Ex-demo lenses on sale at CameraPro

CameraPro shop in Brisbane currently sells ex-demo Fujinon lenses at discount price. The shop also has other good deals, not just for Fuji. Olympus OM-D E-M5 kit is prices below the body. 

The DeLorean (again)

The same day, the same car, just couple new pictures. Nice tuning.

Samsung is going up

Many people enjoy Samsung mirrorless system. Recently guys at Lensrentals were impressed with details resolved by NX1 equipped with 16-50 F2.0-2.8 OIS lens. DPReview posted very exciting comments about NX1. The list can be extended.

Unfortunately, Samsung mirrorless system has a very narrow distribution channels in Australia. Some big camera stores such as Ted's Cameras don't even list Samsung lenses on their sites. My favorite Digital Camera Warehouse keeps just a few lenses (based on their web site). I guess the lenses can be ordered on request but it is just my guess. Camera House chain has the most comprehensive choice of Samsung optics I came across here in Down Under. Somewhat surprising, the prices are reasonable.

Samsung produced a number of very good lenses for the NX mount in "consumer" price range. It is the first mirrorless system, so many lenses do not have "recently released" premium. The company offer compact and SLR-like bodies with decent specification.

Samsung deals

Digital Camera Warehouse offers interesting deals on Samsung cameras: a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet. NX300M with 16-50mm power zoom lens, a bag and Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 goes for $740.

It is expected that NX300 will be replaced with the next model in the nearby future, so Samsung is selling out the existing stocks. NX400 is rumored to have the latest 28MP sensor first appeared in NX1.

Price drop for silver Fuji X100S

Brisbane CameraPro shop offers "silver" Fujifilm X100S for $999 (AUD). The black model is not discounted yet. Current Australian  prices on Fujifilm cameras and lenses  are very tempting. Falling Australian dollar (currently ~0.83 USD) is also a factor, considering downturn in the mining boom. Even the latest Fuji X100T for $1,569 looks like a bargain for a new camera with a spare battery. In fact for both cameras the prices are comparable to the US shops such as B&H.

The latest Fuji compact camera, silver X30, is available at Kogan shop for less than $500. It is a parallel import, but the price is really good. I guess Fuji has a lot of competition from Sony, Panasonic and Canon. The latest X30 with the electronic viewfinder, tiltable screen and a decent battery life is a very attractive model for people hooked on Fuji cameras.    

Close-up pictures with Fuji XF10-24mm

Ravine Orchid. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm.

Occasionally I take close-up pictures of plants on my bushwalking trips, and I was curious to see how Fujinon XF10-24mm will perform in such situations. The photos were taken on Albert river track, Binna Burra section of Lamington national park.  

Drymophila moorei. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm.

Fujinon XF10-24mm in Australian rainforest

Albert river circuit, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm

Santa was kind to me this year (but not very kind to my credit card), so I've got an opportunity to take Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 lens for couple walks in Lamington national park (click on Labels below to see other photos from this wonderful place). Fujifilm rebate on lenses and good pricing policy of a local camera store, CameraPro, here in Brisbane also played an important role in the acquisition of a new toy.   

The widest lens I've used in the past gave me field of view equal to 28mm (full frame). XF10-24mm (15-36mm eqv.) is a new experience for me.

I found the lens extremely useful in rainforest environment, where "zooming by feet" is not always possible. The only  thing I miss at the moment is a polarizing filter.  

Albert river circuit, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm

Reality and Tranquility

Echo falls. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm

The car behaves wrongly and needs an extra service, share market crashed, consultant service does bring any money. And all this happen in time when I need 72 mm polarizing filter. The future for the next year is bleak: the rent is going up, the salary is going down.

Wake up at 4 am, grab toasted bread with cheese and bottle of water, jump into car, drive for two and half hours to rainforest, walk 10 km, and watch sun glares on rocks  accompanying by sound of the waterfall. 

Yin and yang of sociophobic life.

Birding with Fujinon XF10-24mm

Male Satin Bowerbird near bower. Fuji X-E1 & XF10-24mm

This year a brave Satin Bowerbird has build his bower in the grass at picnic ground near O'Reilly's guesthouse (Green Mountains section of Lamington national park). Naturally, the bird became a local celebrity, especially among photographers. O'Reily's is a popular place for birders, and for good reasons.

I went to take a picture of the bower with XF10-24mm lens attached to the camera, but unexpectedly the bird came in, so I snapped several pictures. 

Males of Satin Bowerbird put blue objects near bowers to attract females.

Brisbane after storm

Damage inflicted by the storm that hit Brisbane on November 27, 2014. Roof was damaged on the building (top photo). Fallen tree at the University campus at St Lucia, one of the worse affected suburbs. The storm lasted for half an hour, but in this time some areas got over 70mm of rain. The wind exceeded 100 km per hour (about 140 km/h, or ~87 mph).

Hail storm in Brisbane

Very intense storm passed through Brisbane on November 27, 2014. The storm cell was small but it went though the city causing wide-spread damage. Fallen trees and poles, shattered windows... Some suburbs lost electricity, and traffic lights were also affected. 

The DeLorean

I don't know if it is a replica or the original DeLorean DMC-12 (with the Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor, naturally). The car caused a furore among local public.

Macro extention tubes from Fuji

Honeysuckle Bush. Close-up with Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm lens.

Today Fujifilm announced two macro extension tubes for the X mount,  MCEX-11 and MCEX-16 (11mm, 16mm), available from the mid-December 2014, with price tag approximately $100 (USD) apiece. The tubes provide electronic connections between lenses and camera bodies, so the autofocus will work. For XF18-55mm F2.8-4 with MCEX-11 the max. magnification on the wide end changes from 0.08 to 0.69(!!!) with working distance from the lens being just 11 mm, and on the tele end the magnification jumps from 0.15 to 0.37 (working distance 91 mm). MCEX-16 changes the max. magnification to 0.97 and 0.47 for the wide and tele ends of the zoom range, with working distances just 4 and 63 mm, respectively. In other words, MCEX-16 brings XF18-55mm close to XF60mm Macro. Obviously, the macro lens has a better resolution, and it gets more light. For other lenses the information on magnification with the extension tubes are provided in this table (pdf file).

