The Fujifilm X-Pro1 is 10 years old!
Let’s drop a beer can into Mr. Fusion, jump into our DeLorean, activate the time circuits, make sure the flux capacitor is fluxing, blast a Huey Lewis tune on the tape deck, and see what happens when this baby hits 88 miles per hour! Yes, we’re headed back in time to understand why the Fujifilm X-Pro1 was a crucial camera that changed photography.
The first stop on our time-travel trip is 1988. The Washington Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, California. George Michael’s Faith was the top hit song in America. Oh, and Fujifilm introduced the world’s first completely digital camera, the FUJIX DS-1P.
This first all-digital camera captured 0.4 megapixel images and stored them on a removable memory card—as many as 10 pictures! While this doesn’t sound like a significant achievement, it was a pivotal moment in the advancement of digital camera technology. One year later, the same year that Back To The Future Part II played in theaters, Fujifilm released the world’s first commercially-produced digital camera, the FUJIX DS-X. Fujifilm would continue to develop (pun intended) it’s digital camera technology throughout the 1990’s, making several important innovations, and even collaborating with other brands, such as Nikon.
Despite Fujifilm’s pioneering advancements, digital camera sales were slow, primarily due to the poor image quality of the early sensors plus the very high costs to buy. Meanwhile, film sales went through the roof! A billion rolls of film were sold in 1999, and even more were sold in 2000, which was the absolute pinnacle of analog photography. If you were a Fujifilm manager during those two years, and you’re seeing tons of money going into the digital camera department yet not much financially to show for it, and film sales seemed to be on a trajectory towards the moon, what would you do? It’s understandable, then, that Fujifilm did what it did: double-down on analog and pull back from digital. But the timing was awful, because film sales hit a wall, and in 2003 began to fall off a cliff, while digital sales rose sharply.
Although Fujifilm scaled back from digital, they didn’t abandon it. In fact, in 2000, Fujifilm introduced the S1 Pro, a Nikon SLR retrofitted with a 3-megapixel Super-CCD sensor. Fujifilm invented this new sensor type, which claimed to produce double the apparent resolution of a traditional Bayer sensor while simultaneously increasing dynamic range. There would be four models of these Nikon-turned-Fujifilm DSLRs—the last one, the S5 Pro, was discontinued in 2009, after disappointing sales. Mostly, though, following the fall of film, Fujifilm turned their attention to digital point-and-shoots, a fairly profitable segment at that time. They also turned their attention to non-photographic opportunities, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, among others things.
Around the time that Fujifilm was discontinuing their DSLR, they began to work on something new. Pocket point-and-shoot cameras were popular, but not with professional photographers, due to poor image quality and basic controls. What if Fujifilm made a high-end pocketable camera aimed specifically at the professional crowd? It took over two years for this idea to be realized—the Fujifilm X100 was released in March 2011, giving birth to the X-series. This camera had a rangefinder design with retro controls, harkening back to the glory days of film, and a 12-megapixel APS-C sensor. A Bayer sensor. Not Super-CCD, which was abandoned with the S5 Pro. And not X-Trans, which hadn’t been invented yet. This was also the first camera ever with a hybrid electronic/optical viewfinder.
If the X100 had been a flop, the X-series would have ended there. Thankfully, the camera was generally well received, and it sold a lot of copies. I know that I wanted one. I remember seeing it in a photography magazine and being captivated by it. I couldn’t afford the $1,200 price tag, so I didn’t buy it, but I would have if I could have. It was a camera you wanted to own!
What I said in the last paragraph—”if the X100 had been a flop, the X-series would have ended there”—isn’t actually true. The X-Trans sensor had been in the works for five years and was almost ready when the X100 was released. Work began on the X-Pro1 back in 2010, and it was decided that it would be the first camera to carry the new sensor. Whether the X100 was a flop or success had no bearing on the release of the X-Pro1, but its success most certainly helped the X-Pro1 to sell well, too.
What made this new X-Trans sensor unique? How was it different than Bayer? What was the point of it?
