X-Pro1 family of small, fast and sharp lensesCheck out my video of today’s Tech Talk on GlobalTV Sunday Morning News: http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/apr+22++tech+talk/video.html?v=2225654622&p=1&s=dd#themorningnews/video
Smartphone cameras are getting better and many argue they
are good enough for most folks taking casual pictures and quick movies. To a
point, that is true, unless you shoot in a lot in dark places and indoor family
events, where flash pictures point-and-shoot cameras take, are much better. So
are their zoom lenses, even in cheap cameras, beating out smartphone cameras by
at least, three times better quality.
Want pictures that rival professional cameras? This year the
choices are many as are the prices. Fujifilm, although not as mainstream as
Canon, Olympus and Nikon, continues to surprise with innovative cameras, some
of which even attract pros.
FUJIFILM X-Pro-1
The much awaited 16.3 megapixel X-Pro1, is Fujifilm’s entry
in the “prosumer” mirrorless interchangeable lens category with unquestionably
the nicest looking retro camera in the group with just as serious quality
lenses. It garnished more awards at the 2012 CES show than any other camera.
You can read all the camera features at www.fujifilm.ca/XPRO1 available at www.vistek.ca
for body $1,699, Fujinon XF 35mm f1.4 lens (equiv. 53mm) $599.95, Fujinon XF
18mm f2.0 lens (equiv. 27mm) $599.95, Fujinon XF 60mm f2.4 lens (equiv. 90mm) $649.95
and Fuji EF-X20 TTL Flash $279.95
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My take on the X-Pro1? It uses the same size sensor as the
Samsung NX and Sony NEX similar type cameras so we are talking serious photography
that walks the walk. It feels like a film camera and looks much like the Leica
18 megapixel full frame sensor M9 which paired with its own 28mm f2.0 lens goes
for a paltry $12,000, but worth it in terms of ultimate image sharpness under
any shooting condition.
Still, the X-Pro1 is the smallest megapixel camera in its
group, with an advantage in low light photography. All the right controls are handy
including shutter dial and lens ring aperture so you feel you are charge. The
most unique feature is the hybrid multi viewfinder which magically acts as an
optical finder for capturing fleeting moments and as an LCD viewer. Very cool
and only with Fujifilm. The 3-inch LCD viewfinder is very sharp at 1.23 million
dots. The quality of the pictures, including shooting with autofocus in outside
darkness with dim lights is unmatched by competitors, thus the smaller
megapixel count. Frankly, I prefer that. The lenses, only three, compared to wider
choices from competitors, are ultra-fast, compact and edge-to-edge sharp, even
shooting wide open, which BTW creates minimum depth of field. I found shutter lag to be average for this
type of camera as well as autofocus. The video at the highest 1080p was sharp
but not as smooth on playback as competitors. 720p was much better and I liked
the very accurate (best in this group) continuous auto focus.
This unasisted nighttime exposure in dark lighted by two LED yard lamps was shot on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at ISO 6400 on auto focus at 1.4 sec f1.4 Look how clean, sharp and lack of noise there is.Here’s how I decide between the Fujifilm X-Pro1, Samsung
NX-200 and Sony NEX 7:
NX-200…by far the biggest bang for your buck with better
than average performance and features under most conditions and great lens
selection.
NEX-7…the most feature-laden and fastest response camera
with more handy controls and better than average picture quality and the best
panorama mode photos.
X-Pro1…the best quality pictures, a bit niche for folks
wanting more crazy features but the best quality pictures optically. And the
coolest looking.
FUJIFILM X-S1
Like the X-Pro1, the
smaller 12 megapixel count of the X-S1 2/3 inch sensor yields better
quality photos but not exceptional pictures in the darkest shooting conditions.
At $799.95, the X-S1 is a hard sale, but there’s a lot under
the hood for this camera suitable for travelling. Its impressive 26X zoom
(24mm-624mm equiv.) has you covered for any photo, especially far away
subjects. The image in-lens stabilization is average but its one cm Super Macro
excels. It is moisture and dust proof
with ample rubber and tight fittings and although heavy (almost twice the
weight of the X-Pro1) at 945 grams (with battery and SD card) it’s large size
and ribbed soft lens ring makes it comfortable to hold and use with a very
generous grip. The viewfinder at 1.44
million dots is three times sharper than the 3-inch LCD monitor which makes with
a tilt function for overhead and ground up viewing.
The X-S1 has better than average shutter response and smooth
1080p video. Overall a quality camera that trumps interchangeable cameras like
the X-Pro1, due to its impressive zoom range and speed.
http://www.fujifilm.ca/products/digital_cameras/x/fujifilm_x_s1/
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