image courtesy: riflessifotografici
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X-E2 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / Fotomundus24 GER / PCHstore /
XQ1 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / PCHstore /
XQ1
– Max (riflessifotografici) posted his first impressions of the XQ1 here (English verison). He’ll share the full review once he completed the “stress-test” of this little camera. For now we can read his initial conclusions after 2 days of testing.
“It’s well built but is far from being as sturdy as the [shoplink 13127]Sony RX100[/shoplink]. It is also true, to be honest, that the Fuji costs around half the price of the competitors and given how fast camera bodies tends to be upgraded, thus compromising the used market price, a net saving of around 380 Euros will be highly appreciated. Dials and buttons are well built and assembled with high precision as usual for this Japanese manufacturer. […] I also have to point out that the battery life looks really good, even if unfortunately this is a different battery from the one of the X10/[shoplink 12884]X20[/shoplink] cameras.”
– Some initial impressions of the XQ1 at mirrorlessons here: “It is fun to use and can easily slip into your trouser pocket if you don’t have your bag on you. Not to mention that the simple retro design is, in my opinion, even more aesthetically pleasing than the vintage design of the [shoplink 12885]XF1[/shoplink].”
XF23mm
Fuji XF 23mm: [shopcountry 16128]
image courtesy: michaelmcqueen
– The 23mm is stunning according to michaelmcqueen.: “Pros: Everything; Focussing both Auto and Manual – The Clutch feels firm and focuses smooth. – Sharp from 1.4-16 / Cons: A little big for the X-E1 (14mm and 35mm feel more at home on the X-E1) – That ridiculous lens hood.. but not to worry I pre ordered a month prior from ebay a metal vented lens hood. It arrived the day after I got the lens.”
– “The Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 is a lens many Fuji photographers have eagerly been waiting for. After spending 15 minutes with it and the X-Pro1 in Cossato, I can already tell you that it is one of the best pieces of glass ever produced for the system. But it also begs the question…if you already own an X100s, is it worth buying the 23mm? And if you don’t own either and 23mm is your favourite focal length, which should you go for?” The answer at mirrorlessons here.
– A 3 year old, a 6 year old, and a Fuji 23mm lens @ f/1.4 – sounds like a challenge. Click here!
Full frame or not?
image courtesy: Olaf (part II)
– “Of course, we haven’t seen this camera yet but from early rumours and teasers this could be the first Nikon product for a long time that photographers should be excited about. “It’s in MY HANDS again.” Nikon teases with “Pure Photography.” I say: FINALLY! […] Fuji – you started this revolution. The Fuji X100s is still my favourite camera but the competition is catching up. The ball is in your court.” Read more at olafblog here. In part two of his article here he Olaf says: “Some of you interpreted my article as a restart of a “full frame vs. APS-C” argument. Let me clarify. I don’t think it is necessary for Fuji to go full frame at all. The current Fuji X-series line-up is excellent. The whole hysteria around full frame is way overblown if you take a look at how people use their cameras or even look at prints (how many people actually print their photos?). For our work, Fuji X-Pro1, Fuji X-E1 and X100s are more than adequate. Most importantly, the “feel” of those cameras and how they engage a photographer and let him/her focus on key elements is much more important to me than discussion about full frame or not. After all, the Fuji X100s is the camera that I breathe in my daily photographic life.”
– What are the 10 things we can learn from famous photographers of the past according to digitalcameraworld.com? Number 1) “You don’t need full frame: Galen Rowell, David Bailey, John Blakemore and Henri Cartier-Bresson are just a handful of photographers who shunned the big medium format cameras in favour of nifty little 35mm ones, and proved that it’s the eye behind the viewfinder that counts.”
49 Responses
Most of us dont need FF Fuji, but they will do it, because some of us crying and moaning all the time. SO they will get it, and they will cry more, because some buttons are not ideal 😉
The perfect way to convince people that they don’t need full frame cameras: point out a number of famous photographers who all used… full frame cameras (in the currently popular sense of the term).
Actually his point was that some pros went smaller than what was considered the norm. So the analogy holds true. APS-C is smaller than the norm (FF). The world didn’t end. Thom Hogan had an interesting observation a few years ago. Pros, in general, look to reduce the size of their equipment while amateurs look to increase.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t _need_ full frame either – there’s more important things to a camera.
But one can’t quite deny that the ‘feel’ of a photograph shot on a full frame camera is different… as is the photo shot on a medium format camera. In general. Of course the lens plays a big role here.
So… that leaves me with I don’t really care, but a full frame Fuji would be interesting, and I would definitely like to see that rather than them having release the Xth (ho ho) slightly different camera model with basically the same sensor. It’s too many.
