Fuji X-Pro1

Street Photography with Fuji X-E1 in Paris

Da wir auf Hochzeiten selten im Studio zu finden sind haben wir mit der Fuji x100s und der Fuji X-E1 Lutz Graichen von Windflüchter Surfboards besucht um etwas realere Bedingungen für einen Test zu haben als Schärfetafeln oder Stilleben. Der studierte Sportwissenschaftler baut seit 2008 in Rostock an der Ostseeküste Windsurfboards unter dem Namen Windflüchter. Und so wie sich die Form eines Windflüchters, eines Baumes dessen Wuchsform stark durch die Winde an der Küste beeinflusst wird, passt Lutz seine Boards nach den Wünschen seiner Kunden an. Ausgeglichenheit, Liebe zum Detail, Präzision und die Leidenschaft für das Handwerk sind allgegenwärtig wenn man bei ihm in der Werkstatt ist. Allerdings erwarten die Kameras in seiner Werkstatt auch flackernde Neonröhren und viel Staub. Nicht gerade das wir normalerweise auf Hochzeiten vorfinden, aber ein recht extremer Test für die kleinen Fujis da sie keine wirkliche Versiegelung haben. Zwar hat meine X-E1 auch schon den einen oder anderen Regen überstanden, aber wer weiß. Am meisten war ich auf den neuen Autofokus und natürlich das “digitale Schnittbild” im manuellen Fokus gespannt. Soviel sei gesagt: Ja, der Autofokus der x100s ist schneller als der, der X-E1, aber unter erschwerten Bedingungen noch nicht mit einer DSLR Vergleichbar. Vielleicht in der nächsten Generation von Fuji Kameras. Intelligent Hybrid AF nennt Fuji die neue Methode zur “Scharfstellung” und meint damit eine Mischung aus “TTL Phase detection” und “TTL contrast”. Die Bewegungen von Lutz beim Shapen des Boards einzufangen ging der kleinen Fuji dann aber doch nicht so einfach von der Hand wie erhofft. Sicher kann das den schlechten Lichtverhältnissen geschuldet sein. Ein weiterer Test mit spielenden Kindern in der Sonne wäre wohl notwendig bevor wir die kleine mit dem neuen 16.3 MP X-Trans CMOS II Sensor zu einer Hochzeit ausführen. Wenn man die Ruhe des Moments nutzt sitzt der Fokus natürlich perfekt, keine Frage. Zeit also das Fokus Peaking und das “digitale Schnittbild” im manuellen Fokus zu testen. Einer der vielen Punkte auf der Wunschliste der Fuji Nutzer ist das Fokus Peaking und siehe da, Fuji hat die Gebete erhört. Zumindest teilweise. Denn wenn wir mal ehrlich sind ist ein Fokus Peaking mit weißen Kontrastkanten dann doch im realen Leben weniger hilfreich als erhofft. Grün oder Rot wären wohl die bessere Wahl gewesen. Wer weiß, vielleicht liefert Fuji hier per Firmware noch nach. Eine neue Welt eröffnet das momentan “weltweit erste Fokussystem, das eine sensorbasierte Phasenerkennung nutzt” – Zitat Fuji. Soll heißen, wenn die Kanten der dargestellten Bildhälften aufeinander liegen, ist der entsprechende Bereich scharf. Anfangs ist es etwas ungewohnt, aber es funktioniert perfekt wenn man sich erst Mal daran gewöhnt hat. Im Direkten Vergleich der Schärfe zwischen dem 23mm f2 der x100s und dem XF-35mm f1.4 an der X-E1 verliert das fest an der x100s angebrachte Objektiv. Nichts desto trotz ist die Kombination der 35mm äquivalenten Kleinbild Brennweite am X-Trans Sensor eine Wucht bedenkt man das Kamera und Objektiv locker in die Hosentasche passen. Und darin besteht momentan auch der Vorteil gegenüber der X-E1, die vom Body her eine ähnliche Größe aufweist, aber durch die wechselbaren Objektive eben wesentlich “sperriger” daherkommt. Hier will Fuji noch dieses Jahr mit dem 27mm f2.8 Pancake eine Hosentaschen Variante anbieten. Das Rauschverhalten haben wir ja schon in anderen Blog Einträgen bis ISO 6400 gezeigt. Und wer sich über Randunschärfen unterhalten möchte kann sich auch unseren Vergleichstest ansehen. Die folgenden Bilder sind alle mit ISOs zwischen 1600 und 2500 bei Aperture Priority aufgenommen. Die Fuji x100s musste dabei bei komplett geöffneter Blende, also f2 belichten. Die X-E1 konnte mit dem XF-35mm f1.4 auf f2 abblenden. Ein Bild mit ISO6400 hat sich eingeschlichen. Wer’s findet darf es behalten. Eines muss noch zu den Farben gesagt werden. Beide Fuji Kameras haben es geschafft bei den schlechten Lichtverhältnissen, ständig wechselnden Farbtemperaturen im und automatischem Weißabgleich perfekte Farben zu generieren. Timos betagte 5DMKII hatte da sichtlich ihre Probleme und man konnte von 3 Bildern hatten alle 3 einen anderen Weißabgleich im Auto WB Modus......

