Blame a hammer for a bent nail

This is a misanthropic post provoked by several "autofocus" threads on DPReview forum dedicated to Fujifilm X system / DSLR cameras. It is know fact that current mirrorless cameras do not focus with the same speed as DSLRs. None. Nikon 1 cameras come close but with 1" sensor and deep DoF. Big APS-C sensors require better precision in focussing. The autofocus speed on CSC is generally acceptable for static subjects. If the snappy focus is required, get a DSLR. Want to have sharp pictures of running dogs or jumping kids - get a  DSLR. A good DSLR. Olympus OM-D EM-5 might be slightly better than Fuji in autofocus but it does not match a good DSLR for continuos autofocus.

I have higher rate of in focus pictures with both Fuji X10 and X-E1 than with my Olympus E-30. It does not mean that the Oly is a bad camera. I just don't use it much anymore. My shooting style is now adapted to compact (x10) and mirrorless (X-E1) cameras. With both Fujifilm cameras I can get sharp pictures at lower shutter speed compared to Olympus E-30. In-lens OIS works great, and probably lack of mirror slap also helps a lot. In addition, my ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD has some focus issue at close distance at 200mm which can be really frustrating. I think my "keepers" rate with the E-30 was higher before acquisition of Fuji X10. More practice with the camera, nothing else.

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm autofocus is not perfect but it is perfectly usable for me. The camera struggles with low contrast subjects at horizon or clouds but this can be easily resolved by "focus and recompose". After using the X-E1 for a month I start to "feel" the camera autofocus.  It is not instant but generally it takes a fraction of second to focus on static subjects. It does not mean that all my pictures are in focus. Occasionally the camera would focus on a grass in background, not on the flower, or wind might be too strong. But even I got fairly sharp pictures of jumping kangaroos with X-E1 and XF18-55mm (I am not in an action photography by any means).

I guess my expectations for cameras are pretty low, and I do not change the cameras very often. As a result I am generally very impressed and satisfied with my cameras. I learned that every camera has certain limitations and also requires some experience for better results. But on camera forums people generally blame cameras, not themselves.

Fuji X20: old rumors

I've missed this post on Fujirumors about Fuji X10 replacement. It is still rumor but from 'trusted sources'. Fujifilm X20 will get an updated optical viewfinder. Apparently some information will be displayed in the viewfinder.


According to some rumors, Fujifilm X20 will get the same / similar 3" screen as XF1. Fuji X10 has 2.8" screen. 

Mirrorless camera of the year

It is end of the year, and many prominent bloggers select their "camera of the year". I like post written by Thom Hogan about serious CSC (mirrorless cameras) in which he picked up Olympus OM-D E-M5 as "the best" in this class. He also wrote about entry level CSC, but for some reason Olympus E-PL5 is absent among the candidate cameras. Maybe he considered it as a middle-range camera.

I like his assessment of current cameras. Indeed, currently Fujifilm has just few lenses in relatively short focal range. Next year will bring new lenses for the X mount including 14mm (~21mm eqv) wide angle prime and 55-200mm telefoto lens, that's for sure, but for m4/3 the lenses are already available.

Rumored specs of Fuji X20

It seems that Fujifilm use 2/3" sensor in 'Fuji X20', replacement of Fujifilm X10 (Mirrorless Rumors). This is great news because all other manufactures reduced the sensor size in current models of advanced compact cameras. If true, kudos to Fujifilm! The MPs go up to 14 (I guess it is unavoidable, people need more MP :( ), but the most interesting update is the lens: 24-120mm (eqv) F1.8-2.8. If true, the  new lens gains on both wide and tele end of the zoom range and essentially maintain the brightness. No word on build-in neutral density filter. Well, Fuji XF1 has build-in ND, and hopefully the 'X20' will have one, too. Why it is important: the speed of a leaf shutter depends on aperture, and on Fuji X10 the maximal shutter speed at F2.0 is about 1/1000. Obviously,  on sunny day this is not enough, and sometimes the aperture must be closed to >5. The ND filter reduces amount of light and allows to take pictures at bright light with open aperture (good for background). I am also curious about Supermacro option. Even at 28mm (eqv), as on Fuji X10, the front element is very close to object. I hope that in 'Fuji X20' Supermacro mode is not implemented at 24mm (eqv). No word for screen (tiltable of fixed). My guess is fixed, to keep the size down. 

It seems that the replacement of Fuji X10 will keep the optical viewfinder. I practically do not use OVF on Fuji X10: it is small, does not show accurate framing, has no information whatsoever, not even focus point or focus confirmation. It is still useful on sunny day. 

Fuji X-E1: lack of weather sealing

Toolona creek circuit, Lamington national park | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Yesterday I went to Toolona creek at the Green Mountains section of Lamington national park. The place got some rains recently but it was not as muddy as expected. The leeches were already numerous and active, and I ended up walking in boots soaked in my blood. The famous Lamington Spiny Crayfish were also active and wandered along the track.

The remote part of the Toolona creek track is at relatively high elevation, about 1000 meters, and in this time it is not uncommon to walk in clouds. This time it was foggy with occasional drizzling, so the camera mainly stayed in the plastic bag. I wish Fuji X-E1 would have some kind of weather sealing as Olympus OM-D E-M5. Or maybe I just should take an umbrella with me next time. I managed to take a couple pictures before the rain but walked though Antarctic beech forest without taking a single photo.

Toolona creek circuit, Lamington national park | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Review of Fuji X-E1 by Thom Hogan

Thom Hogan had published his review of Fuji X-E1. Interestingly, his traditional basketball shot shows significant amount of color bleeding, more than I see in occasional road signs in my photos (white on red combination is prone to color smearing in images from X-Trans sensor). Maybe it is due to high iso used for indoor shots.

As usual, it is a good and fair review, with pluses and minuses of the camera and the whole system. Also, Thom apparently has some "insider" info on forthcoming Fuji "X-Pro2". He indicated that the successor of X-Pro1 may have non-fixed screen. The replacement of X-Pro1 is also expected to be available in 2013. Hopefully, Fujifilm will improve a continuous autofocus on the new model. The technology is there, as demonstrated by Nikon 1 V1.

I am surprised to see that Thom gets 300 pictures on X-E1 on single battery. While I have not done careful counting, 200-ish is more realistic expectation for my "real world" shooting.

Mirrorless camera with Foveon sensor

We have end of the year rush in photo rumours :~). Apparently Sigma may make a new Foveon sensor and a mirrorless camera. The amount of details and sharpness of "Foveon" images are nothing but amazing. Currently Sigma manufactures SD1 Merrill DSLR and two fixed focal length compact cameras, Sigma DP2 Merrill and DP1 Merrill. In Australia both compact cameras are priced under $1000. While DP1M and DP2M are compact cameras, both require careful and experienced photographer. These are not point-and-shoot cameras.

End of Olympus DSLR line

According to this, Olympus may stop the DSLR line altogether and instead will create a m4/3 camera with a full support of 4/3 lenses. The release of E-7 was rumored / expected at the second half of 2013, but this might be OM-D E-M7 :) Some of the available ZUIKO lenses for 4/3 (FT) DSLRs are very good. It is possible to use 4/3 lenses on m4/3 mirrorless bodies through the dedicated adaptor but the autofocus is very slow.

Probably the DSLR line with just one top level model is not viable economically, especially considering competition from other camera makers. Olympus E-5 body is currently advertised for $1,999 (Australian dollars) in some camera shops in Brisbane while in the same shop Nikon D5100 is offered for ~$500 and D7000 costs ~$1,200. If a weather sealing is a must, than Pentax has good offers. It is unlikely to see an influx of significant number of new users with such offerings except for used products.

Choosing a mirrorless

Frankly, current DSLRs offer more than mirrorless cameras. The image quality of "standard" APC-S DSLRa and CSCs are similar but DSLRs have a faster autofocus, especially continuous autofocus,  and the battery life generally much better on DSLRs. The main advantages of CSCs are size and weight, and to some extend, price. The mirrorless cameras do not have a mechanical mirror, and basic models also do not have a viewfinder, so the manufacturing cost should be lower. Lens selection is better for DSLRs, too. So, if size and weigh do not matter, DSLR would be a better choice.

Foe anyone interested in CSCs, Thom Hogan wrote a good article on current mirrorless cameras. For me the decision to go mirrorless was partially motivated by small viewfinders on entry level DSLRs. With time shooting through the small viewfinder became painful for my eyes. Fuji X-E1 solved this issue for me.