That said, the comment “You don’t need full frame: Galen Rowell, David Bailey, John Blakemore and Henri Cartier-Bresson are just a handful of photographers who shunned the big medium format cameras in favour of nifty little 35mm ones, and proved that it’s the eye behind the viewfinder that counts.” sounds quite ridiculous to me, or can you imagine Bresson running around doing unobstrusive street photography in Paris with a medium format? C’mon.
I’ll deny it. I shoot film and had 5 years of Nikon FX. There really isn’t anything all that different between FF and crop with regard to feel. If Bresson was alive today he probably would do APS-C. Same with Galen Rowell.
why not m43? or are you implying that m43 doesn’t have the feel/look of APS-C?
Nope, maybe he would use that. My point was to say one step down from the “norm” or expected.
Depends on what kind of photos you take of course, and largely on the rendering of fine details and – more obviously – depth of field. For your standard flat shot there’s not much of a difference, true.
Most of the other “great” photographers of his day WERE running around with not only Rolleiflexes but even bigger cameras. You should look up “Speed Graphics” to get a sense of what the roving photographer used to use. This was the accepted standard. Bresson went for the smaller, more stealth camera, even though the IQ was way below the larger formats.
The photo won’t feel different.
But the camera will feel different. Either it’s huge with huge lenses. Or it’s expensive and your hip pocket is slimmed.
Either way, current Fuji sensor is about right.
P.S: Besides from the obvious point c0ldc0ne made that they were all using full frame cameras anyway, at least in the context of a possible Fujifilm full frame camera.
the feel of a FF is much more better than Apsc, like MF is much better than FF … going to cry behind the shoulder saying that you do not need the full frame is a lie and is pathetic
Agree… Tired of this Napoleon complex about the size of sensors… 4/3 users pretending that it’s “on par” with APS-C, APS-C users pretending that “nowadays nobody needs full frame”, etc, etc…
It seems that a lot of photographers want to believe that their camera own the most magical sensor size, the best compromises of all times, defying all the law of physics…
Quantify “feel.” Sounds more like a highly subjective interpretation than actual fact.
fully agree
Not sure who is crying here. If you need a full frame sensor, go get one, there are many options out there. Why wait for Fuji?
@mgoods i am not waiting, i have one and i have large format film cameras..are crying those saying themselves :
@Neil look a print made from a linhof technorama and compare it with a photo coming from a sensor = or < FF … and you can know the meaning of feel
@mgoods i am not waiting, i have one and i have large format film cameras..are crying those saying themselves : “” i dont need FF, i dont need FF…… when fuji will make FF?????!!!”””
@Neil look a print made from a linhof technorama and compare it with a photo coming from a sensor = or < FF … and you can know the meaning of feel
Ok, well thanks for enlightening the group. Now back to the buffet table.
These debates about if we need FF or not is completely pointless. Nobody is asking Fuji to stop producing and updating APS-C range. What some of us are asking is to create new series with FF sensor, that’s all.
Don’t be so precious about your purchases, your APS-C cameras won’t stop working. There’s nothing wrong about having another option.
For those who can find use of FF this would be a great addition since there’s no AF FF camera with controls like Fuji – unless Nikon nails it with the rumoured DF.
I’d love to have FF X-ProXXX – could use legacy FF glass the way it was designed not in crop mode and I’m sure that Fuji’s FF lenses would be brilliant too.
*These debates about if we need FF or not is* -> “This debates about if need FF or not are”
i am still wondering does XA1 has same “less color noise” in shadows at high ISO like the xtrans sensor cameras in raw files? anyone has the answer? maybe has to wait for dpreview to get the answer.
Is it fuji or this rumor site weak? when compared to sony rumors offering.
It is known for a long time that sony will go full frame compact. It also known that Fuji once said that they will not be needing full frame. But it seems now fuji is now undecided if they will enter full frame or not (X200 FF route?). Could someone explain this to me. As a sony user, I’ve been wanting to jump to Fuji. Their current offering (Fuji Colors and Lens ecosystem) is the best. But I can’t see a bright future in this system. After two years of entering mirrorless, It still look like a beta version.
no it doesn’t look like a beta version, what do you mean by that? sony has great tech but it looks like their camera division doesn’t really cooperate with lens division. what exactly can you buy now with A7 apart from 35 f/2.8? nothing as far as I know.
Yeah you are right the lens selection on Sony is simply terrible.
But I say X-mount is terrible compared to E-mount when it come to future potential. Remember it is not Sony vs Fuji that I am comparing but E-mount vs X-mount.
This site is far from weak, what is your logic in that comment? Sony rumors is over worked because Sony is a brand that has so many offerings Sony rumor sites have to post 4-5 times a day to keep up.
