Fuji XF10-24mm: price and pre-order

Fujinon XF10-24mm lens can be pre-orderd in big camera shops such as B&H for $999 including shipping (within the US). The lens is not listed in several local shops. I noticed that here in Brisbane, CameraPro has the most competitive prices for Fuji lenses.

Another day, another walk in Lamington national park

Antarctic beech, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

I cannot convey the feeling of being inside of the relict Gondwana rainforest. I also cannot imagine  dinosaurs walking around such forest. It just does not sum up for me. Dinosaurs were big, and forest is very dense. Granted, Lamington national park is more subtropical (warm), and Northern NSW has the best Nothofagus forests in Australia. I mean places such as New England national park. 

Sigma Merrill cameras in Oz

In Australia the compact Merrill cameras (DP1, DP2 and DP3) are available for $760 (AUD) through the official distributor.  I wish I would have more time for photography.... Sigma produces very interesting cameras with unique Foveon sensor. Their cameras are not aimed for point-and-shoot crowd. People who understand the cameras do produce stunning images.

Fuji cameras are on sale in the US

In B&H Fuji X-A1 with XC16-50mm lens and 16GB SDHC card is available for roughly $500. Here in Brisbane the price is over $750 (AUD). The Aussie is trading below parity now, about 0.9 USD, and we have 10% GST on goods. This would add $100 to the price, but it is still about $150, or 20%, cheaper in the US.

In the same shop the XC16-55mm lens is available for pre-order for $399.

Announcement of Fuji XF10-24mm

The much anticipated Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 R OIS wide-angle zoom lens is announced by Fuji today but it will be  available only in March 2014 (source: DPReview) for $1000. The closest focussing is 24cm (the max magnification  0.16x at telephoto), and the weight is 410g excluding the hood. The XF10-24mm sample images  are not yet released on the Fuji website but the lens specs are available.

Fuji X-E2 in Brisbane

One of my favorite local camera shops, Digital Camera Warehouse,  expects to have Fuji X-E2 in "early December". The price is a bit higher than for X-E1, but it is a better camera.

The wide zoom lens, XF10-24mm F4 is still listed for year 2013 on Fuji lens roadmap. Do we expect to hear the announcement within the remaining two weeks? It would be really nice... I am very keen to try the wide lens in local rainforest on my occasional bushwalking trips :)

Gorge upstream of the Coomera falls, Lamington national park, SE Queensland.

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm; 1/13 sec, f/3.6 comp. -0.7, iso 1600, handheld at ~43mm (35mm eqv)

New wallet-friendly Olympus OM-D camera

According to some web rumors, Olympus will release an "entry-level" OM-D camera in nearby future. In Oz Oly E-M1 (body only) is available for about $1500, while E-M5 goes for under $900 (with extras). For comparison: Oly E-P5 body is available for ~ $850. Will the new OM-D camera be cheaper than that?

I guess the new model will use the latest hybrid autofocus as E-M1. Improvement of hybrid autofocus technology allows decent compatibility with 4/3 lenses, so just this feature in affordable body is a very welcome addition to the OM-D range.

In Brisbane I can get Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 lens for $770. If the new OM-D body will be in the same price range, I would be able to use it with ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5. No lens swap, just carry two cameras. I would not expect weather-proofing for an entry-level body, but the same true for my Fuji gear.

Canon EOS-M2: Japan only

Canon EOS-M2 was announced in Japan. The latest model uses "hybrid" autofocus system, which should make a significant difference over the previous model. It seems that the camera is now available only in Japan.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 as a gear of the year

Olympus OM-D E-M1 is named in"gear of the year" category by the DPReview team. It is a very interesting camera, an upgraded version of the famous OM-D E-M5. The camera is also positioned as successor of high-end Olympus 4/3 DSLRs, hence it is weather-sealed. The waterproof construction is very appealing for nature photography, especially in wet conditions. Olympus also produces weather-sealed lenses for m43, as well as weather-sealed adapter for 4/3 lenses.

Misty day at Binna Burra, Lamington national park, Australia. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Pain of RAW

One piece of the Olympus software on my computer does not work anymore. Unfortunately, this software is required for RAW files from Olympus E-30. While I don't use the DSLR very often I still have quite a few RAW files. The ORF files can be open by UFORaw (GIMP plugin) and edited, but UFORaw is not very good for preview. Obviously, the issue is fixable, but it would take time. I shoot mainly JPEG with Fuji cameras now, so my motivation for fixing old stuff is not very strong. Sort of nice to have but not critical. Having JPEGs would be a more convenient option.

Another walk in the Lamington nation park

Border track near Binna Burra, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Another walk at the Lamington national park. I went to Binna Burra last Sunday, and did the Coomera circuit. It was misty, and the place got some rains in previous days. It was wet and muddy, but leaches appeared only after the Coomera falls. The famous Blue Lamington crayfish  walked in grass along the creeks. Notable change happen on the track: the park rangers cleared a new lookout at the edge of the Coomera gorge, with nice view towards Yarrabilgong falls.

Surprisingly, I got bitten by a tick, a very rare event for this track. Another unexpected and unpleasant finding: a small patch of Creeping Gloxinia, Lophospermum erubescens, growing somewhere in the middle of the rainforest. I saw the same species growing upstream of Elabana falls at Green Mountains / O'Reilly's section, but it seems Creeping Gloxinia is common across the park.

Any alternative to flickr?

I don't like the latest flickr layout. It just killed my social interactions. The latest layout is designed for touch screens and tablets but does not work for me on laptop or desktop. I am very flexible with computers: I work under both OS and Windows, and use Unix shell. Maybe I should embrace the new touch world and get a tablet, just to see how it would handle the current flickr layout.

The alternative solution would be migration to another photo hosting site. The major obstacle to such migration is the established communities on flickr. I don't know any other photo hosting site with groups interested in (Australian) vegetation. There are several such groups on flickr, and this is the main reason why I still keep my flickr account.

My problems: I  cannot figure out if it is possible to get the old style view for other photostreams, the same as "Edit" view on my photostream. The same for individual photographs. 

I may go back to RedBubble, but it is artistic. Photobucket has too much  ads.

Gold Coast, Australia

Walk near the Ocean. Gold Coast, SE Queensland

Pandanus trees, casuarinas, blue sky, serf, yellow shelters of lifesavers, tourists with cameras - it is Gold Coast. The place is extremely popular as a holiday destination for anyone enjoying a mass socializing or shopping.

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm. Shot as JPEG, with minor tweaking in GIMP. More hi-res pictures on my fickr pag.

Hotel at Gold Coast

Where is the XF10-24mm?

November 20 is over, and there was no announcement of XF10-24mm f4.0 from Fuji. The lens is still listed for the release in 2013 on the X Mount Lens Roadmap (September 2013 version of the roadmap). It seems that some people might get a nice present for Christmas :)

On slightly different topic: Fuji X100S is selected for "gear of the year" review by DPReview, and this revived my gear acquisition syndrome. While I have not tried the "S" version, the previous model was extremely comfortable to handle, and the viewfinder was just amazing.

Olympus did it again

Olympus OM-D E-M1 is among the most popular mirrorless cameras on Amazon. Not surprising, considering that this model is positioned as a successor of 4/3 DSLR cameras. Unfortunately, it was not available a year ago when I shopped for a mirrorless camera.

Fuji XF10-24mm in less than two weeks

The announcement of wide-angle zoom Fujinon XF10-24mm F4.0 R OIS is rumored for November 20 (through the Mirrorless rumors site). I am very curious about this lens. All XF lenses produced so far are very good, and wide-angle zoom is a very attractive option for people interested in nature-oriented photography. There are places where zoom by legs is not recommended :)

Sony Alpha day in Brisbane

Several very interesting cameras were released in last few months. Sony continues to amaze me. Their RX10 is a dream camera: 1'' sensor, 24-200mm (eqv) F2.8 lens, tilting screen, very good OLED EVF, build-in flash. The dream comes with a hefty price tag. The introductory price here is Brisbane is just slightly under 1,400AUD. It is a bit heavy, over 800g (not surprising considering the lens). 

While RX10 is not on my shopping list now, I am very curious about this camera. It seems that I may have an opportunity to try it this Saturday here in Brisbane: Digital Camera Warehouse will host(? have?) an ALPHA day on November 9 (10am -3pm). The full-frame mirrorless cameras A7 and A7R will be shown, too.

I've bought a couple things from this shop, and have very pleasant experience with their stuff.   

Mirrorless camera from Fuji with a standard sensor

Fujifilm has strong interest in sensors. Fujifilm DSLRs had very interesting sensors. In theur mirrorless cameras the company uses a unique color filter instead of 2x2 Bayer mask. Upon release the X-Trans sensor got a mixed reception. First, data processing from the complex color filter by third-party software was not as good as Fuji "in house" processing but this problem was eventually resolved. X-Trans sensor is also prone to "color smearing" in some situations.

