Nikon A is DxOMarked

Nikon Coolpix A was tested and scored by DxOMark.  I don't know how these numbers are related to photography but some people might be interested. I am surprised to see how well an old Fuji X100 (announced in 2010) holds against the new Nikon. While sensor in Nikon A wins in every aspect, the difference is not huge. Current Australian price of Fuji X100 is about $850, and I expect Nikon A will be priced way over $1200 in local shops, probably higher than Fuji X100S. Obviously, the cameras are very different. The Fuji is not pocketable, the focal length is different, and so on. People interested in compact camera with 28nn (eqv) lens will be happy. But the current price of Fuji X100 is very tempting...

I tried Fuji X100 in local shop long time ago. The camera is a bit heavy for my taste. It is very comfortable, and the viewfinder is very good, but personally I prefer a slightly lighter camera. I've bought X-E1, not X-Pro1, and both size and weight were important factors influencing my choice. Would I sacrifice hybrid viewfinder in favour of EVF on X100-type camera? It is hard to say because I have not used X100 or X100S. I know that on Fuji X-E1 the electronic viewfinder is very comfortable to my eyes, and the optical viewfinder on Fuji X10 is not really helpful, and very painful. Yes, the viewfinders on X10 and X100 are apples and veggies, not even oranges. But it seems that Fuji X-E1 is more popular than X-Pro1, so it is not unreasonable to suggest that "enthusiast" version of X100S (Fujifilm X100E) with a standard EVF and smaller, lighter body can be very popular. I like thickness of Fuji X100, but don't mind to see the body slightly reduced in other dimensions, similar to X-Pro1 > X-E1 evolution.

Renting Fuji X lenses in Brisbane

Some time ago I learnt that it is possible to rent some lenses in Brisbane from CameraPro. For Fuji X mount "the holy trinity" (18, 35 and 60mm) is available but the latest addition such as 14mm is not. I think I'll pay a couple visits to this shop in nearby future... The 60mm macro lens was on my "must to get" list but was postponed amid various reasons, and I am curious to try the ultimate 35mm F1.4... 

In meantime I added couple new links with reviews in the post dedicated to Fuji X100S. I am curious if this model can be my "carry around" camera, especially considering it's macro option. Obviously, the X100S lens is not true macro, and it is soft wide open at close distance but it is reasonably sharp at f8. Big plus: no hassle with lens swapping (and missing the shot).  

Fuji X100S: sample photos and reviews

DPReview posted real-world photos from Fuji X100S. As usual, comments is fun to read.
Photography Blog published a review of Fuji X100S.
Some  Fuji X100S test shots on flickr.
Comparison of Fuji X100 and Fuji X100S by Rico Pfirstinger. He also has some other interesting stuff, such as photos taken with Fuji X-E1 and Metabones Speedbooster / adapter and Carl Zeiss glass...

Another review, by Zack Arias. I would say, impression, not a traditional review, but it is all about photographs - and those are awesome!  

Review by Simon Goldsworthy, from London. Yes, a double decker shot is included :) Nice street photos, some interesting comments on autofocus and 14 bits RAW from the camera. Simon also uses Fuji X-E1 and some m4/3 gear.

Samsung NX1100 or NX1000

Some time ago I wrote about huge discounts on Samsung NX1000 in the US, and Thom Hogan published an interesting article about NX1100/NX1000 and state of the US camera market in general on his Sans Mirror site.

I considered to get one of the Samsung mirrorless cameras such as NX20 (I was tempted by lenses) but it turned out that only few camera shops in Brisbane had Samsung CSC cameras at that time, and I prefer to shop locally.

Olympus PEN E-P5

The web is full of rumors about the forthcoming top Olympus mirrorless PEN camera, E-P5. Both Mini and Lite models were upgraded recently with new 16MP sensors, the same as in Olympus OM-D E-M5. However, both E-PL5 and E-PM2 keep 2-axis sensor stabilisation system while the OM-D E-M5 has a new "5-axes" system. The rumored price for PEN E-P5 is expected to be around $1000, quite substantial considering that PENs do not have build-in viewfinders. Even if the camera will get excellent 16MP sensor and 5-axis sensor stabilisation from the OM-D E-M5, it is still very high price. In fact, it is equal to the OM-D E-M5 body in B&H before(!) $50 rebate. It might be a price for a lens kit, of cause, or the camera got something very special. The 14-42mm lens adds juts $50 to the E-PL5 price ($600 for the kit at B&H). The E-P5 can be combined together with 12-50mm lens but this would make sense only with weather-proof body. This would place new PEN E-P5 between OM-D E-M5 with 12-50mm lens ($1200) and PEN E-PL5 with 14-42mm ($600). Another possibility is a new standard bright zoom lens from Olympus in kit with a non-weather-sealed body...  After all, the release of the rumored "f2.8" zoom is expected at the same time as E-P5...