The extension tubes reduce amount of light going to sensors / films but considering low noise of current sensors it should not create any problems. Hopefully, the autofocus speed of XF18055mm with the extension tubes will be faster than XF60mm Macro - it was a big disappointment for me. Hopefully the tubes will create a viable and affordable alternative for amateur macro shooters.

Kikstarter for photographers

(via Photo Rumors). Some smart guys in the US launched a kickstarter project for high quality filters (ND and UV). For the top models the project will use the famous SCHOTT B270 glass. The pricing for big filters is very tempting. The filters look cool, too.

It is a crowd sourcing: people pay in advance if they believe in the project. Usually those who pay in advance got products at discount. One of my favorite kickstarters - Hoverbike (successfully funded). 

Another cheap entry into the Fuji X world

CameraPro shop changed a very good deal for Fuji X-E1 / XF18-55mm kit to $799. It is still a good price.

Currently Kogan sells Fujifilm X-E1 (body only) for $349 (AUD) - very attractive price if you have lenses. If not, the kit from CameraPro is a better deal. Kogan sells a parallel (grey) import.

Fuji X100T in Brisbane

Fuji X100T is now available in Brisbane for about $1,600 (AUD).

After carrying X-E1 with couple lenses and tripod on a family trip to a national park the idea of relatively compact high quality camera such as X100/S/T looks very interesting. I probably will take more pictures with X100-style camera. I probably will enjoy a lot, without worrying of missed shots, lens swapping. Just taking family pictures, with occasional close-up pictures of flowers. It will cover most my needs on day like this.

Track to Bushrangers cave

Maintained track on the way to Mt Wagawn

Bushrangers Cave (link) can be reached in to ways. One track goes from the border gate but I don't know this route. The second route is within Lamington national park. The first rout is about 7 km return, the second is 20+ km return.

The track starts at Binna Burra and goes to Mt Wagawn. The track is maintained, so it is an easy part of the journey. In one or two places the track is partially blocked by fallen trees and vines, but nothing serious. It is a long way, about 10 km one way.

There is no official / maintained track after Wagawn. This part of the walk is not long, maybe a couple km, but challenging. Immediately after Wagawn the path is clearly visible but with numerous spiky vines growing on both sides of the track. It also marked with color tapes. At the edge of a steep slope the track essentially disappears, but the route is marked by color tapes. The tapes are old, so some attention is required. The slope is covered with leaves and overgrown with some spiky and stingy plants such as stinging nettle (not sure if it was the stinging nettle or some local variety). The slope is steep, so watch carefully what you grab. It is the most challenging part of the trip, not just physically but also psychologically: at this point the route leaves the nice rocks and goes into a forest without any obvious rocky outcrops. The cave is at the bottom of this slope. 

The descent from Wagawn to Bushrangers cave is about 300 meters or maybe a bit more. You don't want to do it on a hot  or wet day. 

The track is essentially invisible after this point. Start of a very steep descent.

Bushrangers cave

Bushrangers cave is a massive overhang located at the edge of Lamington national park, near the NSW border. The name came after bushrangers who apparently used this place as hideout in XIX century. People lived in this cave for at least 6,000 years.

The overhand is very impressive, plus there are several interesting rocky formations. 

There is no maintained / official track to the cave. It can be reached from Binna Burra via Wagawn followed by a steep off-track walk. The 20+ km return walk requires a certain level of fitness and ability to withstand numerous spiky and stingy plants. Alternative route starts at New South Wales near the border gate.

Easy way of entering the Fuji X world

CameraPro shop in Brisbane sells Fujifilm X-E1 camera with Fujinon XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS lens for $579 (after $200 cashback from Fuji). It is $10 below the regular price of the lens. Not much was changed in X-E2 compared to X-E1 regarding the image quality (X-E2 review on DPReview). The autofocus in Fuji X-E1 works fine on static objects as long as you don't use 60mm macro lens. Fuji provides regular software upgrades for old models.

links for Fujinon XF10-24mm f4 OIS lens

Track to Mt Hobwee circuit / Mt Wagawn at Binna Burra, Lamington national park

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm; F5.6, iso 1600, 1/30 sec

I did some math today on lenses and cameras. It turned out that two Fuji X-E1 equipped with Fujinon XF10-24mm and XF55-200mm lenses have the same weight as Olympus E-30 with ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD. ZUIKO 50-200mm was my favorite lens for a very long time. In addition to the lens and E-30 I usually carried a sturdy tripod. With Fuji I can use a small "digital" tripod.

I did the math because of my last trip to a national park. It was cloudy, and it was fairly dark in the rainforest. Most of pictures during this trip were taken at high ISO and open aperture. Very often I hit 18mm (~28mm eqv) limit on XF18-55mm lens. In this situation XF10-24mm lens will be very useful.

I have not read much about XF10-24mm because of the price. The $200 cashback offer from Fuji changes the situation.

Links to XF10-24mm reviews:
LensTip
Admiring Light (by Jordan Steele)
Bjorn Moerman (with astonishing pictures)

What GAS and flu have in common?

Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or GAS, is common among amateur photographers, camera geeks and people obsessed with fancy lenses such as zooms with constant f2.8 aperture. Flu usually happens during cold weather, GAS peaks shortly before and around Christmas time. New flu strains come from South East Asia. Source for world-wide waves of GAS is also located in South East Asia. Flu transmitted through people contacts. GAS propagates through people communications, so it spreads faster than a forest fire. Flu epidemies are caused by new virus strains, the GAS peaks are caused by rumors or announcements of new lenses or cameras. People with acute form of GAS have red watery eyes from reading too much camera news on the internet. The flu virus causes similar symptoms.
 

X-T1 or not?

What is the point of having weather-proof lens without weather-sealed camera? In fact, the weather-sealed Fujinon XF18-135mm lens is sold out in my favorite camera shop. In other shops I have to add $100+, about 15% premium. I guess Fuji X-T1 & XF18-135mm kits are available. In fact buying the kid will save about $200 over separate purchases. I can get X-T1 & XF18-135mm combo for $2k (Australian dollars). It is a good price for the camera and lens, but it is still $2k... Reviewers are very positive about X-T1.

