Fuji My X-Pro2 Review

[Adam Bonn]

Thank you Adam I also enjoy your blog. The pictures were great in color. I find when I shoot b&w I go about taking the picture differently then when shooting color and when looking at the same picture in b&w and color I even look at them differently. I find the b&w photos are more artistic then color but thats just my openion. Thanks for the posting.

Hi Mike,

Thank you very much

I think artistic is a good as word as any...

For my OPINION our eyes pick up on different things between the two formats.

Monochrome can simplify a busy scene, for example a shot of (and I’m making this up as I go along) a horse shoe on a brick wall becomes about the iron black of the horse shoe in mono, but about the orange of the bricks if we use colour

But colour can draw the eye, a shot of 10 people wearing blue, except one wearing yellow wouldn’t work in mono

So with mono I want the contrast to be in the right place, in colour the right colour in the right place (so that’s want, not necessarily get )

And I think (just my opinion remember) that’s the thing to use when deciding which works, and also why I like to try and use both

Examples:

You looked at her face first right? It’s big and bright and the eye (probably) goes straight there!

If this was in colour, you’d see green leaves, whatever colour the umbrella is, the clothes on the guy... etc etc

Can you see the shadowy figure? Of course you can, he’s wearing a bright red top! That bit of red even overpowers the orangey yellow of the building (imo, ymmv)

If this was in mono you might not even notice he was there

The above is all my opinion, but it’s the opinion I work too, usually before I hit the shutter, occasionally when I get home and see the image and find something I should’ve been attuned to at the point of capture!

(These aren’t shot on a Fuji btw. Hope we’re all cool like little Fonzie’s about that )

 

[Adam Bonn]

The X-Pro Range – What Next?

The X-H1 is announced and I can only speculate about what this technical direction means for the X-Pro range

The X-Pro Range – What Next?

 

[Mike G]

Adam, I sincerely hope your wishes come true, I personally wish the same sort of upgrades to a hoped for X-T3. I do hope that the H1 is not an XT replacement.

Each to his own of course!

 

[Bobby T]

Agreed with everything, Adam. This next round of bodies is an opportunity for Fuji to really differentiate the Xpro and XT bodies more. So that each camera offers a completely different user experience.

 

[Adam Bonn]

Thanks Mike and Bobby,

One of my other hobbies (almost past hobby, not as into it as I was) is watches

And on the watch forums you often see posts that read something like

Hi everyone, just joined and looking forward to learning all about watches. I’ll say this though, I hate this modern obsession with big watches, I just wish that the manufacturers would make normal sized watches

And it seems the same with cameras, many of us want at least one camera that’s a simple rig with just what we need to take photos, and nothing else

Yet every year cameras get more complicated and feature rich (and watches get bigger )

I’ll put it like this.

When the X-Pro1 arrived, Leica had the M9. The fuji had way more going for it, better ISO and an EVF with a moveable focus point, give or take video and a panorama mode, everything on the fuji was to take pictures

Now we have the X-Pro2. Leica has the M10. The M10 beats the fuji for ISO, its (admittedly accessory) EVF has the same resolution, you can move the focus point around and the Leica has all the same metering modes. Meanwhile the Fuji has a LOT of menu fluff and new video features

How has Leica managed to out Fuji, Fuji with a pure modern product that delivers the basics of all that’s needed, when that was always Fuji’s thing?

(Yes I appreciate there’s a price difference )

I’m becoming slightly ambivalent to the IQ of the X-Pro2 too... (bear with me)

The X-Pro1 took the same 16mp chip that was in the Nikons, the Nex, the Leica X Vario (and maybe the Pentax) and they owned that, they made it make images with a style that no one else was getting from that chip

The new Fuji’s 24mp chip is technically better than the 16mp one in every measurable way, but the output looks the same as everyone else’s 24mp chip.

I don’t mean to sound down on Fuji, I’m not.... nor am I about to get an M10 (too much ££££££)

But you could make a list of the features found on the Sony, the XH1, the Olympus and they’re practically interchangeable... and I think we can ALMOST say the same for the IQ too....

....my fear is that I’m not seeing any hint of a return to the original Fujis we all fell for...

....perhaps it’s just a case of when your fav club band makes it big.... plays the superbowl half time show.... and you should be happy for them, but instead you find yourself thinking

You’ve changed man, it used to be about the music

 

[Adam Bonn]

PS

Just to clarify something from the above.

