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“The X-Pro1 will become the backup to the X-E2” (Riley Joseph)

X-E2 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK /

[I’ve already share Fuji’s X-E2 high-res samples at Fuji’s website here (and XQ1  here). For the X-E2 Brochure click here and here is the features page. The Brochure says that the X-E2 (AF-speed 0,08 sec.) has the fastest AF speed among digital cameras equipped with a 4/3-inch or larger sensor. Measurement conducted by Fujifilm research based on CIPA guidelines using the X-E2 equipped with [shoplink 12888]XF14mmF2.8 R lens[/shoplink] in High Performance mode as of September 2013.]

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It seems that for Riley Joseph, the X-PRO1 isn’t Fuji’s flagship anymore! It has become the back-up camera of the X-E2. Why? You can read it here:

“The X-E2 inherits the X-Trans II sensor and the phase & contrast auto focus from the X100S. In using the camera I found the auto focus to be very accurate and snappy. Definitely better than my X-Pro1. And that is not even using the phase detection because my lenses do not have the required firmware updates for the camera. […] And in another suprise (to myself especially) the X-Pro1 will become the backup to the X-E2. At least until the X-Pro2 turns up.”

You can find one more first impressions article at KaleJF here. And check out also Rico’s first look (with more then 200 comments) here (for Rico’s XQ1 Flickr set click here).

How to support Fujirumors

Here is how you can support Fujirumors: if you think the X-E2 is the camera that meets your needs and you want to pre-order it, consider to use one of the links below. FR will get a small commission and it won’t cost you one single penny extra. Thanks in advance for every FR-reader who places his pre-order via Fujirumors. It’s a great help to keep the site ticking over.

X-E2 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / AdoramaDigitalRev / Pictureline / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / Fotomundus24 GER / PCHstore /

XQ1 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / AdoramaDigitalRev / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / PCHstore /

 

 

miXed zone: 23mm, Photo Ninja, reviews, artifacts, lens turbo, Nikon vs Fuji, X-E1 give away and more

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Fujinon XF 23mm

USA: eBay / AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline / DigitalRevEUROPE: AmazonUK (via DR) / eBay / DigitalRevwexcamerasDE / wexphotographicUK / PCHstore

– At therealsphotographersforum you can read a review of the XF 23mm: “The new Fuji 23mm lens is a beast – as fast as the excellent Fuji 35mm lens (at f/1.4), but with the latest AF drive and pull focus ring from the 14mm. The build quality feels superb – this lens is a chunky guy, with some reasonable heft, and a rather impressive girth. […] the smoothness of the bokeh is really impressive.”

yodobashi.com shared his impressions and beautiful pics of the 23mm here (google translation): “It may be said that is the size that a strong presence as a little lens of single focus of APS-C for but, given the stunning image quality and value of open F1.4, to be rather small and light.”

X-rayed by Dag

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FR-reader Dag analized an image Bert Stefani shot in his recent visit to Tokyo with three more X-photographers in order to present Fujifilm their own suggestions to make the X-series even better and more complete. Now here are Dag’s findings… and what do you see?

“This is unconfirmed , but take a look at this picture. http://confessionsxl.com

Is the x70 the black camera on the table? Or the silver one beside it? The silver one is NOT a X100S. Also. Look at the two cameras on the left side. If you look at the writing on the lens and the depth of the lenses it may look like they have different lenses. Is a X100S with a different focal length lens on the cards. X100S(andard), X100T(ele), X100W(ide)?

The lenses on the right side are also interesting. There is a pancake lens with aperture ring … Maybe a 35mm 2(.8)? Pure speculation. The lens in the middle looks a lot like a 35mm 1.4 with manual focus clutch?

And last but not least. Zack, David and co. reported that they got to present a wish list for upcoming lenses for the X-system. If you look at the board on the left side it clearly states: “from x-photographers”. Beneath not much i clear other then the first lens is a variable aperture (zoom) with maximum aperture of 5.6 on the long end … A longer lens then the 55-200mm?

The next three lenses have a aperture that ends on 8. So either 1.8 or 2.8. The last of these have “macro” written behind the aperture. If i should take a calculated guess a 23mm 2.8, a long tele 2.8 and longer macro lens then the 60mm?

The last lens on the board is interesting. It is clearly marked with II behind. So of the lenses that are out today the 35mm and 60mm are the two lenses that is most “in need” of redesigning with “quick AF” as stated. I would guess 35mm since the AF on the 60mm is slow since it is a macro lens.

The is also something about 18-55mm on the right side of the board, but can’t read it. Maybe a “firm” aperture ring with stops?

Maybe i want to see more in the picture then there is?”

Photo Ninja

FR-reader Mehrdad is very pleased by the results of the RAW-converter Photo Ninja and wrote a German review here (translation). According to hin it’s worth abbandon LR finally!

win a X-E1 + 18-55 lens

Hello, Patrick. I have one more piece of news for you – we at Photography Life were very impressed with the X-E1 and started a giveaway contest of the camera body + the 18-55mm XF zoom lens kit. Perhaps you would like to share this on your website, we would be very grateful. Thanks! http://photographylife.com/fuji-x-e1-giveaway

X100S

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Here is a fun little look at the X100S of Fernando Gros: “Time for a confession right up front. I suck at writing camera reviews. When I’ve written camera reviews in the past I often get hit with the kinds of questions most regular camera reviews spend a lot of time answering; stuff like sharpness, lens distortion and every little detail lurking in the camera’s menus. But, to the be honest, the only thing that interests me is “can I make the kind of photographs I like, with this camera?”

– X100S review at disneyphotographyblog here: “Imagine a camera that is liberating, light, powerful, and most importantly has fantastic image quality. Do you want to take that camera to the parks and shoot with it? I know I did, and that is why I rented the Fujifilm X100S recently.”

