10,000 frames with Fuji X10, and counting

Jacarandas in bloom at the UQ lake | Fuji X10, Panorama mode, GIMP: levels

One year with Fuji X10. More than 10,000 frames. It turned out to be an amazing camera, with manual zoom, excellent handling, famous Fuji colors, low noise. 

I discovered that it is possible to take pictures without looking through the viewfinder. Moreover, it turned out that I can get sharp pictures with Fuji X10 at very low shutter speed, much lower than on my DSLR camera with sensor-based image stabilization. Lack of mirror (slap), good in-lens image stabilization, short focal length, neck strap used to stabilize the camera - probably all these factors contribute to sharp images. Next came in-camera panorama mode. I have not used compact cameras for years before acquisition of the Fujifilm X10. This is a big leap forward from old days. Sometimes the image stitching creates artifacts but it is still very impressive for panoramas taken with hand-held camera. The autofocus assist lamp works amazingly good and camera can focus in complete darkness.On-board flash works very well. I got used to Supermacro mode at 28mm (eqv) and the big depth of field very handy for macro shooters. Surprisingly, some presets, such as Sunset mode, are turned out to be very useful. I also returned to JPEG shooting. The image quality is very good in JPEGs, and I don't have time for RAW processing. 

My favorite settings: low noise reduction, Aperture priority mode, Auto white balance, Provia, iso 100 or 200, 200% dynamic range for iso 200. Except for the Supermacro mode, I try to keep the aperture open.

Things that I do not like in Fuji X10:
Viewfinder. It is ironic because the presence of a viewfinder in a camera was considered as nearly compulsory requirement for me. Why I don't like the viewfinder on Fuji X10? It is small, even for person used to 4/3 DSLRs. There is no information whatsoever, none. It is useless for polarizing filter or at close distance. Even in bright sun I generally use the monitor.  

The proprietary things: filter thread and the camera cable. I've bought a step-up ring and now can use standard filters. The cable is as precious as a lifeline. For some reasons the SD card used in Fuji X10 does not communicate with our computer through a card reader, and the images from the camera can be transferred only through the proprietary USB cable (proprietary universal serial bus cable - isn't it ironic?). On top of it, the camera cannot be powered through the USB cable and requires battery for image transfer.

Menu. Q button in firmware 2.0 helps to some extend but it is still hard to access some options such as image stabilization. I wish it would be possible to customize options in the Q menu. Erase or Format options are also buried deep in the menu but can be accessed relatively fast through the preview: when camera switched off, pressing green preview button will activate the preview mode, and pressing OK will give an option to delete all files.

Shutter speed at open aperture is limited to 1/1000 sec. Build-in neutral density filter can solve the problem. I don't know at what aperture the diffraction will kick in.

The battery. I got one spare battery but it is not enough for long trips.

None of these "don't like" this are serious. The viewfinder is useless, there are ways around the proprietary things, and the menu is compensated by really good user interface. 

Fountain | Fuji X10, OOC JPEG

I hope it is true: Fuji X-E1 zoom kit

At least one camera shop in Australia apparently has Fujifilm X-E1 body with 18-55mm lens "in stock". Can be typo, of cause. PhotoContinental still lists it in "backorder" status. Shops like Ted's or CameraPro list the zoom kit only for "pre-order". Anyway, less than one hour left till November, and according to September announcement from Fujifilm "...X-E1 and XF18mm-55mm (27-84mm) F2.8-4 lens (kit) will be available in November".

Infrared with Fuji X10

Fuji X10, Hoya R72, Auto WB, GIMP

Brisbane finally got some clouds, and I took some infrared pictures with Fuji X10 using Hoya R72 filter and small Manfrotto digital tripod . It was windy, so the foliage is blurry. More pictures were posted on my flickr account.

I still cannot figure out how to use Fuji X10 for infrared. Maybe I should do more post-processing in GIMP, not just level adjustment.