I can explain Fuji entering the FF market: Fuji is a business and will need to be in this space to offer a full compliment of products to its demanding customers. To hold a company accountable for a change in their business plans is ridiculous as demand and markets change. When Ford built it’s first cars they were all black in color and they were not going to change for its customers, Henry Ford said “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black… Obviously Ford has changed it’s business just as Fuji is probably going to change it’s camera business.
As for you “wanting to jump to Fuji” but have not, then I ask you why? You have not made a viable argument as to what is holding you back. To state that you don’t see a bright future is not a good enough answer. If you only take pictures in the future then maybe another camera system is for you but the reality is you should be out enjoying photography today with whatever model suits your needs now.
I can tell you after switching to a Fuji system for my needs IT IS the place to be. You should be buying a camera for it’s lens system and not it’s bodies. Bodies evolve (yearly these days) and if you want to get into a system because of a body then you will be spending more money in the long run as you upgrade every year. And Fuji is far from Beta (Sony a7/r FF mirrorless is more of a beta, an amazing camera on paper, but still far from being a capable system due to quality lens offerings. Fuji keeps churning out amazing lens after lens and it is a reason why so many pros are picking them up.
I am a NEX user and wanting to switch to fuji because
1. X-Pro1 for its color palette (specially the greens, and skin tones)
2. XF 35mm f1.4 for its Length and DoF. Sony’s 35mm and the Toiut 32mm is ugly compared to this glass.
What is keeping me from switching is.
1. Future of X-mount. As I am making a switch from E-mount to X-mount. If Fuji going full frame might drop or decrease the development of X-cameras or they may still try to get around and stick a FF sensor in it but I doubt that implementation is going to be good since it is not designed to handle full frame sensor.
If fuji will go full frame I will wait till that day. If fuji will stick with its APS-C camera then Im going to make the switch now.
Decide Fuji! Establish your ground!
Maybe your right it is Fuji that is weak not this rumor site
Just stay with sony. Fuji is too sophisticated for you.
You are thinking too much about the future… The clear difference in Sony vs. Fuji is the lens offerings (where is the Sony 23 f/1.4, 35 f/1.4, 56 f/1.2, etc.) It is the reason I walked away from Sony and many others are…
There is a saying in the photo industry that if you wait for the next camera/lens iteration you will be missing out on tons of photographic opportunities. Buy whats available now, not tomorrow.
The fact is if you enjoy taking photos buy a camera now (we don’t care which brand you buy). If you want to debate which company is weak then go to another site… But think about who has been in the photography game longer… Fuji is not going anywhere and they continue to impress us professionals and enthusiasts who want a great end result, which is images that wow our customers, friends, and family!
above is @ yakisobskie
“But think about who has been in the photography game longer” That is not always the case.
Look what happened to Fuji vs Kodak. Kodak has been ahead by 50years yet they still lose to Fuji.
“The fact is if you enjoy taking photos buy a camera now”
My camera is actually capable of taking 98% of my needs. But regarding the extra 1-2% Im willing to pay premium.
Fuji’s contradicting statement is what makes me say the company is weak. And I am not willing to pay premium unless they make their statement strong. “No need for full frame and yet they are to release X200” the heck.
@ yakisobskie: Go back and read what I wrote about companies changing strategy. Your argument is completely ridiculous and serves no purpose here. If your argument holds up then you must be wearing the same clothes you wore as a child because you were afraid of styles changing.
Please don’t quote me because you do not have an argument in either instance either. Im talking Fuji vs. Sony (like you initially did, and comparing Kodak to Fuji is for the 1980’s, Kodak failed to be run as a business through the digital era and Fuji managed to work it out). As for your other statement: If your setup takes 98% of the photos you want then you are doing pretty damn good. I would say my gear hits about 90% of my needs, I rent the rest, so consider yourself the winner here.
I have concluded you are trolling and therefore wish you the best with your Sony gear. Sony products are available everywhere and you should not have any problem finding them, as well as 13 different versions of the same product. If you decide to switch to Fuji then we will welcome you, you can find their products at professional camera shops and they are usually sold out because they cannot keep up with demand. Cheers mate!
I’ve checked it now. 17 rumors in October until now. I’ll try to post a rumor a day! maybe also 2 or 3 a day. And maybe I should post a big number of FR1, FR2 rumors. Will think about it. Thanks for your feedback
Technically speaking, what contributes to making great pictures is a camera system’s ability (lenses, sensor, electronics-firmware, plus darkroom/computer software) to capture detail, color, *dynamic range*, etc., that mimics the intelligently-designed human eye and brain. The sensor is just one component in a multi-component design equation. In part, this explains the popularity of either hardware or software-based HDR imaging. My advice to Fuji is to enhance the dynamic range of the X-Trans.
