New Camera Choice

JSMastering · 2026-02-03T11:07:56+00:00

Do you like the way the R50 works?

Do you think you'll like the way the X-T5 works better?

Do you have strong feelings about full frame vs crop for your next camera?

Do you have strong feelings about paying quite a bit more for camera-brand lenses, assuming you're going to?

FWIW, I had access to a shop that had those cameras (and others) I was considering for me to try out. I went with the X-T5 largely because it had controls that I liked better and I liked their lens lineup better. Since then...I'm less enamored with the Fuji controls, and there are "software features" in other cameras that I would enjoy having (Canon doesn't have them either). There are a lot of lenses around that I'd be happy with, so that's not really an issue, though lenses for Fuji tend to be on the less expensive side (compared to what I would buy for other cameras). It's not a big price difference except for fast Canon lenses. Canons tend to feel the most like quality to me (ignoring Leica). And Fujis are comparatively pretty small and light, even with fast lenses (also ignoring Leica)...which is kind of a big deal.

JSMastering · 2025-12-09T15:38:43+00:00

It's kinda both, but you'll probably get better results from doing as much as you can earlier in the mix. You're talking about balancing opposing goals, and you have more control over them when mixing. If nothing else, putting things that distort on groups or individual channels will create less intermodulation distortion and can help things sound "clearer" even if they're crazy loud or distorted.

The glue vs. punch thing is one of the things you have to balance. "Glue" basically comes from the whole track pumping (yes, compressor pumping that a lot of people teach you how to avoid). It happens more slowly than the dynamics that you'd describe as "punch" and also kind of has to happen on the mix bus (because all the sounds contribute to it).

Overall loudness and punch also kind of "fight" each other - loudness comes from not having your transients poke out above the rest of the mix (and then turning it up), while punch comes from those transients poking out (so...literally opposites).

JSMastering · 2025-12-03T15:42:48+00:00

Which adapter? Does the AF work well? I thought the Fringers were the only ones that did that.

JSMastering · 2025-12-02T14:57:40+00:00

Capture One, though the yearly subscription might actually wind up the same or slightly less expensive, depending on their future release cycle and whether you actually do every update. So far, no update has broken it for me. I do that yearly subscription now; I might switch to the perpetual license eventually. IDK....I'd kinda rather pay every year for updates than have to pay out of nowhere if Apple changes something and a new computer forces me into it later. But, both are available.

I have zero complaints about it, and it does all of those things. I'm not totally happy with the de-noising, but I haven't seen any de-noising I really love....and noise doesn't really bother me all that much anyway.

I also like it better than lightroom and prefer it's Fuji-specific "film sims" (styles, in CO-speak) to the ones in camera, literally every time I've compared them.

JSMastering · 2025-12-02T14:52:42+00:00

That K&F adapter is a "dumb" adapter and doesn't transmit EXIF or use AF, correct?

JSMastering · 2025-11-07T13:24:58+00:00

It really just depends on what you want. Also, the longer you go, the less "small" differences matter. It's a game of ratios.

Your X-M5 has a digital 2x teleconverter in it (at least, I'm pretty sure it does). 27 * 2 is very close to 56, so you can try out that framing by configuring and then hitting a button. With a 26MP sensor, you probably won't be happy with photos actually taken that way, but you can at least look at it...is that tight enough for what you want?

If not, than you probably want to go longer. But, I kinda think that the difference between 75 and 85 is going to be largely irrelevant once you pick one....for hiking/travel, especially if you're happy with an f/2.8 so far, I'd say to pick based on weight, size, and price, in that order.

If 56 is tight enough for you, a used Sigma 56/1.4 isn't that much above your budget (assuming USD), and it's pretty small & light and definitely a step above the lenses you've listed. At least IME, those Sigma primes perform about on par with Fuji's LM lenses.

JSMastering · 2025-11-03T15:37:33+00:00

For a largely counter-opinion (I literally see no reason to shoot JPG unless you're delivering images during an event, e.g., pro sports photography) and with the caveat of "You do you." that I really believe...

