The Fujifilm X-Pro2

[fahim mohammed]

Well I got mine yesterday.

Really do not need detail tests running months. Excellent construction. Beautiful to look at, and hold.
Ergonomics, critical for me, are excellent. The grip seems a little less ( c.f X-T1 ) recessed for me.
Fine for lenses ( I have ) such as 35/1.4, 18-55mm, 60/2.4.

But not that comfortable with the superb 90mm/2 lens, that I purchased yesterday also. Excellent holding on the X-T1, though. Can be comfortable with it for 3 hours on the move ( I tried it ).

Did not have to read the manual. Shall do it sometime. Same batteries as the X-T1. Ready to go. Super
sensor. Fast focusing ( more depends on the lens than the camera itself, but improvements have been made ).

The addition of the Astia film simulation on this one is simply gorgeous. Luscious, maybe.

No issues with the EVF. No other digital camera has a similar hybrid OVE/EVF combination. No getting used to, for me, using either. Found framing with the OVF; then switching to the EVF works brilliantly to render images to one's preference.

My wife likes it, and has taken possession of it. Temporarily, I hope.

The bigger pixel count with bigger and heavier lenses needs steadier holding than I can muster in all situations. Camera shake is magnified, naturally.

Here is one with Astia film simulation; with the 90/2

And one from today around the house. 35/1.4

OOC jpg. I have left the metadata intact.

A very worthy addition to the FujiFilm X series of cameras.

 

[fahim mohammed]

We travel a lot. In all weather conditions. And we have damaged quite a few cameras along our journeys.

The camera should not be heavy, for either of us. I need a little more light gathering capability from my lenses. Hence the WR and smaller apertures. I do need OIS. Unfortunately, the lenses I got have no OIS. I can put up with that. The lenses are a bit heavy for a mirrorless. But superb optics compensate for this.


Here is a Fujifilm video demonstrating X-Pro2 versatility in the cold...

X-Pro2

And here is the Fujinon 90.2 on the XT-1

 

[Asher Kelman]

Well I got mine yesterday.

Really do not need detail tests running months. Excellent construction. Beautiful to look at, and hold.
Ergonomics, critical for me, are excellent. The grip seems a little less ( c.f X-T1 ) recessed for me.
Fine for lenses ( I have ) such as 35/1.4, 18-55mm, 60/2.4.

But not that comfortable with the superb 90mm/2 lens, that I purchased yesterday also. Excellent holding on the X-T1, though. Can be comfortable with it for 3 hours on the move ( I tried it ).

Did not have to read the manual. Shall do it sometime. Same batteries as the X-T1. Ready to go. Super
sensor. Fast focusing ( more depends on the lens than the camera itself, but improvements have been made ).

The addition of the Astia film simulation on this one is simply gorgeous. Luscious, maybe.

No issues with the EVF. No other digital camera has a similar hybrid OVE/EVF combination. No getting used to, for me, using either. Found framing with the OVF; then switching to the EVF works brilliantly to render images to one's preference.

My wife likes it, and has taken possession of it. Temporarily, I hope.

The bigger pixel count with bigger and heavier lenses needs steadier holding than I can muster in all situations. Camera shake is magnified, naturally.

Here is one with Astia film simulation; with the 90/2

And one from today around the house. 35/1.4

OOC jpg. I have left the metadata intact.

A very worthy addition to the FujiFilm X series of cameras.

Fahim,

I enjoy this for several reasons.

Foremost that the source is a trusted and respected traveller, and next because I want to know about this very special compact camera and lastly for the exquisite glimpse it gives of exotic design that is not readily available anywhere near me!

The link to the prowess of the camera in the extreme Antarctic conditions of -20 degrees Celcius and getting wet and jarred yet delivering perfect images is a great attraction to wanting to know more about it. I will now look up the prices and get to put it into perspective from the positions of other compact cameras I know about by Sony and the Olympus-Panasonic brotherhood of 4/3 options with cross interchangeable lenses.

Weight, compactness, reliability are key features here. I am so impressed with your new camera. The viewfinder seems to be a feature all on its own with no peers. I would like to know how it compares with the classic Leica experience?