While I would not be in a marked for a new camera any time soon, I am very tempted by the Body Cap lens for Olympus m4/3 cameras. It is a body cap with integrated cheap plastic lens. No electronic connections, manual focus, 15m f/8 (eqv 30mm), fairly good quality for $50-$60 lens. Can be an very nice portable snapshot setup if combined with cameras such as Olympus E-PL5 or E-PM2. Tiny lens, small camera, good quality, image stabilisation in the camera body.

More rumors

According to Mirrorless Rumors Fujifilm will announce the replacement for X10 and X100 in January. It is expected that X200 will have 16MP X-Trans sensor, the same as in X-Pro1 and X-E1, while Fuji X10 apparently may keep the EXR sensor of its predecessor.

For anyone interested in current generation of advance compact cameras DPReview team compared essentially all cameras in that class. Perfect camera suitable for everyone does not exist. Canon G15 has good lens, Sony RX100 with its big sensor wins on resolution etc. Sadly, Nikon P7700 is a bit slow compared to other cameras. Well, P7000 was also slow.

Interestingly, people expect a new m4/3 camera in January next year. In last few years Olympus had very high "model refresh rate". Will it be a new PEN or new OM-D? I would bet on new OM-D model with a build-in viewfinder positioned below E-M5. Hopefully one day Olympus will make m4/3 version of their E-300/330, something similar to Fuji X-E1 in term of external controls but with a tiltable monitor.

No new rumors on Olympus E-7, and anyone waiting for E-5 replacement, need to wait a little bit longer, maybe until the second half of 2013.

Lenses for X mount

Brachychiton discolor | Olympus E-30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

In last three weeks I used exclusively Fuji X-E1. The X-E1 wins over my Olympus DSLR in noise, high iso, dynamic range, resolution. However, I can put ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-F3.5 SWD on my E-30 while Fujifilm right now does not have similar lens. The release of XF55-200mm F3.5-F4.8 OIS is planned for the first half of 2013, and this lens probably will make me happy. At the moment I just cannot get enough reach with the Fujinon XF18-55mm, and this is a real issue for me. In addition, the XF18-55mm lens does not focus close enough. I have impression that Olympus ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-F3.5 gives a better magnification. To be fair, ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-F3.5 Mkv I shows some chromatic aberrations on 12MP sensor in Olympus E-30, so there is always some compromises. The "standard" zoom range of XF18-55mm is somewhat boring. Very often I want to go tele (as for picture above) or wider (second image in this post would be better at wide angle). In some situations it is very difficult to zoom with your legs unless you can jump for two meters :-)

Mountain soursop | Olympus E-30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

St Lucia campus, the University of Queensland | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Just random picture taken at the campus during my traditional lunch walk. It is graduation time, and the campus is full of happy graduates, their friends and parents.

I am still learning the Fuji X-E1. I am tempted to try custom setting (the camera has several). The Q button gives an access to the Custom settings, so I may put some frequent parameters in C1, C2 etc. But even without Custom settings the parameters can be changed very fast, thanks to the camera layout.

Mt Warning

Track to the Mt Warning summit | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Mt Warning is located in Nothern-East part of NSW, close to the border with Queensland, in about in two hours drive from Brisbane. The mount is an remnant of the huge volcano, sitting in centre of big caldera. I have a picture with the view of the Mt Warning from the rim of the caldera, in Lamington national park.  Mt Warning is on the left, with it's top covered by clouds. It is over one thousand meters high, and the walk is steep near the top (the photo above). I was happy to have a light mirrorless camera and small tripod instead of DSLR gear.

It was very sunny day, so many pictures on the top were taken through the viewfinder on Fuji X-E1. It seems that the viewfinder is quite comfortable to use for my eyes. The viewfinder on Fuji X-E1 is more useful than on Fuji X10. It is hard to compare the EVF on Fuji X-E1 to OVF on my DSLR, Olympus E-30. With the Oly E-30 I shoot only through the viewfinder because the live view is nearly absolute except for tripod work, and my eyes cannot handle a small viewfinder for long time. Fuji X-E1 is much better in this respect but I use it a lot with the rear screen. However, with polarizer, as on the photo below, I prefer the EVF. I have more images on my flickr page from this walk including a picture of a baby carpet python resting on the track. After all, it was weekend :~)

Previous time I went to Mt Warning several years ago. It was cloudy and rainy day, and the top was covered with clouds. Yesterday it was sunny but hazy. While it is short walk, less than 5 km, it takes about a couple hours to go to the summit, so I was there around midday.

View from Mt Warning | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Fuji X100 replacement may have X-Trans sensor

According to this rumor, Fuji X100 successor will have X-Trans sensor. In some camera shops Fuji X100 is already listed as discontinued since November.

If true, Fujifilm is putting all bets on X-Trans sensor. If the hypothetical "X200" will be even half as popular as Fuji X100, than the third party software manufacturers will put more efforts in proper support of "X-Trans" RAW data. Obviously, the camera will get better autofocus, probably something similar to Fuji X-E1. No word about the viewfinder on the new camera. The hybrid viewfinder does make sense on fixed focal length cameras such as X100.

The main advantage of cameras with fixed length is a small size.

It also would be interesting to see how "X200" will compete with the full-frame Sony RX1. The new Fuji will be significantly cheaper than the RX1, even without expensive external viewfinders. The first generation of X-Trans sensor from Fuji has very low noise. On other hand, Sony RX1 has an advantage of standard Bayer mask/sensor: broad support of RAW data conversion by third party software manufactures.

Unless I win a lottery I would not even think about buying RX1 :)

The cameras such as Fuji X100 or Sony RX1 or Sigma DP2M all have fairly good lenses that can last longer that the electronics.  I am curious if it would be possible in the future to re-fit the sensor and "processor" in such cameras.

Color bleeding in Fuji X-E1

400% crop from the unedited image (click to see a bigger version)

In sharp contrast with the rest of unhappy people, all unhappy owners of Fuji cameras with X-Trans sensor are all alike. Their unhappiness arises from three major sources: absence of decent third party RAW processing software, color bleeding or smearing, and slow autofocus.

I am a lucky guy because I mainly shoot JPEGs with Fuji, and after couple weeks I found that the autofocus on Fuji X-E1 with XF18-55mm lens is more than adequate for me. Obviously, I was tempted to see the famous color bleeding. Who wouldn't?

Just a brief intro: the color bleeding in images from X-Trans sensor depends on processing, and in mild form causes a color cast (white stripes in red background may have red tint) while severe color bleeding looks like a smear. Severe bleeding appeared in early versions on third-party RAW development software. A very good example of color smearing is present in Thom Hogan's review of Fuji X-Pro1.

The most obvious target for color bleeding test would be a STOP sign. I was so desperate to see the smearing that I walked through local street in search for a STOP sign. I even made a couple shots of these signs. I didn't like the pictures. Than I found NO SMOKING sign plus some white writing on blue background in one picture taken at the University campus. This is _not_ a test shot. Call it real life image. The blown-out fragments of unedited image are posted here, and the edited image (levels, unsharpen mask) is here.

Frankly, if all other cases of the color smearing are similar, I would not worry much. At that level the photo has other visible problems. Look on letter "m" in the "blue" image in buish writing on white background. To me it is more unpleasant and obvious that the reddish letter of NO SMOKING sign. The X-Trans sensor struggles on regular patterns, nothing new here.

If the fidelity of the reproduction of color image is important, than Sigma SD1M probably is the best choice for someone who don't mind to shoot and process RAW. My preference for Fuji X-E1 over Sigma DP2M is due to good JPEGs. I just don't have time and skills to process RAW.

400% crop from the unedited image (click to see a bigger version)

It is m4/3 time

Thom Hogan had published on his site reviews for several m4/3 lenses including 12-50mm kit lens offered with Olympus O-MD E-M5. BTW, Thom is not the only person pointing on significant correction required for many m4/3 "kit" lenses. He also wrote a brief summary of his impression on Nikon 1 V2, Fujifilm X-E1 and Sony NEX-6. Thom used nearly all mirrorless cameras released in 2012, and he is thorough reviewer. He is one of the first people pointed on color smearing or "bleeding" in some images from X-Trans sensor used in Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1.

