Should I get a Fuji X-Pro1?

airfrogusmc wrote in post #15969431
What, its my name and my phone #. Thats the copy. Writing on POTN and writing a client are two very different things.

And Leica is way more than romanticism.

Oh I almost forgot Hobby is a strobist. Of course he's not going to like Leica. I'm a recovering strobist and believe theres also a magic in learning to see light. Heres a couple of Leica users and what they had to say about it. A couple of my favorite photographers BTW.
"Today's photographers think differently. Many can't see real light anymore. They think only in terms of strobe - sure, it all looks beautiful but it's not really seeing. If you have the eyes to see it, the nuances of light are already there on the subject's face. If your thinking is confined to strobe light sources, your palette becomes very mean - which is the reason I photograph only in available light." - Alfred Eisenstaedt

"Avoid making a commotion, just as you wouldn’t stir up the water before fishing. Don’t use a flash out of respect for the natural lighting, even when there isn’t any."-Henri Cartier-Bresson

I'm 100 percent with you on the light. They don't learn to work with it, they simply overcome it with strobes. As for the copy, writing is writing. I don't differentiate. That may have to do with my journalist underpinnings. I write with the same care regardless of purpose, that way I never have to turn it on or off. Also, to and too and lose and loose are two of my biggest pet peeves.

elrey2375 wrote in post #15969913
I'm 100 percent with you on the light. They don't learn to work with it, they simply overcome it with strobes. As for the copy, writing is writing. I don't differentiate. That may have to do with my journalist underpinnings. I write with the same care regardless of purpose, that way I never have to turn it on or off. Also, to and too and lose and loose are two of my biggest pet peeves.

Please, my typing skills suck and when I'm typing fast for something fairly insignificant like here I am not going to worry much about it period. Or you could say those obsessing about writing should be obsessing about their work instead because with your theory my writing skills certainly haven't hurt my success so I must be doing something right. I put everything into my work instead and I do put the right energy into my correspondence that really matters and that gets checked, doubled checked and isn't done in haste. But this is a place where OMG, meh and LoL rule and this place doesn't feed the family but you can bet my artist statements at my exhibits and my communication with clients that do feed the beast is exactly what it needs to be.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #15969958
Please, my typing skills suck and when I'm typing fast for something fairly insignificant like here I am not going to worry much about it period. Or you could say those obsessing about writing should be obsessing about their work instead because with your theory my writing skills certainly haven't hurt my success so I must be doing something right. I put everything into my work instead and I do put the right energy into my correspondence that really matters and that gets checked, doubled checked and isn't done in haste. But this is a place where OMG, meh and LoL rule and this place doesn't feed the family but you can bet my artist statements at my exhibits and my communication with clients that do feed the beast is exactly what it needs to be.

You're one of the lucky ones that can turn it on and off then, more power to you.
How you present yourself, regardless of who the audience is, makes an impression. I don't have years and years of success and steady clients at the ready. I also don't have the luxury of checkers.

So, OP, did you decide?

elrey2375 wrote in post #15970780
You're one of the lucky ones that can turn it on and off then, more power to you.
How you present yourself, regardless of who the audience is, makes an impression. I don't have years and years of success and steady clients at the ready. I also don't have the luxury of checkers.

So, OP, did you decide?

Knowing your audience is key to most things. Theres a reason I am a photographer and not a typist. If I miss a letter or two or misspell something on POTN it aint the end of the world. I am a photographer and thats where my real energy goes. I was a photography major not a lit major or and english major for a good reason. I would suggest to you to put as much energy into learning visual language as you have the written word. I am writing on POTN not writing a term paper, thesis, dissertation or a proposal for a project. My advice is have fun here and quit trying to dissect sentences and grade posts on POTN

Maybe put all that energy into photography instead.

I think you guys have derailed this thread long enough regarding Fuji vs Leica and to be honest, sometimes I wonder if it's the RF experience that makes shooting Leica better and liberating than SLRs, well also because Leica is the most polished RF and the only digital RF other than the old R-D1

Mijonju said it well on this old youtube video on why he loves shooting RF
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=kueqi8A3LQc#t​=3m32s
especially when he said "For some people, the most beautiful moment in photography is the moment the photo is being taken"
And I agree with him, I'm the same, I just love taking pictures (have over 12 undeveloped rolls right now since January).
With a RF, your viewfinder never blacks out which the X100/S and X-Pro1 does equally when in OVF mode, IMO this why some people like to compare it to a Leica.

elrey2375 wrote in post #15970780
So, OP, did you decide?

