Fujifilm X-Pro 1 Sample Images

Hot Dog Stand -- NEX-5N & Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5

I downloaded the Fuji X-Pro 1 sample pictures today and I am quite impressed with the image quality, especially the 18mm f2, with excellent corner sharpness.  The ISO 1600 sample of the macro shot is ridiculously clean with good deails. One thing I am not sure about is if these were shot and processed RAW or in-camera jpegs.  If these were from RAW, this APS-C size sensor indeed rivals the full frame sensors in terms of image quality.

Regarding the sample images, I think a few of those pictures were not well chosen.  The first and third image shot on the 18mm f2 lens were slightly blurry.  Some subject matter of other pictures could be better too.

In short, very impressive hardware of the body and lenses.  This camera will set the bench mark of high image quality from the APS-C sensor.  Other companies, such as Canon, has some catching up to do.

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 EVIL Camera

The long leaked Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless interchangeable camera is announced today.  There is much to like about this camera and Fuji knows what the target audience of this camera want: fast and small primes!  The camera is introduced with three fast lenses: 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4 and 60mm f2.5 macro.  A good range of lenses for this kind of camera.  But, I am more intrigued by the 16MP sensor, and the fact that the X-Pro1 has the shortest back focus distance of all the EVIL cameras announced today: 17.7mm; shorter than Sony's 18mm.

The sensor in the X-Pro1 will have no low pass filter, like most traditional digital cameras with a Bayer array sensor to remove false colour and reduce moire, and instead, false colour and moire is avoided by using an interesting 6x6 colour filter array.  Low pass filters reduces resolution/sharpness of the pictures, so in theory, this sensor should give you sharper pictures than those with low pass filter for the same lens used.  Fuji claims this sensor rivals that of the full frame sensors.  I guess we will have to wait and see.

The only drawback is the price.  At $1700 for the body only, the price is a bit on the high side.  When you add a lens, this would be at about $2200, making it one of the most expensive mirrorless cameras around (except the Leica M9, if you count that as an EVIL camera).

2012 will be an exciting year for digital cameras, especially mirrorless.  Canon has said that it will introduce a mirrorless camera system this year, in addition to the near APS-C sized sensor Powershot G1X (what's with the X in the camera name anyway?!? Everybody is using it.  Does it have magical properties or something?)  I hope Canon wont disappoint.

Cactus Flower -- NEX-5N & Zoomar Kilfitt 90mm f2.8 Makro Killar