Puzzling features of the Fuji X-E1 UI

Eastern Water Dragon | Fuji X10 & XF18-55mm, GIMP

I have Fuji X-E1 for couple weeks now. While I am generally happy with the photos, some aspects of camera controls are really puzzling. The user interface is similar to Fuji X10, another Fuji camera in our household, so it is not completely new to me. Actually, the UI of Fuji X10 was one of the factors influenced my decision to buy the X-E1. As a whole, I like the UI of Fuji X-E1 but I have impression that the available controls are under-utilised in this camera.
 
I wrote about "dead" rear dial in Aperture priority mode in the previous post but it is not the only situation where the command dial is inactive. For example, it is impossible to change the exposure mode (average / spot / multi) by dial, only by four-way controller. The true for for ISO (through Fn button) and DRIVE mode.

Another amazing thing: in the Preview (View?) mode the high magnification of the photo can be achieved by pressing the rear dial. This is very clever option. But it is impossible delete zoomed-in image! You need to press the dial again, and only at that stage the photo can be deleted. ???? The same true for Fuji X10: I cannot delete zoomed-in photos on the camera.

Maybe it is just me being a bit slow with learning :~) After all, it took some time for me to figure out how to display the histogram in the viewfinder: pressing the DISP / BACK button _with_active_ EVF changes the view option. It is logical (once you figure it out :~)).

As for things like autofocus… It is quite windy here in Brisbane. Sometimes the flowers I am trying to focus move out of frame completely because of wind. The camera can focus in such conditions. Obviously, not every time it focuses on the right object but frankly, the conditions are tough. It is not a problem for me to take several images. But I don't need a continuous autofocus and do not shoot birds in flight. For static objects the autofocus on Fuji X-E1 is OK for me.

Citycat | Fuji X10 & XF18-55mm, GIMP

How to improve X-E1

View from Cominan lookout | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Both pictures were taken at Green Mountain section of Lamington national park. In such conditions any modern camera will produce acceptable results. In some sense, the camera does not matter much unless someone has specific requirements. Taking pictures of birds in flight is a challenging task with certain requirements for an equipment. But if I put the camera on tripod the only thing I need to worry is a presence of the mirror lock-up in a DSLR because virtually all cameras have timers.

If the camera does not matter, why I bought the X-E1 instead of let say Olympus PEN E-PL5? Oly E-PL5 is smaller, with more lenses available right now. Even with an external viewfinder it costs less than the Fuji. The Oly will take the same pictures, maybe slightly shifted to warmer tones but this can be easily corrected. Also m4/3 has slightly bigger depth of field, which is good for landscapes.  Or why I not even considered Sony NEX6? It is very capable camera with APS-C sensor. It got a very positive response from photographers.

Probably I just like the X-E1. So far I am not disappointed. However, I still cannot get used to the aperture ring near the camera body and very often I try to change the aperture with the rear dial. After all, it is my first digital camera with the "proper" aperture ring. Maybe in the future Fujifilm will copy Samsung NX cameras or Olympus XZ-2 and change the "aperture" ring into multifunctional device. Right now the camera has some inactive controls, e.g. rear dial in the Aperture priority mode apparently does nothing. [Not exactly: when I dial it, it drives me nuts because nothing happens.] My ideal combination would be the following: use the rear dial to change aperture and assign iso to the "aperture" ring. Image: set up the aperture with the thumb, if the shutter speed is low, rotate the "aperture" ring and change iso to get the  desired speed. No need to press Fn button to activate iso menu. What the point to have "non assigned" buttons or dials on a camera?

Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to try different cameras for a week or two, and I am not sure if couple weeks would be sufficient to make a choice. It is possible to read reviews but reviews do not tell how I would handle the camera or whether I can adapt to it.

Bird's Nest fern, Asplenium australasicum | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Reviews on CameraLab

Nikon P7700 vs Canon G15

Nearly all major camera makers updated their advanced compact model this year. Both Nikon and Canon upgraded lenses on their models, Coolpix P7700 and G15. Nikon has very attractive zoom range, 28-200 mm eqv and fairly bright  F2-4 max aperture which is similar to old Minolta Dimage A1/A2 cameras. Canon put 28-140 mm eqv F1.8 - F2.8 lens. Both cameras have 1/1.7" 12MP sensors. Both are less pocketable than Olympus XZ-2. CameraLab posted a review of P7700 with comparison shots against Canon G15. I like approach of the real-life shots used by this site.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Canon M

The site also has Olympus PEN E-PL5 review with shots against the first Canon mirrorless camera, Canon M. It seems that at the setting used for high iso shots, Olympus E-PL5 has certain edge over Canon M (see iso 800 or 1600 shots). Probably with careful RAW processing it would be possible to have different outcome but nevertheless this comparison demonstrates how good is the sensor and JPEG / image processing in Olympus E-PL5 and OM-D E-M5 (both cameras share the same sensor and image processing).

If someone interested in comparison between Olympus E-PL5 and Sony NEX-6, read this post by David Taylor-Hughes

Rumors on Fuji X10 replacement

It is not a new rumor, but I missed it. Anyway, lets propagate an interesting rumor. In major US camera shops Fuji X10 is selling at the discount price now. Unfortunately, it was not a case in Australia last time I've checked the prices :( Well, here in Down Under, we can get a "grey" X10 even cheaper from places like Kogan but it is a parallel import. According to this post on the DPReview forum, the replacement for Fujifilm X10 is coming next year. To summarise the rumor, the X11/X20 will keep the same sensor but will come with nice improvements. The new camera is not expected within next several months.

We have Fuji X10 as our family camera, and I love it. It is just fun to use. I wish one day Fujifilm will make a similar camera around 1" sensor. I'll buy such model instantly :-). I glad I bought the camera before I learnt about the orbs issue which is turned out to be irrelevant for my photography. At some point Fujifilm replaced the sensor in Fuji X10, and the latest cameras are orb-resistant (but I'm not sure about "grey" market cameras). Their slim model with the same 2/3" sensor, XF1, also does not have problem with a severe sensor blooming.

It seems that next year the company will release some interesting products. After all, in some Australian shops Fuji X100 is listed as discontinued for some time, and the replacement for this model is also expected in the nearby future.

Another day out with Fuji X-E1

Border track near Green Mountains covered with the red flowers of Illawarra Flame tree | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

I went to Green Mountains section of Lamington national park on Saturday. I decided to go by inland route through the Mt Lindesey highway, took a wrong turn at roundabout on Tamborine St / Mundoolin Rd after I was confused by big residential development along Mundoolin Rd but eventually made it to O'Reilly's (another name for Green Mountains).

As during the previous walk, I had the Fuji X-E1 with XF18-55mm lens and a small Manfrotto digital tripod. The weather was really good, cloudy but not rainy, and it was quiet, so many photos were taken with the camera mounted on tripod. Most of such shots were done at iso 200 through a polarizer.

As during my first outing with the camera I found the autofocus adequate for my needs. It may not autofocus from first attempt on clouds or very low contrast landscapes but it can be done. The tricky part are scenes as twigs in front of branches but reducing the focusing area does help in such situations.

The battery was flat when the tripod plate was mounted on camera. Maybe in the future it would be possible to have either tripod socked in the middle of the camera, or put the battery compartment door on the side, not at the bottom. When camera goes to sleep, it cancels the timer. I ended up to use 2 minutes "sleeping time" instead of 30 seconds because 30 seconds sometimes is not enough for a tripod work. This obviously, drain the battery. BTW, it seem that the camera clean the sensor avery times it goes to sleep, so I switched off an automatic sensor cleaning. I got about 200 shots per battery, not really great. For long trips I will need several spare batteries. Next time I will take either lens hood or big hat: even indirect light going into the lens washes out upper part of the image. I have the same issue with DSLR. Couple times the camera ended up in a plastic bag because of light rain. Olympus lenses are weather-sealed, so I would not even bother with a few raindrops. Some switches can be turned accidentally, so it is good idea to keep an eye on aperture setting and OIS status.

Some other images from this walk are posted on flickr. I did a minor editing in GIMP, (levels, unsharpen mask etc). Everything was shot as JPEG.

Gondwana relict, Nothofagus moorei, Antarctic Beech   | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Another bird with Fuji X-E1

Several guineafowls live at the University campus at St Lucia. Birds do not afraid people but are moving all the time. I took couple snapshots before they walked away. The full resolution image is available on flickr.

I am still learning the camera. After one week with the X-E1 I have impression that it is not a fun camera as Fuji X10. Fuji X-E1 is a serious camera. Fuji X10 wins by small size, supermacro mode, big depth of field (big plus for me).

