The Chinese website PChome posted a review about the Fujinon XF18-55 F2,8-4,0 which will soon hit the market. The review is in Chinese (translated version) and you can see some shots at page 12 and 13 here. There is also a video on youku here. After 55 seconds of this video the reviewer did a few AF test clicks. Based on the sound the AF seems to be really fast!

thanks to our reader that linked us this review by email.

best

Here is the next update for Fuji lenses and the X-PRO1:

Firmware 1.01 for X-E1 (click here): It will add the compatibility with Fujinon XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R, improve the auto focus accuracy with XF60mm lens, and prevent under exposure when using the M-Mount Adapter .

Firmware 2.01 for X-PRO1 (click here) : Get full performance with the Fujinon XF18-55F2.8-4 lens. The size of the bright frame on OVF can be magnified in relation to zooming motion of Fujinon XF18-55mm lens. When using the focus checking function with “3-time” magnification in manual focus mode, you could find a few dots (black or color) only in live view image on EVF/LCD. Improve auto accuracy focus of XF60mm lens and prevent under exposure when using the M-Mount Adapter.

keep it up, Fuji!

Bom dia!

Pedro Kok (click here to see his home page) published a long open letter addressed to Fuji (click here to read) . After using the X-PRO1 he made a list of all the bugs he noticed and also suggests some features he misses on the X-PRO1. I’ve just picked out some issues here. There is much more to read in his letter.

Software

The Q-Menu

There is no live-view image while you change the settings in the Quick Menu, and so he feels like making “blind decisions over White Balance, Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, Image Aspect Ratio and other parameters.” He suggests to lay all the icons horizontally in the bottom and choose the settings with the thumbwheel and/or the directional arrows.

Focus

“There should be an option for a manual override when in Single AF mode. Half-press shutter activates AF; then keeping it half-pressed, turn the focus ring to the desired distance (as a bonus, the focus distance scale could automagically appear!)…. And bring focus peaking to live view and image playback.”

Indecent exposure simulation:

“The Fujifilm X-Pro1 could certainly gain exposure simulation in all PASM modes. In PAS, metering should be activated with a shutter half-press, and stay on even if it’s released. All information displayed in the screen, including Auto ISO’s choice, varying the parameters as light changes. In M mode, display exposure as is; if the exposure values selected under or overexposes the image, let the screen blackout or whiteout. I’ll know what to do…. Also, please honor exposure compensation when in M mode and Auto ISO, by throttling up or down sensitivity. [DPR]”

Thumbwheel:

There are cases of inconsistent behavior: A) “Fn set to ISO [DPR]: in OVF mode, pressing Fn and scrolling the thumbwheel will change ISO. In EVF/Live view the thumbwheel is inoperable, up and down arrow changes settings”. B) “Focus modes: in AF modes, the thumbwheel button is inoperable. In Manual Focus, press the button to have the focus area magnified (to an absurd amount of magnification!).” [… personal note: by using the command dial, with the new firmware v 2.0 you can switch from 3x to 10x magnifications.]

The thumbwheel should be engaged also in the following functions: Drive, AE, Fn menus, General menu. “One might think that it’s a case of making menu orientation consistent (menus are sorted vertically, while the thumbwheel travels horizontally). But even when there are horizontally sorted settings (such as those in the AE and Drive menus) the wheel doesn’t work.“

He also would like that “in all AF modes, thumbwheel button presses would cycle between 1x, 5x and 10x magnifications, with the directional arrow buttons moving the enlarged area around.” [… see personal note above.]

Buttons

A nice feature is, that you can customize the buttons. “Hold button” on Fn and you can customize it. There are many other buttons that could benefit from it. He suggests: “HOLD DRIVE: could be customized to trigger the self-timer menu, selection by arrows and/or thumbwheel. Or instantly go to Movie Mode. HOLD AE: could be customized to trigger White Balance menu, selection by arrows and/or thumbwheel. This could be very helpful, as the current Q menu won’t let you preview how WB looks on the live image. HOLD AF: could trigger special focus behavior (…HOLD AF button could set focus to hyperfocal! If the DOF scale becomes meaningful, then this can be achieved when using the camera in Aperture Priority and Manual modes. Set the aperture, press and hold AF button and … voilá! I’d be in hyperfocal heaven….)”

While in image capture, there’s one button that does absolutely nothing: the down arrow. A perfect candidate to be a Fn2 (I’d choose it for DOF Preview)!”

Override

“The camera should honor my decision to change aperture whilst keeping the shutter half-pressed [DPR-AW]. If in Manual / Auto ISO, compensate exposure accordingly.”

The OVF

The OVF is great, but there are some problems that could be solved with firmware updates. So for example he asks Fuji to “calibrate the OVF framelines to the current XF lenses. They’re wildly conservative and inaccurate.”

 Hardware

He says that the X-PRO1 is a beautiful camera, build with good materials. But there are some things that Fuji could maybe correct in future versions of this camera:

– The battery slides in the camera in every position possible. “You might ask who is stupid enough to insert the battery this way … well, I am. And probably you’ll too, some dark night, succumb to this, and likely think the camera has died.”

– The hood’s rubber cap [RR]: “it won’t stay put… a light nudge… will knock it off.”

– There is no diopter adjustment [personal note: there is one on the EVF of the X-E1]

– Aperture ring [RR][LL-MR]: Early reviewers noted the very light aperture ring: “It’s far too easy to knock the aperture from “A” to f/16, and equally to any other setting.” Now other reviewers noted that “the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R had a very STIFF aperture ring”.

This were just some extracts of his letter. Read the whole letter here. My summary can’t do justice to the very clear step-by-step argumentation of Pedro Kok. And according to his to-do list, there is much work waiting on Fuji. And something has already been done with the last firmware update. As always, leave a comment, and tell me if you agree with the problems that Pedro noticed on his X-PRO1 and what do you think about his suggestions.

Make a list of the bugs you would like to have resolved and suggestions in order of importance! My list would begin with… 1) focus peaking…

tchau!

Paul Genge from Camera Diner just invited us to watch a Fuji related Live show: “LIVE on www.cameradiner.com tomorrow night at 7pm (UK) 8pm(CET) we will have photographer David Kai Piper who is a professional photographer using X-PRO1 and published by Fujifilm UK. Because its a LIVE show the viewer can interact and ask questions directly through the chatwall.“

We know well that it AF speed is not exactly one of the most impressive features of the X cameras. But Fuji seems to working on some innovative solutions for the future. The Japanese website Egami (translation here) spotted that new patent describing an on sensor phase detection system. The interesting news here is they found a way to allow such a feature without the use of extra Phase detection AF pixels!

Let’s hope this is coming with the next X camera…