I Still Shoot Film

Fuji Natura Classica Review

Ok, so I have now had my Fuji Natura Classica for about 6 months and have played around with it sufficiently to finally give you guys a decent review.

Let me start with the Pros:

1. It’s small (easily fits in purse/pocket)
2. It’s light as a feather
3. It makes very little noise
4. It’s great for dark interiors and dusk
5. Generally it replicates the exact same colors and light as your shooting situation
6. NP mode with 1600 film is fabulous.
7. It’s easy to use.
8. It has a remote. Sweet.

Now let’s take a look at the Cons:

1. It’s expensive (for a point and shoot)
2. It doesn’t like bright light. So far this is my biggest problem. The aperture on the Fuji Natura Classica goes from 2.8 to 5.4, which means that even with ISO 50 your shots are overexposed in direct sunlight. I would not use this camera at the beach, for example.
3. Camera shake. This is not a “walk and shoot” camera. Not unlike a Holga, you have to stop moving and hold the camera really still for a truly sharp image. 
4. No manual settings. You can tweak this guy a little bit (for example it has a slow shutter mode) but you’re mostly shooting automatic.
5. Generally it replicates the exact same light and color as the shooting situation. Yes, I listed this as a pro as well, but I can’t decide if it’s good or not considering I use a lot of Fuji Velvia and Provia because I likes me some hot poppy color.

Overall, if you buy this camera with the intention of using it as you’re all around go-to camera for any situation, you will be disappointed. However, if you buy this camera with the intention of using it for what it was designed for, you will love it. This little guy is specifically for low-light, and that’s when it really shows it’s capabilities.

Let’s take a look at some of the shots from my wedding reception ((these were shot by az2dc aka Man Flame, because I was too busy briding-it-up): correction these were totally taken by my TWIN FLAME aka meauxwastaken on Tumblr)

This is the courtyard at dusk:

and this is the same shot at 10:00pm

I feel like both of these are really pretty, and I think I would have had a hard time getting natural light shots like these even with my FM2. Obviously, I could’ve cleaned up the dust a little more but let’s not get too demanding now…

Moving on, we have inside the tent at dusk (around 7:30-8:00pm):

and inside the tent at night (around 10:00 pm)

Keep in mind that there are no other lights besides the Japanese laterns and fairy lights around the tent. That’s why they call it the “Natura Classica”

and last but not least, this is my wedding cake, shot inside at night:

Isn’t it pretty? (thanks Edna!) Notice how the shadows and highlights have a great tonal range… not one bit of white on that table cloth is blown out (hello, advantage of shooting film).

I get a lot of questions about where I bought my Fuji Natura Classica; it was given to me by my husband but he ordered it off of Japan Direct Shop: http://hovanfue.com/products/Fujifilm-NATURA-CLASSICA.html

More samples I have shot with the Fuji Natura Classica: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/fuji_natura_classica

Overall, do I recommend the Fuji Natura Classica? Yes!