Fuji X-T1 Thoughts & Samples

Kyle,

Have some wifi and my iPad for the moment. The primary benefits that I see with the XT1 over the XE2 are the EVF, the flip up screen, and maybe focus tracking (although focus may be a firmware update away on the XE2). For IQ, Luke's right about the XE1, but operationally, the two new ones are a pretty nice step forward. I love the 14 and 23 and am happy enough with the 18. The 23 has some magic to it and the 14 is just flat out excellent, with or without magic. For a 50ish, you can't beat the 35. If you consider the 14 and 23 too big, that could steer you away, but the 35 isn't that much smaller and the "big" lenses handle really well on either - I used the 14 with an XE1 last summer and it was no problem. The 18 is a pretty nice little lens and meets some if your criteria, but it's not wider than 28...

You can't go wrong with any if this stuff - just a matter of managing tradeoffs...

-Ray
 
Let's dig into the 14-vs-18 when you get a chance. The size difference is HUGE between them, and the 18 gets a stop on the 14 as well. I could live with the size of the 14, but the price / size / speed disadvantage would need to be compensated for by the wider angle (check) and image quality or ergos or something.
 
In flight wifi - seems to work well too...

Yeah, the 18 is little and faster. Not as sharp throughout, but quite a nice look if you don't pixel peep it to death. If width isn't a priority, go for it. But the 14 is pretty optically amazing and f2.8 goes pretty far with these sensors. If you don't need the width and size is a priority, your answer is clear!

I personally love the 14 and 23 and they handle well. I have a Nikon A for really small, but for a system camera these are small enough for me. The 55-200 maybe not, but any of the primes...

-Ray
 
I'm leaning towards the 14 now. Several of those reviews convinced me the width and optical performance are worth it. So a 14 2.8, the X100 23 f2, then a 35 f1.4. And to round it out to portrait length I would probably just adapt my beloved old Rokkor 55 f1.7. I love that lens's look for portraits.

As for the camera, that EVF is strongly pushing me towards the X-T1. Right now I think I'd seriously regret saving the $400 a year from now in exchange for that amazing EVF.
 
I am seriously tempted by the X-T1, but cannot afford it now. In the meanwhile, I can now buy the Fuji X-E1 + Fuji 18-55 - new - for little more than 600 euro in Lisbon (this is probably equivalent to something like 750 USD/500 GBP, but I did not check the exchange rates). It is not much more than I would have to pay for the zoom on its own, so I am getting the X-E1 for peanuts, and the zoom for a future X-T1/hypothetical X-E3 purchase. I am of course aware that the X-E2 and the X-T1 are one or two steps ahead, what I would like to know is how good (or bad) the X-E1 is in everyday's usage. Anyone kind enough to give me some advice? I would particularly appreciate the opinion of X-E1 users (past or present). I can add that I mostly do travel, city, architecture and street photography, with a bit of people photography in between; that I often take pictures late in the evening or during the night; that I seldom do nature, and never ever take sports pictures (as a matter of fact, I never watched or went to sports, and was never able to understand what the fun of it is).
 
i think the af and the evf were the main two differences between x-e1 and x-e2. if that doesn't concern you, the rest is very similar. between the x-e2 and x-t1, the main three differences are predictive af, tilt screen and the evf. if that still doesn't concern you, the x-e1 should suffice.

(Sent from another Galaxy via Tapatalk.)
 
I am of course aware that the X-E2 and the X-T1 are one or two steps ahead, what I would like to know is how good (or bad) the X-E1 is in everyday's usage. Anyone kind enough to give me some advice? I would particularly appreciate the opinion of X-E1 users (past or present). I can add that I mostly do travel, city, architecture and street photography, with a bit of people photography in between; that I often take pictures late in the evening or during the night; that I seldom do nature, and never ever take sports pictures.
If you really want the kit zoom, that sounds like an excellent way to get it and have a nice camera to shoot with while you save up for an even nicer one. The XE1 is every bit as nice for almost any kind of shooting as the XE2 unless you need fast AF. It sounds like you mostly don't but maybe you do for street photography depending on your technique? The way I do street work, fast AF is meaningless but a good auto-ISO is pretty critical, but for most people the order of importance seems to be the opposite. Neither AF or auto-ISO is as good on the XE1 as the XE2 or XT1. And I've never used the 18-55 (I feel about zoom lenses roughly the way you feel about sports!) so I can't say how it's AF is relative to the 14 and 18 I mostly used with the XE1.

