Fujifilm X-Pro1 Digital Camera Review

Kit Lens & Mount

The X-Pro1 has no included kit lens, though we suppose the 35mm f/1.4 is the most "standard" of the three. Fujifilm is also marketing a 60mm f/2.4 macro or portrait lens and a 18mm f/2.0 wide angle lens. We were lucky enough to shoot with all of them.

Each barrel is designed with manual rings for both focus and aperture. The focus rings aren't mechanically 1:1, leaving you at the mercy of a moderately precise electronic manual focus interface. The aperture rings, on the other hand, are very satisfying. Excellent tactile feedback means operating the aperture is fun and precise. The barrel is marked for full-stop intervals, though third-stops are possible too. After the narrowest setting, the "A" position returns aperture control to automatic. This automatic setting, plus a similar one on the shutter dial, eliminates the need for a mode dial: simply automate whichever variables you prefer.

All three lenses are very sturdy and, as you may have guessed, design is totally consistent with the body since they released at the same time. The color scheme is a perfect match and included metal lens hoods are a nice touch.

Fujifilm's new X-mount is making its debut with the X-Pro1, and so far only the three aforementioned "XF" lenses are available. There's talk of an upcoming adapter that will add compatibility with Leica M-mount lenses, but so far all we've seen are third-party products.

Of course the three lenses are already fairly versatile by themselves, minus a long zoom solution, but we'll have to wait and see what the future has in store for this mount.

Sensor

The camera's 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor is apparently a brand new design, taking advantage of a new technique that Fujifilm is branding "X-Trans." Essentially they've made two major changes: the low-pass filter has been removed entirely, and the pixel array has been altered to a configuration that seems more randomized. The missing optical filter should improve resolution at the expense of moire, while the new pixel arrangement is designed to–theoretically–provide a more natural rendering.

All this of course sounds wonderful on paper, but we'll withhold final judgement for the Image Quality section.

Convergence areas of different sensor sizes compared

Viewfinder

The X-Pro1's viewfinder is one of the best we've seen. This triple-function device may be set to either optical, electronic, or hybrid mode (like the HUD on a fighter jet). We spent most of our time using the hybrid method, since it's just so darn cool, but if that's not for you, a manual lever on the front panel cycles through the different options.

For fully electronic use, a tiny screen slides into view, and the image is projected on there. This EVF is far more responsive than most, and introduced only the tiniest bit of lag while framing. We also love the eye sensor located right alongside, which automatically swaps display between the finder and the LCD, without the need to press a toggle button. Our only complaint is color accuracy, rendition of the EVF is a little too cool. But in a camera that so thoroughly fuses old and new, this viewfinder is perhaps the best example of that design mindset.

Display(s)

On the rear panel you'll find an excellent 3-inch LCD with a very high (1,230k-dot) resolution. Glare and reflectivity can be a problem but only in broad daylight, and even then the panel is still sufficiently bright enough to playback images. Viewing angle is also very wide, a must for fixed-position monitors, and the screen is covered by a durable scratch-resistant plastic coating.

Flash

There's no internal flash emitter built into the X-Pro1, but a hot shoe mount is centrally located on the top panel, and can be used with Fujifilm's EF-X20, EF-42, or EF-20 flash bulbs, as well as other accessories. We didn't receive a flash for testing, but did score available options and features, which are extensive and include slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye removal, and more.

Connectivity

Aside from the hot shoe, connectivity is rather simple. A plastic door on the right side of the chassis conceals a miniHDMI port for output to an HDTV, as well as a microUSB port for PC connectivity. The camera ships with a USB cable but you're on your own for HDMI. Battery charging via USB does not seem to be possible.