So, here's a thing - I'm now an official Fuji X-Photographer!
As many of you will know already, I've been using Fuji's great range of small cameras with their amazing hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder for a couple of years now, and really enjoying them - first the X100, then when the larger X-Pro 1 came along I had to jump to that system.
The interchangeable lenses were really what made it for me - while the X100 was a fantastic one-lens camera, for me the 35mm-e length wasn't quite what I liked having with me - I was wishing it was just a little wider, or just a little longer, a lot of the time. So, when they made one with a 28mm, 50mm and 90mm-e lens range available, I was ready to upgrade.
In fact I also sold another camera to do it, my much loved & well used Epson R-D1s - a strange & quirky beast, with a body based so closely on the Voigtlander Bessa models that you still had to cock the shutter manually before every frame with a 'film advance' lever - on a digital camera! But I loved it, and the Leica & Zeiss lenses I'd accumulated along the way.
I sold all that* to get into the Fuji XF lenses and bodies, so I was committed - the Leica M-Mount glass would have fit other camera bodies if I'd decided to change to something else - but I haven't regretted it once, I have to say.
So, when Fujifilm New Zealand got in touch late last year to ask if I was interested in being one of their X-Photographers - and along with the great Tony Bridge, only the second in the country - I was really quite pleased. It took a little time to put together a portfolio of images from the two cameras for them (as I was moving to Australia as well at the time) - but on the weekend, it went live along with a select group of photographers from around the world.
So here I am! And it's great to be here. Thanks to Fuji for making great little cameras, and to Fujifilm New Zealand for making me part of the gang!
* Actually I didn't sell ALL the lenses, I've still got a Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon w. lens hood for sale, if anyone's in the market! It's a great little lens - just doesn't fit any cameras I have...