What new advantages are there for those used to either classical optical viewfinders or high quality but mere electronic viewfinders?

Asher

 

[fahim mohammed]

Asher, comparing 2 cameras, each with a different ethos, is an exercise in futility. I have used a small number of cameras. I have had a pleasant relationships with all of them.

Each camera is has its pluses and minuses. The Nikons are a different class. As are the Fujis. They have made great strides in AF. But still not upto the prime DSLRs. But put them on manual focus, choose an appropriate aperture with the required depth of field..and the Fuji is right there with the best of them. As would be all others.

The Leica OVF is limited on either side in focal lengths. Above 90mm and below 28mm and one has to use external viewfinders. If one wears eyeglasses, the issue is compounded. But the process of making an image within its boundaries, Leica is unchallenged..for me. Its mostly to do with exquisite and small lenses. The Fujis do not suffer from that problem.

The DSLR is a photojournalist. And it can do just about anything else. From birding to micro.

The Fuji X-Pro2 is somewhere in between. But neither the body nor the Fuji lenses give away anything nowadays to the other competitors.

Which would I take with just one lens and one camera today..let's say a journey across the tropics, monsoons, humidity and cold in the Antarctic ..No doubt it would the FujiX-Pro2 and the Fujinon 35/1.4.

In a place where there are no heavy bumps to shake the rangefinder out of alignment..Leica.

When I want to do everything..my Nikon Df..and if weight won't be a bother.

There is nothing wrong to have a legitimate number of marriages with whom you fall in love!

Fuji X-Pro2 with the 35/1.4 and a souvenir from Rodeo Drive.

Fahim,

I enjoy this for several reasons.

Foremost that the source is a trusted and respected traveller, and next because I want to know about this very special compact camera and lastly for the exquisite glimpse it gives of exotic design that is not readily available anywhere near me!

The link to the prowess of the camera in the extreme Antarctic conditions of -20 degrees Celcius and getting wet and jarred yet delivering perfect images is a great attraction to wanting to know more about it. I will now look up the prices and get to put it into perspective from the positions of other compact cameras I know about by Sony and the Olympus-Panasonic brotherhood of 4/3 options with cross interchangeable lenses.

Weight, compactness, reliability are key features here. I am so impressed with your new camera. The viewfinder seems to be a feature all on its own with no peers. I would like to know how it compares with the classic Leica experience?

What new advantages are there for those used to either classical optical viewfinders or high quality but mere electronic viewfinders?

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Souvenir from The Rodeo Drive, 90210?

You were actually here, Fahim!

....and we missed you!

Asher

 

[fahim mohammed]

Asher, no I was not there...ever.

If I am honest, it would be very difficult for me to say
which of the cameras, I own, is better.
Each has a feel that suits me now and maybe not later.

Then there is the cost vs performance.
Not value. That is for a user to decide.

Leica is the process. And the size of the lenses. But using an
M in portrait orientation is a bitch.

Not so with Nikon or Fuji. Nikon is size and weight.

Fuji falls in between. The EVF is marvelous. Larger fl and I am beginning to loose
The size and weight advantage.

High iso is excellent. But I am comparing with an old ccd
Leica M. Handling is better for me on the Leica and XT-1 and
Nikon.

WR. Now the X-Pro2 beats everything I own.

My wife is smitten by the X-Pro2.And the XT-1.

Cost vs performance. Fuji X-Pro2. No question.

My wife pays the bills, she decides. And she has done so.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Fahim,

Asher, no I was not there...ever.

If I am honest, it would be very difficult for me to say
which of the cameras, I own, is better.
Each has a feel that suits me now and maybe not later.

Then there is the cost vs performance.
Not value. That is for a user to decide.

Leica is the process. And the size of the lenses. But using an
M in portrait orientation is a bitch.

Not so with Nikon or Fuji. Nikon is size and weight.

Fuji falls in between. The EVF is marvelous. Larger fl and I am beginning to loose
The size and weight advantage.

High iso is excellent. But I am comparing with an old ccd
Leica M. Handling is better for me on the Leica and XT-1 and
Nikon.

WR. Now the X-Pro2 beats everything I own.

