Flood is coming

Rain in Brisbane: January 27, 2013 | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

At 8 pm Brisbane got more than 110 mm of rain since 9 am, and last time I've checked Mt Stapylton radar some areas in surrounding mountains got over 250 mm. Now this radar is not accessible and Marburg radar does not have all information. The wind is building up, and the lights are flickering occasionally. Well, at least we still have electricity. Some places in Brisbane are already flooded from local creeks, but the major flood is expecting for tomorrow.

Fuji X20: low noise & high resolution

According to the slide in this post on Mirrorless Rumors, Fuji X20 has better Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio than the old 12 MP sensor used in 4/3 and m4/3 cameras, and even out-resolve 1" 20 MP sensor. The only camera with such sensor I am aware of is Sony RX100. Now I am really curious to see a review of Fuji X20. Well, RX100 JPEGs undergo heavy correction - price for very compact body, while X-Trans sensor does not require anti-aliasing filter. Also, Fujifilm did some woodoo magic with diffraction in their latest cameras, X20 and X100S. As for old 12 MP 4/3 sensor... My Olympus E-30 is noisy. The slide also has 1.5" 12 MP sensor. Canon used 1.5" sensor in PowerShot G1 X but it is 14 MP sensor. A bit of confusion here.

Fuji X10, orbs and me

I am puzzled with popularity of my posts on orbs, or white discs, appearing in some pictures from Fuji X10. Fuji X10 with the original sensor was / is prone to spectacular highlights clipping resulting in appearance of white discs. The issue is fairly common in some situations, e.g. on shiny cars at bright light, but I have not seen any orbs in my photos of plants or animals. Anyway, under pressure from the owners of the camera the company replaced the sensor in Fuji X10. Current X10 cameras should not have such problem., however the company never made any statement regarding the sensor upgrade in latest cameras. Another Fuji camera with the same 2/3" sensor, XF1, does not produce orbs.

Why people are still searching for orbs?

Macro

Fuji X10, supermacro, aperture priority, 12MP, iso 200, 1/900 sec, F2.8, exposure compensation -0.3. 

GIMP: levels, crop, resize, local unsharpen mask 

For me one of the most attractive features of advanced compact cameras is supermacro mode. Because of small sensor and wide angle the depth of field is enormous on compact cameras. Unfortunately, all current (serious) compact cameras have supermacro mode at wide end of the zoom. It does help with DoF but the distance between lens and the object is very small. It is OK for flowers but with bugs it is complicated. The "last year" models of advanced compact cameras  are cheaper than dedicated macro lenses for most DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Plus no need to change lens every time I want to shoot macro.

Nikon 1 system probably also would have enough DoF but unfortunately, the dedicated macro lens is not yet available. Probably AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm F2.8 with FT1 adapter can be a viable solution but the whole set will be big, heavy and definitely more expensive than enthusiast compact cameras. Obviously, for someone with a collection of Nikon lenses the situation might be different. I don't have any Nikon glass.

Capture One: support for Fujifilm X-Trans RAW

The latest release of the Capture One RAW development software Pro 7.0.2 supports the Fujifilm X-Trans sensor present in Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1. The RAW files from the latest Fujifilm cameras with X-Trans sensor, X100S and X20, apparently are not supported yet. The X-Trans sensor has different color filter in front of the sensor compared to most other cameras with traditional Bayer filter, and converting the sensor data is somewhat challenging. DPReview tested the Capture One converter, and it does not look like a final solution. While color smearing is essentially non-existent, the converter is prone to moire on regular patterns. So, long live Fuji's JPEG!

Sigma DP1M on SoundImagePlus

David Taylor-Hughes, the author of the SoundImagePlus blog, posted the first part of his review of Sigma DP1M. His intro post on DP cameras from Sigma is also interesting read.  And yes, the amount of details in current Sigma cameras is simply amazing.

