iphone 12 pro max (256gb) or fuji x100v

[jpcc]

hi,
i have used ricoh gr a decade ago and love the dedicated fixed lens for environmental portraits.
however the convenience of social media / whatsapp sharing , computational photography advance makes handphone (always available) an attractive choice.
i have a nikon z, so this acquisition is more for portable quick image capture . (and budget is limited.. to only one purchase, if justified)
video is not relevant, don’t intend to spend time on video editing.
if getting the phone, it is more for still image and occasional web browsing.
i will be using a dedicated phone for mobile usage.

what are your thoughts on the option for the joy of photo taking

 

[ricohflex]

See this:

2 days ago a friend showed me the photos he took of the Christmas dinner treat he gave to 3 friends at a local Chinese restaurant.
The seating was al fresco and timing about 6pm. The photos from his iPhone 12 Pro Max were excellent. Enough for casual shooter.
(Afternote: confirmed it is a 256 GB model.) As you said, it has the plus points of social media / WhatsApp sharing , computational photography advance.

The Fuji X100V is a classy looking camera. But No Image Stabilisation (which can be a deal breaker).
There is no way the iPhone can match the Fuji in terms of image quality.
Due to the much smaller size of the 3 iPhone 12 Pro Max sensors.

One bad point about the Fuji is that you need an "adapter ring" in order to fit on a filter. Which in my opinion is a money-grubbing design decision.
Fuji could have designed the lens with a filter thread but instead chose to do it this way.
Or Fuji could have included the adapter ring free bundled with the camera purchase.
Fuji wants to risk all this hassle and negative reactions from consumers for US$50? Very stupid.
Canon used to practice the same "must buy adapter tube/ring in order to fit on a filter" nonsense in its compact camera models.
Panasonic Lumix did this too (e.g. LX3).
A common abuse of the consumer by money grubbing camera manufacturers.

In terms of overall usefulness to the owner, the iPhone 12 Pro Max beats the Fuji X 100 V by a big margin.
The Fuji X 100 V is a one-trick pony.

But maybe save money to buy the Sony A7C, after you buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

 

[jpcc]

thanks for the write up. very useful and many points to ponder over.
getting the fuji is like re-living the hcb’s the decisive moment kind of joy but with a lot more hit n miss results.

 

[one eye jack]

thanks for the write up. very useful and many points to ponder over.
getting the fuji is like re-living the hcb’s the decisive moment kind of joy but with a lot more hit n miss results.

There's nothing much to ponder over really. You said you don't care for video so the extra features you will pay for pro max is wasted. Like the larger sensor vs pro 47% thus the 87% improvement in low light. Pro max screen has less resolution (pixel pitch) not that it's noticeable and it's much bigger and heavier which you said you will be using another phone for telephony needs. It does not make any sense except for bragging rights. If you must buy then get just the pro and save some money.

What are you really getting?

iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: Which should you buy in 2021?

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are similar phones, but not identical. Here how the iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max comapre.

9to5mac.com

My honest opinion is since you are not into post processing of images and you want the real feel of a real camera then the x100v will do just fine but think carefully again about what you really want, a new toy or doing photography or just getting photos for social media?

Seriously do you need the latest and greatest camera to take great photos? Here is someone
who lives in Korea and became famous for using his iphone5 and being featured in National Geographic, BBC, korean tv/ radio and had national museum showcasing his iphone artistry. Even Samsung employed him for collaboration ( get it?).

He said don't give excuses for not having the perfect camera.There is'nt one even the pros know it. So just get out there and shoot!

 

[jpcc]

chill..
i don’t want to be a gear whore nor going for bragging rights.
a bigger iphone is not as flashy as a poor man leica lookalike, but i digress...

yes, video is irrelevant to me, but low light and raw shooting are interesting options.
whether going to capture1 or halide-> darkroom to extract more info is a good backdoor / alternative.
but nail the exposure the first time is of cuz a better approach to build the fundamentals right.

i am thinking there is another aspect of the tool ( hardware) communicating with user as u click the shutter.

fuji is quite good in laying the controls / ui in an old skool way that is quite pleasant (minimalist yet adequate)
the intimate feel is quite intangible but gr, hexar, leica , seagull, or even fm2 did very well.. (i think)

tan jiak images? nah, i am not at that level and don’t aspire to that.
its just a self gratifying purchase.
a toy to use for (maybe) 3years and derive pleasure when using it.

x100v may feel more at home after 5 years while iphone 16 may be way ahead of 12.
tech gets obsolete after every generation and i am fine with it.