A Romantic Affair
The first time I saw her was in a taxi
The first time I saw her was in a taxi. I had heard about her before, but it was the first time that we were actually meeting. I looked at her and Sighed. She was lit gloriously
in sodium vapour streetlight. Her name was the Fujifilm X-Pro I usually do not think of cameras in terms of their looks, but the X-Pro 1 is hard to resist. Retro, analogue, maverick, hipster ... or maybe just classic and timeless. Holding the X-Pro 1 feels like being in a different world, like being in love. Features Let me introduce you to her. The Fujifilm X-Pro 1 is the high-end version of the XI00, a camera that has attracted its share of diehard fans and critics, since it released.
The XI00 had a fixed lens that gave an equivalent focal length of around 35mm. With the X-Pro 1, you can see the world in three different waysthrough a wide angle view of approximately 27mm, through a normal perspective and then up close, with a oomm equivalent macro lens. A few days into our liaison, I thought that the novelty would wear off, but the camera continued to engage me. The X-Pro has anAPS-C sensor (only, did you ask?). Interestingly, the company has claimed that it would outperform full frame DSLRs. One of the reasons, they said, is the fact that the camera has no anti-aliasing filter.
AA filters are usually placed in front of the sensor, to reduce the formation of an ugly pattern called moire. But while fighting it, they end up reducing sharpness too. Fujifilm has changed the pixel arrangement to get the best of both worlds-images are tack sharp, but moire is kept away. This may sound contradictory, but besides the looks, what attracted me to the Fuji was her simplicity-no exaggerated effects, no 60fps shooting, no dedicated movie button, no WiFi, no Dog or Cat Recognition.
That, for me is the soul of this camera. The Fujifilm X-Pro is not a feature-packed gadget, but a simplistic photographic tool. It is refreshing to not be bombarded by a hundred modes that tell me what to do. When I am shooting, I like to be directed by the place, the people, the activity and feel. The last thing I want is a camera that tries to think for me. The X-Pro 1 is a relatively softspoken camera, but she talks more audibly than the near-silent XIOO. That is because it has a focal-plane shutter instead of the leaf shutter used in the XIOO. This is both good and bad. It is nice as one can use the fastest shutterspeeds of the camera, even while using the widest apertures. However, the downside is that the Sync Speed is a conservative 1/18osec instead of the crazy 1/2000sec, offered by the XIOO.
Thlking about flash, where did it go? The XIOO is one of the best cameras today in the manner in which the flash balances with ambient light. But since the X-Pro 1's name says 'Pro', the company has decided to do away with the flash. Certain companies tend to assume that pro cameras should not have an onboard flash, which is quite shortsighted, I think. An onboard flash, if used correctly, can play several roles.
Handling
Love can rarely be reasoned, but somewhere, somehow, it just feels right. Similarly, a great camera is one that feels good. The X-Pro 1 fits the bill as it easily becomes an extension of the eye.
The camera is very discreet. Walk quietly, click and move on. The shooting process is also a lot more intimate. The first time I looked through the Hybrid Viewfinder, I realised how much more useful it can be, as compared to regular DSLRs. But then, the honeymoon period soon got over. The X-Pro 1 does not seem to do her bit in making the relationship more stable. Besides the lack of stabilisation, the Auto ISO functionality is laughable.
One cannot set the minimum shutterspeed that must be used in this mode! This is not an easy camera to shoot with. You need to concentrate and be in the zone all the time. But then, though the camera demands all your time and effort, she herself tends to be lazy. This may sound like a common complaint ... but she takes her own sweet time to get ready for the shot! The graphical user interface is better than what we had seen with the XIOO, but still feels a little buggy. For instance, the time taken by the camera to write an image is actually longer, when playback is switched off! The Macro mode allows the lens to focus closer, but shouldn't the camera do this automatically, whenever needed I personally love the Quick Menu button.
After all, you do need someone who helps you present your views, gives you some perspective on what options you have, and so on. Considering that the camera has several choices for Film Simulation, Dynamic Range and so on, such a menu makes sense. Perfonnance This camera and I had our first real fight when she ended up missing a few moments due to a slightly sluggish AF. The autofocus performance is not bad. But considering that this is a pro product at an equally pro-like price, one expects more.
Also, the camera sometimes gets confused when trying to focus on a closeby subject. The amount of time it takes to regain focus-especially with the nonnallens-is quite a bit. After the fight about AF, we were on shaky ground. The love seemed to be dying out. But that is when I decided to just look at the pictures I had made. When you realise that a camera's quality is so stunning, everything seems forgiven. The Fujiilm X-Pro rs sharpness and dynamic range are staggeringly good-even superior to some full frame cameras today. When I saw a couple of clear, detailed photos made at ISO 6400 and ISO 12,800, I felt like going out with the camera all over again ... in candlelight, this timel
ConcIuIion
Any camera is only as good as the pictures you make with it. Or maybe, as good as the amount it inspires you. While it fulfills both these aspects, the X-Pro 1 is also backed
up by outstanding results. The quality is significantly better than what we have seen in any cropped-sensor camera. In fact, it is as good as some full frame DSLRs too.
The camera is priced at Rs. 1,04,999 (with each lens worth an additional Rs. 30,000).
If you cannot appreciate its simplicity, you maywantto look at the Olympus E-M5 or Sony NEX-7, both of which are cheaper, but really lag behind in quality. The X-Pro 1 comes close to the feel of a Leica at a fraction of its price-with better image quality. It does not sound overpriced anymore, does itAnd yet, there are so many problemsthe need for multiple finnwares, the sluggish AF, the idiosyncracies. I have never had such drastic mixed feelings about a camera.
I feel like strangling it for some of its quirks. At the same time, I don't want to stop using the camera. I don't want this to be a short story. will I trust the camera blindly No, but let me put it this way. Unlike most great cameras, the X-Pro 1 is not a machine. It is more human, a bundle of imperfection .. a lot like love. But that is what makes the journey worth the ride and the whole experience of using the camera a lot more real.
by: Yogalakshmi
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