View Full Version : Why fuji 'gets it' with the X series
Fujifilms prime lens lineup for 2012/2013:
- 14mm (21mm) f2.8
- 18mm (28mm) f2
- 23mm (35mm) f1.4
- 23mm (35mm) f2 (x100)
- 27mm (40mm) f2.8 pancake
- 35mm (50mm) f1.4
- 56mm (85mm) f1.4
- 60mm (90mm) f2.4 macro
I've bought into many camera systems in the last few years, and sold off many. The mirrorless cameras in particular have showed great promise to me as they have all the attributes I like in a camera - small size, quiet, in built viewfinders, high quality/small lenses. I bought into the original e-p1 m4/3 camera for these reasons, but gave up waiting for good prime lenses to come, seeing announcement after announcement from both Olympus and Panasonic for slow super zooms and consumer telephotos. For what its worth, between 2 major companies and a few smaller ones, m4/3 STILL doesn't have a fast 35mm equivalent autofocus lens - neither a smaller prime on the ultra wide (21mm or under) end. Sony and Samsung have sweet little in the way of anything fixed focal length at all.
This post isn't to flame m4/3 or other systems though, I just wanted to point out how comprehensively Fujifilm has covered the lens lineup for photographers, not soccer moms with their latest lens roadmap, and in a very short period of time. Hopefully the other manufacturers take note of the buzz created and follow suit.
http://2.s.img-dpreview.com/files/news/2513939385/Roadmap.jpg?v=1517
Jamie Pillers
06-25-2012, 20:03
Yes, its SO great to see this! After so many years of waiting, and waiting, and waiting(!!) for a manufacturer to step up and make something other than a big black blob DSLR with big fat zoom attached OR tiny, hard-to-hold, unsatisfying super-zoomed P&S cameras.
back alley
06-25-2012, 20:05
14/27/56...kinda perfect kit i'm thinking...
14/27/56...kinda perfect kit i'm thinking...
Danger, Will Robinson :D
Yes, its SO great to see this! After so many years of waiting, and waiting, and waiting(!!) for a manufacturer to step up and make something other than a big black blob DSLR with big fat zoom attached OR tiny, hard-to-hold, unsatisfying super-zoomed P&S cameras.
The Panasonic GF 1 was so close and then came the GF 2 what a disappointment. The Ricoh gxr with m module for those who want to use legacy m lenses gets it right.. But the Fuji line up x100 followed by xp1 and now this lens roadmap not only shows that that got it right but they did their market research well..
With Fuji heritage in RF.. Xpan to their Texas Leicas, they could have done a m9 clone, but they went to essentially the digital version of Contx G2. The lens line up far exceeds the G2 in two years. This shows they are agressive and in it for the long haul.
Gary
Fuji is really on to something and I hope it succeeds. A couple of years a go this would have been seemed too good to be true. And now look!
noimmunity
06-25-2012, 20:49
14/27/56...kinda perfect kit i'm thinking...
The happy 'trouble' is, I see several "perfect kits" among the line up, and I could use them all!
Yup, Gavin, Fuji gets it all right!!!
loquax ludens
06-25-2012, 20:49
I think Fuji "gets it" too. I'm glad I bought my X-Pro 1. This is my third digital camera, and the first one I've actually liked a lot. Aside from the poor frameline accuracy in the OVF, it's a great camera. I bought the 35mm and 60mm lenses, but I skipped the 18mm because I wanted to wait and see the 14mm first. I'll get one or the other, but not both. I'll likely get the 23mm f/1.4 when it comes out too. I'm not a big fan of zooms, so I doubt I'll get one of those when they come out.
umcelinho
06-25-2012, 21:01
fast 35mm equivalent... my fav focal length, i love the 23/2 on the x100 and having an extra stop would be really, really good. more expensive, sure, but we'll see if it's worth the $
21mm equivalent in 2.8 should be a very useful lens, pairing it with the 50mm equivalent one can get a pretty good range of fields of view, it's a combo i really like.
i'm really glad to see Fuji bringing such great camera/lens options to those not very fond of DSLRs.
willie_901
06-25-2012, 21:02
The 56/1.4 may be irresitable.
NazgulKing
06-25-2012, 21:09
I think it's not the question of whether Fuji gets it or not, it is just that Fuji is targeting the demographic that is willing to pay for quality, whereas everyone else is targeting the mass market.
back alley
06-25-2012, 21:10
fuji gets folks like us...preferring primes (tho there are 3 zooms there as well)...and primes that make sense to old folks...ones we are used to.
