Downsizing... And opinions on the X-E1 vs the X-Pro 1

Harlequin565

Harlequin565

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Hi folks,

I'm just about decided to finally sell off all my Canon gear and downsize to the Fuji X system. The main reasons for downsizing are the weight and bulk of a 50D + lens (usually a 10-20, a 24-105 or a 70-200). I don't shoot anything specific, it's just a hobby for me, so massive blow up images aren't happening. Probably the largest I'd print to is 20-30".

In terms of new gear, there's the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1. I can't find a reason to choose the X-Pro 1 over the cheaper camera.

Has anyone made a similar transition and either regretted it, or loved it. And has anyone got a reason to choose the X-Pro 1 over the X-E1?

Many thanks,

Ian.
 
I love my X pro 1, I like shooting with the OVF it's quite useful feature to have but not a deal breaker. Overall nothing between the 2, but I like the looks of the Pro. Either one does the same job, and produces excellent images. I'm looking forward to using a super wide lens quite soon. Future lens road maps look tasty.
 
I went from a canon set up to the X-Pro1 and haven't regretted it at all.

I guess the main reason I went for the X-pro over the xe was the optical finder, but there are other differences one being the pro level build on the X-pro, the optical finder is worth it alone but with the rest of the package its to my mind a significant enough change to warrant the extra outlay.
The iQ is amazing, far better than on the xxD canons with fast glass.
I look at it as the xe = 60D, xpro = 5D so you can compare it series wise with what your used to.

Also price wise there isn't that much difference now, you can pick up the xpro body for just under a grand at cameraworld, and I think theres a cashback offer on packages at present.
 
Yeah, it's the 80:20 rule. I use the EVF most of the time now, but when it's really dark or really bright the OVF is great.
 
I haven't (and won't be) dropped the DSLR kit but have taken to using a small selection of smaller cameras instead, with a view to using them for holidays rather than carting the whole kit bag everywhere. The cameras I use now are a trio of Fujis - a bridge (HS-30) and a pair of fixed zoom compacts (an X-10 and an XF-1).

The HS-30 covers a huge range of focal lengths, 24-720 in 35mm equivalence and delivers great A3+ prints SOOC while the 2 compacts have a more limited range (both are "mere" 4x zooms) but deliver a similar level of quality to the HS-30.

I think I will still be using the SLRs for more serious photography and for once in a lifetime trips but for most purposes the Fuji trio will be plenty (apart from underwater, where I'll use my Canon D10).

I did consider a smaller interchangeable lens system but felt that simply downsizing the parts was a little self defeating - I'd still want a bagful of lenses and couldn't see much point in buying new ones when my F mount Nikons would fit my planned 1 series purchase!
 
I moved from canon to fuji and haven't regretted it at all. Fujis are a bit quirky and maybe not as responsive as a DSLR but I like using them a lot. IQ is excellent, fuji lenses are very nice. I cannot see much difference between the bodies either but I do like the ovf option on the xp1.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. It would be lovely to keep my Canon gear and just buy a new body but I can't justify the expense. I've handled the X-Pro 1 in a camera shop, but not tried the X-E1 so maybe I'll handle both first. Review say that the EVF is excellent on the X-E1 (better than the X-Pro1) but having only ever used the OVF on my Canon I'm not sure what the benefits are in having OVF+EVF as opposed to just EVF.

Ian.
 
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You need to go try one, they are great cameras but with a few quirks and definitely different than your Canon. EVFs are brilliant because you see what your sensor sees and you can overlay a lot of information on it which you cannot do on the OVF. However I still do not like them nearly as much as a good OVF (like the one on my K-5).

If I were you I'd go and play with both the XPro1 is considerably bigger and heavier compared to the XE-1 so if one of your goals is to reduce size/weight then regardless it having OVF it is not an option. So it all comes down really if you want OVF or not.

Keep in mind also that AF will probably not be as good as with your 50D, my K-5 is not an AF speed demon so I am almost used to it but the 50D is quite a bit better.
 
