Fujifilm Cameras For Elopements | What’s In My Elopement Photography Camera Bag
The Fuji X Series cameras have been my primary go to for almost 7 years now so I figured it’s time to give an honest review. I’ll highlight what I love about the Fuji system, what I don’t like and just the general experience I’ve had. Hopefully this will help you along your new or existing journey to see if Fujifilm is the right choice for your wedding photography gear line up. I’ll also touch on what lenses I use for different elopement, wedding or portrait scenarios and share my favorite elopement photography camera bags.
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To kick things off it’s worth noting that I shoot both elopements and weddings, but primarily true two person elopements or elopement/weddings with a guest count up to 50 people. I’ve also photographed many larger 100-200 + guest count weddings using Fujifilm and will speak from that experience as well.
Fujifilm Cameras For Elopement And Wedding Photography At A Glance
Two Fujifilm XT-4 Cameras
[serves as main body cameras for elopements, weddings and portrait sessions]
*I’m very happy with my XT-4’s but if I were looking to buy a new Fujifilm in 2024 I’d consider the Fujifilm XT-5
Fujifilm X-PRO3 Camera
[serves as a backup and travel camera]
One GFX 50S II
[serves as a main body camera for non hiking elopements, weddings and portrait sessions]
35MM Film Cameras for Elopement And Wedding Photography
Leica M6 35mm Film Rangefinder Camera
This one has my whole heart and would be my every day carry and one that I’d never not bring to an elopement or wedding
Canon EOS-1N
This one is a stable for elopement, wedding and portrait photography. You’ll find that a lot of hybrid film and digital or film only photographers use this camera.
Canon AE-1
I’ve been using this one for almost 10 years now and has yet to let me down.
Elopement And Wedding Photography Camera Bags Great For Mirrorless Cameras Like Fujifilm
Oliday Journeyman Bag
So I love a good camera bag and have tried many from slings, to messenger style and your classic backpack. The bag that I use depends a bit on the type of elopement or wedding. If we are going to be hiking several miles for an elopement I will use my Oliday Journeyman Bag. I can speak volumes about the quality of this bag as I have been using the same back for over 10 years.
Ona Bowery
Perfect bag to carry two small camera bodies or one with with an extra lens or two. It has sleeves to hold extra SD card holder, batteries, business cards, etc.
This is a perfect camera for a day shoot, travel or street photographer. If you have a simple setup I think you’d love it! The Italian leather is incredible and with some good wear and use offers a beautiful patina.
Ona Brixton
This bag can easily hold two camera bodies, multiple lenses, a flash, SD card holder, etc. You can even jam some snacks in the side pockets or a small swell bottle on the side sleeve. I’ve used this for many wedding days and find it easy to throw over the shoulder. I will say though for extended periods of time it can take a toll on your back. It’s also a great option to throw a camera in it and your laptop, drives, etc if you’re going to work at a coffee shop. The quality of the bag build and leather is truly unmatched.
Clever Supply Co. Camera Sling
This bag is a new additional to my camera bag collection but so far has been awesome. I signed up for the original Kick Starter as I know Todd (the owner of Clever Supply) and have been a fan of his leather goods since day one. I’ve found the bag to be great for 1-2 camera bodies with 2 lenses either attached or snug in the bag. Something I like about the sling is that it doesn’t swing around when you walk. It’s also really easy to pull it around to your chest and access the bag for whatever you need. It’s a bit on the smaller side to use for a full wedding, but for a couple session, elopement, travel or street photography it’s perfect.
Clever Supply Co. Sidekick Belt Bag
I REALLY love this little bag and just recently purchased it a few weeks ago as of writing this blog. This is truly a small fanny pack style bag that’s slick, canvas, water resistant and perfect for one small compact mirrorless or film camera. Right now I am using it to carry my Leica M6 around town and can easily put my wallet, phone and two rolls of film in it.
