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| Fuji EX1 evaluation - Page 1 | |
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 14:04 |
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1st Post |
Eric
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I thought it would be better to restart this thread rather than adding it to the already meandering threads on similar subjects. To this end I have copied the first post I made on this subject here...... The EX1 a significant improvement over the X100 in terms of start up and the focus/shutter lag. They have also guarded the ex comp button that so easily got knocked on the X100. Have yet to check battery life. There is a stonking good quick access key that gets you to key parameters (eg ISO) on one button. Seriously good improvement. The rear rocker switch is much much better. I am not a great fan of the EVF...it is clearer and more detailed than the one on the X100... but not massively better. I still feel an OVF wins the day. One of the side effects of the EVF is that because younare reading off the sensor there is a hesitation/ jump effect when zooming. You see the sensor refresh. The other slight negative (on this version) is the stiffness of the zoom. Speaking with JK his zoom is apparently ok. Mine has a nice smooth action...it's just a tad stiff. What I have discovered is, it's really due to the lack of 'counterbalance' from a lighter body. Not sure it's the right terminology but ...the inertia of the zoom lens would be fine on a more solid in the hand DSLR body...with the EX you have to grip the body more and use more effort to resist the rotation. If that makes sense? Of course not a problem with their primes. I have been out with it today but only for a few minutes (bl**dy customers wanted some work doing just as the sun came out....inconsiderate swines!) Haven't looked at the results yet. Will post some detail later this week. At this stage I feel it's ergonomically a major step forward. But I suspect the X100S will share some of these improvements. Too early to say whether it will totally woo me away from a DSLR for walkaround. There is no doubt having this combo round the neck is much better. But the handling of the body is always going to a bit alien for someone weaned on the DSLR ...which has after all been honed to its ergonomic ideal shape over many years. Personally I don't see this as the way forward for long tele use. My take on that is...for large magnification you need stability. If you haven't got VR you need a tripod or monopod. If you are carrying long, heavy lenses and a tripod...you might as well carry a DSLR as well. The extra weight over the mirrorless system isn't that relevant when doing specialised shooting. The only counter to this might be the Nikon V1 with its 2.7x magnification. This economic tele boast might justify its use over even the dX bodies. Which leads me back to a question I would dearly like answering.... How good is a D800 crop? Would a D800 cropped to a DX sensor size be better? My guess is yes! But ...would a D800 cropped to the V1 (2.7x) sensor size be as good? The D800 needs good technique and stability to max its IQ. But under conditions of tele work (ie solid support ) it would get that. I could easily see a Fuji Ex and D800 combination covering all my needs. My first shots were not in ideal situations for real comparisons...lots of grabshots. I have learnt that unlike DSLRs you do need to wait that bit longer after the shutter noise...to make sure its 'finished'. Several shots were blurred because I treated it like my DSLRs!!!!!  I will put some shots in my gallery out of interest....> EX Gallery But I still need to do a meaningful comparison with the D7000 IQ. I do believe that to get the most out of these 'different' cameras we need to break the traditions and habits gained over years using DSLR bodies. I was however concerned about the lack of detail in this face! Attachment: barefaced.jpg (Downloaded 81 times)
____________________ Eric |
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 14:43 |
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2nd Post |
jk
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Thanks for the first report Eric. I'll be interested to see if it grows on you. The X100s is just released so it is an unknown but looks like a new set of technology is coming from Fuji. The next question is would a XPro1 suit you better as that has an OVF.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 15:09 |
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3rd Post |
TomOC
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Good review, Eric. I strongly agree with the attitude about long lenses on any small camera - wrong concept - as you say, drag out the tripod and the D800 and do the job right ! I was out all morning with my ex and a leica elmarit 28mm on it (this is smaller than the fuji 18mm and the lens shade is smaller, too) - it fits in my jacket (not cargo pants just fine, so I like that about it.I don't think it handles as well as the xp1 but most of that is because there is not a Thumbs Up available for it yet - that is coming. After using this for nearly a month now, I would say that the only thing it has going for it over the xp1 is size - and only marginally. In fact without the Thumbs Up on it, the smaller size may well be a drawback - handling becomes fumbling on occasion. Also the ergonomics are better on the xp1, especially the placement of the Playback button. I tend to take the fuji's out with only one prime lens. Just like the long lens+tripod scenario, I want total simplicity from these cameras...and since the x100s will cost about half the price of an inexpensive Leica lens, I will definitely be getting one of them .The really killer design will be the xp1 with all the features of the x100s for manual focusing... Probably no chance of seeing that in 2013 though, so off I go with what I have now ... And very happily I must say.IQ on all three of these cameras is outstanding IMHO!