DPReview on Fuji X100S

It seems that DPReview team is very excited about Fujifilm X100S. It seems that the most weak points of Fuji X100 were addressed in the new model. Better autofocus, better manual focus, focus peaking, higher resolution and updated hybrid viewfinder. The minimal focusing distance is just 10 cm (in Macro mode, the same as on the X100). Here is a link to X100S review by Ken Rockwell.

Walking in Lamington and image editing

Australian rainforest with Nothofagus moorei | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

On my last trip to Lamington national park the weather was nearly perfect. It was misty in some places but no rains or wind. We did one of my favourite walks at Green Mountains (O'Reilly's), 17 km Toolona creek circuit. It was unusually dry for this part of the year. It supposed to be a muddy walk but the track was dry. Not much water in the creek either, so we cross it in dry boots. I've never seen such so many tripods on one day in this area: we were not the only people with "big" cameras over there :) My Fuji X-E1 was the smallest and lightest camera, and I had a small Manfrotto digital tripod. The total weight of my photo gear including filters and batteries was under 2 kg.

Later during this week I saw my friend's photos from this trip properly processed in Photoshop. I was very impressed by what can be done with image by a skilled person. Obviously, the starting images were good: my friend shoot mainly RAW on D700 and he has couple nice lenses. Anyway, I was convinced to do something with my images and played with GIMP yesterday night.

The image on the top got the red color muted resulting in reduction of color intensity on the walking track. The dead leaves on the track now look brownish instead of reddish as on the original image. The color shift was done through reduction of saturation of for some colors (red in this case) in additional layer only for the track. The image below gives an idea about the original track color.

Border track | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

First look at Fuji X20 and X100S

Imaging Resource had published previews for Fuji X100S and X20. Quote: "Fujifilm's X-Trans sensor technology was arguably one of the most significant technical developments of 2012 for the photo business." I wish these guys will be able to test the new Fuji cameras in nearby future. Right now it is essentially the specs and excitement.

In meantime Nikon added two new lenses for Nikon 1 system, wide angle and compact version of super-zoom.

Official samples from Fuji X20 and X100S

The official Fujifilm X site was updated with info on both X20 and X100S. The  sample photos are also there as well as description of key features including a "hybrid" viewfinder on Fuji X20. Both X10 and X100 are gone.

Fuji X10 is my first Fujifilm camera and now I am hooked on user interface and Fuji colors. I am happy with the resolution and have not used EXR modes much. For high contrast scenes I prefer to use 200% dynamic range because the noise at iso 200 on Fuji X10 is very low. With BSI CMOS sensor on Fuji X20 the noise probably will be even lower. The resolution probably will be better, too. But, as all cameras with small sensors, it will struggle in low contrast areas. The inclusion of an information panel into optical viewfinder is the most interesting upgrade. This thing can make OVF on the X20 useable. It seems that only Fuji and Canon keep the OVFs on the compact cameras, and at least on paper, Fujifilm has an edge here. Olympus XZ-2 can be used with an external EVF, so it is also a reasonable alternative for very bright light. While I have not seen any X20 review yet, on paper it looks like a serious upgrade over the X10.

Appearance of X-Trans sensors on two new models increases chances of good third-party support of RAW development which is important for some people. I was really happy to switch back to JPEG with Fuji X10 and now with the X-E1. In most situations I am very happy with the white balance on both cameras, and Fuji X-E1 at 200% has amazing dynamic range. The resolution exceeds my needs on both cameras.

This time Fujifilm recycled the mechanical part of the X10 and updated the electronics (sensor, processor, information panel, fast hybrid autofocus). The same or similar lens, the same button layout, no ND filter this time. Very wise decision considering how good and well-thought is the X10 body. In comparison to X10 the UI of Fuji X-E1 feels a bit immature because of "dead controls": inactive buttons and dial in some shooting modes. Fuji X-E1 UI definitely can be better.

It seems that Fujifilm will make many people happy :-)

Price of Fuji X100S in Australia

Some shops in Brisbane already listed Fuji X100S for pre-orders for about $1,300 (AUD). The price is essentially similar to the X100. Very tempting camera for some people, and the price is about 1/3 of Sony RX1 (if you fork in an external viewfinder for the Sony).

