Advanced use of Fujifilm X10

If you are interested in RAW, dynamic range and optimizing the performance of your Fuji X10 click here.

Fujifilm X10 Review

One could suspect Fuji of being a French company rather than a Japanese company. Fuji really are employing  'vive la difference' in their design of high end compacts. In the past two years they have surged ahead with a stable of high quality, uniquely designed compact cameras - the 'X' series:

• X100
• X10
• X1-pro (and 11 lenses)
• X-E1 (with interchangeable lenses)

The X10 is the 'baby' of the 'X' series. Its the smallest, lightest and most compact, weighing in at just 350g including the battery. But Baby X packs a punch and is a veritable pocket rocket. The X10isn't  not perfect (I'm still searching for that camera!) but its very, very good.
Fuji know how to build solid cameras. The magnesium alloy body feels good in your hands and impresses with its retro design.

The X10 goes against the trends of some other high end compacts by keeping many of the main controls on the outside of the camera body, reducing key strokes to a minimum.

The on-off switch is unique and a mystery for the first-time user. Rotating the 28-122mm zoom lens also switches the X10 on. Even the operation of the zoom reflects extremely high quality build and a far smoother and more precise in operation than many medium to high level zooms on DSLRs. The whole feel and operation is one of professional quality.

The X10 has a top mounted flash bracket, master control switch and a very handy exposure control dial running across the top. I like cameras that can modify exposure in a one-step operation. The X 10 does this and earns extra brownie points.

The function (Fn) button is programmed to bring up ISO on the screen so changing ISO is simple requiring just 2 keystrokes.

A coveniently located and precise thumbsweel on the back allows lightning fast changes of aperture and shutter speed in M, A and S modes.

The master control allows you to store and call up your custom settings in one keystroke. That better than almost all DSLRs,

Turn the Master control to ADV and you immediately access one of the best features on the X10 - the Panorama function.



You can choose between a 120, 180 and 360 degree panaorama which stitches all the shots together seamlessly with just one press of the button. The main danger here is using 360 degrees, getting dizzy and falling off a cliff! You have the options of doinga L-R or a R-L pano. It even has an aviation-type artificial horizon to keep your image on the straight and level.



The X10 has the capability of shooting both RAW and JPEG and is simple to switch onto auto-bracket allowing enthusiasts to capture imnages for HDR processing. I'm a fan of auto-bracketing and am impressed where the feature is built into compacts. Its particularly advantageous when shooting children, animals or any fast moving subject where exposure is a little unpredictable.



The Fujinon f2.8 lens is very sharp with precise auto-focus and a brilliant macro switch for flower and inset shots. Although the 2/3" sensor is smaller than its brothers in the X range its still marginally bigger than its competitors the Nikon P7700 and the Canon Powershot G15.

The X10 has another quite stunning feature called 'best frame capture' where it will shoot 10 frames in approx 2 secs. The downside here is that you have to wait about 15-20 secs for the images to be processed and stored. This feature would be ideal

 for capturing the finish of a race or a sportsperson in action.


Ther are few negatives with the X10. Under cerain conditions the start up time is hesitant and a litte slow. I think Fuji could be more heplful in providing access to RAW processing software. Fortunately, these are relatively minor items and can be recified with firmware upgrades and DNG converters.






Overall, Fuifilm's X10 is an ideal choice for the photography enthusiast who wants a a small, professional-build camera with a swag of interesting, useful features. Its small size and low weight make it an easy choice to take everywhere you go -  you certainly won't come back from your next trip away with a pain in your neck.

X10 in Low Light

Most modern compact cameras perform reasonably well until they are used in low light conditions. However, when ISO reaches 800, 1600 or higher the inevitable 'noise' rears its ugly head. Here's where Fuji seems to have come up with a solution, and, asa result, created a significant advantage over its competitors. All Fuji X cameras show little noise in low light, even the baby X10. This has real advantages to the photographer because, by using higher ISO, the photographer can achieve higher shutter speeds and therefore sharper images.

Sydney: Fuji X10 1/5 sec @ f4 1000 ISO

Fuji X-Pro1 Camera Reviews

If you want a spread of views on the X-Pro1 look at these:
http://reviews.1001noisycameras.com/tag/fuji-x-pro1/

My Best Little Portrait Camera?

http://www.prophotonut.com/2011/07/16/fujifilm-x100-settings-and-review/

Seven New Lenses for X-Pro1

Fuji have announced they will release seven new lenses for the X-Pro1. Two are to be released late 2012 and a further five lenses by mid 2013 making a total of ten lenses for the X-Pro1.