In few days Fujifilm is expected to announce an entry-level mirrorless camera equipped with a conventional sensor (Bayer mask, not X-Trans). So, people will be able to choose between two entry-level models, X-M1 with X-Trans sensor, and X-A1 with Bayer mask. This may provide a very useful feedback to the company. 

The new tele-zoom XC 50-230mm lens is expected to be announced together with the new camera.

Second life for ZUIKO 4/3 lenses

Olympus announced the much anticipated flagship mirrorless model, E-M1 (read about the first impressions on DPReview and check the sample photos). The new model is positioned above the hugely popular OM-D E-M5, and it seems that both cameras will coexist for some time. In fact, E-M1 is viewed as the replacement for Olympus DSLRs such as E-5. The sensor development is improved significantly since 12MP sensor used in E-30 and E-5, so the image quality should be better on new model. Olympus decided to go with E-M1 instead of "E-7" and "merge" 4/3 and m4/3 systems (Photorumors).

The new camera got on-sensor contrast detection autofocus system, hence, better autofocus with ZUIKO 4/3 lenses designed for DSLRs. Olympus put a good viewfinder on E-M1, with fairly big magnification. 

To sum up:
the body is significantly smaller than E-5 / E-3
better autofocus with 4/3 lenses, not as good as on a DSLR camera but usable
hi-res viewfinder with good magnification comparable with high-end DSLRs
buttons and two dials, hence settings can be changed fast
16MP sensor without low pass filter
focus peaking
state of the art in-body image stabilisation (5-axis :-))

Naturally, it comes at price.

images of Olympus E-M1

Olympus is expected to expand its OM-D line with the new E-M1 camera (link to PhotoRumors). The new camera has a very pronounced grip. We may expect to see a bigger battery and better compatibility with 4/3 lenses (faster autofocus). Many people with 4/3 ZUIKO lenses might be very happy with this offer. In some sense the rumored Olympus camera might be similar to Sony A3000, a mirrorless "DSLR" camera.

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ooops - wrote X-M1 in the title - am I fixed on Fuji now? :)

New Fuji mirrorless camera with a conventional sensor

Fujifilm got a lot of attention with X-system. Even DPReview is joined the rumors crowd with the post about new X-A1 mirrorless camera with a standard Bayer sensor. It is expected that the new camera will be similar to X-M1 but fitted with 16MP sensor with the standard Bayer filter instead of the proprietary X-Trans mask used in X-Pro1, X-E1, X-M1 and X100S cameras. The camera would have a 3" tilting screen (for details see page on PhotoRumors). It seems that the new camera is pictured with the new budged tele-zoom lens, XC50-230mm (eqv 75-350mm). Hopefully the new lens will be announced together with the X-A1.  

Sony lensor unit with 1" sensor

Sony is very innovative company. It has (arguably) the most popular mirrorless system, or at least one of the most popular. RX100 and RX100MII, the compact cameras with 1" sensor, are extremely popular despite of relatively high price. Sony essentially abandoned traditional DSLRs and switched to semi-transparent mirror. Now Sony is aiming on camera / mobile hybrids. The idea is pretty straightforward: smartphones have screens and can remotely control cameras. So, strip a camera from controls and fit it with WiFi or some kind of wireless connection. But Sony added another remarkable thing: magnet. It seems that it is possible to stick such lensor on smartphone and get a "proper camera". I guess the magnet will work on other metal surfaces, so it would add more opportunities to remotely controlled photography.

According to recently surfaced rumors (or here), Sony will release two lensors, 10x zoom with 1/2.3" sensor and another unit with 1" sensor used in RX100MII. The 1" lensor is fairly big, with a 3.6x Zeiss lens. Zeiss name, fairly conservative 3.6x zoom range, size of the lensor - all these things indicate a high quality product.

Olympus E-M1

A few days ago the specs of new rumored mirrorless Olympus camera appeared on the web (e.g. see this post on Mirrorless Rumors). Basically, the new camera (E-M1? - a bit strange numbering and confusing numbering if true) looks similar to E-M5 with several things updated and improved. One of the most interesting new feature: phase detection autofocus embedded into a 16MP sensor. This should (at least in theory) provide a decent autofocus speed with 4/3 lenses, but through 4/3 to m4/3 adapter. Occasionally Olympus bundles such adapters with cameras. 

New Olympus camera in September

Olympus is rumored to announce a mirrorless camera that can work both with 4/3 and m4/3 lenses. Technically, it is possible to use 4/3 lenses on current m4/3 bodies but at expense of an autofocus speed. The new camera is rumored would not require any adapter. One way of doing this would be a movable sensor: distance between lens and sensor is different in Olympus DSLRs and m4/3 mirrorless cameras. Besides of compatibility with two lens systems, this should add build-in macro capability, obviously at expense of f number. Technically it might work with any m4/3 lens. Autofocus (speed) might be an issue for kit zoom lenses, but this might open a really interesting opportunity for excellent prime lenses available for m4/3 system.

How big will be this camera?  It seems the camera is planned as a replacement for Olympus OM-D E-M5, but, on other hand, with such build-in adapter it might be similar in size to Olympus 4/3 DSLRs. Unless Olympus use some additional tricks :) 

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic GX7 have been announced some time ago. This is a milestone mirrorless camera for Panasonic, for several reasons. First, it has in-body image stabilization. This thing should work with third party lenses including Olympus primes. Second, it got a viewfinder in a small body. Finally we have a rangefinder-like m4/3 body. Third, the viewfinder is tiltable. Obviously, the new sensor is better (less noisy), and max 1/8000 with electronic shutter sounds very interesting. The DPReview site already published First Impressions page on the camera.

Lensor for smartphone from Sony

Digital cameras allow more flexibility in design compared to film cameras. For example, lens and camera body can be separated. Nikon did it long time ago, through a cable. It was great idea but it was abandoned. Ricoh created several modular cameras with interchangeable lensor (lens and sensor) and body. Development of the wireless technology adds more flexibility to such design. Smartphones are very popular, and addition of lensor unit looks like a logical step. (bluetouth - how I managed to write that?). It seems that Sony did it again: the company is rumored to release a lens and sensor combo that will work with smartphones. It seems the lensor will have a big sensor. So, it might be a very compact mirrorless camera. The obvious problems: it will be a separate unit with a battery.

I guess it would be possible to add a tilting lensor at the top of a smartphone. The length of the lensor is equal to the width of the smartphone. Put hinge / connection in the middle. The benefits: it can be a slightly thicker than the phone, so it will be able to accommodate a better lens and a bigger sensor that a standard smartphone. No need for a separate battery. The lensor in such system can be used at different angles.  

Processing of Fuji X-Trans RAW

Converters for X-Trans RAW files are getting better all the time. Post on SoundImagePlus blog describes a  new Irident software which is "the best so far" for precessing of RAW files from X-Trans sensor used in Fuji X-E1, X-Pro1 and X100S. It is Mac only.

Death of compact cameras

It seems that I am completely out of the touch with the current trends in photography. By photography I mean "taking pictures", casual snapshots, not a professional photography or hobby. It seems that camera phones took over digital cameras. In previous week I've attended a big meeting, with several hundreds participants. It turned out that nobody use digital cameras to take pictures during presentation. Everyone use smartphones. Once I've heard a sound of shutter, but it turned out to be a smartphone, too: these things can simulate any sounds including that of shutter. I felt myself as a caveman. Actually, it is not just smartphones, the tablets are also very popular choice.

Smartphones also change the way people share / promote / show their pictures. Smartphone is your personal photo album, and it is always with you. No problem with sudden changes in layout as on flickr.

Macro with Canon M

I came across a post on the DPReview forum containing several amazing "macro" photos taken with Canon M and 90mm Tamron (link).

More discounts: Canon M

The camera sales are going down, and the competition between companies is tough. Some companies release cameras with very short "lifespan", with the replacement models coming in quick succession. New models got all new things but in many cases the difference in image quality or/and specs is not huge. In meantime "old models" are sold with heavy discounts. Right now Canon M camera with  EF-M18-55mm IS STM lens are available on Amazon for ~$350. Well, a new mirrorless Canon camera is expected. Obviously, new model will be better and faster, but the price will be significantly higher. The latest firmware improved the autofocus speed on Canon M. The only drawback of Canon M is lack of lenses but the company recently announced very interesting wide angle zoom, a very attractive option for any mirrorless camera. At the time of writing Canon M one of the most popular digital cameras on Amazon.

Compact camera with big sensor from Fuji

I keep my fingers crossed: according to Mirrorless Rumors, Fuji will release a compact camera with a big sensor (> 1"). If true, "X30" will fit X10 / X20 line, fairly big camera with a good lens and a viewfinder. The rumor at this stage is very vague.

