After hearing that Kodak will no more produce their slide films we got a second bad news in the film industry. Cosina Japan (Click here) officially discontinued the silver Zeiss Ikon. You can still buy some of them on . But soon also that camera could be history. Has the era for 35mm film cameras ended?
Via Photorumors and Zeissrumors.
Now that the first bunch of X PRO 1 is being shipped in Asia you can find many new reviews and tests. Here is the roundup of the latest news I found about the X PRO 1.
Fujifilm X-Pro1 High ISO Picture Samples & AF Speed Preview at InvisiblePhotographer (Click here). There is also an AF speed test on youtube (Click here).
There is a full review at Mobile01 (Click here to read the google english translation). Note that on the google translated website links to the full size images won’t open.
Part one of the german X PRO 1 test at SystemKameraForum (Click here).
The norwegian website Fotomagasinet (Click here to read the english google translation) posted: “After testing a few hundred cameras in my life, I have become quite spoiled, but the X-PRO1 impressed me. There are of course some things are not quite optimal – we can imagine a better electronic viewfinder, sealing, image stabilization in camera body and of course, better battery life. However, compared with the positive – a camera that is relatively small, discreet, quiet, with stunning picture quality a unique viewfinder and ergonomics that work, the weaknesses quite small in comparison.“
ePhotozine posted image samples taken with all three diferent lenses: The 35mm f/1.4 (Click here to see), The 18mm f/2.0 (Click here to see), The 60mm macro (Click here to see). Also Photographyblog (Click here) posted a set of photos. A hands-on review has been posted at Amateur Photographer (Click here).
The Fuji X PRO 1 camera can be preordered:
in USA/Canada at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here), Epxansys US (Click here) and Expansys Canada (Click here).
in Europe at Jessops UK (Click here), eBay Italy (Click here) and Expansys UK (Click here).
in Asia at Amazon Japan (Click here) and eBay Japan (Click here).
For the first time you can make a serious ISO comparison between the new Olympus E-M5 and cameras from Sony, Panasonic, Canon and Nikon. Just check out that post at Focus Numerique (Click here). Again, the Sony mirrorless cameras have the edge with the Nikon being the worse camera (just a little behind the G3).
More Mirrorless camera/lens or other news:
Canon G1 X hands-on at Akihabaranews (Click here).
Fuji X PRO 1 hands-on review at Amateur Photographer (Click here).
Mobot Takes a Look at the Nokia 808 PureView’s Sensor (Photographyblog).
Wold smallest EVIL camera (Flickr).
Next-gen video codec hits milestone (EEtimes).
The sexy all black limited X100 edition is in Stock at Adorama (Click here). The just a tiny bit less sexy Pentax K-01 is also in Stock at Amazon (Click here). You choose! :)
I think many of you were or still are film camera owners. And you won’t be happy to read the next news:
The first to post this bad news was Thom Hogan (Click here). And ThePhoBlographer (Click here) picked up the news and contacted Kodak to ask them if the news is true. Indeed Kodak discontinued all their slide films (The E100VS, E100G and Elite Chrome Extra Color 100). And things went so fats that you already cannot find them anymore on Kodak’s own store :(
The only major slide film producer now is Fuji. And usually when there is no competition prices will increase. Anyway, I dont’ think the time of film cameras is over. The problems of Kodak are from different nature. So we shouldn’t be to worried for the future. Film will survive!
SLR Magic just announced three new Toy Lenses for three new systems:
1) SLR Magic x Toy Lens 11mm f/1.4 lens for Pentax Q. It’s already available on .
2) SLR Magic x Toy Lens 28mm Bokehmorphic lens for NEX. Available on .
3) SLR Magic x Toy Lens Pinhole Lens for Micro Four Thirds. Available on .
Here is the full press release:
“Hong Kong, China (March 5, 2012) – SLR Magic introduces three more Toy Lenses.
The SLR Magic x Toy Lens Pinhole lens is the first wide-angle pinhole lens that is compatible with all micro four third mount cameras. The field of view of this Pinhole Lens corresponds to a 24mm pinhole lens in 35mm format. It is the first pinhole lens to offer a protective glass to keep dust and moisture away from the digital sensor.
The SLR Magic x Toy Lens 11mm f/1.4 is a standard focal length lens that is compatible with all Q mount cameras. The field of view corresponds to a 60mm lens in 35mm format. The fast aperture combined with the close minimum focus distance of this lens allows for pleasing shallow depth of field effect and is a joy to use.
The SLR Magic x Toy Lens Bokehmorphic allows for creative bokeh effects. The lens is compatible with all E mount cameras. The field of view corresponds to a 42mm lens in 35mm format. It is great for creative bokeh or light painting for impressionistic photography.
All three Toy Lens models will be available from authorized SLR Magic dealers by April 2012.
Andrew Chan
Product Manager“
The Taiwanese magazine MAG (Click here) made that picture showing an apparently “Fata Morgana” effect. It looks like the girls are holding a Silver X PRO 1 version but some of our readers confirmed that this was just an effect created by the intense light. There cameras are indeed black :(
Don’t know if there will be ever a silver version ( I would like it!). Back from the fantasy world here are two real news sent me by the original reviewers:
1) “Image samples from Fujifilm X-Pro1 (not pre-production!) showing ISO-performance and center/corner sharpness of the 18 mm and 35 mm lenses:
http://www.akam.no/artikler/sjekk-bildekvaliteten-pa-fujifilm-x-pro1/107175
Norwegian words:
Senterskarphet = center sharpness
Hjørneskarphet = corner sharpness“
2) “I am a professional wedding/portrait/travel photographer in Canada who has been recently engaged by Fujifilm Canada to shoot some promotional images with a pre-preproduction X-Pro 1 for their upcoming product launch in Canada. They have also asked me to provide feedback about the camera system to them.
They have asked me not to share any images I shoot (yet) as they want to present them to the press/public at the product launch, however, they gave me permission to discuss my thoughts about the camera.
I have written a “working review” as I have been using the camera for a week in my studio on live client work. Fujifilm really wanted to know how the camera performs on the job, so I approached my review from that “working photographer” perspective.
If you would like to see the review (and maybe show it to your readers), you can find it at:
http://holyfstop.blogspot.com/2012/03/fujifilm-x-pro-1-first-look.html“
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The Fuji X PRO 1 camera can be preordered:
in USA/Canada at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here), Epxansys US (Click here) and Expansys Canada (Click here).
in Europe at Jessops UK (Click here), eBay Italy (Click here) and Expansys UK (Click here).
in Asia at Amazon Japan (Click here) and eBay Japan (Click here).
