Fujifilm has also announced firmware v2.00 for the X-Pro1 high-end mirrorless camera, promising performance improvements. Firmware 2.00 addresses many of the criticisms that have been levelled at the camera by many reviews. This includes improved autofocus speed, better manual focus behaviour and less waiting for processing and card-writing. We've been using a beta version of the firmware and have prepared some notes on its effects. The final version of the firmware will be available for download from September 18th 2012.
I know you guys LOVE these crazy comparisons..and some of you get all up in a roar over them but that doesn’t mean I am not going to post more! Today I was out and about with the OM-D, X-Pro 1 and NEX-7. Now, I could not use the same lenses on all of these so I used what I had on hand.
This is the first time that I have written an article for Luminous Landscape so it probably makes sense to introduce myself first so that you can get an idea where I am coming from as a photographer and decide for yourself whether my views, likes and dislikes are likely to chime with your own...
"The mirrorless market is red-hot at the moment and the stakes are correspondingly high. Mirco-Four-Thirds did a jump-start in late 2008 and it is certainly the most successful system at the moment - hunted by Sony NEX. Fuji is almost dangerously late in this game but it seems as if they are betting their fortunes on the very high end of the market with a spice of retromania. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 tries to offer the benefits of the mainstream while offering exclusivity similar to Leica. The market will decide whether this is no-man's land or a successful niche. In our first Fuji review we will cover the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R - one of the three initial lenses for the X-mount. Following a Fuji tradition these lenses are called "Fujinon" XF. This may be news to some but Fuji is actually a long time player in the system camera market but they were mostly active in the large- and medium format league and their Fujinon lenses earned quite a reputation till the decline of the film business - maybe google for "Fuji GX" if you are interested.
Anyway, the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R is a so-called pancake lens - it's just about 4cm long and weights only 116g. In full format terms it is a standard wide-angle lens. An equivalent focal length of "27mm" is not so hot nowadays but it is certainly generic enough to be suitable for a couple of applications such as landscape or street photography. It is a surprisingly fast lens so it has some decent capabilities to achieve a quite shallow depth-of-field when using short focus distances."
Early in 2012 Fuji released the X-Pro 1 system, with three prime lenses: the 18mm ƒ/2, the 60mm ƒ/2.4 Macro, and the subject of this review, the 35mm ƒ/1.4.
As the X-Pro 1 uses an APS-C sensor with a 1.5x ''crop factor'', the 35mm lens offers an equivalent field of view of 52mm, making it an excellent walk-around lens. The lens ships with a metal hood, takes 52mm filters and is available now for around $600.
Conclusion: There's not much more to say that the test results don't already show: very good performance, even when used wide open, and excellent performance when stopped down just a little. If you're an X-Pro 1 user, this lens definitely deserves a place in your bag.
"Lightroom 4.1 is now available as a final release on Adobe.com and through the update mechanism in Lightroom 4. The goal of this release is to provide additional camera raw support, lens profile support and address bugs that were introduced in previous releases of Lightroom. In addition, Lightroom 4.1 introduces the following new features:
The ability to process HDR TIFF files. (16, 24 or 32-bit TIFF files) This can be useful if you have merged multiple exposures into a single 32-bit image using Photoshop’s HDR Pro. Using the new basic panel controls can be a very effective and straightforward method of achieving an overall balance across the tonal range.
Additional Color Fringing corrections to help address chromatic aberration. Click here to learn more
Save photobooks created in the Book Module as JPEG files
Publishing photos to Adobe Revel is now accessible via a Publish plugin
Bugs Corrected in Lightroom 4.1
The following bugs that were part the Lightroom 4 releases have been corrected. The team appreciates the very detailed feedback the community has provided on Lightroom 4 and we’re excited to correct a number of issues experienced by our customers. These issues have been FIXED:
Point Curve adjustments made in Lightroom 3 have been restored.
Edit-in functionality has been restored to external applications including Adobe Photoshop and Nik plugins
Addressed performance issues in Lightroom 4, particularly when loading GPS track logs, using a secondary monitor, and the controls within the Develop module.
Ability to update DNG previews and metadata for more than 100 photos has been restored.
This update allows for improved viewing of subfolders and stacks in folders with a large number of photos.
It was possible that a layout of a saved book could be lost after quitting Lightroom 4.
