wongyboi
Established
For the past 2 weeks I have been shooting solely with the X-pro1. I thought I should share with the RF community my thoughts and experiences with the camera. Take note that I am still using the camera out-of-the-box and have not updated the firmware since purchase.
I have mainly focused on the negative aspects because the benefits are obvious and most people seem concerned whenever they hear XPRO. The picture quality the camera is capable of are fantastic. All images are resized JPEGS as Lightroom has only just provided an update for RAW compatibility.
The Good
Picture Quality. No need to say more, there are pixel peeping sites you can visit which will tell you what you want to hear.
ISO/Noise. See above.
Dynamic Range. See above.
Size. I replaced my Canon 60D and a few lenses with this combo. The camera is light. The first time I picked up a Leica my initial impression was "Wow, this is heavy". The first time I picked up my XPRO I thought it was very light. Build quality is great too. Fits well in the hand.
It's also a fun camera to use 🙂 Pictures make my heart melt.
The (Not So) Bad
Focusing. At a wedding I was attending, one of the cameramen approached me and asked about my camera. "How's the focus speed?". I told him "Not as bad as people say it is". That statement remains true. Another gentlemen approached me in Melbourne asking the same thing as he was holding off from purchasing a XPRO because of focusing speed. It isn't fast but it isn't bad either. In broad daylight/outdoor it's absolutely fine.
Other users have posted ways of getting around the focusing issues. It's a shame really. Out of the box and in a new users hand the camera is poop. Unless you know how to get around the quirks and what settings to use you will not get the most out of the camera. Small things such as:
1. CORRECTED AF - turning this ON makes focusing a lot easier.
2. MACRO MODE - turning on for close subjects gets you a much higher hit rate for focusing on subjects.
Lens Chatter. I have noticed and been told that the firmware largely fixes this issue. Not bothered by it while walking in the street unless it's a really quiet environment.
The Ugly
Lag. In low light the EVF will be slow. What concerns me more is the way the camera will adjust information through the viewfinder. Unlike most cameras which have the lens hunt into a focus position the XPRO instead 'JUMPS'. People here call it 'freezing' or lag of the EVF. It's the lack of transition between one point to another e.g. focusing on a distant object then a closer one, half-pressing will get you from FOCUS A --> Freeze/Delay --> FOCUS B.
The camera will do this with the AE-Locking too. Once you lock in your preferred exposure you don't get a live update as you pan your camera to your subject. It will 'JUMP' from EXPOSURE A --> EXPOSURE B once you half-press and focus on your subject.
Rear Light. I hate it. It is constantly flashing, at the corner of my eye as I shoot. I honestly don't know why. Holding focus on a subject? Flashing until the shot is taken then flashing some more as photos buffer. It serves little purpose while shooting and is quite an annoyance.
Frame Lines and Framing. Wtf. I still do not understand this. I would focus on my subject and in my head know exactly where to position the camera to compose the photo. Half-pressing the shutter however will automatically shift the frame lines to a new position once the subject is in focus. This is a problem because mentally you have to compose TWICE - before and after half-pressing.
If there is a way to fix these problems now, please do tell. I'm still trying to understand the camera and I think THAT is the NO#1 flaw. The Fuji XPRO has so much potential. Is it a great camera? Definitely. Can it be improved? Definitely. All the ugly bits to the XPRO can easily be fixed but unfortunately it isn't user friendly. It is a camera that is difficult to approach. There is a steep learning curve where reading a manual will not improve the handling of the camera.
I love this camera to bits though. It will be by my side for quite some time 🙂
I have mainly focused on the negative aspects because the benefits are obvious and most people seem concerned whenever they hear XPRO. The picture quality the camera is capable of are fantastic. All images are resized JPEGS as Lightroom has only just provided an update for RAW compatibility.
The Good
Picture Quality. No need to say more, there are pixel peeping sites you can visit which will tell you what you want to hear.
ISO/Noise. See above.
Dynamic Range. See above.
Size. I replaced my Canon 60D and a few lenses with this combo. The camera is light. The first time I picked up a Leica my initial impression was "Wow, this is heavy". The first time I picked up my XPRO I thought it was very light. Build quality is great too. Fits well in the hand.
It's also a fun camera to use 🙂 Pictures make my heart melt.
The (Not So) Bad
Focusing. At a wedding I was attending, one of the cameramen approached me and asked about my camera. "How's the focus speed?". I told him "Not as bad as people say it is". That statement remains true. Another gentlemen approached me in Melbourne asking the same thing as he was holding off from purchasing a XPRO because of focusing speed. It isn't fast but it isn't bad either. In broad daylight/outdoor it's absolutely fine.
Other users have posted ways of getting around the focusing issues. It's a shame really. Out of the box and in a new users hand the camera is poop. Unless you know how to get around the quirks and what settings to use you will not get the most out of the camera. Small things such as:
1. CORRECTED AF - turning this ON makes focusing a lot easier.
2. MACRO MODE - turning on for close subjects gets you a much higher hit rate for focusing on subjects.
Lens Chatter. I have noticed and been told that the firmware largely fixes this issue. Not bothered by it while walking in the street unless it's a really quiet environment.
The Ugly
Lag. In low light the EVF will be slow. What concerns me more is the way the camera will adjust information through the viewfinder. Unlike most cameras which have the lens hunt into a focus position the XPRO instead 'JUMPS'. People here call it 'freezing' or lag of the EVF. It's the lack of transition between one point to another e.g. focusing on a distant object then a closer one, half-pressing will get you from FOCUS A --> Freeze/Delay --> FOCUS B.
The camera will do this with the AE-Locking too. Once you lock in your preferred exposure you don't get a live update as you pan your camera to your subject. It will 'JUMP' from EXPOSURE A --> EXPOSURE B once you half-press and focus on your subject.
Rear Light. I hate it. It is constantly flashing, at the corner of my eye as I shoot. I honestly don't know why. Holding focus on a subject? Flashing until the shot is taken then flashing some more as photos buffer. It serves little purpose while shooting and is quite an annoyance.
Frame Lines and Framing. Wtf. I still do not understand this. I would focus on my subject and in my head know exactly where to position the camera to compose the photo. Half-pressing the shutter however will automatically shift the frame lines to a new position once the subject is in focus. This is a problem because mentally you have to compose TWICE - before and after half-pressing.
If there is a way to fix these problems now, please do tell. I'm still trying to understand the camera and I think THAT is the NO#1 flaw. The Fuji XPRO has so much potential. Is it a great camera? Definitely. Can it be improved? Definitely. All the ugly bits to the XPRO can easily be fixed but unfortunately it isn't user friendly. It is a camera that is difficult to approach. There is a steep learning curve where reading a manual will not improve the handling of the camera.
I love this camera to bits though. It will be by my side for quite some time 🙂
