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Fujifilm Mirrorless Cameras

Fujifilm X-E1 Mirrorless Camera

Last month I picked up a Fujifilm X-E1 and several Fujinon lenses for certain types of shooting where I need great image quality in small, light, portable equipment. This camera is a “rangefinder style” (though not literally a rangefinder) camera with an electronic viewfinder, and it evokes memories of classic rangefinder cameras by way of its small size, its overall design, and the relatively small lenses that it uses. I have had a chance to use it enough now to understand how it works and how well, and I’m very impressed with the camera and even more impressed with the Fujinon lenses and the image quality they can produce on this camera. Recently I posted a report on my initial experiences (“Fujifilm X-E1: From DSLR to Mirrorless“) and I will likely add a real review at some point.

In any case, I would like to share links to several of the Fujifilm cameras in this category, along with links to some of the Fujinon lenses, most of which I have now used. (The links go to site-sponsor B&H Photo.)

Bodies

Lenses

* I have used these lenses and am very impressed by their quality.
** The 55-200mm zoom has been announced but is not yet available. I intend to acquire it when it is available.

© Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Fujifilm X-E1: From DSLR to Mirrorless

(March 2014: Fujifilm has continued to update the X-trans cameras since I acquired my X-E1 in the spring of 2013. While this article refers specifically to that model—since updated to the similar but improved X-E2—the experiences recounted here should still be relevant to others looking at the Fujifilm system. For broader and updated coverage also see Taking Stock of the Fujifilm X-E1, X-E2, X-T1 Mirrorless Cameras, and check out links to the Fujifilm line of cameras at lenses at the end of this article.)

Recently I have read a lot of good things about some of the new “rangefinder-style” (a useful though not completely accurate description) or “mirrorless” cameras from Fujifilm. As a result I acquired the Fujifilm X-E1 with a few lenses, and I have now had the chance to start using it a bit. I thought I would share some initial thoughts and impressions now, with more thorough reports later on as I use the camera and lenses more.

Background

I am primarily a confirmed full-frame DSLR photographer – I rely on the versatility of these cameras, their speed, the availability of a wide variety of lenses and other accessories, and especially on the excellent image quality that they can produce. However, one downside of this equipment is that it is most certainly not small nor light, especially once you add some (or all!) of the lenses I like to use.

While much of my photography requires what the full frame DSLR system provides, sometimes I have wished for high-quality but smaller and lighter equipment – for example when doing certain kinds of street photography, for certain types of travel, or when I just want to have a camera with me when I’m out and about. I have used a few of the smaller high end point & shoot style cameras ranging from the Canon S95 back to the old Canon Pro One, and I have looked at quite a few others.

I have heard enthusiastic reports on various cameras, including a number of the four-thirds cameras, but I decided that I did not want to consider a camera with a sensor smaller than APS-C, the size of the “cropped sensor” DSLRs. For my intended use, that level of quality – in terms of resolution, useful range of apertures, low-light performance, etc. – will work quite well. Recently several mirrorless cameras with such sensors have been introduced, and they all have their attractions. What led me to settle on the Fujifilm cameras was the combination of an expanding selection of excellent lenses, their somewhat “retro” design that provides hardware knobs and buttons to control settings, and encouraging reports on image quality.Fujifilm X-E1 Mirrorless Camera

I considered the more expensive Fujifilm X-Pro-1, with its hybrid optical-electronic viewfinder, but decided that for my intended use the electronic viewfinder (EVF) of the X-E1 would likely work. (As I read reports from other users, quite a few reported that they used the optical viewfinder option of the Pro-1 less than they expected.) I did not consider the reportedly-excellent X100 since I want interchangeable lenses.

Initial Impressions

What follows is highly subjective, and some of my initial reactions will likely need revision after I adapt to the camera. Speaking of “adapting,” some of this is perhaps based as much on my familiarity and comfort with my Canon DSLRs as on the nature of the X-E1 itself. I have used my Canon EOS 5D II so much that its operation is very much second-nature for me at this point. I rarely have to think about how to do something on that camera, since the “how” has become more or less instinctive. I’m far from that point with the X-E1, but that is to be expected.  Continue reading Fujifilm X-E1: From DSLR to Mirrorless

Updated Lens Reviews: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L, 24-105mm f/4 L IS, 70-200mm f/4 L IS

I’ve been posting to this blog in one form or another for over a half-dozen years now. One side effect of this is that certain articles that made sense when posted years ago end up looking pretty dated today! I found several of those while doing some maintenance on the site today. A couple mentioned my then-current 8MP cropped sensor camera and so forth – gear I haven’t used for years.

With that in mind, I have updated the following posts:

All three are lenses that are core elements of my own kit. (They are also included in the current Canon ‘Instant Rebate” promotion that runs for about another week!)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | FacebookGoogle+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Sierra Nevada Aspen Hunting and the Weather

Something to think about for photographers headed to the eastern Sierra to photograph aspen color next week: The seven-day Yosemite to Kings Canyon weather forecast is calling for snow (!) on Wednesday and Thursday, and things don’t look like they’ll totally clear out on Friday. This has some ramifications:

  • Those of us who get to the eastern Sierra by way of one of the trans-Sierra passes may encounter difficulties if the forecast pans out. I would not be at all surprised to see a temporary closure of Tioga Pass Road (highway 120) though Yosemite, and other passes to the north could be affected. This makes for a very long drive for those of us in the SF Bay area!
  • A storm can affect the aspen color display. A cold snap can, or so many of us believe, encourage the colors to change. But wind can also bring down many of the leaves in a hurry. (I once arrived before dawn at North Lake to see – just barely – incredible color conditions in the grove the runs up the hillside on the far side of the lake. Moments later a snow squall blew in, and as the wind began to blow I retreated to my car for a half hour. When it passed, half of the leaves had blown down!
  • On the plus side, an early winter storm can bring some opportunities and advantages as well. Overcast and rainy/snowy weather can intensify the colors and create some very compelling and moody scenes. New snow adds something special to the scene, whether only on the higher peaks above or down among the trees.

It could get interesting, so check those weather forecasts and the road conditions on the mountain highways. Fall in the Sierra is a time of change in many ways. Pacific winter-type weather systems start to move through, and they can range from very mild to virtually full-blown winter storms. While most of them pass quickly, some can last for a few days and close passes. It would be very unusual for such an early October storm to actually mark the beginning of the winter road closures, but mid-October storms have done so in the past.

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