More Fuji X-Pro2….

The Verge shows us how Fujifilm makes the X-Pro2 and camera lenses in Japan:

I didn’t really know how they were put together. The answer, it turns out, is that they’re not assembled by robots, but by actual humans with a lot of work and care.

A fascinating photo essay.

ephotozine tells about the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 Design, Prototypes, and Manufacture, another view of the manufacturing and also the evolution of the physical design of the prototypes, showing different tests on the controls layout. They also follow up with their own Fujifilm X-Pro 2 First Impressions Review which is not very optimistic on the battery life.

Marius Masalar Fujifilm X-Pro2 review, based on a pre-production model with more close up picture of the body:

I’ve been waiting for the camera that takes everything I love about the X100T and expands the shooting envelope enough to make it viable for work as well as pleasure. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s Fuji who ultimately delivered it in the form of the X-Pro 2.

After reading that, the X-Pro2 is even more tempting than before.

Fuji X-Pro 2 and 5 years of Fuji X

Fuji has been celebrating the 5 years of Fuji X, a line they started with the release of the Fujifilm X-100.

Yesterday, Fujifilm officially announced the X-Pro2, the successor of the X-Pro1 that was released in April 2012 and boostrapped the Fuji X-system and introduced the X-Trans sensor. I bought the X-Pro1 sight unseen and didn’t regret it, despite its flaws and quirks.

The X-system has since evolved, between the X-E bodies (cheaper X-Pro1) and X-T (improved EVF only bodies) and the range if new high quality lenses, into a really high quality mirrorless photographic system. Fujifilm has followed-up from customer feedback and managed to provide serious improvements for the various through firmware updates for the existing model — something we have yet to see from most of the competition. And it is happening again with the X-E2 getting improvement from X-E2s.

The X-Pro2

I don’t have the privilege to have access to this camera, so don’t treat this article as a review.

The short version of the X-Pro2 vs the X-Pro1, it is a bit more of everything. More pixels, more speed, more AF focus points, more manual controls, more shutter speed, more exposure compensation, etc.

The various improvements are, without specific order:

  • 24 Mega pixels X-Trans (vs 16 on the X-Pro1)
  • The same hybrid viewfinder improvements than the one found on the X-100T
  • More AF focus point – with phase detection AF
  • Faster shutter speed (1/8000) and fast flash sync (1/250) with the new focal-plan shutter
  • Mechanical dial for the ISO
  • ±3 stops exposure compensation on the dial and up to ±5 in C mode with electronic controls
  • Front selection wheel and improved grip
  • Diopter for the viewfinder
  • 2 SD-cards slots
  • More precise battery meter (but quid of the battery life)
  • Built-in wifi with remote control
  • More film simulation modes
  • Weather sealing

The expected price of US$1,700 is in the same range as the original X-Pro1 and to be available in February 2016.

Let’s see what is being reported elsewhere:

I still have questions. A major one is about the battery life. Since the X-Pro2 uses the same NP-W126 batteries, I’m not sure if it will not plagued by the same problem. I have trouble filling up a 16GB card in RAW with only 4 batteries ; so imagine with two 32GB cards…. in this dual slot setup. Not that the dual slot is useless, but it is not useful for just extended capacity as you’d end up switching batteries even more.
Update: Garrett told me over twitter that the X-T1 that use the same battery is already much better for battery life. There is hope.

The other question is how long it will take to have RAF support in the various applications, given how much of a joke is the application that come with the camera, at least with the previous ones. If only this was documented…, but I digress.

While it sounds like a good time for me to upgrade, I will wait for the things to settle first.

Other announcements

Also announced, the X-70, a refresh of the X-E2 named X-E2s, a new XF 100-400mm lens and a new flash EF-X500.

The X-E2s is a refreshed, aka slightly improved, version of the X-E2 with better high ISO and a few other software perks, that will also be delivered through a firmware upgrade for the X-E2 users. It is great to see Fujifilm committed into improving existing model with software when it is possible.