–  Florian wrote a comprehensive review about his new toy, the X100S, here: “I needed something more portable, especially for work trips. I considered switching to a more portable camera system – the Fuji X system comes to mind – but again this involves compromises (not to mention expenditure) that I don’t want make right now: An ideal camera (1) has excellent image quality, (2) is very portable and (3) is highly flexible. Again, pick two! My solution is to keep my DSLR system [(1) & (3)] and get a second, portable camera [(1) & (2)]. The X100s fits the bill perfectly. Moreover, it is very pretty, so even my finance minister approved of the purchase.

– For a first look at the X100S check eoshd.com here: “Dynamic range is comparable to full frame on the X100S and it certainly gives the Sony RX1′s full frame sensor a run for it’s money at a considerably smaller price. The Zeiss lens is better on the RX1 but image quality is right up there between the two and the X100′s sensor also  does a great job in low light.”

X-E1

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– Dan Bailey shared on my FR-twitter page his blog post “Shooting Cyclocross with a Nikon DSLR and Fuji X-E1 here: “In my mind, the Fuji X-E1 held up well, and I’d use again with confidence for shooting action.”

– Check out photographylife’s X-E1 review here. From the conclusions: “Yes, the Fuji X-E1 is a camera that I want to pick up and shoot. I don’t know what it is – ergonomics, its looks, its feel, the noise of its shutter…it is hard to express why this camera just lures me into picking it up. To date, I have not enjoyed photography as much as I have with the X-E1. It feels just perfect in hands. […] I have been taking the Fuji equipment to every shoot with me so far and I have to say, I would not hesitate to shoot weddings and other portrait sessions with it (you can probably see why I am so excited about the upcoming 56mm f/1.2). […] In summary, the X-E1 is a phenomenal camera. I don’t think there is anything else to add to that.”

– Oh yes, he did it. Colin shot a whole wedding with the X-E1. Read more here: “I am happy with the results from this day, however I’m still holding on and using the 5Dii +100mm lens for my own assignments but I believe the way is paved for an all fuji kit bag, Im thinking a pair of XE1’s: 23mm/1.4 lens on one and the 56mm/1.2 on the other, with the 35mm being in the bag for backup. Can you imagine that? It would be such a light kit and all fit in one small bag, only downside is I would need about ten batteries, not even joking here I used 4 in one day recently.”

– The Fuji X-E1 & Fuji X-Pro1 and why I love mine at johnbarclayphotography here: “These cameras have made photography fun again!  I love the look and feel and their size allows me to always have one with me.”

– X-E1 article at henrysmithcottage here: “This was the first vacation, probably in a decade, where I have not taken an SLR as part of my kit. Instead on his trip, I brought instead 3 “X series” Fujifilm cameras:  my X 100s, my X Pro 1, and a brand new  E Bay acquisition, a silver XE 1.  I definitely had some concern over this. After all, I have some wonderful Nikon bodies and lenses. Would the Fuji’s suffice? […]

– “In the hands using the Fuji X-E1 and 35mm for me is a more photographic experience. I engage far more in the moment. I take more care before squeezing the shutter release and hearing the shutter control the light momentarily to the sensor creating the image. I love the detail with the narrow apertures too, street and landscape provide good opportunities to work at this end if the lens range.” Read Fuji X-E1 joined me on walk about at Simon Peckham here.

X-PRO1

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– X-PRO1, New York and street photography. See some shots here at rodneyboles.com.

– The Fuji Xpro 1 loves the Badlands (First field test) at tonysweet here: “I thoroughly enjoy using the Fuji X Pro 1 and it’s one of the few cameras that feels so good in your hands (after adding the aforementioned accessories), that it actually makes you want to get out there and take pictures! BONUS: Being a rangefinder, there no need for a tripod for general shooting in average light, although mounting on a tripod is always a good idea for best image quality in lower light and/or when using high apertures. BONUS2: The high ISOs are outstanding!”

– X-Wow: Initial Shots from the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at kevinbuchananphoto here: “‘I’ve been shooting with the X-Pro1 and the 35mm (equivalent to a 50mm on a full-frame camera) f/1.4 lens now for several days, and have been continually blown away by the photos I’ve been getting from it.  I’ve thrown it into several different situations – portraits, street, concerts, etc. – and have been learning how it behaves and responds.  It’s everything I loved about the X100, taken to a new level.”

– Alternative close-up photography with the Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1 at aboutphotography here: “Sometimes, however, I like to break the mold and move into some more innovative ways of shooting close-ups. The procedure is simple, but the results can often be visually interesting and, for me, more exciting creatively.”

X-M1

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– Giovanni: “Hi, I’ve tested, for a few hours, both the (old) X-E1 and the (newer) X-M1. Here’s my reflections; the post is in italian, but you can read it also in english, or any other languages, thanks to “google translate“. Ciao

– photoreview posted its X-M1 review here: “[…] the X-M1 plus 16-50mm kit lens will suit photographers who enjoy shooting general subjects, such  as landscapes and portraits. It’s small enough to be an attractive traveller’s camera and makes a reasonably good choice for photographing children and pets, although you’ll need a longer lens if you want to photograph sports action or wildlife.”

photographylife‘s X-M2 review can be read here: “Overall, the X-M1 is an excellent camera that is very intuitive and easy to use, with superb image quality. Despite the fact that it lacks an electronic viewfinder, it is still equally as addictive as other X-series cameras from Fuji.”

X20

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Cameralabs X20 review here: “Despite its smaller sensor, the Fujifilm X20’s wider f2.8 aperture produces a slightly better result at the telephoto end of the zoom range. The worst of the bunch [[shoplink 12884 ebay]X20[/shoplink], [shoplink 15087 ebay]Sony RX100 II[/shoplink], [shoplink 13071 ebay]Nikon A[/shoplink]] is the Nikon A. Its 28mm fixed lens not only renders the background almost as sharp as the subject, the wide angle perspective makes for particularly unflattering portraits.”