____________________ Tom O'Connell -Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh |
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 15:22 |
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4th Post |
richw
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I think we have now reached an era where in any camera we might consider IQ is a given and other factors such as speed and accuracy of focus, form factor and lens selection are going to be the deciding factors on what we choose to use. Not quite ready to retire the D3s yet, but it could happen in the future.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 15:25 |
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5th Post |
jk
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Interesting thought Rich. I still think my D3 and D3s work well. The D800 is at times a bit OTT. I do think the XPro1 does throw a new perspective on ones needs.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2013 18:30 |
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6th Post |
Squarerigger
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Thanks for splitting this off from the other topic Eric. Everything I read on these "types" of cameras points to one having to divorce ones self from some of our habits while using SLR/DSLR's for most of our lives. That's not uncommon when one switches from using one tool to another tool which is used for the same type of application. Kind of a creature of habit I suppose.
____________________ -------------------------------------------- Gary |
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11th, 2013 07:29 |
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7th Post |
jk
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Squarerigger wrote: Everything I read on these "types" of cameras points to one having to divorce ones self from some of our habits while using SLR/DSLR's for most of our lives. The adjustment isnt that great but like Eric has mentioned you need to be aware to take a little longer before and after your shot. The biggest adjustment I found that I had to make was to slow myself down so that I made sure that I had what I wanted focussed was actually in focus. The AF is slower than a DSLR so you need to slow a bit and actually work a little more carefully.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11th, 2013 07:38 |
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8th Post |
jk
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As a test today I got out my Kipon adapter for my Fuji/Nikon lenses. This allows the attachment of Nikon lenses onto the Fuji XPro1 and EX1. Obviously you need to adjust aperture and focus and zoom manually. I used the Nikon 70-300 f4.5-5.6 AFS G lens. This worked much better than I'd expected. One issue is that you dont know your f stop as it is a G lens. Even though I was working in full sunlight there was some need to up the ISO so I could make sure that shake was not and issue. This lens on the XPro1 is a 100-450mm zoom. Very nice for travel and since the camera is so light it makes for a very light carry around with the 18-55 as the extra lens. I still have to check out the images that I took as they were all close ups and not bird or distance animal shots. MF focussing with the EVF on the XPro1 was not easy to judge exact point of sharp focus as teh EVF really needs more detail. Maybe this will be better on the XE-1 which has a better EVF. Images here in this album. http://nikondslr.uk/photos/showgallery.php?cat=575 These images are straight out of Lightroom without any extra sharpening.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11th, 2013 10:10 |
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9th Post |
Eric
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jk wrote: Squarerigger wrote:Everything I read on these "types" of cameras points to one having to divorce ones self from some of our habits while using SLR/DSLR's for most of our lives. I think thats a good point JK. I remember Ansel Adams saying that the biggest obstacle to getting sharp images from 35mm cameras (compared to plate cameras) was the "speed and ease of use". I believe that is also true when we 1) use a DSLR with higher pixel density (eg D3x, D800) and 2) use a lighter, 'less ergonomic' camera body (eg Fuji X and other 'bars of soap'). The stability of the camera in the hand plays a greater role in getting sharp images. When I moved to the D2X from the D1X I found shooting the same settings initially yielded inferior results. I had to up the ISO and/or reduced the shutter speed by a stop to get comparable results. In other words....my stability was worse with the 12mp sensor than the 6mp predecessor. Because of this, I have already learnt to run the somewhat blocky Fujis at one stop higher default ISO than normal and choose slightly faster than traditional exposure speeds in an attempt to offset the likelihood of less camera stability in the hand. Rich W posted a statement to the effect that, most modern cameras are ALL of such IQ level, that we must now use other characteristic as the key selection parameters. I think that is very true! HOW WE ARE ABLE TO use the camera is a significant factor when moving away from mainstream DSLRs.
____________________ Eric |
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11th, 2013 12:07 |
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10th Post |
TomOC
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I definitely agree with the comments on slowing down. One way to drive that home is to use the manual settings. I find that my eyesite, even with a diopter isn't quite good enough in many lighting conditions to just "focus" manually - I really need the zoom up to focus correctly. Now, maybe that comes from years of using Nikon zooms and zooming to focus or maybe it is just that I am rusty at manual focusing. I'm going to try to figure that out over the next few weeks by focusing first and then zooming to see if I was accurate Probably will be quite humbling, at least at first.
____________________ Tom O'Connell -Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh |
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| This is topic ID = 471 Current time is 07:22 | Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... | |
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