Adjustments made in the Develop module were not properly being reflected to photos that have been laid out in the Book Module
Postscript Type 1 Fonts do not appear in the Font menu within the Book module.
Clarity adds grey tinting to 100% white tones.
Known Issues in Lightroom 4.1:
Double byte fonts such as those found in Chinese and Japanese characters are not being exported to PDF or when published to Blurb.
The Revel Publish Service will delete photos from a carousel. This occurs when the customer asks Lightroom to delete the carousel and then cancels out of the confirmation dialogue box.
Fujifilm has updated the firmware of its X-Pro1 high-end mirrorless camera and the three X-mount lenses that go with it. The updates make a series of changes, including a promise to reduce the aperture 'chattering' that has been common when using the camera. It also adds parallax-correction of frame lines to the optical viewfinder in manual focus mode, along with a series of bug fixes.
First impressions:
Out initial tests of the latest firmware show that, while the aperture continues to constantly adjust when the camera is switched on, the lenses no longer make an obvious chattering noise when doing so.
The addition of parallax correction to manual focus mode is less impressive though. The corrected framelines are only displayed when you half-press the shutter button, which is not terribly helpful for composing your image. Also, the selected focus area isn't corrected at all, meaning you effectively have to guess where the camera will try to focus if you press AEL/AFL to perform an AF acquisition.
The picture on top (Click here it to see the full size version!) shows an intriguing test made by DSRLcheck. It compares the JPEG quality of the very likely three new most famous mirrorless cameras at 28mm focal length...
"I’ve had my hands on the new FujiFilm X-Pro1 for a little over a month now and I have put it through the paces in three countries and on various jobs. If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know the deal. If you are a new reader of my blog let me explain the deal. I don’t pixel peep, shoot side by side comparisons, show images of color checkers and resolution charts, or talk about the new technology packed into whatever camera. Heck, I really don’t do “reviews” that often.
This review is more of a “how-does-this-thing-work-in-the-real-world-and-is-it-something-that-excites-me-or-does-it-just-become-a-photographic-appliance?” kind of review. Also, let me state for the record that I was hired by FujiFilm Middle East, and was paid in camera gear and cash to take this machine for a joy ride. The first thing I said before taking this gig, though, was if I was going to blog about it they needed to understand that I would say whatever I wanted to about it. The good folks at Fuji said they expected nothing less. Especially after my x-100 review. It was that review that put me on their radar in the first place and it was the good folks at Gulf Photo Plus that convinced them they should send me to India. I’ll be doing some stuff with Fuji North America as well. So, full disclosure now aside, let’s get into it after the jump…"
"DigitalRev TV reviews the new Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera with its hybrid viewfinder and interchangeable X-mount lenses. What does Kai think of this neat looking camera?"
"Now that the first bunch of X PRO 1 is being shipped in Asia you can find many new reviews and tests. Here is the roundup of the latest news I found about the X PRO 1."
"Chris Niccolls from The Camera Store had the chance to spend an evening shooting with the new Fuji X-Pro1. Check out the features, lens options, and hybrid viewfinder while seeing video and low light images from this amazing new camera.
Special thanks to Fuji Canada Shot by Jordan Drake Filmed on the Panasonic AF100"
So, to answer the question posed at the top of this article: The Fujifilm X-Pro 1 certainly gives the Leica M9 a run for its money. I compared images I shot a couple of years ago with the Leica M9 with those shot at similar ISOs with the X-Pro 1 and the X-Pro 1 was, to my eye, the clear winner depsite its smaller sensor. On the other hand, while the Leica M9 lacks the X-Pro 1's AF capabilities, it has no discernable lag time while the X-Pro 1 has some lag time under bright sunlight (otherwise it's fine). The M9's brightview viewfinder's focusing system, once mastered, is outstanding, but doesn't provide as much information as the X-Pro 1. The M9's optical viewfinder is brighter than the X-Pro 1 and its coverage is better, but the X-Pro 1 has one of the highest-resolution EVFs available so if you're in the pro-EVF camp, that's a big advantage. Exposure controls are comparable on both cameras and size and weight are similar. Want video? The Fujifilm offers 1080p HD video. The Leica M9 has none. Overall, finally, Leica has serious, if imperfect, competition.
