Make Light Work Of Your Travel Photography With The Help Of Used Dealer Specialists MPB

– Partner Content – 

Image credit: Will Cheung

It’s really simple: I like to have a camera with me wherever I go and by camera I don’t mean a smartphone. 

Back in the day, a digital compact would have been the obvious choice but options are limited now thanks to the impact of the camera phone. However, there is a rich seam of premium models that sell well and in this market sector earlier this year we witnessed one of the most successful camera launches ever with the unveiling of the Fujifilm X100IV, a £1600 40.2 megapixel, fixed lens compact. 

Thanks to celebs and influencers, its predecessor, the X100V, was so incredibly popular that dealers never seemed to have stock. Learning from that experience Fujifilm geared up production of the X100IV to meet the expected high demand. However, as I write in mid-September 2024, such is its appeal that UK dealers are still taking preorders so if you fancy one, you will have to be patient – or pay a premium.

Anyway, I got to thinking about taking a compact camera when I was planning my outfit for a photo holiday to Spain. I knew my main camera was going to be a Canon EOS R mirrorless outfit with a macro lens and a long telezoom but I wanted a more portable imaging solution too. 

Cameras from Fujifilm, Leica, Ricoh and Sony all crossed my mind but in the end I took a slightly left-field option and went for a compact interchangeable lens camera in the form of the Fujifilm X-T5. Sure, it’s not a fixed lens compact but it’s not too much bigger and shares the same sensor/processor as the X100IV, offers Film Simulation modes and it’s supported by an extensive lens system. It’s also much smaller and lighter than a Canon EOS R5 so I considered this to be the ideal compromise. 

Of course, I had to think about the lens. I could have gone for the XF 18mm f/2 or XF 27mm f/2.8, both compact lenses, but taking the lead from the X100VI I went for XF 23mm f/2. The fast f/2 aperture would come in useful in poorly lit situations and, with 40.2 megapixels at my disposal, if I had to crop for a tighter composition I had plenty of pixels to work with. 

Looking at the physical specs of the two cameras the X100IV weighs 521g and measures 128x75x55mm. By comparison the X-T5 is 129.5x91x63.8mm and weighs 557g and that’s without the XF 23mm lens attached. Add the lens and it’s bigger and heavier than the X100VI but compared with a full-frame camera it’s really compact.

In terms of cost, MPB has used X-T5 cameras in a price range of £1139-1359 and the XF 23mm f/2 from £214 to £314. So, buying the used X-T5/XF 23mm combo from MPB costs in the range of £1353-1673, so competitive with a brand new X100VI.

My shooting plan was simple. I would spend the day working with my full-frame kit and go out in the evening with just the X-T5 round my neck. That said, I did occasionally take out both cameras. The thing is, the X-T5/XF 23mm combo was small enough to use in tandem with the Canon and 70-200mm lens on the front. It also meant I didn’t have to constantly switch lenses.

My X-T5 had a straightforward set-up. I shot mostly in aperture-priority AE, left the camera to handle white-balance and used the electronic front-curtain shutter most of the time. For ISO control I set an auto range of 200-3200, but also manually set speeds too. I know auto ISO works well but I actually like the physical act of setting ISO and the large lockable dial on the X-T5 means I know what speed I am using with a quick downwards glance. Moreover, changing ISO when I go from bright sun to an area of shade keeps me thinking about the light and what’s going so it’s a good tactic to keep my mind working.

September light in Valencia was very contrasty for much of the day and the blue sky was so vibrant that it didn’t need any help from a polariser. Despite the contrasty conditions, the camera didn’t waver and its exposure system coped very well and I intervened only occasionally using the exposure compensation dial. 

I was shooting Raw and JPEGs for the best of both worlds. Raws for editing flexibility and with JPEGs I could enjoy Fujifilm’s Film Simulations, mostly Reala Art, Acros Standard and Classic Chrome. The results shown here represent a mix of Raw files edited to taste and out of camera JPEGs.

All in all, I was very happy with my improvised compact solution. It is neat enough to fulfil its role as a compact but of course, it’s an interchangeable lens camera so it has so much more potential. In addition, the used X-T5/XF 23mm duo in the price range of £1353-1673 is great value from MPB.