For infrared shooting I generally use Black and White R mode on Fuji X10 at base iso. The photo above was taken with Auto white balance, but use of a custom WB with a low value on Kelvin scale (2500K) gives better structure / resolution for clouds on sunny day.

Fuji X10, Hoya R72, Custom WB, GIMP

Fuji X10 in cloudy weather

Cloudy day in Brisbane | Fuji X10

Brisbane had very little rains in last few months, so clouds in the sky are very welcome. This day we actually got some rain.
The picture was taken with Auto white balance, at iso 200, dynamic range 200%. It seems that I need to dial exposure compensation to -0.3 or even lower to avoid the highlights clipping. Manual white balance (cloudy) results in strong green cast on similar scene.

Olympus XZ-1 for 199 USD

Olympus XZ-1, one of the best advanced compact cameras in recent years, is now tops the list of popular digital cameras at Amazon.com for just $199. This camera got the Gold Reward at the dpreview, and at that price the lack of thread for filter is not an issue anymore.

Just few CSC cameras made to top 100 list in digital cameras, with Sony NEX-5N for about $500 being the most popular mirrorless camera.

The most popular DSLR kits, Canon EOS Rebel T3i and Nikon D5100, are in range of $600.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II,  21.1MP full frame camera, is available for $1,700 (body only).

Maybe it is time to rethink my buying habits...

RAW support for Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1

One of the most criticised features of both Fuji X-E1 and X-Pro1 is lack of proper support for RAW conversion from major software developer. Two issues contribute the the problem:  a proprietary format for Fujifilm RAW files, and proprietary decoding required for X-Trans sensor data.

Most sensors used in digital cameras can capture only the intensity of the light but cannot distinguish colors in a single pixel [the exception is Foveon sensors]. In order to capture color information sensors use a mosaic color mask (Bayer color filter array), generally made of tiny red, blue and green filters. With such mask different pixels capture light intensity only in one color chanel out os these three colors and the color is reconstructed using the data from the adjacent pixels with a little help from various demosaicing algorithms. Such interpolation can create color artefacts, especially at some regular patterns, e.g. regular black and white lines. The problem of color moire can be solved by blurring the sensor output with an anti-aliasing filter but this comes at expense of fine details. So the camera manufactures are trying to get the right balance between details and lack of color moire by using different anti-aliasing filters and sophisticated demosaicing algorithms.

X-Trans sensor used in Fuji X-E1 and X-Pro1 has very unusual color mask that is resistant to color moire and hence does not require anti-aliasing filter. However, the standard algorithms of color interpolation cannot be used for such mask. Apparently Fujifilm had developed a sophisticated method for demosaicing of the X-Trans data but was reluctant to share the information with other software developers. On other hand, the first camera with X-Trans sensor, X-Pro1, was released less than one year ago, and I assume does not sell in big numbers compared to other cameras with RAW output. In this situation the third party software developers would be reluctant to put any efforts in a system with marginal share in digital world. RAW converters are very popular with DSLR users, and DSLRs now dominate the advanced cameras. Even among CSC, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are the most popular names. On top of that Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung - all use conventional Bayer mask. Apparently Fujifilm is taking a step in the right direction: it seems the company is ready to share the information about the X-trans sensor with ACR (Lightroom and Photoshop converter). If true, Lightroom may finally get a proper support for RAW files from Fuji X-E1 and X-Pro1.

Why RAW is important? RAW files keep the original information from sensor. It is some kind of a "digital negative". The RAW data can be processed later, and many parameters such as white balance can be applied after the shot. Per pixel, the RAW files store more information than the JPEGs. For example, sometimes blown highlights can be recovered from RAW files while it is impossible in JPEGs. More details can be recovered from RAW data.

