The X-series lost its soul! X-M1 in Cuba (laroquephoto)

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image courtesy: laroquephoto

The X-series is more than just stunning image quality. The viewfinder, the lenses with aperture ring, the retro design, the controls and more are part of the “soul” of the X-series. This is why Patrick La Roque, when asked if he would buy or not the X-M1, gives a clear answer: NO! The X-M1 is simply a digital camera that delivers fabulous images but there is no “true photography” feeling as with the other X-Trans cameras. But keep in mind that pro-photographers are not really the target of the X-M1. Read Patrick’s article here.

“Leaving out the viewfinder, building lenses without aperture rings… When you strip away the physicality of that experience what are you left with? A Canon or a Nikon. The camera’s image quality is fabulous but in the end, it’s a robot. It’s a digital camera that flaunts its digital nature at every turn and takes all the immediacy, stealth, thoughtfullness and pleasure out of the equation. It completely disconnects you from the scene. I know I’m being harsh but there’s a reason I’m so enthusiastic about the X series; this ain’t it.”

Tell me, what should Fuji do to save the X-series. What’s the “soul” of the X-series? Make a list with your suggestions in the comments (I’ll then make a poll).

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

 

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X-A1: Fuji’s next X-mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera

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The new Japanese source [who was right with the the X-M1 (and more) and has been upgraded to “trusted source”] can now confirm what has already been rumored by Fujirumors here.

There will be another mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, and it will be called X-A1. It will have a non X-Trans APS-C sensor.

You won’t find the X-A1 in small and specialized camera stores. It will be sold only by big retailers on the web and big general stores.

The X-A1 could be announced by the end of August.

As soon as I get reliable rumors about the specs, you’ll read them on Fujirumors. So stay tuned and follow us on facebook, twitter and subscribe the RSS feed.

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photographyblog XF 55-200 review

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Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892]

It’s online, the full photographyblog XF55-200 review. They assigned 4 out of five stars and recommend this lens. Check out the whole text and the samples here. Some extracts:

“[…] very quiet linear motor. In practice, we found the auto-focus to be fairly fast, pleasingly quiet and without too much hunting in low-light. Thanks to the IF mechanism the front of the lens does not rotate on focus, which is very good news for anyone looking to use the lens in conjunction with a polariser or graduated neutral density filter. […]  pleasing bokeh […] offering an appealing combination of good image quality, excellent construction and handling, and fair value for money. Both centre and edge sharpness drop off as you progress through the zoom range, though, requiring the user to stop down the lens to get the best results. […] very good images, especially at the wider end of the focal range.”

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ephotozine XF55-200 review

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image courtesy: ephotozine

ephotozine assigned 4 out of 5 stars to the XF55-200. The PROS of this lens are, according to ephotozine: Excellent performance at 55mm – Low distortion – Good build quality – Very effective optical stabilisation – Fast linear focusing motor. The CONS: Drop off in sharpness as lens is zoomed towards telephoto – May be a little pricey when compared to equivalent lenses for other systems. Check out the whole review, the graphs and samples here.

Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892]

P.S.: As some of you already noticed, you can now scroll Fujirumors using the arrow keys.

You can follow FR on facebook, twitter and subscribe the RSS feed.

cheers
Patrick

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“X-Transtastic! Believe the hype, it’s real”: X-E1 review by Craig Litten

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image courtesy: Craig Litten

Pro-photographer Craig Litten (over 10,000 published photos) posted his informal review. It’s well worth to stop by his blog and read it. But let’s start with the X-Trans debate:

“At the heart of the Fuji X-E 1 is the X-Trans sensor–believe the hype, it’s real! […] The color from the Fuji X-E1, and all the Fuji cameras housing the X-Trans image sensor make me want to stop shooting in B&W, even in flat, ugly mid-day sun […]. The sensor not only handles bright, bold colors incredibly, but also handles whites and subtle, pastels equally well as you can see from the other samples below. I love to shoot in the Velvia film simulation mode, as mentioned above under most lighting conditions, but you have to experiment with it. It seems to do best with natural, outdoor light rather than artificial light. But I could be proven wrong since I’m still experimenting with the camera. […]

I prefer the EVF in the X-Pro 1 to that of the X-E1, even though the latter has higher resolution. The EVF in the X-E1 suffers from the pretty noticeable lag. Lag happens when you move the camera, especially in low light, when you are viewing though the EVF.

The XF 18-55 […] focuses absolutely silently and super fast. Yep, I said, “super fast.” This being my first lens in the Fuji XF lineup, I was wondering what all of the talk of slow focusing was about. The first week I got the X-E1 and 18-55 zoom, I took it out and shot two different paid assignments with it, and it performed flawlessly! Did I mention that the assignments were paid, professional and published? This is a testament to this little camera system. Normally, I would have shot the same assignments with two big, heavy DSLRs at my sides. Afterward, my back and knees would have suffered. Plus, as an added bonus, shooting with the X-E1 was FUN!

The X-E1 is a fine camera with some talents of it’s own, but at the end of the day, for professional work, I much prefer the bigger sister, the Fuji X-Pro 1“

There is much more to read and find out why he prefers the X-PRO1 over the X-E1 at his website here.

image courtesy: Craig Litten “Fujicolor: BAM! POW!!“

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