If true, people can choose between a very compact camera with 1" sensor (Sony RX100 / RX100 II), Nikon 1 cameras and new Fuji. Sony offers a really compact camera, and people pay premium for a small size. Nikon 1 cameras have very fast autofocus and very good image quality. The previous J models are selling on Amazon for $300 - $400, and V1 is available fro $630. For comparison, Sony RX100 is priced for $650. The selling point of rumored Fuji X30 will be UI and lens. The lens needs to be brighter than Nikon 1 kit lens. The X30 price probably will be higher than X20 and on par or slightly above Sony RX100 II. This price range is under pressure from all sorts of cameras: advanced compacts, mirrorless, and entry-level DSLRs, so the camera must to offer something valuable.   

Super special on Olympus E-PL5 in the US

On Amazon (US) Olympus E-PL5 is selling for ~ $500 including some extra. The camera has the same sensor as Olympus OM-D E-M5, so the image quality is as good as you can get from the current generation of Olympus compact system cameras. The camera does not have the latest image (sensor) stabilization system (it was "reserved" for Olympus E-P5). But with tilting screen the offer looks very attractive.The camera is very compact, and the image quality is superb.

Sony and Fuji at Amazon

Sony RX100M II  (or RX100M2) is among the most popular cameras on Amazon. The price for the new camera is just $100 higher than for RX100. RX100 was very popular, and the new model adds few useful things to the proven concept.

Sony also dominates sales of compact system camera (excluding heavily discounted cameras). NEX-5R, NEX-6L/B and NEX7 essentially dominate this sector.

Interestingly, release of Fuji X-M1 boosted the sales of Fuji X-E1. In fact, X-E1 is more popular than the recently released X-M1. Obviously, Fuji X-E1 offers more than X-M1 including a superior XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens. This should send a very strong signal to the company. Fujifilm got it right with Fuji X100 and X100S, and hopefully it will do the same with Fuji X-E2 and X-Pro2.

Sony RX100M2: announcement, preview, sample images

Sony RX100 II / RX100M2 is officially announced and very interesting preview based on production camera is available on DPReview including real world photos. There is some confusion with the name, but at least we know it is not RX200. Sony is doing a very good job here by providing a finished product for review.

What's new in RX100 II compared to the Original RX100. The sensor is now backlit or back illuminated. This technology increases the sensor sensitivity and hence reduces the noise, which is crucial for cameras with slow lenses. Sony claims the 40% reduction in noise with the new sensor. It also speed up the autofocus. This is the biggest BSI sensor used in consumer cameras. RX100 II got a tilting screen and hot shoe which allow to add a flash or some other accessories. All these things make the new model even more attractive than RX100. All these perks come at price. The new model will cost slightly more than RX100. It seems that Sony will keep both models for some time: after all, Sony RX100 is hugely popular in major markets, for example, in the US, where it is still cost ~$650. B&H already has RX100M2 listed but the price is unknown.

Panasonic LX7 and Sony RX100

I had a discussion today with one of my friend about small cameras. We both have DSLRs but my Olympus collects dust for some time now. He is a dedicated full-frame shooter. It is not a problem for him to carry 10 kg of equipment on photo trip but he is somewhat reluctant to do this every day. It is not just size and weight, there are some other reasons. But he like to have a camera with him for occasional opportunistic shots. 

One of the possibilities for him would be an advanced compact camera. Obviously, none of these cameras would compete with (full frame) DSLR at pixel level. Still, the image quality of current advanced compact cameras is pretty good. Currently Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 and Sony RX100 are the most popular models from this class on Amazon. These cameras illustrate opposite approaches in this class. LX7 has a very bright lens, F1.4-F2.3 with a handy 24-90mm zoom range. RX100 has a dimmer lens,  F1.8-F4.9, with ~30-108mm zoom range. With such lens Panasonic gets more light to the sensor, which would reduce the noise. LX7 is equipped with 10MP 1/1.7" sensor, while RX100 has huge 1" sensor with 20MP. Both cameras have an optical image stabilization. Currently on Amazon Panasonic LX7 is about $200 cheaper than Sony RX100.

Fuji and the rest of the world

Panasonic GX1 + 14-42mm OIS lens $639
Canon EOS M + 18-55mm EFM Lens $698
Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5 Single Kit $718
Sony NEX-5R + 16-50mm PZ OSS $744
Samsung NX300 + 18-55mm lens $849

Here is a list of current mirrorless cameras without a viewfinder from a local camera shop. I used upper models in this category. Olympus E-P5 is not available yet, so I used E-PL5. Some of these models come with extra, for example Canon is bundled with 90EX Speedlite flash. All prices are in Australian dollars. Sometimes it is possible to get a better deal, but Digital Cameras Warehouse is one of my favourite camera shops in Brisbane.

In the US (B&H) Olympus E-Pl5 is priced at $600, Samsung NX300 - $700, Canon - $550, Sony NEX-5R - $600 (including bag and 16Gb card).

Here in Australia Fujifilm X-E1 + XF 18-55mm Lens is available for $1249. In B&H X-E1 is listed for $1200.

So, Fuji X-M1 with XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens is expected to be priced here in Oz at around $800, close to the most expensive cameras in this category, Sony NEX-5R and Samsung NX300. It might look a bit expensive in the US but here in Downunder, the same price looks very reasonable for what you get.

Fuji X-M1 and XC16-50mm: autofocus speed

DPReview posted the first look (preview) on Fuji X-M1 and XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS lens based on pre-production camera. It seems that the autofocus speed is very good. Quote: "... it feels really, genuinely quick (perhaps the first time we'd use that description for an X system camera)". The new lens does not have linear motors (LM), but apparently it does not resulted in slow autofocus. Maybe the moving part is smaller and lighter. Anyway, the camera looks very interesting. 

Fuji X-M1 is announced

Fuji X-M1, Fujinon XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and XF27mm F2.8 lenses are announced. The details including sample images are available on Fujifilm site. If the new products are not showing up, reload the page.

The camera specs say "X-Trans CMOS", not "X-Trans CMOS II" as on Fuji X100S. If true, the new camera did not use the latest hybrid autofocus available in Fuji X100S. Several sample images are available for XC16-50mm.

Fuji X-M1 is available for pre-order in places like B&H for ~$700 (body only) and ~$800 with the new zoom. The 27mm pancake lens can be preordered for ~$450. In the same shop Fuji X-E1 body is selling for ~$800, and X-E1 with excellent XF18-55mm OIS is priced at ~$1200.

Unexpected and very positive news: Fuji X-E1 and X-Pro1 will get a focus peaking through the firmware update at the end of July. This might be handy for FX60mm Macro lens…

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Very interesting comment on Fuji X-M1 and new lenses from Thom Hogan on his Sans Mirror site. His comments reflect view of a professional, a person who need to back up the top body with the cheaper model. Well, I bet many people use just one camera, so while consistency in UI is important, it might not be an issue. After all, Fuji X-E1 body is just $100 higher than X-M1.

Specs of Fuji X-M1 and XC16-50mm lens

The specs of Fuji X-M1 and XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS lens appeared on the web (link to Photo Rumors).  The camera and XF21mm F2.8 pancake are expected to be available at the end of July. The XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS lens is a bit smaller than XF18-55mm (diameter x length, 62.6mm x 65.2mm compared to 65mm x 70.4mm) and lighter (195g vs 310g). The new zoom is expected only in September.

The X-M1 gets a 3" high-res LCD screen, bigger than on Fuji X-E1.  It is a tad lighter than X-E1, 330g agains 350g. Fuji XM1 dimensions: 116.9 x 66.5 x 39.0mm, and Fuji X-E1: 129 x 74.9 x 38.3mm.  Focus peaking is available. Sensor: X-Trans APS-C CMOS active. Hopefully, it is the same sensor as in Fuji X100S.

Camera deals in Brisbane

Sunny day | Fuji X10

It was cold and rainy in Brisbane couple days ago, and I went though my 'summer' photographs. I like this picture because of its warm colors.

The ground is covered with yellow Tipuana flowers. It is not a native species, but it is very popular ornamental tree in Brisbane.

BTW, Harvey Norman shop in Queen Street mall, Brisbane, has a huge sale because of the store closure or relocation, or something like this, and Fuji XF1 is selling for ~$380 (AUD). I guess this is ex-demo camera. This is very good price for Australia. In my favourite shop Fujifilm XF1 is priced at $490. The store has a good selection of DSLRs, mirrorless and compact cameras for major manufactures: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus (OM-D E-M5, E-PL5) Samsung (but no NX300). Most models are discounted for 20%.

Two days before Fuji X-M1 announcement

Additional details are coming about new entry-level mirrorless camera from Fuji, X-M1, as well as Sony RX100MkII / RX200. According to the rumors, Fuji X-M1 will be available with new XC16-50mm OIS lens, XF27mm pancake or body only. The price is a bit of speculation at the moment, but I would expect something about $600 for the body and ~$750-800 for the zoom kit. Well,  rumored $600 for the zoom kit might be somewhat unrealistic considering considering current price of other models in the same category, such as Samsung NX300 (~$850 kit), Olympus E-PL5 (~$720), Sony NEX-5R (~$750).