I think it's not the question of whether Fuji gets it or not, it is just that Fuji is targeting the demographic that is willing to pay for quality, whereas everyone else is targeting the mass market.
Fuji gets a certain market (wideangle primes, optical viewfinders, retro styling). Quality is not the point, there are enough quality offerings in the m4/3 lineup, too.
The Panasonic GF 1 was so close and then came the GF 2 what a disappointment.
Only in the way the Canon T60 was a disappointment for T50 owners. Those were completely different cameras, the GF2 priced 30% less. The successor of the GF1 is the GX1, not the GF2; if you've been disappointed by the latter, you've probably just fallen into the trap of version number arithmetics.
I think it's not the question of whether Fuji gets it or not, it is just that Fuji is targeting the demographic that is willing to pay for quality, whereas everyone else is targeting the mass market.
I work part time at a large aquarium in Melbourne - you'd be really really surprised how many X series cameras I see - x10/x100/x-pro1. A lot of them used by dads/moms and young(er than me!) adolescents.
Everyone just assumes that market research is correct and companies should bring out super zooms and ultra compacts, but I firmly believe companies are better catering for the consumers who are more likely to become loyal to the brand/system and act as a 'halo' product and user for the system. If you take a look at the fashion/style/technology blogs and magazines aimed at young adults and fashionable people, they don't feature point and shoots or super zooms, they feature luxury products like leica's and hassleblads and the fuji X cameras. These are the cameras people aspire to/think of before they fall asleep at night. The thing fuji has very cleverly done is made a 'luxury' product, that also caters for real pros and serious photographers, and is also on the same price level or cheaper than equivalent DSLRs so the regular person can afford it.
As I said before, you'd be surprised how many normal people are toting an X series camera - I regularly see them in the aquarium and around melbourne city.
NazgulKing
06-25-2012, 21:43
I work part time at a large aquarium in Melbourne - you'd be really really surprised how many X series cameras I see - x10/x100/x-pro1. A lot of them used by dads/moms and young(er than me!) adolescents.
Everyone just assumes that market research is correct and companies should bring out super zooms and ultra compacts, but I firmly believe companies are better catering for the consumers who are more likely to become loyal to the brand/system and act as a 'halo' product and user for the system. If you take a look at the fashion/style/technology blogs and magazines aimed at young adults and fashionable people, they don't feature point and shoots or super zooms, they feature luxury products like leica's and hassleblads and the fuji X cameras. These are the cameras people aspire to/think of before they fall asleep at night. The thing fuji has very cleverly done is made a 'luxury' product, that also caters for real pros and serious photographers, and is also on the same price level or cheaper than equivalent DSLRs so the regular person can afford it.
As I said before, you'd be surprised how many normal people are toting an X series camera - I regularly see them in the aquarium and around melbourne city.
Define normal. Melbourne is the financial hub of Australia if I am not wrong, with naturally the wealth that it brings.
Market research or not, loyalty to brands is quite cheap these days, and people are just going between systems when it suits them.
Fuji gets a certain market (wideangle primes, optical viewfinders, retro styling). Quality is not the point, there are enough quality offerings in the m4/3 lineup, too.
I would hope that their wides are better in the next iteration though. The 18mm/f2 show quite a bit of softness at the edges even at f2.8, which is not something one would like when shooting landscape.
Everyone just assumes that market research is correct and companies should bring out super zooms and ultra compacts, but I firmly believe companies are better catering for the consumers who are more likely to become loyal to the brand/system and act as a 'halo' product and user for the system. [...] The thing fuji has very cleverly done is made a 'luxury' product, that also caters for real pros and serious photographers, and is also on the same price level or cheaper than equivalent DSLRs so the regular person can afford it.
You are right. And one of the problems with market research is that when done wrong, it can confirm the bias that one puts into it. Look at all the market research that was done by Kodak. The efficiency of market research is basically a management problem.
I'm interested in how Canon will enter the mirrorless market. They have a lot to lose, but they also have a tradition of coming to a market late with well-implemented, sometimes radical cameras (both their FL/FD and their EOS SLRs really) Their entrance, when it comes, will say a lot about the quality of the market research they've done, as well as their corporate outlook as a whole. You can see that they are preparing for a differentiation of their camera line and have been testing the waters a lot. The new offerings have been either extremely high-end cameras and lenses for the professional video and photography market, or entry lenses with features for video; and they've been testing the waters for a lot of technologies that are applicable for good mirrorless cameras, like hybrid autofocus, touchscreen interfaces and fast autofocus motors.