The availability date for the X100S is not clear, even B&H does not have it.

However, B&H has Fuji X20 for pre-order for about $600. It is cheaper than Fuji X10 in Australia. Well, now in Down Under we can get the camera with extra things like a camera case from Fjifilm.

Hot week in Brisbane

Smoky sunset in Brisbane on January 8, 2013 | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

The forecast predicts several hot days in Brisbane with the temperatures going above 30C for several days:

In subtropical climate with high humidity anything above 35C is nasty. On top of this, the SE Queensland got very little rain at the start of this wet season, so the local bush is dry as box of matches, and the fire danger is high. Yesterday the smoke from the fire on Bribie island was visible in Brisbane. I think it was the only uncontrolled fire around Brisbane.

Smoky sunset in Brisbane on January 8, 2013 | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Fuji X20 and X100S are officially announced

The DPReview posted the First Look previews for both cameras. According to their preview, the X20 got BSI sensor, and with the back-illuminated sensor the noise at high iso should be low. The Q menu button of X20 is just renamed RAW button of X10. The autofocus probably will be fast on both cameras because of on-chip phase detection elements. The viewfinder got an overlaying electronic panel, and probably will be the best current OVF on current compact camera. Both Fuji X20 and X100S are designed for specific groups of photographers based on preferences of camera handling and intended use. No sample images were posted yet on the DPReview.

Also, Pentax joined the club and announced an advanced compact camera based on 1/1.7" BSI sensor. The MX-1 has  28-112mm eqv f/1.8-2.5 lens and a flip-out 920k rear screen.

Sigma DP3 Merrill with 50mm macro lens

According to Mirrorless Rumors, the new Sigma DP3 Merrill has 50mm f.2.8 Macro lens. If the camera has a real macro lens, it might be an ultimate solution for close-up photography for some people. The classic Macro at 50mm. The image quality probably will be equal to Sigma DP2M, which is "breathtaking". 

Update. The camera was announced on January 7. Quote: "The DP3 Merrill has a minimum focusing distance of 22.6cm (8.9”) and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3". No miracle here, it is not 1:1 macro lens. It might be useful camera for product shots and some close-up shots but it would not substitute a proper macro lens.

Announcement of the X20

Fuji X20 is real: press release. I got the link through Fujirumors.

The X20 apparently keeps the lens of it's predecessor, Fuji X10: 4x zoom, f/2.0-2.8. The sensor is 12MP 2/3" X-Trans CMOS II. The X-Trans sensors do not need low pass filters, so Fuji X20 has ~ 20% higher resolution and 30% less noise compared to the X10. The resolution is measured at f/8. First, Fuji X10 was not famous for it's resolution, and second, at f/8 the diffraction should kick in. Fuji X20 has the new magic EXR Processor II, the same as in the X100S, that apparently can "decode" the diffraction. The viewfinder is upgraded with  Digital Trans Panel and now can display "the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focusing area and other shooting information". The camera got a hybrid autofocus system and apparently can focus very fast. The video is upgraded to Full HD at 60fps with possibility of manual focus.

So, Fujifilm decided to bet on X-Trans sensors. The company also addressed several critical issues of Fuji X10 such as viewfinder info and autofocus speed. The resolution probably will be in range with other advanced compact cameras. Based on specs, Fuji X20 is a better camera than the predecessor, in several aspects. Hopefully, the X20 samples will be available on Monday. 

Introducing the new Fujifilm X100S

The press release of the Fujifilm X100S is available at Fujifilm UK. The link was posted by Fujirumors.The official announcement probably will be on Monday.

