Fuji X PRO 1 RAW sensor tests and problems…

When Fuji launched the X PRO 1 in January the main excitement was for the new sensor. But any time you see some innovation you really need to test it to see if it delivers what it promises. Sandy McGuffog from Chromasoft wrote a couple of articles about the Fuji X PRO 1 sensor. Click here to read part one, part two and part three.

The conclusions are pretty surprising: “The hard truth is that any interpolation engine is going to have trouble with pixels that are spread out, not aligned, and unevenly spaced.” and “So my conclusion is, sorry to say, that the Fuji X-Pro1 X-Trans sensor doesn’t deliver the Fuji promise of outperforming similarly sized sensors. In fact, it underperforms similar DX sensored cameras – with the official SILKPIX raw developer, the underperformance is too slight to be noticeable under normal circumstances, but is still there if you look closely“

Also ReidReviews tested the X PRO 1 sensor. His article can be viewed only by subscribers but in sort he says that at High ISO the files are very clean but also have less color detail.

I am not posting this to denigrate Fuji. Quite the opposite. The Fuji X PRO 1 is a great camera but still…not perfect!

New X PRO 1 firmware (and double 35mm lens review).

Fuji (Click here) just released the new X PRO 1 firmware updated. It brings the following nw features/fixes:

  • New function for “FUJIFILM M mount adapter” is added to the shooting menu.

  • 2.The MENU name “FOCAL LENGTH SETTING” is changed into “MOUNT ADAPTER SETTING”, and new correction menu is added.
    DISTORTION CORRECTION,
    COLOR SHADING CORRECTION
    PERIPHERAL ILLUMINATION CORRECTION

  • 3.Even if “LENS 5” or “LENS 6” (adjustable focal length) is set, the Bright Frame can be displayed on OVF in accordance with focal length.
    (Recommended lens focal length for OVF to check the Bright Frame: from 18mm to 60mm)

  • 4.In MF (manual focus) mode, sharpness of live image at 10x magnified operation (by pressing the command dial) is set to high and focusing point can be much easily confirmed.

  • 5.When FUJIFILM M mount adapter is connected to the camera body, the following issues are effective.

    • (1)By pressing the function button of M mount adapter”, “MOUNT ADAPTER SETTING” menu is displayed quickly.

    • (2)”SHOOT WITHOUT LENS” is automatically set to “ON”

    • (3)”Distance indicator (Manual focus indicator)” in “Standard display” mode on EVF/OVF is automatically set to “OFF”

    • (4)3 types of correction menu (DISTORTION / COLOR SHADING / PERIPHERAL ILLUMINATION) are activated.

And we also have two new 35mm lens tests:

SLRgear (Click here) tested the Fuji 35mm f/1.4 X lens: “Very good performance, even when used wide open, and excellent performance when stopped down just a little. If you’re an X-Pro 1 user, this lens definitely deserves a place in your bag.“

Photoheadonline (Click here) compared the lens with the Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 lens: “The Fujinon however, is made so well that it is the winner of this test. It gets a High Value to Cost Ratio for its performance at a wide open aperture, as well as price, weight, compactness, and versatility. The Fujinon 35mm edges out the Zeiss 35mm lens in each of those categories, but by just a little.“

Sony announces the RX100 (for $649)

It is not a interchangeable lens system camera but it could be a nice alternative of some mirrorless camera. The Sony RX100 has been officially announced and can be preordered now at Amazon US (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

First preview and image sample can be seen here at Dpreview. Another preview is available at Imaging Resource. Some thoughts by Carl Garrard. Press release at ThePhoBlographer.

UPDATE: There is a first full RX100 review at Techradar and rates it with 4.5 of 5 points: “If we were assessing the camera based solely on what it is capable of outputting, it would be easy to say that this camera is near-on perfect for the target market.“

UPDATED_2: Another Full review at Imaging Resource: “As with the low-contrast crops, the high-contrast crops show the Sony RX100 besting the S100 and Nikon J1“

New Samsung NX Photokina rumors.

The same source sent Photorumors and me an update about the NX system. There will be new NX cameras and new EX-2 substitute (no surprise) but the pre announced 16-80mm has been cancelled and there will be another advanced zoom lens instead. In total at least two (and maybe three) lenses will be announced at Photokina.

Samsung remains a bit of a mystery for me. They keep saying they want to become the number one in the mirrorless system. But they really have to invent some kind of magical products in order to archive that. To be technologically on par with the others isn’t enough. Jusy a weird idea, they should buy Leica and create a Samsung-Leice mirrorless EVF system :)

    Sony RX100 with 1 inch sensor leaked!


    Here it is the new Sony RX100 high end compact camera! It has been leaked at Digicaminfo. And the specs are very interesting:

    • 13.2X8.8Mm Exmor CMOS sensor type 1.0 effective number of pixels 20.2 million pixels

    • Monitors – LCD (4:3), 3.0-inch, 1,229,000 dots

    • Lens Vario-Sonnar T * is

    • The focal length is 30-108mm (4:3) equivalent 35mm, 29mm-105mm (16:9)

    • The brightness of the lens is F1.8-4.9

    • Minimum focusing distance is 5cm, wide-tele 55cm at the end

    • The standard number of shots (conforming to CIPA) 330 sheets / min – 165

    • 30-valve second shutter speed is 1/2000 in the manual

    • ISO sensitivity (100 and 80 in the expansion), NR ISO125-6400 by Auto: Auto ISO125-25600 in the

    • Second continuous shooting is 10 frames / second 2.5 frames / continuous shooting in priority mode in normal mode –

    • Still images JPEG, RAW

    • 1920×1080 60p AVCHD video 28M

    • Size 58.1X101.6X35.9Mm

    • The weight (including battery and Memory Stick Duo) 240 g

    • Color: Black

    Sony “attacks” Nikon. Compact Camera with 1 inch sensor coming this week!


    The Nikon 1 is a huge hotseller in US (here is the ranking) and Sony is now ready to fight back! They will soon announce a High End Compact Camera that features a 1 inch sensor just like the size of the Nikon 1 sensor. But it will be more compact also because it has a fixed and retractable zoom lens!

    The camera should be announced on June 6th (Wednesday). Let’s see if we can leak the camera specs and images before that date!

    Mirrorless news roundup…(with Fuji RAW conversion tests).

    Fuji X RAW:
    As you may know Adobe now supports the Fuji X RAW file conversion. Here are three links to first tests:
    Diglloyd posted a first image using the new Adobe RAW converter. Soundimagesplus posted a full Adobe converter test: “ACR is obviously a much more responsive and flexible programme, but it does seem that the unique nature of the sensor means that some of my normal techniques may not work so well. Interestingly, I have a preset saved that defaults to the parameters in the previous version of the Camera Raw plug-in, and I felt that I got slightly better results.“. Some watercolor effect after ACR conversion shown at Fredmiranda.

    More mirrorless news:
    Will the DSLR die? Will small cameras rule the world? (Visualsciencelab).
    How to Improve Photography Without Upgrading Gear (RobinWong).
    Canon G1X review at ThePhoBlographer.
    A German NX20 review at Cnet Germany.
    Zeiss 18mm F4.0 vs Fujinon 18mm F2.0 at Photoheadonline.
    Full Fuji X PRO 1 review by Thom Hogan at Sansmirror.
    A very exotic Fuji X-Pro1 + MIR-1 37mm F2.8 lens test at DC.watch.
    How to get the most out of your Fuji X Pro1 for street photography by Mike Kobal.