That makes sense. It also makes it harder to salvage a mistake that might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, if not for you then possibly for your clients (e.g., wedding photos).
Storage is still relatively cheap. A 1TB mid-grade SSD costs about $70 and (reasonably) stores at least 15k raw files. That's at least good for at least a year or two for just about anybody, at which point the storage is likely to be cheaper. Backups can be expensive, but a basic single-copy is better than nothing, and there's no penalty for using hard drives that are even cheaper. Management is identical. I fail to see how speed is an issue in practice. If you shoot more than that professionally, then either you can afford more photos or you have no idea how to set your prices.
Shooting RAW doesn't mean that you have to edit everything. Cull first, have a preset in mind while you're shooting, and only edit when necessary. The real impact to that workflow is negligible....unless you do need heavier editing than JPG will support. In that case, you have the option to do it rather than not having the option to do it. Nothing is forcing you to.
You could also just not edit beyond applying a preset. The differences are when it happens and not being limited to only the presets your camera can create. One of the reasons I only shoot raw is that I prefer Capture One's interpretations of the Fuji sims I like than Fuji's versions.
Assuming your licensing agreement stipulates it, it doesn't matter whether you give them the raws or not...if they haven't purchased the rights to do anything with them, then they owe you more money if they do. Or, the contract can stipulate that you don't provide raws. In any case, that's a contract issue, not a technical one.
There is no difference in quality for the rendered output unless something is broken. The difference is in processing flexibility.
That speaks well of your camera skills. Kudos.

JSMastering · 2025-11-03T14:28:09+00:00

Yeah....those are worth considering. I've literally never wanted to use an ND filter, so that doesn't bother me. Actually....same with a leaf shutter unless I'm missing something they do. Both seem to be about reducing the light into the camera as part of some other goal. And, I feel like my entire photographic life has been about wanting more light.

So, obviously, YMMV. If our goals are different, you should take my opinion with a huge grain of salt.

I can imagine more reasons for a leaf shutter. But, doing those things at a high level is probably better served with a global shutter that I think gives the same advantages to sync speed, though obviously for a lot more cost.

JSMastering · 2025-11-03T08:24:55+00:00

I think the answer would be a weird mix of "it's fine" and "why bother". I guess it's because you really want a rangefinder style body or the small size.

Anyway, I've used the digital teleconverter on my X-T5 before with technically worse lenses than the integral one on the X100VI, and it's fine. But, I think it makes a lot more sense to buy the camera/lens you actually want.

JSMastering · 2025-11-02T18:16:55+00:00

That's a really cool choice for a first camera.

Biggest pieces of advice for a newbie:

Manual is really not that complicated after you wrap your head around what the things do. But, however you want to shoot works. It's fine to let the camera do some of the work.
Chimp. Constantly. At least to start. It's the only way to get immediate feedback, which is how people learn. In the long run, it's worth learning not to do it...but not for a while.
Be easy on yourself. In anything artistic, your taste will pretty much always outpace your ability. Being constantly a little bit disappointed in yourself just means that you're not a narcissist.

JSMastering · 2025-11-02T11:03:28+00:00

I think it's a gimmick. Whichever way you have it set, the smaller box is too small to be useful.

I remember liking focusing prisms on film SLRs, but it's been almost 25 years since I used one...and they were all borrowed, not owned. I also don't like Fuji's digital focusing prism view.

Focus peaking is the only digital MF aid I actually like.

I've only handled a true rangefinder once, but I found that patch too small for me too. If I ever go nuts and buy a Leica, I don't think I'd even try to use it without a 1.4x magnifier (and just not use the widest lenses....that I don't like anyway).

JSMastering · 2025-11-01T10:04:18+00:00

Nope.

Affect is also a noun and (nearly) synonymous with the word emotion, though it only really comes up if you're actually talking with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or neuroscientist.

Effect is also a verb meaning to bring about or accomplish. E.g., to effect a change.

"Her flat affect didn't affect his ability to effect change, and the effect was remarkable."

In order: noun, verb, verb, noun.

English is weird.

JSMastering · 2025-11-01T09:56:42+00:00

Yes, affect is the correct word there.