(However, the real key question is - when will there be a silver version of the Fuji? :D)
Fuji didnt go Sony path, with otherwise very similar specced camera. it positioned somewhere between NEX and Leica M. hope they do better than Contax G for example.
Rxmd
Actually no. GF 2 to GF 3 were all disappointments. Look how long it took them to come out with the gx 1. Yes the gx 1 is the final successor to gf1, but for me too little too late... I moved on. Btw I still have my gf1 with the 20mm lens.
But te Fuji X series has won me over.
Gary
Jamie Pillers
06-25-2012, 22:34
Yes. Well said. I've often wondered why other manufacturers (read Canon, Nikon) haven't tried to reach this group of photographers?
Jamie Pillers
06-25-2012, 22:39
The 27mm lens is what I'm waiting for. If its sharp, it'll make a super daytime walk-around street photography lens. And it'll turn the XPro1 into a fairly compact little camera. Of course, I'm betting it'll cost $199. :-)
Posted on the lens review site today, this (http://www.photozone.de/samsungnx/748_samsungnx18200f3563) is the perfect example of what not to prioritize in a new mirrorless camera system. Who buys these things for $600 and sits the little body cap cameras on the back of them?
What Fujifilm has to do as being the next step is to introduce an XP1 clone with fast and accurate AF like the OM-D and (maybe) in a little smaller body. That's all they need after this amazing lens array...
(Who knows, right in 2013 we might see this new body because this lens range is a huge investment giving very positive messages about near future..)
crispy12
06-26-2012, 01:41
Posted on the lens review site today, this (http://www.photozone.de/samsungnx/748_samsungnx18200f3563) is the perfect example of what not to prioritize in a new mirrorless camera system. Who buys these things for $600 and sits the little body cap cameras on the back of them?
Lol! That's terrible, not surprising why Samsung have never really been popular with their mirrorless lineup.
Speedfreak
06-26-2012, 03:50
Looks good.
I wonder why Fuji can and SONY can not? What were the recent additions to the NEX line? A new body (again!) and a rebranded Tamron super-zoom.
Whats wrong with you SONY? There are more NEX bodies than lenses now!
Aristophanes
06-26-2012, 04:05
Looks good.
I wonder why Fuji can and SONY can not? What were the recent additions to the NEX line? A new body (again!) and a rebranded Tamron super-zoom.
Whats wrong with you SONY? There are more NEX bodies than lenses now!
Sony has been bleeding red ink fiercely for 4 years now, and its not getting any better.
Fuji is not. Well managed, Fuji is.
Sony dropped their FF Alpha production DSLR's for almost 2 years, becoming a FF foundry only for Nikon essentially.
The Sony camera division is probably on a very tight leash to make margin on every product every quarter. They have too many product lines with no cohesive strategy.
Aristophanes
06-26-2012, 04:06
Lol! That's terrible, not surprising why Samsung have never really been popular with their mirrorless lineup.
In part because Samsung sources its own, often inferior, sensors.
paulfish4570
06-26-2012, 04:12
that pancake sure is cute ...
boomguy57
06-26-2012, 04:13
I'm awaiting the X-Pro 2 before making the jump. I'm betting that the kinks will be worked out for a sleeker, smarter version by then and I will have no choice to buy into this system. Of course, the lenses will be rolling out by then too, I'm sure.
BTW, as an X100 owner, I am glad they went to f/1.4 on the 23mm (=35mm) lens.
Finally, can we call these lenses by their actual focal length, or is it best to use the "relative to 35mm" focal length when talking about a lens? It seems that some people do one and some the other, and it's confusing!
Who buys these things for $600 and sits the little body cap cameras on the back of them?
The same kind of person who bought these equally idiotic and useless things to do family shots with their SLRs, without even owning a tripod. Long lenses are useless on a neck strap.
14/27/56...kinda perfect kit i'm thinking...
I might go for the X-Pro1 next year. I'm used on 15/28/50/90mm lenghts for my 135 film cameras.