Control of new zoom lens, XC16-55mm F3.5-5.6 might be appealing to people used to point-and-shoot cameras. It took me some time to get used to the XF18-55mm and Fuji X-E1 because I used dials for aperture adjustment on both compact and DSLRs for more than 10 years. So far Fuji made excellent lenses for its X system. While the specs of the new XC zoom are fairly standard, it might be an interesting option if the quality is good. The new on-sensor hybrid autofocus system will help with the autofocus speed, and excellent sensor characteristics allow to use high iso. Frankly, if the lens is sharp and contrast and if the autofocus is broadly comparable to XF18-55, I would prefer 16-50mm. I generally need more DoF, not less, and I also prefer to have a slightly wide length. 

Both Nikon A and Ricoh GR are tested by DPReview

It is an old news, but nevertheless: DPReview published their opinion on Ricoh GR. The camera got a Gold mark (Nikon A got Silver some time ago). None of these cameras made to Amazon 100 top selling cameras when I checked the stats a couple days ago. Fuji X100S did. Both Ricoh GR and Nikon A have 28mm (eqv) lens, and are smaller than Fuji X100S. Both models use a traditional Bayer sensor while the Fuji is equipped with a non-conventional X-Trans sensor.

Here we go: Fuji X-M1!

Some images of rumored Fuji X-M1 appeared on the web, as well as a new zoom lens, XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OIS. It is still a rumor, and I cannot figure out if those are renderings or photographs. The camera has X-M1 engraved on the front panel and it has a nice tiltable screen.

The traditional Fuji exposure compensation dial is replaced with a non-marked dial. The camera also got a second non-convetional dial at the rear. The screen looks big, so the camera has very few buttons clustered on the right side. It got the red button! There is no "Launch!" word written nearby, so it is probably a dedicated movie button. Obviously, Q button is there. A pop-up flash is present, as well as "Wi-Fi" word on the top. This is year 2013, so wi-fi is must to have feature in any camera.

New zoom, XC16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OIS. If true, it is not XF, it is XC. C probably means Consumer or something similar. The lens has two rings, for zoom and probably manual focus. Aperture apparently will be controlled through the body / dials. Finally, the rear plastic dial on Fuji X-E1 might get some work to do. It is also possible that the ring is programmable for either aperture control or manual focus. This will be really handy for people who despise manual focus :) The lens has an optical image stabilisation / OIS and takes 58mm filters. Fujinon XF18-55mm takes the same size. The new zoom looks a bit shorter than the XF18-55mm, but not very small. It starts at 16mm, and 16mm should give the same angle as 24mm-25mm on full-frame cameras. This might be very handy. No LM labelling (linear motor). The linear motors contribute to a fast autofocus.

The new 27mm pancake is small, with just one ring. Hopefully, it is a programmable ring. 

Canon M goes on steroids

Remember time when Canon handicapped their entry-level DSLRs by disabling some features though software? Hopefully these things are in the past now. The competition is severe in camera world in these days.

Back to the topic. One of the major issues for Canon M CSC was a slow autofocus. Slow is relative term. Actually, the camera is not that slow for a general use as it is generally portrayed, but it is not as fast as in competing models. However, recently Canon released a new firmware for Canon M, and it seems the autofocus is significantly faster after the update.  

Canon M kits are selling at fairly low price now (new Canon M model is rumored). Canon recently announced a very compact wide angle zoom for the M mount, Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (preview here). Its weight is just 220g and the focal length is equal to 18-35mm on full-frame body. Suddenly the M system became an attractive option for people who like to hike with small and light camera. I would be more than happy to carry Canon M with the 11-22mm on my bushwalking trips to local rainforest because my current setup (28mm eqv) is a bit restrictive on wide angle. Cameras such as Ricoh GR or Nikon A might be more compact but Canon M with the wide-angle zoom is just more versatile. The wide-angle zoom for Fuji X mount is planned for release only at the end of this year. Fujinon FX10-24mm F4 would be a slightly wider lens (equal to 15-36mm on full-frame bodies). It will be bigger, too. But right now Canon M is a very attractive offering, with DSLR-like image quality in compact package and very interesting wide zoom.

RX100 is still very popular

I like to check list of top selling cameras on Amazon. Sometimes the numbers are just unbelievable. For example, Fuji X100S is present in top 100 best selling cameras (position 68 in all categories). Fuji X100S is a great camera, no doubt but it is an elitist camera aimed on certain group of people. At $1300 it is one of the most expensive cameras in top 100 list. On other hand, other compact cameras with APS-C sensor, Nikon A and Ricoh GR, did not made it to the list on that day.

Another interesting fact: Sony RX100 is still selling close to $650. Today it was on position 21. Other camera with 1" sensor (Nikon 1) did not made it in top 100 list.  Nikon 1 J2 is selling for $300  including10-30mm VR lens but it is less popular that the Sony. J2 is not a latest model, but the replacement for Sony X100 is expected to be announced later this month. Still, Sony RX100 is prices twice more than the Nikon, and it is more popular.      

Nikon 1 is an amazing system with the fastest autofocus among current breed of mirrorless cameras, but many people want to have a small and capable camera. Nikon has the technology to make a good compact camera with 1" sensor and fast autofocus. Such camera probably would outsold RX100 or RX100MkII. But for now Sony is the only company producing 1" compact cameras.

This situation describes a very narrow segment of camera market, advanced compact and mirrorless cameras. The whole market is dominated by two giants. In fact, Nikon is very successful company.

Fuji announcement next week.

A big announcement is expected from Fujifilm next week, so the specs of a new entry-level mirrorless camera will be leaked soon. According to Mirrorless Rumors, the new camera will not be equipped with with X-Trans sensor. Will it be a traditional Bayer sensor or something else? But it would be a nice test of people needs. The first CSC Fuji model, X-Pro1, came with the unique hybrid viewfinder, but Fuji X-E1 with electronic viewfinder is arguably more popular model. I do not have numbers to back up this claim, but X-E1 consistently has a higher rank among best selling CSC cameras on Amazon. Obviously, viewfinder is not the only thing different between two models, but it is significant thing. EVF is more compact and probably cheaper and more flexible in term of assembly, so X-E1 is smaller, lighter and cheaper. The ability to choose is very important. People who value a good optical viewfinder and prime lenses can buy X-Pro1, while X-E1 is aimed on a wider range of people. Fuji X-A1 / X-M1 / X-x1 equipped with non-X-Trans sensor might be a shocking revelation to the company. After all, Fuji X100 had a conventional sensor, and it was a hugely popular camera. After all, how many people bought X-Pro1 or X-E1 because of the X-Trans sensor? Considering a limited support of X-Trans RAW files at early stages of the system, it seems that many people have bought these cameras despite of the sensor. Imagine "X-E2" with a standard Bayer sensor and weak anti-aliasing filter. Or without filter. Something similar to sensors used in Nikon A or Ricoh GR. Would it be popular? I am very curious to see a X mount camera without X-Trans sensor...

In addition, ambiguous rumors point on a new small zoom lens for the forthcoming entry-level model, more compact than the current XF18-55mm. It might be a marginally wider (16mm), sort of a darker version of Sony 16-50mm F2.8. Samsung 20-50mm is a very compact, and it is very popular with small NX cameras such as NX300 or NX1000. Obviously, it is not very wide lens.

Autofocus: Canon M vs Sony NEX

One of my friends decided to try several mirrorless cameras. Obviously, he read thing or two on the web before going to the shop. He tried Canon M first, and was surprised with the autofocus. According to his words, it was not instant but not slow. He tried Sony NEX-5(something) and was blown away with the autofocus. It was nearly instant. Obviously, the autofocus speed on mirrorless cameras is smaller comparing to DSLR, but for static or slow moving objects it probably would be more than acceptable for many people. Obviously, different people have different requirements for a camera, so for some the autofocus speed on CSC might not be sufficient. The only solution: go to the shop and try the camera yourself.

Fun with Fuji X10

Jumping spider | Fuji X10 (crop)

We went to a local park where kids found a tiny but very energetic jumping spider. These spiders can jump at considerable distance, and kids spent some time playing "jump, little spider, jump, jump, jump".

Once again I appreciated the versatility of a compact camera. For me, Fuji X-10 beats Fuji X-E1 as a fun camera. I guess the same can be said about any advanced compact cameras: Olympus XZ1, Nikon P7700, Sony RX100 etc. The progress in sensor technology is truly amazing.

The spider was released to natural environment :)

Jump to me! | Fuji X10 (crop, resize)

Sony RX200 specs leaked

According to numerous rumors, Sony will replace RX100 with a new model, and the announcement is expected later this month. Now the specs for a new model (RX200 or RX100M2) were leaked. The new model has some interesting and useful improvements, such as tilting screen. However, the lens keeps its specs. Well, X100 is an extremely popular model, so why mess with the successful design? Ain't broken... Early rumors suggested a significant upgrade in lens specs and quality, and unfortunately this is not materialized. No doubt, the new model will be very popular because of its huge 1" sensor and extremely compact size.

