Kiyatkin
Established
Each tool has its uses and this camera is useful for its small size/portability, good quality of images, fast release time. I think its a keen to a poor man's Leica in this respect. I think it would be useful for pre-focused "street shots." For kids, animals, sports, birds in flight - this is not the tool to use if you want maximum "success ratio."
To me, the X-T1 is a great addition to the Fuji family. I think I'm going to really like this camera. Excited to go use it. The 23mm is absolutely huge on it though...
Rodchenko
Olympian
We're going to have to have a London photoday to lure you to bring it along, I think.
Bike Tourist
Well-known
You know, that X-T1 does looks awesome, and it has spurred all kinds of thoughts of potential gear combinations in my mind, which became a little confusing and made me think about the basics and what I really wanted from a camera system, and Fuji. It all became a bit philosophical in the end
What I found is that the main reason I got in the system and I'm still in it, is still none other than the xpro. The dinosaur. I mean the X-T1 is fantastic, but if this was all what I wanted I would've probably jumped to the Oly Em1 or A7 or a small Pentax a while ago. Others too make that kind of camera. Fact is though, nobody else makes a digital reincarnation of the Contax G, a camera system with a windowfinder and AF. This combo puts me in a fast and fluid picture taking mode without the interference of a digital evf, and I know the end result is a certain kind of photo that I dont get otherwise. Getting an X-T1 and keeping my xe2 seems like an overlapping of shooting styles, but keeping my xpro instead doesnt. Sort of like having a digital Contax G and Contax RTS, and sharing the same lenses... how good is that? And you know what else, maybe the xpro is 3 generations behind now, but at the end of the day the photo coming out of it is pretty much the same quality as the XT1. Same sensor- same lens, only the subject viewing and focusing changes.
It sort of starts to form in my mind like this: Xpro1 for wides, rarely AF but mostly zone focusing (my 14 and 23 with their beautiful MF rings and distance scales scream to be zone focused), street photography, landscapes. In fewer words, typical RF subject matter. X-T1 for when I need fps, fast AF, longer & heavier lenses: my 55-200 really needs to sit in the middle of my face rather than trying to balance it with my left hand to the right of my face... big zoom lenses need SLR-type designs. Even the little 18-55 looks more in place with the X-T1, and it's such a high quality lens for what it is. And lastly, if the split screen works as well as they say, maybe a speed booster and a couple of OM or Contax/Yashica primes (there's an EF->X speedbooster now by Kipon, and you can easily adapt both OM and CY to EF)
Still wrapping my head around it, we'll see... Anyway I'm not ordering this camera blind, I need to have a look in person first, so there's still some time to think until it hits the shelves.
Exactly my feelings. In general, I use the OVF with my 14 and 35, the EVF with my 60 and 55-200 (which is arriving today!). The best of both worlds for me.
Not that X-T1 doesn't appear really, really nice.
The EVF is the best I've ever seen on this camera. It met the hype for me.
willie_901
Veteran
Five Down... Two To Go!
Five Down... Two To Go!
I got the call this morning from my local camera store – my XT-1 body arrived today (St. Louis, MO). Of course I had gig and could not pick it up until mid-afternoon.
I traded: a D700 body, Nikkors 17-35/2.8 AF-S, 50/1.8 G, 85/1.8 AF-S and a 105/2.5 AI. I still have my D700 and 16-35/4 G lens for back up. I have a plump in-store credit remaining for pre-orders.
I pre-ordered the VG-XT1 battery grip, a 10-20/4 R XF lens and a second XT-I body. I may order a second 10-24/4 XF lens. With the D700 I use a 20mm focal length about 80% of the time for gigs. I may go with the the 14/2.8 I already own for my back up lens. I can crop it down to 12 MP and still have about the same pixel resolution I had with the 16-35/4 Nikkor at longer focal lengths. Or I can switch to the 18/2 or 23/1.4. I will trade the second D700 body and my single remaining Nikkor lens (16-35/4) when the 10-20/4 XF and second XT-1 body arrive.
First impressions
It is very light. I was surprised. If you equate mass with quality, stay away. While I do not have the grip yet, it's hard to imagine it will defeat the size/weight advantage of the XT-1 (compared to my DSLRs). Even though I saw size comparisons on line, I was surprised it's smaller than the X-Pro 1. I'm glad it's not smaller. It is easy to hold. The strap I used with the D700 seems ridiculously large.