The text below is just a personal runt written in order to sort out "things".

Significant advantages of Fijifilm X-T1 over X-E1:
- weather-sealing
- better external control (more dials, it is possible to set up camera for shooting with external controls)

Minor advantages:
- better battery life / more shots per charge (mentioned by some reviewers, but the difference is negligible in official specification)
-  tilting screen

Features I am curious about
- wireless connectivity
- external flash

Irrelevant improvements:
- viewfunder (I usually use the screen because it is more comfortable to my eyes)
- autofocus (I am satisfied with autofocus on X-E1)
- screen resolution

Negative:
- price (the camera priced fairly, considering all the features, but it is a big chunk of money to me)
- weight (it is 100 grams heavier than X-E1)

Potentially negative:
- not sure about the hump in the middle. It can be good because the flash sits higher.

To sum up: on one side we have the excellent external control layout and weather-sealing, on other side the camera costs a little fortune and adds extra weight.  And what to do with the existing X-E1?

Leopard tree. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

Spring time in Brisbane - 2

Bougainvillea. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

Colorful bougainvilleas are very common in Brisbane. The flowers of this plant are white or yellowish. The flowers are surrounded by pink leaves called bracts.  The plants stay in color for very long time.

Spring time in Brisbane

Brazilian fern tree. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

It is not a real fern tree. The species is from family Fabaceae. Overseas plants are very popular in Australia. The picture was taken though a window glass in Vivid mode.

Less noise in Fuji X30

Interesting information from Imaging Resource: Fujifilm X30 camera has less noise than the predecessor. With a hi-restilting screen, electronic viewfinder, control ring around the lens, X-Trans sensor, and 460 shots per a charge the latest Fuji X compact camera looks more attractive than the original X10.

More reviews of Fujinon XF18-135mm lens

Some links to reviews of Fujifilm's  Fujinon XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens. 

Interesting review  by Jordan Steele, a Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Admiring Light. The lens is a tad expensive and sharpness declines at wide and tele ends of the zoom range. The blog looks interesting, so I added it to the blogs and sites page for the future reading.

Review and test shots on Photography Blog. With aperture around f8 the lens is fairly sharp at 18mm even at edges.  It is also good at 135mm. The sharpness in the middle of the zoom range (33-100mm eqv) is excellent for 7.5 zoom lens. So, learn to avoid the extremes, or close aperture to f8, and it will be fine.  

Opinion about a pre-production version of the lens on Photo Review. 

Review on Dan Bailey Photo Blog, with pop-up window asking to sigh up, some animation and other stuff that activate my laptop. The review is written by an outdoor photographer. Not surprising that the lens with such versatile zoom range tends to steak to his camera.

To sum up: the lens is not perfect, but for me the advantages overweight the shortcomings. It would be nice to have it paired to weather-sealed Fuji X-T1. Unfortunately Santa does not brings checks to me, only cameras and lenses :(

Review by Bjorn Moerman (blog), an official X-Photographer: part 1, part 2. Comparison of XF18-135mm to XF18-55mm and XF55-200mm, illustration of the sharpness sweet spot around f8-f11 - all these things are there.

Fujinon XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

Currently in Australia Fujifilm offers $200 cashback on XF lenses. This is ~20-30% off the regular price, and this opportunity must not be missed. It seems that I am not the only Fuji X fun in the city because XF18-135mm lens was sold out in my favorite camera shop. The expected advantages of XF18-135mm over XF18-55mm and XF55-200mm combo is convenience of a single lens (no lens changing), less weight, and slightly better macro capability. Weather-sealing is a nice feature to have during trips to rainforest or other harsh environment. The minus: it is dark. I have certain reservations about corner-to-corner image quality but most people are happy with the Fuji superzoom.

Fujinon XF18-135mm is a new lens. It may cost less in the future, but probably in the remote future. With XF55-200mm I do miss wide angle, and changing lenses in wet and muddy rainforest is an interesting procedure I am trying to avoid at any cost. I probably will miss 200mm but the alternative, a second body, will add an extra weight and volume, again, things that I like to avoid.

Here are links to several reviews of XF18-135mm lens by David Hughes, an author of the SoundImagePlus blog:
-  review of XF18-135mm lens (the best super zoom)
-  optical image stabilization

Spring in Brisbane

Flowers of Jacaranda. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

Transition between dry (winter) and wet (summer) seasons in Brisbane. It is not very humid but already hot.

Brisbane state forest

Red Ash picnic area at Brisbane state forest. Fuji X10, panorama mode.

The Brisbane State Forest covers a big area near Brisbane, with main entrance point through the Gap / Waterworks road. The park headquarters / information center has a small but very interesting collection of local animals including platypus and number of snakes such as black red bellied snake. 

The dominant vegetation is a dry eucalypt forest. The state forest and D’Aguilar national park host several picnic areas, with a number of tracks. The main road is quite windy and it is popular with bikers and cyclists. There are several nice lookouts along the main road.  

Remnants of a few old gold mines are scattered in the forest. The signage state that the amount of mined gold was not huge, but digging in this area was continued for nearly 30 years.

Remnants of an old gold mine at the Brisbane State Forest. Fuji X10

Reviews of Fujinon telezoom lenses

Fuji X-E & XF55-200m vs Olympus E30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm  SWD

Reviews of Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS and XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS for Fuji X mirrorless cameras are available at Photozone.

Currently the XF55-200 is my 'default' lens. It replaced the previous favorite, ZUIKO 50-200mm. The combo is smaller and lighter. However, I do miss a wider option. I do not condone lens swapping in dusty environment, and I hate to do it on my walks. Fujinon XF18-135mm f3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR will address the wide angle issue but a lot of my pictures are taken at 200mm... XF18-135 is available in Brisbane for ~$1000 AUD, a good price for Australia, but still a bit steep. 

Another walk at Mt Coot-tha

Rusty car. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

Mt Coot-tha is an amazing place if you know where to go and don't mind some off track hiking. I am still puzzled how this car made into the middle of the forest. No roads nearby, and the slope is very steep. Cannot find any info about this rusty thingy.

The picture below was taken on a separate walk around the Simpson falls. Usually there is no water in the creak bed during dry season but this picture was taken shortly after a strong rain.

