Fuji Using an XM1 or XA1 for legacy glass

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kevistopheles

Top Veteran
I have a question, what is people's experience using the Fuji with legacy glass. I currently use an NEX 5n and I shoot exclusively legacy lenses (mostly Minolta if it matters). The 5n works great. I don't need an EVF because I have a vision issue that makes an EVF less than ideal. That said the LCD works fine for me. I've been LCD only for years and I'm good. The reason I've been playing with the idea of picking up a Fuji is the fact that the samples I've seen of high iSO images has been pretty nice. The Fuji XA1 and XM1 do a great job controlling noise at ISO 3200 and up and I was wondering if any of you have any thoughts about it. Living in the PNW there are defiantly times when high ISO is helpful. My main hesitation is the fact that being an LCD shooter I'm pretty dependent on focus peaking. I also don't have anyplace local where I can see a Fuji to try one out. Between the XM1 and the XA1 its really a tossup with me. I prefer the images I've seen from the XA1 a bit more but the decision will be dictated more by which one I get a better deal on. I'm not looking at this as a huge upgrade from my 5n because I know it isn't. I'm just thinking it would be fun to play around with a new body and if I ever decide to go back to native lenses I like what Fuji is doing with theirs

Any suggestions?
 
You know, after giving it some more thought I think I might pick up a low mileage XE1 instead. It's got focus peaking since the firmware update and despite my preference for using the LCD sometimes I actually need an EVF and getting one for the Sony is kinda spendy. Also looking at the layout of the XE1's controls I can see that it would be a good bit more comfortable to shoot with.
 
Lightmancer said:
This will help. Fuji X-E1 and Legacy Lenses

Personally, I wouldn't try to use a rear-screen for critical manual focus (yes, I've tried it, with my X-M1) The X-E1 is a far better camera than the A or the M anyway, and with up to date firmware (focus peaking)it would meet your needs nicely.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. That helps a ton. I started to think that the XE1 might be a better choice. So how well does the focus peaking work in the EVF? One of the problems with the EVF on the Sony is that focus peaking is dialed way back compared to the rear LCD.


Kevin
 
Well, I think that focus peaking is a personal thing - I actually think it works very well on the X-E1; not quite as well as the Ricoh GXR but certainly very clear, and very usable.

One thing I would say - it's worth spending money on a decent adapter, from Novoflex, Kipon, etc. Basically one that costs a little more than £3 on eBay. I am a firm believer in the old adage "buy cheap, buy twice" - I made that mistake with adapters, never again; it is part of your "optical chain" so should be as good as you can afford.
 
Kevin, focus peaking is not as good as on the NEX, but it's ok. On my X100 there are no settings for it except to turn it off. It's always white and there is no strength setting. It is, however, very clear in the viewfinder though unless there's a white background.

Maybe someone here can correct me if the other Fuji cameras are different with focus peaking.
 
ChangshaNotes said:
Kevin, focus peaking is not as good as on the NEX, but it's ok. On my X100 there are no settings for it except to turn it off. It's always white and there is no strength setting. It is, however, very clear in the viewfinder though unless there's a white background.

Maybe someone here can correct me if the other Fuji cameras are different with focus peaking.
Click to expand...

I got to see a focus peaking video and I was wondering about how well it stacked up against the Sony's. The focus peaking on the NEX and Alpha cameras is pretty sweet with 3 colors ( red, yellow and white) and three strength options. FWIW I rarely use white because I find it harder to see. That said, the focus peaking is not as visible in the EVF as it is on the LCD (I've verified that on my 5n and a friends NEX 6 and a6000).
 
The X-100 focus peaking is first generation Fuji, to be fair, which makes it first-and-a-half(-ish) on the X-E1 and X-Pro, second on the X-E2 and third on the X-T1. My current lineup is X-Pro and X-T1 aand there is no doubt that it is better on the latter. I never got on with it on my X100 but did find it entirely usable on the X-E1. As I said at the outset I think the efficiency of peaking is a subjective rather than an objective thing - in other words, you may just have to give it a go for yourself ;)
 
Have you ever used one of those rear screen magnifiers/giant eyecups? They look kinda goofy, but give a really nice view IMO. Don't know if you might be able to use one of those, as opposed to a regular EVF.

If you are rear screen only, I think the X-A1/X-M1 have higher resolution (and slightly larger) LCD screens than the X-E1. The X-A1/X-M1 have tilting screens too, X-E1 doesn't.
 
I use a MF focus telephoto lens on my X-E1 and focus peaking is terrible on the EVF and LCD if you are use to what Sony offers. I came from a Sony SLT A57(which offers peaking in the EVF), and the fact I can choose a color like red, or green vs a white, which imo is weak on the X-E1. I've suggested it multiple times to Fuju, and I suggest everyone does this too, to give us another color besides white on the X-E1.
 
madmaxmedia said:
Have you ever used one of those rear screen magnifiers/giant eyecups? They look kinda goofy, but give a really nice view IMO. Don't know if you might be able to use one of those, as opposed to a regular EVF.

