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X-T1 - I can feel it coming


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I've shot with a lot of the Nikons. D70, D200, D300, D7000, and D800. 

The XT-1 images are very sharp.  The lenses are better?  Or is it the lack of a low pass filter in the camera?  Whatever, I'm very pleased with the images.on a whole, they are sharper than the Nikon images.

The XT-1 dynamic range isn't as good. Maybe 1 stop difference.  I notice the shadows are darker than with the Nikons.  That's about the only nit I have. I have the D800 with 24-70 lens on my dresser.  Beside it, I have the Fuji with 18-135.  I picked them both up, one in each hand, and the weight difference is HUGE!  I would imagine, without checking specs, that the 24-70 lens alone weighs as much (or more) as the XT-1 with 18-135.  I'd almost bet the D800 & 24-70 weighs as much as the XT-1, 18-55, 10-24, and 56mm altogether...maybe I could even add the 18-135.  You have to see/feel to believe it.

 

Fuji does skin tones way better than Nikon.  I love the Fuji color.  I don't see as good of cloud definition as with Nikon in all cases, like midday light, but other times of the day, they are good. Beautiful tone to the blue sky.

I will say this.  After shooting Nikon all these years, it was hard for me to get use to the small buttons and controllers on the XT-1.  It will put you off a bit at first, and you'll wonder what you got into.  But you keep at it, and pretty soon the camera begins feeling good in your hands.  You get used to it.  Everything about the Fuji threw me for a loop that first week or two.  It's kind of like getting a major change in your spectacle prescription and you feel eyestrain.  The doc says, "Wear them for a few weeks and you'll get used to them."  And you do.

 

I never shot the older film cameras, so I never got used to the dials like is on the XT-1.  Foreign stuff.  Once I got the hang of it, wow, I absolutely love those dials! Turn a knob, change the ISO. Turn another knob, change shutter speed, turn another one, change exposure comp.  Some of the lenses have an aperture ring with the numbers, some you turn the unmarked ring closest to the camera and observe the aperture change through the viewfinder.

 

As you look through the viewfinder, you watch the light change (and watch the histogram) as you make adjustments. What you see is what you get.  It's very hard to make a bad exposure.  You can turn all the knobs to "A" and shoot auto everything.  A good thing to do when in poor light, let the camera do it for you.  I walked out yesterday morning before the sun was up. It was light, just not good light.  I turned the camera on A everything and filled the frame with a flower head, 18-135 with the lens at 135.  Turns out ISO was 3200.  There was a bit of grain in the background but the flower looked wonderful. If I'd run it through LR with a bit of NR, it would have been perfect.  Yet the noise was so minimal I posted the images on the Fuji forum as is.  From a confirmed noiseaphobic. (new word? :) )

 

This camera is now just fun.

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Thank everybody for your replies, I think they might have convinced me and what with my birthday coming up in a month it seems like a good excuse to purchase one, I beleive the XT-1 has wi fi, has any one used this for transfering files to a laptop/ipad etc, the idea of the ooc jpegs being good apeals to me as well.

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I never shot the older film cameras, so I never got used to the dials like is on the XT-1.  Foreign stuff.  Once I got the hang of it, wow, I absolutely love those dials!

 

The dials are one of the main selling points for me. I grew up on dials so it's second nature. I get so frustrated when I have to stop and get out the manual (which I carry around in the camera bag for this very reason) because I've forgotten which buttons I have to press to set something, or when I discover that my thumb has inadvertently pressed a button and I've just spent a day and a half taking unrepeatable shots on the wrong settings. This is especially true on the NEX where I usually shoot on aperture priority to guarantee depth of field and frequently find that something I've pressed accidentally has changed the aperture setting (and carrying a manual for the NEX would defeat the whole purpose of pocketability!).

 

Alan

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Thank everybody for your replies, I think they might have convinced me and what with my birthday coming up in a month it seems like a good excuse to purchase one, I beleive the XT-1 has wi fi, has any one used this for transfering files to a laptop/ipad etc, the idea of the ooc jpegs being good apeals to me as well.

 

I use the WIFI a lot for controlling, taking and review images when shooting in a studio. The WIFI can have it's quirks (first time connecting) but once afterwards it's solid and fast at transferring images over.

 

When first used you need to pair the device with the camera, after that, you shouldn't need to do it again (unless you change from phone to ipad etc). There is no app for a laptop that I'm aware of, it would be nice if they developed this in the future.