Fujifilm had been experimenting with different sensor concepts since the 1990’s. They tried many different things to get the most resolution, sharpness, and dynamic range from the low-megapixel sensors of the time, and that’s where the Super-CCD technology came from. Fujifilm continued to experiment, and, inspired by the randomness of silver halide, decided to test a “random” color filter array. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of computing power to interpret the data, and that was the biggest hurdle that had to be overcome, since processing power wasn’t plentiful back then.
X-Trans was a complex solution to what Fujifilm recognized as a problem, but most didn’t. The randomness of the color filter array made it less susceptible to moire pattern distortion, so an optical low-pass filter wasn’t needed. This did two things: produce sharper pictures with the appearance of more resolution, and the ability to better distinguish noise vs. signal. The latter was the most important of the two side effects. Since noise and signal could be more easily differentiated, Fujifilm could control it better, and get improved high-ISO results, as well as better shadow details. This is why Fujifilm’s noise is rendered differently than other brands, and has more of a film-grain-like appearance. Also, the extra green pixels in an X-Trans sensor produces more luminosity information, which improves dynamic range, high-ISO performance, and fine detail rendering.
Is there a difference between Bayer and X-Trans? Of course there is! It’s not immediately obvious at low-ISO, as many of the benefits are extremely subtle, but as the ISO increases the differences become more obvious. It’s not a night-and-day distinction, but there is definitely a divergence if you look close enough.
Fujifilm announced the X-Pro1 in January 2012 and began shipping it in March, which means that the camera is 10-years-old in 2022! The X-Pro1 was similar to the X100, but larger and with some design changes, and with the ability to swap lenses. Plus, it had the new 16-megapixel X-Trans sensor. Between the rangefinder styling, retro controls, hybrid viewfinder, and new sensor, Fujifilm made people take notice! The camera just grabs your attention.
It wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops, though. The X100 and X-Pro1, plus the X-E1 that followed, all had problems, and were called sluggish and quirky in camera reviews. Many of the issues were fixed with firmware updates over time, but it took time to iron out the wrinkles. Some issues weren’t Fujifilm’s fault, like RAW editing software having trouble handling the X-Trans files. Fujifilm actually intended the in-camera JPEG processor, which utilized Film Simulations (profiles created from Fujifilm’s extensive experience in film), to be a serious tool that photographers would utilize. When Fujifilm expressed this, they were scoffed at by the photography “experts” of the time, because, you know, real photographers shoot RAW, and only amateurs shoot JPEG. The response was so loud that for awhile Fujifilm stopped suggesting photographers should shoot JPEG, and put less effort towards promoting their in-camera processing.
Despite what the so-called experts thought, many of those with Fujifilm cameras began to realize that the JPEGs were actually pretty good. In September of 2014 Fujifilm announced the Fujifilm X100T, which had a new Film Simulation called Classic Chrome. It was intended to mimic the aesthetic of documentary-style pictures found in magazines. Classic Chrome was an instant hit, and it brought a new awareness to Fujifilm’s JPEG engine.
My journey into the world of Fujifilm began with a used X-E1 in the summer of 2016. Actually, let’s get back into our DeLorean and head even further into the past. In the summer of 1998 I took an epic trip with some friends to the New England states, and I borrowed my dad’s Sears 35mm SLR to photograph the journey. When I returned home and got the pictures back from the 1-hour photo lab, they were awful! I couldn’t have screwed up the pictures any more than I did. That fall I enrolled in Photography 101 in college so that I could learn to take a decent picture, and I ended up falling in love with photography. This was at the pinnacle of film. I was not a fan of the digital photography revolution because I didn’t like how digital pictures looked. In my opinion, film was much superior, and so I stubbornly stuck with it. Around 2010 I purchased my first digital camera, a Pentax DSLR, because it was inexpensive and because I could use the lenses from my Pentax SLR with it. I soon discovered why digital photography had surpassed film—it was much more quick and convenient—but I still preferred the look of film. While I continued to shoot both film and digital, I jumped from brand-to-brand trying to find a digital camera that I liked. After Pentax I tried Samsung. Then Sigma. Then Nikon. Then Sony. In 2016 I purchased the X-E1, and was instantly thrilled by the experience of the camera. Finally, a digital camera that I could love! One year later I bought an X100F, the fourth iteration of the original X100.