Fisheye for NX

Samsung announced a 10mm F3.5 fisheye lens for NX mirrorless cameras. The lens is just 26mm thick and weight 71g. Yep, it is not a typo - 71 grams or 2.5 oz. It is tiny. Samsung is doing remarkable job with NX.

Sample images from Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

Canon UK has several sample photos taken with the recently announced wide-angle M mount lens, Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.  The focal length is equal to 18-38mm (35mm film eqv). The lens weight is just 220g. DPReview site posted a brief preview of the lens. The lens represent the most compact wide-angle lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Canon M, the only (first) mirrorless camera from Canon, is selling under $600 USD at places like B&H, and this is price for the kit with either a standard zoom or 22mm f2 pancake. In addition, Canon will release a new software that should improve the autofocus speed on the camera. Very attractive development of Canon M system...

Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8

The numbers do not say everything in this case but still can be very interesting and entertaining. Couple Canon lenses in the table above are 'full frame', so it is not a fair comparison. Canon 70-200mm has a different design but for me it is a benchmark lens in this category. I am curios to see a head to head comparison between the Fuji and Canon 70-200mm f4 OIS for image sharpness and contrast. Judging from opinions of early adopters Fuji XF55-200mm is a good lens.

ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD is my favourite lens for Olympus DSLRs, due to a useful focal length and image quality. However, I am not very happy with autofocus at very short distances. It looks a bit off in most cases. I blame myself. It is very slow on Olympus mirrorless cameras, at least on previous generation. Anyway, I switched to Fuji X some time ago, and I am very interested in Fujinon XF55-200mm. Fujinon lens is slower that the ZUIKO or Canon 70-200mm f4 but Fuji mirroless cameras are good at high iso, so it would not be a major issue. In addition, for static objects OIS will help.

Sony RX200 later this month!

According to Mirrorless Rumors, Sony RX200 will be announced in June, and it supposed to have a swivel  rear screen. No word on lens spec, viewfinder, or sensor. It probably will follow tested and proven RX100 body style, but with non-fixed screen. Amazingly, Sony RX100 is still priced at ~$700 in Australia.

Also, another full frame camera a'la RX1 is expected within several months. It is unclear if the new model will be available alongside with Sony RX1, or RX1 is going to be discontinued. Sony may emulate / replicate Sigma approach and manufacture several models with different focal length, 28mm or ~50mm, in addition to 35mm (RX1). I would bet on 28mm :)

Fuji X-E1 at iso 1600

Common Brown | Fuji X-E1 & XF60mm Macro

Some time ago I've rented Fujinon XF60mm Macro lens. The XF18-55mm is not the best lens for macro, and I miss the close-up ability, especially after being used to the supermacro option on Fuji X10. I can swap X-E1 and X10 cameras every second day, but I prefer the image quality from the X-E1 for all other situations, especially for landscapes. It is in a different league compared to the X10.

Shooting macro can be challenging. I am talking about bugs and flowers, not studio type macro. For this type of macro a big depth of field is very important, so the good light is essential. Bright light creates a lot of problems, especially highlights clipping. And sometimes there is just not enough light. So, the iso goes up very often, especially on cameras with big sensors.

Here is a picture of Common Brown, one of the local butterfly, taken with Fuji X-E1 and XF60mm Macro at iso 1,600 at f/5.0 and 1/105 sec exposure. I believe the exposure compensation was set up to -0.7 but I need to check the original file (Exif on flickr does not show any exposure compensation for the cropped image). The lens is not stabilised, hence the exposure has to be relatively short. The image is cropped in GIMP and saved at ~77% JPEG quality. The bigger version is available on flickr including the original resolution.

Autofocus accuracy on Fuji X-E1

Goanna | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Just an opportunistic snapshot of a fairly big goanna on the picnic ground in dry eucalypt forest, either in a State forest or Springbrook national park, along the road leading to the Natural Bridge national park. Goannas are frequent visitors to picnic ground where they can steal some food or just get some leftovers. The image was cropped and the JPEG quality was reduced in GIPM. The image is available at the original resolution on my flickr page. 

Fuji pricing policy

Lucky US customers just got discounts on Fujifilm products, e.g. $300 off the XF18-55mm or XF60mm Macro price when purchased with a camera. This sound like a reasonable deal. I am not a big fan of the Fuji pricing policy on lenses and cameras. Here in Australia X-E1 & XF18-55mm kit saves you about 30% over the separate purchase. The difference is just huge compared to other manufacturers of mirrorless cameras.

I don't mind to pay a higher price for a better product assuming it is a fair price. But by such huge difference between kit and separate purchase indicates on the opposite...

Fuji FX55-200mm is available in Australia

According to this post on the DPReview forum, Michaels Camera in Melbourne already got Fuji XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens, so it is become available earlier than anticipated. It seems that the lens is excellent optically (read the post), and the optical image stabilisation is also very good. My favourite zoom range, my favourite size, my favourite lens mount... Time to save pennies, cents, pfennigs, centimes, dimes :(

Another person posted some photos taken with XF55-200mm. The first image is taken at 1/40 sec at 200mm, and it does look sharp. Very tempting lens...

Bushwalking in Girraween

Round rocks of Girraween | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Girraween national park is one of the most strangest places I've ever visited. The park is located in so called Granite Belt region at the NSW/Queensland border, in about three hours drive from Brisbane. The park is famous for several rocks and granite monoliths: Pyramids,  Sphinx, Turtle, Castle as well as  waterholes and numerous huge round boulders as on the photo above. The mountains are not high enough to cause rains, so the area is covered by the dry rigid bush. It can be very hot during summer and very cold (by Queensland standards) in winter, especially at night.

Some walks in park are easy and suitable for kids, other require certain fitness and climbing skills, e.g. walk to Mt. Norman. The First Pyramid is a very popular destination in dry weather.

The park is also famous for its diverse floral display, especially around a spring time. Eastern grey kangaroos are common in the park and can be seen at very close distance. It is also a home to big red crayfish but I have not seen it so far.

The park has two big campgrounds but early booking is essential during school holidays or long weekends, especially around the spring time. Private accommodation is available is several places near the park for people not interested in camping, and tours might be arranged to the private observatory located in this area.

Australian landscape. Girraween | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm  

More rumors on entry-level mirrorless camera from Fuji

I guess this rumor is all around the web now, but I got it on Mirrorless Rumors. Fuji is expected to release 2 (two) entry-level CSCs / mirrorless cameras, and one might be announced later this month. The rumored names for these models are still a guess, so people can bet on X-A1 or X-M1. I will call it X-x1 :) No build-in viewfinder but non-fixed (tilted?) rear screen. Not big surprise here :) One model might be equipped with X-Trans sensor, the other apparently not. Would it be a Bayer sensor or something else? Fuji engineers do like non-standard sensors, and they definitely know thing or two about sensors. While it is possible that the company would add a standard Bayer mask, I would not exclude something more exotic here  :) Fuji X100 has a standard Bayer sensor, and it was a huge success. Fuji Sx DSLR cameras equipped with non-standard sensors had/have many devoted adepts. It is good to remember that Fuji X100 is the only X-branded camera with a standard Bayer mask… Obviously, it will get all the latest autofocus tech used on Fuji X100S.

I am curious to see what lens will be sold together with X-x1. One of the obvious candidates is the new (unannounced) XF27mm F2.8 pancake. Or Fuji may have something up their sleeve… Some compact zoom… It is just a dreaming, don't take it seriously :-)  

Also, lucky Fuji fans in the US might get rebates on Fujinon lenses. Frankly, here in Down Under, the price difference between kit and separate body and lens purchase is just insane. I do not mind to pay a premium for a new product, but current Fuji pricing policy looks like a rip-off to me. Thankfully, I am not in a rush to buy XF55-200mm, so I plan to snap it later on eBay. BTW, the lens (XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS) is expected to be in Oz around mid-June at about $800, so an instant rebate might be very handy.