 

The android app is better than the Apple app. With apple you have to keep swapping wifi connection in apples settings each time you want to connect. With Android, once paired, you just press the WIFI button on the camera, give it a second, then press the connect button on the app and that's it.

 

Shooting wise, you can control Speed, Aperture, ISO, Self Timer as well as a few other things that I don't use and can't remember  :)

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I notice the shadows are darker than with the Nikons.

 

If I'd run it through LR with a bit of NR,

 

Betty I just picked out the two comments above from your post.

 

I too noticed the darker shadows. (Ex Canon user) As you are using LR I wonder if you do as I do and that is to lighten the shadows a little with the shadows slider?

 

Allan

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Duncan chase Clifton, Calumet are showing the 18-135mm as in stock this afternoon.

 

I will do... I hope they aren't stringing me along now they have the18-55 as trade in. I'm beginning to wish I'd just sold the thing on Ebay like I normally do and bought the lens from the first shop to have them in stock. I'd already have it and not have the worry/flap around for finding an alternative for this job. I'll now better next time.... back to my usual Wex UK / Amazon outlets  :D

 

 

I am sure they won't be.

 

 

They got back to me and it's on it's way to me now..... should have it tomorrow..... just in time before I head off on Friday morning!! 

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I notice the shadows are darker than with the Nikons.

 

If I'd run it through LR with a bit of NR,

 

Betty I just picked out the two comments above from your post.

 

I too noticed the darker shadows. (Ex Canon user) As you are using LR I wonder if you do as I do and that is to lighten the shadows a little with the shadows slider?

 

Allan

 

 

Yes, I do lighten the shadows a bit, Allan.  Very easy to do.

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I notice the shadows are darker than with the Nikons.

 

If I'd run it through LR with a bit of NR,

 

Betty I just picked out the two comments above from your post.

 

I too noticed the darker shadows. (Ex Canon user) As you are using LR I wonder if you do as I do and that is to lighten the shadows a little with the shadows slider?

 

Allan

 

 

Yes, I do lighten the shadows a bit, Allan.  Very easy to do.

 

 

So it is not just me, another Canon user.

 

Someone, I thought it was on a forum here, said that you could recover a surprising amount from highlights in X-T1 raw files. I have wondered about "over exposing" by a third to one stop, especially with deep shadows, and then see if I can recover the highlights and start with an already lighter shadows. An experiment for the next day or two.

 

I am also going to try DK's advice in one of his magazines about applying an S-curve rather than the default linear to conversions (if it works I will make it my default). I will  try and write them up on my blog.

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 recover the highlights and start with an already lighter shadows. 

 

Martin I shot some images of cars recently in bright sun. When I looked at the images on screen parts of the cars were blown out where direct sun was reflected. In effort to recover I applied quite a bit of highlight recovery to the shots. This brought back the colour to those blown out parts.

 

When I took the photos the sky was clear blue with the odd bit of cloud here and there. In the photo the sky was white but as I applied the highlight recovery magically the sky in the photo turned blue with the clouds showing too.

 

All this was done in PSE but I am now doing it in LR too now.

 

Allan

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 recover the highlights and start with an already lighter shadows. 

 

Martin I shot some images of cars recently in bright sun. When I looked at the images on screen parts of the cars were blown out where direct sun was reflected. In effort to recover I applied quite a bit of highlight recovery to the shots. This brought back the colour to those blown out parts.

 

When I took the photos the sky was clear blue with the odd bit of cloud here and there. In the photo the sky was white but as I applied the highlight recovery magically the sky in the photo turned blue with the clouds showing too.

 

All this was done in PSE but I am now doing it in LR too now.

 

Allan

 

 

When the sky clears I will give it a proper go. I use C1 Pro so it will be interesting to see how well it works. I have a processing session planned for this evening so I will see what it can do.

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Yep I can defiantly feel one coming now ( why do i read these threads  :) ) my only thing to work out now is whether to get the camera with the kit lens or the body and decide on a couple of primes...( the only deal with the wife is that I get rid of some of the other photographic gear that is cluttering up the shelves everywhere we look..So I am just about to ebay some of my Olympus OM system lenses ( nice kit as well  :( but I am not going to use it again )

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 the only deal with the wife is that I get rid of some of the other photographic gear that is cluttering up the shelves everywhere we look.

 

 

Ah, the joys of being single :)

 

Alan

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 recover the highlights and start with an already lighter shadows. 