My wife is smitten by the X-Pro2.And the XT-1.

Cost vs performance. Fuji X-Pro2. No question.

My wife pays the bills, she decides. And she has done so.

It is said that the prophet Muhammed was his most wise when in the presence of Aiesha.

It is very nice to hear of your joint attraction to this nice Fuji machine,

We actually had a Fuji machine once, a Fuji S602 Zoom. It was lovely. And, it had, for its time, a very nice EVF.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[fahim mohammed]

Hi Doug.

Camera choice is a compromise. One just needs to be comfortable with the camera; then comes the critical part of image making. As opposed to finding the dials and menus.

BTW, thanks for the instructive write-up on exposure. I never worry about accurate exposure though

 

[beth steele]

very nice! congrats on the new camera and wonderful photos already.

i had the x-pro 1 and was a big fan. then really fell in love with the x-t1. so when the x-pro 2 was announced and the x-t2 was heavily rumored to be imminent i decided to wait for the x-t2.

 

[Asher Kelman]

very nice! congrats on the new camera and wonderful photos already.

i had the x-pro 1 and was a big fan. then really fell in love with the x-t1. so when the x-pro 2 was announced and the x-t2 was heavily rumored to be imminent i decided to wait for the x-t2.

Welcome , Beth!

Glad you found us!

Asher

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Fuji X Pro2 as the new M

I've used Leica Ms since the M8 came out in 2006. Leica's energies seem to be going into the SL, which offers autofocus and 4K video, but at a big cost in size, weight and $$. I have an SL, and enjoy using it with some lovely older Leica R lenses, manual focus of course. But I recently tried an X Pro2, and it is in many ways what the M should have become by now. Optical viewfinder with frame that you can see outside of, that shifts automatically to reflect the parallax correction and frame size correction with distance, and if it gets too dark, you can choose to view with live view and have night vision. The X Pro2 with its very small 35 mm/2.0 lens, with a lens shade that blocks very little of the optical viewfinder's frame, is just great for casual and inconspicuous shooting. The results are often quite comparable to what I get with my SL and R vintage medium telephoto lenses. Here are three similar low light examples, two with the Fuji and one with the SL and a 90/2.0. Can you tell which is which, without looking at EXIF or the frame numbering?

scott

 

[Asher Kelman]

I've used Leica Ms since the M8 came out in 2006. Leica's energies seem to be going into the SL, which offers autofocus and 4K video, but at a big cost in size, weight and $$. I have an SL, and enjoy using it with some lovely older Leica R lenses, manual focus of course. But I recently tried an X Pro2, and it is in many ways what the M should have become by now. Optical viewfinder with frame that you can see outside of, that shifts automatically to reflect the parallax correction and frame size correction with distance, and if it gets too dark, you can choose to view with live view and have night vision. The X Pro2 with its very small 35 mm/2.0 lens, with a lens shade that blocks very little of the optical viewfinder's frame, is just great for casual and inconspicuous shooting. The results are often quite comparable to what I get with my SL and R vintage medium telephoto lenses. Here are three similar low light examples, two with the Fuji and one with the SL and a 90/2.0. Can you tell which is which, without looking at EXIF or the frame numbering?

scott

All adorable. I would go for the middle one being the SL!

Asher

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

All adorable. I would go for the middle one being the SL!

Asher

Actually the bottom one is with the SL and an APO Summicron-R 90, the first two are Fuji 35/2.0 (50 mm eff). The Fuji has much greater depth of field, but otherwise it is hard to tell. If I use an older 80 Summilux-R and there is good separation the background really goes to an airbrushed impression. The Fuji has an 85mm-eff lens with an f/1.2 aperture that sketches an OOF background more clearly, so I guess an APC image size is the source of the differences.

scott

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Scott,

On the X Pro2, you mention that the viewfinder, in its optical mode, tracks with focus distance to correct for parallax.

Does it also accommodate lenses of different focal length and, for zoom lenses, with the focal length setting?

