Fuji Camera Reviews

Fuji X Day with the Riflessi Camera Store: Hands-on with the Fuji X-E2

05/12/2013 By Heather

If there is one thing Fujifilm Italia is good at, it is holding Fuji X Days where people can come and try the full range of Fuji X Series products, from professional cameras like the X-Pro1 to high-end point-and-shoots like the XQ1, and a whole array of quality lenses in between.

This week, our friends at the Riflessi Camera Store were the hosts of a two-part Fuji X Day, consisting of a try-out session at their store and a professional shoot with models later on in the evening. Since Mat was away in London on a job and I had to work late, I only made it to the second half of the day. My aim? To get my hands on the Fuji X-E2, even if just for twenty minutes!

The Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4: Hands-on & Comparison with the X100s

28/10/2013 By Mathieu

We photographers love fast apertures. We are like kids at Christmas, yearning to see just how blurry and ‘bokehlicious’ the background can get. And not that there’s anything wrong with that, as a famous comedian once said. A fast aperture lens is always nice to use. And if it is a wide fast aperture lens, even better. I find these lenses way more fascinating than telephoto or portrait lenses because of the focal length factor. With a wide lens, the mix of vastitude and shallow depth of field gives more punch to your photographs and brings them closer to the much-desired full-frame look.

Now that I’ve gone mirrorless, the only lens I really miss from my full-frame gear is the 24mm f/1.4 by Nikon, the best lens I’ve ever used. Though my time with it was brief (I sold much of my Nikon gear six months later), it was love at first sight. The Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 reminds me of it, even though it doesn’t have the same equivalent focal length.

Another case of love at first sight, perhaps?

Testing out the new Fujifilm XQ1 & X-A1 in Cossato, Italy

27/10/2013 By Heather

At the Italian Fuji X Day in Cossato, we had originally hoped to spend some time with the new Fujifilm X-E2 but it turned out that it had somewhere else to be – most likely in the hands of a journalist or an X photographer! Despite our disappointment, we were compensated by the presence of the XQ1, Fujifilm’s newest compact, the X-A1 or the X-M1’s twin sans X-Trans technology and the highly-anticipated Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 (hands-on review coming soon but you can see a preview in this article as most of the product shots were taken with that lens).

Mirrorless on the Job – Episode 2: Why the Fuji X100s is the perfect second body

22/10/2013 By Mathieu

Back in July, I published the first article in the Mirrorless on the Job series. In the article, I shared my experience as a professional photographer who uses mirrorless cameras for work with a specific focus on the OM-D E-M5 by Olympus.

As you can guess from the title of this second episode, I also use the Fujifilm X100s on the job, but in this case I have a different story to tell. While the E-M5 switch was premeditated because I was looking for an alternative to my DSLR, the incorporation of the Fuji into my workflow was almost a natural yet unexpected transition. When I first bought it, I was sure that I would only use it for personal purposes but I ended up carrying it with me at all times, often using it alongside my E-M5 as a second body and sometimes even as my primary body for some assignments. This unexpected combo has given me a lot of surprise and satisfaction in the year I’ve been using it.

So how does the X100s complete the gear I require for my work?

When Low-End Doesn’t Mean Low Quality: A Fujifilm X-M1 Review

16/10/2013 By Mathieu

The release of the Fujifilm X-M1 marks an important step in the X line for the Japanese firm. Up until now, Fuji has concentrated its efforts on high-end interchangeable lens models such as the X-Pro 1 and high-end compact cameras such as the X100/s and X10/20 line. With the X-M1, Fujifilm has expanded its product line to include low-end mirrorless cameras and puts itself in direct competition with products like the Sony Nex-5/6 series or the Samsung NX300.

At the time of writing this article, the X-A1, Fujifilm’s newest entry level model, has just been announced and the QX1 (same sensor as the X20) is also on the way. Some have criticised Fujifilm for spending more time on cheaper cameras instead of updating their high-end models, but that is going to change soon with the imminent announcement of the X-E2. Also, while the release of all these new models may lead us to think that Fujifilm wants to imitate other brands and saturate the market, in my opinion it is a simple consequence of a company wanting to increase its earnings. Actually, if you think about it, Fuji started the opposite way: the first models were for professionals and advanced enthusiasts and it has now turned its attention to the rest of the market, which of course cannot be ignored.

Simply, what Fujifilm is doing is filling new low-end cameras with technology that has been tried, tested and approved by professionals. I won’t dig more into Fuji’s marketing strategy because it isn’t my domain, but if we are to take anything away from this discussion, it is that the X-M1 may seem like a compromise for many things but not the most important aspect, image quality.