They include:

1. 14mm f2.8 prime (21mm equivalent)
2. 18-55mm zoom (27mm-84mm equivalent)
3. 56mm f1.4 prime (84mm equivalent)
4. 27mm pancake (41mm equivalent)
5. 23mm prime f1.4 (35 mmequivalent)
6. 55-200mm zoom (83mm-300mm equivalent)
7. 10-24mm wide angle zoom (15mm-36mm equivalent)

X100 on caffeine

A feature of the X series Fuji's is the sheer ease with which they shoot under low-light conditions. What's even more remarkable is the complete lack of noise in the images. I called into Tasty Express in South Fremantle for my Long Machiato and a croissant earlier today - friendliest best coffee shop in Fremantle.

Tasty Express Belles - Brina & Zoe

Fuji X100, 1250 ISO. 1/80f2, fl 23mm, hand held, no PS

Fuji X Pro1 at Karijini

I am impressed with the colour the Fuji produces.  These are jpeg images as I didn't have the latest lightroom when I was processing them on our return from Karijini.  So not a lot of processing at all.

Dales Gorge Karijini

Kalamina Gorge Karijini

Lone Tree at Karijini

                                                             
                                                                Weano Gorge Karijini

Karijini with Fuji X-Pro1

I had the Fuji X Pro1 for about a week prior to our photographic Gem Camera Club Kalamunda's workshop to Karijini.  Having been using the Canon 3D Mark 2 I found the Fuji remarkably easy to use.  It is certainly a very user friendly camera and changing from still image to panorama to video is so simple.
Ok there were times when I would have liked my Canon but to have a light camera when clambering up and down gorges was a definite plus.  I should have used the video more and possibly the panorama more.

Taken at the evening shoot at Mt Bruce

This one I should lighten the fore ground the dusk colours came out well though

Mt Bruce in the setting sun.

Fuji X-Pro1 Review

The new Fuji X-Pro1 is a carefully crafted, retro styled camera delivering exceptionally sharp, low noise images and incorporating an analogue control philosophy.

I have to admit that having used the Fuji X100 for a year put me in a somewhat advantageous position in that the layout and many of the controls are either identical or similar.

The X-Pro1 has excellent intuitive logic in its design. I had the camera working beautifully within five or six minutes with no reference to the instruction manual. After a week of shooting and using all the controls I had still not opened the manual. No matter how good or bad the camera, the intuitive logic built into the camera is by far one of the basics for assessment.

    Aperture priority; 1/210sec, f1.4 2500 ISO, 35mm lens. Hand held, straight out of camera

 X-Pro1 is a mirrorless, high-end compact. Fuji offers three lenses with the camera body:

• 18mm f2 wide angle
• 35mm f1.4 normal
• 60mm f2.4 telephoto

Make no mistake – these Fuji lenses are beautifully made and are as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel. I felt more at home with the 18mm lens as it gives that travel/reportage feel in handling and knowing I will never ‘crowd’ myself for the shot.

Fuji has always produced excellent sensors and the sensor in the X-Pro1 is no exception. The 16MP APS-C Trans CMOS sensor produces sharp images with negligible noise at ISO 1000 and above. The cameras low light, high ISO performance is exemplary. In this area it is a clear leader in its field.

    Auto-stitch panorama mode. Approx 10 shots, 1/900 sec, f5.6 640 ISO 60mm, hand-held, straight from camera.

The bracketing system in the X-Pro1 allows the user to bracket:

• Shutter speeds
• Apertures
• ISO
• Film type

In high speed continuous mode you can shot up to 10 frames a second and there is an auto-stitching setting that allows panoramas to be seamlessly stitched together even without a tripod.

There are still one or two features that need attention, which are quite annoying. On one of the lenses the lens cap cannot be removed without first removing the lens hood. The auto-focus continues to ‘hunt’ for focus even though the camera is not in active mode and the time taken for a bracket of RAW images to be saved to memory is far too long. I believe the ‘hunting’ issue has been rectified with a firmware upgrade.

Fuji has just released an M mount adapter to allow Leica lenses to be fitted to the X-Pro1 with full functionality. I would be surprised if additional mounts for other lens brands were not available shortly.

