miXed zone: X-M1/27mm in stock check, demo X100S deal (save $50), ephotozine 18-55 review, XF vs XC, X-Trans and more
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ephotozine XF 18-55 review
At ephotozine here you can read the review of the XF 18-55. The PROS: Excellent sharpness in the centre throughout the zoom range – Good build quality – Low distortion – Quick to focus – Effective optical stabiliser. The CONS: Not as sharp towards the edges of the frame – CA levels a little high at 35mm.
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Barney is the guy that wrote the X100S review at DPR and assigned the gold award to this camera. It took him several months to write it and it seems this was enough time to make him change opinion about his DSLR. He shared the 5 reasons why he hasn’t used his DSLR for months at dpreview here.
X-Trans
– Capture One: Mike (via rumor box): “Not a rumor, sorry. I did enjoy this article and the resulting comments and thought you and your readers would enjoy it also. It is about Capture One and RAF files etc. (here at the phase one blog). Aloha! Mike”
– The question that soundimageplus would like to have answered by you is: “have Fuji tweaked raw processing in latest firmware? […] Is this just me or is anyone else seeing a much better rendition for green foliage in Photoshop after installing the latest firmware? […] I’ve been noticing this improvement on all the files I’ve been editing recently.” Check out his blog post here.
– Miro: “Hi there. This may be something interesting. New issue with Xtrans senzor. I have post this on dpreview forum and looks like some folks have the same problem. There is also a RAW file to download.” The problem? Every time there is a direct sunglight in his image, he gets strange pattern as result. See the forum discussion at dpreview here and tell me about your experience in the comments.
Fuji XC vs Fuji XF
– Fuji vs Fuji, or XC vs XF lenses at the German site photoscala.de (tranlsation). Among the other they noticed no significant focus speed differences, XF is heavier (XC is made of plastic but well built), XF is faster… and the image quality? Well, there are some samples to see. In the same post (photoscala.de – tranlsation) they tested also the new [shoplink 13829]27mm pancake[/shoplink] lens and the [shoplink 12889]35mm[/shoplink].
X-M1
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– In his article “X-M1: A Quick Look, and Market Contemplation” Michael Reichmann of luminous landscape looked at the history of the X-series, from the X100 to the X-M1. Short, clear and well worth a read here. The story ends with the X-M1, but FR-readers already know that it will continue with the X-A1 ;).
-There is a lot to like in the X-M1… at least according to the first impressions of the German site photoskala (translation).
– Cnet’s video first look of the X-M1 can be seen on youtube here. “If you’re looking for the best photo quality you can get for the money… the X-M1 is it.”
– techradar posted the full X-M1 review here. The verdict: “When it comes to shopping for a camera like this, although image quality is good, appearance is still very important. If you’re willing to part with a large chunk of change in return for something that looks beautiful but still delivers in the image quality department, then you’ll no doubt be pleased with the Fuji X-M1. If, however, you’re looking for your first camera in the interchangeable lens category, and you’re on a budget, this wouldn’t be our first recommendation. Although Fuji’s lens and accessory range is limited for the moment, it is growing, and we’re hopeful that it will continue to grow. It’s nice to see Fuji thinking about mass market consumers, and we can hope that the price of the Fuji X-M1 will drop to enable it to compete more closely with rivals from Sony, Panasonic and Olympus.”
– The German site Chip posted his X-M1 first impression at youtube here.
X100S
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– Comprehensive X100S review at Pentaxforum here. A long list of PROS but also a long list of CONS (for example “Image quality less than what is achievable from an APS-C sensor“). According to this review, the IQ is close to that of the [shoplink 15237 ebay]Pentax K-5 IIs[/shoplink].
– bigheadtaco posted an X100S (Stylish but Powerful) review here: “So the best in class for street photography that takes into consideration functionality, size, and affordability is the Fuji X-100S. Considering what the Fuji can do in comparison to a Leica set-up at 1/10th the price, it’s easy to pick it as the winner. Yes it has some things that needs improving, like a longer battery life, quicker revival from sleep mode, and faster low light autofocus. But with great handling, an effective OVF/EVF, sharp images, good high ISO performance, and great design and style, the Fuji is definitely best overall in class.”
– Morten: “Hi Patrick… some of us are still lucky to take delivery of the X100s. Here is a quick “Day One with the X100s” blog post if you are interested.” Click here.
X20
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– Check out this review about some accessories for the X20, the ([shoplink 15206]LC-X10 Leather Case[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 15207]LH-X10 Lens Hood[/shoplink] at nextimelah here. You can find also an X20 review on this page here.
– How good is RAW on the X20? Read Dan Bailey shared on the FR-twitter account his findings. Read them here.