Would you buy a 1:1 XF lens replacement to match my shooting style in digital as well (18+35+60) - plus maybe the long tele - or would you also re-use additionally part of the M mount lenses on the Fuji? That would add four more focal lenght to the XF lenses (a mix of 18,22,40,50,75,90,135 in 35mm equivalent). :confused:
Speedfreak
06-26-2012, 05:28
Would you buy a 1:1 XF lens replacement to match my shooting style in digital as well (18+35+60) - plus maybe the long tele - or would you also re-use additionally part of the M mount lenses on the Fuji?
Fujis sophisticated "hybrid viewfinder" works only with Fuji lenses. Otherwise, if you want to use M mount lenses on a compact mirrorless, I think a NEX 5n or NEX 7 are smarter choices.
willie_901
06-26-2012, 07:11
I might go for the X-Pro1 next year. I'm used on 15/28/50/90mm lenghts for my 135 film cameras.
Would you buy a 1:1 XF lens replacement to match my shooting style in digital as well (18+35+60) - plus maybe the long tele - or would you also re-use additionally part of the M mount lenses on the Fuji? That would add four more focal lenght to the XF lenses (a mix of 18,22,40,50,75,90,135 in 35mm equivalent). :confused:
I use my X-Pro 1 and X100 as I used my Zeiss Ikon M and Canonet QL 17. The Xes are my rangefinder replacements.
I would go with the XF lenses. I think their light weight and AF make them more practical. It seems some M lens optical designs perform much better than others because the rear element is very close to the sesnor. This is discussed in a recent Luminance Landscape review. The XF lens performance ranges from very good (18/2) to excellent. Last weekend I shot about 400 XP1-35/1.4 photos during a four day family wedding trip (and another 200 or so with the X100). I have zero complaints about the 35/1.4 lens. In fact, I really like it. I did see some weak fabric moiré in two or three frames at100% magnification. I use The 18/2 as a reportage lens. It is as good as the CV 28/3.5 that I used for the same purpose. But it is not as good as the 35/1.4.
I can't decide which XF lens to buy next. I am working on projects that would use the 14, 56, the existing 6o macro (as a macro), and the new 23 mm lens looks very interesting too. This is a nice problem to have.
Sony has been bleeding red ink fiercely for 4 years now, and its not getting any better.
...
yes Sony's financial troubles have repeated on news lately. hope they dont become another Kyocera or Konica-Minolta, leaving the game completely :(
lack of new cameras and lenses probably is result of this. and quake & nuclear problems in Japan... and floods in Thailand...
Fujis sophisticated "hybrid viewfinder" works only with Fuji lenses. Otherwise, if you want to use M mount lenses on a compact mirrorless, I think a NEX 5n or NEX 7 are smarter choices.
Fuji's own m mount adapter maybe able to use the ovf with correct frame support... Hints of it are already in the new fw update but parts of the custom lens support appear to be disabled w/o their adapter...
Even though it was announced to be released this month, I am not sure if anyone has seen it yet. The jury is out until people report on how well this works. On the other hand, evf is just fine with third party adapters.
Gary
noimmunity
06-26-2012, 10:01
Fuji's own m mount adapter ... The jury is out until people report on how well this works.
Mine was supposed to arrive on Monday, but the chuckleheads in the French postal service lost the package on Monday, found it again and then loaded it on the truck without accomplishing delivery today.
rogue_designer
06-26-2012, 10:04
Now to see if I can convert that 23/1.4 to my Nex E-mount. :D
I'm waiting for an X100 v2 with the 50mm f2 equivalent. THink I'll ever see it?
Mlehrman
06-26-2012, 10:31
I'm waiting for an X100 v2 with the 50mm f2 equivalent. THink I'll ever see it?
I second that motion - let's start a petition.
Because Fuji has a long camera tradition and Sony is high volume consumer oriented.
f16sunshine
06-26-2012, 11:49
Sony has a problem and it's an Apple although not the Fuji variety. ;)
tbarker13
06-26-2012, 11:53
Can't wait to see the 56/1.4.
Hopefully that will be the portrait lens in this lineup.
rogue_designer
06-26-2012, 12:25
Sony has a problem and it's an Apple although not the Fuji variety. ;)
How do you mean - Raw support or other?
jsrockit
06-27-2012, 03:49
How do you mean - Raw support or other?
Think consumer goods and not photo apps.