Sample Shots with Carl Zeiss Touit 1.8/32 and FUJIFILM X-E1

El planteamiento de estos Touit, en versiones Planar T* 32 mm f/1,8 y Distagon T* 12 mm f/2,8 –equivalentes respectivamente a 48 mm y 18 mm de focal en ángulo de cobertura– es en más de un aspecto, atrevido, y especialmente en lo que se refiere a la montura X, ya que Fujifilm ofrece para sus cámaras una línea muy completa de ópticas de también muy alta calidad, que incluye las referencias Fujinon 35 mm f/1,4 y 14 mm f/2,8 (con equivalencias de 52,5 mm y 21 mm respectivamente). A notar que aunque la nueva serie de objetivos Carl Zeiss recibe el nombre genérico de "Touit" por el de lo simpáticos loros tropicales, conservan la clasificación tradicional adicional de "Planar" y "Distagon", y por supuesto la de "T*" por los multirevestimientos antirreflejos. No lo es tanto para el caso de las Sony NEX, para las que en este momento, como ópticas “prime” podría citarse únicamente al Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 24 mm f/1,8 ZA (equivalente a un 36 mm). Para esta montura, las nuevas focales con equivalencias de 18 mm y 48 mm parecen aportaciones muy interesantes, sobre todo si se tiene en cuenta que Carl Zeiss es la que aporta de forma nativa ópticas “prime” para Sony. Ahora bien, sin indagamos un poco más en los Touit para la montura X de Fujifilm, encontraremos datos adicionales dignos de consideración. El primero es que –en focales cortas– cada milímetro cuenta, y puede haber más diferencia de cobertura de la que pueda suponerse entre los 52,5 mm y 21 mm equivalentes de los Fujinon y los 48 mm y –especialmente– los 18 mm equivalentes de los Touit. Para ello, nada más práctico que las imágenes comparativas que ofrecemos, tomadas bajo condiciones de control muy estrictas.....

At some point Fuji is going to disappoint me. They'll have to let me down, I just know they will. Everything follows this basic, unforgiving law of averages right? But at the risk of coming off as some sort of fanboi, that day hasn't come and I’m again forced to swoon over an upcoming X-series product: the Fujinon XF 55–200mm F3.5–4.8 R LM OIS. This lens isn’t out yet but Fujifilm Canada sent me a pre-production unit to test — with all the caveats this involves. A telephoto is the one thing I’ve been missing most on this system so I was eager to try it out. I had to install a new firmware version in order for the camera to recognize it but everything went without a hitch. I was warned by Billy (Luong, of the Fuji Guys) that there were still improvements being made (the zoom itself is way too stiff but this won’t be in the final version), and Tokyo has put an embargo on any full size images until everything has been ironed out. But I’ll tell you this: if this is the level of image quality in the pre-production unit… Man, we’re in for a serious treat. The contrast, sharpness and highlight rendition is right up there with the 35mm f/1.4. My initial feeling is that it even surpasses it. The OIS feels like a Steady-Cam; Manual focussing follows in the footsteps of the 14mm and 18–55mm and keeps me eating my own words about fly by wire. And when mounted on my X-Pro1 the entire kit feels like it’s at least half the weight of my old Nikon 70–200 2.8 on its own. I can’t wait to shoot portraits with this lens but for now, a few images from my backyard (moments after the lens got here and a few after dinner) just to give you an idea of what it looks like wide open — which of course will vary based on focal length. Make sure you hover over the lightbox images to get the exif data. One more detail: minimum focussing distance seems to be a little over 3 feet, a bit more on the long end. Enabling macro mode on the camera doesn’t seem to do anything.

