Fuji on a budget: X-T100 and 2 TTArtisan lens that don't suck
My take on joining the Fujifilm community without selling a kidney.
Why I got into Fuji / Photography again
It’s simple like this: I quit my job and needed a hobby while chilling through life. So, I decided to jump in the middle of the hype around Fuji cameras. They look compact, great, vintage, masculine.
Choosing lens: TT Artisan f1.8 35mm + 23mm
My two cents on picking the lens: Prime and Affordable.
I force myself to use prime lenses, so I won’t get lazy with framing. Another reason is they’re super compact. I’ve had enough with the DSLR, this time, the whole camera better be small enough to fit in my bag.
Also, I’d like to stay under budget. However, if I gonna use a kit lens, my iPhone camera will do a slay walk around this poor camera. And let’s stop daydreaming, a versatile zoom lens, wide aperture, "on budget" do not stand in the same line with “under 1000$”
So I did research and chose TTArtisan prime lens. Seems legit, except some YouTubers are overreacting on this. Bought them on Shopee, very affordable, around $100-200 each if you order directly from China’s sellers. Official distributors? $30 more, but you get 12 months of coverage.
Lens Review
I grabbed the 35mm f/1.8 Mark II first two weeks. Feeling okay, but not satisfied. 35mm sits awkwardly—not tight enough for portraits, and street food became micro close-up shots 🤨
Then, I grabbed the 23mm f/1.8. This deal is worth every penny. So if I were to give advice, start with the 23mm. It’s just better.
Overall quality?
Good. Color’s fine. Keynotes:
The 35mm is super soft and hard to focus at f/1.8. Everything’s normal from f/2.2.
The 23mm is sharp and detailed even at f/1.8.
Both have heavy vignetting at the widest aperture.
Both have flares, but that’s not my concern
Focus speed? Les Misérables, especially with my low-end body.
Bokeh: spinny vibe
Choosing Body: FUJIFILM X-T100
It fit my budget and was available. I aimed to get an XA-5, but it was sold out. Because I was lazy to come to this store the day before. I got this one for 400 bucks. Still think it's way too overpriced.
This camera has a limited number of film simulations and very few focusing points. The video function works like a toy feature, but I’m cool with that. So anyone who likes Fuji and has patience, I think you should stay out of this hype for a while. Otherwise, you’re gonna link a high expectation with an overpriced camera (which real value is about half of this). The current market price can be up to $1000 for a new Fuji CROPPED, which I believe is a total joke.
I like starting small to figure out how long this hobby’s gonna last. We’re all impacted by consumerism. But let’s think about it - how many times are you really gonna carry a camera on a random day, like a normal person? Think about it. Now I have to make the camera fit in my daily bag - will I even put it in a safe place?
Color Receipe
I know, I know. I keep it simple, my Fuji body doesn’t give much choice:
Classic Chrome.
WB: R+2, B-2
Dynamic Range: Auto
Color: +1
Sharpness: -1
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +1
Noise: -2
This fits well on a sunny, clear sky day. For a cloudy day, please reduce WB to R+1, B-1