Bike Tourist
06-28-2012, 02:57
I think the tele zoom is interesting. Remember the Visoflex? What a pain! But with this setup just mount the lens and switch the viewfinder mode.
intheviewfinder
06-28-2012, 03:56
I'm liking that they are not looking to 'mainstream' this camera. The XP1 appears to be aimed at folks who want high quality, small prime lenses. Out of the 10 lenses on the road map 7 are primes. Fuji appears to be targeting a demographic that has not been served. I already have the fine 50mm and that 14mm/27mm/56mm group is a solid prime kit for those folks that don't like the SLR form factor. I love the 23mm and it's FOV so I may end up with 5 of these if they have any promise. :rolleyes:
The zooms, 'meh' and are unlikely to spark much interest except with the enthusiast. I'm not sure zooms are going to work well with this version of the camera. Fuji has hinted at them being relegated to the EVF. I've also heard them indicate that to use the OVF you would set the lens length in the menu (meaning for every focal length) and then take photos which seemed very cumbersome. I'm not sure they settled on a method until late in the design process. I betcha that means folks will have 'issues' with the implementation.
It appears (at least from the rumor mill) that Fuji will produce a consumer version of the X-Pro1. This camera will have not have the hybrid viewfinder but an EVF and LCD, maybe some sort of image stabilization in the body, a built-in flash and the 18-55mm as the kit lens.
I'm not sure there will be an X200 yet, (the enthusiast version of the XP1 will be first) though when it does come it will probably be an evolutionary product. They will move the buttons around and improve the operation, make software changes and put the x-tran sensor in it. Will they change the lens is the question - maybe a fast 35mm.
jsrockit
06-28-2012, 04:03
It appears (at least from the rumor mill) that Fuji will produce a consumer version of the X-Pro1. This camera will have not have the hybrid viewfinder but an EVF and LCD, maybe some sort of image stabilization in the body, a built-in flash and the 18-55mm as the kit lens.
I'm not sure there will be an X200 yet, (the enthusiast version of the XP1 will be first) though when it does come it will probably be an evolutionary product. They will move the buttons around and improve the operation, make software changes and put the x-tran sensor in it. Will they change the lens is the question - maybe a fast 35mm.
How do you know this intheviewfinder?
More or less the same lens lineup as the Contax G system, just a decade or so later.
I think the 15-35/4.0 zoom will sell a great deal - I bought the X-Pro1 for its primes, but intend to also use it as a back-up for my FF camera - and using the zoom on a tripod with the LCD would be great for landscape photography. After all, primes are great for handheld photography, where framing is not always critical, whereas landscape demands perfect composition - and to get that you first get your perspective by placing yourself relative to the subjects, then do the framing with a zoom! But maybe I am to enthusiastic...
The zooms, 'meh' and are unlikely to spark much interest except with the enthusiast. I'm not sure zooms are going to work well with this version of the camera. Fuji has hinted at them being relegated to the EVF. I've also heard them indicate that to use the OVF you would set the lens length in the menu (meaning for every focal length) and then take photos which seemed very cumbersome. I'm not sure they settled on a method until late in the design process. I betcha that means folks will have 'issues' with the implementation.
intheviewfinder
06-28-2012, 04:20
How do you know this intheviewfinder?
Listen to what the Fuji reps are saying at the shows and what managment has been saying in interviews you can get the jist of their direction. Plus as I said [careful editing of] the rumor mill.
I think the 15-35/4.0 zoom will sell a great deal.
It may, and I could be totally wrong, but they'll need to nail the implementation. I'm not so sure it will work well with the current software.
I think the 15-35/4.0 zoom will sell a great deal - I bought the X-Pro1 for its primes, but intend to also use it as a back-up for my FF camera - and using the zoom on a tripod with the LCD would be great for landscape photography. After all, primes are great for handheld photography, where framing is not always critical, whereas landscape demands perfect composition - and to get that you first get your perspective by placing yourself relative to the subjects, then do the framing with a zoom! But maybe I am to enthusiastic...
Well, that's one way to do landscape photography. But some pretty famous landscape photographers (e.g., A. Adams) managed to work without zoom lenses.
Fuji's announced zooms don't appeal to me --- but that's just me.
jsrockit
06-28-2012, 04:31
After all, primes are great for handheld photography, where framing is not always critical, whereas landscape demands perfect composition - and to get that you first get your perspective by placing yourself relative to the subjects, then do the framing with a zoom! But maybe I am to enthusiastic...
Not so sure this is true for everyone... especially on this site. :D
douglasf13
06-28-2012, 17:48
Now to see if I can convert that 23/1.4 to my Nex E-mount. :D
Why not just use the Sony/Zeiss 24/1.8???
douglasf13
06-28-2012, 17:50
Because Fuji has a long camera tradition and Sony is high volume consumer oriented.