Yes I realise that Leica has always been known for simple digital cameras, but it used to be that this simplicity came at the cost of crap ISO or a low spec EVF or zero choice in metering modes.

They’ve managed to update the M to be modern, but without losing what made it special to begin with.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

I hope someone at Fuji is reading your posts each week, Adam, and paying attention. Meanwhile, I'll hang on to my X-Pro 1.

 

[Plaatje]

I hope someone at Fuji is reading your posts each week, Adam, and paying attention. Meanwhile, I'll hang on to my X-Pro 1.

Same here, when the time comes to change I hope Fuji will have a nice Pro with the possibilities that a Leica M8, 9 or 10 has. I really don't need all the extra's. I just saw a Leica M8 and a M9 both second hand and for the first time in years I'm tempted to buy . . .
I also looked at the Olympus Pen-F, what a beauty. The reason for this looking at these camera's is the direction Fuji seems to go. I'm hoping there is still a place for an X-Pro " look a like". Maybe the upcoming Photokina will tell us more . . . . Maybe I'm just getting old . . .

 

[Adam Bonn]

I hope someone at Fuji is reading your posts each week, Adam, and paying attention. Meanwhile, I'll hang on to my X-Pro 1.

Thanks Dave,

I'm not convinced... apparently Fuji read the fujirumours comments, but perhaps not that closely or else they'd have provided the ISO on a scroll wheel that 80+% of X-Pro2 owners seem to want by now

The X-Pro1 is still a great camera

 

[Adam Bonn]

Same here, when the time comes to change I hope Fuji will have a nice Pro with the possibilities that a Leica M8, 9 or 10 has. I really don't need all the extra's. I just saw a Leica M8 and a M9 both second hand and for the first time in years I'm tempted to buy . . .
I also looked at the Olympus Pen-F, what a beauty. The reason for this looking at these camera's is the direction Fuji seems to go. I'm hoping there is still a place for an X-Pro " look a like". Maybe the upcoming Photokina will tell us more . . . . Maybe I'm just getting old . . .

The M9 is a sensational camera, if you can accept it's colossal limitations (ISO 640 and maybe +2 stops in post if you're careful), the files are lovely though

I can forgive the X-Pro2 having more bum fluff than an unshaved 14 year old boy, but increasingly I'm finding the IQ technically superb, whilst being somehow lacklustre.

That's the bit that rankles me (ymmv) the most... where's the signature Fujifilm style gone?

 

[Adam Bonn]

I've been playing with X-Pro2 files today!

And hacking the RAFs so that my editor thinks they're from different cameras (and yes, I'm great fun at parties)

I've used the fuji supplied RFC raw convertor to show you these, but this isn't my first choice for editing Fuji files

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

This is the X-Pro2 RAF.

Editing consists of
Turn off all NR
Select Astia

Here's exactly the same raw file but hacked so that RFC thinks it's from an X-Pro1.

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Editing consists of
Turn off all NR
Select Astia

I'm not sure that the web will do this much, but there's some subtle differences.

The "X-Pro1" (sic) file is a bit lighter and warmer

It doesn't look like a real X-Pro1 file, but just this single change gives you a different look

 

[Plaatje]

The M9 is a sensational camera, if you can accept it's colossal limitations (ISO 640 and maybe +2 stops in post if you're careful), the files are lovely though

I can forgive the X-Pro2 having more bum fluff than an unshaved 14 year old boy, but increasingly I'm finding the IQ technically superb, whilst being somehow lacklustre.

That's the bit that rankles me (ymmv) the most... where's the signature Fujifilm style gone?

As far as I know, but I'm not (yet) a Leica expert, the ISO of the M9 goes up to 2500 . . . But I would prefer a lower ISO on the new X-Pro?(25 and/or 50 iso) than a higher option.
But also the Leica M8 feels great. The X-Pro1 feels great too, but after holding a Leica it feels " plasticly". Luckily that feeling disappeared very soon . . .

 

[Adam Bonn]

Just for some fun...

here's three files

all more of less edited the same

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X-Pro2

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X-Pro1

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Leica M9

I could maybe p**s about making them all look the same, but I've taken them as separate entities

The Fuji files are astia

I've used the same editor for them all, and to be honest the Leica files come out better in LR (this is SilkyPix Pro v8)

Here things get a bit complicated!