So far I am happy with the Fuji X-E1 but I need to adjust myself to APS-C sensor and close the aperture to get enough DoF even for landscapes. I wish the battery life wouldn't be such mediocre. I am getting about 200 shots per charge.

Helmeted Guineafowl | Fuji X-E1, XF18-55mm

Why mirrorless cameras are not popular in the US?

Amazon's lists of best selling cameras are very interesting source of information. According to Amazon, currently Fuji X-E1 zoom kit is second the most popular compact system camera after heavily discounted Nikon 1 J1. However, Nikon 1 J1 occupies position #93 in the list of all digital cameras, and X-E1 is not even in the "all digital cameras" list.

Interestingly, Nikon 1V1 (with a viewfinder) is selling for less than the J1. For ~US$350 (one quarter of Fuji X-E1 zoom kit price in Australia!) it looks like a really good buy. It is cheaper than Sony RX100. With the image quality on par with previous generation on m4/3 cameras and arguable the fastest autofocus among mirrorless cameras, I see it as a very attractive camera for my purposes except for landscapes where the big sensors shine.

High iso images from Fuji X-E1

Rainforest | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, iso 3200 exposure compensation -0.7

Lamington national park is one of my favorite place around Brisbane in summer. Located on McPherson Range at elevation of around 1000 meters above the sea level, the park contain big area of subtropical rainforest. Most walks start at two main entry points, Green Mountains (O'Reilly) and Binna Burra. While the park is extremely poplar, majority of the visitors do not walk on long tracks.

These pictures were taken on Coomera track at Binna Burra section of the park during my walk on December 1, 2012. It was my first day out with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens. I've already posted my first impressions from new camera. Here I added couple high iso hand-held photos.

Tree ferns | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, iso 500, 1/30 sec. 

Fuji X-E1 zoom kit is the best selling compact system camera on Amazon

I just checked the best selling cameras lists on Amazon, and to my surprise black Fuji X-E1 kit with 18-55mm zoom lens occupies the top position in compact system cameras sales. The silver kit is not far behind. Not surprising that Fujifilm delays the release of XF14mm F2.8 in favor of XF18-55mm. Even Fuji X-Pro1 sales are up fueled by the price drop.

As expected, Sony NEX-6 is also close to the top of the list. I am surprised that Olympus E-PL5 is not among the best selling cameras.

Birding with Fuji X-E1

My previous post was dedicated to complains about the slow and inaccurate autofocus on Fuji X-E1. Today I went through my latest photos taken with the X-E1 and 18-55mm zoom lens. An example is posted below. It is a "100%" crop from the original JPEG. The levels were adjusted a little bit. The image was saved at ~80% quality to reduce the size. The photo was taken at arm length using using the rear screen. The specs: 1/400 sec, iso 400, f/5.6, focal length 55 mm (83 mm eqv). I am not a birder, and corellas are energetic and active birds. It was an opportunistic snapshot.


I do not see any problem with speed and accuracy of the autofocus on Fuji X-E1 coupled with XF18-55mm lens. Most of my pictures were taken at windy weather, and even at this condition the camera did a marvelous job. Add to this my very limited experience with the new camera and mirrorless cameras in general.

Little Corella | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Fuji X-E1

Australia is getting it's share of Fuji X-E1 zoom kits: CameraPro shop in Brisbane shows a black Fujifilm X-E1 kit with XF18-55mm lens as "available". Digital Camera Warehouse got the black X-E1 kits at the end of the last week.

It seems that on the Fujifilm X system forum at the DPReview people switched from the complaining about lack of third party support for RAW development from X-Trans sensor to "slow autofocus speed" on Fuji X-E1 compared to the latest Olympus mirrorless cameras such as OM-D E-M5 or E-PL5. Frankly, this is _very_ old news. Yes, the latest Olympus cameras do focus faster than Fuji X-E1. Does it matter in "a real life" situation? It depends. For still objects the autofocus on X-E1 and XF18-55 lens is more than adequate. On some subjects it focuses even faster than my Olympus E-30. But in most situations the DSLR wins over the X-E1. But because I do not shoot action, it does not really matter much for me. The autofocus speed is good enough for me. How accurate is the autofocus? I did not have enough time to make any solid conclusion on this topic. I just got the camera a few days ago. It seems that the autofocus is fairly accurate. A windy weather creates more challenges for me that the autofocus but switching off the OIS increases the shutter speed and partially solves my problem. I wish there would be a minimal shutter speed for aperture priority mode coupled with Auto ISO.

If the fast autofocus is "must to have" than a DSLR is the best choice at the moment. Nikon 1V1 comes close. Mirrorless cameras cost more, produce few shots per battery, don't have through the lens optical viewfinder, have slow autofocus.  The only advantage of mirrorless cameras I can thing about is a small size and weight. Some people also like EVFs or live histogram. As for photos - I suspect the difference in quality is rather small unless you go to extremes.

Duhig Building | Fuji X-E1 with XF18-55mm F2.8-4.0

Summer in Brisbane

Weather forecast for today in Brisbane:

It was +28 Celsius at midnight in our place.

Back to Fuji X10

I take many pictures of plants for the subsequent identification. For the identification I need detailed pictures with big depth of field for "general view" and some macro shots of flowers etc. For this purpose the advanced compact camera is "all in one solution".

For example, the photo below was taken at 1/85 sec, ƒ/3.6, ISO 400 and the focal length was 7 mm (28 mm eqv), exposure compensation -1.0. The bush was in the shade, and the light was not really great. Both the small sensor and short focal length contributed to the depth of field, which is big even at f/3.6, so nearly the whole bush is in focus. It was windy, and I boosted the iso to get reasonably fast shutter speed. There is some noise in the picture but it is not dramatic (check the hi-res image on flickr). On calm day I would not hesitate to shoot at 1/20 sec and low iso.

After playing with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens for  a couple of  days I doubt that Fuji X10 will collect dust, just because it is very convenient camera for close-up shots. As all compact cameras with small sensor, Fuji X10 does not like low contrast or shady areas, where X-E1 is shining.

Pavetta australiensis | Fuji X10

Good read on Sony NEX-6

Kirk Tuck got Sony NEX-6 recently and wrote a very interesting opinion on the camera. He uses both m4/3 and NEX mirrorless cameras, and he is a professional photographer. Want to know how Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX behaves on Sony NEX-6? Read his blog :) BTW, the lens is priced at ~$150 on Amazon. I wish Sigma would make 30mm macro for X mount :-)

First day out with Fuji X-E1

Stream Lily | Fuji XE1 with XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens

Yesterday I've done 17 km Coomera track at the Lamington national park located on the border between Queensland and New South Wales. The park is located on the McPherson Range at 800-1000 meters above sea level, so it is cooler there than in Brisbane. I arrived late, started the walk around noon and returned to Binna Burra after the sunset. It was pitch dark at the last couple kilometers, and the forest was packed with fireflies.

The whole "hiking photo kit" with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS was very light and compact compared to my traditional DSLR gear. I also took Manfrotto 785B tripod instead of Triopo GT-3228 X8C. The only inconvenience was the battery compartment door blocked by the tripod plate.

It was not a "photographic" day by any means. It was sunny and the contrast between bright and shady spots was just enormous. Anyway, I managed to squeeze couple  hundred shots from Fuji X-E1 on the original battery, and a little bit more from the spare one. All pictures were taken in "Aperture priority" mode as JPEGs, with Auto WB, in STD (Provia) or V (Velvia) modes, with noise reduction at -2. 

Impression. The autofocus was fast enough for me in most situations. Obviously, it is not as fast as DSLRs, and it depends on subject and background. Couple days ago I struggled with the autofocus on Olympus E-30 trying to get photos of some exotic fruits hanging on tree. It is possible to improve the autofocus on X-E1 by reducing the focusing area. 

I wish it would be possible to set up the command dial to control the aperture in "Aperture" mode. I use the command dial to change the aperture since switching to digital cameras in year 2000. By default the command dial is disabled during shooting in Aperture priority mode. It would be really cool to have ability to change the aperture both with the dedicated aperture ring on the lens and the command dial. I may get used to "on lens only" aperture control in the future but I found myself constantly rotating the command dial - and guess what - nothing happens! :( I need more training with the camera :)

The XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS is not a macro lens, even with the Macro mode enabled. I have better close-up images with ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-3.5. The stabilization works magic. Most hand-held pictures were taken using rear screen, and in some shutter speed is very low.

