Jump to content

X-T1 - first impressions


Recommended Posts

There's a lot I like about it. And quite a bit I'm disappointed with.

 

I like the viewfinder - biggest and brightest I've ever seen. However (and I don't know whether this applies to all electronic viewfinders) I don't like the fact that it's very contrasty and adjusts the sensitivity as you move the camera around the scene, which makes it more difficult to assess how the scene as a whole will look.

 

I like the size and weight. I don't have large hands so it's very easy to operate and feels just right. I can't remember the sizes of some of my earlier SLRs but I guess the X-T1 is not far from the Canon AE1 or T70. The way it's all laid out seems logical. I much prefer dials and buttons to menus.

 

I like the fact that the metering seems to handle dynamic range much better than my 5D2. Out of my initial batch of 50 shots there were only a couple that needed an exposure adjustment in Lightroom, and only one that needed shadows lightening, whereas with the 5D2 it's not unusual for me to have to manipulate the exposure, shadows or highlights (and sometimes all three) in about two thirds of the shots. However, the time saved by this is offset by the fact that it interprets colour temperature differently from all other digital cameras I've owned. I always thought colour temperature values were absolute, but apparently not because whereas the Canon images usually look right at 4800 or above, the Fuji (on Auto WB) produces distinctly cold Kodachromey pics and the minimum needs to be upped to around 5200 (Daylight WB is way too high for most).

 

It's slightly irritating that it's too easy to inadvertently change the aperture when using aperture priority, which for me seems to negate the point of using it in the first place. The aperture ring is exactly where the zoom ring would be on my Canon 24-105 so every time I go to zoom I end up changing the aperture, and as it shows in the viewfinder as blue rather than white I simply can't read what I've just set it to without pointing the camera at something with a contrasting background, thus losing the shot I've just carefully framed.

 

The specifications are very misleading in one aspect. While wavering over whether to get it, one of the features that swayed me was multiple exposures as I've always wanted to play with in-camera multiple exposure but never had a camera that would do it. But it doesn't do it at all - it does double exposure and nothing more. So I'm a bit annoyed about the deceptive marketing.

 

Finally, the thing which has stopped me being enthusiastic over my new purchase is that I can't see the much-vaunted super sharpness. On a carefully controlled tripod test the sharpness from the Fuji 18-55 was exactly the same as from the Canon 24-105. But in real-life use, hand-held, I've struggled to get any higher proportion of my shots QC-sharp than I did with the Canon, and when the Canon was sharp it was really sharp whereas the Fuji sharpness almost looks 'forced', rather like the effect I used to get when upsizing my 300D pics for Alamy with Genuine Fractals. OK, my first batch has just passed QC but I was very apprehensive about submitting them, which is not usually the case with the Canon.

 

So I now have two systems neither of which I'm entirely happy with, but unlike some of you I can't afford to keep both. I will probably keep the Fuji, mainly because of the much better ISO capability, but instead of cheerfully waving goodbye to my Canon as I take a step into a bright new future, it will be with a tear in my eye as I mark time until the right camera for me comes along.

 

Alan

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting review Alan, it makes me feel a tad happier about having chosen the  NEX 6, which, with admittedly very inconvenient heritage glass, produces wonderfully sharp images. I certainly would like an E fit zoom that is as good as the 24-105 on the Canon, as I have found, like you, that it produces the goods most of the time, even the if the 5DII is a tad lacking in the dynamic range department etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I meant to say above, Bryan, that while my mind has been swaying between Canon and Fuji, my little NEX6 just goes in and out of my pocket and takes excellent pics. I've even wondered if I should have been looking at building a system on that instead of looking elsewhere.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and another thing, Bryan. Whereas in the lens test I posted a couple of weeks ago the Sony 16-50 just had the edge over the Canon 24-105 (hand-held at 80mm equivalent), when I included the Sony in my tripod-mounted 50mm-equivalent test the other day, both the Canon and the Fuji outperformed it, though not by a great deal.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am still waiting for THE camera from Fuji!!! I like my X-T1, but don't love it... Personally, I like the X-Pro1 much better but am in the process of selling it because of the slight edge (and some bells and whistles) the X-T1 has over a now two (or three??) year old model... Anxiously waiting for the X-Pro2 (if it's ever released) so I can sell the T1 again... grrr.

 

X-T1 is a nice little camera, but not enough for me to dump full-frame just yet. For travel, it's great because of size and weight... Plus, for those to whom it matters, cost/quality ratio beats out the canon FF kit IMO when it comes down to it. Probably not overall quality or resolution. But, you are comparing a $1,200 APS-C camera to a nearly $3,000(?) full-frame sensor camera.

