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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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When Fujifilm launched the X system in January 2012, it did so with an unusually high-end body - the X-Pro1. With its unique hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, solid metal body and analogue dial-led control philosophy, it was clearly targeted towards professionals and keen enthusiasts looking for an updated take on the classic rangefinder concept. The X-Pro1 was generally well-received, but its price was always likely to limit its appeal. Fujifilm's new baby, the X-E1, aims to broaden the line's appeal to wider range of enthusiasts, and will compete directly with the likes of the Sony Alpha NEX-7 and Olympus OM-D E-M5.
X-E1 - the more affordable X-Pro1
The X-E1 is in essence a slimmed-down X-Pro1, with the large, complex and expensive hybrid finder replaced by a purely-electronic viewfinder. Not any old EVF though - it uses a 2.36M dot OLED unit, out-speccing the X-Pro1's 1.44M dot LCD finder. In return its rear screen is slightly downgraded in terms of both size and resolution, to a still-respectable 2.8" 460k dot LCD - according to Fujifilm this is necessary to keep the camera's size down. The result is a compact body that's broadly similar in size to both the much-loved FinePix X100, and its most obvious competitors like the E-M5 and NEX-7.
The X-E1 gets a few new features relative to the X-Pro1, commensurate with its class. There's a little built-in pop-up flash, a 2.5mm stereo microphone socket for movie recording, and the ability to use an electronic shutter release cable in addition to the signature threaded shutter release button. But otherwise it's near-identical to the X-Pro1, using the same 16MP X-Trans CMOS sensor and EXR Pro image processor, and almost exactly the same control layout and interface.
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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On a recent business trip to Tokyo I collected a pre-ordered Fuji X-Pro1. This was preceded with the usual excitement and web surfing for any new morsels of information about Fuji's latest offering. Here's my view which adds to the general fervor the camera has created.
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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With its new colour filter arrangement and lack of a low-pass filter, the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 will produce better-resolution images than a full-frame camera with the same number of pixels, according to Hiroshi Kawahara from Fuji's X-Pro1 project.
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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Digital Photography Review: The X-Pro1 is the start of an all-new camera system, with a brand new mount and lenses. It's unashamedly targeted at a high-end audience, with analogue control dials and a small set of compact, large-aperture primes to be available at launch. Fujifilm is keen to stress its future commitment to the system, with a promise of two more lenses to appear later in 2012
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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There’s more similarities between the X-E1 and the X-Pro1 than not, so I won’t go over old ground here. You can find plenty on both the X-Pro1 and the X100 elsewhere on this blog, so I’ll just give a brief roundup of the few differences and how this new camera feels. I chose the black version for one reason…stealth! I recently tried to take photos at a murder scene and only had the X100 with me. Although it was dark, I was we’ll aware that the silver body would be noticed by the police around the area far more than a black camera would, so for me, the X-E1 had to be black. I will probably put black Gaff tape over the front name plate of the camera to cover the white letters too. First reaction when I unboxed the camera was that the packaging was a big drop down from the X-Pro1 (which was a drop down from the X100’s). The second thing I noticed was how light the camera was. I’ve had this initial feeling with all the X’s, but like the X-Po1, when you add the battery and a lens, it starts to feel quite nice! I’m eagerly awaiting a Gariz half case to be made available, which will not only protect the body, but add a bit of weight and make it a bit more comfortable in the hand. The X-E1 is almost identical in size to the X100, but feels a bit easier to grip, thanks to the front rubber grip and the raised section that houses the Q button. Like the X-Pro1, I feel that the AE-L button would have been better placed to the left of the thumb wheel (where the View Mode button is). I would have liked the play button to have stayed in the same place as the X-Pro1 (just for consistency between cameras). You notice the OLED viewfinder is obviously much higher resolution as soon as you look through it! The addition of a diopter is great too, but the one big thing that annoys me (apart from the lack of minimum shutter speed setting in auto ISO) is that unless you are using the rear LCD screen for shooting (why would you?) when you press the Q button or Menu button, you have to look into the viewfinder to see the display. This is a bit un-natural. For me the viewfinder is for shooting and the LCD is for menus. I know I’m not alone in this as I’ve read the same thing on blogs about the X-Pro1 when using the EVF.
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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Chris Gampat. I’ve seen, held and played with the Fujifilm X Pro 1 before; but never long enough to really make any substantial judgements about it. Recently though, that changed and I was treated to a good hour or so of playtime with the camera. Not only the camera though: but the entire system of lenses in the form of the 18mm f2.0, 35mm f1.4 and 60mm f2.4.
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Scooped by
Thomas Menk
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Billy (the Fuji Guys) gives you a hands on preview of the brand new Fujifilm X-Pro1. Part (1/2) For more information visit http://www.fujifilm.ca/xpro1 Follo...
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