The M has done the best job of retaining the highlights of the post box, but the worst job of retaining the highlights of the sky

The red on the M9 is bold, but not especially accurate

The red on the X-Pro1 is a little blown (its a bit pink)

All in all I think the X-Pro2 has done the best job here

BUT I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH, this wasn't very scientific.

I left each camera in aperture mode and didn't try and adjust EV comp on the fly

Also walking around with three cameras, isn't really my idea of a good time, and I didn't really have the time to make a decent exposure with each.

That all said.. This is quite a good missive for the respective strengths/weaknesses of each camera

X-Pro2, so so desperate to be as life like as it can

X-Pro1, lower contrast and therefore a bit "filmic" (in that film can frequently have less contrast than digital images)

M9, just way out there making up it's own colours and light, which sometimes rewards you well and other times has you reaching for the delete button.

Of the three, the X-Pro2 is by far the easiest to ensure the shot is likely to be how you want it before you take it. The X-Pro1 isn't far behind but a bit slower. The absence of any live view, and live histogram and only one metering mode makes the M9 a bit of a cottage industry in terms of nailing exposure, where you come to reply on experience and if it's really important, I highly recommend you at least chimp the histogram before moving on.

 

[Adam Bonn]

As far as I know, but I'm not (yet) a Leica expert, the ISO of the M9 goes up to 2500 . . . .

It does go up that high, but the resultant images are far from pleasant to my eye

The M9 stops with pre-ADC at 640, and goes all digital after that, and LR seems to make a better job of controlling this digital push that if you apply it universally in the camera (plus you can use the brush/filters to just lift the bits you want)

For me, the biggest wow of the M after the Fuji, is the shutter response. The quality feel is most apparent in the lens mount, it's like a micro turn to lock into place and feels so solid

The buttons and dials aren't much difference to the fujis

In the hand the M feels smallest and the most dense

 

[Adam Bonn]

I'll bore you all with some more M9 shots, and wait for @BobbyT to bust my ass outta the Fuji forum

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There were all shot on the same day, with a summarit 35. Note the blue sky and binary light

I'll steer clear of traditional Leica hyperbole lexicon (such as pop micro-contrast and glow)

However, I'm finding that when the M9 gets it right (actually maybe I should take some credit for that?) it just seems to deliver an image that I find pleasing, and one that works well at normal viewing sizes rather than 100% view on a screen.

(I've yet to print any actually)

So I'll humbly suggest the words 'bite' and 'charm' as my M9 accolades of choice

also the raw images tend to come of the card needing virtually nothing, or are fit for nothing, with little in between. (YMMV)

erm ok no more M9 stuff (I'm not planning to blog about it either, but maybe some more Dear Susan articles)

I'll end with this... as an X-Pro 1 and 2 owner, any X-Pro3 needs to have an output that charms my pants off and whisks me up to the bedroom or I doubt I'll be that bothered to own one, but maybe I'll relent if the hybrid VF is otherworldly

 

[Bobby T]

Nah, we would miss you. Keep the comparisons coming.

 

[rayvonn]

@Adam Bonn I loved that comparison and would ask you to keep it going. As a Fuji owner, there is always a temptation/ curiosity to drop some cash on an M9 under some mistaken belief that it's now cheap. So its important for posts like yours to be considered, lest anyone thinks going to an M9 will be some sort of panacea.

 

[Adam Bonn]

@Adam Bonn I loved that comparison and would ask you to keep it going. As a Fuji owner, there is always a temptation/ curiosity to drop some cash on an M9 under some mistaken belief that it's now cheap. So its important for posts like yours to be considered, lest anyone thinks going to an M9 will be some sort of panacea.

An m9 is a little like beer....

The cause of and solution too many little problems

 

[Adam Bonn]

For this week's article we're continuing the theme of what the X-Pro3 might and I'll share what I dearly love it to be

Any X-Pro3 Really Needs Magic

 

[Plaatje]

For this week's article we're continuing the theme of what the X-Pro3 might and I'll share what I dearly love it to be

Any X-Pro3 Really Needs Magic

Interesting point of view, hope someone at Fuji will notice this . . . . .