Fujifilm looks to own a talent for coming up with really luxurious compact cameras. we have a tendency to dear the Fujifilm X100S, that delivered the most effective technology and image quality we've ever seen from a compact camera. The beautiful retro style did not damage its attractiveness, either.
The X100S's 35mm (equivalent) lens suits a good vary of shooting environments, however having a set lens with no zoom operate is not to everyone's tastes. that is wherever Fujifilm's X Mount compact system cameras step in. There area unit presently 3 models, all of that use the excellent 16-megapixel detector utilized in the X100S. The X-Pro1 (around £1,200 as well as VAT) sits at the highest of the vary, and includes the hybrid finder technology that affected US most within the X100S. Then there is the X-E1, that prices around £900 and inclaaudes a easier electronic finder.
Fujifilm X-M1
The most recent addition is that the X-M1. It prices £672 and lacks a finder or dials for direct management over the shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation. Its body is created of plastic instead of Al, however there is enough retro vogue to create it seem like a part of the family.
HANDLING AND options
Considering this is often the entry-level model, it's still pretty dear – different CSCs area unit obtainable for 0.5 the worth (a cheaper X-A1 model is wide rumoured however not nevertheless declared as we have a tendency to attend press). However, numerous options position it nearer to mid-range models in different ranges. there is a hotshoe for Associate in Nursing external flashbulb, and integrated Wi-Fi for transfers to iOS and humanoid devices. The articulated screen, dedicated mode dial and twin command dials additionally distinguish it from several cheaper rivals.
Even so, with no finder – or choice to add one – it falls behind on options to the equally priced Sony NEX-6 and Panasonic G6. it is also comparatively large for a CSC, at 531g with its 16-50mm kit lens. that is solely a fraction lighter than the SLR-styled Panasonic G6. Most different CSCs weigh between 320g and 460g.
Fujifilm X-M1
There's no electronic finder here, and no thanks to add one
The Wi-Fi implementation is comparatively straightforward, with no remote shooting operate. Transfers area unit managed either on the camera or the connected smartphone or pill, with Associate in Nursing choice to size photos to three megapixels before transfer. instead of employing a positive identification, the connected device should be confirmed by clicking OK on the camera. This works well on humanoid devices, wherever the Fujifilm app will manage the Wi-Fi settings mechanically. The iOS app was less made, with various "Not Found" messages before we have a tendency to got the camera, app and iPad's Network Settings to figure along at constant time.
Fujifilm X-M1
The app does not give remote shooting
The app may also use the smartphone's GPS radio to geotag photos. instead of keeping a log, the app and camera should be synchronous manually when you wish to update the GPS position. Still, once we have a tendency to found out what to try to to, it worked well with our humanoid phone.
CONTROLS AND PERFORMANCE
Taking photos was a pleasing expertise. The controls area unit well ordered out, with dedicated buttons for optical device purpose, white balance, drive mode and ISO speed (the latter being the default for the customisable Fn button). Meanwhile, pressing the Q button reveals a grid of fifteen functions on the screen, navigated victimisation the rear pad and adjusted with either command dial.
Having twin dials pays off in priority and manual exposure modes, giving direct access to exposure settings. The dial on the highest plate is well adjusted out of the blue, though. we regularly found that exposure compensation had been unwittingly modified. The sharp 3in screen tilts up and down by ninety degrees for waist-height or overhead shooting, however not all the far more than for self-portraits. We'd have most well-liked a touchscreen for faster navigation of the Q menu and optical device purpose adjustment, however the rear pad handles these tasks fairly quickly.
Fujifilm X-M1
We detected some odd behaviour throughout our tests. At one purpose the camera complained that it had run out of numbers to assign to photos, and refused to require to any extent further till we have a tendency to reset the enumeration system. We're told by Fujifilm that this is often to avoid having photos with duplicate file names, however stopping taking photos altogether does not seem to be a sensible resolution. Why not simply use longer file names? Another downside was that adjusting the zoom generally caused the screen to travel blank for a few second. we have a tendency to eventually narrowed this right down to atiny low quantity of movement between the lens and camera – merely twisting the lens barrel (rather than the zoom ring) had constant impact. We're assured that this fault hasn't been seen on different X-M1s and would be coated by the pledge.
Autofocus was responsive, taking but 0.5 a second to lock onto subjects. we have a tendency to measured one second between shots in traditional use – a decent result however 0.5 the speed of the quickest CSCs. It fared higher in continuous mode, capturing forty two frames at five.5fps before speed slightly to four.4fps. Raw capture lasted for eleven frames before speed to one.4fps.
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