I have a favourite place, about 25 minutes’ drive from my home, where I like to go and make photographs. It is a great place to visit and as I am coming to understand its particular rhythms, I am learning to predict its moods and sense the best times to be there. Dawn is an especially great time to go, particularly in autumn, when the valley floor is covered in mists and mystery. The local farmer is happy to allow me up on his property, where I can see over the plains and watch the turn of the day and the cycle of the weather. It is the perfect place to go and test equipment, particularly a camera’s ability to resolve fine and complex detail. For the last week or so I have been test-driving a pre-production version of Fujifilm’s new Fujinon 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS zoom lens. Pre-release is probably a better descriptor since it is clearly obvious that full release versions will be the same as my tester. And what better place to take it for a workout than my torture-test place? But first a little background. When Fujifilm first released the X-Pro 1 the beginning of 2012, they did a brave thing; they released only three lenses, all of them fixed focal-length prime lenses. They went for the classic 28 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm equivalent focal lengths, the stalwart of photographers for decades. However, if you had a thing for wide, then the wide-angle was not wide enough, and if a telephoto was your thing, then the 60/90 mm simply did not reach far enough. But it was a good start. And the lenses were stunningly, glitteringly sharp, due in part to the superior Fuji optics and in part to the fact that the sensor had no anti-aliasing filter. Later in 2012, with the release of the X-E1, Fujifilm supplied the first zoom lens, an 18-55 (28-82 equivalent)  lens, which enabled greater flexibility and focal length choice. Not only that, but the lens was stabilised, which made it possible to hand-hold down to very slow shutter speeds. Needless to say, this camera/lens combination has proved very popular. Later in 2012, we were able to acquire the new and exceptional 14mm (21mm equivalent) lens, which allowed us to have a wider reach. Now all we X-philes needed, we said, is a decent telephoto zoom lens. The 18-55 LM OIS had proved to be just as stellar as the prime lenses, somewhat giving the lie to the idea that zooms are inherently softer than primes. So we  waited in anticipation, looking forward to getting our hands on this new and longer zoom.

Now the wait is over (well, almost).

Fujifilm are now about to release the Fujinon 55-200mm (83-300 equiv.) F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens next month. Its specifications, from Fujifilm publicity material are as follows:

 

- Image stabilization that allows the use of shutter speeds 4.5 stops slower;

- Uses two linear stepper motors for high-speed AF and quiet operation, making the lens suitable for video recording as well

- Features two ED lens elements including one Super ED lens element that boasts performance equivalent to that of fluorite lenses; controlling chromatic aberrations, which typically occur in long focal lengths, to produce images that resolve well corner-to-corner across the its entire zoom range

- Applying FUJINON’s proprietary “HT-EBC (High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating)” on the entire lens surface to achieve a highly preventative measure against reflections and to control flair and ghosting

- Offering the minimum working distance of 1.1m across the entire zoom range to enable telephoto close-ups, capturing a small part of a subject

- Featuring a 1/3EV step aperture ring so that users can easily adjust the aperture whilst holding the camera up to their eye

- The focus ring and aperture ring are made from metal and have been designed to have a high quality feel, with the benefit of being extra robust.

Okay, much of that is marketing speak, but after a week of using it out in the field, I would have to say that all of it is true......

