Thread: My flirtation with the XPro1 and a few photos from the engagement

So I flirted with the XPro1 for three weeks, and it is without a doubt a top notch camera when it comes to image quality, as everyone has reported already. But I'm sending it back for now and will anxiously sit on the sidelines to see what Fuji does to address the previously discussed quirks that bother me. If I were a betting man, I would bet that I will likely re-buy the XPro1 at some point. Fuji is definitely at the forefront of sensor development and JPG processing, and the X10, X100 and XPro1 are realizations of that development.

Here are the photos that I took with the XPro1 during the engagement day trip. All of them were taken with the 35/1.4 lens, which is a MUST have lens for any XPro1 owner. They were all JPG, some PP in LR4, and reduced to 1024 pixels.

One of the indicators that I used in ultimately deciding not to keep the XPro1 (for now) is that during the engagement day and night, I found myself reaching for the M9 much more. I actually carried three cameras with me that day -- M9, XPro1 and X10. And my fiance was carrying the Canon S95. But the M9 got much more use.

First three photos were at the Blue Bell factory in Brenham, Texas. Awesome combination of sharpness + creamy out of focus renderings on the first three photos.







The remaining photos were all at the Inn at Dos Brisas near Chapel Hill, Texas. First two were at the stables as we got ready to go on a carriage ride.





At the bar texting family and friends after she got the rock!



The booze that I got to drink after proposing. I definitely deserved a few drinks! :) Just kidding! I'm not an alkie!







At the private patio (fending off bugs) and about to enjoy the 8 course meal. X10 looking good on that photo as well.



View across from where we were sitting. XPro1's high ISO capabilities at work.



And a last parting photo of a great night!

Well, Armando, you gotta do what you gotta do. If a camera bothers you more than it gets out of the way, its not for you. BUT, I gotta say, I'd seen a couple of the shots of your fiance before and they're very nice. But these samples show a whole lot more REALLY FINE SHOOTING you did with that camera! You might want to reconsider! Or maybe not - gotta go with what works for you in terms of both process and final result. But you sure got some nice results!

-Ray

I have to agree, those images are pretty nice, sorry it did not work out for you, for me, I plan on keeping mine and using my Nikon SPs for whenever I need a manual focus fix

Well good for you. It takes some solid thinking to be able to return a camera capable of such fine results. If it doesn't work for you, then so be it.

BTW: I suppose you know you are a lucky guy?

I reckon that he's secretly trying to talk himself back into the XP1 with this post. I don't know how the XP1 works but it sure does take nice photos!

Congrats (on the engagement.....I'm quite sure you will un-do the camera return)

Y'all crack me up!!! And thank you very much for the congratulations and nice comments. I am probably trying (in a subconscious way) and hoping to be convinced to keep the camera. LOL! Nic knows me better than I know myself.

It is a good thing that it seems like Fuji has kept the retailers well stocked. So it should (hopefully) not be too difficult to get another one in the future. The biggest challenge will be getting the missus to approve the purchases in the future. I still have some freedom to spend for the next few months!!

Congratulations to you both Armando - I've never returned a camera.

Originally Posted by Armanius

Y'all crack me up!!! And thank you very much for the congratulations and nice comments. I am probably trying (in a subconscious way) and hoping to be convinced to keep the camera. LOL! Nic knows me better than I know myself.

It is a good thing that it seems like Fuji has kept the retailers well stocked. So it should (hopefully) not be too difficult to get another one in the future. The biggest challenge will be getting the missus to approve the purchases in the future. I still have some freedom to spend for the next few months!!

I too think the X Pro's image quality is really good. But, what do you think kept bringing you back to the M9 during the day?

Was it the 9's simplicity? You didn't mention what lens you have with you for the M9, could it have been the different look you knew the M9 could do?

Just wondering.

BTW, congrats on a very stressful day!!!!

I had the Zeiss 35/2.8 Biogon-C mounted on the M9. As to why I reached for the M9 more, there were a number of factors. And now that you ask Duane (which required me to think a little bit more about it), some factors had nothing to do with the XP1's quirks such as my preference of 35mm over 50mm. My comfort level with the M9 was another factor. Comfort level changes with familiarity, which I obviously have more with the M9 given that I've had it for a couple of years. But part of comfort level for me is also the confidence that I know that when I focus on something, it will be in focus. The series of the photos in the bar was actually lengthier than that. I took several photos of the manager, who was making drinks for me. But after we left the bar, I started going through the photos and saw that a number of the photos of the manager were blurred. Some because I got inaccurate AF lock, and others because of the shutter lag as the subject started moving again before exposure was made. The lighting in the bar was challenging though, as I also had trouble with the AF on photo of the juicer. The aperture chatter ended up not bothering me very much that day as the background/ambiance noise plus the action surrounding me drowned out the chatter or distracted me sufficiently to forget about the chatter.