The Simpson falls. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

New compact cameras with big sensors

Recently several big camera manufacturers announced remarkable products. Canon released PowerShot G7 X, a compact camera with a 1" BSI-CMOS sensor (20 MP), very interesting 24-100mm F1.8-2.8 lens, and 'flippable' rear screen. The camera weights about 300 grams (with battery!). Panasonic came with Lumix DMC-LX100. This model uses 12 MP 4/3 sensor (double of 1" sensor size) with variable aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. The sensor contain 15 megapixels but only ~12 MP are used in any given format. The lens specs are very interesting, 24-75mm equiv. F1.7-2.8, considering the size of the sensor used in the camera. It is also has an electronic viewfinder, not bad for camera weighting just 393 grams.

New X cameras from Fuji

Fujifilm will release a new compact X camera, X30, apparently with electronic viewfinder and non-fixed rear screen. According to leaked images, the rear layout differs significantly from X10 - price to pay for tiltable(?) screen. It seems that the new camera will be announced soon.

Rumors about X200 and X-Pro2 circulate around the web for some time, with major announcement expected "very soon". We may see a new sensor in these cameras.

If I only can get some spare time for photography...  

Walking around Simpson falls

Storm over Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Mt Coot-tha dominates over Brisbane. The area is cover with a dry eucalypt forest with a number of tracks, picnic areas and some local attractions such as an abandoned gold mine. The area is a very popular destination for Brisbanites during weekends. Most tracks are fairly easy can can be accessed through numerous entry points at different locations.

Austral Sarsaparilla. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

random shot

Mohave White at the Brisbane Botanic Garden, Mt Coot-tha. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm.

Fujinon XF55-200mm is a default lens on my Fuji X-E1 for very long time. The combo is not small and it is a bit heavy. I also miss a wide angle range, not much, but 55 / 75mm is somewhat limiting.

I also realized that my Olympus DSLR collects dust for very long time.

Glasshouse Mountains

Parsley Bush, Glasshouse Mountains NP. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

It turned out that I have not visited the Glasshouse Mountains national park for very long time. This area near Brisbane / Sunshine Coast is famous for several picturesque peaks, remnants of ancient volcanoes. Vegetation is mainly represented by dry eucalyptus forest, and fires are very common in such plant communities. Area around Mt Tibrogargan was burned out recently, and there were many Lomatia silaifolia with flowers. As many other Proteaceae, this species got used to bush fires (fires stimulate flowering).

The park was full of visitors. I never met so much people there. We even changed our plan (climb to Mt Ngungun) because we were unable to park at that section of the park. 

Fuji lenses on EoY sale

Here in Brisbane CameraPro shop has some Fuji lenses on EoF sale, both primes and zooms. The shop also listed the latest Fuji lens, XF18-135mm, for slightly above $1100. I am not sure if the lens available or not. Digital Camera Warehouse lists Fuji X-T1 & XF18-135mm kit for $2588 AUD proving that I don't need a new mirrorless camera in foreseeing future :) 

Fujinon XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6

Fujifilm announced the first weather-resistant lens, Fujinon XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, with a very useful 27-200mm (eqv) zoom range. The lens has a slightly better magnification than the current XF zooms, XF18-55mm or XF55-200mm. The filter size is 67mm, the weight is 490 g, about 100 g less than XF55-200mm.

The sample photos are available from the Fujifilm site.

Full lunar eclipse

Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm, f4.8, iso 6400, exposure compensation -1.67 EV, hand-held at 1/15 sec, 200mm. Heavy crop. 

Before switching to Fuji I rarely used anything above iso200...

Sony RX100 III in Australia

The camera will be available later this month at initial price close to $1000 (AUD) compared to $750 for RX100 II model (here in Brisbane). Sony RX10 is offered at $1300+.

RX100 III is a very tempting compact camera...

Upgrade for Fuji X-T1

Some rumors about an early upgrade(?) of Fuji X-T1 circulate on the web (see this post on Mirrorless Rumors). The only discussed change is for the viewfinder. It is a bit strange: the viewfinder on Fuji X-T1 is one of the best currently available. If the rumor is correct, how the release of the new model would affect price of X-T1? Here in Brisbane the body only is listed for $1600AUD. For comparison, Fuji X-E1 (body only) is just $450, X-E1 with XF18-55mm - $800.

Announcement of weather-sealed Fujinon XF18-135mm lens is expected next Monday. The lens road map site indicate the lens aperture as F3.5-F5.6. The lens will make a natural part of weather-sealed X-T1 or X-T1P.  

Superzoom camera with 1" sensor from Panasonic

Panasonic announced Lumix DMC-FZ1000 camera with 1" / 20MP sensor and 25-400mm (eqv) F2.8-4 Leica-branded lens. People at DPReview were very impressed with snappy autofocus. Even with such superzoom the camera's weight is just over 800 grams, e few grams more than Sony RX10 with 24-200mm (eqv) F2.8 lens. On top of it, the camera is priced under $1000, significantly less than the Sony. I expect the camera will be very popular with hikers, bushwalker and various people whol like to travel without heavy things. Still the most popular 1" models are Sony RX100 / I / III, very compact cameras.   

A compact camera from Nikon with 1" sensor

Very interesting rumor: some people expect to see a premium Nikon compact camera (with fixed lens), 1" sensor and bright zoom lens.

Intriguing announcement from Fuji

June 19, this year. Two weeks to wait. Hopefully, Fuji will announce the rumored X30 with 1" sensor. The new weather-sealed zoom lens is an another candidate.

such is life

No spare time. None. Last time I walked with a camera more than one month ago.

Autofocus speed on Canon EOS M

Today I played with Canon M with a standard zoom lens. With centered focus point the autofocus speed was acceptable. Nothing exiting, but acceptable. Handling was comfortable despite a small size of the camera.

Sony RX100M3 with a bright lens

According to Mirrorless Rumors the third reincarnation of famous Sony RX100 will have 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens in front of 20MP 1" sensor. The body size of RX100M3 is rumored to be similar to   RX100 and RX100M2.

all-in-one lens from Fuji

Mirrorless Rumors posted a leaked lens roadmap  for Fuji lenses. Fujinon XF18-135mm might be f4.8 at long end. One of the prototypes had such aperture. It can be a very handy 'all around' lens.