We have been incredibly busy during the last few months, working on building our very own Lens Database (http://photographylife.com/lenses). As of today, the database contains 400 lenses and we are continuously working on adding more lenses from different manufacturers. You might be wondering about why there is a need to have our own database at Photography Life, when there are plenty of lens databases on the Internet. After I went through a dozen different sites about a year ago, I realized that most sites contain very little information about lenses. While manufacturer specifications are mostly there, such important data as lens construction and MTF charts is typically missing. On top of that, very few sites provide image samples from lenses – images are often too small to look at even on a mobile device.

Here is the Fuji Lens Database ....

I bought the Fuji X-E1 in January, and I am very satisfied with it. I really think that it is  ’best digital camera of 2012′ as I do not know which other camera should receive that award. I find it that good! Previously I used the very good  Fujifilm X10, about which I wrote a few times. However I wanted a camera that provides me with better image quality and more varied tools. Is the Fujifilm X-E1 the right choice? In this review – which will be split in several parts – I hope to answer this.

Update: Adobe has released the Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 which greatly improves the support for Fuji X-E1 Raw files. Until now I think it was better to shoot Jpegs (gorgeous) than to struggle with Raw files. However, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom have now improved support.
You can jump straight to my comparison of before and after Raw processing in Photoshop Lightroom.

 

My Fujifilm X-E1 kit consists of: X-E1 + XF 18-55mm ($1399 on Amazon) and the XF 35mm lens (for $599). The Fuji X-E1 is the second interchangeable body in Fujifilm mirroless system, and keeps most features of it’s more expensive predecessor – the X-PRO1. A camera system, as opposed to compact digital cameras, is only as good as the lenses available for it. Fujifilm X interchangeable lens system is pretty young and has only a small number of lenses compared to Canon or Nikon. However the lenses launched until now are very good.

update: to see a photo gallery with photos shot with the Fujifilm X-E1 and the XF 18-55 you can view my photo gallery from Rome. I also added a new pictures gallery, this time from Pompeii. I took all the photos with the Fujifilm XF 18-55 which I like more and more......

Conclusions

This is an ongoing review, so i will expand on different points. For me using the Fujifilm X-E1 is a new experience and a learning process. I really hope to understand all the quirks, and put to use all the best features.

I bought the X-E1 as a travel camera. My main usage for the camera – I thought – was going to be travel photography. However, the more I shoot with the new Fuji I realize what a well-rounded camera it is. I have shot the Fuji at a press conference recently and I am very happy with the results. The biggest quality of life improvement for me was the quality of the camera output. I have to edit the files in Lightroom far less than before.

Over the past few years, the digital camera market has been transformed by the arrival of mirrorless system cameras. Freed from film-era design constraints, these can provide image quality to match SLRs in a much more portable form factor. Entry-level models provide compact-camera like handling and simplicity, while high-end cameras such as the Sony NEX-7, Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Fujifilm X-E1 are able to offer a full set of enthusiast-friendly manual controls in smaller, more discreet systems, and with relatively few compromises. However to persuade buyers to forsake their SLRs, the camera companies also need to offer lens lines that will cover their needs. While most manufacturers have attacked the mirrorless market from the bottom up, Fujifilm's approach has been the opposite, starting with unashamedly top-end X-Pro1 followed up by the more enthusiast-oriented X-E1. The company's lens line reflects this - instead of starting out with entry-level kit zooms, it took the decidedly unusual step of launching with three fixed-focal length primes. The first zoom appeared with the X-E1, but the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.5 R LM OIS is no ordinary 'kit' lens, offering premium optics and a faster maximum aperture.

The XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS telephoto zoom follows in the same vein - according to Fujifilm the aim is to provide premium optical quality and construction alongside class-leading image stabilization. Like the 18-55mm it features a relatively fast maximum aperture, gathering half a stop more light than most similar zooms for SLRs, and it uses a pair of linear stepper motors for near-silent autofocus. As with the other XF lenses, it also offers all-metal barrel construction and an on-lens aperture control ring. The overall picture is of a decidedly premium lens, that's quite unlike the inexpensive 55-200mm F4-5.6 telezooms for APS-C SLRs.

