The Foto(eins) Journey, with Canon & Fujifilm
Above/featured: Winter morning at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver – 22 Dec 2020 (X70).
Frankly, I don’t know why I waited so long.
For the longest time, I thought photography wasn’t for me. But the curiosity of making images would soon win me over.
My late-entry to photography means I have some regrets not having any images when I lived in Toronto and in Germany. After I moved to Minneapolis, I asked friends and colleagues for some advice, and by 2015, I purchased a compact Canon point-and-shoot camera. I pushed the limits of that camera, and I realized very quickly the kinds of images I wanted to make were beyond what the camera could manufacture. I needed greater flexibility and capability to adjust aperture- and exposure-values, and within three years, I moved “up” to a Canon camera with a crop sensor (450D).
I learned quickly I wanted a broader range of focal lengths, which led me to acquiring a couple of extra lenses. I pushed the 450D very hard, including my year-long around-the-world (RTW) journey in 2012. The shutter died the next summer in Prague, and with my investment of glass within the Canon camera-system, I moved “up” to a Canon camera with a full-frame sensor (6D1) in early 2014. With a larger sensor providing greater sensitivity to low-light, I feel the camera has furnished great images under a variety of conditions. But the 6D1 camera and complement of lenses can be bulky and heavy to carry around for an entire day, and I was feeling “burned out” by the camera-and-lens combination’s larger footprint and weight.
In early 2018, I pondered the idea of a more portable camera, and I decided on a lightly-used Fujifilm X70 mirrorless camera. I brought the 6D1 and the X70 on trips to Europe and the U.S. Southwest to experiment with both cameras, and to understand which device was ideally suited for different environments in different places. The 6D1 still has its place for what I want to photograph, but I discovered a different level of fun and versatility with the X70 with its light weight and small compact size. The X70 isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot easier to carry the X70 into the streets than with the 6D1.
I don’t know what happens next, but there are lots of possibilities for further projects in locations near and far.
4 Devices
From a total of over 200-thousand exposures over 4 cameras, I show below 4 images for each of the following devices:
- Canon PowerShot A510 (A510): 2005–2008.
- Canon EOS450D / Rebel XSi (450D): 2008–2013.
- Canon EOS6D mark1 (6D1): 2014–present.
- Fujifilm X70 fixed-lens prime (X70): 2018–present.
Canon PowerShot A510: 2005–2008
One of the 1st images with this camera: at dusk, south on King’s Parade: Cambridge, England – 20 Jul 2005 (A510).
US Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress (BD AF60-0041) at the Comox Air Show; note photographer at right edge of the frame. CFB Comox, BC, Canada – 8 Aug 2005 (A510).
On board flight LAN 326 from Santiago (SCL) on approach to La Serena (LSC). With this view facing east towards the Andes, the two identified mountains with its white telescope domes would become more familiar during my 5-year period in Chile. Photo on 20 Feb 2006 (A510).
For its many mysteries, Prague is a city to which I’d return many times between 2008 and 2016. Facing northwest on Průchodní ulice, near Bartolomějská ulice, in the city’s Old Town – 20 Apr 2008 (A510).
Canon EOS450D/Rebel XSi: 2008–2013
• Total actuations/shutter exposures: over 75-thousand.
• RTW journey: over 36-thousand images, from 27 Dec 2011 to 14 Jan 2013.
• The 450D: 75000 important clicks with my camera.
One of the first images with this camera: Waikōloa Beach, facing south to the dormant Hualālai volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii – 19 May 2008 (450D).
Overcast late-winter skies in the Chilean Andes, facing east to the foothills and beyond to the Chile-Argentina border, from Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Región de Coquimbo, Chile – 17 Sep 2011 (450D).
A chorus of voices at the V&A Waterfront: Cape Town, South Africa – 14 Oct 2012 (450D).
Czech National Monument on Vítkov (Národní památník na Vítkově), in Prague Žižkov – 2 Aug 2013 (450D); one of the last images with the camera before catastrophic failure of the shutter.
Canon EOS6D mark1: 2014–present
• Total actuations/shutter exposures: over 99-thousand (ongoing).
• Progress with Canon, from 450D to 6D.
