miXed zone: The rise of mirrorless?, Fujifilm X-T1 reviews and more
The rise of mirrorless?
According to the figures published by the CIPA here, compared to February 2013, this year Japanese companies shipped 33,7% more mirrorless cameras and 12,3% less DSLR cameras! This trend can’t be seen in North America, where the mirrorless market is still suffering and decreasing. But keep in mind that, overall, the camera sales wordwide dropped by 34,5%.
via Mirrorlessrumors / phoblograher/imaging resource/amateur photographer
Fuji X-T1
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image courtesy: brianfletcherblog
– Brian: “Hi Patrick. I recently ditched all my Canon gear (5D Mk3’s plus L glass) for the X series of bodies and glass. I shot my first Wedding with them a couple weeks ago, if you would like to take a look. I used 2 X-T1’s and the 23mm and 56mm.” See more here. Brian also send me this text:
“The bride is a friend of mine and it was very mellow, relaxed day. I am really excited to try it out in a more traditional wedding setting and I have no doubt that it will perform admirably. I have done enough weddings to know what is going to work and what isn’t and the X-T1 will work for the way I shoot.
For dancing, my assistant was providing off-camera light and I didn’t have any issues focusing, really. It wasn’t spot on every single frame, but neither were my Mk3’s. The biggest difference for me was when I did use some flash on my camera for a few shots, you have to switch to Single shot mode, but it causes you to shoot more conservatively instead of rapid file style like with my Mk3’s. It may not be ideal for some wedding photographers, but for someone like me, it is a welcome change. I don’t want to miss any moments, for sure but I also don’t want to be going through 6k images after a wedding anymore.
The ONLY time I got a bit frustrated was when I was trying to get some family formals in open shade with the mid-day sun blasting down behind the subjects, and the camera wouldn’t lock focus at all – I assumed it has to do with the lack of contrast/focus issue that already has been discussed. I just switched to manual with focus peaking and got it, but it definitely was a little frustrating. I am confident Fuji will fix this with a firmware update someday.”
– Fujifilm X-T1 – Sport assignment at joengphotography: “I had an assignment to shoot an indoor track race for Gastown Cycling, a local cycling club in Vancouver, BC Canada. I wanted to put the X-T1 to use with the 55-200mm on the field and try testing its limits. […] The performance of the continuous focus tracking was very similar to my Nikon D700 once the subject was locked.”
– Full write-up on using pro wireless flash with the X-T1 at f-sunny.
– Comments and Comparisons About the Olympus E-M1 in Comparison to the FujiFilm X-T1 at thewanderinglensman: “The Olympus, in my subjective judgment, focuses faster in the “S” mode. Also, in my judgment, the X-T1 focuses better in the “Tracking” mode.”
– Full Review: Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 10-24mm at bigheadtaco: “If I had to choose right now between the two, I would choose the X-T1 over the X-E2. The main reasons for this is because of the improved and larger EVF, the articulating screen, and the dedicated ISO dial.”
– Fuji X-T1 Review: Fuji X system starts getting serious at darrenobrien: “The Fuji X-T1 is quite a camera, it is fast, responsive, quick to focus and that EVF is stunning. The image quality is the typical, high standard, Fuji offering. The images from the X-T1 are possibly the best I have seen from a non-full frame camera, same goes for the ISO performance.”
– Fuji X-T1 Review: The ideal travel photography camera? at danielkcheung: “the X-T1 is a very sound camera. Technically there is not much wrong with it (apart from perhaps that issue of NR applied to smudged foliage thing). I have enjoyed using it extensively. Most of my complaints can be resolved with time. For casual use, I think the X-T1 ticks all the boxes.”
– A day with Fuji – part 2 – X-T1, 10-24mm f/4 and 56mm f1.2 lenses – Fuji ‘Full frame’?? NO!!!!! at soundimageplus: “And I’m becoming more and more convinced that Fuji are most definitely becoming one of the great lens makers. Plus they seem to be getting better. The 23mm f/1.4, 10-24mm f/4 and 56mm f/1.2, their latest, are terrific lenses. Close to the best I’ve ever used. And yes that includes Leica, Zeiss, Nikon and medium format lenses as well.”
– The Fujifilm X-T1-the wheel comes full circle at thistonybridge: “Fujifilm’s philosophy of better pixels, not more pixels, appears to be paying off. While it uses a 16.3Mp X-Trans II APS-C size sensor, properly captured and post-produced files are capable of generating high quality A1 prints with exquisite resolution and micro-detail. Subtle mid-tone separation is still no match for the creamy tonalities from a D 800 or Phase 1, but it comes close. Damned close. Use Photo Ninja and you will be blown away by the quality of the files.”