UPDATE: Olympus had filed patens for two variants of 12-40mm, lenses F2.8 and F2.8-4.0. I am a bit confused with the lens length which is over 13cm. That's very long. Or might be I got it wrong. Maybe the lenses do not extend. Obviously, not all patented lenses make to the shops...

Ongoing Fuji X-E1 review on SoundImagePlus

David Taylor-Hughes, the author of SoundImagePlus blog, got Fuji X-E1 zoom kit with XF18-55mm lens. His "reviews" generally consist of many posts linked by common labels. I like his writings and his photos from the UK. Obviously, the camera got reviewed many times but it is still worth to follow his writings on the camera. 

Samsung NX1000 with 20-55mm lens for USD330

Samsung NX1100 will be announced soon, and the current model, NX1000 with 20-50mm lens, is priced for $330 (US) on Amazon. This is 20MP mirrorless camera with APS-C sensor and fairly compact lens.

UPDATE: Samsung NX1100 is announced. The kit comes with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Early review of Fuji X100S

Fujifilm X forum on the DPReview site is now very boring. The same can be said about FinePix forum. ORBs gone, SAB gone, not much left to complain about. People compare images taken at iso 6400 by X100S and Sony RX1 and want more primes. It is a golden moment for Fujifilm. Fuji X100S is among 100 top selling digital cameras on Amazon, Fuji X-E1 is still very popular choice among mirrorless cameras (Amazon), the XF14mm wide angle  lens got very good reviews - you name it.

Anyway, I went on X forum to find opinions on Fuji X100S. The camera is not available in Australia yet, and the same is true for the US but some people already got the thing. I found link to BrianKraft Photography blog with interesting opinion on the camera, including wonderful photos.

Funny mushrooms with Fuji X10

Stinkhorn mushroom, Phallus rubicundus | Fuji X10

Yesterday I had Fuji X10 with me on my traditional lunch walk around the campus instead of Fuji X-E1. Why X10? The answer is simple: supermacro mode. I wanted to take picture of very small fruits/berries, about 5mm in diameter. Obviously, I took some other pictures, too, and in fact ended with flat batteries, both the main and spare. Yes, I am a real shutterbug, and it is just fun to use this camera. [I bet the same is true for other advanced compact cameras.] Both our cameras, X10 and X-E1, have very similar user interface, so it is very easy to switch between cameras. I wish both model would use the same batteries... I also got an impression that the rear screen in X-E1 is more useable / visible under different angles but I have not done any direct comparisons.

In Brisbane both X10 and X20 (which is not yet available) cost less than XF60mm macro lens for the X system. Fuji X100 is just $850 (AUD), $60 higher than the macro lens.

Funny mushrooms | Fuji X10

Macro options on Fuji X

Flower of Leichhardt tree | Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm (crop)

I take many pictures in near-macro range. Well, I used to, with Fuji X10. The XF18-55mm lens that I have does not focus close. It is not a huge issue, but in some situations I would like to have a higher magnification. I can get XF60mm F2.4 R macro lens but it has a shallow depth of field, and I don't like this. I can use X10 but I already got hooked on image quality of Fuji X-E1. Another option would be to get Fuji X100 or X100S: both cameras focus at 10cm in Macro mode. The DoF is bigger at 23mm than at 60mm, and the magnification probably will be more or less sufficient for me, especially with 16MP sensor. The focal length on X100S might be a reasonable compromise between supermacro on X10 where shading from the lens creates problems narrow DoF of the 60mm macro.

I searched flickr for "nature" macro shots taken with X100. Here are some that I like:
f4 resized
another flower at f5.6

hi-res photo with good DoF (f5.6), and very beautiful macro from the same person taken on Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens.

some bug (wasp)
cactus flower at f5.6
flower at f8

Review of Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8 R

Photozone had published a review of the recently released XF14mm F2.8 wide angle lens. The only technical "issue" reported for the lens is a very high level of vignetting. Obviously, it is corrected to some degree in camera: very low noise in current APS-C sensors allow reasonably good correction of vignetting. The resolution of the lens is "outstanding".

I am surprised with this review. Not the review itself but how fast it is appeared after the release of the lens. It seems that the X system _is_ very popular among people interested in photography.

Fuji X20 vs X10 and X100S vs X100

Link to comparison shots between Fujifilm X10 and X20. I am curious to see L to L comparison at 12MP, not 6MP for Fuji X10. For Fuji X20 sample images follow this link. Have a look and make your own conclusion.

For people interested in Fuji X100S vs X100 comparison ricopress got a dedicated set with several test images and interesting observation on auto white balance, difference in film simulation modes and iso rating. Obviously, the account has other images from both cameras but not many. I guess more sample photo will follow soon.

I followed this blog before buying into the X system. You've been warned, it can be very tempting and addictive :)

Nikon A

Thom Hogan posted some comments on Nikon A on March5, 2013. On the time of writing these posts are on the top of his blog /site. He compared Nikon A with the most obvious competitors, Fuji X100S and Canon M.

