Fujifilm X100

The Fujifilm X-E1 :: Hands On Review

There's more similarities between the X-E1 and the X-Pro1 than not, so I won't go over old ground here. You can find plenty on both the X-Pro1 and the X100 elsewhere on this blog, so I'll just give a brief roundup of the few differences and how this new camera feels.

I chose the black version for one reason...stealth! I recently tried to take photos at a murder scene and only had the X100 with me. Although it was dark, I was we'll aware that the silver body would be noticed by the police around the area far more than a black camera would, so for me, the X-E1 had to be black. I will probably put black Gaff tape over the front name plate of the camera to cover the white letters too.

First reaction when I unboxed the camera was that the packaging was a big drop down from the X-Pro1 (which was a drop down from the X100’s). The second thing I noticed was how light the camera was. I've had this initial feeling with all the X's, but like the X-Po1, when you add the battery and a lens, it starts to feel quite nice! I'm eagerly awaiting a Gariz half case to be made available, which will not only protect the body, but add a bit of weight and make it a bit more comfortable in the hand. The X-E1 is almost identical in size to the X100, but feels a bit easier to grip, thanks to the front rubber grip and the raised section that houses the Q button. Like the X-Pro1, I feel that the AE-L button would have been better placed to the left of the thumb wheel (where the View Mode button is). I would have liked the play button to have stayed in the same place as the X-Pro1 (just for consistency between cameras).

You notice the OLED viewfinder is obviously much higher resolution as soon as you look through it! The addition of a diopter is great too, but the one big thing that annoys me (apart from the lack of minimum shutter speed setting in auto ISO) is that unless you are using the rear LCD screen for shooting (why would you?) when you press the Q button or Menu button, you have to look into the viewfinder to see the display. This is a bit un-natural. For me the viewfinder is for shooting and the LCD is for menus. I know I'm not alone in this as I've read the same thing on blogs about the X-Pro1 when using the EVF.

The X-E1 is a cracking little camera and in my opinion the best in it's class! A firmware updates could sort out a couple of niggles, but there's nothing that should prevent anyone from buying this camera. If I didn't own any X cameras, I would buy the X-pro1, but if you're looking for something smaller, lighter, less expensive or to compliment an X-Pro1 or X100, then this is the one to buy. I have the 35mm f1.4 on the X-Pro1 and the 18mm f2 on the X-E1 right now and it's a pretty sweet setup. I'll buy the 23mm when it comes out next year as I love the 35mm point of view, but for now, this is a s good as it gets! Fuji are on fire right now and there commitment to existing products and customer feedback is unmatched by any other brand in my opinion.

One thing I should point out is that although the shutter sound is as awesome as the X-Pro1, there is an extra noise as the shutter closes that sounds almost like a rapid wind on of film, very short, but I wasn't sure if it should be there. I checked with Fuji UK and they confirmed that it was the sound it should make.

Fujifil X-E1 :: What It Holds For Photographers & Fuji?

The Fujifilm X-E1 is the newest member of the X family and is more like a baby X-Pro1 than the successor to the future classic X100. Although the body is almost the same size as the X100, it's looks and features are closer to the X-Pro1, plus it shares the amazing X-Trans sensor so the quality will be exactly the same. What it doesn't share though is the Hybrid viewfinder that was one of the biggest selling points with the other two cameras. It only has an electronic viewfinder, but the resolution has took a big leap in this body. But I don't want to make this post about the features as you can find them all over the web. Instead I'd like to talk about what this camera will do for Fuji (especially the X-Pro1) and for photographers.

I'm wondering if the new beast will kill a huge chunk of the X-Pro1 sales due to many improvements. The biggest of these being that the focus time is reported to be 0.1 seconds and the shutter lag will be .005 seconds, But these times are only available with the new 18-55mm f2.8-f4 R LM OIS lens due to it's new linear motor. I'm not sure yet if the new 14mm f2.8 lens has the same motor and performance, but as there isn't much info, I'm guessing not. There is a firmware due to be released for the X-Pro1 on the 18th of September (the start of Photokina 2012) and the rumours say that there will be a big improvement in focus speed, but this might be with the new zoom lens. I don't use zoom lenses so I'm hoping that there will be an improvement with existing lenses and that all future lenses will have the new linear motor too.

In fact the only drawback from buying this over the X-Pro1 would be the lack of an OVF. The new 2.3 million dot EVF almost makes up for it, but there's something special about an optical viewfinder, although the X-Pro1's is not as good as the big bright OVF found in the X100. So apart from the lack of OVF, the X-E1 has a much better EVF, fast autofocus (at last), almost no shutter lag (that's fantastic too) and this new model comes in both black and silver. Silver is lovely, but the black is more stealth, it all depends on your intended use...or taste.

