Dark trippin’ with an X-T1 (… in 2024)

Fujifilm X-T1, in my book, is a funny one. This post also marks my last contribution closing the series of first contributions focusing on first-generation X-series bodies, done for Fuji X Passion (my limitations render my impossibility to cover every body that for one way or another should’ve qualified this criterion, such as X-T10 or X-T100, X-H1 or X-S10, XF10, or even the most tempting one: X70, for APS-C; neither can I include X10 (second on the temptation rank, but I’m not a zoom person, I have learned) or XF1, for smaller sensors; just to name a few).

The story
Not too long before the pandemic, around the time I met the person who has become my wife and the mother to my daughter, I got (re)introduced to surfing. Fortunately, her whole family are the types taking surfing to enjoy themselves; valuing the waves, the sea, and the food—as opposed to being competitive. It’s laid-back and contagious. Being the worst (plus the oldest) surfer of the bunch, I was tempted to rekindle my interest in photography, just in order to enjoy the chase as much as they are, plus an option for me to contribute uniquely to my (then) possible future family. Following this inkling, the universe has funny ways to test my faith and endurance.

We can fast forward. Until today, I have not made a single successful and publicly shareable frame on surfing (in action, at least). The journey, nevertheless, has been worthwhile, to say the least.

First, COVID-19 came, landlocking me. Also, series of professional engagements during and after the pandemic that took most of my waking time. After trying to capture surfing using my X-Pro1 and its original three musketeers of lenses, I knew I was up for a new massive photographic challenge. To address this challenge, I knew I had to purchase new tools. In answering this need, somehow, I decided to stick with Fuji-X, either stubbornly or ignorantly.

The way my memory serves me, when I was looking to expand my X-series experiences, it was the time when the X-T5’s marketing was at its peak. It was a surprising time for me, who had not updated myself on how the system has expanded since its initial coining in 2011-12. How many lenses there had been to choose from, how many series of bodies—each with its intended experience and usage, let alone the number of respective iterations Fujifilm had churned out until then! It was overwhelming, to say the least. To start somewhere, I decided to look into the tops of the lines—X-T5, XF200mmm f2, XF90mm f2, XF50mm f1, XF56mm f1.2 II. Unsurprisingly, I quickly figured out that my savings could not afford them. After weighing in several options, I decided to pursue another approach: to cap my budget first, and looked for what was available within this range, as I was testing new ground, losing money, not necessarily investing in the hope of making sensible returns. I didn’t know then (and still have not found out until now) whether surfing photography is for me. I went over (or under?) board in this logic: looking into the more underappreciated (therefore more affordable) products. The X-T1 came into the picture as a result. It’s the first Fujifilm-X product I bought in my local second-hand market (marking the start of a steep learning curve on how to make the best of it). Plus the XF55-200mm. My spending total for them was below 10 million IDR (± 650 USD). I was proud of myself. Of course, there were lessons I could share here:

1) I realized how limited it is for (at least, the early days of) the system to perform for demanding genres such as surfing photography—the AF, the sensor size, the speed, the EVF blackout, the OIS, the focal length reach, the WR. I didn’t weigh in on these factors correctly.

2) To cover for these mistakes, I thought investing in second hand XF100-400mm (as XF70-300mm bears too close in resemblance with my existing XF55-200mm) could provide a way out. In reality, it only add to the list of bad choices. I shall elaborate more on this topic in a short bit.

3) I noticed by learning about different series of bodies Fujifilm-X had developed that their design and users’ experiences are actually things valuable to learn from. As I already started with X-Pro1 a while ago, expanded to X-T1 (right after the X-T5 was launched, to reiterate how many years I was ‘behind’), and had the possibility of borrowing indefinitely an X-A1, I thought about learning these design intentions through my experiencing the “old”, “forgotten” (therefore hopefully affordable) first generation Fujfilm-X products.

Fujibokek was then born. Not instantly, though. I played with what to call it several times, made attempts in both English and Indonesian, ending up with the focus on creating Indonesian content to be my most honest bet (in myself). I also did try out several available channels and apps, trying to find out which platform suits this idea best (unfortunately, as of the time of writing, the photographically-dying Instagram is still the best choice I can make—if any of you have any alternative suggestions, I am all ears and eyes). I knew I needed time to be comfortable sharing anything publicly. I gave myself then a year only to learn and experience, not yet sharing. A rabbit hole I found myself in instead: I started purchasing an X-100, then an X-M1, plus a (full spectrum modified) X-E1, with a number of lenses and accessories. As I had to learn and familiarize myself with more experiences than my original intentions, this hatching period of mine had to more or less double in time. To summarize, slowness, affordability, original design intentions on photographic experiences, and contributing to communities served as the main reasons behind my initiation of Fujibokek.

The camera

Returning to the subject at hand for this article. I found the X-T1 to be very reliable. It’s the only WR body in my Fujibokek lineup. The color rendering of the sensor needs some time to get used to, especially as one coming from the first generation sensors (both X-Trans and Bayer). But after a while (at least in RAF), I began to comprehend its advantages. The quirks in X-T1 physical controls render the X-T1, in my book, to be photographically (as opposed to videography) focused.

These days, it’s my go-to body for travelling, while when I’m in town it’s being used less, as I can predict weather and conditions more in order to decide which body I can choose from to use each day (X-T1 is not the smallest option, and yes, really, I’m spoiled by Fujifilm X in this department).

It is one of two bodies that I have used exclusively in the past two months, as me and my family had been in transit mode. We traveled mostly in Indonesia—reflected by the pictures in this post (Yogyakarta, Manado, Lombok, and Pontianak). But we also spent some time Tokyo, the spot in which I finally found a sensible option to have my XF100-400mm serviced. It suffered from eternal softness since the day I put my hands on it. The official Fujifilm service center hopefully is the answer, as the official Fujifilm service in Indonesia refused to take it in (with the ridiculous reason that the item was not sourced from Fujifilm Indonesia (FFID)). It is currently still in Tokyo, with the hope that in a few months, I can properly test it in a proper surfing experience. At this point, I humbly ask you, readers, to wish me well.

Next point is something I’m still figuring out myself: I learned about my preference to shoot “to-the-left”, histogramically speaking. This tendency is being supported best by X-T1. In my tropical context, shade is more pursued than the excessive hot bright sunlight (how does influence tropical photography?). In the dark, my X-T1 shines brighter.

My very last point is an amusing one: the X-T line might be the most popular type among all Fujifilm X bodies, but not necessarily pushing it into the mythical limelight. Let me propose to you a simple test: compare the number of posts on the X-T series with their X-Pro, or even X100, step-siblings in Fuji X Passion alone. I noticed the exaggerated attributes, coming hand-in-hand with the coverage of wide genres: (landscape) architecture, (journalistic) wedding, (emotional) portrait, nudes, abstracts, streets, skateboards, cars, motorbikes, you name it. In stark contrast, though, I found these X-T articles contain less pursuits for elusive qualities, such as timelessness, rupture, and other things pundits like to be emotional about. Contemplating this contrast, I wonder: why do real world usabilities and myths seem to be operating in different realms—at least in the world of Fujifilm X series?