Should we all shoot in RAW? I am not so sure. Camera manufacturers have proprietary RAW formats. The efforts were made to create a common RAW format but it is still just a dream. I cannot preview Olympus RAW files on a Windows computer without a dedicated software. Specialised software is needed to open and edit the RAW files, and it is unclear what kind of support we can get in the future for old camera models. Kodak and Minolta were gone, and it is hard to imagine that someone would develop support for their RAW files. Some camera makers create very good JPEGs, so it is hard to get more details from RAW files (my impression with old Olympus DSLRs). You need to convert RAWs into JPEGs to share the files with friends or on the web. My conclusion is that it is good to have RAW but not really necessary in 95% cases. The solution is to write both JPEG and RAW, and delete ones you don't need later.

As for the post on SoundImagePlus blog: for some people JPEGs are just fine. For example, I do like Fuji colors in JPEGs (as long as I do not use their vivid mode for landscapes) and most reviewers praise JPEGs from both X-E1 and X-Pro1. I found the JPEGs from Fuji X10 are quite pleasant and generally showing accurate colors. I do not develop RAWs from the X10 because of the software but I am mostly happy with the JPEGs. So, less hassle for me. The lack of support for X-P1 / X-E1 RAW data from major third party software manufacturers reminds me the orb / white discs / disks issue in Fuji X10. The sensor blooming was seen as a very serious problem by some people but essentially had no effect on others including me. While I would love to see the X-Trans RAW files supported in UFRaw / GIMP, the lack of RAW support is definitely not a deal breaker for me.

The requirements and expectation of a professional who earn his living though photography are quite different from these of an average photo hobbyist and happy shutterbug :)

update: first hand information on cooperation between Fujifilm and Adobe (interview on Photokina 2012, Imaging Resource).

Fuji X-E1 is available in Australia but as a body only

Some big camera stores in Brisbane got Fuji X-E1 body but the zoom kit is not available yet. I was told the zoom kit is expected to arrive soon :-) The camera body is very light, and with 60mm Macro lens it feels somewhat unbalanced compared to X-Pro1 with 35mm F1.4 lens (yes, apples and tangerines, I know :-)). Also, I have impression that the X-Pro1 feels more comfortable in my hands. I guess it is because of  better balance of light lens and heavy body. The X-E1 / 60mm F2.4 combo is not heavy by any means for anyone used to DSLR, but 60mm weight is mere 215g while 18-55mm zoom is 310g. For comparison my ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 is 435g. As for user interface: it is a Fujifilm X camera. After the X10 the UI on X-E1 looks very familiar.

The price of Fuji X-Pro1 is now essentially identical to X-E1. I am talking about camera and prime bundle in some camera shops in Brisbane.

Jacaranda tree | Fuji X10

AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR

Today Nikon announced a new AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR telephoto lens that will make many people happy. I was very tempted to go Canon because of a similar lens renown for stellar performance. I use ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 on Olympus DSLR and do like the results. Fujifilm has XF 55-200mm F2.8-4.8 OIS lens in their lens roadmap planned for release early next year.

Australian Water Dragon | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

Nikon 1 V2 and the new battery rant

Nikon had announced Nikon 1 V1 CSC camera, a replacement for existing V1 model. Based on specs, the new model got few attractive features such as as thumb dial, mode selection dial and build-in flash. Pixel count went up to 16MP. I bet there are other improvements inside the body. The previous model was / is very capable camera. Surprisingly the V2 runs on new EN-EL21 battery (V1 has EN-EL15 and J1/J2 both need EN-EL20). The previous V1 model runs on batteries used in some Nikon DSLRs such as D7000. I bet the ability to swap the batteries between camera is very attractive feature for many Nikon DSLR owners who want to have an additional small camera with good image quality. With the new EN-EL21 battery the V2 can fire 300 shots on a single charge while the EN-EL15 is certified for 350 shots on the previous model. Nikon got praised for a good battery life in their top model. Not anymore. It is strange decision considering the presence of a big grip on V2. The only explanation I came with: maybe new Nikon DSLRs will use the same battery. The updates for D5100 and D7000 models are expected to be released in nearby future. I just cannot believe that someone in the design team had decided to remove one of the attractive features of V1 without any obvious reason.