Headline features55-200mm focal length (83-300mm equivalent)Relatively fast F3.5-4.8 maximum apertureOptical image stabilization; 4.5 stops claimed benefitAperture ring on lensX mount for Fujifilm X system mirrorless cameras

 

Sono – ma forse dovrei dire siamo – sempre alla ricerca dell’accessorio giusto per le nostre fotocamere: c’è sempre un tappetino di feticismo nel modo in cui viviamo la nostra passione. Ebbene, oggi vi racconto la storia di questa borsetta. Una ex borsa dell’esercito svizzero trovata per caso in un mercatino e trasformata in una vera borsa per attrezzatura fotografica. Nel mio caso, perfetta per le piccole Fuji XE-1. Stiamo parlando di una robustissima borsa di tela e cuoio di 29 cm di larghezza, 24 di altezza e 10 centimetri di spessore, corredata di cinghia a tracolla di cuoio, maniglia estraibile superiore e chiusura di sicurezza, anch’essa di cuoio. L’ho acquistata a Novegro (un polo fieristico alle porte di Milano), durante uno dei tanti mercatini di cose vecchie in calendario, per 27 euro (trattare con gli svizzeri non è divertente…). Lì per lì non potevo immaginare che l’inserto Domke che avevo acquistato molti mesi prima potesse essere calzato a perfezione. E invece sembra fatto apposta. Guardate qui sotto. E questo è l’inserto. L’avevo comperato on line nel noto negozio di New York, B&H, per circa una ventina di euro. Non saprei dove trovarlo in Italia, anche se sono sicuro che qualsiasi sarto sia in grado di realizzarne uno identico. Quant’è capiente? Beh, io riesco a farci stare due Fuji XE-1 (una con il 18mm montato), tre obiettivi – il 35/1.4, il 14/2.8 e il fisheye Samyang – più qualche batteria, le schede di memoria, un filtro… Resta un po’ di spazio per qualche altro piccolo accessorio. Da sola, la borsa completa di imbottitura pesa 1.160 grammi, neppure molto se pensiamo che è praticamente indistruttibile. Per avere un riferimento, una Billingham Hadley Small – che ha pressoché la stessa capienza – pesa 782 grammi.

Nome: Borsa dell’esercito svizzero (se avete un’idea migliore, fatevi avanti)
Dimensioni: 29 x 24 x 10 cm
Peso: 1.160 g
Materiale: tela e cuoio
Accessori: inserto Domke FA-230 a tre scomparti

We already published a few Fujinon XF lens reviews (Fujinon XF 60mm macro and the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm), but this Fujifilm X-E1 review is our first Fujifilm camera review. The Fujifilm X-E1 was announced in 2012, just before the Photokina. This camera is in many aspects very similar to the early 2012 Fujifilm X-PRO, but the X-E1 is more economically priced. This price advantage is due to the omission of the hybrid viewfinder, in favor of an electronic viewfinder with a higher resolution. Also, the screen on the back of the camera has a lower resolution. The Fujifilm X-E1 is, like the Fujifilm X-PRO, a high-end camera. The target audience for this camera consists of passionate amateur and professional photographers who want a handy camera, but with an exceptionally high quality.....

Conclusion Fujifilm X-E1 review

The Fujifilm X-E1 is a beautiful, solid and easy to use camera with high image quality. In terms of resolution, dynamic range and signal to noise ratio, this camera equals a professional SLR camera with a full frame sensor. It is an ideal camera for travel photography or street photography. Your presence will be much less obtrusive than with a professional SLR camera. But the image quality will be of the same high level. The image quality of the jpg files is so good, that for almost every photographer there's no real need to shoot in RAW. The Fujifilm X-E1 is a camera that gives you the fun in photography and lets you forget all the technology that comes with it. The measurement results for this Fujifilm X-E1 review are shown in the Fujifilm X-E1 test report.