The cool things: new(!) "16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor and EXR Processor II, which together increase resolution by approx. 25%  [over Fuji X100] and reduce noise by more than 30% [over Fuji X100]. So, there is a new X-Trans sensor. Fujifilm did some magic and according to the press release a lot of details are visible at f/16. At that aperture value the diffraction eats some resolution in X-Pro1 with the first generation of X-Trans sensor and previous image processing. The electronic part of the viewfinder is upgraded to 2.4MP. The camera got the hybrid autofocus system ("world's fastest"), focus peaking and image splitting for better manual focus. The 23mm f/2 lens is "specifically designed for this model" but it contains 8 elements in 6 groups as X100. The lens focuses up to 10 cm in Macro mode and has 3x ND filter. The Q (Quick) menu is added to the camera. The video is updated and "the X100S can shoot at 60fps (!) during Full HD video recording (1920 x 1080)". I want to see the sample images from X100S and comparison to Fuji X-Pro1 / X-E1 cameras.

Very impressive upgrade from the X100. At least some features probably will migrate to Fuji X-Pro2. 

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm: one month after

I

Lamington Spiny Crayfish | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, iso 3200 f/5.6 1/60 sec

I've got the Fuji X-E1 zoom kit at the very end of November 2012. It took me some time to get used to the camera layout. For example, the aperture ring is close to camera body while the ring at the edge of the lens is responsible for manual focus. Some external controls are not active in certain mode. I already wrote about "dead" dial in Aperture priority mode some time ago.

It took me about one month to adapt to the new camera. The use interface is working OK for me. I created a couple Custom setting for different iso and dynamic range because it is faster to change iso this way. It is a Fujifilm camera, so it has very good user interface.

I travelled around SE Queensland and northern part of New South Wales during holiday season with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens. I used Olympus E-30, too, but with the Fuji I took over 2000 images, probably ten times more than with the Oly. While some pictures were taken as JPEG and RAW, I have not touched RAW yet.

So, the impressions.

Usability. The UI is very good. I like Q menu and aperture control ring. It can be improved, that's for sure. The only thing I hate is a mediocre battery life. The spare battery is "must to have" even for single day shooting. For longer trips I need more, plus option to recharge. I'm looking at solar panels and car chargers.

The viewfinder. I love it. While I do not use it much, it is very handy at sunny weather. Very comfortable to my eyes. It is oversaturated to my taste, but it does the job.

Autofocus. I am very satisfied with it. It is not a speed demon but I found it very accurate and reliable in most situations (check the kangaroo picture). My blog has several posts on Fuji X-E1 autofocus.

Video. It sucks. The autofocus hunts all the time on any moving subject. Link to video clip on flickr. I do not have much experience with video, maybe it is just me.

Image quality. It is my best camera regarding to image quality. There might be some color bleeding in certain images but in my "real life" it is not an issue. It is my first camera with usable high iso. Images taken at iso 1600-3200 on Fuji X-E1 are amazingly good compared to my older cameras. This is the positive side of non-frequent upgrades: you do see the difference :)

Image stabilization. It does work. The crayfish photo was taken at arm length, with the camera near the ground, and it turned to be very sharp. On static objects I can go with really low shutter speed which can be useful in dim light.

For me  Fuji X-E1 is "a serious camera". It takes very good photos but it is less fun to use than Fuji X10. I don't have Fuji X10 with me right now, and I miss it a lot. I guess for me it is all about the winning combination of relatively small size, manual zoom, supermacro option and acceptable image quality. With current price Fuji X10 represents a viable alternative to a macro lens on Fuji X-E1 :)

Eastern grey kangaroo | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, iso 800, f/7.1, 1/600 sec

Mirrorless in 2013

Rainforest at Bithongabel | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

I am taking rest after walk in Lamington national park. It is my "resting" writing :)

The previous year was fairly intense for mirrorless cameras.  Companies such as Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Fujifilm had released advanced CSC models. Olympus OM-D E-M5 became the first mirrorless system camera democratically selected as the best camera of the year.

What to expect in 2013? Will it be quiet year or it will bring a lot of agitation to photographic community and numerous "rumors" sites?