– Nowadays compact cameras deliver great results, as the [shoplink 12884]X20[/shoplink] or the [shoplink 15087]Sony RX100II[/shoplink]. Read more at mirrorlessons here.

artifacts

– “I would like to have your opinion about some TERRIBLE false outlines that I’m encounting on Lightroom and Silkypix when simulating a Red filter on BN, on the blue channel. I can’t believe that I’m the first to deal with this artefact, but I can’t find any discussion about this on the web. I decided to email you after trying to recreate the same artefact on other cameras like Olympus OMD and Canon G-15, both of them don’t show a false outline like this. I can confirm that it is in both of jpeg and RAF, and you can put every other parameter to default or automatic and you won’t remove this outline anyway. Look at the sky… Please help me :D Greetings from Rome, M“. Check Massimo‘s post here. To be honest, I’ve never experienced something like this, but feel free to drop your opinion in the comments. In any case, I’ve talked with Massimo and he told me that he found a solution in the meantime. So stay tuned on his blog, in case you experienced the same problem, he will tell you the solution in this post here!

Fuji X100

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The Fuji X100 in Florida with Massimo Cristaldi here. It’s his last trip with the X100 before replacing it with his X100S.

Lens Turbo

admiringlight posted its lens turbo review (Minolta MD to Fuji X) here: “If you planned to shoot with the Lens Turbo for a large portion of your work or for professional work, I’d recommend spending the extra money on a SpeedBooster (provided they make it for the mount you’d like to convert), but for occasional use when you want that full-frame depth of field, it’s useful.  I don’t often need the depth of field provided by ultra-fast lenses on full frame, as the depth of field from faster lenses on APS-C and Micro 4/3 provides plenty of isolation while keeping the subject sharp. However, for those times I want that super shallow look (especially in the normal focal range), I can grab this and get a decent shot. Ultimately, the Lens Turbo provides usable images with that full-frame look at a relatively low price.  It’s not a great buy, and it’s not a perfect set of optics, but it’s not a bad buy either.  The current $130 price range on eBay is right about where I’d put the worth on the Lens Turbo – if it were more expensive, the cons to image quality would be much harder to ignore.”

[shoplink 17130 ebay]Lens Turbo[/shoplink] / [shoplink 16275 ebay]Speed Booster[/shoplink]

lenses
Fuji XF 27mm: [shopcountry 13829] Zeiss Touit 2.8/12: [shopcountry 13645] Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892] Fuji XC 16-50: [shopcountry 17197] Fuji XF35mm: [shopcountry 12889]

– Some more images of the 23mm can be seen here.

– “Patrick – I just completed a hands on review of the Fuji 27mm pancake lens. This lens is a real winner as you can read in my post here. As always, I included downloadable samples so readers can judge for themselves. The lens looks particularly great on an X-E1 as this photo shows. Thought your readers migh enjoy the post. Thanks.  – Tom

– Lenstip tested also the XF 27mm here. The PROS: “small and neat casing, excellent image quality in the frame centre, negligible chromatic aberration, well corrected spherical aberration, low astigmatism, fast and accurate autofocus.” CONS: “high vignetting, weak image quality on the edge of the frame near the maximum relative aperture, exorbitant price.”

– Read stockografie‘s Zeiss Touit 2.8/12mm review in English here (German here): “Color rendition, sharpness and even corner sharpness is handled very well. You can even achieve a little bit of bokeh with this ultra wide angle lens. Choose f/2.8 and get real close to your subject and you can manage this bokeh. Not bad for this ultra wide angle lens used on an APS-C sensor.”

– photoreview‘s XC16-50 review can be read here: “Covering a wide enough focal length range for everyday picture-taking and as a single lens for travellers, this lens is better suited to landscape and portrait photography than shooting sports action or wildlife. Optical image stabilisation promises up to four f-stops of shutter speed compensation. Extensive use of plastic means the build quality has been slightly compromised to keep its weight down. However, this makes it a travel friendly combination with the X-M1 body we used for our tests.

35mm review at picturebeast here: “Fact Number one –  this lens gets rave reviews both by the professionals and by the budding enthusiats and semi professionals that can be found hanging around the vignetted corners of the virtual WordPress world […]. Fact number two – this lens has a thrilling F1.4, which guarantees gorgeous bokeh

Don Craig‘s review of the 55-200 can be read here: “I was impressed. Thank you image stabilization! The OIS works really well. That, combined with the X-trans sensor’s superior image quality and amazing high ISO performance, meant that I was happily shooting an event with the XP1 and a Fujinon lens which previously required me to use a DSLR and a giant zoom lens.”

– XF 55-200 review at hossedia here: “Another great use of longer focal length lenses is creating the optical illusion of compression. The idea is to stand back from your subject, and use the longest focal length you can. This will result in visual elements appearing closer together than they are (kind of like your rear view mirror). The 55-200 does a brilliant job of this!

image courtesy: hossedia

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How to shoot a wedding with the Fujis

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image courtesy: confessionsxl

I want cameras that don’t scream “I’m the hired photographer!” but still give me the best possible image quality. Another reason for keeping my bag small and light is simply physical. I don’t shoot my best work when I’m tired or when my back hurts.  Here’s what’s in my camera bag:” Read more at confessionsxl here.

FR-readers zone: travel-X, switch to the X and manual focusing with Fuji X-E1 and 35mm

It’s Sunday! Time to share some of your great images and stories you sent me via email at fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook and twitter. Keep it up!

let’s take some awesome pictures today ;)

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Mehrdad

Dear fujirumor Team,

my name is Mehrdad Samak-Abedi and I am a semipro photographer based in Berlin, Germany. I found to Fujifilm in 2011 with the x100 and since then I realy appreciate the hightquality image quality the x cameras offer me. I own a x-pro1 and a x100s and prefer landscapes-, street- and urban-photography.

My [shoplink 16850 ebay]Canon 5D MkII[/shoplink] is finds the way into my bag only when I do studiowork and some of my professional stuff but the x cams are alwways with me and I really mean always.