Best SD Cards and Accessories For Fujifilm Elopement And Wedding Photography
If you’re not familiar with your camera’s read and write speed definitely take a few minutes to research this and understand what your camera needs. E.g. if you have a Fujifilm X Series or other mirrorless camera it’s going to require a faster read/write speed than most cameras. If you use a slow/cheap SD card you’ll experience buffer times, delayed writing and sometimes card corruption. That’s my very non technical explanation, so take that as a prompt to check into it.
SD Cards for Fujifilm Wedding Photography
Sony SF-G Series UHS II SD CARDS
These are the main cards I use in all of my Fujifilm Cameras specifically for elopements, weddings and portrait sessions. I have yet to have a card fail on me or lag and hopefully it stays that way.
Lexar 2000x SD CARDS
I also have several of these cards in 64GB and 128GB that I use for both professional photography work and personal and have never experienced any failures. I also ALWAYS shoot on dual card slots so that I have a backup going incase a card were to fail.
Favorite Fujifilm Lenses For Elopement Photography and Weddings
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm F/1.4
[My go-to lens for documenting elopements and weddings as it offers both a wide and tight perspective]
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 R
[Some Fuji shooters call this this, ‘‘holy grail’’ of Fuji Lenses and I’d mostly agree. It’s perfect for ceremony shots, cocktail hour, and some lovely bokeh if you’re into that]
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 R WR
[I only use this camera about 10% of the time for an elopement or weddings]
It’s great for wide angles, tight getting ready locations and my favorite use is dancing photos with a flash!
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R
[I love this lens especially for couple portraits, candids and detail photos]
It’s not weather sealed and it’s a bit slow, but it still creates some magic and is one of my favorites.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF35mm F2 R WR
[I think this lens is technically faster than the 1.4 version and it’s weather sealed which is a plus.
I have both versions so I can use the 2.0 on rainy or snowy days and have a little extra piece of mind.
The lens itself is also tiny and pairs really well with the X-pro3
35MM Film Recommendations for Elopements and Weddings
Kodak Portra 400 Color Negative Film ISO 400, 135-36 Exposure, Pack of 5, USA.
This is my go to film for all weddings, elopements and protrait session. I love the colors it produces especially how it makes skin tones look and it’s also very close to my digital editing profile.
Kodak Kodacolor Gold 200 35mm Color Negative Roll Film, 200 ISO, 36 Exposure, 10-Pack
Another great wedding day or elopement film option! It’s at least more affordable than portra 400 and still is an awesome film choice!
Ilford HP-5 Plus Black and White Film, ISO 400, 35mm, 36 Exposures - 10 Pack
The best black and white 35mm Film Stock for Weddings and Elopements, at least in my humble opinion
Kodak Portra 800 Color Negative Film ISO 800, 35mm Size, 36 Exposure
This film stock is amazing for sunrise or sunset weddings and elopements! Anytime you might be shooting in a lower light setting try out Portra 800!
Lake Isabelle Elopement, Colorado | Photographed with a Fuji XT-4
Why choose Fujifilm For Elopement Photography?
I first learned photography by shooting film with old school cameras that had top facing dials, manual focus lenses, aperture rings, etc. I love these aspects to photography as they take time to learn and become an extension of you when you go out in the field and create. I would say that Fujifilm Digital Cameras are the closest version to a film camera that you can get without actually shooting film. Fuji has kept and continues to maintain very close ties to original film camera designs, from their lens line up, body design and overall system function and features.
I love this about Fuji and hope they never change
The otherside is simply the practicality of it. I photograph a lot of elopements and sessions up in the mountains of Colorado that require hiking. And even for some of the days that require little to no hiking if I can have a lighter easier to use setup that produces professional quality work, it’s truly a no brainer, and that’s what Fujifilm is for me.
You won’t catch me lugging large FF cameras with 70-200mm lenses on 6 mile hikes because someone somewhere said that’s what a professional does. I take the approach that a professional photographer can take pro photos on just about any equipment and Fuji allows me to do that without breaking my back while producing incredible colors and offering a fun user experience. If you want to read more about my why when it comes to Fujifilm cameras and see sample photos of elopements photographed on Fujifilm, weddings on Fujifilm and session on Fujifilm go [ here ]