The Fujifilm X-T5 with XF 23mm f/2 combo is perfect for grab shots and picture quality is impressive even at high ISO speeds. The exposure here was 1/105sec at f/2 and ISO 1600 using the Reala Ace Film Simulation mode. Image credit: Will Cheung

The architecture of Valencia’s central market was worth a few photos and I joined several tourists exploring the ceiling with their cameras. The Fujifilm X-T5 gave an exposure of 1/2200sec and f/4 at ISO 800. The Raw file was edited to taste in Adobe Lightroom. Image credit: Will Cheung

The Fujifilm X-T5/23mm f/2 pairing has potential for nature photography too! This octopus was photographed at Valencia’s Oceanographic Aquarium. The  water tank’s subdued lighting called for an exposure of 1/40sec and f/2 at ISO 1600, and sharpness is still good despite shooting through thick glass. Image credit: Will Cheung

The Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir is known as Valencia’s ‘Sistine Chapel’ and the interior is something very special. Shot with the Fujifilm X-T5/23mm f/2 with the Raw edited to taste in Lightroom. The handheld exposure was 1/50sec at f/2 and ISO 800. Image credit: Will Cheung.

Discretion is a strong point of X-T5 being small and quiet in operation with the electronic front-curtain shutter barely audible over the general hubbub of a market environment. The exposure for this shot was 1/1250sec at f/2 and ISO 800. Image credit: Will Cheung

News from MPB

As the world’s largest platform for buying, selling and trading in used photo and video equipment with 570,000 cameras and lenses recirculated each year, MPB takes its sustainability responsibilities seriously. It aims to provide the fastest, most personalised service to its customers and work in a way that good for people and the planet. 

Click here to read the full story and download the FY24 Impact Report.

MPB Explained

You need kit to take photographs and produce videos, and taking the used route is a cost-effective way of making the most of your budget and keeping up with the latest developments in imaging technology.

MPB is one of the biggest used retailers with bases in the UK, Germany and the USA.

Trading with MPB the process is fair, safe, painless and incredibly easy.

Whether you have kit to sell, want to make a purchase or part exchange, start by going to the MPB website which is intuitive and straightforward to use.

If you have kit to trade, just start typing the name in and a list of suggestions from MPB’s huge database will appear. If a name on that list matches your product click on it and add its condition; if not, continue typing in the whole name and condition.

It’s worth bearing in mind that MPB’s database covers much more than cameras and lenses so if you have, for example, a photo backpack, tripod or filters to sell these can be shown as you type in their name too.

With all your kit listed, add contact details and a quote will appear in your inbox soon afterwards, although manually entered items will take one working day.

If you are happy with the quote, accept it and follow the instructions to get the kit ready for courier collection on a day to suit you. For higher-value deals, an MPB account manager will also be in touch, so you have a personal point of contact if you have any queries.

Once received by MPB, you will get a notification and after checking by its product specialists you will receive a final quote. This can vary from the original quote if there is a missing item —like a battery not being supplied—or your assessed condition differs from the actual condition.

A quote can go down, but it can also increase if the kit’s condition is better than your assessment.

The whole process doesn’t take long and MPB are in touch by e-mail at every step so you’re never in the dark, and only when you are totally happy with the deal, pass on your payment details or pay the balance in the case of part-exchange. Either way, the money or your new kit will be with you soon after.

Get A Quote From MPB Today

About MPB

• MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video kit.
• MPB is the simple, safe and circular way to trade, upgrade and get paid.
• MPB is not a marketplace, instead buying directly from visual storytellers and evaluating all items before reselling MPB-approved kit.
• MPB’s dynamic pricing engine provides the right price upfront for all items.
• Circularity is at the centre of MPB, promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion in everything they do.
• MPB prioritises inclusive recruitment and supports employees with extensive training and development. They promote inclusive visual storytelling and an inclusive circular economy.
• MPB’s business model is 100% circular. All packaging is 100% plastic-free. Their cloud-based platform uses 100% renewable electricity.
• MPB recirculates more than 570,000 products annually
• MPB provides first-class customer service. Customers can receive support through their Help Centre or by speaking directly with a kit expert.
• MPB’s product specialists are trusted by thousands of visual storytellers in the UK.
• MPB is rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with over 37,000 reviews.

Visit The MPB Website