Salivating over Fujinon XF10-24mm

 David Taylor-Hughes published his impression on Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 OIS lens. His site has several other posts (reviews?) dedicated to XF10-24mm. The lens looks like a very decent performer. With such nice lenses it is not surprising that Fuji X-T1 is still among top best selling digital cameras on Amazon.

Availability of Fuji X-T1 in Australia

Fuji X-T1 is expected to be in Brisbane "after mid-March" (source: Digital Camera Warehouse).
Here in Brisbane the CameraPro shop hold "Fuji X-T1 launch" presentation today, and their prices of Fuji products usually are very competitive.

Sony A6000

Sony Alpha A6000 with 16-50mm PZ OSS lens is selling under $800 in B&H compared to AUD 1121 here in Brisbane.  

Sample photos from Canon G1X Mk ii

Link to post on the DPReview forum with links to full-size images from Canon PowerShot G1X Mk II.

Fujifilm to refresh the lens lineup

Very interesting interview with Toshihisa Iida, from Fujifilm.

Fuji sells more lenses for high-end cameras (no surprises here, but the number of lens owned by an average X-Pro1 user is fairly big)

The refresh rate of EVF on Fuji X-E2 will be increased to that on Fuji X-T1 through the firmware upgrade. Fuji is great company in this respect. I remember stories about other (very prominent) camera manufacturers disabling features in cheaper cameras to boost sales of higher models. But Fujifilm produces firmware upgrades even for discontinued X100.

Initial demand for X-T1 exceeded the expectation, hence expect a stable price for the body for some time.

The company apparently will slow down development of new camera bodies and put more efforts in lens. 

Is new Fuji XF18-135mm F4.8 on long end?

Interesting photo of Fujinon XF18-135mm lens from CP+ show appeared on DPRevew. The sign from the company: XF18-135mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS WR. The DPReview note under the photo also indicates 18-135mm F3.5-4.8. I think the info engraved on lens also says 4.8 (photo in the first link) but it can be just my imagination.

Fuji lens roadmap shows the max aperture values as F3.5-5.6.

Canon PowerShot G1X Mk II

It seems that Canon significantly improved Canon PowerShot G1X Mk II over the original G1X. For sure, some people will mourn the disappearance of viewfinder but with tilting screen the camera will be usable in most conditions (usability is a personal thing). The camera can focus very close, especially at wide angle, good for DoF but hard to get close to bugs. The lens specs are better, with wider zoom range and brighter lens. The amount of image correction remains to be seen. The camera is also fairly compact, and reasonably priced in the US.  Australian price for Canon PowerShot G1X Mk II is not available yet but it probably will be around $1000, or slightly higher. As a reference, Sony RX10 in Brisbane is available for ~$1300, and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II is close to $800.

Modular lenses

Fujifilm recently announced a teleconverter lens for Fuji X100 / X100S that would change the focal length to ~50mm (full frame eqv). I am curious if it would be possible to implement some sort of a modular lens design for such cameras. Put the part of lens involved in autofocus into a camera body, and make the front part detachable. This might reduce the size of camera and converter combos. The only minus I see is a more expensive body. The positive moments: sensor will be sealed, a leaf shutter can be used. 

New design for Foveon sensor

Sigma announced three new DP Quattro cameras, with specs available for DP2 Quattro. As with Merrill line, there will be three models, with the same lenses. The camera body undergone a dramatic change. The most intriguing change is the new design of Foveon sensor. It still has three layers, but only top (blue) layer has 19.6MP, while other two layers have 4.9MP. So, there will be some color interpolation, but it is possible that the camera would get less noise at high iso, and the processing might be a bit faster (less pixels to process). With total number of 'pixels' (photosensors) close to 30 millions and non-conventional color interpolation , it still would require intense calculation.

Lenses! Lenses! Cheap!

It is time to top up collection of Fujifilm lenses for X-mount, if you live in the US: currently Fuji offers significant discounts for most lenses.

In the same time the price in Australia for the latest Fuji lenses is:
Fujinon XF56mm F1.2 - close to $1,100 (AUD)
Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 R OIS - over $1,400 (AUD)
(based on information from CameraPro in Brisbane)

Addiction to rumors

In the past I used to read DPReview articles and followed some forums on the site. Now I check mainly photorumors sites. The change is puzzling. While I like to have the latest cameras and lenses such as a recently announced Fuji X-T1 or Fujinon XF10-24mm lens, it would not happen any time soon. Santa had brought a present for this year, and his budget is limited :-) I do not earn money by camera or lens testing, and capabilities of modern cameras exceed my needs, so there is no urgent need to get the latest model. While I do like the external controls of Fuji X-T1, the image quality probably would be similar to that of X-E1. It would focus faster, maybe a bit faster than even X-E2, but I am happy with the autofocus speed and accuracy of X-E1 (except for XF60mm Macro). So, why are rumors  so addictive?

Some people follow life of celebrities. This is a big business, with glassy magazines, news channels, press. I suspect this activity is similar to my interest in latest cameras. The pity is that the usefulness of both activities is very similar...

(provoked by Thom Hogan's post on cameras' buzz)

Canon PowerShot G1 X II

According to Photo Rumors, Canon may announce PowerShot G1 X II camera next week. We expect to see 5x zoom lens spanning 24-120mm with  F2-3.9 aperture. If it the sensor size will be the same, and the rumored ~$700 price is real (nearly half of Sony RX10), than the camera might extremely attractive option. EVF is optional, so the camera should be very compact.

Test photos from Fuji X-T1

DPReview posted the test images from Fuji X-T1 camera. Additional four megapixels on Canon 70D are visible, but both are inferior in resolution to might Sony Alpha 7R.

Most popular cameras on DPReview

DPReview has stats on most popular cameras. Today's list:

Fujifilm X-T1: 13.1%
Fujifillm X-E2: 12.0%
Sony Alpha 7: 7.9%
Olympus OM-D E-M10: 7.2%
Olympus OM-D E-M1: 3.3%
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II: 3.1%
Nikon D7100: 2.8%
Nikon Df: 2.6%
Fujifilm X100S: 2.6%
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1: 2.4%

Quite telling :)

The popularity is strongly affected by the latest news and reviews published on the site, e.g., a real life experience with Fuji X-E2 as a part of the forthcoming review of the camera was published recently.