-Ray
 
If you really want the kit zoom, that sounds like an excellent way to get it and have a nice camera to shoot with while you save up for an even nicer one. The XE1 is every bit as nice for almost any kind of shooting as the XE2 unless you need fast AF. It sounds like you mostly don't but maybe you do for street photography depending on your technique? The way I do street work, fast AF is meaningless but a good auto-ISO is pretty critical, but for most people the order of importance seems to be the opposite. Neither AF or auto-ISO is as good on the XE1 as the XE2 or XT1. And I've never used the 18-55 (I feel about zoom lenses roughly the way you feel about sports!) so I can't say how it's AF is relative to the 14 and 18 I mostly used with the XE1.

-Ray

Thanks for your kind answer. I mostly use prime lenses, but the reviews I have read about the Fuji 18-55 make me think it would be a good, occasional, travel companion. A supplement to, say, the 23 or the 35 mm.
 
i think the af and the evf were the main two differences between x-e1 and x-e2. if that doesn't concern you, the rest is very similar. between the x-e2 and x-t1, the main three differences are predictive af, tilt screen and the evf. if that still doesn't concern you, the x-e1 should suffice.

(Sent from another Galaxy via Tapatalk.)

Thanks for your answer. Viewfinders are a priority for me. Are the EVFs of the X-E1 and X-E2 that much different in practical usage?
 
when i had both at the same time, it was noticeable to me. faster refresh rate, brighter and more colourful. things popped. it made things a little more exciting to shoot - to me, at least. now that i think about it, maybe it was that good that it's why i wasn't so overly amazed by the x-t1 evf over the x-e2. maybe.

(Sent from another Galaxy via Tapatalk.)
 
Took the X-T1 out this afternoon to see how manual focusing works in bright sunlight. Lenses: Nikon 70-210 and the Fuji 14mm with me.
Conclusions:
1. Manual focusing is MUCH easier with the X-T1 than with the X-PRO because of its superior EVF.
2. An OVF works much better in bright sunlight when you wear glasses compared to even the X-T1's EVF although the X-T1's EVF did pretty good. It would not have been possible to use the x-pro EVF.
3. I wish the Focus peaking assistance function could be assigned to the front button or the video button.

Anyway, some examples. All shot in jpeg astia (I like that one the best for color accuracy) but I applied the VSCO 5 Velvia 100F Landscape preset during post-processing.

Nikon 70-210mm:
p108855705-5.jpg

View attachment 87558
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View attachment 87559
View attachment 87560

And a few with the 14mm:
View attachment 87561
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View attachment 87563
 
Me too ;-)

I haven't used it much yet (mostly the 23).

The 70-210 will be out soon. I have to say that the lens performs beautifully with a nikon D800 while it's considered to be an inferior lens. But it's cumbersome to use with the Fuji, especially because focal length and aperture are not recorded.

Next week the Fuji 55-200 and the Zeiss 135mm apo sonnar will be in. the last one seems to be spectacular.

I am sold on that 14.
 
3. I wish the Focus peaking assistance function could be assigned to the front button or the video button.

I'm constantly perplexed as to how manufacturers decide which function will be assignable to a button, and which won't.

For years now, Olympus has not allowed metering to be assigned to ANY of the user customizable buttons in its cameras.
 