 

No experience personally with the Fuji 18-55, but I would have expected similar results to what you described. Fuji's primes are where they really shine. They are sharp (MUCH sharper than the Canon 24-105 copy I have), especially when you compare corners. Again, a $500 kit lens compared to a Canon 'L' series lens at twice the price... Also, check your shutter speeds- I find with mirrorless (with no lens stabilization) I might have to use approximately 2x min shutter speed to be comfortable hand-holding... so with 35mm Fuji (53mm equiv?) I tend to keep min speed around 1/100 or 1/125, etc.

 

Give it a few days though! I felt much the same as you when I first had mine in my hands... Unsure... Wanting more... But ultimately in the few months I have had the camera I have come away with some great shots, especially low light, hard contrast, etc... Get to know it's strengths and shortcomings (like any other tool in the bag).

 

-Jason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am still waiting for THE camera from Fuji!!! I like my X-T1, but don't love it... Personally, I like the X-Pro1 much better but am in the process of selling it because of the slight edge (and some bells and whistles) the X-T1 has over a now two (or three??) year old model... Anxiously waiting for the X-Pro2 (if it's ever released) so I can sell the T1 again... grrr.

 

X-T1 is a nice little camera, but not enough for me to dump full-frame just yet. For travel, it's great because of size and weight... Plus, for those to whom it matters, cost/quality ratio beats out the canon FF kit IMO when it comes down to it. Probably not overall quality or resolution. But, you are comparing a $1,200 APS-C camera to a nearly $3,000(?) full-frame sensor camera.

 

No experience personally with the Fuji 18-55, but I would have expected similar results to what you described. Fuji's primes are where they really shine. They are sharp (MUCH sharper than the Canon 24-105 copy I have), especially when you compare corners. Again, a $500 kit lens compared to a Canon 'L' series lens at twice the price... Also, check your shutter speeds- I find with mirrorless (with no lens stabilization) I might have to use approximately 2x min shutter speed to be comfortable hand-holding... so with 35mm Fuji (53mm equiv?) I tend to keep min speed around 1/100 or 1/125, etc.

 

Give it a few days though! I felt much the same as you when I first had mine in my hands... Unsure... Wanting more... But ultimately in the few months I have had the camera I have come away with some great shots, especially low light, hard contrast, etc... Get to know it's strengths and shortcomings (like any other tool in the bag).

 

-Jason

 

+1. On Auto ISO I've set the min to 1/125. They take a bit of bedding in, in terms of how to get the best out of them. It's like finding the sweet spot of a lens, plenty of use and testing to get to know the system first. Keep the Canon gear for now, it will take the pressure off and act as a fall back if you just need something familiar to use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if you got a good copy of the 18-55. I find mine wonderfully sharp. I have had a few QC failures over the past year, but none with the Fuji.

Yes, I've had a failure since getting the Fuji, but the shots were with other brands.

Maybe my hands are steadier? Scratching head.

Betty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick heads up on your WB issue. You can calibrate the Auto WB which may save you time in processing. Select WB from the 2nd menu page, select Auto WB, hit the right hand keypad key. You will see a calibration chart where you can tweak warmth and tint.

 

Ah, many thanks for that. I will play with it and see if it makes the difference I want.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm... Does this mean that the ideal camera system doesn't really exist? Where is Plato when we need him?

 

For a lightweight compact system camera/lenses I think the Fuji X-T1 is as close as we have to perfect, at the moment.

 

So far I have only had one reject and that was my fault not the camera.

 

When I was using my old Canon 5DII system I experienced more failures more often.

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

> I like the viewfinder - biggest and brightest I've ever seen. However (and I don't know whether this applies to all electronic viewfinders)

>I don't like the fact that it's very contrasty and adjusts the sensitivity as you move the camera around the scene, which makes it more

> difficult to assess how the scene as a whole will look.

You can turn that off

Link to comment
Share on other sites

> But in real-life use, hand-held, I've struggled to get any higher proportion of my shots QC-sharp than I did with the Canon,

Did you expect the Fuji to be better

 

 

> and when the Canon was sharp it was really sharp whereas the Fuji sharpness almost looks 'forced',

I have just printed a batch or 20" x 24"s and tiny detail is resolved really well, you probably just need to adjust you post processing as it will not be the same as required for a Canon.

I have been really impressed with sharpness as have my clients, a few thoughts here from my first 10,000 exposures with the X-T1
http://markbaigent.co.uk/cms/fuji-xt1-10000/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if you got a good copy of the 18-55. I find mine wonderfully sharp. I have had a few QC failures over the past year, but none with the Fuji.

Yes, I've had a failure since getting the Fuji, but the shots were with other brands.

Maybe my hands are steadier? Scratching head.