It depends. In 2013 I expect to see ubiquitous introduction of a hybrid autofocus in mirrorless cameras. Just announced Samsung NX300 got this feature, and rumored Fuji X100s probably also will use it. So, the autofocus on new mirrorless cameras will be better. Olympus is expected to release the "pro hybrid" m43 camera that can work with 43 lenses. I mean fast autofocus here. Fujifilm probably will upgrade X-Pro1 model and address the focus speed. Two camera giants probably will take mirrorless market seriously in 2013 and release advanced models. Nikon is the only prominent camera maker without big-sensor mirrorless camera. Canon might add something to the existing EOS M. Obviously, Sony and Panasonic will make new good cameras :)

The new lenses for CSC models will appear in 2013. This is crucial for Fuji's X mount but it might look like a comprehensive system after release of wide and tele lenses later this year. IMHO, Olympus needs good standard kit zoom. The available options are either need a strong distortion correction or just too slow.

I am not interested in full frame mirrorless but many people are excited about this thing.

Toolona creek circuit | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Sensor in Fuji X20

Fujifilm is about to announce new cameras including replacement models for Fuji X100 and X10, and some specs for Fuji X100s and Fuji X20 are leaked. This rumor is somewhat confusing. First, it was expected that Fuji X100s will have a hybrid viewfinder. Maybe the upgraded HVF is based on OLED. It is confusing because Fuji X-E1 has electronic viewfinder. It seems that Fuji X100s will also have a hybrid viewfinder, and upgraded electronics. Also, the same source claims that Fuji X20 will have X-Trans sensor while it was expected that the successor of Fuji X10 will keep EXR sensor. Maybe it will combine both technologies. After all, the main feature of X-Trans sensor is essentially just non-standard color filter. But now I am curious to see the real specs. If Fuji X20 will get X-Trans sensor, than the camera can be the best compact with small sensor for shooting at high iso. And, on top of that, both cameras are getting focus peaking for manual focusisng and hybrid autofocus. 

Samsung NX300 is out

The new Samsung mirrorless camera NX300 with hybrid autofocus is announced. The new camera has phase-detection focus elements build into sensor, so it supposed to focus fast (depending on lens, of cause). The camera is build around the same or very similar ~20MP APS-C sensor used in NX20, NX200/210 and NX100. It has tiltable AMOLED touch screen but lucks build-in flash or viewfinder. The specs are beefed up, and camera can do more than 8 frames per sec, and has max shutter speed of 1/6000. The focus peaking is added, too.

One of the attractive features of Samsung mirorless system is a fairly broad selection of decent lenses. Their prices are democratic, too. The huge minus is their approach to marketing. It is hard to find Samsung CSC camera in many camera shops in Australia: Teds does not list any Samsung mirrorless camera on their site, and even Camera House does not have all CSC models from Samsung. The 20MP sensor is a bit noisier at high iso compared to other modern APS-C sensors from Sony or Fujifilm, but at low iso the images are gorgeous. Here is a review of the NX system and NX20 camera from SoundImagePlus site.

Samsung apparently is working on dedicated 75-300mm lens for NX system. Very handy zoom range for anyone limited by 18-55mm (sigh...)

High iso nature shots with Fuji X-E1

Toolona creek circuit |  Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, handheld at iso 1600, exposure compensation -1.0.

I am pleasantly surprised with high iso shots from Fuji X-E1. In both photos the exposure was about 1/60. It is a huge leap from my Olympus E-30. I mean noise, of cause. I've use the lowest noise reduction option, with high iso noise reduction on.

Both pictures were taken on one of my favourite walks in the Lamington national park, Toolona creek circuit.

Toolona creek circuit |  Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm, handheld at iso 1600, exposure compensation -1.0.

Focus peaking on Fuji X100s

The announcement of both Fujifilm X100s and X20 is expected next week on CES show. In addition to X-Trans sensor Fuji X100s is expected to have a focus peaking (link). If true, than it will be implemented on Fujifilm X-Pro2.