I'm just finishing up a week in the Bay Area with mine and have posted tons of shots in a thread on the Xspot forum, here. I'll include a few samples here. Short story, I'm loving it. I have the 14, 18, and 23 lenses, will add the 56, and have been using a 55-200 that I may or may not keep. I sold the RX1 (to buy the Nikon Df, which I didn't end up doing) and ended up buying the XT1 and just going back to Fuji instead. The 23mm lens has almost made me forget about the RX1 - it's extra stop of aperture just about equalizes with the RX1 in terms of DOF and low light. The only fly in the ointment is DR - in really crazy DR situations, I could always seem to recover more from the RX1 than the Fuji, but that's really only messed up a couple of shots from this week that I assume the RX1 would have handled better. But overall, I'm really enjoying the XT1. It even works about as well for street work as the Nikon A since Fuji's improved it's auto-ISO implementation with the XE2 and XT1. So for the first time in a while, I'm really comfortable going out with ONE camera and a few lenses in the bag, to handle everything. Here are a few:

12891970624_b881b50c1c_b.jpg

San Francisco Day 2-15-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr

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San Francisco Day 4-356-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr

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San Francisco Day 4-81-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr

12961244283_0a42e0a18c_b.jpg

San Francisco Day 5-106-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr

12980579523_fe086a8663_b.jpg

San Francisco Day 6-667-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr


-Ray

These are beautiful! Really.

I was curious to know why you had replaced your RX1 for the X-T1 (you were kind to answer me many questions when I was considering the RX1), now I know... Would you mind explaining a little bit the differences of in camera settings (did you shoot RAW on both, or JPEG OOC) and PP choices you make/made from one camera to the other? I ask this because I think your photos here really POP (I quite like the colors), whereas the RX1 had a more neutral/natural look: thus, I would like to know if it is the X-Trans or something else, and what something else if that's the case.

Just to clarify I don't prefer beforehand either look, just trying to understand the differences.

Thanks.
 
These are beautiful! Really.

I was curious to know why you had replaced your RX1 for the X-T1 (you were kind to answer me many questions when I was considering the RX1), now I know... Would you mind explaining a little bit the differences of in camera settings (did you shoot RAW on both, or JPEG OOC) and PP choices you make/made from one camera to the other? I ask this because I think your photos here really POP (I quite like the colors), whereas the RX1 had a more neutral/natural look: thus, I would like to know if it is the X-Trans or something else, and what something else if that's the case.

Just to clarify I don't prefer beforehand either look, just trying to understand the differences.

Thanks.

Thanks Marcos. I loved the RX1 and would have kept it a good long time if not tempted by the Df. But that started a pretty thorough re-examination and thought process that led me back to Fuji. And, despite not being quite up to RX1 levels around the edges, it generally serves me well with a few different excellent primes instead of one utterly amazing prime.

All of my San Francisco shots were shot with raw + jpeg, with the jpegs set to the Velvia film emulation. For a lot of the daytime sunny weather shots outdoors, I generally used the jpegs because I love that Velvia look in certain circumstances. But I processed everything first in Lightroom and then in the Nik plug-ins of either Silver Efex Pro (B&W) or Color Efex Pro (color, sometimes touched up with Viveza also). In LR I just open it up and make any basic exposure changes that are needed (shadows, highlights, general exposure) and any NR that might be needed. In the Nik plug-in, beyond adding borders and a touch of vignetting, the processing is all over the place. Some I barely touched and others I touched quite a bit. A few to the point that I had to use the raw files because the jpegs couldn't handle my processing without breaking up and starting to show banding and other unpleasant stuff. I don't have any particular "recipes" for processing - I just open them in those programs, try a handful of presets I've saved, see which one seems to work best with the given image, and then start playing around with the particular settings in that combination of filters to get it where I like it.

Which probably doesn't help you other than to say that the Nik Plugins work well for me. The key is to find processing software you're comfortable with and just play with it until you know how to get a look or combination of looks you like out of it. I'm sure the same basic looks I get could be done a dozen other ways with other software - I'm just comfortable with these programs.

In terms of raw processing, it's true that Lightroom doesn't support XT1 files directly yet. But it's easy to get to them one of two ways. Either find the new version of the DNG converter online (I think its 8.4 and it's free) and convert all of your raw files to DNGs before opening them in Lightroom OR just use any EXIF editor to change the camera identifier in the EXIF from XT1 to XE2. The files are essentially identical and that's enough to fool Lightroom into opening the files. I find that doing a batch process of EXIF changes is a whole lot faster than converting a whole batch of files to DNG. And it might help preserve some future options for raw support when it's added.

I hope this helps,

-Ray
 
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