Anyway, I wonder you might be interested in some of my free works and I would appreciate when you are considiring posting some of my pics via your rumorsite or facebook?.
My website
www.qimago.de

My 500px.com sets
http://500px.com/MehrdadAbedi/sets

95% of the shots in my profile/sets/stories are shot with a Fujifilm x camera.

By the way I frequently visiting your rumors site. Gooooood job!
And keep on posting news etc.!

Cheers

Mehrdad

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Giacomo

Hi there,
I just wanted to share my flickr account, I’ve been shooting for the last 2 years with Fuji Cameras, first with an X100 and starting last Jan with an X-E1+[shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f1.4[/shoplink]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90193008@N04/

hope you enjoy it

regard

Giacomo

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Geoff

Hi Patrick. A great resource you are providing in the Fuji Rumours site. Like others have stated, I too check back often, in fact daily. I bought into the Fuji system in January 2013 and have in the last month decided to sell off my FF Nikon and associated lenses as they had not been used in 7 months. I have a web presence dedicated to the imagery from my X system. www.xtographer.weebly.com

Geoff (XF 14mm)

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Photo Sama

Manual focusing with Fuji X-E1 and [shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f/1.4[/shoplink]:

“Hello, First of all thanks for your work on fujirumors… it’s realy helpfull. I contact you because I wanted to share with you my first samples with Fuji-XE1 and 35mm f/1.4 used in full manual. http://www.meghiref.com

I’m a canon user for years now with lenses from [shoplink 16844 ebay]17TSE[/shoplink] to [shoplink 16846 ebay]300mm 2.8[/shoplink], I also owned a [shoplink 16847 ebay]GF1[/shoplink] for the same raisons I decided to go for a fuji. And honestly the only missing steps for fuji today, is full frame and a true 35mm (like 23mm f/2). For marketing and investment return reasons, they will not reach my expectations soon. For 23mm if they launch a 23mm/2 they kill the Xhundred market, so it will be a near 40mm f2.8 (I can live with it), just as I can live with a [shoplink 16848 ebay]Cosina voigtlander 25mm f/4[/shoplink]. Witch is for me the best compact solution today with a 38mm f/4 equivalent.

OK let’s go back to our topic the 35mm in full manual mode, (applicable for street photography )

Why use manual focus when AF work well, (and improved since last firmware)? Because even the fastest AF ever will never be as fast as no AF. For me the goal of street photography is to be able to freez the moment without interacting with the scene. The main rule, what ever you shoot with, is anticipation. When you have to pre-focus (lock the af on your subject, you have to select the right AF point, to point the contrasted zone in your subject, then go back to the scene to compose and wait for the right moment. All this steps are sources of fail, and the one that make you 80% of time change the course of the scene, is when you turn your point your camera to the people you want to focus on.

Here is the process with full manual. ISO is auto, aperture is fixed, shutter speed also. Now compose you scene, and open both eyes to evaluate the distance of your subject wait the right moment and shoot, with this method you miss less than the half of your shoots, and people don’t even care about what you’re doing.( A positive point for X-E1 with his retro look you are considered as a film shooter…)
So now the point is that the 35mm 1.4 is not the most comfortable manual focus lens I had. the number of ring turns between to distances is too high. but here again it’s not impossible see pictures in the top link.

The easiest way is to set aperture to 4 or more, then set the distance between 5 and 10 meters, and shoot, shoot, shoot every thing will be in.
An other point is battery saving mode that turns of you camera… for this point practice the half shuttr button speed, when you feel the moment…
Last point, don’t be too attached to sharpness, you never watch a picture with a magnifier it’s the content (the moment) and the message that counts…

A special message for pixel peepers, … have break take a kitkat, and try manual focus without 100% zoom. you’ll sped more time living the moment ! Here we are hope this could be helpful for any one.
See you.

Photosama

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miXed zone: Kaizen, reviews and some tips

Talk about the X + Kaizen

– X-Photographers David Hobby and Zack Arias talk about their experience with the X-series here. These two photographers were part of the expedition invited to Tokyo from Fujifilm in order to give them honest feedback about the X-series. The other two X-photographers were Bert Stefani and Kevin Mullins. I’ve already shared the 23mm first impressions of Bert (here) and David (here) on Fujirumors (for a great first look at the 23mm check Rico’s X-pert corner post here). Now it’s time to read what Kevin Mullins thinks about Fuji’s Kaizen spirit (read his article here):

“See the guys in the blue shirts?  These are the people that design, manufacture, make, forge and breathe life into the X-Series of cameras. You know what they are doing here?  They are listening feedback from “us”.   The guys that actually build the systems, design the software and produce the cameras that we use on a day to day basis are listening to our feedback.  Feedback that all four of us took to them from many hundreds of photographers.”

– Also photographylife (click here) admires Fujifilms devotion to its customers and says:”Fuji has quickly become a manufacturer that feels involved with its clients more than any other camera maker no matter how well-known or popular. It feels as if they want to do good by their customers, as if you are using gear that real people design and improve, rather than a faceless company.”

PhotoLive

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Can you change your mental mindset and be a better photographer?  Come along to PhotoLive and sign up from a selection of over 200 seminars from 35 Pro Photographers and see what interesting tips can be picked up!!” If you are interested to learn from great photographers as Dave Kai-Piper then consider to participate to this seminar in London on the 26 and 27 of October. You can also profit from a discount. Dave Kai-Piper will tell you more about it here.

