New Fuji has followed up with the very desirable Fujifilm X-Pro1. Fujifilm has seen a quite unexpected popularity for their X100 and X10 compact cameras, with many professional and enthusiast photographers preferring them as a backup camera over many other competitors, despite the fact that they don’t have interchangeable lens and have quite a few other disadvantages.
This year, the company has decided to return to a niche that they seemingly forgot since the S5 Pro – interchangeable lens cameras. Their new product, the Fujifilm X-Pro1, has immediately caught the attention of thousands of photographers worldwide and seems to have already become a hit, which is not surprising considering it has everything a photographer may need and more.
The analogue control dials feel great in use, and they’re certainly different in operation than the Sony NEX-7 or even Panasonic’s Lumix GX1 – if you’re a seasoned photographer, you’ll definitely like them, but those who prefer a more modern approach will find them a bit old school.
The Fujifilm X-Pro1 is a completely new camera, using a new lens mount and an all-new sensor inside. The APS-C X-trans CMOS sensor (designed from the grounds up by Fujifilm) is quite a marvel, actually, being unique in construction. It has 16 Megapixels on its surface, but the picture quality will be closer to that of bigger, 20+ Megapixels professional DSLRs, at least according to Fujifilm. The secret is in the color filter array – instead of the usual 4 part Bayer pattern, there are a whole 36 parts, arranged in a much less rigid pattern. This means that the end picture will be much clearer, and it also removes the need for a low-pass filter, which will further improve the quality.
The Fujifilm X-Pro1 also uses a traditional focal plane shutter with a 1/4000 maximum speed, which is quite a lot louder than other cameras, but it also allows the user to combine large apertures with the shutter speeds for the most flexibility in any conditions.The EXR Processor Pro is a new image processor from Fuji, and it’s faster and better at processing RAW images than the chip inside the X100 or X10. On the back of the camera, there’s a 3.0 inch RGBW LCD display, which provides a higher quality of the picture and a higher brightness thanks to the use of an additional white pixel in addition to the standard RGB trio.
Despite it being clearly aimed at professionals, the X-Pro1 is actually pretty novice-friendly, being easy to use from the get go, with all the menus available without you having to search for them under a dozen submenus.
The camera is available with three XF lenses, which can be bought separately: XF 18mm F2 R, XF 35mm F1.4 R, and XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro. The price of the X-Pro1 is quite high – around $2000, depending on whether you get the body only or one of the lens. Obviously, you can go with a lens adapter and use almost any other lens you find (though right now, the only adapter on sale is the LM adapter for Leica lenses).Overall, the Fujifilm X-Pro1 is an amazing camera for professional photographers and enthusiasts alike, however you’ll have to pay the high price if you want it.
