December 2019, the world is divided into two camps: to Brexit or not? to impeach Trump or not? Vote again for Kolinda or not? For photographers there is a more important question: to like the xpro3 or not? Wtf?

Fuji makes great cameras. Period. Always did, always have. Their medium format range finders were beloved, their 35mm/medium format camera TX1, or better known as x-pan is one of the most wanted camera’s on earth. Sadly I never had the opportunity to use them.

Fuji knows colour. Period. Always did, always have. Their films are great. I used lot’s of NPH, it was my one of my favorite films back in Holland (until I discovered Portra). I even recall working for Fuji when being young, cleaning parts of there production units (with a tiny brush), as they hired students for this (mmmm, this is may be not such a good memory…).

Anyway, back to good camera’s and film. Combine this and you have a great combination. A unique one, cause the only one to concur this, Kodak, didn’t make it. When I finally went digital, Fuji was my choice with a couple of S2’s and later S5’s. Great camera’s with great colour.

In 2011 Fuji shook the world with the x100. A marvelous camera though with faults. But Fuji kept improving and their new system grew. Fast forward end 2019 and Fuji launches the xpro3 and photographers are being divided into two camps. Silly us.

Instead of appreciating what is good in life, we bitch about what might be bad. Probably we have a too good life and therefore we focus on the bad. Like we don’t have dreams anymore. So sad.

The xpro3 is most probably a great camera, for sure an improvement over his predecessors. For sure the best wannabe digital rangefinder which exists. Yet still, photographers are heavily discussing on the internet one part: his screen is hidden. You can not chimp (though one could use the viewfinder for this); their world felt apart with this new camera. Silly them.

To me, the xpro3 is a great camera. Not because for its features. It’s a great camera simply because by entering this world, the xpro2 fell in price insanely. Within one month, a price for a new xpro2 has been reduced with 50% making it a real bargain. One must love the xpro3 for this…