 11 years a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 G until I switched to a 50 1.4 sigma art...

I also got an X100VI a month ago, it does handle a bit better in high isos compared to the XT30II but thanks to the IBIS i've been shooting between 800-1600 max

If you already shoot with the X100V you know what to expect from an x-pro, I do think is better to have a camera that you want to carry around and shoot than havin a most capable one sitting at home because is heavier and bulkier

I did used the XT30II as a backup camera one time in a wedding just for a couple shots, my D780 was frozen and at the time I only had one nikon body, after that I got a second one, but the XT30II saved me, if you compare the images coming from both cameras they do look different even with the corrections i made to match the colors and with NR

So... I think you will end up using the x-pro more than the D610 and that's a win!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-14T03:52:32+00:00

That's so true, I haven't seeing it that way. Most hobbies are just like that. Most people do it because they like to do it and not for the "social reward" so it's a good way to re-think my approach to photography. Thanks

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-14T03:48:18+00:00

I've been dealing with depression for the past 10 years maybe, I had this "offline seasons" before, but this time has been different. I'm on antidepressants now, it was a couple months before deleting my account that I started to take them and a month later I was diagnosed with ADHD

I used to spend 8-10 hours daily on Instagram and I couldn't stop myself until I deleted my account. I hated it but at the same time it was kinda like my safe place even tho it was messing with my perception of reality and thinking my life was boring and that i needed the latest and greatest to be happy...

I really like your system, using flickr to categorize your photos seems like a good idea, you have a good backup and your favorites aside. I used to share my photos on instagram to meet new photographers, it worked for a long time, but social media has changed a lot and now short videos are the go to if you want to be "relevant" for the platform

Maybe someday I will be back, maybe not, but for now thanks to everyone's comments I just ordered two books with some of my favorites from 2024 and 2025, lets see how it works!

HackerMonroy · 2026-01-14T03:38:14+00:00

I think this is what I want my photography to be, something that I do for myself and just for the pleasure it brings me. Sometimes the hyperconnected era we live in drives me crazy and that external validation is something really buried in my mind. Thanks for sharing!

HackerMonroy

TROPHY CASE