  • The X-70 is like a X-100T with a wider angle and slower fixed lens 17.5mm f/2.8 and an EVF a flip LCD screen instead of the hybrid. With the promise of an expensive hot-shoe mounted optical viewfinder. In short a competitor to the Ricoh GR.
  • The XF 100-400mm is a f/4.5-5.6 tele-zoom with weather sealing and optical image stabilizer.
  • The EF-X500 is an auto TTL flash for the X-system to be released in May 2016.

Edit: the X70 doesn’t have an EVF. Edited accordingly. Sorry about that.

X-Ray and film

Stella loves film

Bokeh talks about the damage of X-Ray on film with a complete practical illustration: where, how many time, which film, and the actual images. Just an example of what can happen.

Just read.

Personally I just avoid as much as I can traveling with film.

Overexposing colour negative

Petapixel has Daniel Lachman tell us how much you can over expose colour negative film:

“What I took away from this is that film basically can’t be overexposed, it can just be too dense for the scanner to be able to shoot through the negative. But the information will always be there.”

My quick take is that you can shoot it at +2 and it will be more tolerant to under exposure error.

Leica Q

Leica announced yesterday the Leica Q (Typ 116). It is their take on the Sony RX1 product segment: full-frame sensor fixed and fast wide angle lens camera, not in the lower price range either. Unlike the Sony, the Leica has a built-in viewfinder ; the 28mm lens is half a stop slower (f1.7 instead of f1.4) and it has a higher price tag. By ~$1k if you factor in the cost of the EVF for the RX1.

Size-wise it is bigger than the RX1 (no EVF) and smaller than the Leica M.

The camera include a fast autofocus system, that can be controlled from the rear touch screen, and proper manual focusing capabilities, as the lens has a know like on the M lenses and the EVF has focus peeking ; this will make rangefinder users happy. And the others will probably like that too.

The camera is “Made in Germany”.

Early reviews:

  • Ming Thein: “I can’t help but wonder if the Q is the harbinger to the end of the M system in its current guise.”
  • Jay Cassario: “…this one stands out and might be the first to end up staying in my bag.”
  • Jonathan Slack: “The Q is a little larger [than the Sony Rx1r], but it seems to be superior in pretty much every other respect”

Note: This is just news and not a review as I haven’t had it in hand.

Fuji new “body cap” lens

(Petapixel) Fuji’s New XM-FL is an X-Mount Body Cap Lens with Built-In Photo Filters:

Fujifilm has announced a strange new lens over in Japan. It’s called the XM-FL, and it’s a 24mm f/8 body cap-style pancake lens that features built-in photo filters that can be accessed by turning a dial on the side.

Very light, totally “dumb” (ie no electronics), for ~$100, can make for interesting experiments on your Fuji X.

From Fujifilm Japan (in Japanese)

Similar in principle to the Olympus body cap lens in 2013.

DIY waist level shooter

Turn a point and shoot to a waist level camera.

Interesting DIY idea, including the use of the PowerShot N that is currently dirt cheap to do that (~US$130 at B&H) that seem to have been meant to be used like that.

As for the usefulness, I can tell that the way you hold your camera will change the way you see through it – this is why I have totally different results when using my TLR. This is almost like freestyle shooting. And it might bring in question from people – I have had people asking about my TLR when shooting – kind of a conversation starter.

Published
Categorized as Misc. Tagged ,

EPSON launches new photo film scanner

EPSON launches benchmark flatbed film and photo scanners.

This to replace the top V700/V750 scanners. It is good to see that EPSON continues to invest in that field. Now we shall see if the quality on small medium like 35mm film is up to the expectations, but it is not like there is plenty of choice since Nikon bricked their expensive CoolScan by abandoning the low quality software that came with it – low quality because it didn’t run on more modern OS, at least on MacOS.

Time will tell.

Fuji X100T First Looks

Zack Arias has had his hands on a Fuji X100T, at least a pre-production model. We know how he loved the first one, how he loved the improvements of the second generation, how he love the X series. Faster, better wifi, classic chrome, better buttons standardized on the rest of the X-series, new hybrid viewfinder.

Petapixel today: Fuji Unveils the X100T with “Electronic Rangefinder” Function, Improved Controls and More gives us some news from the product announcement.

It is great to see Fuji iterating over to improve things and the hybrid viewfinder improvement are, I hope, a shape of things to come for the 2nd generation X-Pro1 that is rumoured.