I configured my X100F to shoot RAW+JPEG, and after fiddling with the RAW files, I noticed that the post-processed RAW pictures didn’t look a whole lot different than the straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. I realized that with a few small tweaks in the camera settings I could make them match even more closely. That was the birth of my “Film Simulation Recipes” (camera settings that produce a certain look, often modeled after classic film stocks and analog processes). The popularity of Film Simulation Recipes has grown and grown—exploding over the last two years—and with it has seen a significant increase in those shooting JPEGs with their Fujifilm cameras. Film Simulation Recipes save you time by eliminating the need to edit (or, for some, reducing the amount of editing needed), while making the process more enjoyable. It is Fujifilm’s vision come true, although I doubt they envisioned exactly where this whole thing has gone.
Over the last decade Fujifilm has continued to innovate, leaping various hurdles, to improve and grow the X-series. Fujifilm has doubled-down on in-camera processing, and the stigma of shooting JPEGs has softened significantly. Even though much progress has been made, and the brand-new cameras are absolutely incredible, there’s still a lot of love for the original models. There’s a special quality to them, even if they’re slower, more quirky, lower resolution, and with fewer options.
While I started with an X-E1 (I’ve actually owned two), I’ve mostly used the newer models. Knowing that the X-Pro1 was approaching the 10-year mark, and loving the X-Pro series design, last year I purchased a well-used but still perfectly functioning X-Pro1. I wanted to use the X-Pro1 in 2022 as a way to celebrate the importance of this model in photography.
Let me pause here for a moment. Digital technology advances quickly. Most people aren’t still using a 10-year-old cellphone or television. Most people aren’t using a 10-year-old camera, although certainly some are. In the film era, it wasn’t uncommon to use the same camera for decades or even a whole career. In the digital era, a lot of people “upgrade” their camera gear every two or three years. While most aren’t still shooting with a camera from 2012, some are, and they’re probably thinking pretty seriously that it’s time to upgrade to the latest model. The X-Pro1 is a 10-year-old camera that not only are some people still shooting, there are actually people searching it out so that they can use it, even though they have newer models. In 2022, the X-Pro1 is a desired camera! This speaks to the genius of those who designed it—the camera itself is art, and it is a very capable tool for creating art, even after a decade.
Now, let me explain more directly exactly how the Fujifilm X-Pro1 changed photography.
While Fujifilm has been making cameras since 1948, and digital cameras since the late-1980’s, their DSLRs, while innovative, were Nikon bodies with Fujifilm innards. Buying one of these DSLRs was buying into the Nikon system. There were some advantages to buying the Fujifilm version, and there were also some disadvantages, so it was an odd market that Fujifilm found itself in. Basically, Fujifilm was hoping to convince Nikon owners to buy the Fujifilm version of Nikon’s camera, or else convince those from other brands to switch to Nikon, except the Fuji-Nikon and not actual Nikon. And there were no aftermarket products to sell, which is where the money is made. Fujifilm’s attempt to be in the professional camera market was halfhearted and failed, so with the writing on the wall, Fujifilm regrouped.
After the failure of the S5 Pro, the X100 was Fujifilm’s first attempt to capture the attention of professional and advanced enthusiast photographers, but right on its heels was the X-Pro1 with the brand-new X-Trans sensor. This was an interchangeable-lens model, which was important because selling lenses is where the real profit is. It was highly advanced: mirrorless (a fairly new concept at the time), hybrid viewfinder, new sensor type. But it was also retro: rangefinder style with no PASM dial anywhere. It was something new yet absolutely a classic. It was simultaneously modern and nostalgic.
The X-Pro1’s success allowed the Fuji-X line to continue, and all of the cameras that followed are thanks to the original model. If the X-Pro1 had flopped, Fujifilm would have exited stage left, and there would be no X-Pro3 or X-T4 or X-E4 or any other X-series camera today. I likely wouldn’t have purchased an X-E1 in 2016 and I definitely wouldn’t have bought an X100F in 2017, because the X100F wouldn’t exist. If not for the X100F, I wouldn’t have made Film Simulation Recipes, I wouldn’t have created the Fuji X Weekly App, and you wouldn’t know the joys of using these recipes. There are literally tens of thousands of photographers worldwide—from first-camera newbies to experienced professionals with recognizable names—who are capturing the world through the colors and tones of Film Simulation Recipes. If not for the X-Pro1, this would never have happened. If you shoot with Film Simulation Recipes, you can, in part, thank the X-Pro1 (or, more specifically, the team that made that camera a reality). Because of it, far more photographers are relying on camera-made JPEGs today than they otherwise would, which saves them time and makes their photographic process more enjoyable.