I also like his suggestion for top compact camera with 1" sensor from Nikon. 

A numbers game

Let's play a numbers game and compare forthcoming Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS with Olympus ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD. Why Olympus? Well, because I have it, and I like it (except for close-up macro shots). In both cases the focal length is given as for "full frame" but on smaller sensors Fuji gives angle of view equal to 83-300mm (according to DPReview), and Olympus is 100-400mm. Cropping 16MP images from Fuji X-E1 or X-Pro1 to 12MP (sensors in Olympus E-30 and E-5) would reduce the angle of view, probably close to 400mm (equivalent). Obviously, Fujinon is a tad wider.

The weight. ZUIKO is 1kg excluding the collar and plate. I am talking about my personal set-up. The total weight is probably close to 1200g. Fuji's XF55-200mm weights 580g, twice less. The unknown think: can my small digital tripod keep X-E1 equipped with XF55-200mm? This is 1kg question. I do not mind to carry a bigger tripod on my hiking trips, even at expense of some portability, but frankly a lighter thing is more attractive if you walk 20km.

The size. ZUIKO is 87mm x 157mm, Fujinon is 75mm x 118mm.

Close focusing distance: 1.2m for ZUIKO and 1.1m for Fuji, essentially identical until I see a real life comparison.

Max. aperture: F2.8-3.5 vs F3.5-4.8. Obviously, ZUIKO is brighter, and with the smaller sensor in 4/3 and m43 (m4/3) cameras the depth of field is bigger. [I am not a photographer, I mainly take pictures of plants and animals and prefer a decent depth of field which allow me to have the whole thingy in focus]. On Fuji X-E1 I can bust the iso and use a smaller aperture, so this might compensate for slightly bigger sensor. I essentially have not used F9 with Olympus lenses, but rather F5.6 - F7.1, unless the camera was on tripod. With Fuji X-E1 this range looks quite shallow for some landscapes shots, so I switched to F8 - F9, both handheld and tripod. To sum up, with very clean high iso images Fuji probably will do well [for me] with slower lens.

The price. This is not clear for me at the moment. Both Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1 are not autofocus speed demons, but X-Pro2 and X-E2 (and rumored X-M1) will get a hybrid autofocus of Fuji X100S, and this can make a noticeable difference for the XF55-200mm. I don't need a very fast autofocus for "normal" zoom, but my requirements for tele lenses are slightly different. While autofocus speed of XF18-55mm on X-E1 is adequate for my needs, it might not be the case for the XF55-200mm. So, it is possible that the final price for me might exceed lens only $700.

Price for Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-F4.8

According to this news, the first mid-tele zoom lens for Fujifilm X system, Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-F4.8, is expected to be available in May 2013, at about $700. The lens is a bit heavy, 580g without hood and caps, and takes 62mm filters. It also features four (!) linear motors, so it should focus fast.

The price is a bit on the high side, but I assume the quality will be similar to XF18-55mm, which is very good, so you get what you pay for.

Compact camera with APC-S sensor from Nikon

Nikon announced COOLPIX A, a compact camera with 16MP DX /APC-S sensor and 28mm (eqv) f/2.8 lens. Very short preview is available on DPReview, and the sample images from COOLPIX A are here. Some photos were taken at F2.8, to illustrate depth of field.

It seems that the camera uses only Contrast Detect autofocus, not the famous hybrid autofocus of Nikon 1 system. As with the latest Nikon DSLRs such as D7100, COOLPIX A does not have a low-pass filter. It is small camera, smaller than Sigma DP1 Merrill (28mm eqv, f/2.8, no viewfinder). It is also very light camera, just 200g including battery. That is outstanding considering that the camera even got a small pop-up flash.

The suggested retail price is ~$1100, an optional optical viewfinder - $450, and an optional adapter ring and lens hood - $130.That's for the US, in Oz it will cost more.

Another preview from imaging resource.

Aptina + Sony

I generally ignore business or tech news, but an agreement between two big players in sensor development is very interesting. Here is the news: Aptina signs patent cross-license agreement with Sony.

Nikon 1 cameras such as V1 or V2 are equipped Aptina sensor, and so far this system has the fastest autofocus among mirrorless cameras. Mirrorless cameras require frequent read-out from sensor for fast autofocus. Aptina can do it through "hybrid autofocus". Obviously, it is not just that, but it is one of the limiting factors.

In last few years years Sony produces sensors with very low noise used in Nikon D7000 or Pentax K-5. Olympus OM-D EM-5 is also equipped with sensor from Sony. While the EM-5 does focus fast, it is not a match for Nikon 1 V1.

Fujifilm is also interesting player in this field. The company produced one of the first (compact) cameras with the hybrid autofocus, and recently added this feature to X20 and X100S.