The EVF is excellent. The size was also a surprise even though I read over and over again how large it is. Indoors it is crisp and clean. I did see grain (noise) in silly low light. At EV 5-6 the EVF looks great (to these old eyes). I did not notice any panning blur in normal light. I can see how panning could become blurry in low light.
The WiFi remote App set up in seconds using an iPhone 5S or an iPad 2. The remote App is OK for a first generation product. Image review requires switching to the iOS 7 Photo App. This is a bit clumsy. However, the WiFi Fn button speeds up switching back and forth. The transfer is fast (I used large JPEGS). The remote camera control App is faster than the CamRanger set up I'm using now. But it's easier to review images on-card with CamRanger.
I experimented briefly with AFS and MF modes using the slowest lens I own, the 35/1.4. Focus is fast. The lens didn't hunt in EV 5-6 light. I did not hear any aperture chatter either. In silly low, light the lens did hunt back and forth when it could not focus. I have not had time to play with all the focusing modes and views. But I found focus peaking to be easy and fast.
I was expecting the four-way control button to be much worse than it is. My finger nails are average length and I had no real issues using the controller. I did rely on the scroll wheels more to move around the menus whenever possible. For me I don't see how the change in the controller will be a problem. It is quite different than the X100, XE and X-Pro 1 controllers. I can see how some people would have trouble adapting.
I do not like the locking mechanism for the ISO selector wheel. I almost have to use two hands to change ISO. If I change ISO with one hand my fat fingers make it hard to see the dial numbers. The shutter wheel is essentially identical to the X-Pro 1's. The EC dial is much larger than the X-Pro 1's. The controls under the ISO and shuttter wheels are easy to change. The extra FN buttons look to be useful. I haven't decided how to configure them yet.
I still have to learn how to use all the MF modes and become familiar with AF-C mode.
Of course LR 5.3 does not support XT-1 raw right now. However I can convert the raw files with PS CC. So I am shooting in raw + JPEG for now
The weather is supposed to turn bad here and my next gig will be late next week. I have plenty of time to practice before I decide if I will use the XT-1 and the 14/28 XF as my primary camera before LR 5 supports XT-1 raw natively.
If anyone is interested, as of an hour ago the shop had a second XT-1 body on the shelf. PM me if you want contact info for the camera shop.
Five Down... Two To Go!
I got the call this morning from my local camera store – my XT-1 body arrived today (St. Louis, MO). Of course I had gig and could not pick it up until mid-afternoon.
I traded: a D700 body, Nikkors 17-35/2.8 AF-S, 50/1.8 G, 85/1.8 AF-S and a 105/2.5 AI. I still have my D700 and 16-35/4 G lens for back up. I have a plump in-store credit remaining for pre-orders.
I pre-ordered the VG-XT1 battery grip, a 10-20/4 R XF lens and a second XT-I body. I may order a second 10-24/4 XF lens. With the D700 I use a 20mm focal length about 80% of the time for gigs. I may go with the the 14/2.8 I already own for my back up lens. I can crop it down to 12 MP and still have about the same pixel resolution I had with the 16-35/4 Nikkor at longer focal lengths. Or I can switch to the 18/2 or 23/1.4. I will trade the second D700 body and my single remaining Nikkor lens (16-35/4) when the 10-20/4 XF and second XT-1 body arrive.
First impressions
It is very light. I was surprised. If you equate mass with quality, stay away. While I do not have the grip yet, it's hard to imagine it will defeat the size/weight advantage of the XT-1 (compared to my DSLRs). Even though I saw size comparisons on line, I was surprised it's smaller than the X-Pro 1. I'm glad it's not smaller. It is easy to hold. The strap I used with the D700 seems ridiculously large.
The EVF is excellent. The size was also a surprise even though I read over and over again how large it is. Indoors it is crisp and clean. I did see grain (noise) in silly low light. At EV 5-6 the EVF looks great (to these old eyes). I did not notice any panning blur in normal light. I can see how panning could become blurry in low light.
The WiFi remote App set up in seconds using an iPhone 5S or an iPad 2. The remote App is OK for a first generation product. Image review requires switching to the iOS 7 Photo App. This is a bit clumsy. However, the WiFi Fn button speeds up switching back and forth. The transfer is fast (I used large JPEGS). The remote camera control App is faster than the CamRanger set up I'm using now. But it's easier to review images on-card with CamRanger.
