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 :) 

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.

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)

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.  

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.

Canon M goes on steroids

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

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

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

Fisheye for NX

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OS in three days!

Yes, the lens is  coming! The short tele option for Fuji X mount. According to the rumors the new XF55-200mm lens has dual linear motor, so hopefully the autofocus speed will be similar to XF18-55mm lens. The announcement supposed to be at April 17, and the release is scheduled for May 2013. The big question is: how much?

The third zoom, wide-angle XF10-24mm F4 R OS is still planned this year. The wide-angle lens does not dual linear motor, but it is wide angle, so it should be a big problem. Actually, I may end up with XF10-24 and XF55-200: I don't need fast autofocus in rainforest, and 200mm might solve the problem of flowers on tree :)

UPDATE: according to the rumors XF55-200mm has four linear motors. Sound like SUV, or FWD :)

Fuji X100S in Australia

Yesterday I visited a local camera shop in Brisbane, and it turned out that 1) the shop already got Fuji X100S and 2) it was sold out. I mean cameras, not the shop.

Anyway, I've grabbed Fujinon XF60mm F2.4 R Macro for one week. I am not a professional photographer by any means. I am not even a photographer. While I am very satisfied with Fuji X-E1 and XF18-55mm lens, the close-up inability of XF18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS is a bit disappointing, so I investigate various options in this area. The easiest way to solve the problem would be a camera swapping: X-E1 on even days, and X10 on odd. Or opposite. But I was curious about XF60mm Macro, a highly recommended lens (photozone), so I rented the thing. My first impression after two days of an opportunistic shooting: it is slow. I mean the focus speed, of cause. Actually, it is very super slow. It is also noisy. On some subjects, e.g. red flowers, it just refuse to focus. I must to admit: these were tricky flowers. On top of it, it does not focus very close: it is not 1:1 macro. Yes, the macro mode was enabled through the Macro button. It still covers a fairly big area.

The lens has an old firmware, so, maybe this can explain the slow autofocus.

The only good thing: it will save me $600 :)

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).  

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.

Olympus 75mm f/1.8 lens

I use Olympus digital cameras for more than 10 years. I still have Olympus E-30 with couple mid-range ZUIKO lenses but do not use it frequently. I do like Olympus camera, so I follow news on m4/3 system. Kirk Tuck recently wrote a short post on Olympus 75mm f/1.8 lens for m4/3. Olympus had one of the first  mirrorless system cameras, and the company also released some very good primes for the m4/3 system including some affordable primes such as 45mm f1.8 (review on photozone). 

Lenses for X mount

Brachychiton discolor | Olympus E-30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

In last three weeks I used exclusively Fuji X-E1. The X-E1 wins over my Olympus DSLR in noise, high iso, dynamic range, resolution. However, I can put ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-F3.5 SWD on my E-30 while Fujifilm right now does not have similar lens. The release of XF55-200mm F3.5-F4.8 OIS is planned for the first half of 2013, and this lens probably will make me happy. At the moment I just cannot get enough reach with the Fujinon XF18-55mm, and this is a real issue for me. In addition, the XF18-55mm lens does not focus close enough. I have impression that Olympus ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-F3.5 gives a better magnification. To be fair, ZUIKO 14-54mm F2.8-F3.5 Mkv I shows some chromatic aberrations on 12MP sensor in Olympus E-30, so there is always some compromises. The "standard" zoom range of XF18-55mm is somewhat boring. Very often I want to go tele (as for picture above) or wider (second image in this post would be better at wide angle). In some situations it is very difficult to zoom with your legs unless you can jump for two meters :-)

Mountain soursop | Olympus E-30 & ZUIKO 50-200mm SWD

It is m4/3 time

Thom Hogan had published on his site reviews for several m4/3 lenses including 12-50mm kit lens offered with Olympus O-MD E-M5. BTW, Thom is not the only person pointing on significant correction required for many m4/3 "kit" lenses. He also wrote a brief summary of his impression on Nikon 1 V2, Fujifilm X-E1 and Sony NEX-6. Thom used nearly all mirrorless cameras released in 2012, and he is thorough reviewer. He is one of the first people pointed on color smearing or "bleeding" in some images from X-Trans sensor used in Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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