A new camera enters the arena

So I made the very hard, but freeing decision to sell all of my Fujfilm gear. Well, almost all. I’ll never part ways with my X100F because that camera means more to me than just being a camera. But everything else; my X-T4, X-Pro2, and a myriad of lenses, all shipped off to MPB to recoup some cost.

There are a few reasons I decided to do this:

First, simplicity in kit. This is a concept that means a lot to me. I hate having to make the decision of what to carry, and I wanted to simplify that decision by limiting my choices.

Second, I simply wasn’t using any of it. Ever since I got the Sony a7Rii back in June, I haven’t picked up my Fujifilm cameras. They’ve been relegated to a shelf in my office for me to just look at and collect dust. I hated that feeling. Not just of having gear that just sat there, but that someone else could get great use of it.

Third, I knew if I ever wanted to shoot Fujifilm again, I am lucky enough to be able to repurchase anything that I sold. But I also knew that wasn’t going to happen. I’ve been creating some of my best work ever with this 9 year old camera, and I don’t see myself looking back. I am done with the hype that street photographers shoot Fujifilm because I realized that a lot of street photographers still shoot film. And I’m definitely not going to be doing that. So why am I trying to label myself a certain type of photographer based on the brand that I use?

And finally, and honestly, least importantly, it was because I wanted a new camera. But not the kind of camera you may think. I wasn’t upgrading my Sony (although, honestly, I really want to because the shutter lag after 7 shots is starting to kill me). No, I had my eyes on a whole different kind of camera, a camera that would allow me to more easily share my ideas.

New Endeavours

Since I’ve started this blog, I keep thinking “this could be a video”. Not that I think it could go viral or it’s an amazing idea. But just that, I used to make YouTube videos pretty regularly and I loved it and I kinda missed it. But I was doing it for the wrong reasons (monetization). Now looking back, I wish I had just tried to dispel information to people instead of trying to make videos that would get a lot of views and hopefully subscribers (because that didn’t happen).

So with all that, I’ve been thinking recently that I want to get back into making videos. I want to make these blogs videos. I want to document my projects (again, more on that soon hopefully), and I want to make more POV photography reels for Instagram (mainly because I love watching them).

So with all that said, and without further ado, the camera that I picked up after selling my unused Fujifilm kit, is the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.

Now, I’m not one to review gear, or even try to persuade you to purchase something (you won’t find an affiliate link anywhere in this post). Because honestly, you shouldn’t be buying new gear. If your GAS is acting up, it’s probably because you’re not being inspired, and I think you should just try something new. Trust me, someone with a terrible case of GAS, nothing you buy will make you a better photographer.

But this DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is different. It isn’t to make me a better photographer, because it doesn’t take photographs (I mean it does, but I would never). I see this as a new tool for a different hobby.

And yes, you can make the argument of “you could have just shot video on your Fujifilms, why would you buy a camera that only does 1 thing, and doesn’t do it as well as the Fujfilms did?” That’s a very easy answer: simplicity.

Why not just use my iPhone?

I don’t want to faf around with focusing on making the video completely cinematic by choosing the right lens and filter and settings and all that nonsense. I’m not trying to make movies. I just want to make videos. And yes, I did consider using my iPhone for this, but there are two main reasons I decided to steer away from that, and these are completely personal and I don’t downplay anyone who uses their iPhone to make videos because it really is a fantastic camera:

One, recording in Apple Pro-Res required me to plug in an external drive to record onto because those files are huge. And then I’d want great audio so I’d have to plug in a microphone. And then all my shots are static unless I got a gimbal. And….the list goes on. Pretty soon I’m building out a rig that would require it’s own separate bag, and I’m setting up a tripod and such to shoot in public, and at that point I might as well use the Fujifilm because at least it does better in low light. So point number one, I didn’t want to have to build out a rig to do what the DJI OP3 does so well.

And two, along with everything stated above, I believe it does have better low-light capabilities. And I’m someone who likes to get up in the early morning and do POV street photography sometimes, and I’ve been burned in the past with bad low-light capabilities and poor image stabilization (looking at you Osmo Action 2). But the OP3 has mechanical stabilization, a decently-sized sensor, and is still decently small, small enough for me to mount onto my camera and now feel like I’m carrying 10 pounds of gear around my neck for a simple reel.

So, ultimately, comparable, if not better, image quality, better stabilization, and a smaller kit. Those are the reasons I’ve chosen then OP3 over my iPhone or any other camera.

Do I care that there isn’t multiple focal lengths? No. I mean, I haven’t actually made a video yet, but I think dynamic motion will make for a more interesting video than multiple focal lengths. Do I care that the gimbal isn’t a 360 degree rotating head? Kinda, but there’s just a learning curve. Do I care that it is larger than the Action 2, in my opinion the best form factor for POV videos? A little, but I’ll take better video quality any day.

So, yeah, I sold my Fujfilm gear. I’m no long a Fujifilm photographer. And I bought a new camera, but a very specifically-focused camera. And I think my next blog will also be a video. Because that would be pretty cool.