Mikey
Veteran
- Location
- Louisville, KY
As I eagerly anticipate delivery of my X-T1 from Henry's Camera in Canada, I can't help but reflect back on the great (as well as less-than-great) experiences I've had with my old X-E1 and current X-E2 cameras.
I picked up an X-E1 kit plus 35/1.4 and 14/2.8 during the mid-year 2013 Fuji sale. Transitioning from micro four thirds, it was at first a bit of a learning curve for me -- having to fidget with physical aperture rings, re-train myself by looking through an auto-gain EVF, and deal with slower AF. Surprisingly, the layout of the rings and dials were quite intuitive. The auto-gain EVF forced me to slow down, do proper zone metering, and pay better attention to my histograms, which were all things that helped me be a better photographer. As for the AF, fortunately, I was a late adapter of the X-E1. While the AF was still noticeably slower than my old OM-D, after the 2nd round of firmware updates, it became more than adequate for my use.
On the upside, image noise handling was excellent thru ISO 3200.
@ISO 1600
@ISO 3200
I also really liked the color rendering from Fuji. RAW support was (and some would argue still is) an issue so I would convert in-camera and export as JPEGs. With the mileage that the Fuji JPEGs give you, I don't think I'll ever go back to editing RAW images again. And did I mention that Fuji has by far the best autoWB there is? Yellowish portraits from indoor lighting are practically a thing of the past.
And B&W images look great OOC and need very little tweaking in post.
The lack of a fast ultra-wide prime was one of the main reasons I switched from MFT. And the 14/2.8 made me fall in love at first sight (or should I say at first shot?)
The other reason was the lack of a proper standard fast zoom. (This was before the announcement of the Olympus 12-40 and the Panny 12-35 was not long enough at the tele end to be useful to me). While the 18-55 does at times feel too long at the short end (16mm would've been more ideal), the variable aperture allows for a smaller build and the IQ is light years ahead of what's seen with typical kit lenses. Do I miss shooting long exposures up to 1.6secs with the 5-axis IBIS with the OM-D? Heck yeah but the superb OIS in the XF zoom lenses does soften the blow a good deal. The first 2 shots below were taken with the 18-55 kit handheld at 1/15secs and 1/8secs, respectively. The 3rd shot was with the 55-200 @150mm, 1/60secs
I never bought into the whole sensor size debate, that is, until I made the switch. Yes, the PL 25/1.4 and Oly 75/1.8 given the right subject to background distance, can give you exquisite-looking portraits. But let's be honest, it's just so much easier achieving that 3d pop and desired OOF background look with a larger sensor, especially if you have f/1.4 or faster primes attached. Both of the portraits below were shot with the 35/1.4 wide-open.
The 23/1.4 is equally a stellar wide-open performer. Results from these 2 fast lenses make me drool over the OOF possibilities from the upcoming 56/1.2.
While I miss the portability and reach of the Oly 75-300, it (as well as the 40-150) often doesn't provide enough subject isolation for animal portraiture work. The modestly fast(er) 55-200/3.5-4.8 zoom for me is just the right mix of reach, portability, great OIS, and excellent IQ.
I wasn't intending on getting the X-E2 when it was first announced as the X-E1 for me was still quite the able performer. But of course, G.A.S. kicked in after I read reviews about the faster AF and more responsive EVF that was now WYSIWYG (the WYSIWYG capability would later come to the X-E1). I thought the C-AF tracking from the hybrid PDAF sensor was more a marketing ploy and never really worked when I tried it. With that said, however, the faster S-AF did allow for shots like this to all of a sudden be possible...
One underrated feature (IMO) in the 2nd generation of X ILCs is the presence of a TTL (aka super-intelligent) built-in flash. Perfect for impromptu portraits without resulting in the dreaded deer-in-the-headlights look.
While I also sorely miss how Olympus' 5-axis IBIS yielded sharp results with shooting handheld macro shots, having a TTL built-in flash (though still less ideal) provided more than acceptable results.
@125secs, shot with the X-M1 (also with the same built-in flash)
I only owned the 60/2.4 for a brief period and sold it after using it for a couple of sessions. It's tack sharp and the bokeh quality is just wonderful. However, AF was too doggedly slow for me (even after FW updates), hated the telescoping inner barrel and the uber small lens cap (almost lost it on a couple of occasions), and I dare say that Fuji was plain stupid for not including OIS. I'm crossing my fingers for an XF 100/2.8 macro with OIS and a faster AF motor in the future.
Like before, I did not intend to pre-order the X-T1 in spite of its predictive AF that actually works and the highly revered EVF. But with the favorable CAD to USD exchange rate alongside the free vertical grip offer, I succumbed to G.A.S. yet again. Can't wait to begin the next chapter in what I expect will be a very long love affair with Fuji.