X-M1

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Bert Stefani’s X-M1/16-50 review and lot of beautiful samples can be seen here: “So far this compromise, make the X-M1 the perfect companion for people on a budget who are looking for a small camera system with great image quality. But there’s more, the X-M1 is not all compromise, it has two features that none of the other X-cams have: a tilting screen and build-in wifi. […] having the same sensor as my main camera, the X-Pro1, it is well suited as a backup camera. The extra functionality with the tilt screen and wifi, gives me extra options that my current backup camera, the X-E1, doesn’t offer. […] About the 16-50 lens […] if you take the low price into account, I believe it’s not a bad deal at all. The image quality is surprisingly good. It’s a great starting all-round zoom for photographers on a tight budget. And if you add some better, more expensive lenses over time, it’s still a good backup lens. […] Despite my initial reservations about the X-M1 I’ve decided to give it a permanent place in my bag where it will replace my hardly used X-E1 as my backup camera. ”

steves-digicams.com published an X-M1 review. From the conclusions:  “[…] The biggest drawback to the X-M1 is its high starting price of about $800 with the kit lens. You’ll be able to find more powerful and more feature-rich DSLRs and ILCs for well under that price range. However many of those models cannot match the stylish look and feel of the Fujifilm X-M1. The X-M1 is small enough to be used comfortably one-handed, yet the camera has a sturdy build. It’s a comfortable model to use, and even though the camera body is small, the buttons are of a good size and are easy to reach and press. This camera’s image quality and performance levels are pretty good too versus other entry-level ILCs, although those aspects of the X-M1 aren’t quite as impressive when compared to all models in its price range. You can shoot in RAW or JPEG with this camera, which is a feature that doesn’t appear in every ILC model. The X-M1 does a very nice job with low light photos too, thanks to its popup flash and good performance at high ISO settings, as well as a large APS-C sized CMOS image sensor. […]”

X100S

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– “In episode #3 of All About the Gear, Doug Kaye and I dive into the famed Fuji x100s camera. Find out if this little beastie lives up to all the hype, and if it’s actually the perfect walk-around camera.” See the episode here.

– Mike Kobal: “Yup, I was just as surprised as you probably are, I rarely find moiré to be an issue and here we have a good example, from the Fuji X100s, nonetheless. 100% moiré crop after the break.” See the image here.

X-PRO1

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– Comparing X-PRO1 and X-E1 at Tom Grill’s website here.

photgraphylife’s in depth review of the X-PRO1 can be read here: “I have to praise Fuji engineers for going back and reworking the autofocus system of the Fuji X-Pro1 and fixing most of the issues via firmware updates. And I am happy to report that as of firmware 3.01, the Fuji X-Pro1 is a whole different camera compared to what it used to be. I was so frustrated with the autofocus system, that I practically disliked the camera just because of those issues. Autofocus speed has improved dramatically and AF accuracy has gotten a world better, even in low light situations.”

– The Fujifilm X-Pro1 for Landscape Photography at stephenip.com. A great camera for landscape photography combined with the [shoplink 12888 ebay]14mm[/shoplink] but “there is one thing about the X-Pro1 however, that I really, really don’t like. The location of the tripod mount. For some reason, Fuji decided that it’s unnecessary to access the battery or memory card when a tripod plate is mounted onto the camera. As someone that uses a tripod often, having to remove the tripod plate every time I want to charge the battery or download my images is extremely annoying. For a company that did so many things right in the usability department with the X Series cameras, an oversight like this is quite surprising.

– “X-Pro1, my take on it” at neillsoden.co.za:”I just love this camera, and can’t state it enough. This camera and most of Fuji’s cameras have been reviewed to death. This model has also been out for over a year, but I am going to add to it nonetheless. When I show it to people, their first response is always that they can get a DSLR for cheaper. Yes, it’s more expensive than the entry to medium range of DSLR and a lot of them think that DSLR has better image quality and looks more professional.”

– A wedding and more thoughts about the X-PRO1 at louwit.blogspot.dk

– A review of Fuji X-Pro 1 (ver 3.0) with 14mm lens can be read here at bigheadtaco: “If it’s all about the image, then you will not be very happy with the Fuji X-Pro 1. Combine this with great ergonomics, the industry only hybrid viewfinder, and super sharp legendary Fujinon XF lenses, I think you have a winner.”

– Shooting Beauty Portraits – Fuji X-Pro1 vs Canon 5D Mk2 Review at roughly365 here: “The more I use the Fuji, especially with the 35mm f1.4 lens, the more impressed I am with it, I love it. But, as I have stated in previous posts, I personally wouldn’t have it as my main camera, but its the best second camera I can think of.”

lenses

Fuji XF 27mm: [shopcountry 13829]

XF 27mm review at the Polish site optyczne here (translation).

dc.watch  took some shots with the XC 16-50. See them here (tranlsation).

… and some tips

– At thephoblographer you can read the “7 Tips for Photographing Strangers”: 1) start with a complimet… to be continued here.

– “5 questions you should ask yourself to become a better photographer” over here at photographytalk.com. 1) Where is the light coming from. 2) Why am I shooting this… and more.

lightroomkillertips explains how the previous button works in this video.

– 3 Ways to Improve Your Images With Composition at digital-photography-school.com:  1. Rule of Thirds / 2. Second Point of Interest / 3. Room for Copy Space

– Understanding your Cameras Histogram at ephotozine here.

– Architectural Photography Tips at photographytuts here.

83%: X-M1 overall score at the Cameralabs review

Camberalabs posted a comprehensive X-M1 review. They compared also the AF (“the X-M1 AF is responsive and accurate. In terms of speed it’s not quite up to the standards of the PEN E-P5 or the Lumix G6, both of which where marginally quicker“) resolution, noise, RAW’s etc. to that of the [shoplink 13800]Olympus PEN E-P5[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 14918]Panasonic GF6[/shoplink]. So there is a lot to read and to see at the Cameralabs review here. From the final verdict:

“[…] if Fujifilm wants to widen the appeal of its X-series to consumers I think it has a bit more work to do if it’s to compete with the likes of Olympus and Panasonic, not to mention Sony, Nikon, Samsung and even Canon. Once again there’s no touchscreen, no auto-panoramas, no built-in timelapse shooting, and you can’t apply effects, like the miniature mode, to movies. And while the built-in Wifi may let you transfer images to your phone, you won’t be remote controlling the camera with it and the geo-tagging implementation is odd to say the least. The absence of these features may or may not be deal-breakers for you personally, but it is unusual not to have them on a camera aimed at consumers.