The X-Pro1 is an important camera in the photography continuum, but it is more than just a display piece. The X-Pro1, a decade after it was announced, is still a quality tool for capturing the world. It’s a camera I used in 2021, and it’s a camera I’ll continue to use in 2022, and likely the years to follow. My copy is a little worn, but, as long as it continues to work, I will still use it. I have many Fujifilm cameras, but I have a special place for the X-Pro1 both in my heart and in my camera bag. That’s a legacy worth noting!
What about you? Do you own a Fujifilm X-Pro1? What was your first Fujifilm camera? Which Fujifilm cameras do you currently own? Which Film Simulation Recipe is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
My introduction to both mirrorless and Fuji is the beautifully slim X70. Given what I’ve attempted and posted online, my favourite Simulation Recipe on the X70 thus far has been Kodachrome64, followed closely by Kodacolor. Thanks for posting your recipes!
Awesome! That’s a camera I’d love to own someday. Or, an X80 if Fujifilm ever made one. I appreciate your input!
Wonderful article!
My first Fuji was the X100 and I could not be more pleased! I later bought an XE2 with the 18-55 kit lens. Incidentally, that lens is so good I haven’t bought a prime, though I do adapt M lenses and OLD Nikon glass too…. I saw a Pro 1 on Amazon, new, $500.00 and I made the mistake of buying one instead of two….. I love my FUJI’S…..
These cameras, like the X-Pro1 and X-E2, are wonderful for adapting vintage glass. $500 for a new X-Pro1 sounds like it was an absolutely incredible deal!
Photography consumed me in 1984. Many film cameras along the way , still have them no regrets. The Fujifilm Xtrans system has definitely enhanced my level of creativity and pushed me to be best. It’s all good.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I have the XT-3 and two X-Pro1s. I bought the second one entirely out of greed to have a back-up when my daily use X-Pro1 dies. Right now I am shooting with it exclusively on a range of lenses. I’ve had the X70 as well (apparently one of the first in Canada judging by the swag I got with it (t-shirt, Fuji X cap, tripod, lens cleaning kit, etc). I passed that on to my daughter when I decided that I needed to understand the X-Pro1 inside and out. I love the look this sensor gives. 10 years old and still an awesome camera. Thanks for the excellent article!
I appreciate your input! Great idea buying the second body for someday when you’ll need it.
My first was S pro 1 which I loved. At the time l mainly used medium format film on Bronicas, and 35mm gear was a couple of Nikon FMs. Didn’t quite trust digital then didn’t know anything about photoshop although I had a copy of it free with the purchase of the S1 pro, a scaled down version. But I persevered and started doing studio sittings with the S pro and loved it. Bought a wide format Epson printer and a whole new world opened up for me. First X Series was the XE1 in 2012 with 18 55 kit lens which blew the S1 out of the water.
The X-E1 was a great little camera. Wish I still had mine. Just for fun, someday I’d like to try one of the DSLRs, maybe the S5 Pro, but I probably never will. Thanks for the comment!
Didn’t get another S pro, my local camera store was offering a real good deal at the time on the Nikon D100 so I got that instead.
I’m loving my XT-2, which i have owned for about three years. Like many of us on this forum, I came from an analog background. My foray into digital started with a Pentax K-100D, followed a couple years later by a K-50, with a couple of lenses.
When I bought the XT-2, I though that I would soon be purchasing some additional lenses, because as everyone knows. “kit lenses are junk.” Well, I was pleasantly surprised by my 18-55 f2.8 lenses…It’s quite likely the best all around lens ever made.
Now, thanks to Ritchie Roesch, and FUJI X WEEKLY, I am finding new ways to use and love my Fuji camera.
BTW, Ritchie, if you ever write a book on shooting with the Fuji family, I will gladly purchase the first copy to print.