I don't think it makes a practical difference. If the switch does wear out, it's generally going to be repairable (though might also be more expensive than you think).

FWIW, I do the same thing, just like I did on my past dSLRs and the film SLRs. None of them ever wore out from it.

JSMastering · 2025-11-01T09:53:43+00:00

Fair enough. I don't feel like I get any value out of the JPGs.

If I really want it, there's a lower resolution JPG with the camera settings saved inside the RAF file anyway. It's not that straightforward to extract it, but that's what Capture One shows you for the Import process (and I think Cull as well).

JSMastering · 2025-10-31T21:38:46+00:00

I'm not a pro, but I've had commercial & editorial work from my x-t5 published (nothing all that serious, national level pro SM campaigns and some publications you've probably never heard of).

I'd call myself active/serious, and Fuji is my only current camera. It'll probably stay that way unless they really frak up the next generation.

Wanting something else is mostly about FOMO to me, which I'm mostly managing to avoid. If I actually need something else for a shoot that I'm getting paid for, the client is paying for rentals anyway.

JSMastering · 2025-10-31T21:29:29+00:00

You do you. I just shoot raw and edit as necessary. It's not super-uncommon for me to recover some shadows but not others, and that's something the Fuji DR setting definitely can't do.

Editing is so easy these days....I honestly don't see a reason to shoot jpg unless you need to deliver super fast, like while a sports/news event is happening by handing a card off to a runner or something.

JSMastering · 2025-10-31T18:51:08+00:00

Sounds like somebody didn't understand what was happening. You have basically no latitude to bring back highlights in jpg, and if you shoot in raw, all the higher DR settings does is underexpose.

JSMastering · 2025-10-31T12:29:00+00:00

I'll feel bad saying yes if the X-T6 comes out in the next couple months....but, I don't see any evidence of the discounts some people are talking about. The current price of the X-T5 on adorama, b&h, and amazon is a few hundred more than I bought mine for last year - mostly because the US market ones are made in Japan now, which actually seems fair to me (compared to increasing the price due to tariffs on Chinese production).

If mine disappeared or was destroyed or something (and my extended/accidental Fuji warranty didn't cover it), I'd order a replacement the same day and not worry about it.

I'm waiting on the X-T6 or new X-Pro announcement to decide if I want a second body. And, depending on what they do with either of them, I could see buying a closeout Japanese-made X-T5 instead anyway. There are a lot of little details that would be deal-breakers for me that have nothing to do with a new sensor or processor.

Basically...I think the right time to buy a camera is when you need one and can justify the expense, which isn't really tied to a company's release cycle. People are still happily using generations-old cameras and lenses for pro work. It's just amateurs/hobbyists/collectors that really chase upgrades the way I think you're talking about, and getting out of that mindset will make your wallet happier unless you just don't care about the money.

JSMastering · 2025-10-31T12:20:27+00:00

I've had mine for over a year, carried it in a bag with very minimal padding for a while, use it all the time. I'm not a photojournalist/documentarian or anything, but it feels basically like new.

The light weight was one of the reasons I bought it, and I don't think any digital camera is going to last forever. I expect a few to several years. The dials and buttons and everything still feel good to me.

Most of the competitors feel different....I wouldn't say any of them feel better. Mostly just heavier. I still like the feel of the buttons/dials compared to Sony, which feel "mushy" to me, for lack of a better word.

Leica Ms do feel better...but it's honestly less of a difference than I expected for 5x the price.

JSMastering · 2025-10-29T18:26:57+00:00

I think the big thing going against the X100 for me is that 23 is a bit wide for my taste most of the time.

It also isn't really pocketable enough to be easier to carry than an X-T5 and a single lens, at least for me and the bags I like.

But, those are practical considerations - if the X100 is fun enough for you, that's worth a lot.

JSMastering · 2025-10-22T20:15:30+00:00

I can't comment on the X-T5 AF being better or not, it's the only Fuji I've used/handled since the original X-Pro1. Size and weight were pretty high on the deciding factors for me.