Basic feature-set aside though, the X-M1 is a solid performer that remains fun to shoot with and won’t let you down – it’s also the cheapest way to enjoy the superb X-Trans sensor and the small but high quality range of X-mount lenses. But aside from picture quality there isn’t really any one area in which it sparkles, no one feature that’s new and innovative. More than anything, the X-M1 leaves me wondering what Fujifilm has lined up for its second mid-range X-Series system camera. In the meantime, purely on the grounds of its excellent image quality and high ISO noise performance and not forgetting its excellent handling, the Fujifilm X-M1 is a model Cameralabs is happy to recommend, but for the reasons noted above it falls short of our highest award.”

PRE-ORDER

X-M1 (body only or with 16-50mm)USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA / AmazonDE

XF 27mm – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: AmazonDE / DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA XC 16-50: WexUK / PCHstore

techradar X-M1 hands on review (and pre-order at AmazonDE)

 

Comfortable in the hand, the buttons and dials have a high-quality feel, the LCD “doesn’t seem to suffer excessively from reflections or ghosting.” About the AF techradar says:

“We were only able to use the pre-production sample Fuji X-M1 in the confines of an office with relatively low, flat light, which doesn’t do the contrast detection autofocus system any favours. Nevertheless the camera managed to focus the lens on every subject we pointed at and with reasonable, although not super-quick, speed.”

They also tested the X-M1 in their labs so you can check out the resolution and sensitivity results. They compared the [shoplink 13828]X-M1[/shoplink] with the [shoplink 14916]Sony NEX-3N[/shoplink], [shoplink 12881]Fuji X-E1[/shoplink], [shoplink 14917]Olympus E-PM2[/shoplink] and [shoplink 14918]Panasonic GF6[/shoplink].

Check the graphs, see the samples and read the hands on review here at techradar.com.

PRE-ORDER

And as I told you in a note of the firmware-post (continue to share your experience with the new firmware there) German FR-readers can now pre-order also the X-M1 kit (or body only) here at AmazonDE.

X-M1 (body only or with 16-50mm)USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA / AmazonDE

XF 27mm – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: AmazonDE / DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA XC 16-50: WexUK / PCHstore

FR-readers roundup: where the trains go to die, X-PRO1+Nokton 50mm, Lego rangefinder and Laguna Beach

in stock (55-200)

-The Fuji XF 55-200 is now in stock at Amazon Japan (via third party reseller. Click here).
XF 55-200 pre-order: USAAdoramaBHphoto / AmazonUS / DigitalRev / Uniquephoto / Pictureline / Europe: AmazonUK / AmazonDE / PCHstore Brussel

deals (via dealsrunner)

I’ve found all the following deals at dealsrunner. To see more Fuji-deals or insert by yourself new deals stop by dealsrunner.com.
-Save about $50 on the X20 (DEMO camera) at ebay here.
-$25 price drop for the X-E1+18-55 at AmazonUS here.
-X-PRO1 body only for $1.1120 at ebay here.

Fujirumors readers roundup

Olivier: “Hi Patrick, a big HELLO from tiny Luxembourg :-) I’ve been following Fujirumors ever since my interest in Fujifilm cameras arose, with the announcement of the fantastic X-E1 last year.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a morning shooting an old industry and railway park with my best friend who carried along 4 (!!!) Sony Alpha bodies (he hates changing lenses ;-) ), while I only took along the X-E1 equipped with the XF18-55mm lens, the [shoplink 11322]XF 35mm[/shoplink] and [shoplink 11919]XF 60mm[/shoplink].

In the end though, I only used the [shoplink 12483 ebay]XF 18-55mm[/shoplink]. This is one seriously great allrounder!

As far as postprocessing goes: I shot raw and (minimally) edited the shots under LR 4.4. Really love the improved X-Trans support.

The results can be found under: http://500px.com/OliGlod/stories/85077/where-trains-go-to-die (short excerpt) and http://www.blurb.com/b/4228521-one-day-in-fond-de-gras (complete book). I hope you’ll enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed taking them ;-)

Best regards, Oli

P.s. Thanks again for all of the hard work you put into Fujirumors!!! :-)

Olivier (where trains go to die)

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book preview
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Jim “Hi Patrick, First off thank you for your site and all of the work you put into it for our Fuji community.  On my blog site gambofoto.blogspot.nl  I have just posted a review/user impressions of using the X-Pro 1 with a Cosina [shoplink 11534 ebay]Voigtlander Nokton 50mm[/shoplink] f/1.5 lens. Possibly some of your readers might enjoy it. Regards, Jim Gamblin”

Jim

Nick: “Hi there. Your blog has been of great assistance to me now that I’m a Fuji convert. I’ve even started blogging my Fuji photos and my camera collection […]. Thanks for all of your efforts. Nick http://camerapassion.wordpress.com

Nick

LEGO-rangefinder: made by Nick’s son! (Fuji X100s, Aperture RAW conversion, cropped)

 photo lego_zpsd654b3be.jpg

Shahrokni: “I have a Fuji X100 and recently I bought a beautiful Fuji X Pro1 with 18-55mm ( I ordered it separately ). At the beginning I was not happy with the color of sky and landscape until I found out about a correct setting […] I have to say Now I love my Fuji X Pro1. Yesterday was HOT Here in Laguna Beach in SoCal. I took many pictures and here are some of them , Hope You like them. Best Regards SM Shahrokni
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/seyed-m-shahrokni.html?page=1
http://digitalcitycenter.blogspot.com/

Shahrokni

palm photo DSCF3532ex_Sts_zpsa4d270bb.jpg

Fujirumors Readers Roundup: XF14mm and more

– Tom tested the XF14mm lens (read here, posted on February 24). Here are his conclusions: “I suppose the best thing I have to say about this lens is that I have nothing bad to say about it.  It focuses quickly, is fully corrected for the usual distortions, is convenient to use, focuses super close, has convenient manual focus over-ride, and has excellent resolution — all features I would want in a focal length I use primarily for travel and landscape photography. The $900 price tag is well worth the delivered image quality from this lens. I would expect a similar quality level from a full frame lens of this focal range to cost at least twice as much.

