UPDATE: Liking the XM1 more and more
Just an update. I guess I'm treating this thread like a personal blog. Sorry about that, but what the heck.
I am glad I rented the XM1 for the week and not just the weekend. I continue to explore the camera, and find things I like about it.
A couple of things I've recently discovered, and make me think I might want to give this camera a continued trial.
MANUAL FOCUS
MF is pretty interesting. I've only got the native lenses, but if you go into MF via the Q menu, you get an elargement square. You can easily zoom in with a push in (actually, down) on the rear thumb wheel (more on this below). When you zoom in, the picture purposely loses detail, and it goes into white-outlined focus peaking and the exposure is set on the LCD to maximize the white outlines. When you are done, and half-press to get the exposure set, the correct exposure and detail is restored, and the full scene view is returned, and then you can click. Hard to explain, but easy to use. The 27mm steps it's focus points, so this feels a little choppy, but I'd bet with a proper MF smooth focus ring, this would be brilliant. I like it.
REAR THUMB WHEEL
The "vertical" rear thumb wheel, though odd, is actually really nice. One issue I've had with "click-able" thumb wheels (where you turn the wheel, then push in to click) is that I invariably end up clicking the wheel when I only wanted to turn it. This "vertical" oriented thumb wheel means I no longer accidentally click. You run your thumb over the edge to move back and forth, and then push DOWN instead of in, to click. It really keeps the two functions separate, and I have yet to accidentally click the rear thumb wheel. As DPR noted, it does seem like it could be a rain magnet, but it's an interesting innovation.
QUICK CHANGES AND CONTROL
I'm finding the combination of the clickable thumb wheel + the Q menu to be super-fast to change settings. There are SO MANY settings such a short distance away. Let's say you are shooting in "A" mode. The larger thumbwheel on the top plate gives you EV adjustment, and the rear thumbwheel gives you aperture adjustment. (side note -- Fuji makes the larger wheel ALWAYS the EV in most settings, and the wheels are so different, I've yet to confuse the functions of the wheels -- something that happened a lot with the OMD). Click down on the 4-way controller to access timer, burst, or bracketing (brilliant), or to the right for WB. Hit the Q button and use the 4-way pad to get to the feature to change, then use the thumbwheel to change it while you hover over. It's very quick, and all easily readable from a tilty screen (in case you are shooting at an odd angle). So, super, easy!
A side note -- as nostalgic and as wonderful as it is to see your settings on the aperture ring and shutter speed wheel, it's also nice to have access to 1/3 stops on both with the thumb wheels.
MENU AMNESIA
My only issues with this set-up are:
- After I turn the camera off and turn it on again, it forgets what Q-menu option I was last sitting on. I'd like it to remember that (the camera also doesn't remember the last menu I was in from the main menu button -- I'd like that remembered as well).
- I would also like it better if, e.g., the top plate wheel moved me across the Q menu items, and the rear wheel allowed me to adjust each item, so I wouldn't have to use the 4-way controller, which slows me down. The OMD had this behavior, and I prefer it to the 4-way controller. I would think they could put this in a FW update, if they do desired. I would also love a touch screen Q menu controller, but that won't be a FW update, lol.
27mm LENS
I don't think I like the 27/2.8, though.
First off, in terms of DOF, it's like a 40mm 4.2. The Panasonic 20mm 1.7 was like a 40mm 3.4, and the Oly 17/1.8 is like a 35/3.6. The EOS-M 22/2.0 is like a 35/3.2. The 27mm has the deepest DOF wide open as any of these lenses, and I've not gotten the "3D pop" that I'd like to see, and was able to sometimes get with the P20. I wish it was 2.0, or even 2.2 (to match the P20). It also has shown some poor starbursts and some nasty flare. It's sort of loud during focus and a bit expensive, given these other items. It'd be better as a sub-$300 lens. It's more like the Panasonic 14/2.5, IMO. This is the only pancake/small lens for Fuji in this focal range that is fast focusing. The 35/1.4 is larger and slower focusing (though a much better lens). The 18 is a possibility, though it's much wider. The 14 is, of course, really wide. I think they missed on the 27mm, and that makes the camera a question mark for me, because I am looking for a pocket camera (like the EPM or EOS-M series), and without the 27 performing well, I don't see the point. Though the kit lens is nice, I already have the excellent RX100, so there isn't really a place in my kit for a f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.
UPDATE SUMMARY
In short, this camera is VERY controllable, I've grown to like the body a lot more, but the lens a lot less, which still leaves me in limbo on whether I'd want to purchase. However, if you like the price point, are OK with LCD shooting, prefer other lenses than the 27mm, and don't mind the plastic feel, this is a very nice camera, and doesn't give up a lot to the XE1 past the viewfinder and labeled dials.
p.s. I changed the thread's title, as it's become a bit more of an XM1 user test than I expected, and a little less on the EOS-M