Yuu Speaks | It All Started with One Photo | FUJIFILM X-H2 | Knowledge #475

Creators who are passionate about photography share their stories with their cameras. The presence of a "beloved camera" reflects each individual's perspective on life and values. In this installment, Yuu, who is devoted to the FUJIFILM X-H2, takes the stage.

With smartphones now mainstream, Yuu was on the verge of losing sight of the "meaning of shooting with a camera." It was the encounter with the FUJIFILM X-H2 that profoundly shook that perspective.

A single photograph that overturned the assumption that "smartphones take better pictures." From there, as Yuu delved into the depth of film simulations and experimented with the XF35mmF1.4 R lens, the time spent engaging with photography gradually began to change. Through repeated struggles and discoveries, what is the "joy of photography" that Yuu ultimately arrived at? We quietly explore that journey.

The FUJIFILM X-H2 is a high-resolution mirrorless camera equipped with a back-illuminated APS-C sensor, the X-Trans CMOS 5 HR, boasting approximately 40.2 megapixels. Thanks to the latest image processing engine, X-Processor 5, it achieves highly detailed rendering and exceptional color reproduction. With advanced autofocus and video capabilities, it is a camera widely supported by creators working in both stills and video.

I always thought that smartphones took better pictures than cameras. I didn’t know anything about aperture or shutter speed, and could only shoot in auto mode. Honestly, I didn’t understand why anyone would bother using a camera. I couldn’t take good photos, and I thought smartphones were easier and produced better results.

Then, one day, I came across a photograph on Instagram. Taken with a FUJIFILM camera, it looked somehow different from anything I’d seen before.

The texture was so vivid, it felt as if even the air was captured. “I want to take photos like this myself.” From that moment, everything began.

After picking up the FUJIFILM X-H2, I wanted to truly understand cameras for the first time.
Aperture, shutter speed, ISO—one by one, I began to grasp the terms I had always avoided. I even attended workshops simply because I wanted to capture those colors in my photos.

Once I learned to shoot in manual, I became fascinated by film simulations.
The film-like quality of Classic Negative, which seems to nail the look in a single shot. The soft, calm tones of Classic Chrome. The beauty of nightscapes captured with Provia. Even the same scene can look completely different depending on the settings you choose. Before I knew it, I was completely captivated by this depth.

There’s one more thing I’m truly glad to have encountered: the XF35mmF1.4 R lens.

At first, I couldn’t handle it at all. The autofocus wasn’t fast, and I struggled to get sharp focus. There were times I wondered if it was too soon for me.

But it wasn’t the lens’s fault. I just lacked experience. There were days I felt down because I missed focus. Even so, strangely, I never wanted to let it go.

I wanted to get better. I wanted to shoot more.
I wanted to visit more places.
This lens is what inspired those feelings in me.

The soft bokeh created at f/1.4—when I saw that image, for the first time, I truly felt that "photography is fun."

The 35mm focal length can feel a bit close for portraits, but for capturing landscapes, architecture, and the atmosphere of a place while traveling, it was just right.

It’s not just about taking beautiful photos. I shoot to capture the atmosphere I felt and the temperature of the moment. The path that began with that one photograph continues on.

I want to keep photographing with the X-H2 and the 35mm F1.4, now and in the future.