I was scrolling through my Instagram profile the other day, looking at the various images I’ve shot on different cameras – the Fujifilm X100F, GFX 50S II, Nikon D750 and even my iPhone – and honestly? They all looked almost identical.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of new mirrorless cameras; bigger sensors, higher megapixels, insane dynamic range. But here’s the reality: if your images are only living on Instagram, X or Facebook, does having the latest and greatest gear really matter?
Social media strips images of fine details, compressing everything into the same mush of pixels. The subtle tonal gradations and resolution advantages of medium format get completely lost. The only way you’d see a difference is if you were printing, or maybe zooming in at 100%, but with compression, even that might not help.
Especially with the way I personally shoot, black-and-white with motion blur and grain, using the Acros film simulation with minor personal adjustments. The difference between an X100F and a GFX 50S II image on a phone screen is almost nonexistent. Can you tell from the images in this article?
With the GFX 100RF now announced by Fujifilm, it’s easy to get swept up in the marketing hype – I know I'm guilty of it. But I would highly recommend taking a step back and asking yourself: what are you actually doing with your images? If you’re not printing large-scale, will the extra resolution and dynamic range really change anything?
I recently wrote an article about how I used my Nikon D750 again for the first time in a couple of years, and as expected it performed brilliantly. The images are as good today as they were when the camera was first released.
That’s not to say gear doesn’t matter, of course. For certain types of photography, like wildlife or sports, you need the right tools. But if your main output is social media, the camera in your hand is probably already good enough.
Ultimately, the key takeaway is that the most important thing is finding gear that works for you. If you primarily publish on social media, then how a camera enables you to work and create is far more important than the latest specs.
It's not about having the highest megapixels or the newest features, it's about choosing tools that match your style, workflow and the way you want to capture moments.
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Check out our guides to the best camera for black and white photography and the best Fujifilm cameras.
