Looking for some honest advice please

[Johnhw]

Hello all,

First post here. By background I am (was) a DSLR shooter. Sold my D700 and went to m43 with a OLY E-P3 which a relative just bought. Waiting on a OM-D and have fondled for a short time the x pro 1 at a store a few weeks ago. Have researched and heard the quirks of the camera but have seen some fantastic images.

Two things really interest me with this machine...the IQ, and the sweep panorama in camera stitching which I think i would love. I know Fuji has some wonderful colors but recently I have been doing more B&W images.

My workflow is rather simple..shooting in both RAW and/or JPEG then into Photoshop to check levels, etc. sharpen a bit and done. I use Siler efex pro for B&W conversions.

Obviously this camera has had conflicting and even I would say, argumentative comments made about it. I realize one camera can't do all but the images I have seen are amazing...IF, they fit within my simple workflow 9I realize some of you are graphic artists and spend hours at a computer which I simply cannot do).

I enjoy all types of photography, but mainly do portrait, candid, close focus type of stuff. Would not do action with this camera.

Can you bring me up to speed...i really want this camera but its a big expense. Thanks all in advance.

 

[celluloidprop]

re: PS and Silver Efex Pro - there's no Adobe support for XPro-1 RAW files yet. Safe to assume there will be - maybe weeks, maybe longer - but not right now. There are workarounds (use Fuji's RAW converter to create TIFFs, import those into Adobe/SEP) but they're less than ideal.

For your stated uses, I think the XP-1 would be fine. Autofocus isn't blazingly fast but it's perfectly usable IMO.

 

[rbelyell]

this is a tiny bit OT, but if you want the fuji IQ, but also are happy with your m4/3 'system', have you considered the fuji x100 as a complement to your olly? ive used my x100 in that exact way. when i want a 35mm FOV, or think i will need pano, or want excellent low light, i use the x100. for all else i use m4/3. it is a much lower cost way to incorporate fuji quality into your workflow.

also important to consider is if you want to use legacy glass on the xp1. while the 'final' word on this has yet to be written, it appears legacy glass does not produce the same stellar images that the 3 native fuji lenses do. this is another reason ive stuck with m4/3, as there are no issues whatsoever with legacy glass IQ.
tony

 

[Mr_Toad]

Mr. rbelyell makes a good point.

Unless, they are out of stock, Precision Camera (Austin) has a deal offered via this forum, for RFF members to purchase X100 for $999.

Then, if you decide to change, you can sell it for $850 or so.

Robt.

 

[willie_901]

I use Lightroom instead of PS. I use PSE as a LR plug-in.

There is no reason I can think of that would make the XP 1 incompatible with your workflow. Within 30 - 60 days there will be ACR support for the XP1 raw files. Until then you can shoot raw + JPEG and reprocess your keepers in raw.

You will enjoy more signal-to-onoise and more dynamic range compared to your m4/3 system. Whether or not the increase is worth it is another matter. The same goes for the OVF and the increased flexibility in DOF control.

 

[Johnhw]

Appreciate the responses so far. I had considered the x100 and researched it at length but in the end knew I wanted an inter-changeable lens system and went with the OLY. After reading about the problem with Sticky Blades issue left it behind. I do not know if that issue has been totally made under control by Fuji for new cameras, however.

Does anyone use the panorama sweep ability and if so, do you like it?

 

[ryan26]

I've played with the panoramic sweep on the XPro 1, and the x100. It's incredibly sluggish, but it does work if you can hold the camera level. It outputs them in JPG files sized either 5120x2160 or 7680x2160, if the camera is held vertically, and 5120x1440 or 7680x1440 if held normally. A regular frame is 4896x3264. It struggles with movement in the frame, and it's kinda noisy, as it's taking a number of stills as you pan.

That said, it's kinda fun to use as a bonus - but I wouldn't buy the camera for this feature.

 

[ryan26]

And the EVF while panning is truly awful.

 

[rbelyell]

i enjoy using the x100 pano function and have gotten some prerty nice results after learning how to use it properly.

 

[Johnhw]

Thanks for the info. I thought you would have to be pretty consistent and slow with it just seemed like a cool idea. Would really love this when I take my cruises for coast and harbor shots and all.

I thought i saw this somewhere but you can take bracketed shots for HDR, right? Does the compensation spread out enough?