Thom Hogan on Fuji X-T1

Thom Hogan's comments on Fuji X-T1, X system, and mirrorless cameras in general.

For me main reasons of going mirrorless were following:
- small weight and ability to shoot using a rear screen
- price advantage over full frame DSLRs

My eyes became unhappy with small viewfinders on Olympus DSLRs. I tried full frame Nikon D700, and loved it. There were / are two problems with full frame DSLRs: weight and price. This is true for camera and lenses.

Fuji aren't particular cheap, but it got layout I like. The lenses aren't small either but of high quality. With no mirror slap, the camera can be used at low shutter speed with OIS lenses. It also turned out that X-E1 EVF is quite comfortable for my eyes. Keep in mind that photography is my recreational hobby.

For me the biggest minus of mirrorless cameras is a short battery life. I've got a spare battery, but probably need at least two more for a long weekend camping. I rarely shoot moving subjects, so poor continuous autofocus on X-E1 is not an issue for me. Single autofocus is fast and dead on even at close distance. I don't bother with RAW anymore: JPEGs are very good, and offer greater compatibility over RAW format. 

Fuji colors

I prefer non-saturated images, and mainly use S mode on my Fuji cameras. Most my pictures are ordinary snapshots, pictures taken for plant identification or something like that, nothing artistic. 

Recently I came across pictures taken by David Taylor-Hughes, presumably in Velvia mode (on Fuji X-M1). He is very gifted photographer / artist, and high saturation in these images creates a very interesting effect. Very emotional pictures. 

Fuji X-E1 for $100

Amazon and B&H offer Fuji X-E1 with XF18-55mm lens for $799 (plus some free stuff at B&H). In B&H Fujinon XF18-55mm lens is available for $695. The difference is ~$100. While X-E1 does not have a hybrid autofocus, it is still a very good camera. Price for Fuji X-M1 with XC16-50mm lens is $599, just $200 less than the X-E1 kit.

The lowest (known to me) price in Brisbane for X-E1 & XF18-55mm is $990 (Aussie) and $639 for XF18-55mm lens. These are not regular prices. With current exchange rate, cost of shipment and currency conversion fee the local price for the X-E1 kit is similar to that in the US.

I guess Fuji will cease production of X-E1 soon, which is not surprising considering that X-E2 has more to offer. Discounts on X-E1 are not surprising, but I am curious about  XF18-55mm lens. Fuji will release the weather-sealed XF18-135mm in the middle of the year, and probably will sell it together with X-T1. Still, I am puzzled why XF18-55mm is included in heavily discounted kits.  

Fuji X-T1 in Australia

Australian price for Fuji X-T1 (body only) is $1659 (Aussie). Source: Digital Camera Warehouse (check Mirrorless cameras). I don't know if the camera already available in Brisbane but these guys are among the first in Australia for new products. Their prices are very competitive, and the Brisbane team is really passionate about photography and cameras.
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Update: In Australia X-T1 is expected in mid-March.

Amazon top 100 for all digital cameras

This post was started a couple days ago, when I checked the most popular cameras on Amazon. 
 
A compact camera Sony DSC RX100M II (in top 20) is still selling for $700. Fujifilm X100S with hefty price tag of $1,299 is in top 100 list. The price on these cameras remains the same for very long time, and both cameras stay in top 100 list for quite a while.

Several compact system (or mirrorless) cameras also made to top 100 list:
Sony NEX-3NL/B (lens kit) for $339
Fujifilm X-T1 (body only) for $1,299 (the lens kit is also in top 100)
Samsung NX1100 with 20-50mm lens for $275
Sony NEX-5L/B with 16-50mm power zoom lens for ~$580

It seems that even in the US the mirrorless cameras gain in popularity. Someone pointed that advanced models such as full-frame Sony a7 and a7R, Olympus E-M1, and Fuji X-T1 may lift the whole mirrorless market.

Photos of Fuji lenses in development

Polish site Optyczne.pl posted a detailed review of Fuji X-T1, with many very interesting illustrations, such as comparison of EVF in X-T1 and and X-E2, and some others. The review contains several photos of recently announced lenses and weather-sealed lenses currently in development including high-end zooms with constant F2.8 aperture:
XF56mm F1.2 R
FX10-24mm F4 R OIS
XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R OIS WR
FX16-55mm F2.8 R OIS WR
XF50-140mm F2.8 R OIS WR

Weather-sealed Fujinon XF18-135mm is a fairly compact lens. It seems it takes 67mm filters.  

Predictive autofocus on Fuji X-T1

Rico Pfirstinger posted a very interesting review of Fuji X-T1 on Fuji Rumors. It seems that X-T1 utilizes some kind of predictive autofocus (predictive object tracking), and it works quite well on moving subjects in continuous autofocus mode. If true, X-T1 has the most advanced autofocus among mirrorless cameras from Fuji. The display lag on X-T1 is 1/10 of than on X-E2. It is also significantly smaller than on Olympus E-M1.

Butterfly with Fujinon XF55-200mm

Common Crow. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

It was windy, but the camera was snappy enough to get the picture. Fuji E-X1 & XF55-200mm is not a speed demon at 200mm with closed aperture but the combo is usable for static objects. Autofocus is challenging on moving subjects at limited light. Both X-E2 and X-T2 should be more snappy because of a hybrid autofocus system in these models.

While I found Fujinon XF55-200mm is very useful for close-up shots, it does not give the same resolution(? crispness probably would be the better word here) as XF60mm macro. I struggled with autofocus on Fuji X-E1 & XF60mm, while the autofocus is not an issue for XF55-200mm (on static objects). I got more keepers with XF55-200mm but photos taken with XF60mm have a wow factor if in focus.

Fuji X-T1 made to top 20 best selling digital cameras at Amazon

Recently announced Fuji X-T1 is currently in top 20 best selling digital cameras at Amazon. Among all digital cameras, not just compact system cameras (in this category X-T1 is #1). Fuji X-T1 with XF18-55mm lens made to top 100 (all digital cameras). Well done, Fujifilm. This is the most expensive camera in the top 20 list. As with Sony RX100, people are ready to pay a premium price for a good product.