So for Fuji this could either turn out to be the most amazing camera that proves that they are up there with Canon and Nikon and posssibly the leader when it comes to sensors, or it could end-up killing off their flagship camera that hasn't even been out for a year. Time will tell, but I really hope that Fuji reap the rewards for coming up with game changing cameras, maybe even life changing!

But what about us photogs? For me it could mean that I finally move away from DSLR's altogether. The main reason I've been using both the X-Pro1 and a DSLR was because moving subjects (especially coming toward the camera) were near impossible to capture with the X-Pro1. But shooting with the X-E1 as a second body might be a perfect duo. As I was about to make the jump from Nikon to Canon this could save me a fortune.

So if you're new to the Fuji X's and you can do without an OVF and you don't mind the small size of the body, then the X-E1 looks like the way to go. But if you want an OVF and a bigger body then it's the X-Pro1, but auto focus speed and shutter lag is something you will have to live with. If you already have an X-Pro1 and need a second body, then it's a no brainer...as long as the auto focus lives up to the hype (remember they said that the AF on the X-Pro1 was smokin' fast). I really hope for our sake and Fuji's that the X-Pro1 firmware update will take a big leap in focus performance, I'd hate to see the camera being killed by it's own brother.

If the X-E1 is as good as they say in the focus department, my camera bag might look like this next year:

  • X-Pro1 Body with the 35mm f1.4 (50mm in full frame speak)
  • X-E1 body with the 23mm f1.4 (35mm in FF and due in 2013)
  • 18mm f2 (27mm in FF).
  • 56mm f1.4 (84mm in FF due in 2013)
  • EF 42 Flash (just in case)

I'd like to say that it's not about the gear, but in the case of the X100, X-Pro1 and now the X-E1 (I'm leaving the X10 out as it's a point and shoot) it is sort of about the gear. The X cameras have thrown a lot of our worlds upside down, they are game changers. they change the way you shoot and in a lot of cases what you shoot. I kinda wish I had been around in the early Leica days when guys like Bresson, Robert Frank and Frank Cappa were trailblazzing small 35mm cameras. It's a romantic era in photography, but in some ways Fuji are giving us that same thing back with a jacket on. It's an exciting time for photographers, but even more so for street and documentary photographers as these small cameras give us all the good points of a Leica, but without the price tag.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 & Nikon DSLR Wedding :: Part 2

I arrived in Glasgow on Saturday at around 6:40am, but as my train to Aviemore wasn't due until 7:15am, I ventured outside and took a few shots for my 35mmStreet blog using the X-Pro1 and the 18mm f2. I highly recommend taking a walk around this or any other city while most people are still in bed. There's an eerie feeling when a place that's always full of hustle and bustle is strangely quiet and empty. If you've seen the movie '28 Days Later' you'll know what I mean.

I arrived at Aviemore at 10am. The train station looks more like something out of a cowboy film, rather than Scotland's main skiing town. I used to ski here regularly and in fact, often stayed in the hotel where today's reception is being held. The train journey had only been 2hrs 45min, but it was much colder here and it was raining...not the best day for a wedding! My camera bag was very heavy, but I decided to go for a walk to kill some time before heading to the reception venue.

When I arrived at the venue, I decided to shoot some table details using just the X-Pro1 and available light. I started with the 18mm f2 and got some wide shots of the room and tables. The 18mm (27mm equivalent) was a nice focal length for getting right into a corner and cramming in the full room. I then switched to the 35mm f1.4 and shot some close-up details of the tables. The camera was doing fine on Aperture Priority mode, but I did set Custom White Ballance using the ExpoDisc (more about the ExpoDisc later). The X-Pro1 was doing a good job with the details and all from natural window light, so I didn't take the Nikon out of the bag. In fact, if I had been using my D300s at this point I would have been shooting with flash to achieve a low ISO...result for the X-Pro1!

After a short lunch break to fuel up for a long day shooting, I made my way to the Groom's hotel room to shoot some candies of the guys. The room was tucked away at the back of the hotel and was small and dark with light coming from just one window. Again I used the X-Pro1 at high ISO's rather that the Nikon with flash. Even the Fuji was struggling with such low light and my shutter speed was a bit lower than I would have liked, but it still got the job done and I knew I would be converting these shots to black and white...another result for the X-Pro1!

