Goodbye 5D, Hello Fuji X Pro1!
Test shot: Fuji X-Pro1, 35mm f/1.4, ISO 6400!
So yeah, I now no longer own a SLR. Though I had been pondering the Olympus OM-D as an upgrade to my Panasonic GF1 Micro 4/3rds camera (which has been great), I decided instead to do something completely different after thinking about it over and over again, and not feeling in love with the idea of the OM-D. I replaced my 5D instead.
The new camera is the Fuji X Pro 1. Ignore anyone talking about focusing issues on internet, these folks are too much into gear, posting on the internet, and doing everything but shooting pictures. There’s too much to love about this camera, from the hybrid viewfinder (seriously, wow), great EVF, to the amazing ISO response, dedicated controls, great quick menu structure, and awesome build quality. Plus, it’s crazy light. The 35mm is 50mm equivalent on full frame, which is a perfect focal length. I’m probably going to pick up the 60mm macro as well and maybe save the 18 for later. Two lenses is about all I want to haul around most of the time.
I really liked the micro-4/3rds lineup, and this is bigger than that, but I think that’s a great alternative to a small digital camera, and this is a really good alternative to a DSLR. The best part is it feels like I’ve got a good film camera in my hands again. It more or less has a soul to it.
Being used to a Canon 85mm f/1.2 as my main lens, this is a huge step, but I found myself never wanting to take it with me. Both the 5D and the 85mm f/1.2 are crazy heavy together. The combo was fun to see the results of, but mostly it just hurt wrists.
I need to take it on some real shooting trips (and have some great plans coming up) but so far here are some sample shots:
Detail so far looks amazing, in particular with the 6400 ISO alarm clock shot. Particularly amazing that these are all JPGs as Lightroom doesn’t have RAW support just yet. I have high hopes for what it’s going to look like in RAW, though the JPG engine in this camera is so good, I almost don’t see the need.
Good stuff. Fun, and that’s the most important part. Can’t wait to use it for more.
See also: Video Review from DigitalRev