All the manufacturers compete hard for loyalty, but the greatest obstacle to good pictures is YOU. Either you’re unskilled at using the tool OR are short on the more subjective/metaphysical aspects of photography. To enhance YOU, read your camera’s manual *carefully* and spend time admiring the work of other ‘pros’, like those at 500px.
I hope Fuji goes FF ILC as they will understand lens requirements far better than Sony.
Do we need FF?
1. Philosofical, would you like the best IQ you can afford? Do you want to make the best photos you can? Do you want you camera to decide the quality of your work.
2. About Cartier-Bresson: He took image quality very seriously and used Leica, not Kodak Instamatic.
3. All else equal FF always means better results than smaller sensors.
4. If you like narrow DOF, FF is better
5. If you print A2 or larger, FF files will look better than smaller sensor
WARNING! Working with, say NikonD 800 files in post processing is highly addictive! They are so smooth,yet sharp. Dynamic range so wide……..
My ambition is exhibitions and large prints but I have to admit staying with FF is also an emotional choice.
Per K:
Yes, the D800 and d700 do the job and are both amazing. I have both – with Nikon Glass. The Nikon gear, and my Fuji gear travel me in the backseat of my automobile. In July and August I went out to shoot stock. I came home after five weeks with 13,000 images.
Guess which camera I grabbed when heading out of the car most of the time: The X-E1
The breakdown: X-E1: about 12000 images, D800: 881, D700 – a few…
That tells ME something. At least to me, regardless of the D800’s image quality, I go for the fun, easy to use, and lightweight kit. And my stock agents don’t care. As long as the image meets THEIR standards, they don’t care if I shoot it with a MF (which I have used), a Nikon or the Fuji.
Anyone can take crappy photos with the very best equipment. You are placing 100% of the quality of a photo purely on the technical side of a camera and lens.
That was in response to per k.
The XF 23mm 1.4 sounds like a great lens… fast, wide, sharp.
Having a larger sensor has the effect of making your lenses seem faster, wider, and sharper.
I guess the that the “You don’t need a full frame” crowd would also argue that you don’t this lens. 😉
A FF body will not make the 23mm “faster, wider, and sharper” as the XF mount is not FF compatible. I think at best the first FF fuji offering will be a fixed lens ala X100. It has taken a long time to get the 23/56mm released for XF and I would anticipate it would take another few years to launch a FF system.
Obviously, but not my point.
People who buy full frame do it for many of the same reasons as the people who would buy this lens. They want a wider angle of view, a narrower depth of field, better low-light capability, and sharper pictures. To make an absolute statement like “You don’t need full frame” at the same time that you say that you are excited about this lens seems strange to me.
I respect people who say “I don’t need full frame”. Saying “You don’t need full frame” is the same type of statement as “You don’t need RAW”.
Or people with fuji ILC bodies buy this lens because it’s less expensive and better than buying the x100s.
XF23mmf1.4 R lens. “Cons: A little big for the X-E1 (14mm and 35mm feel more at home on the X-E1). However…this is the case with any *unmodified* X-E1 or X-E2 (X-E2 is 1.1mm thinner than X-E1).
For anyone planning on using a tripod for landscape or portrait photography, the addition of an L-plate and possibly grip will cause the size and weight of and an X-E to increase by 2.8oz/79g and 4.9oz/138g, respectively. For example, see RRS: http://is.gd/hQy7mb
Above link broken. Try this: http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=BXE1-L-Set&type=3&eq=&desc=BXE1-L-Set%3a-Includes-Base-%2b-L-Component&key=it
ANY ideas or thoughts on when the 10-24 F4 is coming? I’m so tempted to order the 23 1.4 but I’m really, really waiting on the 10-24?
Anyone?
right in time for X-mas I hope
Not really the same thing, is it — a 10-24 zoom vs a 23mm prime.
Ya know, I love the x100s. It’s great. Buuuut, it cannot replace a full frame. It just can’t. I always go back to my 5Dmk2 for critical shots. Physical limitations of what you can do with sensor size. There’s two ways to get thinner depth of field – increase the focal length, or step closer to the subject. The x100s has a 23mm lens, 35 equivalent. To create the same isolation of subject and get that nice bokeh background for a portrait as an actual 35mm on a full frame, I need to step significantly closer to my subject. Using full frame gives me much more flexibility for what I can shoot, a greater minimum depth of field. (They also offer greater dynamic range at this point.)
It’s just the physics of light, and there’s no way to get around it. Maybe some of the “crop sensor is good enough end of story” people really just don’t shoot subjects close up, or care about depth of field. But I have the feeling most of this is perpetrated by people who want to console themselves because they’re not buying a full frame. I’m 100% for people who maintain that the most important factor is your eye – that’s totally, completely true. But objectively, you are not going to get the same shots on a crop and full frame camera.