One of the first images with this camera: downtown Vancouver at Granville St. and West Georgia St. – 17 Jan 2014 (6D1).
Exiting one of Berlin’s train stations (S+U Zoologischer Garten) – 9 Dec 2014 (6D1).
The blur of inbound and outbound trains, mid-morning at Prague’s Muzeum metro station – 8 Nov 2016 (6D1).
Kirsten Wicklund performing in “B.R.I.S.A.”, choreographed by Johan Inger, for Ballet BC 32nd season Program One preview – 2 Nov 2017 (6D1).
Fujifilm X70: 2018–present
• Total actuations/shutter exposures: over 30-thousand (ongoing).
• My Fuji X70: from Austria to the US Southwest.
One of the first images with this camera: on-board EuroCity train EC89 from Munich to Innsbruck, with scheduled stop in Jenbach, Austria – 9 May 2018 (X70).
After the queue is in the queue: outside Café Central in Vienna – 20 May 2018 (X70).
On highway US-89A, between mile markers 527 and 528 in northern Arizona; Vermilion Cliffs and Echo Cliffs at centre and right, respectively – 13 Oct 2018 (X70).
Sunset silhouettes next to the Salish Sea. At the Inukshuk sculpture in Vancouver, BC, Canada – 15 Jan 2021 (X70, IG).
I made all images above between 2005 and 2021. I’ve left out images made with a 2nd- and 4th-generation iPod Touch. Acknowledgements to Amy for LAPC no. 133 in the week of 30 Jan-5 Feb 2021. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-kdZ.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
23 Responses to “The Foto(eins) Journey, with Canon & Fujifilm”
Nice examples of street photography!
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Thanks, John!
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Great photo series of your photography journey, Henry! I, too, had canon point-to-shoot for a while. I love the downtown Vancouve image. The lighting of Kirsten Wicklund performing… is an amazing shot. Sunset silhouettes is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for sharing!
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Hi and thanks, Amy. As much as I like the performance shot, I’m always fascinated by how others respond to images in general, because I have in mind other favourite images; you picked out in particular 2 of my highlights: “pigeons in flight” in downtown Vancouver and sunset silhouettes in Vancouver. But I’m glad you liked the dancer image, too 😊 Thanks for your kind comments!
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All good, all good. You’ve done well with each camera.
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Thanks, John!
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Some great photos, and great experiences! I think I need to experiment more with people photos. I enjoyed reading about your photo journey!
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Hi and thanks, Lisa. There are ways of photographing people out in the streets or in other environments, with respect to your own comfort level and with respect to rules/laws regarding photographing people in different locations. There are lots of opinions and guides to find online. Thanks again for your comments!
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Thanks for the suggestion! That is a great idea.
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You’re welcome!
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Great images from your 4 cameras!
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Thank you, Teresa!
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You always make great images, and also you have great cameras to work with. All amazing, but the Kirsten Wicklund shot is stunningly beautiful. Thank you for sharing your amazing story, Henry!
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Hi and thanks, Ann-Christine. As much as I like the performance shot, I’m always fascinated by how others respond to images in general, because I have other favourite images in mind. However, I’m glad you liked the dancer image. Thanks for your kind comments!
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Great journey. Five years in Chile minding those observatories! Must have been great
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Hi there. Before moving to Chile for 5 years, I had already visited the country’s telescopes many many times in the previous ten years. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
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Hah – all this time I thought you lived in Germany Henry – had to laugh when I read you were in the U.S. Enjoyed your journey, looks like you’ve made up for your late start and then some. Agree with Ann-Christine, the Wicklund shot is stunning. I too found the Fuji series less capable but much more convenient to use vs my Nikon kit so I’m staying with it most of the time. Thanks for sharing with us this week!
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Hi, Tina. I can understand how you might think I live in Europe! 😊 Fact is I returned to the Canadian Southwest in mid-2013. As much as I like the performance shot, it’s always interesting how others respond to images in general, because I have other favourites. However, I’m glad you liked the dancer image. Thanks for your kind comments!
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I enjoyed knowing your photographic journey.
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¡Muchas gracias, Ana!
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De nada 😘
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