Tuesday 10 January 2012

Some thoughts on the Fuji X-Pro 1

Some sample jpgs.




Personally I find these somewhat disappointing.

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Below is a reworking of some comments I wrote on a forum.

 "I would have thought that Fuji would have been keen to show just what this camera could produce and the samples just don't do that, at least as far as I'm concerned. I think I was expecting to see something that was a cross betwen Sigma Foveon and an M9, and what has turned up looks to me like any other 16MP sensor file.

The Fuji samples may well be taken with pre-production firmware, but with all the Fuji "hype" shouldn't they be better than this?

This is a 100% blowup from a NEX-7 out of camera jpg.

_DSC1536

Sony aren't particularly known for the magnificence of their jpgs. but to my eyes this is punchy, sharp with great colour. I can also get it a LOT better than that with raw processing.

This is the closest sample I found from the Fuji to the kind of images I shoot.

ff_x_pro1_003b

I've always loved the look of non-AA filtered sensors, but I'm not seeing that here. I am aware that there will probably be an improvement with raw files, proper more developed firmware / software and the ability to use decent raw development software on the files.

Am I alone in expecting more? Fuji made lots of noises at their press conference as to why THEIR camera was better than anything else on the market. They even came up with a chart placing their new product at the pinnacle of quality and style. But as I continually write, for me, Fuji have to walk the walk as well as talking the talk.
 
RAW FILES
Seeing some might be somewhat difficult for a while, because of the new sensor. As a side issue Foveon sensor files were never quite the same processed in Photoshop as they were in Sigmas own software, and I wonder if the same will apply to the Fuji output.

With the X100 raw files, even before there was support for the camera, I was able to use a couple of dcraw programmes to get some idea of what the finished article might be like, and I was very impressed at the time, particularly with what the high ISO images looked like.


The dcraw software programmers are normally quickest off the mark to get something out, but that might not be so easy this time. 

OTHER THOUGHTS
As I said earlier, the thing that impressed me about the X100 was the high ISO performance, which was the best I'd seen in a small compact camera, but now a camera like the NEX-5n can do that.

I'm VERY interested in the X-Pro 1. It punches every photographic button I have and then some, in terms of design, style, size, weight and philosophy. As I indicated in a previous post, I look at the pictures of the camera and I really want one. But as far as I'm concerned, I've been disappointed by Fuji before, and this time I'm going to be waiting to be totally convinced by the content as well as the style. That includes both image quality, which I really want to be knocked out by, and by quick, responsive, comfortable handling which I'm also yet to be convinced of.


In the meantime I'll be quite happy taking pictures with my old-hat, "yesterdays camera", my "are you still using that old thing?" NEX-7.


Dpreviews comments were quite illuminating and I'll leave the last word on this with them, which pretty much sums up my feelings.


from:-

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Preview: 5. Body and Design: Digital Photography Review
"Of course the X-Pro1 will ultimately stand or fall on its image quality and operability, and at the moment it's too early to tell much about these. On the former, portents are certainly good: the X100's image quality is outstanding. However we suspect the X-Pro1 will also need to offer substantially improved operational speed (particularly in terms of focus speed, and file writing and buffering) to truly win over its target market. If it succeeds, Fujifilm may well find it has a modern classic on its hands. We're certainly very much looking forward to testing it and finding out."

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A piece I wrote yesterday evening on Google+ 
"I love the idea and the concept of the X-Pro 1, but I'm not going to jump right in there with this, as yet. I would certainly want to see some raw samples, and get some idea of how well it all works.

The new sensor will need to have raw conversion software that makes the most of it, and I certainly remember having trouble getting Photoshop to get the optimum results from the Foveon sensor when I had an SD14.

If everything pans out well, then I would seriously consider getting one, but there are a few "between the lines" comments in the Dpreview piece that indicate a somewhat slow response, and if that means that the the AF isn't much better than the X100, then I would pass.
 
Fuji know how to make a camera look good, but I was actually quite disappointed with the X100, in the flesh.

Its pretty much everything I like in a camera and if and when I'm convinced it all works and its useful then I would consider one. Its a really exciting concept and its very ambitious and a serious attempt, I think, to take the Leica legacy and update it. Its why I posted so much on it.

However all my posts about the NEX cameras, first the 5n and now the NEX-7 are very serious. The NEX-7 gives me 99% of what I want / need from a camera in terms of performance, though I will admit not so much in terms of looks.However I'm not going to abandon it in favour of what is untried technology. Plus the Fuji system is quite expensive to buy into and the lenses aren't quite what I'd be looking for as yet.

Basically bottom line - Fuji are very good at "talking the talk". I'm still not convinced they can "walk the walk".