After the (flawed) firmware: X-PRO1 gains editor’s choice award and wins comparison (phoblographer)

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[UPDATE] FR-reader Justin dropped me this email: “Hello Patrick, I happened to be talking to Fuji UK this morning (Thursday), and they said that Fuji hoped to have the amended firmware available “by the end of the weekend“.

As you know from this FR-post here, because of a malfunction on the movie function with the latest firmware ver. 3.00, Fuji disabled the update. But a lot of photographers already upgraded their camera and, those who use the X-PRO1 for stills, didn’t notice the problem and enjoy the overall improved performance of the X-PRO1.

So, after the latest major firmware update thephoblographer took a look at their “old” reviews and updated them. They decided to award the [shoplink 12882]X-PRO1[/shoplink] with the Editor’s Choice for the best mirrorless camera available at the moment, to update the [shoplink 12889]XF 35mm[/shoplink] review and the X-PRO1 now wins the comparison vs the [shoplink 13887]OM-D E-M5[/shoplink] and [shoplink 15036]Sony NEX 7[/shoplink]. phoblographer says: “Olympus and Sony haven’t done this [firmware updates] as much, and the OMD would have clearly won this if the company would just put focus peaking in the camera. But Fujifilm has done it, and its beautiful.” Get the links to the updated comparisons and reviews at thephoblographer here.

Now let’s hope Fuji will solve the video-gate ASAP. Follow FR (also on facebook and twitter) and I’ll notify you when the new firmware is available.

The Day After: focus peaking on the X-E1/X-PRO1

FR-reader George is one of many photographers who updated the X-camera in order to get the focus peaking. Now he posted his “interim conclusion” on his website as it is “not fair to make complete judgment without more time using the feature“. He tried this “welcome addition” on his [shoplink 12882]X-PRO1[/shoplink] with [shoplink 14969 ebay]Voigtländer Color Skopar 35mm f2.5[/shoplink]. Read his blog post here.

EVF: “The focus peaking white lines seem to be visually much less obvious than the lines in the [shoplink 12883]X100S[/shoplink] at normal magnification. Highly textured surfaces or contrasty edges give the best results, while obviously peaking lines are hard to see on white/bright edges. Unfortunately that last bit is important as the EVF is quite contrasty. This makes it quite difficult to determine the plane of focus accurately.  The X100s is much easier to use in this regard, but so long as there is a single colour I think this will always be a limitation on the Fuji implementation. Zooming in to 3x or 10x magnification and then focusing works really well, there is no doubt as to what is in focus.”

Keep in mind that at the Fuji event in Canada the reps said to vkphoto that more focus peaking colours will come in future… this would make it even more useful. Read again this KAIZEN post here.

best
Patrick (FR: facebook, twitter)

focus peaking: [shoplink 12882]X-PRO1[/shoplink] with [shoplink 14969 ebay]Voigtländer Color Skopar 35mm f2.5[/shoplink]

Fuji XF 27mm review + 16-50mm and 27mm full size samples

 

1) Photographyblog just posted the last part of his trilogy; after the X-M1 and XC16-50, now they published also the XF27mm review. Quite fast and accurate focusing (but rather loud), pleasing bokeh, remarkably sharp wide open but “the edges are soft though from f/2.8 through to f5.6, only sharpening up at f/8, with f/11 the optimum setting.” For this reason (and more) the XF27mm gained 4 out of 5 stars. Read the whole review here.

2) Matti Sulanto just posted 5 full size samples taken with the 16-50 and 3 with the 27mm. Click here to see them.

PRE-ORDER

X-M1 (body only or with 16-50mm) – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA / AmazonDE

XF 27mm – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA XC 16-50: WexUK / PCHstore

X-M1: quick auto-focus speed test + ephotozine review

1) I just stumbled upon this 18 seconds video. It shows a room bathed in subdued light and an X-M1 (I suppose with 16-50) that focusses on the little crowd of people several times… and it does it pretty fast I’d say!

In the comments Jordan said: “If this is what we can expect on the X-E1 and X-Pro 1 with the firmware update, I will be a very happy man.”

2) Again, half a star away from the full points. After photographyblog now also ephotozine assigned 4.5 stars auf of 5 to the X-M1. Even though the X-M1 is made mostly of plastic “the camera feels well built with good build quality“. About the 16-50: “Detail in the centre is very good, with good detail to the edges. The lens appears to be quite resistant to flare thanks to provided hood. […] purple fringing or chromatic aberration was low.” At the end they highly recommend it saying: “The Fujifilm X-M1 produces excellent images and is very good value for money with the 16-50mm lens.” From the conclusions:

“Image quality is very good with excellent colour, and fans of Fujifilm colour and film will find the X-M1 gives very pleasing results, with very good detail, and reliable exposure. Focus speeds are a little on the sluggish side, and indoors, in low-light focus occassionally missed, causing us to have a blurred photo. The 16-50mm OIS lens gives a useful wide-angle equivalent of 24mm zooming to 76mm at the telephoto end and produces very good results for a “kit lens”.”

Read the whole review and see the samples at ephotozine here (and thx Josh for telling me about).

X-M1 (body only or with 16-50mm) – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA

XF 27mm – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA XC 16-50: WexUK / PCHstore

best
Patrick

Follow Fujirumors on facebook, twitter and via RSS feed.

[UPDATE: 16-50 review] X-M1 roundup: photographyblog review, first impressions and samples

X-M1 (body only or with 16-50mm) – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA

XF 27mm – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline EUROPE: DigitalRev / WexUK / PCHstore / AmazonITA XC 16-50: WexUK / PCHstore

_ _ _

1) photographyblog posted the X-M1 review review here. 4.5 out of 5 starts… and guess where the X-M1 lost half a star? Exactly, the viewfinder. Some extracts:

“Despite its significantly lower price on launch, the Fujifilm X-M1 is another well-built X-series camera, with very little no flex or movement in its chassis, despite having more plastic in its construction. […] The Fujifilm X-M1’s auto-focusing speed is quick, with a quoted fastest auto-focus time of 0.1 seconds, although it was slightly slower when using the 16-50mm kit zoom. […] The Fujifilm X-M1 produces images of outstanding quality. […] The new 16-50mm lens is also worthy of mention, as although it has a cheaper build quality, it still offers sharp results throughout the focal range. The X-M1 is certainly right up there with the best APS-C sensor cameras on the market, and some full-frame models too, so if image quality at an affordable price is paramount, the [shoplink 13828]X-M1[/shoplink] certainly fits the bill.” (review here)

[UPDATE] photographyblog just posted the 16-50 review here. Fast and quiet focus, “Vignetting is practically a non-issue, and chromatic aberrations are present but well-controlled […] pleasingly sharp in the image centre at 16mm and 23mm, with performance dropping off at 35mm and 50mm where optimum sharpness isn’t achieved until f/8.“

2) The Spanish site dslrmagazine.com had his hands on the X-M1. Their impression can be read here (translation)

3) dc.watch introduces the X-M1 and posted some samples (whole ISO range, film simulations and filters…) Read it here (translation)

X-M1 pre-order check: [shopcountry 13828]