 

Martin I shot some images of cars recently in bright sun. When I looked at the images on screen parts of the cars were blown out where direct sun was reflected. In effort to recover I applied quite a bit of highlight recovery to the shots. This brought back the colour to those blown out parts.

 

When I took the photos the sky was clear blue with the odd bit of cloud here and there. In the photo the sky was white but as I applied the highlight recovery magically the sky in the photo turned blue with the clouds showing too.

 

All this was done in PSE but I am now doing it in LR too now.

 

Allan

 

 

When the sky clears I will give it a proper go. I use C1 Pro so it will be interesting to see how well it works. I have a processing session planned for this evening so I will see what it can do.

 

 

I had a play with some old images and was able to use setting of 100 on highlight recovery in C1Pro - it does mean that there will often be a lot of information to recover even from what appears to be blown highlights. Of course there is no recovering flat, grey skies if there is no texture in them ;) In normal circumstances exposing to the right should lighten shadows and then recover highlights in post process - less risky (noise etc) than recovering shadows.

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Well I finally got my hands on one today. It's a lovely little camera and lighter than I expected. But the 18-135 lens is about twice the weight of the camera and the combination feels totally unbalanced, so that's definitely out for me. I don't see the point of buying a lightweight camera and then destabilising it by hanging a brick from it.

 

Alan

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the only deal with the wife is that I get rid of some of the other photographic gear that is cluttering up the shelves everywhere we look.

 

 

Ah, the joys of being single :)

 

Alan

Yea, I was married once until she gave me the ultimatum of her or photography.

 

Pity really, she was a good cook!

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Well I finally got my hands on one today. It's a lovely little camera and lighter than I expected. But the 18-135 lens is about twice the weight of the camera and the combination feels totally unbalanced, so that's definitely out for me. I don't see the point of buying a lightweight camera and then destabilising it by hanging a brick from it.

 

Alan

 

So strange, Alan, I love the 18-135 on the camera.  But after handling the D800 with 24-70, it seems a feather.  I tend to cradle many of my longer lenses in my hand anyway, so I guess I don't notice whether it feels unbalanced.  I expect this lens will be on my camera most of the time. 

Good luck with the camera.

 

Everyone keeps saying that the Fuji XT-1 is lacking lenses to give us what we are used to with Canikons.  But they can't gives us a medium tele like the 18-135, or the super zoom for wildlife, (100-400?) and keep the lenses tiny. 

I guess if one only wants to shoot wide angle and portraits, you can keep the kit nearly weightless.  But I'm used to having a reach of between 24 to 400, shooting macro and birding, besides needing a decent zoom for travel, so I want those lenses that Fuji is slowly giving me, and it is nice to have wider than 24 again. The weight will still be miniscule in comparison to my Nikon lenses.  The T1 and 18-135 weighs less than my Nikon 80-400 by itself.  I gather you won't be going for the new 90mm, either, when it ships?

 

Betty

 

I guess one person's albatross is another's swan.

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Well I finally got my hands on one today. It's a lovely little camera and lighter than I expected. But the 18-135 lens is about twice the weight of the camera and the combination feels totally unbalanced, so that's definitely out for me. I don't see the point of buying a lightweight camera and then destabilising it by hanging a brick from it.

 

Alan

 

Maybe this is the price you pay for optical quality?  I would love a really good zoom to use with my NEX 6, but it doesn't have to have quite that range. Not too much to ask surely....

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Well I finally got my hands on one today. It's a lovely little camera and lighter than I expected. But the 18-135 lens is about twice the weight of the camera and the combination feels totally unbalanced, so that's definitely out for me. I don't see the point of buying a lightweight camera and then destabilising it by hanging a brick from it.

 

Alan

 

I gather you won't be going for the new 90mm, either, when it ships?

 

 

Well, I still haven't actually bought the X-T1 but I'm 99.5% certain now. It's just the fear factor. I still remember 7 years ago when I abandoned Canon after 30 years, bought a Nikon D80, and it was an absolute pile of rubbish. I was back with Canon within a year.

 

I haven't used primes for a long while and probably won't do so at the moment, though if my budget improves I can see how enjoyable photography could be with a slim prime stuck on the front of the X-T1. For telephoto I will probably get the 50-230 XC because it seems to have had very good reviews and as I rarely use telephoto it's not worth paying for the XF lens. For macro I'm hoping I can get an adaptor for my Canon FD 50mm.

