Ok, so what’s so special about the “new-ish” FujiFilm X-Pro1? Well, other than the technical stuff like the sensor technology, its’ compact size and being able to use my Nikon glass on it, it’s just great! The image above was taken in my studio with 2 Alien Bees strobes. This was the first image I took with this camera and when I pulled it up on my computer, I was shocked at the sharpness and image quality… One thing I like is the electronic viewfinder auto adjusts for the brigtness in low light, which helps with focusing either in autofocus or manual using Nikon glass. Another cool thing I like compared to my Nikon D700 is that I can use Eye-Fi cards. I slapped an 8GB X2 Pro Eye-Fi card in my X-Pro1 and it worked like a charm. With my Nikon I had to buy a WT-4a, which was way more expensive than an Eye-Fi card (Eye-Fi – YOU NEED TO MAKE A CF VERSION for pro shooters!!!!!).
My favorite lenses on the X-Pro1 are the 35mm (53mm equiv) and the 60mm (90mm equiv) since I shoot mostly portraits. I also like using my Nikon glass on this camera. The 105mm f/2 DC and lensbaby lenses are fun to shoot with and I am even using my old manual focus 50mm f/1.8 AIS lens.
After the firmware update, the camera seemed to respond faster and there were several menu fixes that were addressed. Since I’ve always been a Fuji film user, I like that they have several film simulators available in camera too. I normall shoot RAW, but the colors in the JPG’s are really great, so I think I’ll stick with JPG for 90% of my work until I feel a need to shoot RAW.
Zack Arias got me interested in these FujiFilm “rangefinder-esque” cameras since the X100 came out. I tried the X100 out in Yodobashi Akiba camera store in Tokyo, but I wasn’t impressed with the inability to change lenses. That’s where the X-Pro1 comes into play for me. I’m not a big camera gear nerd that gets all excited over new gear that’s released, but this camera has inspired me to shoot more than ever before. FujiFilm has really created a cool, fun and great camera!
Things I wish they would improve on. Autofocus is slow and when I press the shutter, it takes a split second for it to fire the shot. If they improve those two things, I’ll be even happier. The other thing is the Fuji lenses cannot be used in manual focus. Not a big deal since I can use my Nikon glass, but the manual focus on the Fuji lenses is HORRIBLE!!!
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Hi Chris – hot model, hot shots – you are really making the Fuji sing. Could you tell me a bit more about how you are mounting the Nikkor lenses? Also is there any issue with stopping them down while mounted on the Fuji?
Thanks.
Chris, you can use your Nikon lenses using the Kipon or Kippon F mount adapter, which can be found on ebay. So far, I’ve had no issues with the X-Pro1, even stopping them down. You can see the image well enough in low light to focus manually and you have the 2x zoom feature as well if needed to verify focus. This combo is not designed for sports, but for portraits, yes it works well. Thank you for the kind words and I will continue to push the limits of this cool camera! Thanks, Chris