Review Date: February 24, 2014
Update: July 9, 2014
Category: Serious to Advanced Amateur
Photoxels Editor’s Choice 2014 – Interchangeable Lens Camera
USER’S EXPERIENCE
Thursday, February 6, 2014 – Here’s what should be in the box:
- X-T1
- Flash unit EF-X8
- No memory card [I used a Toshiba 16GB EXCERIA PRO SDHC II rated at R260MB/s , W240MB/s]
- Li-ion Battery NP-W126 7.2V 1260mAh 8.7Wh
- BC-W126 Battery Charger with power cord
- Shoulder Strap
- Body Cap
- Metal strap clips (2) with Protective covers (2) and a Clip attaching tool
- Documentation: Owner’s Manual
- Software CD: MyFinePix Studio v4.2b (for Windows), RAW File Converter (for Windows and Mac) and Owner’s Manual
The kit lens that should come with the X-T1 is the weather-sealed XF18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R OIS WR [27-203mm equiv.] but it will only be available in June 2014, so meanwhile Fujifilm sent me the excellent:
- XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS [27-84mm equiv.]
- Update 2014-07-14: XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR [27-203mm equiv.]
DSLR redefined. The Fujifilm X-T1 looks like a traditional-mirrored DSLR, functions like (or even better than) one, and there is nothing outwardly that says it is really a mirrorless DSLR — and an incredibly good one at that. In fact, in both looks and use, the X-T1 is every bit a DSLR. But not the PASM Mode dial DSLR, where you need to select a shooting mode, then rotate a dial or press a button. It’s the camera that, similar to the X-PRO1 and X-E1/2 before it, bring us back the dedicated shutter speed dial and aperture ring, in other words direct control of exposure settings.
The Fujifilm X-T1 is exquisitely well built — stunning in fact and compact as far as DSLR goes. It’s a beautiful camera, with a satisfying heft and superb handling. The Fujifilm X-T1 is about the same size as the X-E2 (APS-C), the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (Four-Thirds) and the Sony alpha A7 (Full Frame). This is a perfect size.
The Fujifilm X-T1 with its beautiful retro design is not a wholly mechanical camera, instead blending the best of analog with modern digital electronics: the Aperture Ring is in fact electronic and the Focus Ring around the lens is fly-by-wire. Both rings work very well.
Startup is about 1 sec. from Power ON to LCD ready for capture, i.e. time-to-first-shot and double that time, at about 2 sec., with “Sensor Cleaning when switched ON.” It’s better to set the sensor cleaning to when the camera is switched off. Shot to shot times are about 0.83 sec. (@ 12 shots in 10 sec. in M mode, 1/125sec.).
In good lighting, there is no practical shutter lag and AF is fast and precise. In very low lighting, the camera locks focus in about 1 sec. as long as there is enough contrast to do so. This is to say that the AF is fast in Single Focus mode, fast enough that you won’t notice any practical lag to complain about. This is probably due to the added on-chip phase detection pixels.
TIP: What about Fujifilm’s claimed 0.5 sec. startup? Set the camera to High Performance: MENU – SET-UP 2 – POWER MANAGEMENT – HIGH PERFORMANCE – ON. The X-T1 will then lapse into sleep mode when you turn it off, waking up real fast (@ 0.5 sec.) when you switch it back on. Fujifilm also claims that this mode also improves AF speed to 0.08 sec. A note of warning though: this HIGH PERFORMANCE mode will burn thru your battery even faster.
The X-T1 makes manual focusing easy. First, set the Focus mode selector on the front of the camera to “M”, then select a display view (Standard or Dual). Next, in MENU – SHOOTING MENU 4 – MF ASSIST – select from STANDARD, DIGITAL SPLIT IMAGE or FOCUS PEAK HIGHLIGHT.
Let’s say, you selected Dual view and Digital Split Image. Because you selected Dual View, the screen displays two views: a large normal color view and a smaller but enlarged B&W view to allow precise focusing at the focus frame, in this case using Digital Split Image. In Digital Split Image, the smaller screen is divided into three parts and you turn the focus ring to align all three parts.
If you find the smaller view too small and would like it to fill the whole screen, you can do that: simply switch back to Standard view.
TIP: In Standard or Dual View, press and hold the FOCUS ASSIST button to quickly toggle thru the 3 available MF Assist options: STANDARD, DIGITAL SPLIT IMAGE and FOCUS PEAK HIGHLIGHTING. No need to go thru the MENU!
I was able to set up the X-T1 and my iPad to communicate so that I could use the iPad as a Remote Controller with the added benefit of touch screen AF. Setup is not as easy as Tap and go: you first set the camera to Wireless, then set the Wi-Fi settings on your iPad to the X-T1 (whatever name you gave it in MENU – SET-UP 3 – WIRELESS SETTINGS – GENERAL SETTINGS – NAME). Then launch the Fujifilm Camera Remote app (of course, I needed to download it and install it on my iPad first) and click connect. Then click on Remote Control. Click OK on the camera to connect.
