Leaked: X-E1 and X PRO 1 and XF35mm firmware update to be released tomorrow!

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Fuji Rumors reader Derek found that cached Fuji website (Click here) that unveils the details of the new X-E1 and X-PRO-1 firmware that will be released tomorrow (January 18th).

Fujifilm X-Pro1 – firmware version: 2.03

Changes:
* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.
* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.
Download X-Pro1 firmware version 2.03

Fujifilm X-E1 – firmware version: 1.04

Changes:
* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.
* Shutter release button now works when an external remote release is connected.
* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.
* Audio performance has been optimised for the new Stereo Microphone MIC-ST1 (sold separately).
Download X-E1 firmware version 1.04

FUJINON XF35mm – firmware version: 2.02

Change:
* Improved accuracy of Auto Focus performance.
Download XF35mm firmware version 2.02

 

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Update- Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R Sample Images Published

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Fujifilm posted on Facebook that the XF14mm f/2.8 lens will start shipping this weekend (source photorumors)

Finally some sample pics shot with a Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R have been posted on fujifilm.com (click here). For the specs click here.

The Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R can be pre-ordered at B&H and Adorama.

Fujirumors readers already had the opportunity to see some test shots and read a review here at the X-Pert Corner.

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National Geographic disqualifies contest winner because he removed a bag from the picture!

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Want to report a story that happened to a photographer who won a National Geographic photo contest with his [shoplink 6136]Fuji X-Pro1 (price & specs)[/shoplink]. Harry Fish sent the following message to Fujirumors:

I won the National Geographic 2012 Photo contest with a FUJI X-PRO1 and was later disqualified. Should you find this news interesting for your Comunity and/ or readers, here you have a link to my blog article http://harryfisch.blogspot.com.es/2013/01/national-geographic-how-i-won-and-lost.html
And here another http://harryfisch.blogspot.com.es/2012/12/how-to-win-and-loose-2012-national.html
In case you would like any other kind of media (Word and or images),  please let me know.
Thank you in advance for your time. Regards, Harry”

Of course, you’re welcome. And here we are with the big dilemma. Is removing a single object from a picture such a strong alteration of the artistic value of the pic? See the pictures below, first the winning picture, next the picture with the removed object (the bag on the far right).

He then wrote to the magazine:

I lunged to the computer and sent a mail to [the] editor of the magazine, arguing that a crop, perfectly allowed by the rules, would have done away with the object without further alterations, the bag would have melted with a slight burning-darkening, that  it was unnecessary to remove anything digitally (the rule that bans deleting or adding  tries to  safeguard the spirit or nature of  the photograph. Here the nature nor spirit of the original photo was not altered) and, most of all, that the minimal, slight modification did not alter the picture.

The magazine editor answered:

“.. it is unfortunate you did not crop the bag or just leave it  in, as it really had no impact either way….”.

“no impact”… Well, no comments here. It is the old question about how much you can alter a picture, and when a picture stops to be an original picture. Check Harry’s post to learn all the details about this misadventure. Great pic Harry, in any case!

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Great X20 and X100s hands-on by David Cleland.

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David Cleland had the pleasure to play with Fuji’s new toys and posted a X100s hands-on (Click here) and a X20 hands-on (Click here). He writes: “Genuinely I think both the X20 and X100s are cameras to get excited about. I suspect they are names that will appear on the “Camera of Year” lists of 2013.”

He owns a [shoplink 6126]X100 (price & specs)[/shoplink] and had the opportunity to test the [shoplink 6127]X100S[/shoplink]. About the X100 he says: The X100 taught me that you can be creative in the camera without having to rely on post production processing. In short the X100 became my every day camera. But now there is the amazing X-Trans sensor.

Physically the camera is almost identical to the X100, there is the addition of the ‘S’ to the logo and the all important Q button but also the focus options are now M-C-S rather than M-S-C as they were on the X100. The big changes come on the inside, a 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II a a Lens Modulation Optimiser and the new EXR processor are just a few of the highlights.

So, does the X-Trans sensor make a difference?

In short, in complete certainty and after just a few hours I was able to conclude the answer is a definitely YES. The image output is breathtaking

Check out his review at FlixelPix and the many amazing pics he shot with the “super sharp” Fujiflm X100S, or have a look at his pics on Flickr. Keep in mind that all X100 accessories are compatible with the X100S.

Fujifilm X100 price check: [shopcountry 6126]

Fujifilm X100S pre-order options: [shopcountry 6127]

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Comparison: APS-C with Speed Booster VS Full Frame

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sb test

image courtesy: eoshd

“Both of these shots were taken with the same lens at 24mm. One is not a full frame camera! ” (NEX-7 top / Canon 5D Mark III bottom. Lens: Sigma 24mm F1.8)

So, eoshd started his Speed Booster testings. Almost identical field of view! “The Speed Boost effect on aperture is highly evident too. On the NEX 7 the camera reports the maximum aperture as F1.3 and it is certainly brighter.” Also the “depth of field is as shallow on the NEX 7 as the 5D Mark III despite the difference in sensor size.”

Do we really need a Fuji Full Frame now? At the end of his post eoshd says: “This is a groundbreaking product for photographers and cinematographers alike.” Just click here (eoshd website) to read much more and see more comparison pics!

In another post he explained how the Speed Booster works: “If your sensor is smaller than full frame, shrink the image that the lens throws to fit over it. That is the principal behind the Metabones Speed Booster which essentially gives you the full frame look and a brighter image all at once…” He says, among the others, that with this adapter:

  • A 24mm wide angle like the Canon 24mm F1.4L becomes a 24mm wide angle on the FS100, with the same shallow DOF and field of view as on the 5D Mark III
  • A F1.2 aperture on a Canon lens becomes F0.90, a significant 1 stop brighter image in low light
  • Depth of field becomes shallower – the same as it would be on full frame

Read the whole text here.

Metabones Press Release:

Petersburg, VA, USA, January 14, 2013 – Metabones® and Caldwell Photographic jointly announce a revolutionary accessory called Speed Booster™, which mounts between a mirrorless camera and a SLR lens. It increases maximum aperture by 1 stop (hence its name), increases MTF and has a focal length multiplier of 0.71x. For example, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens becomes a 59mm f/0.9 lens on a Sony NEX camera, with increased sharpness. The faster F-stop allows for shallow depth-of-field and a lower ISO setting for decreased noise.

Speed Booster is also particularly pertinent to ultra-wide-angle SLR lenses. The combined focal length multiplier of Speed Booster and an APS-C mirrorless camera is approximately 1.09x, making the combination almost “full-frame”. Full-frame ultra-wide-angle SLR lenses largely retain their angle-of-view on an APS-C mirrorless camera when Speed Booster is used.

The optics of Speed Booster is designed by Brian Caldwell, PhD, a veteran of highly-corrected lens designs such as the Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO Macro lens with exemplary MTF performance (focusing done with visible light requires no correction whatsoever for the full spectrum from UV to IR).

Speed Booster serves double-duty as a lens mount adapter, from Canon EF lens (but not EF-S) to Sony NEX, with auto-aperture, image stablization, EXIF and (slow) autofocus support for late-model (post-2006) Canon-brand lenses. It will be available in January 2013 from Metabones’ web site and its worldwide dealer network for US$599 plus shipping and applicable taxes and duties.

Other mount combinations will follow shortly afterwards. Leica R, ALPA, Contarex, Contax C/Y and Nikon F (with aperture control for G lenses) will be supported, as will Micro 4/3 and Fuji X-mount cameras. Support for other mounts will be added in the future.

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