I broke-out the DSLR and flash to shoot in the foyer of the hotel, which again was pretty dark (hotel people don't like to make photographers lives any easier). At one point I had to shoot groups of four or five people in a small vestibule in the front entrance to the hotel. I had to use the Nikon 24mm f2 and I wasn't happy with the results. When the Groom and the two best men were about to leave in one of the vintage cars, I grabbed a few shots of them on the back seat with the Nikon, but changed to the Fuji so I could use a higher ISO. The thing I hate about using flash for car shots is that more often than not, I'm trying to work around the light hitting the roof of the car and creating a big shadow across the subjects face. Again the Fuji was doing well. So far I had been using the Fuji lot's more than I had expected and the thought did cross my mind a few times that I was maybe using it too much. After all, it was the first time I had used it at a wedding and this was really a test. All might be looking good for the X-Pro1 at this point, but I was missing more shots than I would have with my DSLR's due to the auto focus lag. People moving in low light is not the best scenario for the X-Pro1!

I grabbed a few quick shots of the bride and her bridesmaids in her room (again using the X-Pro1), but as time was really pushed I didn't get to try out anything worth talking about. In fact it was a case of snap snap, let's go. It was so much of a rush that I left my camera bag in the brides room. Now in my defence, I don't usually have a bag when shooting at weddings. I usually have a double BlackRapid strap with a DSLR on each side, a prime lens on each body and another one in a lens case on my belt. So after shooting the Bride and Bridesmaids getting into the car (mostly X-Pro1), I jumped into my pre-booked taxi and shot off to the church to take some photos and catch the bride arriving. It was only after travelling a few miles in the taxi that I realised my bag was still in the bride's room back at the hotel. So it was a choice of going back to the hotel and screwing-up the plans or making the most of the equipment I had, which was a Nikon body with the 35mm f1.4G and the X-Pro1 with the 18mm and 35mm. Of course although I had three lenses, I only had two focal lengths which would mean I would half to shoot the Fuji mostly with the 18mm. I had been planning on shooting with the 35mm on the X-Pro1 most of the day. I would at this point like to praise BlackRapid, as the RS-5 strap that I was using for my DSLR has a front pocket that held three spare X-Pro- batteries and zipped inside pocket with my extra memory cards. My Nikon had a battery inside and one in the grip, so I knew all I had to do was work around two focal lengths.

Inside the small church was dark, but that wasn't the only problem. Just as the bride was about to walk down the isle, the minister told me that I couldn't take any photos during the service. There was no time to clarify the boundaries or reason with him, so I had to wing it. As I was behind the minister, I shot during the singing with the X-Pro1. At this point, I really wished I had brought the X100. I could have shot as much as I liked with it's awesome silent mode. When it came to exchanging the rings and the first kiss, it was open season and I shot what I wanted, it was too late to stop me.

I used both the Fuji (no flash) and the Nikon (with flash) to capture the couple walking down the isle. I shot with the X-Pro1 and the 18mm until the couple got close and then moved quickly to the Nikon with the 35mm for waist up shots. When we got outside I had no option than to shoot the group shots with the Fuji 18mm. I hadn't noticed how much lens distortion the 18 produces round the edges, at least not until I had people at the edges! This wasn't ideal, but remember my bag was back at the hotel. The 35mm on the Nikon was ideal for head shots of smaller groups as it ended up being a 50mm.

Back at the hotel and the X-Pro1 was doing what it did best, low light reportage. The couple had a guest book close to the window and I knew that it would make great high contrast black and whites. After that, I used both the Nikon and Fuji for some formals on the hotel staircase and then it was time for the first dance.

The first dance was scheduled for 8:30pm and my train was due to leave at 9:02pm. I've never shot a wedding where the first dance was on time and I was non-stop clock watching. So I was somewhat relieved when the first dance started at 8:35 pm and I also shot the second dance and I was done by 8:45pm. I packed my gear back into the bag, said goodby to the wedding party and I was off like a shot. Luckily the train station was just across the road from the hotel, so I made it with time to spare.

Conclusion I ended up shooting more with the X-Pro1 than the DSLR, which was a surprise and not what I was intending to do. The Fuji shines in reportage style shooting and people really don't take that much notice of you when mingling amongst guests with this camera. I've never been happy shooting these type of shots with flash, and my Nikon D300s & D300 are not great at high ISO's. The 18mm f2 is nice to get wide shots at the alter, showing the church environment, but I wouldn't want to use it for group shots (35mm is wide enough). The 50mm in my opinion, could be left on the X-Pro1 90% of the day. I'm now leaning towards buying the Fuji 35mm when it comes out in 2013, but there's plenty of time to change my mind before then. I'd be happy to use the X-Pro1 and the X100 in situations where the light was low (bride and groom hotel rooms) or where I needed to be more discrete (mingling with the guests or during the ceremony). But I wouldn't want to shoot a full wedding with these cameras due to the lag between focus and firing, far too many important shots could be missed.

