Mirrorless Rumors

Mirrorless news and review roundup (Fuji X manual download and Canon G1 X test)

Fuji X-Pro1 manual now available online as pdf document (Click here to download). And there is also a X lens manual (Click here to download). Preorders at Amazon.co.jp (Click here), Expansys USA (Click here), Expansys Canada (Click here), Henrys Canada (Click here).

Canon G1 X tested by Photoreview (Click here / via noisyc) “Colours were attractively rendered and the dynamic range in shots was as wide as we found with the EOS 600D. In-camera processing was minimal for most JPEGs, although some shots would benefit from a little unsharp masking at the editing stage.” Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

Pentax Q 02 Standard Zoom Kit to be Marketed on Feb. 16 (RiceHigh).

Fuji X-S1 Review at Neocamera (Click here): “It can deliver great results for most travel subjects and creative photography thanks to extensive manual controls. Operating this camera is quick and efficient using its numerous controls.”

First Pentax K-01 mini-leak :)

Fuji X PRO 1: New image samples and videos. Preorders in Japan.

WT21

4 weeks ago | Reply

The video is the history of the Canon G series. I was hoping it was a G1X hands on review.

MJr
4 weeks ago | Reply

I can’t believe the G7 didn’t shoot RAW !! !! !! !!

Jean-Michel

X Pro-1 manuel shows a well done and weel organized camera, good ergonomics, easy to use, intuitive, as I like. A few cons, but nothing is perfect. I really hope we will have deep lenses reviews asap.

Antoine

Max recording time of the X-Pro 1 in video mode is 10 minutes. I read somewhere it would be 29 min. That’s disapointing.

Jean-Michel
4 weeks ago | Reply

Please, read the X Pro-1 Manual (Linked above), page 110, and you will se that the Movies time recording is 38 to 54 min. depending the format with a 4GB card and 76 to 109 min. with the 8 GB. Not enough time ???
- Antoine
  4 weeks ago | Reply
  
  Nice. Very nice. Next question is the quality of the video.

Nico Foto

X-Pro 1:

Its a pity the AF performance seems to be quite slow. And the hybrid EVF/OVF idea is nice, but, honestly, the OVF seems to be only really useful for wide lenses – if shooting with longer lenses, you need to use the EVF, which, for what i’ve read is like looking a tv through a tunnel (i.e. not very good). I’d rather have a good EVF than a hybrid OVF which does not cover all bases.

Jean-Michel
4 weeks ago | Reply

The OVF is used only with middle range lenses. For wide angle and telephoto lenses, it’s obvious to use the EVF. In the X pro-1 manual, they compare the use of OVF and EVF with pro and cons of each method. It’s very clear. If you use the camera for make street view, it’s very helpfull to see your subject on the side of the frame before it is effectvely in the frame. Then, you choose the VF depending the lens and the kind of picture you want to do. In my opinion, I like it. I used to work with a Leica M3 for many years, and I like OVF. But for telephoto, OVF is obviously inpractical.
The EVF is as large as the OVF, then very comfortable, non “tunnel” effect.
- CRB
  4 weeks ago | Reply
  
  Very true about the optical viewfinder like leicas…very good indeed…but the AF seems to suck…hope the final firmware to be better…
- Nico Foto
  4 weeks ago | Reply
  
  I agree with you, for street shooting, the hybrid OVF is an interesting approach – specially if you already are a rangefinder user. All i’m saying is that, since the ovf does not cover all bases, the EVF better be good, which, at least based on initial online impressions, is not. (Personally, i’m not too keen on rangefinder style OVFs, so I see myself as a customer that would probably use the EVF most of the time)
  
  As for the AF, we’ll have to wait for the production units to see what happens, at this point it seems it lags behind the other mirrorless offerings. On top of that, MF implementation doesn’t seem to be that good either.
  
  So viewfinder and AF are big question marks i’d say – on a $2000 camera. Leica can get away with that, not sure who else
  
  No matter how sexy this camera looks, for a high end mirrorless camera, i guess the nex-7 keeps on being the king of the hill as of Jan 2012.
  - Antoine
    4 weeks ago | Reply
    
    Don’t forget the new sensor. When A/B comparisons of image resolution are released they may challenge the idea of Sony’s superiority.
Richard_K
4 weeks ago | Reply

I think EVF/OVF seems to be acceptable. However both AF and MF are unquestionably suck. Also there is no 3D servo focus.

Hope the production cameras would be better.

Matthew

@Jean- the EVF actually covers a smaller area than the OVF, and it really is like looking through a tunnel (the EVF/OVF in the X pro and x100 are the same magnification/size).
Also, the time that Antoine was talking about is CONTINUOUS recording time, i.e. no breaks. It’s only 10 minutes.

DR
4 weeks ago | Reply

@Matthew

How could the EVF/OVF in the X-Pro1 be the same magnification/size as the X100? The X-Pro1 OVF has magnification based on attached lens. It couldn’t be the ‘same’ then, could it?
Jean-Michel
4 weeks ago | Reply

I was checking on one very first video where we could see, though the VF, the switch between the OFV and the EVF. It seems there was no difference of size. May be my mistake. What is sure is, with the OVF in RF, the natural entering light makes the “tunnel” clearer than the EVF, which is electronically illuminated (the sides are dark). That could make a “tunnel” effect, sure. In anyway, nothing worth a on-hand personal test before to buy.

DR

Re Movie length, see P39 of the manual (use the printed page numbers, not PDF page numbers)

“Press the shutter button all the way down again to end recording. Re- cording ends automatically after ten minutes or when memory is full.”

Then on P128 the specs say: ” (1,920 × 1,080)/ (1,280 × 720); 24 fps; stereo sound; maximum length 29 minutes”

Maybe it can record longer movies at the 1280×720 size?

Matthew
4 weeks ago | Reply

sorry about that, I meant to say the same magnification/size with the 35mm, but the EVF is the same.

Matt

In my opinion the X100 EVF is a lot larger than even high quality OVFs in APS-C SLRs, which really do look like looking though a window at the end of a dark tunnel. I find the EVF really engulfs my field of view ad while the resolution isn’t up the the same standards as the NEX-7, it is still a pretty decent EVF. The OVF is awesome too, lots of advantages of the EVF, but with a much higher resolution and dynamic range. It is also much larger an brighter than any OVF I have tried on an APS-C dSLR, over 100% coverage and just totally engaging, unlike the tunnel style OVFs found in crop sensor cameras.

I don’t know exactly how this relates to the X-Pro1, but I’m guessing it will be very decent.