Quick first impressions, three images @ 3200

[celluloidprop]

The battery had enough charge to merit ten minutes of playing with settings and shooting. Quick thoughts while it charges for real:

The camera looks and feels great, light but far from cheap-feeling. (Seems to be about the same weight as a Panasonic G3, but sturdier).
The 35mm/53mm view is a bit of an oddity coming from a X100 - almost like tunnel vision? Still very good, wouldn't notice without having used a X100.
EVF feels improved, if not drastically.
It is a noisy camera - the 35mm AF motor is loud and chattering is real, though it didn't bother me alone in the house (and I'm susceptible to being bothered by odd repetitive noises), shutter, etc.. In practice, probably less noisy than my old D700 aside from the chattering
Played with NEG STD, turned noise reduction all the way down and sharpness up by one - appears to be a big improvement in detail retained over the X100.
35/1.4 is completely usable at f/1.4 and easily the equal of the X100's 23/2 at f/2.8 and f/4.

Three quick snapshots from my living room:
35/1.4, NEG STD, NR at -2, sharpening at +1, at f/1.4, f/2 and f/2.8. Check the detail in the middle of the breastplate as that was where I focused with the OVF. Granted, it's not a painfully low-light situation, but there are times when 3200 and over 1/125 is nice to have. I imagine with LR4's noise reduction, this will be even better.
If you can't access full-size on Flickr, let me know. I can't remember if I've got it set where only I can see full-size files.


f/1.4 by celluloidpropaganda, on Flickr


f/2 by celluloidpropaganda, on Flickr


f/2.8 by celluloidpropaganda, on Flickr

 

[celluloidprop]

One other thing - using the OVF with Power Save Mode on, there does seem to be a two-stage focus that's slower than via the EVF or OVF w/o Power Save - there's a sound, a pause and then the motor focuses. I assume it's the lens stopping down and then focusing.

 

[Archiver]

Yes, ISO 3200 is pretty darn amazing. When I took some ISO 3200 shots with the X-Pro 1 I thought they were at ISO 400, as the IQ was so good.

 

[wafflecakee]

It's good but I'd like to see 3200 in a really low light situation.

 

[BobYIL]

Great performance for an APS-C sensor @3200.. But, frankly, I have been more impressed with the f1.4 performance of this lens: Stunning..

 

[jsrockit]

It's good but I'd like to see 3200 in a really low light situation.

True...that's the real test.

 

[Lss]

Yes, ISO 3200 is pretty darn amazing. When I took some ISO 3200 shots with the X-Pro 1 I thought they were at ISO 400, as the IQ was so good.

I have seen some very impressive high ISO samples from the X-Pro1 (suggesting best in class performance), while some comparisons against Sony NEX showed no real improvement. I wonder if anyone is coming from a NEX-5N or NEX-7 and how they consider the difference in their own pictures.

 

[Keith]

One other thing - using the OVF with Power Save Mode on, there does seem to be a two-stage focus that's slower than via the EVF or OVF w/o Power Save - there's a sound, a pause and then the motor focuses. I assume it's the lens stopping down and then focusing.

I agree! My D700's files are as clean as a whistle in this sort of light but noise definitely starts to appear in the shadows when the going gets less favourable light wise.

But it's relative and not a deal breaker these days ... we're spoiled rotten with overall image quality with most of these new cameras!

 

[celluloidprop]

Since I got a new camera, we were guaranteed a day of lousy weather (and tornados), but I got to spend a little more time with the camera.

Focus seems less snappy than the X100 w/ 1.2 firmware, hopefully the improvements they made in that will transfer over. Still good enough in most situations, IMO. In my yard at dusk, focusing from 3-5ft out to infinity was painfully slow. Thankfully not a situation I can think of encountering in the real-world.

Can anyone else not see a difference in the NEG Std and Provia simulations?