Quite tempted to add an X-Pro to my kit as I do enjoy my D7000 but could do with something smaller, I've had an X-Pro briefly last year and was very impressed however I needed better AF for some of my photography.

The D7000, 35mm and 50mm I have was relatively cheap (£750 all in really) and it wouldn't really make me a huge amount selling it all to fund an X-Pro but I do think I'd like to have both!

35mm f1.4 and 14mm f2.8 would be my lens choice! But quite pricey!
 
I was playing with both yesturday, the X-pro and the XE-1 and noticed that the XE-1 was faster at focusing and saving the files to the memory card. The electronic few finder was really good as well.
 
vrapan said:
and you can overlay a lot of information on it which you cannot do on the OVF.
Click to expand...

On the X-Pro1 all exposure and more information IS overlaid in the OVF as well as frame lines and parallax compensated focus point, in fact it has just as much information as a dslr OVF.

chrism_scotland said:
Quite tempted to add an X-Pro to my kit as I do enjoy my D7000 but could do with something smaller, I've had an X-Pro briefly last year and was very impressed however I needed better AF for some of my photography.

The D7000, 35mm and 50mm I have was relatively cheap (£750 all in really) and it wouldn't really make me a huge amount selling it all to fund an X-Pro but I do think I'd like to have both!

35mm f1.4 and 14mm f2.8 would be my lens choice! But quite pricey!
Click to expand...

The autofocus is much improved with the 2.03 firmware & the latest lens firmware as is the manual focus on the lenses.

architectfadi said:
I was playing with both yesturday, the X-pro and the XE-1 and noticed that the XE-1 was faster at focusing and saving the files to the memory card. The electronic few finder was really good as well.
Click to expand...

Focus speed is lens dependent and firmware dependent, read write is both firmware dependent and card dependent.

In order to make a fair comparison both would have to be with the same lens and card and the X-Pro1 would need to have had its firmware updated to version 2.03 and the lens had its firmware updated as well.

Versions currently in the shops dont have those updates, whereas the XE is newer and is shipped with the newer firmware that resolved those issues.

Owners of both on the different fuji forums have conducted tests and found no difference between the models at all on focus and read write once the firmware of the body & lenses has been updated.
 
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Well my landscape and street work are generally on manual focus and I don't do fast stuff so af speed isn't a selling point for me. Can I ask what the benefits are of Ovf vs Evf? Why would I want an optical view when seeing what the sensor sees gives me a more accurate image. Or am I missing something?

Again - thanks for the replies all. Some really useful information here.

Ian.
 
OVF is likely much better for low light, and (obviously) no lag - never used the Fuji EVF so there may be no lag with them anyway, but with some cameras there is.
 
Not only the above but also as the OVF covers more than the frame area you get the advantage of being able to see whats about to come into frame as well, very handy for street photography.
With the EVF you can only see whats in the frame itself.
 
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I preferred the OVF for most things when I have the XP1 before and it was good to have the option to switch between them.

EVF was always very good though when I wanted to shoot in B&W and it was great to be able to "see" what the shot was going to look like.... I need to stop reading/writing about the XP1 again or I'm going to end up buying one.....
 
chrism_scotland said:
I preferred the OVF for most things when I have the XP1 before and it was good to have the option to switch between them.

EVF was always very good though when I wanted to shoot in B&W and it was great to be able to "see" what the shot was going to look like.... I need to stop reading/writing about the XP1 again or I'm going to end up buying one.....
Click to expand...

I strongly prefer OVF where possible but the one in fuji is right miserable animal. It is small, very distorted full of aberrations so much that I would ask for an EVF instead (or a proper dSLR to be honest)
 
daugirdas said:
I strongly prefer OVF where possible but the one in fuji is right miserable animal. It is small, very distorted full of aberrations so much that I would ask for an EVF instead (or a proper dSLR to be honest)
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Eh?? your having a laugh, you must be thinking of the X10, the X-Pro1 OVF isn't small its quite large, it has no discernible distortion (maybe you needed a different dioptre?) and has zero aberrations, its one of the brightest, clearest OVF's out there with a large coverage area far beyond 100%, something no DSLR has..
In fact its streets ahead of the OVF on my previous canon DSLR.
I have dodgy eyes, ie glaucoma & cataracts, wear glasses and get a good, clear, distortion free view through mine.

