Fuji X-Pro1 Review

This is an in-depth review of the Fuji X-Pro1, a highly anticipated mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera. Built on the success of the Fuji X100 and aimed at pros and photo enthusiasts that need a lightweight camera alternative to a DSLR with amazing image quality, the Fuji X-Pro1 is the first mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera from Fuji. Along with the X-Pro1, Fuji simultaneously introduced three prime lenses – Fujinon 18mm f/2.0 XF R, Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 XF R and Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 XF Macro, all specifically designed to be used for the new Fuji X mount. In this Fuji X-Pro1 review, I will not only provide detailed information about the camera, but will also try to answer the many questions that we have gotten so far on the camera from our readers, along with comparisons to Nikon and Canon DSLRs.

I had an opportunity to work closely with the Fuji X-Pro1 and the new XF lenses for over a month in various environments and I have been intentionally delaying this review for one major reason – RAW support from Adobe for the Fuji X-Pro1 became available very late, at the end of May 2012. I installed Silkypix software that supports Fuji X-Pro1 RAW files, but I ended up removing it from my computer almost immediately. I certainly did not feel like learning to use another image editing tool just because of no support from Adobe. I don’t know what took Adobe and Fuji this long to provide RAW support, but it was certainly a very frustrating experience for many Fuji X-Pro1 users and owners.

I have a love and hate relationship with the Fuji X-Pro1, which is unfortunate, because this could be such a phenomenal camera. On one side, the camera is compact, lightweight and produces stunning images. On the other hand, its autofocus system is terrible, manual focus is a pain and there are plenty of bugs and other issues. Similar to my experience with the X100, except the X100 had many of its issues addressed via firmware updates later on. I have no idea if Fuji is planning to make the X-Pro1 better the same way with firmware updates or not. Time will tell.

1) Fujifilm X-Pro1 Specifications

Main Features and Specifications:

1. Sensor: 16.3 MP (1.5x crop factor), 4.8µ pixel size
2. Sensor Size: 23.6 x 15.6mm
3. Resolution: 4896 x 3264
4. Native ISO Sensitivity: 200-6,400
5. Boost Low ISO Sensitivity: 100
6. Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 12,800-25,600
7. Sensor Cleaning System: Yes
8. Lens mount: FUJIFILM X mount
9. Weather Sealing/Protection: No
10. Body Build: Full Magnesium Alloy
11. Shutter: Up to 1/4000 and 30 sec exposure
12. Shutter Control: Focal Plane Shutter
13. Storage: 1x SD slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC compatible)
14. Viewfinder Type: Hybrid Multi Viewfinder with 100% coverage in Electronic mode
15. Speed: 6 FPS
16. Exposure Meter: TTL 256-zones metering
17. Built-in Flash: No
18. Autofocus: Yes
19. Manual Focus: Yes
20. LCD Screen: 3 inch diagonal with 1,230,000 dots
21. Movie Modes: Full 1080p HD @ 24 fps max
22. Movie Exposure Control: Full
23. Movie Recording Limit: 29 minutes
24. Movie Output: MOV (H.264)
25. GPS: No
26. Battery Type: NP-W126
27. Battery Life: 300 shots, 900 in power save mode
28. USB Standard: 2.0
29. Weight: 400g (excluding battery)
30. Price: $1,699 MSRP body only

A detailed list of camera specifications is available at Fujifilm.com.