In recent years there is a growing shift for travel photographers to move from bulky DSLRs to high performance compacts. Cameras like the X-Pro1 are now producing images of as good or better quality than many mid-range DSLRs. It     now becomes more a question of philosophy than technical comparison. Will high-end compacts replace my DSLR system? And will the advantage of multiple lens choice outweigh the pure simplicity of a high-end, fixed lens camera?

Photographers these days are blessed with so many choices. Camera manufacturers have the added responsibility of being competitive and adequately testing their cameras before release. In the field of high-end compacts, the X-Pro1 is a clear leader despite a couple of gremlins.

Pic right: Aperture priority, 1/460 sec, f2, 1600 ISO, 35mm lens, hand-held.


Thanks to Camera Electronic and Fuji for supplying the camera. 

                                                                        

                                                                          

Something on his Mind

Doing a recce down south at Denmark when I met up with one cool dude from the Land of the Long White Cloud. His gleaming Harley had been polished to within an inch of his life. His girlfriend was surfing. But Mr Cool was shooting the breeze and just watching, recovering from his quadruple bypass.

For reportage the X100 is hard to beat. Small and lightweight with a fixed wide-angle lens as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel. I love it!

Peter's Paris a la X100

 The following arrived from my good friend and colleague Peter Sanderson.

We purchased one of these cameras each to use on a trip to UK and Paris last year, and we are delighted with the results, especially at high ISO.
 Not wishing to reinvent the wheel, I used the Fuji instructions and those published by Ken Rockwell as the basis for my camera set up.
 As I do not mind using disk space, I chose not to use Ken's recommendation of NORMAL JPEG, and opted instead to shoot in RAW.
 After some experimentation I arrived at the following settings which have served me well.
 The attached shot in the Paris Opera House was taken hand held f2.8, 1/60 sec. 2000 ISO.

                                            Eiffel Tower (pocket tripod)  f2, 1/40 sec. 3200ISO.

  

SET UP Menu

SILENT MODE: ON

IMAGE DISP: 3 seconds.

FRAME NO: CONTINUOUS.

OPERATION VOL: OFF,

SHUTTER VOL: Min.

SHUTTER SOUND: 1.

AUTO POWER OFF:  2 MIN.

OVF POWER SAVE MODE: OFF.  The histogram is not active if OVF is turned ON. Turn this “OFF” if you want to see the histogram in the optical finder.


QUICK START:  OFF.

Fn BUTTON: I have programmed mine to select the self timer which I very often use for long exposures

RED EYE:  OFF

ISO AUTO CONTROL: ON  I set mine to 3200 ISO with minimum shutter speed of 1/60 sec.  This is excellent for travel shots, especially in low light conditions.

AUTO DYNAMIC RANGE:  100%  I find this setting works best for RAW.  Auto is OK. For JPEG’s.

FOCUS CHECK:  ON.

FRAMING GUIDELINE: GRID 9 (Rule of 1/3rds)

COLOR SPACE: Adobe RGB.

LONG EXPOSURE:  ON.

SAVE ORG IMAGE:  OFF.

AUTOROTATE PB:  OFF. (Shows full screen preview)





SHOOTING  Menu



SELF TIMER: Accessible  via “Fn” button

ISO: I set ISO to 200, and leave “Auto ISO” active.

IMAGE SIZE: (3:2) RAW

IMAGE QUALITY: I normally shoot RAW, but occasionally use Large JPEG’s.

DYNAMIC RANGE: Auto works well for JPEG’s, but I find it overdoes the colours in RAW. I leave this on 100% (Default).

FILM SIMULATION: STD

COLOR: MID.

SHARPNESS:  STANDARD.

HIGHLIGHT  TONE: STANDARD.

SHADOW TONE: STANDARD.

NOISE REDUCTION:  STANDARD.  I use Photoshop to deal with any noise issues.

AF MODE: AREA.



 I use "Full Custom Mode"  for Optical Viewfinder, Electronic Viewfinder & LCD Screen.


 While some of these setting may use a little more battery power, we found that one spare battery was sufficient backup for our 4 week trip.
 As Lithium Ion batteries do not have a memory, I do not run them flat, and normally recharge them as a matter of course after a day's shooting.


If as I do you have several cameras that use different batteries the Ansmann Digicharger Pro is a great accessory as it will charge all batteries and USB devices both from mains and 12volt DC.
  

Fuji X100 shots