If you are rear screen only, I think the X-A1/X-M1 have higher resolution (and slightly larger) LCD screens than the X-E1. The X-A1/X-M1 have tilting screens too, X-E1 doesn't.
Click to expand...

I have used a few of the magnifiers. They're a good option for some. I never found they quite worked for me. The XM1 and XA1 are more like what I have with the NEX 5n but if I'm relying on the rear screen for focusing then they focus peaking needs to be good and right now folks seem to be saying that it's really not on par with the Sony. Hmmm...
 
battleaxe said:
I use a MF focus telephoto lens on my X-E1 and focus peaking is terrible on the EVF and LCD if you are use to what Sony offers. I came from a Sony SLT A57(which offers peaking in the EVF), and the fact I can choose a color like red, or green vs a white, which imo is weak on the X-E1. I've suggested it multiple times to Fuju, and I suggest everyone does this too, to give us another color besides white on the X-E1.
Click to expand...

That's my concern as well. Of course the focus peaking isn't very good on the EVF on the NEX either, but it's really nice on the LCD. That said, some lenses definitely focus peak better than others.
 
Lightmancer said:
The X-100 focus peaking is first generation Fuji, to be fair, which makes it first-and-a-half(-ish) on the X-E1 and X-Pro, second on the X-E2 and third on the X-T1. My current lineup is X-Pro and X-T1 aand there is no doubt that it is better on the latter. I never got on with it on my X100 but did find it entirely usable on the X-E1. As I said at the outset I think the efficiency of peaking is a subjective rather than an objective thing - in other words, you may just have to give it a go for yourself ;)
Click to expand...


I think that I can't let focus peaking be the thing that decides this. I need to be okay with it just not be as good as the NEX and if I get the XE1 it will be for things like better low light, color, OOC JPEGs and the overall handling of the camera. I think where I'm at is that I am really Fuji curious. I have always liked Fuji and want to see what all the fuss is about their APS-C cameras is. I also don't mind that the XE1 is not the newest and best of the Fuji cameras. I'll be the limiting factor not the camera. Getting an XM1 or XA1 is really not much different an experience than shooting with the 5n I already have. The XE1 offers something i din't already have. I'll get it and strap on a few of Minoltas and see what I think. I might even pop for a native Fuji lens and have it as my AF option. That 18-55/2.8-4 looks pretty tasty. One of my favorite lenses ever was the Olympus 14-54/2.8-3.5 for their 4/3 bodies. That Fuji 18-55 looks like it could be equally fun.
 
The 18-55 is a great performer, a lens that punches far above it's variable-aperture standard-zoom weight. It makes a compact and very capable package with the X-E1 - my main X body for about 18 months.
 
The kit lens is damned good. I often wish I had it, and I borrowed one for the big 5 week vacation I took. Just that and the 35 f1.4 lens, and the zoom did 95% of the work.
 
Absolutely. That trip covered a lot of places (Athens GA, Madison WI, Minneapolis, Glacier Nat'l Park, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC, and Chicago), and really the only times I used the 35, it was by choice. Sometimes I wanted more bokeh than the 2.8-3.5 could deliver, or I knew I'd be shooting somewhere that was very dark. The sharpness difference between them is there, but it's pretty slight. So really it just came down to "feeling like" using the 35, and not out of some kind of performance gap.
 
KillRamsey said:
Absolutely. That trip covered a lot of places (Athens GA, Madison WI, Minneapolis, Glacier Nat'l Park, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC, and Chicago), and really the only times I used the 35, it was by choice. Sometimes I wanted more bokeh than the 2.8-3.5 could deliver, or I knew I'd be shooting somewhere that was very dark. The sharpness difference between them is there, but it's pretty slight. So really it just came down to "feeling like" using the 35, and not out of some kind of performance gap.
Click to expand...

It's like the last big trip we took. I was shooting an Olympus E series body and picked up the 14-54/2.8-3.5 and when I look at the images I'd say a vasty majority of them were shot with that lens and with the few exceptions where I needed a prime (for one reason or another) I was using that zoom. I think good short zoom is the most useful lens in a kit.
 
I rationalized NOT buying one by telling myself that if I had the kit lens, I'd never talk myself into spending the $ for the primes. And it worked, I went from just the 14 and 35 to also buying the 56 and the 27. And yet... I still want the kit zoom. Essentially, I want almost every lens Fuji makes. -sad face-
 
:clapping:
KillRamsey said:
I rationalized NOT buying one by telling myself that if I had the kit lens, I'd never talk myself into spending the $ for the primes. And it worked, I went from just the 14 and 35 to also buying the 56 and the 27. And yet... I still want the kit zoom. Essentially, I want almost every lens Fuji makes. -sad face-
Click to expand...

:clapping:
 

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