Will I Continue To Shoot Weddings With The X-Pro1? All this leaves me with a problem. As I mentioned before, I usually shoot with a double BlackRapid strap with a DSLR and prime lens on each side. This allows me to move quite fast as I don't need to carry around a camera bag. There's no doubt in my mind that I need to go full frame, my lenses are geared toward it and I need the low light capability. The D800 is just overkill for what I'm doing, so I'll probably be changing my D300 for a D700. But I need to decide if I'm going to stick to two DSLR's or a single DSLR and the X-Pro1 and X100. If the later is the way I'm heading, focal lengths would probably be (full frame sizes) the X100's 35mm, X-Pro1 with the 50mm and a D700 with the 35mm 1.4G and 85mm 1.4G

Case For Fuji Lenses I bought a Lowepro 1M Lens Case for my X-Pro1 glass. I did intend getting the 8cm x 6cm, but when I went to the camera shop (yes a real brick and mortar store), I spotted the 1M. I thought there was a good chance of a lens falling out of the smaller case, plus the 1M is just deep enough to take the 35mm X-Pro1 lens with the lenshood attached. The Lowepro cases have a SlipLock double Velcro attachment to fix them to your belt or camera strap. They also have a couple of loops that could be used to attach a lanyard if preferred. It turned out to be essential on the day and I would recommend picking one up if you have the 18mm and the 35mm combo.

Using Custom White Balance On The X-Pro1 My shooting method this weekend was to go full manual as much as possible and use the ExpoDisc to set exposure and custom white balance. I also wanted to cut down on the amount of flash that I use. Setting custom white balance on the X-Pro1 is almost as simple as on a Nikon, as long as you set the Fn (Function Button) to White Balance, which isn't a big deal as the ISO is so easily set using the Quick Menu button. If you have the camera set to Custom White Balance already, it only takes 4 clicks to set WB. Press Fn ~ OK ~ Take a shot ~ OK. Obviously you would place your ExpoDisc or grey card in front of the lens before you take the shot.

ExpoDisc A wedding day is so hectic, so although my intentions were good, I didn't use the ExpoDisc as much as I had hoped. This was partly due to time and partly due to me forgetting. I will try to use it as much as possible on future shoots. I did find the X-Pro1's Auto WB actually done a better job in mixed light sometimes, but that would not keep everything consistent from shot to shot.

X-Pro1 With Flash I did use the X-Pro1 with the EF-20 flash a few times, but it wasn't reliable. When the flash did fire, it gave nice natural results (especially with the flash power set to a minus EV. The problem was that the flash would turn of and sometimes it took two or three pushes of the on button to get it to work again. The re-cycling time is also slow and you end up with more shots where the flash didn't fire than when it did. The camera won't focus until the ready light ins at least flashing.

After The Update To Firmware v1.01 I've just had a chance to test the auto focus focus after the latest firmware update and there is a huge difference in speed and accuracy. I tested it in a room that has given me the most problems with the AF. The walls are all cream and the lighting is Flouresant tubes. The focus is now locking on much faster and there is a lot less lag. Obviously this depends on how far the lens has to travel. Four feet to infinity is still not going to be "smokin' fast", but if the lens is focusing a short distance, say shooting portraits or taking shots of different people in a group, then it's much quicker and much improved. I've noticed with the X100 firmware updates that Fuji make tweaks to the camera performance and don't mention it in the contents of the firmware update. I look forward to many more updates to the X-Pro1

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Lens Review :: 18mm f2 & 35mm 1.4

The lens choice's for the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at the moment are 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4 and the 60mm f2.4 Macro, or in 35mm terms they would be 27mm, 53mm & 90mm. More glass will be available nearer the end of 2012 and I have included a lens roadmap at the bottom of this post. At the moment I have the 18mm and the 35mm, so I can only speak of them, but the finish will be the same across the range. Although light in weight, each lens is well built with all metal body, flange and lenshood. They have a black satin finish with plastic aperture and focus rings. I have read a lot of reviews on the web that say each lens is made of plastic...not so! Even if they were, high end Nikon glass have plastic bodies and cost 3 time the price of the Fuji glass, so plastic doesn't always equate to cheap. The lens caps for the squared off lens hoods are made of rubber and come off easily, but I would recommend using them when your camera is in the bag, but not when you're walking around. You will loose them! Each lens is also supplied with round centre pinch caps too, but they're a bit fiddly.