Fujifilm X-Pro1 review. The X-Pro1 is Fujifilm's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and it aims straight for the high-end camera enthusiast as the equally classically-styled X100 before it. However, far from simply being a 16MP X100 with interchangeable lenses, the X-Pro1 also features characteristically adventurous Fujifilm technology: a X-Trans CMOS sensor. This uses a non-standard color filter array which promises less susceptibility to moiré, avoiding the need for a low-pass filter - promising sharper images. Fujifilm has announced an impressive XF lens roadmap, so is it done justice by the first X-mount body?
"Compared to other mirrorless AF systems Fuji is providing very fast prime lenses straight from the beginning which is certainly a smart approach considering the premium brand claim. The Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R represents the standard lens of Fuji's new X-mount system. Covering an APS-C image field the field-of-view is equivalent to about 53mm. The combination of 18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4 and 60mm f/2.4 makes this "gang of three" a highly attractive setup for street and travel photography."
"Looks like it's the time for oddball sensors. Or for me to write about them anyway. I've just finished updating PhotoRaw for the Fuji X-Pro1, and I thought it was worthwhile to document the journey, and what it means for the X-Pro1's X-Trans sensor. Specifically, whether it will deliver on the claims that Fuji has made for it.
BTW, the new version of PhotoRaw will be out early next week, assuming there are no glitches on Apple's side.
This is my personal view-point. It's based on spending a lot of time writing code, and more time pixel peeping X-Pro1 images than any sane person ought to do, but it's still just my personal view..."
... for the most part, these smearing artifacts won’t show up in smaller prints and certainly not for online usage, but all the same my advice would be to hold off on important RAW conversions until Adobe addresses this issue. However, if you don’t mind exporting images and updating your images once a solution to this issue comes about, the fine detail missing in Lightroom 4.1 won’t been seen in smaller print sizes.
The Fuji Guys hinted on Twitter that a new firmware update for the X-Pro1 that will address the aperture chatter/clacking will be released soon. Now if only Adobe can add RAW support for the camera...
In this video we take a look at all 3 of the new Fujifilm XF mount lenses for the X-Pro1 camera. We shoot a lady with a box on her head and call it "Danbo".
"First impressions of the Fujifilm X-Pro1. We've been using a production standard X-Pro1 for a little while now, as we work on our review. We took this opportunity to write about our impressions of the camera, including a look at the lenses Fujifilm has developed and whether the Pro1 features the quirkiness of the elegant but initially troubled X100. What's it like to shoot with the X-Pro1 and are the images as attractive as the camera's design? Read on to find out."
"The story doesn't end there, however. The X-Pro1 is not simply an autofocus, EVF-equipped, Leica-wanna-be. As is now well known, the X-Pro1 has a hybrid viewfinder, which allows one to go from looking at the world through a glass window, to watching television live off the sensor on a small screen which appears in the viewfinder. This feature has its virtues for rangefinder-emulation, but it hints at a much more profound duality. The realization of this came to me as I was contemplated Fuji's lens roadmap for the X-Pro System. Being launched with a classic 28-50-90 lens line-up obviously evoked the rangefinder gestalt Fuji was aiming at.
The roadmap, however, features both 12-24 and 70-200 zoom lenses, slated for release in 2012-2013. These are lenses which will really only work with the EVF (electronic viewfinder) because (a) the fields of view offered are both wider and narrower than what the optical window can show and (b) it seems unlikely Fuji would be able to create real-time zooming framelines.
These lenses will be an awesome addition to the system, vastly expanding its utility. With them mounted, however, the X-Pro1 will lose most of its RF ethos. In reality, it will become a much better looking version of the Sony NEX-5. In other words, Fuji intends the X-Pro1 to be two completely different cameras in one: first, a modern take on the classic interchangeable lens rangefinder, and second, its entrant in the interchangeable lens EVIL class. This is clever, and expanded functionality can never be detrimental to the photographer. It does make me think, however, that the X-Pro1 is a slightly schizophrenic camera at times, both in the mind of its users and the reality of its performance. After only a week with it, I will pass no judgement on its character, other than to say it is a fascinating attempt at converging diametrically opposite modes of photography into a single machine. Fuji is nothing if not innovative.
So have they succeeded in creating a great camera?"
"Fuji promised us that the X PRO 1 has a better resolution and noise handling than Full Frame cameras. To check if that is true visit the Japanese website DSL-check (Click here / via Fujirumors) They posted the ISO comparison between the Fuji and the Canon 5D markII"
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