With such demand we may not see this camera in Australia for some time. It is also possible that X-T1 will repeat the life cycle of Fuji X100: it was hard to get X100 for very long time because of overwhelming demand despite of some issues with the camera upon the release. As a result, the price was maintained for very long time. 

There were no any systemic issues with the latest cameras such as X-E1, X-E2, X-M1, X-A1, X100S, so no nasty surprises are expected from X-T1. In addition, Fujifilm has a decent collection of very good prime and zoom lenses.

Availability of Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 and XF56mm F1.2

Big camera shops in the US expect to get Fujinon XF56mm F1.2 in February and Fujinon XF10-24 F4 in April. Both are priced at $999 at B&H. None are listed in local camera shops here in Brisbane :(

Considering the popularity of new Fuji X-T1, I would not be surprised by limited availability of these lenses for some time...

Announcement of Fuji X-T1

Fuji had announced X-T1, the first weather-sealed compact system camera with X mount (link to the DPReview first impression article). Essentially all specs of the camera were leaked earlier, but the DPReview team provides an very interesting opinion on X-T1.

Some news on X-mount lenses. Mirrorless  Rumors site has some images of coming weather-sealed Fujinon zoom lens for Fujifilm X mount. The lenses are:
XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS
XF16-55mm F2.8 R OIS - filter size 77mm
XF50-140mm F2.8 R OIS - filter size 67mm
The latter two lenses have aperture values on the ring (constant F2.8 through the zoom range). It seems that XF18-135mm is not very big. Unfortunately, I cannot figure out the filter size...

Zeiss announced (link to DPReview) Touit 50mm F2.8 macro (1:1) autofocus lens for Fuji X mount. The lens can be pre-ordered in some shops.  Here in Brisbane it cost ~$1,500 (AUD). Fujinon XF60mm F2.4 macro is available for $660, but it is not 1:1, with very slow autofocus on Fuji X-E1.

X-T1 or not X-T1

I made some changes to pages on this blog. The Fuji X-E1 page was split into Fuji X system and Fuji X-E1, and added a new Fuji X-T1 page. I want to have the second X body, and Fuji X-T1  with all these switches and dials looks like a perfect camera for me, so I will add some links to this page after the release of the camera. I thought about getting either X-M1 or X-A1, mainly because of the price. It turned out that I barely use the EVF on my Fuji X-E1 (except for a very bright sunlight), but very often shoot from very awkward positions, and in such situations a tilting screen would be very useful. However, I don't like dials and external controls on both X-M1 and and X-A1. On other hand, Fuji X-T1 got the external controls I really like, plus a tilting (non-fixed) screen. It is also weather-sealed, a huge plus for my occasional trips to a local rainforest. Obviously, such beauty comes with the price tag...  I would prefer a bit less pricier camera with similar controls but without build-in viewfinder, sort of Olympus E-Px line.

Fuji X-T1

Even the DPReview site posted images of yet to be released Fuji X-T1. Obviously, these guys are under NDA, and cannot say much before January 28, but it seems that the leaked specs for the new camera are correct. It will have a slightly higher continuous shooting rate and better electronic viewfinder, and as DPReview pointed out, it will be the most capable X camera build so far. It seems that Fuji is working on improvement of manual focus assist function, but it is unclear if it will be implemented in X-T1 upon the release or added later by a firmware update. 

Fujifilm has a very interesting approach with their cameras. The company uses the same sensor in several cameras, so the image quality is essentially the same in these models, while camera bodies differ significantly. User interface is a very personal thing, which is very hard to measure or compare: some people like touch screens, some prefer buttons and wheels, and so on. And for sure, Fuji X-T1 will make many people happy...

Walk with Fujinon XF55-200mm

St Lucia campus, the University of Queensland. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm

In scenes as pictured above I tend to shoot at wide end of a standard zoom lens such as XF18-55mm, and distortions are very common at wide angle. Obviously, the situation is different with a moderate telephoto lens such as XF55-200mm.

Samsung to put 1" sensor in their camera

Apparently Samsung may build camera with 1" sensor. Nikon and Sony both made cameras with similar sized sensors. Immensely popular Sony RX100 is a truly compact camera with 20MP 1" sensor, while RX10 is an extremely appealing high-end model boosting 24-200mm F2.8 lens in front of a similar sensor. Nikon 1 system has several bodies and lenses.

Compact cameras with 1" sensor provide both convenience of and high image quality, and it is good to see other manufactures going this route. After release of Sony RX100 the web was full of expectations and speculation about other cameras from other companies, especially Olympus. However, most camera makers decided to put smaller (back-illuminated) sensors in their advanced compacts. Fuji kept 2/3" sensor in X20, but it is twice smaller than 1" sensor.  

Interesting info on Sony RX10

Sony released many interesting cameras in last few years. Their RX10 is probably the most capable compact camera with zoom lens. It uses fairly big 1" BSI-CMOS sensor  (twice bigger than in Fuji X20), and it has an incredible Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm (35mm eqv) F2.8 lens. It is a very capable high-end compact camera. Kirk Tuck, the author of Visual Science Lab, recently added several very interesting articles about Sony RX10. Kirk is very good writer and photographer, with interesting views on "cameras" and photography.

High quality images of Fuji X-T1

The Photo Rumors site got very good images of yet to be announced Fuji X-T1, included an optional grip. The body is packed with various controls. I hope it is not very small, or at least it is as comfortable as Fuji X-E1 or X-E2 models. The camera is expected to use the same sensor as X-E2, so there is no questions about the image quality.

It would be logical for Fujifilm to put the same controls (extra switches for selection of the shooting modes and metering, as well as ISO dial) on X100-like camera. Just imagine: essentially all most important settings would be controlled through the switches or dials, and it is possible to shoot using the optical viewfinder... 