TAKEN WITH THE 18mm f2 at 1/45th sec , f9 and 200 ISO DESATURATED IN LIGHTROOM

The 18mm f2 is nice and sharp with only a very very minimal amount of softening at the edges. I have seen more softening on Nikon and Canon glass at similar focal lengths, so there's nothing to complain about here. Bokeh is very good with almost circular highlights and buttery smooth out of focus areas. The aperture blades chatter when the amount of light passing through the front of the lens changes. If you remember Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, it,s like a tiny Skippy inside your lens. The same thing happens in the X100, but it's tiny blades are almost silent and nowhere near as noticeable. I'm not sure why these cameras have to do this, but I'm sure it's one of the reasons why battery life is so bad in the X100 and X-Pro1. Even if the camera's aperture, shutter speed and focus are all set to manual, skippy still chatters away inside the lens. The focus ring is smooth when turning, but a rubber grip would have been better as the plastic can be a bit slippery.

THIS SHOT OF THE DEAD CAT WAS TAKEN WITH THE 18mm f2 at 1/30th sec, f2 and 400 ISO

THIS SHOT OF THE DEAD CAT WAS TAKEN WITH THE 35mm f1.4 at 1/50th sec, f2.8 and 1250 ISO

The 35mm f1.4 is an amazing little lens. On the down side, it's aperture chattering is a little bit louder than the 18mm, but in every other way it's a stunning piece of glass. It's as sharp as a tack, even wide open at f1.4 and the bokeh is as smooth as butter. The focus ring on my copy doesn't feel as smooth as my 18mm's, but I'm sure they all feel that little bit different copy to copy. The length of the lens with the hood attached is quite a bit longer than the dumpy 18mm, but it's not to bulky. The back element is much deeper set into the lens than the 18mm too. The aperture ring on my 35mm has a bit less resistance than the 18mm, but I have shot with the 35 more, so the 18mm might loosen up (I hope it doesn't though). In short, the 35mm f1.4 is an amazing bit of glass that in my opinion, Fuji couldn't have done a better job on.

TAKEN WITH THE 35mm f1.4 at 1/50th sec , f4 and 1600 ISO

A lot of people have complained about the high cost of the X-Pro1, but each X mount lens is actually very affordable, in fact three times more affordable than the two main manufactures, but with no less quality. The chattering is a bit annoying, but you do get used to it...a bit. I was going to hold off for the upcoming 23mm (35mm equivalent), but I needed something wide. I'm really pleased I got the 18mm and as I have the 23mm on the X100, I might not even bother buying one for the X-Pro1. I am keen to see the super-wide 14mm when it arrives near the end of 2012. I'll list the X-mount roadmap bellow (apertures may change when the lenses finally arrive).

I think Fuji may have made a mistake in allowing pre-production lenses to be tested and samples from them to be posted on the web. It worked fine for the 35mm f1.4 and I don't think I have read a single review that slates that lens. Unfortunately the 18mm f2 pre-production lenses suffered from both soft edges and purple fringing. The photo at the top of this post is the type of shot that you would find purple fringing on the tree branches due to the bright sunlight coming from behind. So far, I haven't had any issues with the purple pests, but I haven't shot loads of photos outdoor in conditions that would force the issue.

So I'm really happy with the two lenses I have. I haven't felt the need for a longer focal length so far, but I probably will get the 60mm f2.4 at some point. Although it's said to be slower at focusing, it is known to be super sharp. It's also handy to have a macro lens in your bag. If you have watched my video on the Lowepro Event Messenger 150 camera bag, you might have noticed I still have a space at the bottom left of the bag for the 60mm. The X-Pro1 realy shines as a tool for shooting portraits. The skin tones and bokeh are really really great, so the 60mm is maybe a must, but I'll wait a bit longer.

Lens Roadmap

14mm 2012 18-72mm f4 IS 2012 28mm f2.8 Pancake 2013 23mm f2 2013 70-200mm f4 OIS 2013 12-24mm f4 OIS 2013

Loweprow Event Messenger 150 :: What's In My Bag

I've been on the look-out for a small messenger style bag that can also take an iPad. There are a few out there that do the job size wise, but are awkward, because you need to remove camera gear to get to your iPad. I received the Lowepro Event Messenger 150 in the post the other day and loved it as soon as it was unpacked. Not only does it have a separate compartment for the iPad, it has a two tier system with dividers that attach to the side of the bag using velcro. It can take everything you see in the video above and there is still enough room in the bottom section at the left of the bag for the 60mm f2.4 lens for the X-Pro1.