– Fuji Xt1 autofocus speed at thebigpicturegallery: “Using the 55-200 zoom I aquired focus and hit the shutter, I shot 10 frames in total and only the last 2 frames showed oof, due to losing focus as the birds dropped into the water. Pretty amazed at this set, given the 55-200 is not the easiest lens to work with. The tracking works a treat. It was fortunate I guess that the 2 birds stayed at a similar distance to each other. Hope you find some interest in this wee test.”
– Sebastian: “Hi Patrick, for many of us the X-T1 has already been out there for six weeks now. Hence, I thought the period of grace and praise might be coming to an end and started creating my wishlist for firmware updates and hardware improvements for the upcoming “X-T2” ;-) I published the first part which tackles firmware issues at my newly created blog which I will mainly devote to suggestions of this kind.” Read it here at sonop.
– X-E2 vs X-T1 at the Japanese site trendy.nikkeibp (tranlsation).
– X-T1 at camera.itmedia (translation).
– review at the Polish site optyczne (translation).
XF 56mm f/1.2
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image courtesy: thedigitaltrekker
– A few thoughts of the Fujifilm FX56 mm F/1.2 R at thedigitaltrekker: “It is everything that X-Photographers had hoped for and more. It is fast, sharp and gives your photos the bokeh you come to expect from an f/1.2 lens. If there is any problem with this lens it is the lack of a fast shutter speed on any camera it was intended for. My rating on this lens is 5 out of 5 stars. Fujifilm hit this one right out of the ballpark!”
– Scharf, schärfer, Fujinon xf56mm (sharp, sharper, 56mm) f1.2 at qimago (translation).
– First pictures with the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R Lens at soundimageplus: “Though just as a little teaser, it’s fast, it’s sharp and no lens has any right whatsoever to be this good at f/1.2. Forget Leica, Zeiss and yes I am actually going to write it, Nikon (and I already have forgotten them) Fuji are incredibly good at making lenses for cameras.”
– 56mm compared to the 60mm at fujivsfuji: “Well, if you want to shoot a lot of portraits, need fast focusing, or you’re a shallow depth of field nut, the answer is obvious, you want the 56mm ƒ/1.2. If you want a more versatile, lighter, smaller lens that is a little slower in every way, but costs just over half as much, the FUJINON XF 60mm ƒ/2.4 Macro is an excellent option.”
– plenty of pixel peeping at slrclub (translation).
XF 10-24
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– A few thoughts of the Fujifilm XF10-24mm f/4 R OIS at thedigitaltrekker: “Overall, I am pleased with this lens. I am frustrated that I only had it for a few days and didn’t have a chance to try it out on a landscape or some other more traditional use of a lens of this type. The lens does fit into my style of shooting and I will be purchasing it as soon as more stock arrives here in Malaysia. It is really wide and deliverers the images you can expect from a 10/15mm lens. My biggest gripe is that it is rather slow. Even with OIS at f/4 this lens doesn’t allow the camera to shoot faster shutter speeds, and so more chance of motion blur is guaranteed. With that said, I would give this lens a 3.5 out of 5 stars.”
– Hands on review at Tom Grill’s website aboutphotography: “I went into this test expecting many of the typical disappointments associated with super-wide angle zoom lenses — corner softness, rectilinear distortion, heavy vignetting. Instead I came away with even more respect for the folks at Fujifilm for making such an excellent lens with virtually none of the aberrations that usually plague this breed of zoom. This truly is one of the best super-wide angle zooms I have even used, and well worth its modest price of $999.99.”
– Jeroen de Jong: “Last weekend I picked up a XF 10-24mm so that I can use my new X-T1 also for landscapes. During my first series of testshots I made this beautiful picture, which I wanted to share with Fujirumors. It made immediately to Flickr explore (12000+ views and over 350 faves).” See them here.
– benjacobsenphoto XF10-24 images.
– Fuji 10-24mm f/4 zoom and Photoshop lens ‘corrections’ at soundimageplus. Check out also this article here.
X-E2
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– Apollon: “Hi Patrick. I love your website! I am writing to ask if you could kindly share a set I’ve posted on FlickR on Costa Rica, taken with the Fuji X-E2 and a variety of lenses: Canon FD 300 4L, Fuji 55-200, Fuji 56 1.2, Fuji 27 2.8, Fuji 14 2.8 and Bower 8mm 2.8. I have tried to demonstrate the beautiful Fuji colors in a variety of photographic situations.” And here is the Flickr link.