I have tried EVF in very bright sun where the preview on the rear screen was essentially invisible. It was very comfortable view. After one year with Fuji X10 I found the viewfinder essentially useless but the EVF on X-E1 does help a lot on sunny day.

For hand-held shots the camera was set up on Auto iso (1600 or 3200), and most images were taken at the top of the iso range: it was not much light under canopy even at the bright day. I am very impressed with the results. OK, I came from 4/3 Olympus DSLRs and sensor technology of year 2008, so it is not hard to impress me :) 

The negative exposure compensation was applied to most shots with metering at whole scene because I got used to blown highlight with my previous cameras. After looking at photos from Fuji X-E1 I would say it is not necessary. Maybe I should try both RAW and JPEG, and see what can be done in camera. 

Both pictures posted here were taken later during the day, when the sun went down. Tripod and polarizer was used, so the exposure is in range of a few seconds. It was a joy to use a polarizer on Fuji X-E1. The camera was slightly unbalanced on the tripod but even a digital tripod handled it reasonably well. The hi-res images are available on flickr. On lower photo the levels were adjusted in GIMP.

Rainforest at Coomera track, Lamington national park | Fuji XE1 with XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens

Fuji X-E1: when a dream comes true

I got a phone call today from a camera shop with a very short message: "you can pick it up". I went to the shop and came back with big brown paper bag. Now I have another black box from Fujifilm with E-X1 and 18-55mm lens. For local folk in Brisbane: it is Digital Camera Warehouse. Probably their Melbourne and Sydney shops also got Fuji X-E1 zoom kits. Bottom line: Fuji X-E1 zoom kit is available in Australia.

I've got the camera at the end of the day, so not much time to play.

First impression. Menu is great. Now at the very left you scroll through screens. This is a big improvement over Fuji X10 where  scroll though options within two big multiscreen menus. Layout is very familiar except that I tried to change the aperture with the dial :) Autofocus. I would not worry about it. At the light required iso 2000, f/4 1/50 sec the focus is nearly instant in silent mode. I am a bit slow person, and I tend to press buttons gently. Once the shutter button half pressed you say "one" and the focus is already locked for some time. This was within a room, so the difference between "shots" was just a few meters. I have not done "the real world" testing yet. The colors under an artificial light are good. It seems that X-E1 uses a standard mini-USB cable. If true than kudos to Fujifilm again: Fuji X10 requires a dedicated USB cable. At the first glance the viewfinder is very comfortable.

The lens. I am really impressed with it. I have ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 MkvI and ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD, and I also used several Olympus kit lenses in the past, so my experience with lenses is limited. The feel and the build quality of Fujinon XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS is just superb. It is very solid. But I need to get used to the aperture ring located close to the camera body, not near the front element. I also replaced the Fuji cap with cheap cap with a thread: the zoom is the only lens I have at the moment.

Handling.  With the XF18-55mm attached the X-E1 requires two hands. The whole combo is small enough to sit comfortable in the left hand. The camera uses 4:3 rear screen, so the whole preview "frame" is visible with the information display enabled (it still has metering thing, but the "info" panel does not overlap the preview). On Fuji X10 the lower part of the preview is obscured with the metering scale. 

Things to be aware of. Sound of shutter. It is _not_ a silent camera in contrast to Fuji X10. The camera also produces some faint noise. I cannot figure out if it comes from the lens or the body. It is not annoying by any means, but it is there. Switching off OIS in lens, or setting up OIS to Shooting only, or disabling horizon level - nothing of this affects the noise.

No Fuji X-E1 zoom kit in Down Under

I was told in local camera shop that the X-E1 kit is expected to arrive in Australia around mid-December. It seems that the kit zoom is very popular, so there might be a supply/demand issue as with Fuji X100. The bodies are available in several Brisbane shops. For me, zoom is just very convenient. I may buy 60mm macro, but in this case the total package will cost me extra A$400+. Price of X-E1 zoom kit + 60mm is ~A$2100, while X-E1 & 60mm kit + 18-55mm is close to A$2500.

The problem is that at the moment I can use only Olympus E-30. The thing is just heavy. I also get used to Fuji colours. 

I don't really like XF1 because UI (not enough buttons) and slow lens. Fuji X100 looks like a very good camera but I am not in street or indoor photography, so it might be not the best camera for me.  The forgotten camera, Fuji X-S1, is just too big for me, and I don't really need a superzoom. I can get another Fuji X10 but in local shops it is still priced at around A$600. In Kogan it is under $400 which is really tempting price. I don't know if these cheap X10 are orb-free or not but the orbs do not bother me. And I do like Fuji X10.

The picture below was taken at 7mm (28mm eqv), f/3.6, 1/85 sec., iso 400, exposure compensation -1. It was windy. The photo was edited in GIMP (levels were changed). The full resolution image  is available on flikr. To get the same depth of field even on (m)4/3 camera the aperture need to be closed and the iso boosted to something like 1600 or more. It is possible on Olympus OM-D E-M5 but I would not do it on my Olympus E-30.

Pavetta australiensis | Fuji X10

Still waiting for the X-E1 zoom kit in Australia

I am still reading posts written by new E-X1 owners from around the globe except for Australia: no sign of the Fuji X-E1 zoom kit in Brisbane yet. Australia got X-E1 body only long time ago but the zoom lens is apparently not here yet.

I am amazed by the fact that the majority of people posted on Fujifilm X forum at the DPReview site are happy with X-E1. Obviously, it would not be the DPReview forum without any complains. First, some people are not happy with slow change of the picture in the viewfinder with rapid change of the lightning (from shade to sunlit area). It seems that the camera has some sort of buffering for the exposure  adopted from the X-Pro1. Similar question posted on the DPReview forum resulted in several dozen comments but without explanation of the problem :~). Then, the autofocus: current mirrorless cameras do not match DSLRs in autofocus speed (but Nikon 1 came close). Also, mirrorless cameras use a different method for autofocus and require slightly different tricks for the best performance (my old post with the links). The same story about short battery life: true for most CSC with very few exceptions such as big Pentax K-01 and Nikon 1 V1. On X-E1 the battery life can be slightly improved by switching off "fast wake up" mode.

Another well written review of Fuji X-E1, by Martin Castein: [the camera] "makes you fall in love with photography all over again". That is exactly how I feel about Fuji X10.

But our Fuji X10 went on long trip, and I left with heave Olympus E-30 which make my eyes sore. I wish it would have a viewfinder of a full frame camera...

At the UQ lakes | Olympus E-30

 

Dead End for Fujifilm X-Trans sensor - 2

The Fujifilm X forum on the DPReview site is very popular and active now due to recent release of Fuji X-E1 and the first zoom lens for X mount, FUJINON XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS.

Then the End of the Fujifilm X-Trans sensor thread came... In brief: people are not happy with limited support of X-Trans RAW files by third party software and blame Fujifilm for not doing enough. Gosh, the thread got over 100 comments! "Fuji does have to work with Adobe" - no doubt, there should be a law obliged every company to work with Adobe or face a jail for life for CEO.

The guy who suggested to push the third part software developers for X-Trans RAW support was nearly annihilated. Frankly, the idea is not that bad, probably both sides should be asked for the RAW support. The thread even went into personal harassment :( 

It reminds me "the orbs" time on DPR's fujifilm forum. I should get a popcorn.

It seems that the positions of both sides are understandable. Fuji spent several years developing the X-Trans sensor, and it would be reasonable to suggest that the company want to capitalize on the results. After all, Fujifilm provides the software for RAW development. Personally, I gave up on SilkyPix and shoot JPEGs on Fuji X10, so I do understand people frustrated with the lack of proper RAW support. But again, I don't mind to shoot JPEGs, so the inability to develop RAW files from the X10 on a computer  is not a big deal for me. In addition, people who bothered to learn SilkyPix, are happy with the results and the software.

On other hand, Fuji X-Pro1 is a fairly new camera and arguably it was not sold in huge numbers, so for the third party software developers the support for X-Trans RAW files was probably not a top priority especially considering complexity of data processing and required developmental resources. To be fair, several companies provide software for X-Trans RAW files (this blog provides insider's view on the X-Trans RAW conversion, read all four parts).