The built quality is fantastic (as you would expect from Lowepro) and although I wasn't sure about the colour when I first saw it on the web, it looked perfect when I saw it in the flesh. Four of my other other five Lowepro bags are black, so this is a welcome change. Another feature that's very welcome, is the silent velcro system. As you can see near the end of the video, you simply pull the velcro tabs from one side to the other to either have the velcro function or not. The front section has good sized pockets for phones and general accessories and there is even a dedicated pouch with a velcro lid for memory cards, which after my recent disaster, I like to put SC cards inside the supplied plastic containers before putting them in my bag. Price for this bag is very reasonable and is available at Wex in the UK for £39.95 or from B&H in the US for $59.95

As you can see from the video, the Event messenger packs a lot of gear for such a small bag. There is also a smaller 100 model and the larger 250 model available. The latter holds a laptop, but is obviously a bit bulkier. I'll be sticking to my trusty Computrecker for weddings and portraits, but for street and documentary work, the Event Messenger 150 is absolutely perfect for me and will be my bag of choice for my upcoming trip to Italy.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 :: Review

The X-Pro1 arrived a few days ago with the 35mm f1.4 and 18mm f2. I haven't ordered the 60mm f2.4 at this point, but I might add it later as the buzz on the net states that it's very sharp. I'll review the lenses in a separate post as this one will be long enough with just the camera. I would also like to use each lens exclusively for a few days, to get a real feel for them individually.

I have included a star rating (out of 5) for each section of this review.

All photos in this post are straight out of the camera (except for a little blurring on the 3rd photo) and shot in standard (provia) mode.

PACKAGING **** The packaging for the Fujifilm X Series is really nice and certainly gives the impression of quality before you even open the box. The box for the X-Pro1 is similar to the X100's, but not quite as classy on the outside or the inside. The X100's was more like a jewellery box with a silk lining. The X-Pro1 box is nice, but doesn't have the same finish and has cut-out foam for the camera (which probably provides more protection). The lenses have similar boxes and are really well padded, with slots in the foam for both lens and hood. Soft bags are included for each lens, which would protect against scratches, but not dents. The X-Pro1 body felt light when I lifted it out of the box, but it feels about right when a lens is attached. After walking around with the body and lens in my hand for half an hour, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't want it any heavier.

BUILD QUALITY **** Like the X100, the build quality is very high. The dials all have that nice old school click that is so fantastically 1970's. The leather-like finish on the body feels really good and the grip for the right hand is non-slip rubber. Everything feels tight and well made. If you equate weight with quality, you might think it feels a bit cheaper than you would have thought.

VIEWFINDER **** The X100 wins in the viewfinder stakes hands down. it's bigger and brighter than the X-Pro1. Looking through the X100's viewfinder for the first time is a memory that is permanently etched in my brain, it is simply gorgeous! The X-Pro1 is not bad by any means, it's just not as big when you look through it. I don't know why there hasn't been much said about this on the net so far. I assume the reason it's a smaller affair is something to do with the magnifying lens that slides in place when different focal length lenses are used.

CONTROLS **** The buttons on the back of the camera are much improved and are now flatter. Their new positions are a big improvement, I'll need more time before I can use them without thinking as my fingers are going to where the X100's would be. The bulge at the right hand side on the back stops accidental movement of the exposure compensation dial and is a nice grip for your thumb. It also has the Q button and the AF-L/AE-L button, but the later is not ideal if you are a back button focus kind of shooter as the button is almost at the edge of the camera, rather than under the thumb. The focus mode switch is on the front of the camera and is similar to the one found on the X10. This is much better and has the two most common focus modes (manual & single) at either end of the switch, with continuous in the middle, which saves you from having to look at the switch when shooting.

FOCUS *** Manual focus is much much better than the X100 (even after the latest X100 firmware). It's still not fantastic, but it takes less turns. The problem with using the focus ring is that the amount of turns it takes seams to be determined on how fast you turn it. This makes it hard to judge how much to turn the ring, so it can never become intuitive. In my opinion Fuji should abandon the 'by wire' electronic focus and implement a traditional mechanical approach. If you're a manual focus kind of shooter (under the age of 40 with good eyesight), then you would probably be better of with the Leica adaptor and either Leica glass or the new SLR Magic's 50mm f0.95.

