A Surprise Trip and A Gear Carrying Exercise

Saturday came with it's own usual dreariness in this continuing time of COVID-19. I was thinking of just hanging around the neighborhood and trying to see if I can view the world in another way. Perhaps that can get me some shots for the day.

For some reason, my wife pulled me out of the house and we ended up spending the day traveling in the outskirts of our city.

She asked me to grab a couple of cameras and lenses for varied situations (Don't you just love it when the one you love supports your craziness?). I brought the #FujinonXF18mmf2.0 as my wide lens, the #FujinonXF35mmf1.4 for general use and the #FujinonXF50-140mmf2.8 just to be safe (Oh boy, even if it was heavy wasn't I thankful). Oh, also the #FujinonXF23mmf1.4 as a just in case lens.

I ended up just using the 35mm and the 50-140mm for most of the day as I realized I would end up missing both the time I would spend with my wife, and also the shots I would try and take while I thought about what lens to use and then mounting them. I also kept hearing the voices of my boss, who is a proponent of the 18-135mm and my event photographer buddy who is a supporter of the carry only one lens camp saying I already had a penalty on my carry weight if it was Diablo.

I'm still deciding about the 50-140. It's a great lens to have, but shooting outside, lugging it, getting into all sorts of "what bag?", "dang it doesn't fit here too" stuff just gets on your nerves you know? Moreso if you've committed to a mirrorless APS-C system. You're supposed to carry light.

Real world experience is that the 35f1.4 will rock your socks off on a consistent basis. On the newer bodies, Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T4 with their improved AF, the lens has a new lease on life. Yes you still hear it creaking and grinding away like some ancient machine about to bring desolation into your world, but man with the images it can give you it's just stunning.

The 50-140f2.8 will always live up to it's red badge heritage. It's an awesome lens to have in your arsenal and you forget the weight, the size and your reason for going mirrorless when you take you snaps with this baby mounted. And on an IBIS body like the T4 you are in hand held heaven bay-bee.

Well the 23f1.4 did see some action, during the evening.

As always, I ended up my day being thankful for the woman who loves me enough to try and alter the course of my universe everyday. I wouldn't be writing about these bleh gear stuff if she didn't shock me off my stupor.