Thanks for stopping by. And do feel free to share your own journey/love story/love-hate relationship with Fuji thus far by posting here.
I picked up an X-E1 kit plus 35/1.4 and 14/2.8 during the mid-year 2013 Fuji sale. Transitioning from micro four thirds, it was at first a bit of a learning curve for me -- having to fidget with physical aperture rings, re-train myself by looking through an auto-gain EVF, and deal with slower AF. Surprisingly, the layout of the rings and dials were quite intuitive. The auto-gain EVF forced me to slow down, do proper zone metering, and pay better attention to my histograms, which were all things that helped me be a better photographer. As for the AF, fortunately, I was a late adapter of the X-E1. While the AF was still noticeably slower than my old OM-D, after the 2nd round of firmware updates, it became more than adequate for my use.
On the upside, image noise handling was excellent thru ISO 3200.
@ISO 1600
@ISO 3200
I also really liked the color rendering from Fuji. RAW support was (and some would argue still is) an issue so I would convert in-camera and export as JPEGs. With the mileage that the Fuji JPEGs give you, I don't think I'll ever go back to editing RAW images again. And did I mention that Fuji has by far the best autoWB there is? Yellowish portraits from indoor lighting are practically a thing of the past.
And B&W images look great OOC and need very little tweaking in post.
The lack of a fast ultra-wide prime was one of the main reasons I switched from MFT. And the 14/2.8 made me fall in love at first sight (or should I say at first shot?)
The other reason was the lack of a proper standard fast zoom. (This was before the announcement of the Olympus 12-40 and the Panny 12-35 was not long enough at the tele end to be useful to me). While the 18-55 does at times feel too long at the short end (16mm would've been more ideal), the variable aperture allows for a smaller build and the IQ is light years ahead of what's seen with typical kit lenses. Do I miss shooting long exposures up to 1.6secs with the 5-axis IBIS with the OM-D? Heck yeah but the superb OIS in the XF zoom lenses does soften the blow a good deal. The first 2 shots below were taken with the 18-55 kit handheld at 1/15secs and 1/8secs, respectively. The 3rd shot was with the 55-200 @150mm, 1/60secs
I never bought into the whole sensor size debate, that is, until I made the switch. Yes, the PL 25/1.4 and Oly 75/1.8 given the right subject to background distance, can give you exquisite-looking portraits. But let's be honest, it's just so much easier achieving that 3d pop and desired OOF background look with a larger sensor, especially if you have f/1.4 or faster primes attached. Both of the portraits below were shot with the 35/1.4 wide-open.
The 23/1.4 is equally a stellar wide-open performer. Results from these 2 fast lenses make me drool over the OOF possibilities from the upcoming 56/1.2.
While I miss the portability and reach of the Oly 75-300, it (as well as the 40-150) often doesn't provide enough subject isolation for animal portraiture work. The modestly fast(er) 55-200/3.5-4.8 zoom for me is just the right mix of reach, portability, great OIS, and excellent IQ.
I wasn't intending on getting the X-E2 when it was first announced as the X-E1 for me was still quite the able performer. But of course, G.A.S. kicked in after I read reviews about the faster AF and more responsive EVF that was now WYSIWYG (the WYSIWYG capability would later come to the X-E1). I thought the C-AF tracking from the hybrid PDAF sensor was more a marketing ploy and never really worked when I tried it. With that said, however, the faster S-AF did allow for shots like this to all of a sudden be possible...
One underrated feature (IMO) in the 2nd generation of X ILCs is the presence of a TTL (aka super-intelligent) built-in flash. Perfect for impromptu portraits without resulting in the dreaded deer-in-the-headlights look.
While I also sorely miss how Olympus' 5-axis IBIS yielded sharp results with shooting handheld macro shots, having a TTL built-in flash (though still less ideal) provided more than acceptable results.
@125secs, shot with the X-M1 (also with the same built-in flash)
I only owned the 60/2.4 for a brief period and sold it after using it for a couple of sessions. It's tack sharp and the bokeh quality is just wonderful. However, AF was too doggedly slow for me (even after FW updates), hated the telescoping inner barrel and the uber small lens cap (almost lost it on a couple of occasions), and I dare say that Fuji was plain stupid for not including OIS. I'm crossing my fingers for an XF 100/2.8 macro with OIS and a faster AF motor in the future.
Like before, I did not intend to pre-order the X-T1 in spite of its predictive AF that actually works and the highly revered EVF. But with the favorable CAD to USD exchange rate alongside the free vertical grip offer, I succumbed to G.A.S. yet again. Can't wait to begin the next chapter in what I expect will be a very long love affair with Fuji.
Thanks for stopping by. And do feel free to share your own journey/love story/love-hate relationship with Fuji thus far by posting here.