Why the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 Is One Of The Top Digital Cameras for Street Photography
When I first got my hands on the Fujifilm X-Pro 1, I was impressed by its image quality...but was frustrated by its shutter lag. Then Fuji announced Firmware Upgrade 1.11 http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/software/firmware/x/xpro1/index.html and when I downloaded that, it gave the camera new responsiveness that transformed it into what I now consider of the best digital cameras for street photography.
I was wowed by the Fujifilm X-Pro 1's images at ISO 2000, which looked like they were shot at ISO 400 with very little noise. I was immediately comfortable with its control layout, which any Leica-raised shooter would be at home with. I thought the unique hybrid digital/optical viewfinder was brilliant.
It's not perfect. It still hesitates occasionally in bright sunlight (although the latest firmware update, just announced, might fix that). But overall, for a camera costing thousands less than the Leica M9, the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 delivered the goods for this street photographer.
I spent over a month with this camera and hated to have to send it back. Read my full review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1, which includes some street photos. During the next few weeks, this blog's Street Photo of the Day will be culled from the thousand-plus images I shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1.
If the Fujifilm X-Pro 1's $1,700 pricetag is still too rich for your blood, consider the just-announced Fujifilm X-E1, which will be available in November for $999. It won't have the optical viewfinder but will have the highest resolution electronic viewfinder available to date—and shares the same sensor and easy control layout as the X-Pro 1, and is claimed to have virtually no shutter lag.
Update 9/16/12: But wait—there's more! In the past two weeks, both Fuji and Sony announced competing lower-priced cameras designed to appeal to shooters for whom the price tags of the Fuji X-Pro 1 and Sony NEX-7 are, say, about $700 too high. Read about 'em here.
If you are ready to buy the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 now, please support this site by clicking on these links, so I can get a modest but appreciated commission:
There is a new - much more speedy firmware update coming any day now -v2 - developed with the Fujifilm X-E1.
ReplyDeleteThe X-E1 does indeed look like a very promising camera and may be a much more affordable option for a lot of street photographers. I hope to get my hands on the camera as soon as possible once it is available and will report the results here. I'm also going to be looking at the Sony NEX-6, which is very similar, spec-wise. Both cameras are claimed to have virtually no shutter lag, which is great news!
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