After looking on examples of color bleaching from Thom Hogan or pictures from ChromaSoft blog, or other sites such as SoundImagePlus blog I am not sure if it would be possible to get an ideal interpolation of X-Trans data with the first generation of the sensor. [This is lame opinion from an outsider.] With the Bayer mask we have resolution versus moire tradeoff, but it seems that on X-Trans sensor the best resolution is coupled with the color bleaching or some other color artifacts. It depends on image. In some parts of the test images even 12MP X100 out-resolve X-Pro1.

Hopefully, Fuji X-E1 will be more popular than X-Pro1, and additional resources will be allocated to development of RAW support for X-Trans sensor. But at the moment if the RAW shooting is obligatory, just get Olympus EM-D E-M5 or Sony NEX-6. 

Recommended compact cameras from the DPReview

DPReview published the list of recommended compact cameras (with zoom lens).  Canon PowerShot G15 with 28-140mm (eqv) F1.8-2.8 lens and Olympus XZ-2 are on the top of the list. Surprisingly Nikon P7700 have not made it at all.

Interestingly, it is one of the most commented recent posts on the DPReview site despite the falling sales of compact cameras.  

I was surprised with the image quality and general usability of modern compact cameras after getting the Fuji X10. As many other people I tend to leave a heavy DSLR camera at home, but a compact camera can be in my backpack at any day because size and weight is not an issue anymore. I shoot a lot of macro (flowers and plants in general for identification) and prefer to have a big depth of field. Fortunately, every essential camera maker created at least one advanced compact, so we can choose what we like. Personally I enjoy "snobbish" retro-looking manual-zoom button-driven Fuji X10. I bet the image quality is more or less the same in advanced cameras, such as Canon G15 or Olympus XZ-2, so for me the choice is boiled down to the handling if the specs are more or less similar. For example, I like bright lens, and do not value portability much, so for me Canon S100 or Sony RX100 are not really attractive models. My dream camera would be Nikon-made "Fuji X10"- style compact camera with 1" sensor and two supermacro modes at wide and long ends of the zoom range. Just make a decent lens for it, not f3.5-5.6 kit type thing. As all-in-one solution it will be a dream camera for people like me. No need for a dedicated macro lens, big DoF, reasonable image quality. 

Can any camera maker create a camera for the happy bugs shooters?  

Dead End for Fujifilm X-Trans sensor

If I got it right, according to this post on the dpreview forum, the X-Trans sensor is doomed (to extinction) because Fujifilm does not provide any information about their efforts (if any) to get support for raw data conversion by Photo Ninja software. Frankly, I do sympathise with the author of this statement despite the fact that I never heard about Photo Ninja before. There was a Noise Ninja (if I remember the name correctly), and probably some other Ninjas, too. It is not the point.

Imagine that someone had mastered the art of raw processing, and - ooops - the raw files from a new camera are not supported by the workflow. Technically, the problem can be solved by modification of the workflow or by avoiding a new (non-supported) camera altogether, but obviously both solutions are unacceptable. The third way is a class action to push either software developers or camera makers to have "their work done" (get the files supported).

We live in time when even airplanes were changed to fit the software because it was cheaper to change the plane design. The software can be really complicated.

I don't understand why I am reading such threads :-(((

It was such a relief for me to change back to JPEG shooting with Fuji X10. I hope that OOC JPEGs from Fujifilm X-E1 also will be adequate for my needs. I tend to shoot raw with Olympus E-30 to tweak the white balance / colors but  JPEG engine in Fuji X10 works well in most situations. Probably with more capable cameras such as Nikon D700 I would shoot raw, too, - the amount of recoverable details from D700 raw files is simply amazing. Or maybe JPEG and RAW combination because I am really lazy with the image processing.

From DSLR to CSC

I am a long-time user of digital Olympus cameras, both compact and DSLRs. In some areas Olympus has certain advantage over other camera makers. For example, the dust was never an issue with my E500 and E30, and I do change the lenses. Compare this with the current situation around Nikon D600, "the dust gatherer".  The mid-range ZUIKO 4/3 lenses are also good and reasonably priced. I have two :-)

I thought about changing the system and switching to either Canon (long time ago) or Nikon (current favorite DSLR system after release of D7000). Now I would rather go D600 route, mainly because of the viewfinder. Image-wise I probably would be more than happy with pictures from D5100  or D7000. D5200 can be a better camera but with the current discounts the old models are very attractive. But I do like big viewfinders, so cameras with APC-S sensors are not really attractive to me. But both D600 and D800 are big and quite expensive as a system. Size is one of the factors why I do not use Olympus E-30, and it is not big or have camera compared to let say D800. Why I planned to switch? Olympus DSLRs were slightly behind in term of dynamic range and noise compared to rival APC-S cameras. It is hard to recover highlights or lift the shadows from RAW files in my E-30. Nikon has very good OOC JPEGs on their DSLR while Olympus tend to warm the picture. The lens selection is better with both Canon and Nikon.  

I also use Fujifilm X10 and while I am very happy with close-up pictures, the low contrast area in landscapes are not really great on any compact cameras. Granted, the pictures look fine if downsized but I want to have a better quality. I wish either Canon or Nikon would have mirrorless camera equal to  Fuji X-E1 / Sony NEX6 / Olympus OM-D E-M5 / Samsung NX20. I probably will be happy with images from Canon EOS-M but do not like  controls (user interface) and luck of proprietary lenses for the M mount. The price is high, too. The latest Olympus PEN E-PL5 will give me more for less, with available external viewfinder and good lenses. I don't have Canon or Nikon lenses that can be used on their mirrorless cameras with adapters, and I don't see any point to get a heavy lens for small camera. So, going with one of the two giants is still just a dream for me.

The best bargain: DSLRs and advanced compacts

It probably would not surprise anyone that "previous year" models would cost less than the current cameras. Obviously, the latest models are better. The question is: how much better. Personally I don't see much difference between let say Nikon D5100 and D5200 or between Olympus XZ-1 and XZ-2. Both modern DSLRs and advanced compacts represent a mature technology where most improvements over short time are marginal. Unless the latest gimmicks are compulsory, the previous year model would work just fine. personally I prefer the latest models but hey, it does not improve the quality of my images. The mirrorless system cameras do not fit into this scheme because it is a new technology, and the improvements are generally quite pronounced between old and new models. I would prefer Olympus E-PL5 over the previous models just because of sensor. Still, even the best current mirrorless cameras cannot match DSLR in autofocus speed. It may change in the future but right now mirrorless cameras either offer less than DSLRs or cost more, and advanced compact cameras are just more convenient in use.

Fujifilm X100: discontinued

I just came across this notice on respectable Australian camera shop:

It is somewhat surprised because the limited black edition of Fuji X100 is not marked as discontinued. Maybe just typo...

Even for that price the camera is a bargain considering the quality of the lens and the hybrid viewfinder. As a "grey import" the X100 can be found for about $750 (in Kogan). The lenses for the X mount are priced in this range, and none of the three available primes are compact. On top of it Fuji X100 does not have problems with regular patterns and color bleeding of X-trans sensor. Heck, Fuji X10 is still priced at about $600 in major camera shops in Australia.

If it is true, does it mean that Fujifilm will stop the X100 model line? Hopefully the company will change the sensor, hybrid viewfinder (increase the refresh rate), improve the body, update the electronics and release it as the X200. 

X-Pro1 is cheaper than X-E1 now

The world is really dynamic. Fuji X-Pro1 was announced in January this year, at price ~$1,700. Ten months later, in November, the camera and 35mm lens kit is offered for $1,598 (this price in Australian dollars). The lens alone cost over $600 ($625 in the same shop). The price for the body was halved in less than one year. In the same shop X-E1 kit with the same 35mm lens is listed for $1,698. So, now X-P1 is cheaper than X-E1.

Compare this price drop to Fuji X100: here in Australia we finally got $200 discount for the camera released in 2010. This is equal to about 15% drop in two years. Fuji X10 is now also discounted for ~5% after one year (I am talking about Australian shops here not a grey market import). What is going on with X-Pro1? With the latest firmware the X-P1 is as snappy as X-E1, and the image quality is apparently identical between these two models. It has marvellous hybrid viewfinder. How come that the camera positioned as a Pro model is cheaper than the "enthusiast" sibling released in the same year?