All the EVF does is offer a similar view but zoomed to the focal length of the lens your using.
 
iancandler said:
Eh?? your having a laugh, you must be thinking of the X10, the X-Pro1 OVF isn't small its quite large, it has no discernible distortion (maybe you needed a different dioptre?) and has zero aberrations, its one of the brightest, clearest OVF's out there with a large coverage area far beyond 100%, something no DSLR has..
In fact its streets ahead of the OVF on my previous canon DSLR.
I have dodgy eyes, ie glaucoma & cataracts, wear glasses and get a good, clear, distortion free view through mine.

All the EVF does is offer a similar view but zoomed to the focal length of the lens your using.
Click to expand...

I had a good play with it in FOCUS and it wasnt x10 baby. The trouble is they tried to combine fake OVF (it is not going through the lens) with EVF, and the result is not pleasing at all (the fact you see a lot wider than needed is a big negative). Maybe if you are coming from xxxD it doesn't look quite so weird...
 
When I first got an XP1, framing with the OVF took some getting used to. Then, when I was used to it I found it very good. I find that the extra space around the frame really helps in composition. I don't do street shooting but people that do suggest it helps with a moving scene. But now I find myself using the EVF at least as often, especially with the longer lenses where the OVF frame is a little too small. The EVF is apparently a bit laggy but for what I shoot this doesn't matter too much.
 
It's not a fake OVF, that's a ridiculous statement and I think you're confusing SLR with OVF. The type of OVF used in the Xpro has been around much longer than the SLR....

Getting back on track, I bought the X-E1 purely on cost and size but would have had a Xpro if neither had been a concern. I'm happy with the camera but the EVF is difficult to use in really low light and does lag a bit in all light.
 
well i wouldnt say ive downsized as im still keeping the D800 and gear but i did get an x-e1 to take with me hill walking as the nikon is just too big and heavy to lump about any great distance.

I also wanted it as a pocketable walkabout daily camera to take over from my x10. However im still finding that im taking the x10 with me everywhere simply because it fits in my coat pocket and the x-e1 doesnt unless i unbolt everything and put it in different pockets.

The viewfinder doesnt bother me at all, its laggy yes but perfectly functional, crisp, has all the info i want in it and a million times better than the hole that the x10 has. Im only using my nikon zooms with it at the moment (18-55 and 55-200, both small ,light and sharp) which in part is contributing to the size but the only fuji lens that really fits is the 18mm. The 14 and 18-55 dont seem that much different in size to the nikons, and while being a lovely lens the 18 doesnt give me a zoom.

im just starting to think that maybe i should of got a better fixed lens compact, but i really wanted the aps-c sensor. It fits the bill perfectly for my hill walking and landscapes but as a day to day'er i just need to buy a jacket with bigger pockets :)

So as it stands im 50:50 as to wether it was the right thing to buy. Not due to any technical aspect of the camera, its amazing, just down to its portability.

I picked the x-e1 over the pro as its the same camera (bar the vf) and cheaper
 
Thanks again to everyone who has replied. Really useful information. The £350 cash back deal on the xpro1 (with 3 lenses) as well as refurb prices make this a possibility over the xe1.
 
daugirdas said:
I had a good play with it in FOCUS and it wasnt x10 baby. The trouble is they tried to combine fake OVF (it is not going through the lens) with EVF, and the result is not pleasing at all (the fact you see a lot wider than needed is a big negative). Maybe if you are coming from xxxD it doesn't look quite so weird...
Click to expand...

What? The OVF is almost as nice as a Leica M's which are just as nice to use as say a classic Nikon F. There's also less of sense of tunnel vision with the OVF compared to the EVF and SLR ways of composing an image.
 
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