I experimented briefly with AFS and MF modes using the slowest lens I own, the 35/1.4. Focus is fast. The lens didn't hunt in EV 5-6 light. I did not hear any aperture chatter either. In silly low, light the lens did hunt back and forth when it could not focus. I have not had time to play with all the focusing modes and views. But I found focus peaking to be easy and fast.
I was expecting the four-way control button to be much worse than it is. My finger nails are average length and I had no real issues using the controller. I did rely on the scroll wheels more to move around the menus whenever possible. For me I don't see how the change in the controller will be a problem. It is quite different than the X100, XE and X-Pro 1 controllers. I can see how some people would have trouble adapting.
I do not like the locking mechanism for the ISO selector wheel. I almost have to use two hands to change ISO. If I change ISO with one hand my fat fingers make it hard to see the dial numbers. The shutter wheel is essentially identical to the X-Pro 1's. The EC dial is much larger than the X-Pro 1's. The controls under the ISO and shuttter wheels are easy to change. The extra FN buttons look to be useful. I haven't decided how to configure them yet.
I still have to learn how to use all the MF modes and become familiar with AF-C mode.
Of course LR 5.3 does not support XT-1 raw right now. However I can convert the raw files with PS CC. So I am shooting in raw + JPEG for now
The weather is supposed to turn bad here and my next gig will be late next week. I have plenty of time to practice before I decide if I will use the XT-1 and the 14/28 XF as my primary camera before LR 5 supports XT-1 raw natively.
If anyone is interested, as of an hour ago the shop had a second XT-1 body on the shelf. PM me if you want contact info for the camera shop.
JRG
Well-known
A very careful report of first impressions. Thanks!
willie_901
Veteran
froyd
Veteran
Is that a typo? I thought only the X100 and X-Pro had OVF. Am I wrong?
willie_901
Veteran
TKH
Well-known
Here it looks quiete nice:
http://petefang.smugmug.com/Images-from-reviews-and-tests/Fujifilm-X-T1-Hands-On-Images/i-cNTh9mJ
FA Limited
missing in action
any tracking AF comments?
indoors with the 35/1.4 on CAF i couldn't even focus on a stationary object but maybe pre-release firmware on the demo unit that i tested...
on the sideways wedding shot suggested by Dave tracking seemed ok once i mamaged to get a lock
indoors with the 35/1.4 on CAF i couldn't even focus on a stationary object but maybe pre-release firmware on the demo unit that i tested...
on the sideways wedding shot suggested by Dave tracking seemed ok once i mamaged to get a lock
willie_901
Veteran
About AFC
About AFC
So far it seems focus tracking with the XT-1 is either good or bad depending your point of view.
AFC works best when the subject to be tracked is in the center of the frame. This is where the PDAF regions are located. The Drive Dial must be set to CH to use the PDAF regions (this also allows for exposure adjustment in-between frames in aperture or shutter priority).In CH mode it is easy to just use fire single frames, bursts only occur when you hi old the shutter release down. When it switches to CDAF the tracking is much less effective – particularly when the light level is low. For subjects in the center of the frame it is fast and reliable. The performance might be diminished by older XF lenses with slower AF motors. It is possible to change the size of the focus area box as well in AFC mode (another difference for XE, X100 and XP users).
The XT-1 implementation is unsophisticated and less powerful compared to more mature systems in other brands (notably Nikon and Canon DSLRs). For instance, it is not predictive.
Most significantly for owners of all previous X APS-C bodies, using AFC does not appear to be suitable as a different means to auto focus stationary subjects. In the past, with old firmware, some people used AFC to focus in situations where AFS or manual focus failed. They felt AFC was necessary to supplement the AFS or MF modes. Even with the most recent firmware and newer lens technology some people still claim AFC can out perform AFS or MF for stationary objects (this is not true for the X-Pro 1 in my hands). However there is a new Menu parameter, PRE-AF, where the camera constantly adjusts focus in AFS mode whether or not the shutter button is half-dressed or not. With this parameter set to ON, AF-S mode can be use as AFC mode was used in earlier X bodies. This obviously decreases battery life.
As far as I can tell AFC on the XT1 is not intended for use with stationary objects. The manual states. "Use for subjects in mouton".However I need to spend more time to be sure this is correct. People who use AFC on previous X bodies as an alternate to AFS or MF seem quite frustrated when they use those same methods with the XT-1.
At the same time there are numerous examples (such as the link in this thread) where the XT-1 tracking is fast and accurate when used within it's limitations. Besides the PDAF implementation, the XT-1's on-board CPUs are much faster than previous X bodies'. And, one must turn off all power saving options in the Menus to obtain the best results.