I wish Fujifilm would produce a camera with 1" sensor and non-removable fast zoom lens as a replacement of X10 that would run on batteries used in X100, X-Pro1 and X-E1. No hassle with multiple chargers, no need to have tons of different spare batteries. I bet people would be happy to pay extra money for convenience. Considering the popularity of X100 and the huge interest in X-E1 (it is still in top ten viewed cameras on dpreview), Fujifilm can sell such cameras as a part of a system. It would be so nice to have one type of batteries in a household that can be used in "family camera", DSLR and / or CSC cameras. As a bonus, it would be possible to get more than pathetic 200 frames on a single charge.

Waiting for Fuji X-E1

Recently I started to read Fuji X system / DSLR forum on the dpreview. It seems that I am not the only one who don't mind to swap DSLR for mirror less because of size and weight. Frankly, DSLRs now are more functional, flexible and "complete" than any mirrorless system. Even full-frame DSLRs such as Nikon D600 do not cost arm and leg anymore. Lens choice, excellent optical viewfinders, fast focus, battery life - just these few things put to shame any current mirrorless system. Nevertheless quite a few people swap their DSLRs for compact system cameras because of weight and size. For them the image quality and features of CSC are good enough. Not better than DSLR but just good enough. I have not followed this trend after release of Olympus OM-D but it is quite visible now in Fuji forum. The X-Pro1 was relatively big and heavy, was priced as a niche camera, and as "primes only" was aimed on narrow group of photographers. Just to be clear: this group is not small, but addition of the first zoom lens, XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS, and release of smaller, lighter and cheaper X-E1 make the X system attractive for a wider group of people than it used to be just a few months ago.

I can cope with the colour smearing of X-Trans sensor or artefacts around italic texts noted by some users in X-Pro1 photographs. I suspect these problems appear in very limited situations and have negligible effect on nature or street photography. I have "orb-generating machine", Fuji X10, and did non even bother to replace the sensor because the famous white discs appear in specific situations / shooting conditions, and for me the sensor blooming in Fuji X10 is completely irrelevant. But occasionally I come across posts stating the superiority of Canon and Nikon cameras for nature-oriented photography over X-Pro1 / X-E1. My personal experience with Fuji X10 is very positive, but I do not use high saturation (Velvia) mode for landscapes. I tried a couple times, and the results were… hmmm very vivid. As for Provia mode - I do like nature shots from the X10. On top of that, it seems that majority of Fuji X-Pro1 users are street photographers working exclusively at night…

Unfortunately, both Canon and Nikon do not make CSC camera I like to have. I prefer to have I" sensor in a camera with fixed lens and macro capability. I just don't see any reason to have CSC with such sensor and slow lenses. As for Canon… I'd rather wait to see what plans Canon has for CSCs.

This left me with m4/3 and NEX. I use Olympus digital cameras for more than 10 years. The latest offerings such as OM-D E-M5 or EP-L5 look very interesting. I don't like digital lens correction but it seems that in these days everyone do it to some extend. It is possible to get better lenses than kits, and Olympus primes are good. If Olympus will indeed release PEN with EVF a-la NEX-6 or Fuji X-E1, it can be a really attractive camera, especially with OM-D type user interface. Olympus OM-D is very good all-around camera with tilt screen, external controls and good EVF. After a brief play with the camera I had impression that the OM-D is somewhat small for my hands. Also, I don't like the hump in the middle of the camera. On other hand, Fuji X-Pro1 was very comfortable camera to handle, and I suspect the same will apply to X-E1 due to similar form factor: X-E1 slightly shorter and narrower (?) but it should not change the handling of the camera. I have not tied NEX cameras and cannot say anything about handling.

Surprisingly, I have not seen any major negative comments about Fuji X-E1 even on Fujifilm X forum on dpreview. Very positive sign.

And while waiting for the release of X-E1 zoom kit, I do take pictures with my cameras. It is all about pictures, isn't it? :-) Why I need to justify a new toy?

Eurasian Coot | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD

Sigma DP1M is available in Australia

Sigma DP1M / DP1 Merrill is available in Australia through an official distributor of Sigma products, C. R. Kennedy, for 950 AUD. The camera has 28mm eqv. F2.8 lens in front of high-res Foveon sensor and should produce similar stunning images as DP2M / DP2 Merrill. I have several posts with links to photos taken with DP2 Merrill (click on the label at the bottom of this page).

Luminous Landscape just posted a field report for DP1 Merrill. The site also has a comprehensive review of DP2 Merrill. Some interesting observations on DP2M were  posted in SoundImagePlus blog (click on tag to see other posts).

What camera should I buy?

All happy photographers are alike: they take pictures. The unhappy photographers ask what camera should they buy. No doubt, the spectrum of unhappiness is significantly wider. Some people do intensive pixel peeping, some shoot brick walls aka test samples, some argue about brand A over brand B on various forums, etc. It seems that this unhappiness is not even linked to photography but rather associates with the believe in existence of an ultimate camera. Obviously, the good images can be taken only with such ultimate camera.

So, why people are not happy with their equipment? Some  problems can be easily resolved. Want fast camera with long lens for wild life photography? Just decide on lenses, and get any DSLR. DSLRs are cheap in these days. Does not like bulk and weight of a DSLR? Get superzoom. It comes with compromise in image quality. Formulate the problem. The solution is simple.

The other issue is the "latest model" hype. I have one, I know. It is irrational. For example, early models of Olympus PEN cameras should produce images either identical or better than my Olympus E-30. The first PEN models, refurbished or new, cost just fraction of what I paid for the E-30. PENs are small capable cameras. But I would not buy such old models. Obviously, the image quality on cameras such as Nikon D7000 or D5100 is better than on Oly E-30 or PENs but I am generally satisfied with the pictures from the E-30. I don't like size, weight and small viewfinder, but this is another story.

In some sense, I perceive the cameras as toys. I do like new toys. I already ordered some filters, adapters and spare parts for a new camera because Fujifilm makes very addictive cameras. You start with a light stuff such as X10, but within less one year you realise that you want need more. There should be a law prohibiting people from having more than one working camera :) Or maybe the company should put sticker with warning on camera box, something like "buying Fuji cameras is addictive".

I am still hesitating about Fuji X-E1 because vast majority of pictures taken with this camera and posted on flickr were either taken at night or depict food. I am firmly believe that cameras affect human personality, so it is possible that acquisition of the Fuji camera may dramatically change my lifestyle and I will wander in the night from one eatery to another in search of next plate of delicious meal, for sake of photography of cause. In this sense Olympus OM-D E-M5 is a safer bet for me because I saw plenty nature pictures taken with it, so it probably would not transform my life dramatically.

At the UQ lake, St Lucia, Brisbane | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-F3.5 SWD

Fuji X-E1: nearly there

Fuji X-E1 (zoom kits and body only) is available for pre-order in Ted's Cameras. In Australia E-X1 body is priced essentially identical to Fuji X-Pro1, so people who want to have an hybrid viewfinder and slightly bigger camera do not need to pay more, and with the firmware 2.0 X-Pro1 the focus speed is better.

It seems that some scam / dodgy trading is going on with "used Fuji X-E1 zoom kits". Another reason to buy cameras in local shops.

Update:
Photos taken with FX 18-55mm are on flickr. Not originals but the amount of details is very impressive. Both lens and camera (X-E1) are labelled as pre-production units. The comments & opinion on camera / zoom lens from the author of the photographs / early tester are here.

Test samples from Nikon Coolpix P7700

The dpreview has published the test shots for Nikon Coolpix P7700. The camera uses 1/1.7" back-illuminated sensor, and it seems that the images are slightly better at higher iso. Similar (the same?) sensor is present in the latest advanced compact cameras from other manufacturers (Olympus XZ-2). Nikon P7700 has very attractive lens, the longest in advanced compact cameras, covering 28-200 mm (35 mm eqv) with fairly big maximal aperture, F2.0-F4.0. [Fuji X-S1 has even bigger zoom and bigger sensor but it is not really compact camera]. While P7700 lost an optical viewfinder of its predecessor, it has a fully articulated screen and extensive external controls. Frankly, the difference in image quality between cameras in the same category is not huge, and I suspect that the "fine-tuning" of any advance model can have bigger effect. For example, I use the lowest setting for noise reduction on Fuji X10, and most my pictures were taken at iso 100 or 200, and I am happy with the resolution. I wish Fuji X10 would have build-in neutral density filter as Nikon P7700 or Panasonic LX7, because the maximal shutter speed on Fuji X10 at open aperture is about 1/1000 sec, and on sunny day at some point the diffraction can be an issue.

On other hand, right now Nikon 1 mirrorless camera can be bought on Amazon for less than 500 USD for a single lens kit (10-30mm), and two lens kit (including 30-100mm lens) is priced at 600+. While the whole thing is not compact, it is not huge camera by any means. The images are amazingly good for 1" sensor. While kit lenses are not fast, the focus is very fast, and 30-110mm lens offer longer reach (~300 mm 35mm equv) compared to P7700. At that price it is very tempting buy. For sure, Nikon 1 V2 will be better camera, but it is not announced yet, and the price probably will be higher.

For me the advantage of compact cameras such as P7700 are: bright optics, external controls (buttons and dials) and super-macro mode. I have not mentioned size and weight because my Fuji X10 is not significantly smaller or lighter than Nikon 1 cameras with 10-30mm lens. Frankly, I prefer to have camera with good lens over pocketable camera, but it is personal folly. Just to be clear: compact cameras such as Olympus XZ-1 / XZ-2 or Panasonic LX7 produce very good images, but the manual zoom on Fuji X10 is just joy to use. For me Fuji X10 is a toy camera: I like to play with it :-)

Lemon Migrant | Fuji X10

Sigma DP2M, again

SoundImagePlus blog got several very interesting posts on Sigma DP2M (DP2 Merrill). Another link.

I was very tempted with Sigma DP2M. The images from Foveon sensor have certain "character", and some people just get hooked on it. Capture of full color at every pixel and lack of anti-aliasing filter results in very sharp images. I have couple posts with links to the DP2M images (click on Sigma DP2 Merrill tag at the bottom of the page).

I just don't feel that DP2M suits my current needs. Most of my pictures were taken as snapshots during lunch walks or in local city parks. Occasionally I go on photo trips to national parks but it does not happen often now. I cannot spend significant proportion of time on image processing as I used to do. Now I really appreciate JPEGs from Fuji X10 which requires just cropping and resizing.

So, on my occasional trips to rainforest I will carry Olympus E-30 with two lenses and big tripod. 

Misty Rainforest | Olympus E-30

Fuji X-E1 zoom kit in Australia

It seems that Fuji X-E1 kit with XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 zoom lens will be available in nearby future very soon because it is listed in PhotoContinental. It is big and reputable camera shop in Brisbane, with long history in photo business. Their price for the zoom kit is slightly lower than in another Brisbane shop, CameraPro, and comparable to the US prices in shops like Adorama (add 10% GST). Kudos to Fujifilm!

According to Fuji Rumors, the zoom kit will be available in Japan on November 17. One Sydney/on-line camera shop (Dirt Cheap Cameras) also expects to get X-E1 with zoom lens in November.

I am curious why X-E1 kits with prime lenses are not offered in Australia or US. Obviously, it is possible to buy body and lens separately but at least in Australia the price will be essentially identical to similar kit with Fuji X-Pro1 (see prices at CameraPro).


Useful links for X system:
flickr group dedicated to XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 lens - at the time of writing just several mainly high iso images
Forum for Fuji X system - all news are there
X lenses tests on Photozone - my favorite site for lens tests
Fujifilm's official page for digital camera and lenses: specs, lens roadmap etc

Sample photos with FUJINON XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS lens

The official sample photos taken with the first zoom lens for Fuji X system cameras are available (scroll to the bottom of the page). The lens will be sold as a kit with X-E1, so the sample photos were taken with this camera. I bet the first three pictures were taken in Australia.

Flickr now has several groups dedicated to Fuji X-E1, but the images were taken with primes because E-X1 zoom kits are not available yet.

I tried Fuji X-Pro1 in a shop. It was very comfortable camera to handle but it was somewhat big and heavy. It is lighter and smaller than my DSLR but I would prefer something smaller. I liked the hybrid viewfinder on X-Pro1, it is very big and comfortable comparing to my 4/3 DSLR. On other hand, I do not use a viewfinder on my X10. It is a peephole compared to the viewfinder on X-Pro1. Parallax still should be an issue on X-Pro1 (I need to convince myself that I don't want this camera :)) I can live with EVF only because X-E1 is slightly smaller and lighter, and I like zoom lens and build-in flash. The difference in price between E-X1 (pre-order) and E-Pro1 in Australia (Brisbane) is relatively small, and does not contribute to my preference for the X-E1. Unfortunately, X-E1 has fixed screen but it seems that this feature is reserved for X-Pro2 model.

Actually I am happy with photos from my Olympus E-30. I just want to have a smaller camera. Obviously, I looked on the latest m4/3 cameras such as Olympus OM-D E-M5. From what I saw, the image quality is indeed vey good. It has many buttons (I'm a fan of external controls) and articulated touch screen. I am not sure that I like the hump in the middle of the camera and the external flash. The kit zooms are heavily corrected in JPEGs, but I probably can live with that. Frankly, I think that Olympus PEN E-PL5 is a better deal for the money but it's user interface does not match my taste. But right now Fuji X-E1does look like a perfect camera for me. And it is even lighter than Olympus OM-D E-M5: approx. 350g against 425g. [but the weight will be compensated by Fuji 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens]

What about my current favourite camera, Fuji X10? We took over 9,000 images with it within less than one year because it is joy to shoot with. For daytime it still might be my favourite camera because I like depth of field and supermacro mode. It is small and has very good mechanical zoom lens. As all compact cameras with small sensor it does not like shady areas or areas with low contrast. Judging from the available samples Fuji X-E1 should be better in both situations. The X10 has bigger zoom range at the tele end and bright lens comparing to XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 zoom. For night shots the X-E1 will win hands down. The resolution is better on the X-E1, so it would be possible to zoom by crop. Bottom line is that I may still prefer to use the X10 because it is just very convenient camera. For me it depends on usability and image quality. I suspect that Fuji X10 will win for me in usability while the difference in image quality needs to be obvious for me in order to change the preferences. For example, generally I prefer X10 over Olympus E-30 because the image quality is good enough for my needs but it is more comfortable camera to use. For wild life shooting I use the DSLR with ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD lens but it does not happen very often. Keep in mind that here I compare old (Olympus E-30) and new (Fuji X10) technologies, so it is not fair comparison. I compare my current cameras with perspective models, from my personal point of view. I stated several times that for someone a DSLR camera can be a better choice for the money but for a person who get sore eyes after 20 minutes shooting through a small viewfinder DSLR might be not good choice.