The whole situation looks like a PR(?) debacle for the company. The X cameras are a niche product: you get special things at a premium price. The word "overpriced" is not applicable for a niche product. However, people buying this type of goods generally do not expect to see it on sale for a half price just couple months later unless it is an airplane ticket to Australia during the holiday season :-). While it may help to lure new users, it also punishes the early adopters of the system. Even if Fujifilm will announce X-Pro2 early next year as rumored, the price drop is just huge for such short time. I guess the company over-estimated the demand for X-Pro1 due to the huge success of X100 and now has a big stockpile of the cameras in their warehouses. If indeed X-Pro2 will get "hybrid" autofocus with phase-detection or significantly increase the readout for contrast detection and EVF, it will will be very hard to sell the previous model.

Frankly, I feel that the current price for X-Pro1 is in line with other top level mirrorless system cameras. After all, the world is dynamic.

PS
All companies drop prices for their products. For example, Nikon 1 V1 and J1 also undergone a huge price drop recently but these models were not aimed on a niche market.

PSS
I still prefer X-E1 to X-Pro1. I expect the EVF would be a better match for the zoom lens, and the smaller and lighter body is a plus for me. IMHO Fuji got the camera controls just right, and I don't mind to pay a premium for a camera I would like to use. There are plenty good mirrorless system cameras with different type of controls, such as Olympus E-PL5 or some Sony NEX models, but I do like buttons :) I may change my opinion in the future. The problem is the cameras are very expensive toys. I wish I can find any affordable Australian version of LensRentals, to try new cameras for a week or two. Playing with a camera in a shop is not really informative for me. I need more time. After all, I can change my shooting habits as it happens after acquisition of Fuji X10.

Hail storm in Brisbane

We got just a little bit of hail but some places were hit really hard.
The HD version is about 60Mb.
November 18, 2012.

FUJINON XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS

More reports on Fuji's XF18-55mm lens appeared on the Fujifilm X dpreview forum. It looks like the early adopters are very impressed with the lens. It is sharp and reasonably speedy. It is the first time I see mainly happy posters on this forum. Granted, I do not follow the forum for a long time but it is a huge contrast with periods of Sticky Aperture Blades (SAB on Fuji X100) or White Orbiting Disks (ORBs of X10) discussions. It seems that Fujifilm done it just right that time. Or maybe people are just busy discussing the dust spots on Nikon D600 :-)

Unfortunately, the zoom lens is apparently not yet available here in Down Under. Ted's Cameras still lists Fuji X-E1 zoom kit only as pre-order only. Bodies only (X-E1) are available in Brisbane for some time, in shops such as Digital Camera Warehouse. Unless the company has a stockpile of XF18-55mm lenses, the demand probably outstrip the supply for some time as it was the case with Fuji X100. Our Fuji X10 is going on big trip next week, and might be left with Olympus X-30 only :(. It would not prevent me from taking pictures :-)

Rowing at Brisbane river | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

Olympus strikes back

Olympus announced another prime lens for m43 mirrorless cameras, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8. Right now m43 has the biggest selection of the dedicated lenses for mirrorless cameras. "Dedicated" is the key word here because generally lenses from SLR cameras have slow autofocus on mirrorless cameras.

Olympus is known for its lenses. The first DSLR from the company, Olympus E-1, was aimed on enthusiast photographers: professional grade camera coupled with good glass (ZUIKO 50-200 F2.8-3.5, 14-54mm F2.8-3.5, 50mm F2.0 Macro - the first lenses released alongside with the E-1). Unfortunately, the benefits of smaller sensor were not obvious on DSLR cameras. While the ZUIKO lenses were somewhat smaller than these from competitors, the camera bodies were the same. While Olympus DSLRs (4/3 system) got their share of passionate followers (I had two 4/3 DSLR bodies and some lenses :-), the whole system was less popular than Nikon or Canon.

Probably because of that experience with 4/3 camera Olympus had changed the strategy with m43 (mirrorless) cameras and initially targeted mainly "entry level" crowd. Camera bodies had a limited external control, the lenses were mainly of "kit" class. In fact, their PENs became popular with DSLR users who want a smaller capable cameras. Responding to the demand Olympus started to produce dedicated high grade lens and made top spec camera, Olympus OM-D E-M5.

In contrast, with the X system Fujifilm had targeted enthusiast photographers from the start. Granted, the technology was not there at the birth of mirrorless cameras, and Fuji watched the experience of first players in mirrorless cameras.

At the moment Olympus does not have PEN-shaped camera with good external controls. I do like E-PL5 because of it's sensor and IBIS but I don't like the lack of the controls. It may work perfectly for some people. The OM-D E-M5 is fine camera but it feels relatively small in my hands. The size is OK if I use the rear screen for shooting. Frankly, I would rather get an E-PL5 with external viewfinder. It will be truly compact and light camera, and it will probably cost less than the OM-D E-M5. But I would not like the external controls.

It seems that Olympus is in difficult situation. The company still has DSLR line and according to the rumors develops a new DSLR body. Considering that DSLRs are now follow the dinosaurs' path and grow bigger, it would be hard for Olympus to succeed in with E-7 or whatever. No doubt, the body will make quite a few people happy but it probably would not attract new users to the 43 system.

Compulsory reading

Here we go: link. Camera Obsession Disorder, Gear Acquisition Syndrome, quest for the ultimate IQ - you name it. I've thought about writing something similar but these guys put all things together, and they did it right.

I am curious why cameras are so important for men? (it is save to assume that the vast majority of people affected by Camera Obsession Disorder are men). Is it some kind of sublimation of a perfect hunting tool? It is irrational: people spend insane amount of time online reading about cameras instead of doing photography. Well, it is not about photography, it is about the ultimate IQ in the best camera. And it should run on Android :)

Well, at least I do take pictures :) I think it is because of the camera. It is joy to use, it is relatively small and light, and on top of it the camera produces very satisfactory photos. While I expect that X-E1 will be much better for landscapes than Fuji x10, I doubt that X-E1 will much convenience and supermacro mode of Fuji X10. The depth of field at 28mm eqv. on Fuji X10 is just hard to beat with big sensor.

As for picture: Velvia (photo below) produces very punchy and eye catching colors while Provia images appear somewhat  dull but have natural colours.

Tipuana and Tabebuia at St Lucia | Fuji X10

No negative opinion on Fuji X-E1 so far?

I am surprised with lack of negative comments about Fuji X-E1 camera on the dpreview's Fujifilm X forum. The dpreview forums are "enriched" with the "equipment scrutinisers". The Fuji X-E1 body is available for some time now in different places around the globe including Australia. Granted, Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 lens came out for sale (in Europe) just a couple days ago, and many people are waiting for the zoom kits. Most "complains" I've seen so far were either about problems appeared in difficult conditions (inflorescent light) or resulted from sub-optimal camera settings. It seems that nearly all early adopters have very positive impression on the first Fujifilm XF zoom lens, too. From what I've read on the web, the autofocus is fast on both X-E1 and X-Pro1, and the optical image stabilisation works fine, too. People also like the build quality. I mean "real users" not the "professional" reviewers, because the latter are generally very positive with any equipment :-) So, it seems that Fujiifilm finally made "a perfect camera" :-)

With the bright zoom and a competitive price tag, Fuji X-E1 is poised for popularity among many photographers with affection for direct camera control and famous Fuji colors. It probably would not affect X-Pro1 sales much because (I suspect) the sales were pretty low in the first place. The X-Pro1 is a niche camera, and many people who want it already have one. Actually, with the big price drop, some people may even consider X-Pro1 over the X-E1. The X-Pro1 was a big hit after the announcement but relatively high price tag and things like a slow autofocus with the original firmware and lack of a proper third-party support of the RAW format/conversion do not help with the high demand. Now things are changed, the price went down, firmware 2.0 (or current 2.1) transformed X-Pro1 into a speed demon (sort of), and the company works with major players in RAW conversion. With all these changes the X-Pro1 is more attractive camera than it used to be just a few months ago. People who love an optical (hybrid) viewfinder and prefer more substantial body can get it for essentially the same price as X-E1 (at least here, in Australia. I guess it is also possible to add an optical viewfinder to X-E1 if needed but I doubt that many will do it :-)

In meantime Thom Hogan wrote that the next Fujifilm Pro model (X-Pro2 or whatever) may have a better focusing because of implementation of the technology used by Nikon in their Nikon 1 cameras such as V1. I mean "technology" in broad sense, as an approach. Indeed, the focus speed is the major issue poised for improvement in most mirrorless cameras. Some, such as Olympus OM-D E-M5, focuses relatively fast but DSLRs do it even faster. However, the focus speed is also depends on lens, e.g 18-55mm has new/different motor compared to the available prime lens. The second issue is electronic viewfinders but this issue can be resolved through high refresh rate (and faster readout from sensors). There is no word on the release day for X-Pro2 :) It is encouraging that the company works on the system. Frankly, I am not interested in a Pro model but rather in 55-200mm lens scheduled for the release in the first half of the next year :) In meantime I still will carry Olympus E-30 with ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD lens attached.