Auto Focus has some issues that will hopefully be addressed in future firmware upgrades. I like to use the focus correction option in the OVF, which has two focus boxes that sit diagonally to each other. As you get closer to a subject the focus area gets nearer the bottom right box and vies versa. The problem is that even if you are in the exact same spot, the camera can change it's mind each time you half press the shutter. It doesn't do it a lot, but it does do it. Fuji is probably working on fixing this glitch and hopefully it will be improved. I first tried the AF in a cream room under Florissant light and I wasn't impressed. In fact I gave it a real bashing when writing this section, but after shooting out on the street last night at 11pm, I deleted my original text as the AF performed fantastic in very dark conditions. The focus can hunt sometimes in areas where there is little contrast, but otherwise focus is faster than it's little brother. Focus outside in daylight conditions is pretty good, although it's still very much Fuji's weakness. I hope I'm not being too hard on the focus as like the X100, it will probably take a bit of time using the camera to adapt. The two cameras are less alike than I had expected.

Continuous AF is fairly useless as the focus point is stuck in the centre of the frame.

SENSOR *****+

Waw waw waw! This is the most awesome sensor in the history of anything below the size of medium format! The colours are just fantastic and and the resolution is stunning! Fuji have created a masterpiece. That stuff I just wrote about the focus...eh, who cares about that trivia? Did I mention the sensor is jaw droppingly spectacular? As a Nikon shooter, I tend to envy some of the tones from Canon sensors, especially skin tones. But not anymore. The X-Pro1 triumphs them all. This is the first digital camera I have owned that I would be happy to use the files without any computer work. Just think how much time this could save in post. You could select your best few to make into art pieces in photoshop, but the rest could be left as they are. This is the way forward, we're losing years of our lives to computers!

SHUTTER ***** One of my favourite things about the X100 is silent mode. It really is silent and you don't even know if you have taken a photo (if you're weakening it from sleep mode you probably haven't). As the X-Pro1 has a focal plane shutter instead of a leaf shutter, it can't do silent. But...the shutter sound is fantastic. It not only has a nice fat mechanical sound, you can feel the thud coming through the camera. The shutter sound is not a daft recorded tone, it's the actual real old school sound and it's gorgeous!

HIGH ISO PERFORMANCE ***** The X-Pro1 has fantastic low light performance. I thought the X100 did well at 3200 ISO, but the X-Pro1 does it even better. I've no doubt that there's some secret sauce magic going on in the camera and I would't be surprised if it was based on the noise reduction in Lightroom 3 or 4. The X-Pro1 has that same soft creamy look, which isn't a bad thing, in fact it was a big leap forward for Adobe. Shooting at 3200 ISO is something that you won't think twice about.

CONCLUSION The X-Pro1 is a different beast from the X100. The strange thing is that the strengths of both cameras are complete opposites. The X-Pro1 is more versatile due to it's ability to change lenses, but the strength of the X100 is it's fixed lens. Sometimes the less things to think about when shooting, the better, not having the option to change lenses can be liberating. On the other hand, there have been times when I haven't bothered to take a shot because I new I couldn't get close enough to the action. Having both these cameras will give me the best of both worlds. The X-Pro1 does have the most accurate auto white ballance I have ever seen!

I was slightly worried that the X-Pro1 would take over and make me neglect the X100. Not so, in fact having the new beast has made me appreciate the X100 even more. Shooting with X-Pro1 is a joy to use and it's almost everything Fuji claims it is, but the viewfinder on the X100 is magical!

Can the X-Pro1 be used as a pro camera?...yes! Can it replace a DSLR?...yes! (unless you shoot fast action). Does it replace the X100?...no!

I think this camera will shine more in a documentary style. War photographers should welcome it with open arms. I'd rather run for my life with one of these cameras than a big DSLR and matching bulky lens. It's also a great portrait camera. I'm sure it will be great for street photography, but I wasn't feeling it as much as the X100. To be honest though, I went out on the street yesterday, but couldn't really get in the zone, which happens sometimes.

The sensor alone makes the X-Pro1 worth buying, but even if it had the same sensor as the X100, it would still be a great camera and I highly recommend it. If you had an X100 and sold it because you didn't like the auto focusing quirks, then do not buy this camera. It does focus faster in both auto and manual, but it also has some quirks. If on the other hand you are like me and thousands of others that own and love the X100, and you want the ability to go to a longer focal length, or need even better low light performance, then buy the X-Pro1 as soon as your finances allow. If you are are thinking of changing your X100 for an X-Pro1, I would highly recommend saving up the extra cash to allow you to keep both. You won't regret buying the X-Pro1, but you will regret selling the X100.

I'll be posting more shots here over the next few days, months, years, so please come back now and then or follow me on twitter for updates @derekclarkphoto. I will also be posting black and white street photography to my other blog at 35mmStreet.com. My documentary website DerekClarkPhoto will be shot almost exclusively with the X series cameras.

I will review the lenses in a future blog post.