Betty

I like the 18-55 but I find the primes have a tad more bite, the 35mm is a beaut.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

> But in real-life use, hand-held, I've struggled to get any higher proportion of my shots QC-sharp than I did with the Canon,

Did you expect the Fuji to be better

 

 

Actually, given everything that's been said about it, yes I did. Especially as it doesn't have an AA filter so it should be a little sharper anyway for that reason.

 

Today I went out to photograph a local scarecrow festival and picked up the X-T1 as I thought this would be a perfect subject to put it through its paces. Then it occurred to me that there might be the odd fisheye opportunity so I took the 5D2 instead. I came back with a batch of the sharpest and most accurately exposed shots the Canon has managed for some time. So buying the Fuji has been very worthwhile in reminding me what a good camera I have already. I will keep the X-T1 for a while to see if I can benefit from (and can afford) two systems, but realistically with the NEX6 in my pocket as well I just don't think I will be keeping the Fuji in the long term. The only real benefit to me would be the small size and weight, which for the moment is not so important as I have the NEX, and the higher ISO capability which could be addressed by swapping my 5D2 body for, say, a 6D.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

> But in real-life use, hand-held, I've struggled to get any higher proportion of my shots QC-sharp than I did with the Canon,

Did you expect the Fuji to be better

 

 

Actually, given everything that's been said about it, yes I did. Especially as it doesn't have an AA filter so it should be a little sharper anyway for that reason.

 

Today I went out to photograph a local scarecrow festival and picked up the X-T1 as I thought this would be a perfect subject to put it through its paces. Then it occurred to me that there might be the odd fisheye opportunity so I took the 5D2 instead. I came back with a batch of the sharpest and most accurately exposed shots the Canon has managed for some time. So buying the Fuji has been very worthwhile in reminding me what a good camera I have already. I will keep the X-T1 for a while to see if I can benefit from (and can afford) two systems, but realistically with the NEX6 in my pocket as well I just don't think I will be keeping the Fuji in the long term. The only real benefit to me would be the small size and weight, which for the moment is not so important as I have the NEX, and the higher ISO capability which could be addressed by swapping my 5D2 body for, say, a 6D.

 

Alan

 

Yes, there was a lot of hype, I suppose that there still is.

 

When I chopped in my 5D11 I was hoping for only a small drop in quality (which is what I expected) I have found that there is little difference upto 20x24 but I have not printed larger than that. I would not go back to the Canon.

 

I wonder what photokina will bring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alan

 

Just dropping in here as an X-T1 and 5D2 user like yourself and wondering which RAW developer you are using. My findings are that Capture One produces wonderful sharpness and accurate colour rendition from my Fuji, being right up there with the Canon.

 

Lightroom, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to get the best from the X-Trans files.

 

Just a thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alan

 

Just dropping in here as an X-T1 and 5D2 user like yourself and wondering which RAW developer you are using. My findings are that Capture One produces wonderful sharpness and accurate colour rendition from my Fuji, being right up there with the Canon.

 

Lightroom, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to get the best from the X-Trans files.

 

Just a thought.

 

I'm using Lightroom.

 

The Fuji is a great little camera and I've already got some good pics from it. But it doesn't do enough for me to justify keeping two systems, and it doesn't have the edge to make me want to keep it in preference to the Canon.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alan

 

Just dropping in here as an X-T1 and 5D2 user like yourself and wondering which RAW developer you are using. My findings are that Capture One produces wonderful sharpness and accurate colour rendition from my Fuji, being right up there with the Canon.

 

Lightroom, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to get the best from the X-Trans files.

 

Just a thought.

 

Yeah..... LR's default is washed out yellow colour for some reason... too much NR applied as well mixed with the limited sharpness control can exaggerate any Watercolour Effect. C1 is far better. I also had the 5dmkii with L glass and traded the lot in after a couple of months use of the Fuji's. 

 

It may be an idea to make use of the C1 60 day trial of C1 Pro.... can't do any harm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting especially when comparing a new camera to a just under six year old Canon body and a nine year old lens design widely regarded as not much more than a kit lens.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mark, not a reply...simply ruminating that the OP is commenting on two camera systems which are years apart in technology. That the Fuji doesn't blow the Canon out of the water says a lot for both bits of equipment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One other thing about the Fuji: the battery was dead flat after 118 exposures. The Canon and the Sony will do hundreds. OK, I'm guessing that the first charge will not be as powerful as later ones, but the other cameras managed several times that number on their first charge.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get a lot more than 118 images per charge - more like 400 but then I rarely chimp; I grew up with film so I only review if I am working in difficult lighting conditions or at the limit of low shutter speeds. I also have no review set, don't machine-gun and I switch off between shooting sequences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.