Friday night creative writing

Remember the Great Megapixel Race? Time when companies were rushed to put more pixels into cameras. In year 2000 compact cameras with 'big' 2/3" sensors had just 2MP, and in 2004 the advanced 'not-so-compact' compact cameras had about 8MP. All major camera makers had top notch models with fixed lenses. Than the Great Extinction of Advanced Compacts had occurred, and it was coincided with the Rise of DSLRs. The DSLRs, the giants of the camera world, dominated on the planet. Do you want a good image quality? - get DSLR. The hegemony of DSLRs lasted for years and resulted in mass lens addiction among fellow photographers. It was not just picking up a camera, it was all about the choosing of a right system. However, some unexpected things happen. First, nearly instant renaissance of advanced compact cameras: around 2011-2012 all manufactures released 10-12MP fixed lens cameras with good lenses and UI aimed at enthusiasts. The number of pixels did non increased much over 8MP Olympus C-8080 or Minolta A1/A2 but the image quality did. It turned out that many people do like to have a small camera with a decent image quality for a casual shooting. It is simple and convenient. The other unexpected thing was a failure of mirrorless cameras to conquest the photographic world in the way of digital to film transition. It did not happen, and it probably would not happen very fast. One of the reasons is the identical media: both are digital, so there is no difference in post-shooting procedure. Compare it to film vs digital. Buy film rolls, keep several rills with you, develop film, print, put prints in album and send it to you relatives - or just copy the pictures to the computer. The only hassle was batteries but I had a spare set. In some sense, mirrorless do not offer much over DSLR cameras except for size and weigh, while loosing in battery life and continuos autofocus speed. Just to clarify: I am satisfied with the autofocus speed and accuracy on my Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm lens. DSLRs might be faster, but I am the limiting factor in this situation :-(

Olympus: DSLR or FT/MFT hybrid

Olympus made very good lenses for 4/3 cameras, plenty of them. On other hand, no new bodies were announced after release of E-5, a flagship professional camera. So, people who prefer a smaller body of E-6x0 or E-5x0 style were left without choice. So, for me migration to a mirrorless camera was predetermined because I was not happy about the size and weight of my E-30. But I still have a couple lenses, so I am curious about Olympus plans for DSLRs. The rumors on this topic are wild, numerous and contradictory. Several times Olympus representatives reiterated their commitment to DSLR cameras, and the rumor sites are full of speculations on a hybrid FT/MFT camera that can efficiently use both 4/3 and m4/3 lenses. While Olympus does not tell much about their plans, rumors suggest the second half of this year as a release / announcement time for this mysterious camera.

Panasonic GX2 with build-in viewfinder

The most interesting development in camera world is happening on its periphery, in mirrorless / compact system cameras, and very often the innovative or interesting ideas are offered by companies without strong tradition in photography. This post is about rumored Panasonic GX2. According to the leaked specs the camera will have a new 18MP sensor and tiltable viewfinder. Finally, m4/3 guys decided to put a viewfinder on the side of the camera. Several Sony cameras such as NEX-7 have such arrangement, as well as Fuji X-E1 and X-Pro1. On other hand, cameras with a "hump" viewfinder such as Olympus OM-D E-M5 are fairly tall. The rumors also suggest in-body image stabilisation, which sounds a bit unlikely for Panasonic: the company got several optically stabilised lenses for their m4/3 cameras. It is not completely implausible. Olympus and Panasonic share some knowledge on cameras. I would not be surprised if Olympus would share its latest 5-axes stabilisation with Panasonic. Anyway, this would be one of the appealing MFT models, a compact and capable camera

Another interesting posting from Thom Hogan

Thom Hogan is one of my favourite bloggers. I am not a Nikon user, unfortunately, but I follow his blogs, especially Sans Mirror, with a great interest. I am a casual shooter, with a limited experience for different brands, cameras and lenses, so I rely on opinion of other people. For example, I regard the  Fujinon XF18-55mm zoom lens as excellent but this is of little practical value for other people 'cause my experience in this product range is essentially limited to several ZUIKO / Olympus lenses. But it becomes a valuable information when Thom says the same thing. Thom is not the only person who gave the high mark to Fuji's zoom, but he is the one I trust.

Despite of such high quality I am still inclined to replace the standard zoom with the wide angle and the tele option. The wide zoom is not released yet, so I still have time to think about my plans.

Another interesting post on Sans Mirror is dedicated to the bleak future of Olympus cameras. Actually, Thom is somewhat optimistic here. Olympus mirrorless cameras, both PENs and OM-D models, are extremely popular, but the company essentially abandoned DSLR line and their share of compact cameras is shrinking like an air balloon with the hole in it. It would be pity to loose another major name in the camera world. Olympus is an innovative company, so it might adapt and survive. To some extend, the situation with Olympus is similar to Fuji. Both are big companies with small non-profitable camera divisions. Both are trying to change the situation. Olympus is pushing a small popular CSC/mirrorless, while Fuji is offering a top cameras and lenses aimed on a specific group of photographers. Cameras such as X100S or X-Pro1 are not aimed on an average shooter. Even now Fuji does not have any cheap standard zoom lens. Leica would be an another company that do not offer a cheap lenses, but I doubt that I can afford Leica even in a very distant future.

Walk in Natural Bridge national park

Waterfall in cave at Natural Bridge national park | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Natural Bridge national park was created around a single major local attraction, a cave with the waterfall in it. The park is sitting in the Gold Coast Hinterland, not far from the Queensland / NSW border. The walking track is very short, about 1 km or slightly more. The park is very popular with families and kids, especially on weekends. The vegetation is a typical rainforest, and the park provides an attractive alternative of the summer heat in the Brisbane city or Gold Coast.

Short drive south will bring you to the lookout at the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Drive a few more kms into New South Wales, and you will end up in Chillingham, a small and beautiful community, with several shops selling local products, coffee and bananas in chocolate.

Passiflora flower with Fuji X10

Passiflora sp. | Fuji X10

It was cloudy, and the light was suboptimal. Even on f4 the camera produced enough depth to capture this big flower, so I was able to get a sharp shot at 1/34 sec & iso 200. The image was cropped in GIMP and the levels were adjusted a bit. That's the beauty of a compact camera: no hassle with autofocus in supermacro mode. Well, to be precise, much less hassle compared to the dedicated macro lens on Fuji X-E1. I have little doubt that Fuji X20 would produce more resolution, but I am happy with the amount of details from the X10 in supermacro shots. The image above was cropped, and the hi-res photo is available on flickr.

Open source cameras

It is interesting to watch development of the camera world. The famous Kodak missed the digital train and gone. Pentax is shrinking. Canon and Nikon dominate the digital world, especially in professional / advanced cameras but both companies have very small presence in new area, mirrorless cameras. This segment is fairly small and crowded  with competitors, including electronic giants such as Samsung. It is a new field, with many things happening. Samsung just made the software behind their mirrorless cameras NX2000 and NX300 public, so anyone with a proper knowledge can improve or tweak it. Compare this situation to the DSLR world where Canon used to handicap the entry-level models by software. The software was hacked at some point. Or another hack that improved Panasonic video recoding?

Now Samsung is jumping on open source train. Good on them! I use OpenOffice and GIMP at home. Wikipedia content is created by public. I know people donated(?) hundreds images to the Wikipedia. Potentially it might be a win-win situation for camera makers and the users. The camera companies can save on software development, and photographers may have a choice of different firmware. Many current CSC / mirrorless models have very short life span before being replaced with the next model. The companies are not interested in software improvement for old models but the public does. Things like a noise reduction or white balance can be improved, the image correction can be added, and so on. For example, now Fujifilm claims to have an algorithm to work around the diffraction. Obviously, there are limits of what can be done, but this approach may extend an average camera life for some people. It would not work for all people, that's for sure, but it might work for active part of the population. It also comes with the responsibility: do it on your own risk.

Kudos to Samsung for breaking the rules.

Affordable X mount camera from Fuji

I am a new convert of the the Fujifilm world. The decision was made to go mirrorless, and I was torn between Olympus and Fujifilm. On one hand, I shoot Olympus since the start of millennia when I had acquired 2MP Olympus C2020. On other hand, I was not really happy with layout of Olympus PEN or OM-D camera. The OM-D E-M5 is a bit small for my hands. In meantime I got hooked on Fuji UI and colors after we bought Fuji X10 as a family camera. The two reason for going mirrorless were size of the camera and lenses, and small viewfinder on my 4/3 DSLR. The Fuji X-Pro1 is way too expensive, and primes are not very flexible for shooting during bushwalking or hiking. I've grabbed Fuji X-E1 zoom kit once it first appeared in Australia, and since than time the DSLR gear stays locked in the closet. The X-E1 is a very mid-range camera, light and relatively compact compared to DSLR. The XF18-55mm lens is also mid-range, bigger and better than standard kit zooms for both mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

Now we expect at least one entry-level X camera from Fujifilm at affordable price. The camera would not have a build-in viewfinder and probably will have less controls. Think XF1 and X10/X20. However, there is an apparent issue, namely, lack of a small affordable zoom lens for such camera. The entry level CSC models from Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony have a compact affordable zooms, e.g. Samsung 20-50mm. Obviously, Fuji can fit the "X-M1" with pancake, and it might be appealing to certain people. It even will be very popular among street shooters or some other groups. So, in this case it probably will be a niche product, with a somewhat limited attraction for am average person. Nikon A is not selling as hot cakes, at least according to Amazon.

Would I be interested in a smaller standard zoom lens for X mount? In other words, would I be happy to carry a smaller camera/lens combo on an average day? Yes, but it depends on price. Some kind of a compact zoom for a casual / everyday use would be a nice option, especially if it will have a better macro capability. It probably would not go on my hiking trips where I am hoping to use the wide angle and tele zoom lenses and ignore the standard zoom altogether. In this case a light second body can be very attractive, especially combined with the wide zoom.

Indulgence

If I have to choose just a one word for Fuji X cameras, it would be "indulgence".

Very hard to quantify or measure :)

It is applicable to my X10 and X-E1, but even more to Fuji X100 or X100S.

And Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Lens is available for pre-order for $799 in Brisbane…

Olympus said it, finally

I went to the DPReview site today to double-check some info. I used to be a regular reader of the site but at some point the image quality and capacity of digital cameras exceeded my needs, so I've lost a great deal of interest in the latest cameras. There was a big ad on the top with something like this "do you know that DSLRs stay at home 90%?" Obviously, I went to check the thing. It was Olympus promoting their PENs.

Finally the advertising for CSC goes to the main advantage of mirrorless cameras, which is  a small size.  Other features might be important to some people, e.g. EVF and lack of mirror slap, but DSLRs win in most other aspects: lenses, fast autofocus, battery life. The truth is: on casual day not many people want to carry an extra 2-3 kg in big dedicated bag. Most people I know don't give a thing on wi-fi in camera or any other fancy thing. They take pictures, so they want to have a portable camera with the image quality above the smartphone level. It can be the tried and trusted Olympus C-8080, or a modern advanced compact camera, or a mirrorless camera. The camera that is always with you.

Bushwalking in Noosa Heads national park

Alexandria bay, Noosa Heads national park | Olympus E-30

Today was a rainy day in Brisbane, with grey skies and persistent drizzling. It is cold, by Brisbane standards, of course. It meant to be a start of a subtropical "winter". At day like this it is nice to go through photos taken on a nice sunny day in a nice place.

These pictures are from the Noosa Heads national park located north of Brisbane, in about two hours drive from the city. The park covers rocky hills near the Pacific ocean / Coral sea and it is a popular destination for tourists visiting Noosa or the Sunshine coast. Park is relatively small, but it has a diverse vegetation including Paperbark / Melaleuca forest, small patches of a coastal rainforest, big chunks of a coastal heathland and Banksia forest. Pandanus trees are common near the coastal line. The park is famous for beautiful beaches and koalas. The walking tracks go along the coast and inland, and it is possible to see the whole park in one day. It is very popular park with probably hundreds people walking on the popular track to the Hell's Gates, where turtles and dolphins can be seen on a good day. The inland tracks are more secluded.

I used to go there by train and Trainlink bus, but one way trip takes about 3 hours. Keep in mind that on weekends the car park fills up very early, especially during the high season, but generally plenty of parking spots are available in Noosa along the coast, one or two km north of the park.

Sea turtle at Hell's Gates | Olympus E-30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

Best selling cameras on Amazon

Sony RX100 is in top 20 list at $650. Well done, Sony! Considering that the announcement of RX200 is rumored for the start of the summer, it is truly amazing. Right now the camera has no direct competitors, so the price stays the same. Nikon 1 cameras may have a faster autofocus but RX100 has all benefits of a compact camera.

Fuji X100S is on position 51 among the best selling digital cameras on Amazon. This ranking includes all cameras and bundles, DSLRs, compact, CSC/mirrorless - you name it. Either I missed Nikon A or the camera did not make it to any lists including the best selling 100 compact cameras. Ricoh GR is not available yet.

As usual, common sense is prevailing, so the entry DSLRs, such as Nikon D3200, are on the top. The new Nikon D3200 with 18-55mm lens is offered for $550 with free shipping, and Canon EOS Rebel T3i kit is available for $600. Both are tested and proven cameras, viable alternative to mirrorless cameras.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 is also present among top 100 best selling cameras .... for $250 body only.

I am surprised to see Fuji X20 in top 100 compact cameras. It is very good camera, but it is also relatively expensive.

The link to the best selling cameras on Amazon is on this page.

Bushwalking at Mt Greville - 2

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

(check the previous post)

Mt Greville has several rocky patches without any trees, with pleasant view of Fassifern Valley and the Scenic Rim. The valley is widely used for agriculture but mountains belong to national parks or state forests. The vegetation is quite diverse. The track starts in dry eucalypt forest, or bush. The rocky spots are covered by shrubs and grass trees (the picture on the top). Upper part of the mount is covered by trees and shrubs, including some interesting grevilleas as on the picture below (note the small red flowers).

Identified as Grevillea linsmithii, Proteaceae | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Bushwalking at Mt Greville

Palm Gorge, Mt Greville, May 19, 2013 | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Mt Greville is one of my favourite national parks around Brisbane for bushwalking. It is a tiny park within one hour drive from Brisbane, with short but rewarding tracks. The tracks require certain level of fitness. It is a good place for stretching legs and hands :) The mount has couple "gorges", big narrow cracks with tall vertical walls. The Palm Gorge is very popular and the most straightforward route to the summit. The gorge has an interesting microclimate, and, as a result, a distinct vegetation. It is so narrow that the sun does not heat it much, so it is always cool there during the day time. While the surrounding aria is covered by bush or mountain (heath) vegetation, the gorge has species common in wetter places: Piccabeen palms, Strangler figs, and even tree ferns.

The tracks are essentially unmarked and not signed, so it is good to walk with someone who knows the place. This time we missed Logan's lookout, a rocky outcrop below the summit, with a wonderful view towards lake Moogerah and the Fassifern valley. Eventually we made to the top and went back through the Palm gorge. I was surprised with number of plants in bloom at time: it is dry and cold now.

More photos from this marvellous place are available on flickr.

Palm Gorge, Mt Greville, May 19, 2013 | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Review of Fuji X20

I nearly missed the Fuji X20 review on the DPReview site. The camera got a "silver" award. The X cameras are aimed on certain group of photo-enthusiasts, people who enjoy extensive controls and manual zoom lens and don't mind to pay a premium for the camera. It is an indulgence. The X20 is a unique camera on the market, with unique hybrid viewfinder, fairly big 2/3" sensor, bright manual zoom lens. The image quality is essentially the same in current advanced compact cameras, so the other features are more relevant. Want a truly compact camera - get Olympus XZ-2 or something similar. Nikon P7700 offer 7x zoom, up to 200mm (eqv), with relatively bright lens for such compact design. Fuji gives a feel of "the _camera_". It is joy to use. Obviously, not everyone has the same perception as me: as I wrote at the start of the post, this camera is aimed on certain people.

Both Fuji X10 and X20 are available in Brisbane camera shops, at $600+. Fuji X10 comes with some promo option. People can choose between the two models equipped with different sensors. Fuji X20 shows more resolution and has vastly superior viewfinder, but Fuji X10 has an unique sensor.

Olympus pricing

The latest Olympus PEN E-P5 with 17mm f/1.8 lens and external viewfinder is available for pre-orders in B&H for $1550 (USD of course), and the body only for $999. Curiously, Olympus OM-D E-M5 body is offered for the same price. Smart move to boost OM-D sales :)

From RX100 to RX200

In these days many digital cameras have a very short "shop life". The model turnover is fairly fast, especially for compact cameras. On top of it, compact cameras are squeezed out by mobile phones or smartphones at low end and by affordable  mirrorless cameras and entry-level DSLRs. There are some exceptions, such as Fujifilm X100, a niche camera that kept the same price for about two years. But this post is not about Fuji, but Sony.

Sony RX100 is a very interesting camera. It is very compact but it is build around 1" sensor, The 1" sensor is twice bigger than the sensors used in Fuji X10 or X20. Nikon 1 cameras are also build around 1" sensors. Most other compact cameras have smaller sensors.

Does the sensor size matter? The answer is Yes and No. Yes, because big sensors have more pixels with the same technology (aka pitch size), so the resolution can be higher. No, because the sensor technology is evolving very fast, so sensors can have higher pixel density with litre or no sacrifice in quality.  Subject separation, aka depth of field depends on sensor size, too. That is why in compact cameras everything is in focus while full frame DSLRs such as Nikon D800 with proper lens creates a nicely blurred background. The narrow depth of field is a big problem in "nature macro" photography because objects (flowers, bugs etc) are big, and generally some parts are out of focus. This is why advanced compact cameras are very popular for the macro photography. On other hand, image quality on cameras with a small sensor is not as good as on a DSLR, especially in low contrast areas.

Enter Sony RX100. The sensor is at least twice bigger than in most other compact cameras. The camera is smaller and lighter than any Nikon 1 camera with zoom lens. There is no other compact camera with such specification at the moment. The result? Sony RX100 announced in June 2012 is still priced at ~$650 in the US and ~$700 here in Australia. At the time of writing it is the most expensive model among 20 most popular compact cameras on Amazon. Well done, Sony! It is an innovative product, and people do pay for this type of things.

The RX100 was build as compact as possible. The sacrifices: the lens is a bit slow at the tele end, the distortion is very pronounced but it is corrected automatically. It has no viewfinder. In some sense the design of RX100 is opposite to Fuji X10 or X20. Fuji models have very good lens, amazing camera controls aimed on enthusiast photographers, and a viewfinder, but the cameras are relatively big. It is good to have choice. I've got the X10. 

Now with all these rumors about a premium Sony camera build around 1" sensor (link to my post on RX200), I am on the fence again. I do not upgrade my cameras very often. I do like X20 slightly more than X10 (based on specs) but for me the difference is not big enough to justify $600+. However, high end 1" compact camera is one of the thing I am dreaming of.  

