Fuji Buying Xpro1 now

The 27 is a more usable focal length for "only one lens." And it's tiny. And it focuses pretty quickly, since there's so little mass to move around. And it's decently sharp, though not angelic. It is a golden retriever-like everyday companion that will do almost everything pretty well.

The 35 has 2 stops on the 27. It has a good bit more (and better looking) bokeh available due to the two extra stops and the longer focal length. It's a better portrait lens hands-down. It is a better optic than almost anything else in the XF lineup, frequently turning an otherwise "ok" image into something special. Colors pop. Details sparkle. Even facing into the sun, contrast holds the line where other lenses wash out. You will zoom to 100%, grin in disbelief, and chuckle.

...all of this to say that you can't make a bad choice between them. But they're not similar lenses to live with, despite somewhat similar focal lengths and stats. One is tiny and more forgivingly wide. The other has that juicy 1.4 aperture, and sprinkles magic on your files sometimes.
 
Woohoo ! Its arrived.


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Sporting firmware 2.04 and bearing a few signs of its life as a display model but it seems fine. Time to go buy a lens, methinks.
 
Right. Following an evening trip to the local camera store, The Pro now has a lens. Despite a contrary opinion from my wife, lol, i think its a great looking camera!

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I opted for the 27mm for several reasons. In no particular order

1) this is very much a trial of the system and camera form for me.

2) should i decide to invest long term in the fuji system, i can see myself pairing the 23mm and the 56mm as my kit. I have come to like the wider focal lengths (i use the 15mm Pana - 30mm effective Fov- as my fave lens on the Oly) as everyday usage. At the other end, one of the great lenses is an old pentax K 55mm 1.8 that used to be welded to an aps-c k5. Subject isolation and smooth roll offs were just fantastic. The 23 and 56 would seem the Fuji versions for my use.

3) The 27 is small. really really small. The 23 and 56 seem fairly big. So i suspect that the kit will need a small option at times. Long term, i think it will be nice to have that practicality.

4) Cost. Around here, the 27 is less than half the price of the 35. Its not a huge amount, but its real nonetheless. When testing a new brand, its nice to be able to get a foot in the door without breaking the bank.

5) the money saved gets me 30% of the way towards the next lens.

6) if i never add to the lens collection, at least i have something a bit closer to my preferred wider fov than the 35.

7) i would like the f/1.4. I really would like an aperture ring. But i tried to put a lot of honest thought into how i will use the Fuji and points 1-6 seemed to suggest the 27 is where i should begin.


So, decision made and no going back. Im heading for work, the new camera will come too, and i'll see if i can find a few interesting views around a building site to cut the Pro's teeth on.
 
Very nice shots.

As has been said, the 27 is a very good lens. It's not the one I usually have on the camera, but when I want it, it's the only one that does what it does.
 
Quick observation from limited use.

1) the ovf focusing takes some getting used to. In the branch shot, i could not get the ovf to focus on the foreground, it kept locking on the background. This was almost certainly paralax induced, some playing around this morning at home and i think i know how to work it now. The evf locked on the branch without issue.

2) if the magic lens fairy visited and offered me f2.0 on the 27mm lens, or reduced minimum focus distance, i think i'd take the reduced distance.

3) the camera is fun. It feels good to use it, classy and vintage.

4) i have no idea how to make ACR work with the Rafs. I tried one shot, all i managed to do was increase the noise grain and lose detail, lol. No doubt the internet will be my friend.

5) one weird issue - the camera wont "talk" to my computer. The light glows green, but It doesnt show up through the USB. But remove the card, put in a card reader and "hey presto", finepix opens and off we go. But then putting the card back in the cam means i have to re-enter the date and time!?
 
Quick observation from limited use.



4) i have no idea how to make ACR work with the Rafs. I tried one shot, all i managed to do was increase the noise grain and lose detail, lol. No doubt the internet will be my friend.

?

Using the detail slider liberally with a bit less sharpening seems to help ACR and Lightroom deal with the XTrans raw better than default. I've been using the detail at around 60 and the sharpen at the default 25 and it seems OK. Other programs are still better, I think, Photo Ninja being my preference of those I tried, but ACR and Lightroom can give you reasonable results. For me upping the detail slider was what was needed.

I don't get number 5 at all. I never use the USB, just my card reader, and I've never had to re-enter date and time after the initial set-up.
 
You should NOT have to re-enter date and time, to my knowledge!

Also, that branch shot made my jaw drop open. Just gorgeous.


Yeah, turns out i have a problem. It seems the capacitor on the powerboard that retains charge to keep settings has crapped out. So, My xp1 is being sent back. Painfull.


Edit: and yes, the branch shot immediately hooked me. That 27mm lens is beautifully sharp and clear. It probably ensures that i get another fuji body and not just give up in frustration.
 
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Well, the new X-Pro 1 body is back up to $799 at B&H. That my brand new body and 2 lenses (27 and 35) came in at $950 makes me appreciate that sale all the more.

I hope you manage another body. I'm not yet ready to take the plunge fully to the X system, still loving the IBIS of the E-M5 indoors, but in the couple of weeks I've had the X-pro, I've bonded with it in a way that means it is staying. I could see myself moving definitively when the X-Pro 2 arrives, though that doesn't mean I will. I still want Fuji for the hybrid finder, which I absolutely love.
 
I've been a Fuji user since the X-100 came out, which I got followed by the X-100S after it came out. I loved the OVF but missed the interchangeable lens aspect. So I got the X-E2 when it came out, which I still have & love very much, particularly for its use with my adapted lenses. However, the instant the X-Pro1 was released, that was the camera I really wanted, but could not afford. However, finally it became possible for me to buy one, which I did a few days ago. And I'm loving everything about it so far, slow AF or not! My XF35mm has been on it from the get go, but have also tried my XF27mm & even an adapted Zeiss Planar 50mm. On the 50 using fixed or zone focusing, the OVF was very usable, & even the EVF with magnification & focus peaking were quite workable. Haven't tried my XF18-55 or XF14mm yet, but confident they will be terrific as well. I will probably use the XE2 with my adapted tele's - 90mm, 135mm & 200mm, but hopefully the XP1 with everything else. Now the question is should I get the prime XF 18 & 60 lenses to complete the classic kit. I think I really want to instead of some other focal length. But all of the new Fuji glass is super wonderful I know, but just too darn big & not at all rangefinder like for my taste. I came from a Nikon D7000 with big heavy lenses, & have no interest in reverting to that system again. So I guess time will tell, but I am so pleased with the XP1 for everything I really want to do. Also happy to discover this forum & this particular thread. Cheers.
 
Well, the 18 is probably not as bad as the internet has made it out to be -- I don't have it, so I don't really know. But it doesn't test as well as the other Fuji XF glass, and it's an older, slower design. The 60 is allegedly sharp as can be, and the AF got back into the realm of "usable" after some firmware updates, but is reportedly still pretty slow. So in both cases, you've got to make some trade-offs. If you're ok with those trade-offs, then you could be happy.

Or, you could wait for the forthcoming 35mm f2 lens? One imagines that will be smaller than the current 35 f1.4, which is already not too big.
 
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