I have just received a fantastic bag from Lowepro, so if you are in the market to buy a great bag that's suitable for the X-Pro1, X100 or just system cameras in general, check back here for my review next week.

Fujifilm X100 :: One Year On

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T SHOOT FAST MOVING SPORTS WITH AN X100 On the 21st of March 2011, I drove a 100 mile round trip to buy the Fujifilm X100, after my original pre-order fell through. But on the 21st JRS Fujifilm in Perth (Scotland) tweeted that they had received 1 unit only, I looked-up their phone number, called them straight away and bought it. It's now one year on and I thought I'd give a little update on how I feel about the X100 after the first 12 months. The photographs in this post are a broad selection of many many shots that I have taken with the X100. I've selected these to try to show this camera will suit lots of styles of photography.

THIS PHOTO HAS BEEN MY MOST COMMENTED ON STREET SHOT ON MY 35mmSTREET PAGE OVER AT 500px.

There has been a lot of stuff on the web about the X100's shortcomings, like slow focus, useless manual focus, slow wake-up from sleep...blah blah blah! The way I see it, nothing we buy is ever perfect, nor will it ever be. Nothing in this world is perfect...get over it! My kids don't tidy their room, but I don't bitch about it on the internet (maybe I just did). I think a lot of the people that go on about the X100's quirks are mostly photogs that don't even own the camera (don't get me started on Kelby). I paid the full price for the X100 (it's a lot lower now) and it's been the best money I've ever spent on photography! It does have faults, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

THIS SHOT OF MY SON WAS TAKEN IN THE CAR AS THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN

I've carried the X100 with me every single day for a full year and it's got me shots that I never would have gotten. Some because I maybe wouldn't have had a camera with me and some because it's much smaller and less intimidating than a DSLR. Street photography has possibly been the biggest area that the little Fuji gem has had the most influence on. I started the 35mmStreet blog and also have a collection of black and white street shots at 500px and overall, I'm really happy with what I've been getting and looking forward to what this year brings.

MY DAUGHTER WAS OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE MIXING HER DRINK...FRUIT SHOOTS AND MILK DON'T GO TOGETHER

The new Fujifilm X-Pro1 arrived yesterday, but far from replacing the X100, I'm looking forward to using the two cameras side be side, especially with the 50mm (35mm equivalent) on the X-Pro1 complimenting the X100's 35mm. I'm used to shooting two Nikon DSLR's with a prime on each body, so I'll feel right at home with the two Fuji's. I also recently launched a new documentary photography site at DerekClarkPhoto.com and I'll probably end-up shooting exclusively with the X100 and X-Pro1 for that site. In fact, I've been putting of a documentary project until the X-Pro1 arrived, as the high ISO performance is important.

TAKEN FROM A MOVING TRAIN ON THE WAY TO DO SOME STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

The X100 is not a point and shoot by any means. It's a camera that you have to master, but you love all the more for it. It's painting without numbers. It's improvising a piece of music, rather than playing from a sheet. It's jazz, rather than pop. The camera fits well in my hands, especially with the lens hood attached (a must have accessory). I keep it set-up to shoot as soon as it switches on, with the focus point at either the left or the right hand side (never centre), aperture priority at f4 & 640 ISO, so that when I fire it up in quick start mode, I will get the shot without playing with the settings. Once it's on, I shoot the X100 in manual more than any other camera, but I always make sure it's at my default settings before I turn it off. The X100 is also a fantastically stealth camera for walking around with it curled in your hand with the LCD against the back of your wrist and the lens toward your leg. I swear it's almost invisible like this. Just make sure the strap is wrapped around your wrist a few times so that you don't drop it and nobody can grab it and run off. The X100 is also silent and that's one of it's best features!

VIEW FROM EDINBURGH CASTLE IN SCOTLAND

I think Zack Arias summed the X100 up best of all when he simply said "it's got soul!". If you shoot with this camera, you'll know what he means. The X100 has carved a place in history and it's only 1 year old. I think we'll look back in 20 years time with great fondness for the X100, and from that distance we'll all see what a game changer it was. I'm looking forward to shooting with it for many years to come, and that's not something you say often in this time of constant camera updates. Happy birthday X100!

View From My Keys :: 18th Feb 2012

When I started playing sax I thought it would be great to just show-up, open my case and play. Fast forward a lot of years and I'm surrounded by a full music shop. Tenor sax, Guitar, 3 synths and 2 FX units. The laptop controls projections on a 7' circular screen.

One hour before showtime and the souncheck begins.

It's easy to see why he was such a successful male model. You might remember him from the Calvin Klein adds?

The gig begins. This is what we see from the stage a lot of the time, the audience is out there, but we see darkness.