Another rumor on entry-level mirrorless X camera from Fuji

Another rumor post on entry-level mirrorless camera from Fuji. Not much new there. The same price range as rumored earlier, ~$550 for the body + lens kit. What lens? It is a lens. Can be a new XF27mm F2.8 pancake (41mm eqv). It probably will be a good combo for street shooters. As expected, the camera will be smaller and with less controls than Fuji X-E1. The UI of X-E1 is good but some buttons are "dumb" in certain modes. So, with some optimisation the UI of the "X-M1" might be comparable with other X cameras.

Am I interested in a pancake lens? Not much at the moment. I am after the XF55-200mm zoom or/and the wide angle zoom. However, for other people the fairly wide prime lens in combination with small camera might be very attractive. Street shooters may like it.

mirrorless vs DSLR

Another interesting post from Thom Hogan on mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. He also posted the results of his poll.

Obviously, people lurking on photoforums do not represent the whole population but still the result of the poll is quite telling. In some sense, Fuji is doing a good job with their niche X cameras. Olympus went minute, and PENs are very popular.

Still, some niches are not filled. I bet many nature-loving photographers would be happy to have a compact camera with a medium-sized sensor, either 1" or m4/3. It is all about size, supermacro and image quality. Hopefully, the rumored Sony RX200 looks like a step in right direction. I wish it will have Fuji X controls and lens.

Sony RX200

Damn Sony: I've thought I've settled with my cameras for a long time. My plan was to get  two zoom lens for Fuji X system in next year or two. Now I learned about the latest Sony rumors: RX100 is going to be upgraded in nearby future. Just a quote from Photorumors:

"The RX200 will have an improved 28-140mm f/1.4-2.2 lens (compared to the current 29-105mm f/1.8-4.9) and an unique built-in pop-up viewfinder (similar to the pop-up flash)".

These are two big steps in right direction: better lens and EVF. The only thing I am not sure is a user interface. There is no info for this yet. It might be an ultimate solution for supermacro shots I am hoping for.

Sony is very innovative with the digital cameras. The company made DSLRs with semi-transparent mirror (the idea is not new but currently Sony is the only company with such cameras. Their NEX line is hugely popular. Sony made RX100 compact with 1" sensor. It is the only compact camera with such sensor. It also released RX1 with the full-frame sensor.

Sony sensors are widely used by Nikon and Olympus.

Olympus PEN E-P5

Olympus E-P5 pictures and specs were leaked. The thing that caught my attention is an improved autofocus compared to OM-D E-M5. As any other PEN model E-P5 does not have a build-in viewfinder. The camera got the 5-axis stabilization first appeared in OM-D E-M5 and tiltable screen. So, the image stabilization should be better than in E-PL5. At least on paper the camera looks more attractive than existing PEN models. It will cost slightly more but still less than OM-D E-M5.

Update: link to some picture of this little beauty, E-P5.

To sum up

It just occurred to me that in total I spent about 10,000 dollars on my digital cameras and lenses, spare batteries, memory cards, filters, tripods etc. Probably slightly more than that. In other words,  slightly less than $1000 per year. I might get a few bucks back from selling off my 4/3 gear but not much.

I lost Olympus C2020, and C770 and E500 went into good hands long time ago. I still have Olympus E30 but rarely use it since acquisition of Fuji X10 and X-E1.

Past and present

Bird of Paradise | Fuji X-E1 & XF60mm Macro

Olympus C2020 > Olympus C770 > Olympus E500 > Olympus E30 > Fuji X10 > Fuji X-E1

I used to read DPReview but some time ago switched to rumors sites. It is slightly worrying development. Frankly, in these days I don't see any reason for me to follow progress of the camera world, let alone its potential development. Fuji X-E1 offers more than I need except for macro, but X10 is quite good for flowers shots. I'll get XF55-200mm, and may replace XF18-55mm with XF10-24mm next year. I might be interested in a compact with 1" sensor, bright lens with 4-5x zoom and good macro capability but nobody want to make such camera. So, I plan to talk less about cameras and take more pictures.

Entry-level mirrorless camera from Fuji, again

It seems that an entry-level mirrorless camera from Fujifilm is real, and it might be announced soon (before summer in Northern hemisphere). The rumors about the "X-M1" circulate around the for quite a while.It is expected that the camera will be in class of Olympus E-PL5 or Sony NEX-5, somewhat above the entry level. Note that the cameras in this segment generally do not have fixed screens :) Expect to see tiltable screen...

The current X cameras are very popular. It is reasonable for the company to add product in extremely popular segment of the mirrorless market to compete with cameras such as Olympus E-PL5 or Sony NEX-5. However, Fuji does not have a cheap compact zoom lens for a mid-range market. The available XF18-55mm F2.8-4 lens adds a lot in price, size and weight to the kit, so it wouldn't be cheap, compact or light. In Australia the price of the Olympus E-PL5 single lens kit is essentially identical to price of Fujinon XF18-55mm lens. The same true for Sony NEX-5R. Obviously, Fuji can heavily discount the kit and price it at around $900. Or it might combine it with the new XF55-200mm lens. While it sound odd, it would make an attractive package for me: I am interested in the zoom lens and don't mind to have a spare body. Obviously, I can buy just the lens, but in Australia Fuji has a strange(?) price policy: the X-E1 zoom kit costs ~$150 more than the body, while the lens itself is priced at $730. In other words, buying the kit ($1250) saves over $550, or close to 80% of the lens price. While I am interested in the zoom lens, the current price policy is a very strong demotivator for buying the lens. I'd rather wait or grab it on eBay.

BTW, here is a link to the official samples from XF55-200mm F55-200 F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens

Blackmagic

It is old news but it is still interesting: Blackmagic Design created a small video camera with an 'active' m4/3 lens mount and a Super 16 sensor (see the table). The sensor is smaller than the standard (Micro) Four Thirds sensor. In fact, it is similar to 1" sensor used in Nikon 1 or Sony RX100 cropped to wide ration (~16:9). After all, it a Pocket Cinema Camera, and 4:3 ratio is not useful. Why it is interesting? It looks like a very capable movie camera at democratic price: it can record footage at 220 Mbps, with promise of getting lossless CinemaDNG format later through the firmware update and all this magic is priced at 1k USD. It does not substitute a professional video camera but it should have a better quality than a consumer camcorders. It also would add to m4/3 consortium and add to sales of high-end lenses.

New 1" sensor from Aptina

Aptina has announced a new 14MP 1" sensor with even faster shooting speed. I wish Fuji X30 would have it... I dream about all-in-one weather-sealed camera with good bright lens, viewfinder and supermacro options on both ends of zoom. It does not need to be tiny.  Fuji X10 / X20 is significantly smaller than Olympus C-8080. OK, C-8080 has slightly longer zoom, but Fuji has very bright lens. I don't care about optical or hybrid viewfinder, EVF more than enough.

Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS: announcement, samples etc

Fuji announced the first mid-tele zoom lens with image stabilization for the Fujifilm X system, XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS. The zoom range is equal to 83-300mm, and the minimal focusing distance is 1.1 meters, so it might have a nice close-up ability. Some people already tested the lens, and it seems that the autofocus speed is on par with XF18-55mm lens - that's very good news for me. The sample photo taken with Fuji XF55-200mm lens are also available. 

It is the biggest and the heaviest lens in their current lineup, 118mm long, 580 grams / 1.28 lb. The lens wouldn't be available for some time. The prices should be around $700 in the US. The lens is positioned between cheap "standard" plastic tele lenses and high quality lenses such as 70-200mm F4 from Canon and Nikon or ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 from Olympus. The XF55-200mm is slightly faster than a typical kit zoom, but the major difference supposed to be in the quality. I cannot recollect any other high quality tele lens for mirrorless cameras except for Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS but the zoom range is quite different from the Fuji's.

I have ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD lens, and I do like it. ZUIKO is significantly brighter at long end, but Fuji cameras are less noisy, so I can use iso 800 instead of 100 on my Olympus E-30, and in-lens image stabilization may help, too. Generally I am not interested in shallow DoF. The Fuji lens is twice lighter, too.

The solo reason to chose Olympus OM-D E-M5 over Fuji X-E1

Blackfellow Falls | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

The track goes behind the waterfalls. It was very sunny day but the place (Springbrook national park, near the border between Queensland and New South Wales) got 30-40-50mm of rain in previous couple days. I went on the Twin Falls track, and it was quite wet. Obviously, I kept the camera in the bag near the waterfalls but occasional drops from trees and rocks made a few very unpleasant moments.  This short track passes behind several waterfalls, one cave and several overhanging rocks... In such situation I dream about OM-D E-M5 with 12-50mm lens. Weather sealed camera and lenses....

This year is quite wet in Brisbane. In three and half months the city got close to 800mm of rains, more than half of its annual rainfall. The start of the wet season was pretty dry, but it was compensated later.

Twin Falls | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm