X-shooter zone: from Greenland to Brazil, from Singapore to London… the X-virus is spreading!

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I know, the New York Times said that Fuji sold 700,000 cameras since the first X-series camera was launched… that’s not really an impressive “all time” sales number. X-shooters are still a small (but cool ;)) niche in the photography-world!

I don’t know if the imaging division of Fujifilm will make profits soon and how much the X-series can grow in the fiercely contested mirrorless market.

However… whoever enters the X-world seems to be happy with this decision. Wow, quality, passion, freedom, fun, inspiration, lightness… this, and much more, is what I read in your emails to me. If I should judge from your words, your emails, all your switch stories, well, I’d say that the X-virus can’t be stopped. But Fujirumors may not be the best place to judge the success or not of the X-series.

It’s just, I feel it in all your emails… it’s the excitement of (re)discovering photography, the fun to be creative with your camera… it’s the technology that meets our passion by combining vintage design and manual controls with top-notch digital image quality, it’s the dedication of Fujifilm to its customers.

Yes, we are (still) a small niche, but a pretty happy one!

So, I’m glad to dedicate this small, almost weekly space to your stories and your images. Sale numbers, black friday, reviews, rumors, deals… at the end of the whole story there are persons with an X-series camera in their hands and who enjoy to take photographs with it. So here is a very small selection of them.

Thanks to all for sharing your images and stories with Fujirumors… keep it up and feel free to contact me via fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook and twitter.

enjoy your day
Patrick

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Mads

Hi Patrick

Love the work you are doing on this site – it is amazing how fast you have developed a strong community, and it’s just a joy to watch how you’ve quickly become the place to go to for first images, breaking news, etc. Great stuff. I come here every day.

I love shooting night stuff with my X-E1 and the [shoplink 12946 ebay]Rokinon 8mm fisheye[/shoplink] (See attached photo for an example), and the news of the Samyang 12mm f/2 sounds like there’s something coming which will be close to a perfect nightscape match with the Fuji X in terms of tradeoff between size/weight, aperture speed, and angle of view. – But has there been any more news about this lens recently? Most of what I can find dates back to around September 1 where the lens was “confirmed” as a strong rumor. [admin: the rumor was launched and then confirmed by photorumors. Click here for the latest update]

Hope you can help – or point me in the right direction. Thanks!

Mads (website – Flickr – 500px)

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Edu Gómez

I have some content in my blog about the fuji x100 (365-dias-con-la-fuji-x-100 – translation) and xpro1 (cuatro-meses-con-la-x-pro1-de-fujifilm – translation) but it’s in spanish. I’ll maybe write an other article in a near future about the xpro1 and this one will be translated I’ll try to join now and let you know if it’s working!

Edu Gómez (X-PRO1)

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Ryan

Hi Patrick,

I check your website every morning. Not only because of the rumours. Another reason are the stories all your readers share: How they got infected by Fuji’s X series and how it changed their photography. Your FR readers zone is a good place to accumulate all the interesting stories and it is also a great place to discover new blogs of people who share the same passion of taking photos with the Fuji cameras which have a great impact on all of us.

Hence I think it’s time for me to contribute a story too. ;)

I was on holiday recently. To be more precise: London. I took my X-E1 on my travel and it was her first one. :) A few months ago I upgraded from the X100 (without the S) to the X-E1 because of the possibility to change lenses of different lenses. Lucky me the photo of the Tower Bridge I shot got published on Fujifilm’s Facebook pages. (Yay! :D )

Here is the link to my story how I end up using my X100/X-E1 instead of the my old companion Canon 5D, a selection of the London photos and more links are listed in the same blog post for more photos from London (in a few days I will add some more in new blog posts.). :)

http://www.ryanlam-photography.com

Cheers and keep up the good work with your website!

Ryan

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Leo Kah Leong

Dear fujirumor Team,

My name is Leo Kah Leong and I am an enthusiast photographer in Singapore. I bought into the Fuji system in early 2013 with Fuji Cameras after selling off my Canon system. Currently, I own a X-E1 and a X20. This is my pixoto sets: http://teyes.pixoto.com

Hope you enjoy it

Leo Kah Leong

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 Arlindo Namour Filho

Hi Patrick

I just launched a website and fan page about my work in the world of Fuji X. I moved from Canon to Fuji 100%, I am a wedding and portrait photographer and my Family runs this business for 51 years, now I am giving workshops all over the country with the support of Fuji film Brazil to presents the X series to the brazilian photographers.
Take a look at my site and fan page, it is in portuguese but is full of good articles.
www.ehnamour.com
www.facebook.com/EhNamour
Thank you.

Arlindo Namour Filho (facebook – X-E2)

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XF23mm highly recommended at ephotozine + “We regret the item remains unavailable” (BHphoto)

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BHphoto says that the “item remains unavailable” (thx Roger). The lens, announced back on September 5, is still unavailable at the major US stores. There are some at top rated ebayUS reseller [shoplink 19503 ebay]popflash here[/shoplink] and pictureline. David just told me: “BTW, the current situation with the 23mm shows the wisdom of ordering the very first day you can.  I did that (at 5 AM, as I recall!) from Adorama and have had the lens for quite a while, at least here in the U.S.”

[UPDATE: BHphoto expects to have the 23mm available on December 2]

Fuji XF 23mm: [shopcountry 16128]

The ephotozine review is online, check it out here. The PROS: Extremely sharp stopped down – Very good sharpness in the centre at maximum aperture – Lightweight –  Useful hyperfocal scale –  Excellent build / CONS: Not as sharp towards the edges of the frame at maximum aperture as you may expect.

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Using Auto-ISO

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Using Auto-ISO

by Rico Pfirstinger

Talk to Rico (open forum for questions & feedback) – Rico’s Flickr sets – Expanded XQ1 Sample Images Set – Expanded X-E2 Sample Images Set (includes full-size SOOC JPEG and RAW samples) – X-E2 AF tracking samples – Mastering the Fujifilm X-Pro1 reading samples (65 free pages) – Order my NEW book (print or DRM-free eBook/PDF): Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1 (use code FUJISAVES30 to save 30%!)

Thanks to continuous firmware updates, all Fujifilm X-Mount cameras will eventually use the same Auto-ISO paradigm. This “new” feature is actually based on the original custom Auto-ISO function in the classic X100. Since the Auto-ISO section in my book Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1 is still describing the previous (and not so popular) Auto-ISO version, this X-Pert Corner column also serves as a free update for my loyal readers.

Auto-ISO Parameters

How do you make the most out of the improved Auto-ISO feature? First, let’s see how it works:

Instead of automatically using a minimum shutter speed (MSS) based on the focal length (FL) setting of your lens, the new Auto-ISO lets you choose and set any MSS between 1/4s and 1/500s (or 1/125s in the X-A1 and X-M1). That’s quite a range! For the record: The MSS formula for the previous Auto-ISO version used to be MSS = 1 / [FL x 1.5], with exceptions for very long lenses and lenses and active image stabilization.

In addition to setting your own minimum shutter speed, you can now also set the default sensitivity and the maximum sensitivity. These two sensitivity parameters define your Auto-ISO range: The camera will never pick an ISO setting that is lower than the default sensitivity, and it will never exceed the maximum sensitivity setting. Within these limits, it will always try to meet the set minimum shutter speed requirements, and in order to do so, it will automatically increase the ISO value.

Auto-ISO and Exposure Modes

How does Auto-ISO work in concert with your camera’s four PASM exposure modes? Let’s have a look:

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** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

It’s Kaizen again! X-A1/ X-M1 firmware + X-PRO1, X-E1, X-E2, X100S coming soon + new lens firmware (LMO and PDAF support)

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the updates for the X-E2, X-E1 and X100S will come DEC19, for the X-PRO1 DEC05

Yes! Fujifilm just announced, that a new firmware update for the X-E2, X100S, X-E1 and X-PRO1 will come. The update for the X-M1, X-A1, XF18mm and XF27mm is already available.

NOTE: If you have problems to see the new firmware then you probably have to clean the cache! The easiest way is described in Rico’s X-pert corner post “Tips for Updating your Firmware”: “just delete your browser cache or force your browser to reload and refresh the page by, for example, holding the Alt or Option key while clicking on Reload.”

You will find tips like this and much more in Rico’s new book “Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1 (use code FUJISAVES30 to save 30%!)

greez
Patrick  (facebook, google+ and twitter)

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Let’s go with order. The firmware updates already available are the following:

bodies

X-M1 firmware: download here (ver.1.01).

