Fuji X-T1

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm having some serious GAS for this.... I think it could be the one that makes me test the mirrorless waters. I'd been considering migrating to full-frame with a 6D, but I think the size has me sold as a travel kit. Anyone tried one out yet?
 

ddbowdoin

Well-Known Member
I'm having some serious GAS for this.... I think it could be the one that makes me test the mirrorless waters. I'd been considering migrating to full-frame with a 6D, but I think the size has me sold as a travel kit. Anyone tried one out yet?

no I haven't... I wonder about the AF? I had a trial run with an XPro1 a year ago that left me a little sour.
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Everything I've read has had people praising the AF. Speedy and even able to track oncoming subjects in servo mode. It's a hybrid system I believe, using phase detection when needed. Still suffers battery issues like the other mirrorless systems, but its to be expected I guess. The EVF is supposed to be 2nd to none. This coupled with their 18-55 f/2.8-4 kit lens would seriously lighten the load my upcoming trip. I heard the primes are amazing as well, but they'd be out of my reach until I sell some of my Canon gear.

Another major selling point for me is the option of using the tilting LCD when needed for taking photos at low angles. I'm a viewfinder shooter and it's my first requirement for a mirrorless, but live view LCD stuff can be handy when needed. Also the ability to control / shoot with my phone via WiFi opens up interesting opportunities for family portraits.
 
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ddbowdoin

Well-Known Member
Everything I've read has had people praising the AF. Speedy and even able to track oncoming subjects in servo mode. It's a hybrid system I believe, using phase detection when needed. Still suffers battery issues like the other mirrorless systems, but its to be expected I guess. The EVF is supposed to be 2nd to none. This coupled with their 18-55 f/2.8-4 kit lens would seriously lighten the load my upcoming trip. I heard the primes are amazing as well, but they'd be out of my reach until I sell some of my Canon gear.

Another major selling point for me is the option of using the tilting LCD when needed for taking photos at low angles. I'm a viewfinder shooter and it's my first requirement for a mirrorless, but live view LCD stuff can be handy when needed. Also the ability to control / shoot with my phone via WiFi opens up interesting opportunities for family portraits.

I assumed Fuji would pick up the AF system in future models... pitiful in the XPro. Returned it after a week in WDW back to B&H.

I considered a D800E then I realized I could sink the same cash into my LF photography and have a camera that will last my life time.

I'm sure I'll come back to digital someday and when that happens I'll move into a mirrorless system.
 

EpcoTim

Well-Known Member
I have, nice little piece of gear. If your coming from an SLR and expecting an SLR, you still might be a bit disappointed in some regards, but more happy in others.
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thinking I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on one today. We're two weeks out and Adorama's BillMeLater is making it too easy :/ Selling most of my Canon glass to cover it and delegating my 7D to sports. My biggest concern coming from the 7D is ergonomics / usability. I typically shoot full manual at a given ISO & aperture, rolling the shutter speed manually and only adjusting the ISO if my speeds get too far from where I want them. The layout of the X-T1 seems to lends itself more towards Av & Tv priority modes I would think given the dedicated exposure compensation dial. The other concern is ease of focus point selection. I use the AF select button and dials on my 7D for this and heard it can be a little finicky on the X-T1. What SLR did you come from and what are your thoughts on usability / speed of adjustments?
 

EpcoTim

Well-Known Member
I've owned and used a pretty diverse assortment of gear over the years. My personal SLR set-up is pretty slim pickens right now, 5Dii is the only body I have left, but over the years I've had a multitude of Canon film and digital bodies and a few Nikons here and there too. And as far as the Fuji goes, I wouldn't compare it to the Canons or Nikons. Whipping through settings, focal points, modes on the fly is still the smoother and faster on a SLR. In my mind the SLR's are designed for speed and quantity, the Fuji's aren't, the Fuji's domain isn't rapidfire. Its thought out and planned execution. Don't get me wrong, theyre pretty quick, but the ways you can customize an SLR and the fact that sometimes changes on the Fuji are easier accomplished by taking your eye from the viewfinder....and, well, its just not as fast. And thats a big issues, knobs and dials compared to function buttons and custom menus. Even fully understanding the Fuji, sometimes it still requires taking your eye away and more time to get things right, thats just the way it is.

But they weren't designed to be and thats the whole point. Its old-school photography with some modern twists. People who expect it to function like their Rebel or 60D are going to be disappointed. The autofocus isn't as fast and while its pretty good, most SLR's will still blow it away. Some of the lenses are buzzy and cantankerous when focusing and they hunt in low light. The Fujis just flat out require a lot more thought and patience than an SLR. They are much more hands on than an SLR. They handle much different than an SLR, the menu systems and way they function are fundamentally different. Its definitely not a system for everyone. Theres a learning curve involved with them, a pretty steep one too and I've talked to a few people who just didnt like the system after that curve was understood and overcome. My main use for mine is with legacy glass and for that I love it.