Oh yes! So… I will purchase the second one!
Thanks for the encouragement!
I appreciate your kind words! My first Pentax was a K-x. It was alright as long as you didn’t go much higher than ISO 800, but seemed to “fall apart” if you ventured too far above that, especially above ISO 1600. I remember that it took AA batteries, which seems odd looking back. Thanks for the input!
Well done Richie, lovely bit of history.Pat.
Thanks so much!
Nice camera and cool photos ! I personally hesitated for a long time between an old X-pro1 (or an X-pro2) and a new X-e4…
I don’t regret my x-e4 but the x-pro are really attractive !
at another level, the Fuji X10 (my first fuji) has be important in his category, even if compact cameras have almost disappeared.
It’s easy to forget about the X10 (and X20 and X30), which was similar to an X100 but with a zoom lens and smaller sensor. It was released between the X100 and X-Pro1. Thanks for the input!
I do have a xpro1, and use it regularly. After that i bougth and still own a xt 10 and xt3, plus several fuji lenses. Ok, xt3 is technically superior, but xpro 1 has an eternal soul, not to dismiss.
I like that: the X-Pro1 has an eternal soul. Thanks for the comment!
I have had the XE1, Pro2, XH1, XE3 and nearly all the prime lens 0lus 18-55, 16-55, 55-70, l like them all but I discovered that shooting old Nikon primes (the inexpensive 50/1.8) on the X tran sensor bring incredible colors and an unique favour, hope you can try that and hear your thoughts
I started out with a Fuji Finepix camera whilst living in Egypt many moons ago. Then relocated to Cyprus and was using a Pentax model which I purchased from my brother and really caught the photography bug! Returned to the UK as a school photographer and was using Nikon D800, purchased my own D600, (which struggled with particles on the sensor. The only Nikon images I liked were from the D700 which I still feel has a similar magic as the XPRO1. Really wanted something less conspicuous and picked up the XT1 and was blown away by the image quality of the SOOC jpegs. Still using an XT1 and XPRO1 today after trying an XH1 preferred the 16mp sensor images. Use the 18-55 on the PRO1 and the 35 1.4 on the T1 for my street photography work
The X-T1 and X-Pro1 is a great combo. I like these cameras with vintage lenses, so definitely give that a try! Thanks for the input!
I have renewed my love for photography due to owning the X100F and have now completely fallen into the blackhole of the XPro1. I’ve stopped shooting RAW, and have been really enjoying taking photographs of pretty much everything. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the image that I get from the XPro1 so much so that after buying my first XPro1 on 2020, I bought another January 2022. I enjoy it with my M lenses and old Nikon primes. Add your recipes to the mix and BOOM! I will be forever grateful to you and discovering your site and for the XPro1 for letting me rediscover my love for photography.
Wow! Awesome! More recipes are in the works.
Hey, I’m just wondering if you ever exceed the bounds on operating temperature for your Fujifilm cameras? It’s quite cold here now, -13C, and my X-T3 specifies a limit of -10C. I’m wondering if you are cautious and cognizant of operating within these bounds strictly. I think UT can be pretty chilly, too, so thought you might have some insight.
Cheers and thank you,
C.
I’ve never been close to that cold. Single digits very occasionally, but not once below 0. So I’m not going to be much help. I think the camera would likely still function, especially if it had the opportunity to warm up now and then (and not left out in the cold), but the battery would likely drain fast.
Thank you for the lovely story Ritchie! It was really interesting to read about the beginnings of the X-mount. I’m still new to the Fujifilm family. Wondered why I didn’t discover Fujifilm before…it was all DSLR, it was all Canon and Nikon, but even then I chose Pentax, clearly an underdog. I loved the K5-II for the small size and the ergonomics though.
Maybe I needed the detour to understand what I was really looking for? The me now thinks he has found something, if not all I was looking for in the X-mount system.
Glad that you found it! I didn’t know what I was missing until I got an X-E1. But now that I know, I couldn’t be happier. Thanks for the comment!
Great history Richie…My first FujiX was original X100 i bought in 2013 from second hand. Now I use X100F.
I shot jpegs only, mostly Classic chrome. On X100 I was my favorite simulation Astia.
