Thread: Serious Compacts Podcast 5: Fuji X-Pro 1

Originally Posted by monza

Mac users can use Audacity (free app) to speed up the MP3 without changing the pitch. That way you can shave 30+ minutes off the podcast. :) I'm sure there is a Windows app that can do the same thing.

-Robert

Welcome to Serious Compacts, Robert! I should probably speed the whole thing up in Audicity, if only by 5% or so, before uploading. I think I did that for Episode 4 but forgot it this time. Btw, Audacity is cross platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, and more).

I LOL every time I listen to Ray's confession.

Man, I've been reading reviews and previews all day after listening to that podcast and I'm so confused. The podcast tells me that it rules the universe (which I tend to believe since I love my X100), but everything else I read says it's a steaming pile of you know what. I need to see if there's a camera shop in town that has one I can try.

And I need to hold up a bank.

Luke, whether it rules the universe or its a steaming pile of dung (was that so vile?) depends strictly on people's hopes and expectations going in. DSLR users looking for a smaller camer with DSLR performance don't like it. People used to highly automated cameras who don't expect to have to THINK often don't like it. People who knew what rangefinders were, why they liked them, how this differs, but why they might like it ANYWAY, tend to like them. People who had a gf1 and a 20mm lens and not much else of m43 tend to like them.

There are very few predictions I'd make about whether a given individual will like the X-Pro 1. But the ONE prediction I feel fairly safe in making (I think Flysurfer said it first and it helped convince ME) is that if you have or had an X100, whatever your feelings were about that would probably be similar but amplified about the X-Pro 1. If you really like your X-100, I will all but guarantee that you'll like the X-Pro 1. If you were one of the people who did NOT like the X100, you probably wouldn't like the X-Pro 1 either. Since you claim to like your X100, I'm about 99.99 certain you'll like the X-Pro 1, and probably even more than the X100 (unless, say, you don't like the focal lengths as much).

-Ray

Originally Posted by Luke

Man, I've been reading reviews and previews all day after listening to that podcast and I'm so confused. The podcast tells me that it rules the universe (which I tend to believe since I love my X100), but everything else I read says it's a steaming pile of you know what. I need to see if there's a camera shop in town that has one I can try.

And I need to hold up a bank.

You could cut out the middle man and hold up the camera store?

I agree with Ray. If you like the X100, you'll like the XPro1. It's more or less a X100 that bulked up and add interchangeable lenses. Less sexy than the X100. But with more muscle.

Finally listened to the whole podcast. Really great job all! Look forward to the next episode.

Originally Posted by Armanius

I agree with Ray. If you like the X100, you'll like the XPro1. It's more or less a X100 that bulked up and add interchangeable lenses. Less sexy than the X100. But with more muscle.

I did play around with the XPro1 the camera store and was surprised, in a good way, how light the body was with 28mm equiv. mounted. I was expecting it to be more of a brick (I guess my K-01 is the only true brick!). I picked up the X100 and it feels perfect in hand... seems like just the right weight, size and balance to me. I've gone in that camera store like 3 times now with the intention of cancelling my E-M5 and, each time I walk out of there with somehow my preorder still in place, and a few percentage points closer to walking out with a X100.

Originally Posted by Armanius

I agree with Ray. If you like the X100, you'll like the XPro1. It's more or less a X100 that bulked up and add interchangeable lenses. Less sexy than the X100. But with more muscle.

Another overlooked but welcome difference is the excellent implementation of the quick menu on the x-pro1.

I enjoyed the podcast, you four make a good round table. Now you have to do a quick follow up to the OM-D E-M5 after the surprise ending.

Had a great time doing the podcast but the one point I forgot to make is the expectations around the Xpro1 for many are way out of proportion to what one can expect from any camera. A camera is a just a tool, if it does what you need it to do, great, if not find the tool that works for you. There is no best camera, there is only whatever tool is best for the job you need it to do and with photography there is no one tool that is great for every situation. For me this camera makes me want to shoot, it does what I need it to do, you cannot ask for much more.
As to the auto focus, here are two shots from today both on AF, one grab and shoot while driving back to the hotel (F8, ISO 800 ) the other a behind the scenes shot today in horrible lighting conditions (F2.2 ISO6400 AF set to the right in frame). The AF just works, not as fast as some DSLR AF but more than fast and accurate enough for me. Out of more than 100 frames I shot on the set today, just two shots missed focus in light conditions that required exposures in the range of ISO 6400 shot at F2 to 4, 1/20 to 1/70