That's ridiculous. Sony has been making digital camera longer than anyone. I run a Fuji and Sony side by side, and, trust me, there are really smart and really stupid things about both.
Aristophanes
06-28-2012, 19:12
Because Fuji has a long camera tradition and Sony is high volume consumer oriented.
Last I looked Fuji had more models at more price points for mass consumer markets than any other brand. Canon and Sony duke it out for second.
http://www.fujifilm.ca/products/digital_cameras/index.html
rogue_designer
06-28-2012, 20:03
Why not just use the Sony/Zeiss 24/1.8???
Spendy, big, and I don't like the way Sony implements manual focus on their own lenses.
I'd rather have a shorter barrel length, full manual 20-24 1.4/1.8
Well, that's one way to do landscape photography. But some pretty famous landscape photographers (e.g., A. Adams) managed to work without zoom lenses.
I'm told by a reliable source that Adams's view cameras were set up so that the tilt movements could be set only in 15° increments. Apparently, he viewed the continuously-variable tilt settings available on most cameras as mere concessions to the feeble and weak-minded.
I'm told by a reliable source that Adams's view cameras were set up so that the tilt movements could be set only in 15° increments. Apparently, he viewed the continuously-variable tilt settings available on most cameras as mere concessions to the feeble and weak-minded.
This sounds improbable, 15° of tilt is a LOT.
I rarely use more than 5-6°, and mostly 2-3°, and that is usually enough to get everything in focus from the horizon to within inches of the camera.
I was joking -- making fun of the idea that if today's superb zooms had existed when Adams had been working, he would have eschewed them. I'm certain that he would have used them; he was a technophile through and through.
I was joking -- making fun of the idea that if today's superb zooms had existed when Adams had been working, he would have eschewed them. I'm certain that he would have used them; he was a technophile through and through.
This argument that something is unneccessary because it was unavailable at some point in the past is an immortal classic... "Napoleon's soldiers walked all the way to Moscow on foot, so no Frenchman today needs a car", or "There were no kidney transplants in Jesus' time so we shouldn't do them either".
This argument that something is unneccessary because it was unavailable at some point in the past is an immortal classic... "Napoleon's soldiers walked all the way to Moscow on foot, so no Frenchman today needs a car", or "There were no kidney transplants in Jesus' time so we shouldn't do them either".
That wasn't my point. A. Adams might very well have used zooms, had they been available. The point is that he did pretty well without them --- meaning, good landscape photography need not be put on hold until Fuji delivers those promised zoom lenses. And not every landscape phtographer is going to want those zooms once they are available.
I was joking -- making fun of the idea that if today's superb zooms had existed when Adams had been working, he would have eschewed them. I'm certain that he would have used them; he was a technophile through and through.
MaxElmar
07-30-2012, 12:40
I would be a lot more impressed if the corners on the 18 and 35 didn't suck wind until f4+.... (according to Photozone.de) I thought it might be the software correction for the crazy barrel distortion on the 18 (4.8%!), but the 35 does it too. Can't beat 'em in the center, though....
Max, with the possible exceptions of the Summicron ASPH 50 and the Summilux ASPH 50, nearly all 50 mm equivalent lenses are soft in the corners at full aperture. Especially at f/1.4 and larger. Note further that the MTFs published for the Leica lenses are NOT on-camera MTFs which will always be worse in the corners than MTFs acquired on an optical bench or through computation from the lens design.
These comparisons are thoroughly apples-and-oranges -- the things being measured are not remotely comparable.
Until you've done a side-by-side comparison of the actual lenses mounted on actual cameras, photographing exactly the same actual subjects at a variety of distances and contrast ratios, you simply can't say anything meaningful about the comparative resolution offered by these systems.
Note further that in low light, spatial resolution is generally sacrificed. Thus, photographing across a range of ISOs is also needed to fully grasp the field-usable resolution of an imaging chain.
With respect to the 18, it's an extremely lightweight pancake lens with an f/2 maximum aperture. Given those constraints, its performance is stellar especially in the near field (2-3m). It's obviously designed to be a reportage lens, not a landscape lens.
N.delaRua
07-30-2012, 13:14
Not only does their lens roadmap indicate their level of "getting it," but so does their dedications to including dials of importance i.e. shutter dial, aperture dial, and depth of field (on the 21 mm). That is staggering inovation in the epoch of the command wheel which can do everything well but nothing great.