Australian Water Dragon | Brisbane. October 9, 2012 | Olympus E-30, ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

Current price of Fuji X-Pro1 in Oz

It seems that Fujifilm decided to lower the price for X-Pro1, at least in Australia. Digital Camera Warehouse now offers the body for 1,300 AUD, slightly more than the expected price for the E-X1. In CameraPro the X-Pro1 body is listed for less than 1,100 AUD, and single lens kits are available for 1,700 AUD. That is very generous pricing. So, anyone who want to use the hybrid viewfinder, can get the camera for a reasonable price, and can get it now. Oh, and Fuji X100 finally can be bought for less than 1000 dollars.

firmware 2.0 for Fuji X10

I've installed a new firmware 2.0 on Fuji X10 which changes the RAW button to Q. Now it provides a quick access to ~ dozen parameters. Probably half of these parameters have dedicated buttons, and apparently there is no possibility to choose other function. Still, I found it useful because the Q button remember the last accessed parameter. So, it is possible to change Noise filter setting, take a shot, and go back to Noise filter by pressing Q button. It seems it behaves similar to INFO button on Olympus cameras except that Fuji has less options. 

New filters look interesting. Not my type of photography but I may give it a try. 

The firmware went though an Apple computer (Mac Air), not my home PC desktop, and the upgrade went without any issue.  

Fuji X10 and other advanced compact cameras

Nearly all major camera manufacturers have updated their advanced compact cameras in 2012. The only exception is Fujifilm. Well, Fuji fixed / replaced sensor in X10 camera. [I am not sure if the company stated that X10 cameras now have new sensor but I don't see any reason to fit the body with old sensor.] The most intriguing model for me is Sony RX100 with 1" sensor, twice bigger than the sensor in Fuji X10. The Sony camera is very compact but the lens is slow at long end. Also, distortion is relatively high but it is corrected automatically. This is the first compact camera with sensor of that size. The camera enjoy immense popularity. 

All other camera makers ended up with slightly smaller sensors in the latest models of advanced compact cameras. Olympus kept his wonderful lens on XZ-2 and improved a user interface. However, both Canon and Nikon have updated the lenses on P7700 and G15, and this thing alone made their models very attractive. The new models got brighter lenses, so it would be possible to use the cameras at low iso. Nikon P7700 also lost an optical viewfinder, and became more compact. Unfortunately, dpreview has not published their analysis of the latest breed of advanced compacts. 

Fuji X10 is somewhat stand-alone camera in this category. It has fairly big 2/3" sensor and it is not designed to be a truly compact camera. The camera has an exceptional lens with mechanical zoom and fairly good set of external controls and optical viewfinder. With such "traditional" interface Fuji targeted a specific group of photographers. It does not mean that other people would not enjoy the camera but other brands may provide a cheaper and more compact options. I do like user interface on Fuji X10, and consider it as one of the best current compact cameras. It is my favourite camera at the moment. I doubt that the difference in image quality between current advanced compact camera is huge at low iso, so for me it is boiled down to usability of a camera. For my type of shooting (mainly Aperture priority mode) the key parameters on Fuji X10 have dedicated buttons and can be changed very fast. Unfortunately the camera does not have a build-in Neutral Density filter: the shutter speed at f/2.0 is about 1/1000 sec, so it is impossible to shoot with wide open diaphragm at bright light. I would like to have a non-fixed screen - it is really handy for macro shooters.

Fuji X-E1 is available

Fuji X-E1 is already available in Asia (via fujirumors). According to comments in Hong Kong the camera was sold as a kit with 35mm lens. The same is offered in Australia by DigitalRev. I bet the price excludes GST. Also Sydney shop digiDIRECT listed X-E1 zoom kit. I have no idea how reliable / good are these shops. I buy cameras locally in Brisbane shops.

It means that the new samples will be available, or already available.

In meantime I came across a review of the X-E1 (link to the corresponding thread on preview). Unfortunately, the sample images are small. It seems that people generally like the new Fuji camera.