Tom

– I’ve already posted the first impressions of Olaf (read them part here). Now he posted some more samples shot with the XF 14mm here.

Olaf

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– “Hi Patrick. […] I own a X100, sell it to buy a X-Pro1. I’d like to share with you some of my pictures made with these cameras. Many thanks for your great work on your website. Cheers.” Visit Laurents website here

Laurents
Blur photo blur_zps694a15c0.jpg

– “Hello, […]  the thing is that I have an X-E1 and find it very annoying to have that grey bar under the image in the viewfinder. (The grey bar where the aperture iso.. informations are.) It obstructs the view too much from my point of view. What I’d like to see is the ability to change the color (black in my case), so that we only see the informations. I like to have a clean minimalist viewfinder. What do you think of it? Best Regards” If you want, answer to Christopher in the comments.

– “[…] I’m a Fujifilm fan myself and use the Fuji FinePix X100 and the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 with various lenses. I post my (almost) daily photos on my site and sometimes write small articles there, see: http://vannuil.com Feel free to link to it. Kind regards and keep up the good work, Edwin” He also tested LR 4.4 RC and says: “FujiFilm supplied Adobe with all the specs of the ​X-Trans CMOS sensor and it looks like it paid off, because from the little testing I’ve done so far I do see an improvement. Will do some more testing / developing in the coming days.”

Edwin (website or 500px)

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– “Hi Patrick, my name is Einar. I live in Norway and have been doing photography since I was in my teens. Sadly I am not in my teens anymore :D, more like 47, but I can handle it :-) […] Here is my “story”: I bought the X-PRO1 in September 2012 and I currently have the following lenses xf18, xf35 and the xf60. I have taken many pictures with this camera and I really like the results I get from the lenses and sensor Fuji makes. Of course the autofocus and speed could be better... Here are some pictures I have taken with the X-Pro1. Feel free to publish the links. Thanks.” (flickr photostream)

Einar

XF60mmF2.4 R Macro (this image was picked up by Gettyimages, so this is licensed through them)
einar photo Einar_zpsa9e5aa1f.png

– Alessandro: “Hello Patrick! […] I’m in love with the X-series and posses x10 and X-E1. I put aside a [shoplink 8452]D700[/shoplink]. I love street photography […] I share with you this video of my pictures taken with X-E1 Fujinon 18mm manual focus. Hope you like them. Good luck for the site that I follow with passion, greetings!”

Alessandro

(… and if you liked the song in this video, click here for the youtube video)

miXed Zone

trees photo trees_zpsfdc01dfb.jpg
image courtesy: Mike Kobal

 Shot with the Fuji [shoplink 7756]X-E1[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 7812]Tokina 11-16mm[/shoplink] at 11mm.

X-E1

Roshan Vyas travels a lot. And he was tired of carrying the heavy [shoplink 7802]Nikon D7000[/shoplink] around Europe. So he sold it off, and was tempted to buy a [shoplink 7800]Leica M9[/shoplink]. But “having a need to continue eating and living under a roof, I wasn’t about to spend a few months mortgage on a used M9 and lenses.” He found a compromise and bought the X-E1, a Leica lens ([shoplink 7804 ebay]Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2[/shoplink]) and [shoplink 7806]RainbowImaging lens adapter[/shoplink]. Compared to the X-E1, the Leica lens is heavy, “causing the combination to be a little off balance“. The results? Look at his first two sample shots and read more here on his website.

Here is a comprehensive Italian review (translated version). It’s a good overview about the X-E1. And, I know, you will think that a comparison with FF-cameras is unfair… but on page seven you will find some ISO-comparison samples. This time the competitors are the [shoplink 7900]Canon 5D Mark II[/shoplink], [shoplink 7908]Canon 5D Mark III[/shoplink], [shoplink 7902]Canon 6D[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 7904]Nikon D600[/shoplink]. (thanks Omar)

Fuji X-E1 + [shoplink 7855 ebay]Elmarit-R 24mm F2.8[/shoplink] + metabones speed booster (via slidoo). See the sample shots at dc.watch (translated version).

XF 14mm

How to never miss another shot with the Fujifilm X-E1: Zone focusing“… DOF with the XF14mm explained by Mike Kobal here!

We’re currently testing the Fujifilm 14mm lens with the XE-1 body. We’ve included the entire aperture range from f/2.8 to f/22 to show what the lens is capable of. A gallery of 40 JPEG photos taken with the Fujifilm XF 14mm f2.8 R lens.” See all samples here at photographyblog.

FixelPix loves his [shoplink 7821]XF 18mm lens[/shoplink]. But now the [shoplink 7764]XF 14mm[/shoplink] arrived, and he shot for one hour with it. “I know a number of people have asked if the 14mm is really worth the investment over the 18mm. I personally think it is, 21mm (full frame equiv.) offers a fair bit more image than the 28mm. I’ve marked the approximate scale factors between the 14mm,18mm and 35mm lenses. […] There is a massive versatility of speed + ultra wide + stunning output and I can’t wait to get it know it better. The Fujinon 14mm lens looks like the perfect companion for both landscape photography as well as general street / documentary work.” Read more and see his long exposure shots here at FixelPix.

image courtesy: FixelPix

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Sony 35mm f1.8 (NEX) vs Fujifilm 35mm f1.4

The phoblographer made an informal Lens comparison: [shoplink 7816]Sony 35mm f1.8 (NEX)[/shoplink] vs [shoplink 7766]Fujifilm XF 35mm f1.4[/shoplink] (X Mount). “As far as this test goes, Sony has done great things with their lenses, sensors and cameras. But in terms of pure image quality, it still can’t stack up to Fujifilm.” See the comparison pics here on his website.