Here is my slideshoow from family trip to Tuscany shot with X100T in 2016:
https://youtu.be/mqWjF9DyenA
Awesome! Thank you for sharing!
My first Fuji camera was the X-T2. After that I tried the XE-2S, but I did not like the silver color, so I sold it forward. May 2021 I got more into street photography, with an X-Pro 1. I absolutely love the camera. I especially like the black and white pictures it can produce, and 3200 iso is amazing. It’s slow, but very fun to use. I cant wait to have more sun here in Finland, so I can use it even more, AF is a pain in low light. I mostly use it with XF35mmF2 but I’ve used it with various lenses. I started noticing some hot pixels last month, so I hope the xpro will survive me atleast another summer. Also, 16mp is plenty enough. I printed a 50x70cm picture captured with this camera.
Thanks for the recipes, I shoot mostly raw, but I do like trying out different looks straight in the camera.
Awesome! You should try some manual focus lenses on the X-Pro1. Although certainly not perfect, it’s a fun camera to use that produces very good results. Thanks for sharing!
I went from XT2 to XE1 to XS10.
XT2 and XS10 I use for work but the XE1 is my one-camera-one-lens-one-year project camera.
For a year I’ve used it with the Konica Hexanon 40mmF1.8. The files have a very organic, film, old school type of vibe. I shoot jpg with a 5:4 crop ratio in mind.
@xftales
New project start in February, for one year I’ll use the XE1 together with the XF18mmf2, only shoot black and white in 1:1 & 16:9 crop mode. Celebrating 10year anniversary for the XE1 and the 18mm
Amazing! Can’t wait to see what you capture!
Well I know I’m aging myself but I shot with a Fuji Z4900, then upgraded to the 3.4 megapixel Fujifilm S1Pro which used Nikon lenses. Base iso was 320 and that camera was AMAZING for it’s time – shooting RAF and JPEG files. I then moved to the S2Pro and shot with BOTH for quite some time. Since I was already invested in Nikon lenses I continued with the Nikon D300, D3, D4, D800e before buying my first X-E1, then the X-T1 (which I still own and use)!!! I love the X-T1 even today (I have the XT1, XT2, XH1 and the GFX50R). The XT1 is amazing and pocketable with the original 27mm F2.8. LOVE my Fuji’s
It would be interesting to compare the Z4900 with the newer Fujifilm cameras. I recently got (was gifted) an X-H1, and I’m really loving it. What do you think of the GFX camera?
Like you, Ritchie, the moment I saw the first ad for the Fuji X100 I wanted it. And like you, at the time I couldn’t afford it, and since I needed an interchangeable lens camera for my line of work, I knew I wouldn’t get an X100. Until last year, when I earned enough to afford both my Nikon Z6ii and a used X100f, which I bought. Once I used the X100f I knew I wanted the newer/better lens on it, so returned the X100f and bought a new x100v. After using this camera I knew what I wanted to do and I did it. I sold ALL my Nikon gear and went full speed ahead into the world of Fuji photography. I bought an X-T3 to go with my X100V and added four Fuji lenses and the new Tamron 18-300mm lens for my X-T3. My only irritant is that boring “hump” in the middle of the X-T3 that is used in everyone’s DSLR. I hate that look, much preferring the “rangefinder” look of other Fuji cameras. I owned a used Fuji X-Pro2 for a short time and loved it, UNTIL… it stopped working in the middle of an important photoshoot of a friend’s 8oth birthday party. So I returned it and bought the new X-T3 last October. But I still long for the “look” and feel of the X-Pro2. So I’m considering picking up a used X-Pro1 or maybe trying another X-Pro2 (I don’t like the back of the X-Pro3’s, and frankly liked the back on the X100f more than on the X100V as well). But I’m also considering one of the X-E1 or X-E2s as well since they offer the “rangefinder” look I prefer. I’d be interested in your thoughts about comparing an X-Pro1 to an X-E2. I know about the 16mp maximum on the E-X1 and 2, but frankly downsize my photos for my real estate clients anyway, so 16mp would still be plenty large enough for my needs, and I still have 24mp on the X100V for “everyday” work. Sorry I’m rambling here, but just throwing it out for your comments. Thanks for all you do for us, Ritchie. Appreciate it…. Bob Dumon
In my opinion, X-Trans III is the best for high-ISO color work. When I do real estate photography (and granted I’m not the biggest expert at this), I do a lot of high-ISO color photography. So I would recommend the X-E3 (or X-Pro2… sorry yours stopped working at the absolute worst time) over the X-E2 or X-Pro1 for this reason. I hope this makes sense.