I'll never forget when Nikon came out with the G series for professionals that lacked aperture rings and depth of field scales... So it seems like those things must no longer be important.
Digital cameras make photography appear a dark art only made possible by computers. A Pentak K1000 makes 18 newbies look like professional photographers.
willie_901
07-30-2012, 16:42
I personally accept Fuji's publicly stated design decision for the X100 and XF lenses to optimize performance starting at f 4. My photographic goals can be met without excellent edge sharpness at wider apertures. I feel this is just part of a price-weight-performance compromise. I knew it before I ordered the system.
Of course others may find this compromise unacceptable.
The center sharpness is important to me as is a light, reasonably small, affordable lens.
Fuji's got a good plan for lenses ... too many, really.
I wish I could get on with their cameras better. I just don't like the sensors or the camera bodies on the X10, X100 and Xpro1.
texchappy
07-30-2012, 18:02
Godfrey, I'm curious why you say they might have too many lenses planned?
Herjulfr
07-30-2012, 18:13
Also Godfrey, what is wrong with the sensor?
One more thing about that 18. I was skeptical when I saw the initial reports. Now that I've shot more than a thousand frames with one, my skepticism is gone. It does what I need it to and then some. It's fast, it's sharp, its flare suppression is outstanding even when shooting into the sun, and it focuses quickly.
Is it a lens for ultimate sharpness in landscapes? No. Would I use it as part of a light, portable landscape kit? Without hesitation.
Godfrey, I'm curious why you say they might have too many lenses planned?
That's an awful lot of lenses to develop and put in production in just two years. They could be rushing it.
Also, I don't see the point of so many lenses of such similar focal lengths, pushed to the market all at once.
Also Godfrey, what is wrong with the sensor?
The Fuji EXR sensor, with it's unusual mosaic pattern, is quite difficult to write a good demoniac/chroma conversion algorithm for. And, to me anyway, the jury is still out as to whether it can be done to any great advantage over a more standard sensor which is easier to write good conversion software for.
This developer's blog site articulates and demonstrates some of the challenges:
http://chromasoft.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-and-its-x-trans.html
http://chromasoft.blogspot.com/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-part-2.html
http://chromasoft.blogspot.com/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-part-3.html
His raw processor is quite good, and his other software (CornerFix, etc) is also quite good. He seems to know what he's talking about.
Basically, I'm quite leery of 'exotic' solutions to imaging problems. Experience has shown me that often the simple solution is the most robust.
jsrockit
07-31-2012, 03:47
Digital cameras make photography appear a dark art only made possible by computers. A Pentak K1000 makes 18 newbies look like professional photographers.
Huh? Explain further please...
The Fuji EXR sensor, with it's unusual mosaic pattern, is quite difficult to write a good demoniac/chroma conversion algorithm for. And, to me anyway, the jury is still out as to whether it can be done to any great advantage over a more standard sensor which is easier to write good conversion software for.
This developer's blog site articulates and demonstrates some of the challenges:
http://chromasoft.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-and-its-x-trans.html
http://chromasoft.blogspot.com/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-part-2.html
http://chromasoft.blogspot.com/2012/05/demosaicing-fuji-x-pro1-part-3.html
His raw processor is quite good, and his other software (CornerFix, etc) is also quite good. He seems to know what he's talking about.
Basically, I'm quite leery of 'exotic' solutions to imaging problems. Experience has shown me that often the simple solution is the most robust.
To be honest the 'issues' people talk about are kinda ridiculous to me - like color runs on text viewed at 100% - that will never ever be an issue in any kind of real world photography unless you're doing copy work. Which I don't.
To be honest the 'issues' people talk about are kinda ridiculous to me - like color runs on text viewed at 100% - that will never ever be an issue in any kind of real world photography unless you're doing copy work. Which I don't.
That's not 'ridiculous', it's just not significant to your needs. I understand that. And if I found Fuji's ergonomics and feel to my liking, I'd probably not be too worried about the sensor issues either, as long as I could get the results out of it.
But I just don't like their cameras much to begin with. I've tried a couple and they just don't make me all that enthused.
david.elliott
07-31-2012, 08:28
Fuji really does get a lot right with this series. I've used my kit sparingly but have really enjoyed. Still, I find myself considering selling the camera, lenses, and accessories because I just prefer film (except for macro work).
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