Playing with Fujinon XF55-200mm

Fujifilm X-E1 with Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS (left)
Olympus E-30 with ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD (right)

Santa came a bit late this year but it did came, with a little help from CameraPro, a local camera shop here in Brisbane. Their price for Fujinon XF55-200mm was very tempting irresistible, and XC50-230mm was not listed in any local camera shops at that time. The XF55-200mm lens is brighter on the long end of the zoom range, and it not just depth of field but rather the amount of light going to the sensor, and this in theory may affect autofocus in some situations. Not many people posted their opinion on XC50-230mm, while XF55-200mm is a very popular choice, with extremely positive opinions from different people. The regular price for XF55-200mm is a bit steep for my liking, and it is very unlikely it would go down: Australian dollar is going down. Now I can say that I did my bit for support of the world economy :-) 

I like a moderate telephoto. ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD was my favourite lens on Olympus DSLRs, and it was the main reason for keeping Olympus E-30. Fujinon XF55-200mm is essentially made my 4/3 gear redundant, or completely obsolete. Fuji X-E1 with XF55-200mm is smaller and significantly lighter than the Olympus E-30 with ZUIKO 50-200mm. ZUIKO is a bit brighter, but Fuji X-E1 is less noisy, and its base iso is 200 compared to 100 on Olympus E-30. The major plus is an ability to use the mirrorless camera at arm length even with moderate telephoto lens. I don't know if this is due to lack of mirror slap or a very good optical image stabilisation system in the lens. It works very well for me even at 200mm, and I really like it. Initially I was a bit worried about the weight, but it turned out that the X-E1 / XF55-200mm combo is not heavy.

It seems that XF55-200mm has a very accurate autofocus at close distances to objects. It is also extremely fast on Fuji X-E1 compared to XF60mm Macro, but I used XF60mm with another (old) firmware. It seems that XF55-200mm gives a slightly higher magnification as XF18-55mm, but the main benefit is an ability to shoot at longer distance to objects, very handy for all sorts of bugs. Obviously, separation of the object and background is better with XF55-200mm. It is not a macro lens, by any means, but it still provides a decent magnification.

Replacement for Fuji X10

Flowers of Burdekin Plum. Fuji X10, Supermacro mode

I've got Fuji X10 long time ago, shortly after it  became available in Australia. The camera was used fairly extensively, and it started to show some signs of wear and tear. It lost a rubber thingy at the back, which is not surprising considering the local climate with temperature over 40 C. It freezes occasionally, which is again, not surprising considering the local humidity. But it seems that our 'orb generator' will not survive for very long. I hope it would last till release of rumored X30....

I often use Fuji X10 in supermacro mode, or macro at long end. The quality is good enough for my needs. The XF60mm macro lens can produce a stunning images but the autofocus (speed) on early versions of the X-E1 firmware was not very impressive. The latest firmware adds a very nice manual focus assist option but I don't have the macro lens. On other hand, it turned out that XF55-200mm is very handy for modest close-up shots. The magnification is ok, and 200mm is not very obtrusive for various bugs.  Obviously, 200mm provide some extra reach, which is handy for shooting distant objects such as flowers on trees etc.

Blue Triangle Butterfly. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm (crop)

Fuji did it again

Mirrorless rumors posted leaked images of of forthcoming Fuji X-T1. Camera got several additional external controls compared to X-E1 / X-E2. The most interesting are the "double dials", something similar to high-end Nikon DSLRs models. The shooting mode switch is under the left (iso) dial, and the exposure settings switch is under the shutter speed dial. The additional switches and iso dial would cover essentially all most frequently used camera control parameters,  without screen. It would be possible to setup the camera in the sleep mode, or even on turned off camera, or just check the parameters in sleep mode. For me, external control on this camera is close to perfect. 

The camera got a tilted screen, too. It turned out that I can get very sharp photos using Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm combo at arm length, and tilting screen in this type of shooting would be very useful.

Fuji announcement on January 28.

Fujifilm posted a teaser on their X-system site with picture of a new (mirrorless and presumably weather-sealed) camera:
http://fujifilm-x.com/teaser140128/en/
The camera does have a prominent hump in the middle. The compensation is now extended to 3 stops (X-E1 got 2), and there is a small red button instead of Fn, probably a dedicated 'movie' button. The camera got an extra dial on the top left, and it looks like a dedicated iso dial. This would be really cool thing to have but I am not sure how this would work with custom modes where it is possible to select iso as a custom parameter. Anyway, the new camera looks very cool. According to the rumors, Fuji made additional improvements in autofocus for X-T1 compared to X-E2. Frankly, I am very happy with the autofocus speed on X-E1 and two zoom lens, XF18-55mm and XF55-200 (I do not take many pictures of fast moving subjects). I am unhappy with performance of the macro lens (I mean the autofocus speed).

Duck and ducklings. Fuji X-E1 & XF55-200mm (crop)

Good discounts on some Fuji stuff in Brisbane

For those with an acute form of the gear acquisition syndrome: CameraPro shop in Brisbane has good discounts on some Fuji cameras and lenses, eg XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is available for ~$630 (AUD). The shop also offer some deals on camera/lens combos.

Digital Camera Warehouse has Fuji X-M1 with two zooms (including XC16-50mm and XC50-230mm) for $979. I don't know if they have this kit in store because XC50-230mm is not listed separately on their site.

Fuji X10 and X-E1

Bahnamboola falls, Lamington national park. Fuji X10, panorama mode

On the recent walk at the Lamington national park I used two cameras, Fuji X10 and X-E1. Most pictures were taken with the X-E1, but the X10 was more fun to use. The X10 is better for macro (compared to XF18-55mm), and the panorama mode works better for me in X10 (with X-E1 I usually get a lot of vertical banding). Obviously, image quality is better on X-E1, especially in shady or low contrast areas.

Bahnamboola falls, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1, polarizer

Weather-sealed mirrorless camera from Fuji

More rumors appeared about a weather-sealed Fujifilm mirrorless camera, X-T1 (tough?). This would be an extremely welcome addition to Fuji X family. The only problem: there is no weather-sealed lenses for the X mount. Weather-sealing is not mentioned for the latest XF10-24mm F4 R zoom lens. It is possible that a new weather-sealed lens will be announced alongside with the weather-sealed body. It can be XF18-135mm F4.5-6.7 R OIS planned for release in the middle of 2014, but this does not agree with the rumored X-T1 announcement later this month.