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Doug, I don't own a zoom lens, but it is a simulated frame, which changes in size as well as position when the focus distance changes. It also does not appear if the lens cap is left on, even though you are seeing through the optical viewpath, not through the lens with its liveview. The change in position is for parallax, the change in size is for the change in angle of view that occurs when the lens is racked out to focus close. So the frame is calcuated for the F2 in the lens formula (1/F = 1/F1 + 1/F2) where F1 is the distance from the lens to the object in view, and F2 is the distance from lens to image. So if it can do all that, I suppose framing for a zoom lens should be easy.

scott

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Scott,

Doug, I don't own a zoom lens, but it is a simulated frame, which changes in size as well as position when the focus distance changes. It also does not appear if the lens cap is left on, even though you are seeing through the optical viewpath, not through the lens with its liveview. The change in position is for parallax, the change in size is for the change in angle of view that occurs when the lens is racked out to focus close. So the frame is calcuated for the F2 in the lens formula (1/F = 1/F1 + 1/F2) where F1 is the distance from the lens to the object in view, and F2 is the distance from lens to image. So if it can do all that, I suppose framing for a zoom lens should be easy.

Thanks.

So do we know what happens when we mount a lens with a different focal length? Does the frame change size to reflect the different field of view of that lens? Does the optical view through the viewfinder change?

For example, in my Canon G16 with an integrated zoom lens, as I change the focal length of the lens, the optical viewfinder also "zooms" to follow.

Thanks again.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Yes, the XPro2 (and I suppose the Pro1 and X100s that have the same optical plus LiveView viewfinder) shows a frame size that is appropriate for whatever Fuji XF lens is currently mounted. Also, there are two magnifications available. The higher magnification is a good match to their 35 and 58mm lenses (eff 50 and 85) and the lower magnification is about right for the 23 mm lens (eff 35). If I put the Fuji 16 (eff 24) on, the frame lines end up at the very edge of the lower magnification view, and are outside, not visible, of the higher magnification view. When I mount a long telephoto (I have the 100-400), the viewfinder switches to live view, showing the image captured on the chip.

scott

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Scott,

Yes, the XPro2 (and I suppose the Pro1 and X100s that have the same optical plus LiveView viewfinder) shows a frame size that is appropriate for whatever Fuji XF lens is currently mounted. Also, there are two magnifications available. The higher magnification is a good match to their 35 and 58mm lenses (eff 50 and 85) and the lower magnification is about right for the 23 mm lens (eff 35). If I put the Fuji 16 (eff 24) on, the frame lines end up at the very edge of the lower magnification view, and are outside, not visible, of the higher magnification view. When I mount a long telephoto (I have the 100-400), the viewfinder switches to live view, showing the image captured on the chip.

Thank you for that very clear description, I get the idea now. Seems like a very effective scheme.

The reason I asked is that it is of course possible for a direct optical viewfinder to have "zoom", both so its field of view could match different attached lenses' focal lengths (not often done) or, for a camera with single, permanently-attached zoom lens, so it could follow the field of view of the lens as it is "zoomed".

For example, my Canon G16 has such a "zooming" viewfinder. But its performance is rather feeble, and it has no provision for correcting for parallax. And in fact, the consistency of its view with the actual field of view of the camera, even for focus at a great distance, is very poor.

In fact, when the camera was quite new, and I had done some testing to look into such matters, I sent it to Canon Factory Service to have the "alignment" of the viewfinder checked.

They reported that it was in specifications.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

Scott,

You have shown your appreciation for Fuji DNA. So have you looked at the new big brother GFX 50 MP portable MF Mirrorless?

Asher

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

No. I have too many cameras at the moment. On occasion I have felt that I needed more pixels, but I have a Phase One P45+ back and two Hasselblad V-series bodies -- an SWC and a standard 500 C/M with 80 and 120mm lenses. The P45+ is a CCD back with a 48x36 mm array of 39M 6.8 micron pixels. Gorgeous color, as long as you stay at around ISO 50-400. The latest generation at 50 MPx use a Sony CMOS sensor which is 44x33 mm, and reaches higher ISOs with its smaller pixels, but gives the lenses an even greater magnification factor. I am still using this gear on occasion, sometimes handheld (the SWC) or on a tripod to give a portrait session a little more feeling of formality.

scott