You will then see what the camera sees. You can change Exposure Compensation, ISO, Film Simulation, WB, Macro, Self-Timer. You can capture both stills and movies, and browse the camera in Playback.
[Strangely enough, I was unable to do the same with my Android-powered smartphone though I did it successfully before with the X-M1, so I may have missed a crucial step somewhere. Or else you can connect only one device to the camera? This all goes to show that all this device communicating with one another could be much easier.]The Shutter Release button is not threaded so being able to use the iPad and/or smartphone as a Remote Control is great when you are using a slow shutter speed and want to avoid camera shake. I was not able to control the camera in Bulb mode using Remote Control (defaults to T 30 sec.).
There are no Scene modes but a number of creative modes: Film Simulation; Filter Effects; Double Exposure; Sweep Panorama; AE Bracketing, ISO Bracketing, Film Simulation Bracketing, Dynamic Range Bracketing and WB Bracketing; Interval Timer Shooting (that allows you to take the pictures, but you have to create the time-lapse movie yourself in software).
To select Filter Effects, MENU – SHOOTING MENU 1 – BKT/Adv. SETTING – Adv. FILTER SELECT – select one of 13 filter effects:
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One quibble I do have is that the Selector / Function buttons are on the small side. I used them while wearing wool mittens so they are usable but still, they are on the small side, requiring thumb-tip operation.
It’s also too bad Fujifilm chooses to not mark the Aperture Ring on its zoom lenses. It does have a point that the max. aperture is variable (depends on the focal length), however, that was how it was even before cameras became digital. Because the apertures are not marked, I find myself constantly checking the LCD to ensure the aperture has not moved (because it is easy to rotate the Aperture Ring). I suggest that all future XF lenses (prime and zoom) should have a marked aperture ring. A mixture of direct and indirect controls detracts from the otherwise excellent user experience that the other direct controls provide.
What I like about the X-T1:
- Excellent image quality at ISO 200. Very good image quality up to ISO 1600. Very usable images up to ISO 6400.
- Very good build and design.
- Love the shutter speed dial and aperture ring (a marked aperture ring would have been even better).
- LCD/EVF gains up extremely well in low light.
- Best electronic viewfinder ever.
No review is complete without a couple of improvement suggestions:
- Make the full range of shutter speed available in “Program” mode.
- Implement Touch AF on LCD.
- Redesign the Selector / Function (Fn3-Fn6) buttons which are difficult to press.
- Restore the SILENT MODE function to the DISP/BACK button.
- The Memory Card compartment cover can be hard to open.
- The battery goes in four ways (the right way, plus 3 other wrong ways) which can be disconcerting. In fact, why not give us a more powerful battery?
- The Digital Split Image manual focus mode is a great idea that needs further refinement.
- Simplify Wi-Fi connectivity.
In summary, the Fujifilm X-T1 is a thoughtfully designed digital camera that is a joy to use and produces excellent image quality that rivals and even bests that of some enthusiast and top-end DSLRs. With its superb handling, direct control dials, intelligently designed viewfinder, weather-proofing (body and kit lens), it is impossible not to revel in a perfect example of how cameras (retro or otherwise) should be built and operated. Highly recommended.
Update 2014-07-09: I received the FUJINON XR18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens that is the kit lens for the X-T1. Both camera and lens are weather resistant. The XR18-135 is built with the same quality as the other lenses, i.e. it bayonets into place securely and feels solid. It has an aperture ring but no aperture markings. The focal length is marked from 18mm to 135mm. We tried it out in the rain and camera and lens did not seem to suffer any mishap.
See the images on the Photo Gallery page.
I loved using the Fujifilm X-T1 this second time around even more than the first time. The direct dials for the shutter speed, the aperture ring, ISO dial, Drive dial and especially the Exposure Compensation dial, all conspired to make this the best user experience ever using a DSLR/DSLM.
The improvement suggestions I wrote up in the first review did not bother me at all this time, except for the availability of the full range of shutter speeds in P mode and the difficult to press Selector/Function buttons.
I also found that I could not tell at a glance (looking from the top rear of the camera, not directly from top) when the Exposure Compesation button was returned to its zero mark, getiing it roughly 50% of the time right, the other 50% I left it at +0.40EV mark. Of course, I could always check the screen to ascertain I moved the dial back to its zero mark but that defeats the purpose of a direct control dial. The Exposure Compensation dial either needs a more pronounced click stop at zero mark or more pronounced marking (white line continues down the side of the dial). It’s not a big deal and I always get it right if I tilt the camera so I am looking straight down but when you are trying to change settings fast, every click and movement count.
Concerning the weather-resistant lens, it was also a joy to use rain or shine. It felt solid, smooth to zoom and the aperture ring made it intuitive to change aperture with the camera to the eye. The only thing that confused me was macro mode. Where was the macro button on the lens? Or, do I use the macro function on the camera instead?
All in all, I would again highly recommend — and award Editor’s Choice to — the Fujifilm X-T1, now even more with its weather-resistant XR18-135mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.
Next: Fujifilm X-T1 QuickFact Sheet / Buy
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