 

Alan

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Well, I still haven't actually bought the X-T1 but I'm 99.5% certain now. It's just the fear factor. I still remember 7 years ago when I abandoned Canon after 30 years, bought a Nikon D80, and it was an absolute pile of rubbish. I was back with Canon within a year.

 

I was a slow convert- Started three or so years ago (?) with original x100, then X-Pro1, now have added an X-T1. Each time, I was 'unsure' at first, and though each generation is miles ahead of the last they are not without their many quirks! So I am still in honeymoon phase with X-T1, but am slowly falling. X-Pro1 grew on me slowly as well, and have had a love/hate relationship with that camera for a year or so now! Have made some great photos with it- Love the files it can produce, but hate the quirks and occasional missed shots! In the end though... with some patience and understanding the camera, how it's functions, as well as its limitations, it's SO worth it.

 

I am not a Full-fledged Fuji fanboy (still cling to my 6d), and more reserved in my feelings than some; still waiting for THE fuji to be released. XT-1 is close, but not there yet!!! It's an amazing camera in the right hands though.

 

Have you ever shot with Fuji? Perhaps pick up a used X100s to play with for a few weeks before going all in with body, lenses, filters, etc... You may find yourself quickly addicted, and want to move up. Otherwise, if it's not for you it will be no big loss.

 

 I haven't used primes for a long while and probably won't do so at the moment, though if my budget improves I can see how enjoyable photography could be with a slim prime stuck on the front of the X-T1.

 

THIS is the biggest factor of the success of Fuji IMO. Photography is FUN again, and the file quality is there to back it up. Primes are where it's at; don't miss soft corners of Canon zoom at all! I can say (in spite of above negatives), shooting with Fuji has put some new life in my photography. It's not about the equipment per se, but if you love the equipment you use (instead of looking at it only as a work tool), you will be more inspired to go out and create.

 

Just some rambling thoughts.  :)

 

-Jason

 

P.S. If your interested, first page or so of my Alamy portfolio is shot with X-T1 and next few are mostly X-Pro1. I think there is a marked difference in color and sharpness that stands out compared to older shots with Canon.

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P.S. If your interested, first page or so of my Alamy portfolio is shot with X-T1 and next few are mostly X-Pro1. I think there is a marked difference in color and sharpness that stands out compared to older shots with Canon.

 

 

I like the amount of detail you've got in your dusk and night shots of Amsterdam. What ISO did you use for those? And did you need to do a lot of noise reduction and/or shadow-pulling in PP? That's one of the areas that appeals to me about the X-T1 because I suspect it will perform a lot better in such situations than my 5D2.

 

Alan

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I like the amount of detail you've got in your dusk and night shots of Amsterdam. What ISO did you use for those? And did you need to do a lot of noise reduction and/or shadow-pulling in PP? That's one of the areas that appeals to me about the X-T1 because I suspect it will perform a lot better in such situations than my 5D2.

 

When shooting low light I am always on a tripod unless it's not practical. So, usually ISO 200/400, though depending on the shot I will push to 800/1600 if necessary for shutter speed. Otherwise, handheld in a pinch I have no problem using 1600/3200 and shots are more than useable with steady hands and a bit of cleanup in LR. 

 

Under ISO 640 or so (even 800) noise is a total non issue. Might require a touch of noise reduction, but not much if at all. After that, noise becomes more noticeable though not too unpleasant like similar shots from Canon. More like film grain in a way, and is easily corrected in Lightroom. Usually I don't have to push the luminance NR slider past 10, maybe 15-20 if I've pulled a lot of shadows. Color noise slider I usually just leave on 25 for most shots, as doing so saves time and I don't see any reduction in quality.

 

I do pull shadows (and/or drop highlights) a lot, and it's one of the areas that Fuji RAW files are miles ahead compared with Canon! You have such a huge dynamic range to work with on properly exposed shots.

 

-Jason

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As an example since you asked about the Amsterdam shots: E5W9G1 is one that was underexposed by about 1 stop to save highlights in the streetlights in top of frame. So exposure was raised in Lightroom, and shadows lifted substantially (shadows slider to 45). You can see the color noise, but otherwise, luminance noise is almost non-existent. ISO is 800, 17 second exposure. I could never have done the same with the 6d (or else would have had to leave the blocked shadows)!

 

Crops from bottom left corner of frame, from left to right:

1) unedited RAW

2) edited with no NR or sharpening

3) final version with NR and slight RAW sharpening

 

RESIZED for forums, CLICK for 100% crops...

FujiXT1_comparison_resize.jpg

 

Hope that helps!

 

-Jason

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