X-A1 firmware: download here (ver.1.01).

  • AF accuracy is optimized for still image.
  • The phenomenon is fixed that a camera will automatically turn off during “Bulb (B)” shooting with the “CONTINUOUS” setting in “IMAGE DISP.”

 

lenses

XF18mm firmware: download here (ver.3.10).

XF27mm firmware: download here (ver.1.10)

  • 1.Addition of compatibility with “Phase Detection AF” functions of FUJIFILM X-E2.
  • 2.Addition of compatibility with “Lens Modulation Optimizer” functions of FUJIFILM X-E2.

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coming soon

Here is what we can expect in the next update on 19th December 2013 (Thu.) GMT 05:00 for the X-E2, X-E1 and X100S (press release). There will be another update, only for the X-PRO1, on the 5th December 2013 (Thu.) GMT 05:00 only for the X-PRO1 (press release here).

From the X-E2, X-E1 and X100S press release:

FUJIFILM X-E1 : Ver.2.10

FUJIFILM X100S : Ver.1.10

FUJIFILM X-E2 : Ver.1.10

[Contents of the firmware update]

For an overview of improvements to each model please refer to the list below.

<Updates now available for the X-E1, X100S and X-E2>

1. New fuctionality allowing you to edit image filenames

An image filename (DSCF***) is automatically allocated to each picture when shooting, this can now be changed to your filename of choice.* This added functionality is useful when organising the images after shooting, and sorting the images into groups.

2. Improvement of RAW file conversion function

  1. When developing RAF images in-camera using the built-in RAW file converter, the firmware upgrade improves the flow by taking you back to the original RAF image once the conversion has been done, whereas before it left you with the converted JPG file on screen and the user had to go back to the next RAF file manually.

<Updates available for the X-E1 and X100S>

3. See the exposure setting in live-view and histogram

  1. The images and histogram will reflect current exposure levels (with the shutter speed and aperture set during manual exposure also displayed on the image). In scenarios where the live view and the final shot will appear differently, eg: when using flash, this setting can be turned off.

4. Change of numbering for images shot using continuous shooting

  1. When shooting using continuous shooting, only the first image is currently displayed in full screen and subsequent frames are displayed in small on the bottom right, and the file number was set as “S+7-digit number”. With the new firmware, all frames in continuous shooting are displayed as full screen shots in playback. The file number has also been altered to follow numerically as per standard single shots, thereby allowing uniform management of images after shooting.

5. Aperture and shutter speed can be changed once AE lock is selected

  1. The aperture or shutter speed can be changed while maintaining exposure (EV value) with the AE lock button. The photographer has the ability to tweak settings down to the very last moment before shooting.

<Updates available for the X-E1>

6. The default and maximum sensitivity and minimum shutter speed can be set when ISO AUTO is selected

  1. When selecting “AUTO” in the ISO setting, users can also set standard ISO, Maximum ISO and a low-speed shutter limit. The Low-speed shutter limit has been extended to 1/500 seconds.

<Updates available for the X100S>

7. Improve the cover range and accuracy of the bright frame in the OVF

  1. By maintaining the position of the bright frame with parallax compensation during AF lock, the shooting area can be checked even when letting go of the shutter release.

 From the X-PRO1 press release

Improve the cover range and accuracy of the bright frame in the OVF

  1. The cover range of the bright frame displaying the shooting area in the optical viewfinder has been improved so that a field of view closer to the actual image can be checked. By maintaining the position of the bright frame with parallax compensation during AF lock, the shooting area can be checked even when letting go of the shutter release.
  2. click here to read more about this frimware udpate

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X-E2 black body now in stock at AmazonUS/DE + XF23mm in stock at Adorama and popflash

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1) The black X-E2 is in stock at AmazonUS (and still available at BHphoto). Other stores have other combinations available. Overall, the delivery of the X-E2 proceeds smoothly.

X-E2 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline / ebay EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / Fotomundus24 GER / PCHstore / AmazonDE (IN STOCK) / ebay

2) Much harder to find: the XF23mm. There is a limited number available again at Pictureline. FR-reader Roger just told me that it’s available also at Adorama here and at [shoplink 19411 ebay]top rated ebayUS reseller popflash[/shoplink]. Thanks Roger!

Fuji XF 23mm: [shopcountry 16128]

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