Bird and dragon | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD

Fuji X-E1 firmware update

It seems  am transforming into Fuji-fan :-) Anyway, Fujifilm had released the firmware update 1.01 for X-E1 that should improve handling of the XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R OIS lens. Fuji X-Pro1 also can be updated to 2.01. Also, according to posts on Fuji X-forum, XF18-55mm zoom lenses were already shipped to customers. I assume that the lens will be shipped with the latest firmware. At the moment XF18-55mm is not even mentioned on the firmware updates page.

In Brisbane the CameraPro shop has silver X-E1 in stock (body or kit with primes), and Digital Camera Warehouse has black camera on display. Ted's also lists the X-E1 as available.

Amazon top 20 cameras

It is always interesting to go through the list of the best selling camera on Amazon. Right now, Olympus XZ-1 at $199 is on the top of the list (until the stocks last). It stays there for some time now. Four DSLR cameras are among top 20 popular cameras including Nikon D5100 kit under $600. DSLRs are affordable cameras now. Granted, the new model, Nikon D5200 is a better camera, but it is not yet available, and many people probably would not see big difference in image quality between two cameras. Also, in top 20 list is Sony NEX-5N zoom kit for less than 500 USD, probably the most popular mirrorless camera right now. Frankly, for someone interested in photography not the latest camera there are quite a few bargains to choose from.

Among these essentially discontinued cameras in top 20 list Sony DSC-RX100 looks somewhat alienated. It is a recent model selling at full price. That what happen when the company create a new interesting product.

I was surprised to see Fuji X-E1 zoom kit in top best selling compact system cameras. I guess these are pre-orders.

Autofocus on Fuji X mirrorless cameras

It seems that the autofocus (AF) speed of prime lenses on Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1 cameras is one of the most discussed topics on Fujifilm X system forum on the dpreview site (example). Obviously, anyone used to (D)SLR cameras should notice the difference in autofucus speed in most mirrorless cameras. Several factors contributes to slow AF on compact system cameras. First, the focus speed depends on lens and lens' motor and not all lenses are created equal. Out of three available prime lenses, XF60mm F2.4 R Macro is the slowest which is not surprising considering that it is a macro lens. New XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS has different motor and apparently focuses fast but independent in-depth reviews on this lens are not yet available. Second, mirrorless cameras use different method for autofocus, so the tricks and skills from DSLR world may not work anymore. This post explains how to improve the AF performance on mirrorless camera (Fuji X-Pro1).

For anyone interested in comparison between Fuji X-E1 and Sony NEX-6: here is a very comprehensive comparison of the two cameras. Later in the thread the author of original post wrote that in some situation with dim light Fuji X10 might be better than the Sony because of the bright lens. Yes, the X10.

Fuji X-E1 zoom kit is in shops

According to this post Fujifilm X-E1 kit with XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens is already on display in some shops. So the zoom kits are available. I don't know if the same is true for Australia. I hope it will be here in next couple weeks.

More X-E1 / Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 related news. Fujifilm UK posted on flickr Lake District photos taken with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens. Unfortunately, the originals are not available but I like the photos. 

Still, activity of Fujifilm on social sites such as flickr does not much that of Samsung that has over 4,000 photos just on flickr, so people interested in say EX2F or NX20 can go and see quite a few pictures from the cameras. 

Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 for 300$

Ted's cameras shops have Fuji X-E1 in stock. I don't know if Ted's got the zoom kit or body only. I know that in other camera shops in Brisbane X-E1 body is available but the zoom kit or Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 lens are not. It looks like a very interesting business model to me: the zoom kit will save ~500$ over the separate purchase (based on prices in Ted's cameras). So, people not interested in zoom lens can make a couple hundred dollars from buying the kit instead of body only. Guess what would happen? Easy: the zoom kit is not yet available but the X-E1 bodies are on the display in Australian camera shops.

In other shops such as Digital Camera Warehouse, the difference is smaller (~350-400$) but still significant to stop me from buying the camera with the 60mm macro lens now and getting the XF 18-55mm OIS zoom later. I would rather save the money for XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 OIS expected to be released in the first half of 2013.

In meantime I am exploiting the Vivid (Velvia) mode on Fuji X10. The images are punchier (obviously), and generally very pleasant. The other thing I enjoy is Panorama option. It is possible to make a better panorame with a dedicated software and full-res images but for the web - the output from the camera is more than sufficient. 

Great Court, the University of Queensland | Fuji X10 (panorama mode), GIMP (levels)

Panorama with Fuji X10

Jacarandas at the UQ lakes | Fuji X10, in camera panorama | October 30, 2012

Not bad for the hand-held camera. The image at the original resolution is available on my flickr page. The levels were changed in GIMP, and the image was saved at a lesser quality.

I am still amazed with features in Fuji X10. Most of these things are new for me. Olympus cameras have auto panorama mode in the supplied software but it did not work well for me. I am talking here about my old compact cameras. Yes, I lived in a cave all that time :-)

Fuji X-E1 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5: link

Lets promote interesting things on the web :)

I came across a very lengthly thread on Micro Four Thirds forum discussing merits of Fujifilm X-E1 and Olympus OM-D E-M5. There are over 20 "pages", and I have not read all comments.

There are posts by users of Olympus and Fuji cameras (but for Fuji it is mainly X-Pro1). There are some very interesting opinions on "gear lust" and some other things. I am really glad to see someone admitting that photographic skills are the limiting factor in getting better picture not the camera capability which is fully applicable for me. As for gear acquisition syndrome: you need to enjoy the thing. My Olympus E-30 is a better camera than my previous Olympus DSLR but I do not enjoy it as much as the E-500, and as a result it generally stays at home. I probably would be happier with a smaller model such as E-620 but it is too late to go 4/3 route. Sensors are better now, mirrorless CSC are getting better, too. Even advanced compact cameras were revived from a nearly complete extinction and flourished in recent years. One of these, Fuji X10, makes me happy. While OM-D E-M5 is one of the best "advanced" CSC, I am not sure that I would enjoy as much as Fuji X10. I do like PENs, and would consider E-PL5 over OM-D E-M5 because of form/size and price. But I don't like the external controls in E-PL cameras. The touch screen may solve the problem of external control, but it is hard to say how it will work for me. I do like the layout of Fuji X-E1 which is similar to that of the X10, but I have not tried the camera with FX 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens yet. Frankly, I was surprised with a relatively small size of the X-E1. On photographs the rectangular body creates an impression of the fairly bulky camera.


Now about serious stuff: The Fuji X-E1 is an interesting camera by Kirk Tuck. I really like his writing style.

Fujifilm X10 for ~400AUD

Kogan now sells Fujifilm cameras. Fuji X10 is offered for 389AUD plus shipping (19 dollars to Brisbane), and the famous Fuji X100 is listed for 779 dollars. It is Kogan, so both are grey import. The lowest X100 Australian price I know is 998 dollars in CameraPro. Kogan also has very low prices for Nikon DSLRs, with D3200 body for 438 dollars (this is  a 24MP DSLR!), and Nikon D5100 with 18-55mm lens for 439 dollars. Granted, D5100 will be replaced with new model very soon but this camera has one of the best APS-C sensors.

Personally I buy cameras in local shops in Brisbane. I know people who bought cameras from the Kogan shop. They were happy with the purchase. Because it is a parallel import, most products have "back to the shop" guaranty. I don't know if Fuji X10 is now shipping with the new sensor or not, and it is unclear if the company will replace the sensor in "grey" cameras. Early production runs of Fuji X100 were prone to SAB (sticky aperture blades). While I never had issues with any digital camera during warranty I do prefer peace of mind.

Unfortunately, both Nikon and Canon cameras and lenses cost more in Australia than in the US, and the difference cannot be explained just by GST (local sales tax). From what I learnt the australian camera retailers are essentially hostages of the prices set up by the companies, and cannot do much. It is probably not just that factor, no doubt high wages and rent also contribute to the final price.