I snagged an inexpensive X-E2 to try first. Meanwhile I still have the X-T3 just in case, but thanks…. I REALLY loved the X-Pro2 so I may still go try another of those again, we’ll see….B.
Am trying to cancel the X-E2 order from KEH. We’ll see, thanks….
For some reason KEH wouldn’t let me cancel this order. Probably because I discovered I had ordered it from MPB instead. Ha.
I’m sure you’ll love the camera. Maybe it’s a sign to keep it…. 🙂
Now if I can only sneak it past my wife! Ha.
Lol!
Hi. Ritchie. I do owned Fujifilm XE3 and XT 1 camera as brand new camera at bargain price last 2 years. Since covid 19 pandemic, I have not much using both of these cameras except random shots around my housing areas during my morning walk. In fact I love Fujifilm cameras for its simple beautiful colour JPEG images from SOOC shots. I am too lazy to edit any JPEG or Raw files. To me, real photography is an art of beauty and not edited images. What I shot on camera and what I got on the image like the film photos. But the only difference is I can not control the post processing film photos.
Love that post-processing is completely optional, as the results are great SOOC. Thanks for the comment!
I’ll be keeping the little Fuji X-E2. I like it a lot, and my wife is okay with it. She said, “Is this something you really NEEDED, or just something you really WANTED?” I told her “Really WANTED.” So she said, “okayyy.” What a great wife!
Wow, amazing! Glad it worked out!
Now I need to get some things setup the way I want, e.g., I DON’T want the image I’ve just shot in portrait mode to automatically be rotated during viewing. I prefer to turn the camera to see a portrait shot full screen. Any idea how to do that? I’ll go look on YouTube. I do like the little X-E2 a lot and am anxious to plug in some of your film sims, e.g., Kodachrome 64….
There should be, under Screen Set-Up, the ability to turn Autorotate Playback on and off.
Found it and it worked, thanks!!!
Can’t agree more. Fujifilm does hold a special place my heart. My first was XT1, still loving it, despite some visible scruffs, and it’s still working. When I have this in my hand, the motivation geared to another level and feels different. Spooky!
Wanted to get xpro3, still out of budget. One day I will have you!
The X-T1 is an excellent camera! I’ve heard that the rubber has a tendency to come loose, but that has yet to happen to my copy, so I’m happy about that. The X-Pro3 is out of my budget, too….
Great article, Ritchie! 👌
My first digital Fuji was the X-Pro1, which I bought used in 2014. I am still using that camera, it is currently also the only regular camera that I own and use. As I 2as not happy with how I used it in the past 2 years (mainly on Auto setting for some half-hearted travel photos) I decided to really focus on it this year again, to learn its in & outs, all that it is capable of. Coming across Fuji X Weekly only recently (and your most excellent film simulations and app which I promptly downloaded and upgraded to full access, thank you for those btw 🙏😉) was part of this mission of discovery & learning.
I don’t have a favourite film simulation yet, have short-listed 4 I am currently trying out in the changing weather conditions here. As I am writing this, I am travelling with the family, and have only 1 prime lens in the bag (the 27mm which came with with the camera back in 2012) as well as the MCEX-16 extension tube. Left the other lenses at home in this exercise on focus 😁
Absolute.y truly love my X-Pro1, don‘t see myself parting with it anytime soon. It suits me just fine. I am thinking though of getting an X-E1 in good condition for our son, he shows a lot of interest in photography as well. He is already familiar with my X-Pro1 and he could use my lenses.
Thank you for this wonderful note! The X-E1 was my very first Fujifilm camera. My X-Pro1 is in rough condition but still works well. The 27mm f/2.8 is an excellent lens… the new version, especially, with the aperture ring. Have fun on your travels!