In my life I have been known to make grandiose statements and decisions that I was 100% certain of, only to change my mind later.
- I have no need for a mountain bike with front suspension.
- I don’t need full suspension.
- I won’t ride a road bike.
- 29″ wheels are dumb.
- Fat bikes are stupid.
- I don’t really need a weather sealed camera.
- I don’t need an eBike.
OK, #7 was a joke. ‘Cause I have me a real eBike problem. While I’m at it, I’ll say any “cycling” publication that gives eBikes one line of positive press, or one page of advertising to such a thing might as well just say they have the crotchial regions of the cycling industry lodged firmly in their mouths and behinds. What I’m talking about more is my evolution (from ape, to semi-ape), and just the right to say “f*ck it, I was wrong.”
All of what I said above is true: I’ve lobbied against front shocks, rear shocks, road bikes, 29ers, and fat bikes, only to end up riding and loving them. The eBike will have to wait until one of those cycling industry types sticks their crotchial regions spurting dollars in my mouth before I think of them as anything other than a motor scooter. Anyway, what I’m saying has nothing to do with bikes, and everything to do with cameras, which is a sign of how my priorities have changed in recent years. But for me these days the two go hand in hand. Hell, I’m not even sure I could muster up the want to ride some days if it weren’t for my want to get out and take some photos.
I digress…
On Friday I posted on my Facepoop wall that anyone interested in buying my brand new, just accidentally replaced by Fuji Film, Fuji X-T10 body should let me know ASAP because I was going to put it on eBay and use the money towards buying a badass Fuji X-T2 this fall. Reasons being that the T2 (like the T1) is weather sealed, the AF system is reportedly better, and it has an even better sensor.
Twenty-four hours later I changed my mind. I thought that since I have a badass (to me) weather sealed, Nikon D7100 DSLR , with a great AF system, maybe I would sell the X-T10 body, save myself a crap ton of money and buy a used T1 body to get the weather sealing. Then I saw that I my drops and spills replacement warranty lasts until 2018, why not just use the crap out of the X-T10, if it goes again, I have the Nikon to use until I get the replacement.
The French say a day moon brings good luck to whoever sees it. They also say 8-year-olds should drink wine. – “Fired Up”
Truth be told, I have no idea how my first X-T10 got water damage. Yes, I’ve had it out in the cold, snow, etc., but it never actually got wet. Yet, from seeing the photos that Fuji sent me, there was no doubt that there had been. I have two theories for the damage:
1. Condensation; moving from hot to cold, cold to hot, too fast created condensation in the camera, a theory that I would give me creedence to had I have seen condensation in the lens.
2. Sweat; I sweat like a beast when I ride. I sweat when it’s hot, cold, and everything in between. I assume there could be a real threat of drops of sweat rolling off of me and onto/into the camera body when the camera is up to my face.
I continue to be an underwear magnet whilst riding.
With that said, in the future I plan to utilize popular trick of keeping the camera in a large plastic bag for some time when coming in and out of extreme hot and cold. I also took some electrical tape and applied it to areas on the top of the camera that could be susceptible to sweat drops with my eye is to the viewfinder.
Another reason I have decided to keep the X-T10 is its size. The body is about the same size as my recently sold X100s was. Adding the 18-55 or the huge 55-200 lens of course increases that, but adding a 27mm f/2.8 would make it a great carry around camera, and basically like the X100t with the option to change lenses. Of course I think I would opt for the 35mm f/1.4.
One of my favorite bulls and his balls.
You most likely did not want to read about my internal camera debates, but look at it this way–you didn’t have to read about me doing a shitty 30 mile dirt road ride! I’ve got a couple more posts that have nothing to do with bikes coming soon, so stay tuned.
For what it’s worth, all the photos taken here were shot with the back from the brink of selling Fuji X-T10** while riding dirt roads on Tuesday.
Later.
**I am of course fully prepared to write about how sold the X-T10 at some point in the future. I’m an ass.