 

   

Since a few days isn’t enough time to write a review with a capital “R”, I thought it would be more interesting to share my initial thoughts about the camera and the X system in general. The Fuji X-Pro 1 is one of the cameras that has deeply captured my interest since its release, and now that I’ve had the chance to test it, I’m trying to figure out if it is a system that I could embrace for my personal projects or work. I had the chance to play around with it two weekends ago. Heather and I went to Genova in the Liguria region, chasing the sun, as the weather is very unpredictable these days in northern Italy. Luckily for us, the day was wonderful and I was able test the camera along many of the small streets of the old city, as well as along the Costa Ligure. Genova is a very interesting city to photograph: the old part of town consists of very small and narrow streets that create contrasted scenes where shadows are sliced in half. An inspiring way to begin my photographic day. My initial feeling when holding the X Pro 1 for the first time was actually strange, because I found it bigger than I had expected. After several years of DSLR shooting, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but at the same time I had become so used to the small size of the Olympus OM-D and the Fuji X100s that all of a sudden, the X-Pro 1 looked like a big camera to me! But it only took a few hours to get used to it, and to realize it isn’t that big in the end. The size, the design, and the “philosophy” behind it clearly reminds me of another camera, the Leica M series. It is clear to me that Fujifilm wants to offer a professional system in a smaller and cheaper package without compromise in terms of sensor and lens quality. Of course, there are many differences between the two systems and since I am not a Leica expert, I won’t go in that direction. For me, it is enough to say that the “Pro” term used to name this camera is substantiated by the camera itself: it is solid, feels nice and steady in my hand, and has an all metal build. From the first test shots after unboxing the camera, you recognize that this camera exudes quality … and isn’t half bad to look at as well! ....

If you have followed me online, then, you probably witnessed my indecisive behavior regarding photographic equipment. I have switched, swapped, paired, replaced and revisited my imaging toolkit at least twelve times. That is an under-estimate. I have dropped systems only to migrate right back to the same one months later—repeatedly. It got a little crazy. It also meant I was exposed to many approaches to the modern camera experience. I was able to form opinions on many aspects of it with a great deal of freedom. I did try renting and I found that, without the implied sense of ownership from actually purchasing a product, I did not experience the camera in the same way. There was no personal bond to the tool and without that investment, I frequently overlooked important aspects of the devices. This cycle only began one full year into my devotion to the practice of photography. For the first year, I used just one camera. For the following two years I played musical camera… chairs. That game is finally over. 

Not coincidentally, I had experienced a similar situation several years prior to getting into photography. I was really interested in smart phones before most anyone in the mass market knew they existed. I would frequently buy them via gray market sources, use them, experience them, learn how terrible they were in various ways, then resell them to fund the next one. I mentally cataloged all of the various features and behaviors that I appreciated and those that I hated. There were many aspects that lived in the middle ground where I might have an opinion, but, not one strong enough to be considered a showstopper or a must have thing. This process repeated until Apple announced the iPhone. I thought it was ridiculous. It wasn't even really a smartphone. It did not allow you to install apps, after all. However, most smart phones at the time were so poorly supported by third parties that they may as well not have had apps as well. I realized the most important aspects of my smart phone experience were being provided by Apple itself and by that virtue I knew they would be good user experiences far exceeding the garbage presented by companies like Nokia and Samsung at the time. So I switched. I have not had the slightest inclination to switch phone platforms since then. 

So we've established that I do this… indecisive shuffling and then eventually find a settling point after I've had enough experience. I can't guarantee I will never switch camera systems again, but, it will only happen if something new and unpredictable arrives, and it will not be without great deliberation as I am, frankly, sick and tired of the swap game. I lose time, money, and sleep each time I make one of these switches. I can't afford to keep all of the cameras. I have to sell all of the gear to fund the next kit. The one and only product launch that will have me considering a switch again will be a full frame rangefinder style mirrorless camera with pro controls and conception—and not Leica. Since that isn't likely to occur any time soon, I am not terribly worried about it. Furthermore, I won't switch to an immature system. If there is a compelling offering, I will still be waiting for the necessary lenses to be produced......