X100S
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– X100S musings, a camera for old man? at jasonpitcher: “I hate to say it, but I’m really starting to prefer the Fuji X system for most of the stuff I do. I like the body style of the rangefinders over the SLR form factor. There has been a lot of buzz around the new X-T1, but that camera doesn’t appeal to me. It’s a small DSLR shape and if I want to use a camera like that, I’m going to use my D800, dodgy eyes or no.”
– Macro Photography with Fuji X : x100s + Raynox-250 at kstphotography: “Since I started using the Fuji X system a few months ago, I often come across people in various forum asking if Fuji X system is good for macro and what lens or accessories should they use? I have decided to write a few articles about this with some pictures I took using different set up.”
– Gene Smirnov: “Hey, Hope all is well. I couldn’t find how to submit images, but I recently used x100s for an advertising shoot for Converse. AD: http://www.genesmirnov.com/
– Fujifilm X100S and Sony A7 Comparison at stephenip: “Mainly that for how and what I shoot, the APS-C sensors on the X100S and X-Pro1/X-T1 are good enough. Based on the results of my completely unscientific comparison and the fact that I rarely make large prints, I really can’t find any reason to consider a move to Sony. It’s not that the Sony A7 (and A7R which I haven’t used) aren’t great cameras. It’s just that for my needs and preferences, the Fuji X Series cameras and lenses simply suit me better.”
– X100S review at framework.latimes: “Professional photographers and serious photographers alike will find this camera hard to put down, a great little walk around that’s more than just a pretty piece of neck candy. The X100S inspires your inner street photographer and will take you back to the golden era of photography, when photographers took their sweet time to make photos and the cameras were precision instruments of reverence and potent power.”
– Fuji X100s + [shoplink 12893]WCL-X100[/shoplink] Wide-angle adapter at soundimageplus: “Optically it’s the usual Fuji standard, i.e. very good indeed. Sharp to the corners and as you can see the distortion in the brick wall shots is very well controlled. These add-on adapters are supposed to be terrible, but then Fuji tore up the rule book on lenses some time ago.” For his article “The rather beautiful Fuji X100s” click here.
– The Kaza Fuji X100S combo case review at mrare: “Overall I’m pretty happy with the case because of the design and the quality of the material. If I were to wish for anything, it would be a slightly larger opening on the bottom for the door, a smaller option for those without needing the room for a lens hood, a revised design to accommodate a thumbs up and to ditch the loop on the back of the case to attach to your belt loop.”
X-E1
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– Fuji X-E1 review at musicphotographer: “This camera is obviously not for everybody, and it does not replace your heavy duty DSRL, but instead it completes your kit, it’s the camera to bring always with you and have no regrets when it comes to image quality, it’s not perfect, as I mentioned several times the sensor is great but with some flaws, but despite some of the camera limitations, I enjoyed every single time I used it, and it actually surprised me more than once for what this little camera is capable of.”
X-PRO1
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– Sergio Sorrentino: “Hi Patrick, thanks for the great work on fujirumors, I’m following you since 2012. I’m a professional wedding photographer, based in Italy. I used to shoot my works with a 5D Mark II and a 1D MarkII. Last summer, sold the huge 1D, I finally bought a X-Pro1 with 35mm for using as second camera with my 5D Mark II. Well, I was so happy for the images I obtained that recently I sold the 35L which was my main lens and bought the 23mm f/1.4R. The next step will be buying another X-Series camera (X-E2 or X-T1) and the 56 f/1.2 and the complete switch will be done! Here’s the full article on my website.”
– X-PRO1 on a rainy day in New York at aboutphotography.
X100
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– Fuji X100 at kbesios: “After a long time, today I am posting a few images taken with the Fuji X100 camera. My relationship with the X100 has gone from various stages. At one point, I reached a step before selling it, but thankfully, I decided to keep it. The last firmware update has transformed it to a much much better camera and this is something that no other company has ever done to a discontinued model (at least to the level of update Fuji did).”
Fuji and Flash
Geoff: “Hi. Have there been any tips about an upcoming flash system? I was reading about the meeting that David Hobby, Zack Arias, David Mullins, and Bert Stephani had with Fuji. It would have to be a massive coincidence for three of those chosen to meet with Fuji to be three of the most popular bloggers re. off camera flash use. The fourth is a wedding photographer who would also benefit from a pro flash system. I’d be interested in hearing others’ thoughts on this. It seems like a glaring hint, to me, that Fuji would invite those three people for a meeting, yet I haven’t seen others discuss the implication that Fuji must/may be working on a new flash system. I wonder if you would consider posting this observation for discussion. Thank you.”
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