Pelao
All-Pro
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Name
- Stephen
I managed to get to a store today to play with the Fuji.
I haven't purchased a new camera since December '09, choosing instead to concentrate on skills, technique, and printing. I've had a blast just being a photographer, and squeezing the best out of my gear.
I know more now about what I want and need, and have narrowed a purchase down to the Fuji, the Nex 7, and a distant maybe of the OMD.
Anyway, my impressions of the Fuji from an interface perspective generally fit with what I have read, and it seems to be more than fine for my style of shooting and preferred subject matter.
I like the controls a lot. I think the Nex 7 and OMD have great control layouts too, but there is one factor that is significant for me, and in the Fuji's favour. By simply glancing at the Fuji I can confirm the current settings. Controls are dedicated, and have physical markings on them. I like that. It suits my way of shooting. I have read some comments that the Exposure Compensation dial is a bit too loose. It may be if you are perched at a desk playing with it, but for me at least it seems fine in actual use. I would also say that it doesn't move by accident any more easily than that of the Nex 7 - but at least with the Fuji I can see the setting at a glance. I would say the same about aperture. More positive stops would be welcome, but really, the way I handle a camera in actual use I don't see it being an issue - and of course again a quick glance tells me all I need to know, even before the camera is switched on.
The camera didn't have the latest firmware, and chattered away to me. Very friendly. In other words, it didn't bother me: it was wearing the 35.
VF
Love the optical VF. Wow. So nice. The EVF is an EVF. No complaints.
Build, handling, and weight
As others have noted, it's lighter than it looks. It's also solid. Great work Fuji. It feels good in my hands, which I would say are mid-size.
AF
Well now, the famous AF. Given the massive amount of server space devoted to this subject, I'll be considerate and keep it brief. For my purposes, it was somewhere between more than good enough to very good. After a few tries I barely noticed it - it just worked. I'd say it was faster than my GF1 or 5D. I pushed it with areas of variable contrast etc. It's clearly not a speed demon, but I don't care much for specifications. I care about how it will work for me.
If I think it through now, two things stand out. First, the overall handling experience. The camera comes nicely to my eye and the controls are where a photographer needs them to be. It all just flows and works. A real pleasure. Second, the optical VF is just so nice. Bright, clear, and with the rangefinder style of being able to see outside the frame.
So overall, nothing you haven't read elsewhere. What I do find entertaining is the range of traffic grabbing headlines about this camera, or indeed any other. A lot of definitive statements about what a camera is or isn't. In my experience the only statements that matter are the ones ones from people who actually use the camera (as opposed to a brief test), and the ones that come to mind after my own experience.
I'll play more with the Nex 7, but I think the Fuji is a camera I can love. That hasn't happened in a while.
I haven't purchased a new camera since December '09, choosing instead to concentrate on skills, technique, and printing. I've had a blast just being a photographer, and squeezing the best out of my gear.
I know more now about what I want and need, and have narrowed a purchase down to the Fuji, the Nex 7, and a distant maybe of the OMD.
Anyway, my impressions of the Fuji from an interface perspective generally fit with what I have read, and it seems to be more than fine for my style of shooting and preferred subject matter.
I like the controls a lot. I think the Nex 7 and OMD have great control layouts too, but there is one factor that is significant for me, and in the Fuji's favour. By simply glancing at the Fuji I can confirm the current settings. Controls are dedicated, and have physical markings on them. I like that. It suits my way of shooting. I have read some comments that the Exposure Compensation dial is a bit too loose. It may be if you are perched at a desk playing with it, but for me at least it seems fine in actual use. I would also say that it doesn't move by accident any more easily than that of the Nex 7 - but at least with the Fuji I can see the setting at a glance. I would say the same about aperture. More positive stops would be welcome, but really, the way I handle a camera in actual use I don't see it being an issue - and of course again a quick glance tells me all I need to know, even before the camera is switched on.
The camera didn't have the latest firmware, and chattered away to me. Very friendly. In other words, it didn't bother me: it was wearing the 35.
VF
Love the optical VF. Wow. So nice. The EVF is an EVF. No complaints.
Build, handling, and weight
As others have noted, it's lighter than it looks. It's also solid. Great work Fuji. It feels good in my hands, which I would say are mid-size.
AF
Well now, the famous AF. Given the massive amount of server space devoted to this subject, I'll be considerate and keep it brief. For my purposes, it was somewhere between more than good enough to very good. After a few tries I barely noticed it - it just worked. I'd say it was faster than my GF1 or 5D. I pushed it with areas of variable contrast etc. It's clearly not a speed demon, but I don't care much for specifications. I care about how it will work for me.
If I think it through now, two things stand out. First, the overall handling experience. The camera comes nicely to my eye and the controls are where a photographer needs them to be. It all just flows and works. A real pleasure. Second, the optical VF is just so nice. Bright, clear, and with the rangefinder style of being able to see outside the frame.
So overall, nothing you haven't read elsewhere. What I do find entertaining is the range of traffic grabbing headlines about this camera, or indeed any other. A lot of definitive statements about what a camera is or isn't. In my experience the only statements that matter are the ones ones from people who actually use the camera (as opposed to a brief test), and the ones that come to mind after my own experience.
I'll play more with the Nex 7, but I think the Fuji is a camera I can love. That hasn't happened in a while.