X-PRO1

Fuji X-Pro1 Portrait Review at roughly365 (read it here). “For me the X-Pro1 was built for this kind of work, I needed a powerful yet discreet bit of kit. It slipped into my pocket easily… I can see how the Fuji X-Pro1 system would be amazing for wedding photography and documentary/backstage photographers, the files are defiantly comparable to the canon 5dII when shooting RAW….Would I swap my Canon Kit for the X-Pro1 kit?? NO….  I find the X-Pro1 to be the perfect camera to have in your kit as a backup/2nd/3rd/4th? camera or for situations you need subtlety.  There are definitely situations where the X-Pro1 is an advantage.

RAW-conversion

How to get the most from the Fuji X-Pro1: Using Capture One and Photoshop“. Read roughly365 workflow here.

[shoplink 7865]XF1 (specs&price)[/shoplink]

The XF1 is without doubt the best looking compact out there – just look at it! And, while it’s not a back up to a DSLR by any means, it certainly does have that wantability factor that is hard to resist. It does exactly what is asked of a camera of this type – it has a near instant start up, is very quick to focus and very quick to process an image.” Read the whole review here at photographymonthly.com

X-PRO1 – open letter to Fuji: bugs and suggestions. From Pedro Kok

Bom dia!

Pedro Kok (click here to see his home page) published a long open letter addressed to Fuji (click here to read) . After using the X-PRO1 he made a list of all the bugs he noticed and also suggests some features he misses on the X-PRO1. I’ve just picked out some issues here. There is much more to read in his letter.

Software

The Q-Menu

There is no live-view image while you change the settings in the Quick Menu, and so he feels like making “blind decisions over White Balance, Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, Image Aspect Ratio and other parameters.” He suggests to lay all the icons horizontally in the bottom and choose the settings with the thumbwheel and/or the directional arrows.

Focus

There should be an option for a manual override when in Single AF mode. Half-press shutter activates AF; then keeping it half-pressed, turn the focus ring to the desired distance (as a bonus, the focus distance scale could automagically appear!)…. And bring focus peaking to live view and image playback.

Indecent exposure simulation:

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 could certainly gain exposure simulation in all PASM modes. In PAS, metering should be activated with a shutter half-press, and stay on even if it’s released. All information displayed in the screen, including Auto ISO’s choice, varying the parameters as light changes. In M mode, display exposure as is; if the exposure values selected under or overexposes the image, let the screen blackout or whiteout. I’ll know what to do…. Also, please honor exposure compensation when in M mode and Auto ISO, by throttling up or down sensitivity. [DPR]

Thumbwheel:

There are cases of inconsistent behavior: A)Fn set to ISO [DPR]: in OVF mode, pressing Fn and scrolling the thumbwheel will change ISO. In EVF/Live view the thumbwheel is inoperable, up and down arrow changes settings”. B)Focus modes: in AF modes, the thumbwheel button is inoperable. In Manual Focus, press the button to have the focus area magnified (to an absurd amount of magnification!).” [… personal note: by using the command dial, with the new firmware v 2.0 you can switch from 3x to 10x magnifications.]

The thumbwheel should be engaged also in the following functions: Drive, AE, Fn menus, General menu.One might think that it’s a case of making menu orientation consistent (menus are sorted vertically, while the thumbwheel travels horizontally). But even when there are horizontally sorted settings (such as those in the AE and Drive menus) the wheel doesn’t work.

He also would like that “in all AF modes, thumbwheel button presses would cycle between 1x, 5x and 10x magnifications, with the directional arrow buttons moving the enlarged area around.” [… see personal note above.]

Buttons

A nice feature is, that you can customize the buttons. “Hold button” on Fn and you can customize it. There are many other buttons that could benefit from it. He suggests: “HOLD DRIVE: could be customized to trigger the self-timer menu, selection by arrows and/or thumbwheel. Or instantly go to Movie Mode. HOLD AE: could be customized to trigger White Balance menu, selection by arrows and/or thumbwheel. This could be very helpful, as the current Q menu won’t let you preview how WB looks on the live image. HOLD AF: could trigger special focus behavior (…HOLD AF button could set focus to hyperfocal! If the DOF scale becomes meaningful, then this can be achieved when using the camera in Aperture Priority and Manual modes. Set the aperture, press and hold AF button and … voilá! I’d be in hyperfocal heaven….)”

While in image capture, there’s one button that does absolutely nothing: the down arrow. A perfect candidate to be a Fn2 (I’d choose it for DOF Preview)!”

Override

The camera should honor my decision to change aperture whilst keeping the shutter half-pressed [DPR-AW]. If in Manual / Auto ISO, compensate exposure accordingly.

The OVF

The OVF is great, but there are some problems that could be solved with firmware updates. So for example he asks Fuji to “calibrate the OVF framelines to the current XF lenses. They’re wildly conservative and inaccurate.”

 Hardware

He says that the X-PRO1 is a beautiful camera, build with good materials. But there are some things that Fuji could maybe correct in future versions of this camera:

– The battery slides in the camera in every position possible. “You might ask who is stupid enough to insert the battery this way … well, I am. And probably you’ll too, some dark night, succumb to this, and likely think the camera has died.

– The hood’s rubber cap [RR]: “it won’t stay put… a light nudge… will knock it off.”

– There is no diopter adjustment [personal note: there is one on the EVF of the X-E1]

Aperture ring [RR][LL-MR]: Early reviewers noted the very light aperture ring: “It’s far too easy to knock the aperture from “A” to f/16, and equally to any other setting.” Now other reviewers noted that “the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R had a very STIFF aperture ring”.

This were just some extracts of his letter. Read the whole letter here. My summary can’t do justice to the very clear step-by-step argumentation of Pedro Kok. And according to his to-do list, there is much work waiting on Fuji. And something has already been done with the last firmware update. As always, leave a comment, and tell me if you agree with the problems that Pedro noticed on his X-PRO1 and what do you think about his suggestions.

Make a list of the bugs you would like to have resolved and suggestions in order of importance! My list would begin with… 1) focus peaking…

tchau!