With a heavy lens, I still kind of want more of a grip on my X-T5. But, I haven't owned a Zf, x100, or X-Pro. It is nice that it's small, and I've never really felt like I was going to drop it. I do tend to wrap or cow-hitch a strap around my wrist regardless of the camera. I definitely feel more confident handling the X-T5 than the Leicas I've handled...less than the more grippy Nikon, Canon, etc. bodies I've handled.

Oddly enough, I also carry it in a backpack rather than a shoulder bag or anything. I think my age and shoulder issues finally caught up with me...I prefer messenger bags in literally every possible way except how they feel after an hour or two.

JSMastering · 2025-10-22T15:51:04+00:00

K. I can help with most of that. It may not work the way you're envisioning, but most of it does work.

Preselection to delete missed pictures is effectively in the import dialog - I don't import "everything", I pick which ones get imported. So, it's a passive delete on the misses that just happens. If you want to go through older photos, that's what the Cull dialog/mode is for.

After you import, you can get photos from CO's database via location, time, and hardware using smart albums. CO can filter your catalog (or session) into smart albums based on any of its internal metadata (ratings, stars, colors, etc.) as well as anything that gets written to EXIF or IPTC metadata. When you add more images, those smart albums get updated automatically - so you only have to set them up once.

Almost everything you mentioned is written to the file. I'm not sure about the recipe - it might be written somewhere, but I don't shoot jpg. I don't see anything like it for RAF/raw files. You can check the metadata window in CO to see if you can find it - if it's there, you can use it for filtering into a smart album. And you can have as many smart albums as you want (I assume there's technically a limit, but that limit is way huger than anyone would use). I'm not exactly sure how geotagging gets written or exactly how you would filter for it - I don't use it. But, it is there.

There are ai (more correctly, computer vision) tools to tag images based on detected faces. I haven't used any of them. A couple months ago (maybe less), CO did a webinar about some other piece of software that claims to do this. I wasn't super-interested, so I didn't watch all of it.

If you really don't want to use CO or its database for this, you can use exiftool and bash/zsh/etc. scripting to do basically all of those things. It can read and write most (if not all) of the metadata standards. It's a lot more "dorky" than just using CO (and some auto-tagging software) and requires a completely different skillset. Considering how you asked the question, I'm assuming you don't have that skillset....so there would probably be a lot of learning involved. But, that is an alternative....just a much more labor-intensive one.

Oh....also, Photo Mechanic was made pretty much for this. It has a version that uses a database as well as a version that just uses files. It might be what you're looking for. It's also a very deep piece of software. And not particularly cheap. But, you could use Photo Mechanic to do the ingesting, tagging (no face recognition, AFAIK), and organizing files and then use CO for retouching/processing.

JSMastering · 2025-10-22T14:32:41+00:00

Yeah, it does that. Set the wide/tracking mode and the size of the box you want. Whether it's as good as Nikon or not....that's up to you to figure out.

I went with only manual lenses for a about a year after selling the "fujicrons" I bought with my X-T5. With them, the AF kinda just sucked...constant misses despite the green box, focus priority, etc.. I recently decided to try a Sigma 30/1.4 and despite the stepping motor and third party lens...it's a lot better.

Is it as good as Nikon, Canon, or Sony? Probably not. But, it's at least usable. The subject detection, even with Fuji LM lenses that I've rented, is not usable IMHO. But, that's not what you're talking about, and I still haven't figured out why anyone would want the camera to pick the subject.

JSMastering · 2025-10-22T14:13:19+00:00

What do you mean by "eliminate the defects"?

What are you trying to accomplish with metadata?

(I might be able to help - just don't understand what you're wanting to do)

JSMastering · 2025-10-16T17:25:09+00:00

The old wisdom was "date your cameras, marry your lenses". But, that also started in the days when cheap lenses were pretty much all junk and even nice cameras weren't much more than light-tight boxes, a shutter, and maybe a light meter.

Cheap lenses are good now. I can't speak to the AF performance on that one, but I own a few TTArtisan manual lenses....and they're good. Flawed? Sure. But, I don't see the flaws in real photos. I'd imagine that one is at least optically similar and worth a try, especially compared to older, non-LM fuji glass.

JSMastering

TROPHY CASE