All that being said, I reach for my XE2 more than any other camera I have right now for casual shooting and backpacking.
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks for the Feedback! I went ahead and pulled the trigger on it. What you said sounds pretty much like what I've been reading. Realize my style will need to change a little, but I'm good with that. Started on an AE-1 back in high school. That said, I'm excited for the camera to get here and start snapping some photos. I'll still have my 7D for shooting sports, but the X-T1 will be my walk-around / travel kit now. Little over 2 weeks til our next trip so lots of shooting between now and then!
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Received the X-T1 & 18-55 yesterday. First impression was excellent build quality. Everything just feels nice and well machined. I had a flashback to old camcorders as I brought the EVF up to my eye, but that feeling quickly went away. The EVF is huge, to the point I have to move my eye to look around inside it. Using the EVF in the default "full" mode, haven't tried "normal" yet. There's definitely some muscle memory to learn. I find it difficult turning the main shutter speed dial when the camera is to my eye. Left eyed shooter and my big forehead gets in the way. Also, you can only roll the speed +/- 2/3EV with the secondary dials. A little cumbersome for me coming from a 7D, but was aware of this and prepared to adjust. The WYSIWYG EVF is nice composing harshly lit scenes that typically throw standard metering off. Not having to zoom or use spot metering is nice. Was raining last night and didn't get a chance to shoot much with it. Felt laggy compared to my 7D (slightly expected) and focused hunted some, but will hold judgement until I can play with the focus modes in good light. So far, impressed.
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Getting settled in with the X-T1. Have managed to sell all my Canon lenses except for the Tokina 11-16 which is still listed. Picked up the 10-24 as my UWA replacement. I find myself shooting in Av more instead of full manual, and usually with Auto ISO. Also have found myself using facial detection which has proved pretty reliable. I have it mapped to function button to quickly disable if needed. As for shooting in Av vs Manual, the metering is usually spot on for me. When using facial detection, more weight is given to the facial area making the metering pretty reliable. The WYSIWYG EVF w/ histogram lets you know right where you are. Manual focal point selection is still cumbersome for me without lowering the camera, but I'm working around it / getting use to it. Just a week out now and debating on grabbing a EF-20 flash as a small TTL solution I can use with my coiled remote cord. I went with an Op/Tech Mirrorless Sling as a strap. Was a really big fan of their Utility Sling on my 7D and really liking this one as well. Excited about using this kit for our upcoming trip!

On a side note, Zack Arias has a video posted with his experiences and tips with the X-T1 in his recent Morocco travels:
 

ddbowdoin

Well-Known Member
Getting settled in with the X-T1. Have managed to sell all my Canon lenses except for the Tokina 11-16 which is still listed. Picked up the 10-24 as my UWA replacement. I find myself shooting in Av more instead of full manual, and usually with Auto ISO. Also have found myself using facial detection which has proved pretty reliable. I have it mapped to function button to quickly disable if needed. As for shooting in Av vs Manual, the metering is usually spot on for me. When using facial detection, more weight is given to the facial area making the metering pretty reliable. The WYSIWYG EVF w/ histogram lets you know right where you are. Manual focal point selection is still cumbersome for me without lowering the camera, but I'm working around it / getting use to it. Just a week out now and debating on grabbing a EF-20 flash as a small TTL solution I can use with my coiled remote cord. I went with an Op/Tech Mirrorless Sling as a strap. Was a really big fan of their Utility Sling on my 7D and really liking this one as well. Excited about using this kit for our upcoming trip!

On a side note, Zack Arias has a video posted with his experiences and tips with the X-T1 in his recent Morocco travels:


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1056214-REG/zeiss_touit_32mm_f_1_8_and.html

919 for two lenses... thats 800 bucks off the full price!
 

sporadic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster

Arrrgghhh!!! I always miss the boat on killer deals! Just got back from our trip and no way I can justify glass now.

Really enjoyed using the Fuji this trip. Took the X-T1, 18-55, 10-24 and an old Canon FD 50/1.8 with an adapter. 10-24 spent the most time on the camera. The EF-X8 flash that came with the camera worked decent for fill. Had a few times where I missed not having a proper flashgun. No HSS for fill when shooting with the 50 @ 1.8 and no bouncing or OCF. I believe Nissin is coming out with a X system flash and will more than likely pick that up for my future E-TTL flash needs. Battery life wasn't too bad. I had picked up 4 3rd party batteries but didn't use more than 2 per day. Really liked the Wasabi batteries. Seemed to last longer than the Fuji and other 3rd party batteries I had.

Lastly, this reply would be worthless without pics! I shot in RAW+JPEG as I need to upgrade to LR5 in order to process my RAWs and that won't be until a month or so. So here's a JPEG straight out of the camera that pretty much sums up the trip. Lens was a Canon FD 50/1.8 wide open. Still getting used to the manual focus aids and missed the eyes on this one, but love the expression. Front focused a little bit.

DSCF0777
by smerrick, on Flickr
 

NowInc

Well-Known Member
that didn't work for me when I had an XPro1 for a short time... it was pretty annoying

I've heard that it's hit or miss. I was able to do it with Nikon Raw's from the D7100, but my friend with a D5300 wasn't as lucky. It makes no sense as to why it wouldn't work, seeing how the DNG converter is using the SAME raw engine that is bundled with LR/PS (in fact its updated the same day), and DNG is adobe's "Universal" format.
 

ddbowdoin

Well-Known Member
I've heard that it's hit or miss. I was able to do it with Nikon Raw's from the D7100, but my friend with a D5300 wasn't as lucky. It makes no sense as to why it wouldn't work, seeing how the DNG converter is using the SAME raw engine that is bundled with LR/PS (in fact its updated the same day), and DNG is adobe's "Universal" format.

one never knows with these programs
 

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