In my view the XT-1 addresses the claim that X APS-C bodies are not a suitable choice for photographing small children or casual action photography. But if action photography is a priority, high-end bodies from Canon and Nikon are a better choice. There may be other brands that work as well as Nikon or Canon, but I have no experience with these.
About AFC
So far it seems focus tracking with the XT-1 is either good or bad depending your point of view.
AFC works best when the subject to be tracked is in the center of the frame. This is where the PDAF regions are located. The Drive Dial must be set to CH to use the PDAF regions (this also allows for exposure adjustment in-between frames in aperture or shutter priority).In CH mode it is easy to just use fire single frames, bursts only occur when you hi old the shutter release down. When it switches to CDAF the tracking is much less effective – particularly when the light level is low. For subjects in the center of the frame it is fast and reliable. The performance might be diminished by older XF lenses with slower AF motors. It is possible to change the size of the focus area box as well in AFC mode (another difference for XE, X100 and XP users).
The XT-1 implementation is unsophisticated and less powerful compared to more mature systems in other brands (notably Nikon and Canon DSLRs). For instance, it is not predictive.
Most significantly for owners of all previous X APS-C bodies, using AFC does not appear to be suitable as a different means to auto focus stationary subjects. In the past, with old firmware, some people used AFC to focus in situations where AFS or manual focus failed. They felt AFC was necessary to supplement the AFS or MF modes. Even with the most recent firmware and newer lens technology some people still claim AFC can out perform AFS or MF for stationary objects (this is not true for the X-Pro 1 in my hands). However there is a new Menu parameter, PRE-AF, where the camera constantly adjusts focus in AFS mode whether or not the shutter button is half-dressed or not. With this parameter set to ON, AF-S mode can be use as AFC mode was used in earlier X bodies. This obviously decreases battery life.
As far as I can tell AFC on the XT1 is not intended for use with stationary objects. The manual states. "Use for subjects in mouton".However I need to spend more time to be sure this is correct. People who use AFC on previous X bodies as an alternate to AFS or MF seem quite frustrated when they use those same methods with the XT-1.
At the same time there are numerous examples (such as the link in this thread) where the XT-1 tracking is fast and accurate when used within it's limitations. Besides the PDAF implementation, the XT-1's on-board CPUs are much faster than previous X bodies'. And, one must turn off all power saving options in the Menus to obtain the best results.
In my view the XT-1 addresses the claim that X APS-C bodies are not a suitable choice for photographing small children or casual action photography. But if action photography is a priority, high-end bodies from Canon and Nikon are a better choice. There may be other brands that work as well as Nikon or Canon, but I have no experience with these.
RedLion
Come to the Faire
Just tried it out with my 50mm F1.2 and the split screen manual focusing. It's AWESOME.
FA Limited
missing in action
thanks for confirming this, i was hoping it wasn't just me. although this behaviour is annoying then if you need to use AFC on something that at the time is stationary.
GaryLH
Veteran
GaryLH
Veteran
Thanks Willie _901
Sound like u need to keep subject centered and if they are moving fast enough to move out of the pdaf cell sites quickly, u need to pan. Subject moving toward u should in general be ok.
Gary
Sound like u need to keep subject centered and if they are moving fast enough to move out of the pdaf cell sites quickly, u need to pan. Subject moving toward u should in general be ok.
Gary
daveleo
what?
Just tried it out with my 50mm F1.2 and the split screen manual focusing. It's AWESOME.
That looks so nice. The split-screen focusing . . . what about using f2.8 and f/4.0 manual focus lenses? Is it similarly awesome?? Or does some bad news creep in there?
willie_901
Veteran
With the XT-1 I do not think there will ever be a need to use AFC for stationary objects (that won't start moving)..
With stationary objects in CH mode, with a a half-press the lens is hunts and it seems as though focus is not working. Of course you think, "it can't focus - what's wrong?". But when you press the shutter, the camera focuses accurately. However in AFC mode if you focus on a stationary object that is close (2 ft) and then move to a stationary object further away (6 ft), there is a delay when you press the shutter while the lens refocuses. But it does focus properly and the shutter fires.
I am not sure how well this would work with a subject that starts out stationary and starts to move. In this case I will have to practice and see exactly why the best technique might be.
willie_901
Veteran
Yes, the manual (p. 56) has a diagram showing the 6 PDAF points and they cover approximately the center 1/9 of the total sensor area.