I think he ended up buying a X-Pro1 and 35 1.4

taemo wrote in post #15971643
I think you guys have derailed this thread long enough regarding Fuji vs Leica and to be honest, sometimes I wonder if it's the RF experience that makes shooting Leica better and liberating than SLRs, well also because Leica is the most polished RF and the only digital RF other than the old R-D1

Mijonju said it well on this old youtube video on why he loves shooting RF
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=kueqi8A3LQc#t​=3m32s
especially when he said "For some people, the most beautiful moment in photography is the moment the photo is being taken"
And I agree with him, I'm the same, I just love taking pictures (have over 12 undeveloped rolls right now since January).
With a RF, your viewfinder never blacks out which the X100/S and X-Pro1 does equally when in OVF mode, IMO this why some people like to compare it to a Leica.


I think he ended up buying a X-Pro1 and 35 1.4

I agree. Find something that fits your vision and get out and work with it. I gave my advice and said what I did because the question was raised. Someone apparently didn't like the fact I recommended to save your money and get a Leica. And Lack of DoF scales on the 100 and a lot of other things on the X-Pro led me to suggest what I suggested.

elrey2375 wrote in post #15970780
You're one of the lucky ones that can turn it on and off then, more power to you.
How you present yourself, regardless of who the audience is, makes an impression. I don't have years and years of success and steady clients at the ready. I also don't have the luxury of checkers.

So, OP, did you decide?

I did!
I decided to wait a litte bit more. I am going to a BIG trip on July (23 different countries) and will bring my 5D3 for that.
When I come back in September, I hope:
- Fuji has released the new firmware for the X-Pro1
- I have more money saved, so whatever camera I choose, it will be easier to buy
- I can rent a Leica and see if I can get used to the focusing. I tried one a few times on the Leica Store, but focusing on the seller smiling is easier than on the street.

That said, I am holding to the 5D3 even if I get a X-Pro1 or even a Leica. I understand that even after the update, the X-Pro1 won´t be as fast as the 5D3 on focusing, and the Leica being manual focus will be hard to track subjects, so the 5D3 is staying for those situations.

Money is not really an issue. I am investing on the long run so even the 8K+ difference in price between X-Pro1 and Leica can be absorbed.

Alex_Venom wrote in post #15971669
I did!

I tried one a few times on the Leica Store, but focusing on the seller smiling is easier than on the street.

That said, I am holding to the 5D3 even if I get a X-Pro1 or even a Leica. I understand that even after the update, the X-Pro1 won´t be as fast as the 5D3 on focusing, and the Leica being manual focus will be hard to track subjects, so the 5D3 is staying for those situations.

Thats why the DoF scales are so important on a range finder. There is no auto focus as fast as being pre focused. And the focus on a Leica does take a little practice but its not hard at all once you get the hang of it but in most fast moving candid/street type situation the DoF scales and working pre focused is what its really all about.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #15971665
I agree. Find something that fits your vision and get out and work with it. I gave my advice and said what I did because the question was raised. Someone apparently didn't like the fact I recommended to save your money and get a Leica. And Lack of DoF scales on the 100 and a lot of other things on the X-Pro led me to suggest what I suggested.

one day I told myself I will get a M9 or M240 once they are under 3000 used or if I decide to sell all my DSLR gears

Alex_Venom wrote in post #15971669
I did!
I decided to wait a litte bit more. I am going to a BIG trip on July (23 different countries) and will bring my 5D3 for that.
When I come back in September, I hope:
- Fuji has released the new firmware for the X-Pro1
- I have more money saved, so whatever camera I choose, it will be easier to buy
- I can rent a Leica and see if I can get used to the focusing. I tried one a few times on the Leica Store, but focusing on the seller smiling is easier than on the street.

That said, I am holding to the 5D3 even if I get a X-Pro1 or even a Leica. I understand that even after the update, the X-Pro1 won´t be as fast as the 5D3 on focusing, and the Leica being manual focus will be hard to track subjects, so the 5D3 is staying for those situations.

Money is not really an issue. I am investing on the long run so even the 8K+ difference in price between X-Pro1 and Leica can be absorbed.

if you want a good cheap travel camera for the time being buy a X100 so that you get the feel of shooting X-Pro1, other than the lens not being interchangable it's almost the same, plus you can resell it easily afterwards.

I have a friend that has a Nikon D800E, D4, Pentax 645N and has been looking for a small travel camera (he owned a GF1, GX1, NEX5, NEX6, X100), then one day I lent him my M6.. fast forward today and he now owns an M6TTL, MM, M240, 50 Nocti and most summicron lenses.
He rarely use his Nikon gears.
I lent him my X100s one day too to hear his opinion and said it's great, 35 f2 sharp, decently fast and would make a good travel camera.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #15971735
Thats why the DoF scales are so important on a range finder. There is no auto focus as fast as being pre focused. And the focus on a Leica does take a little practice but its not hard at all once you get the hang of it but in most fast moving candid/street type situation the DoF scales and working pre focused is what its really all about.

this, I like to pre-focus mine at 7ft, f8-11 and 1/250 and I can get most of my shots

But you can pre-focus with an X-series as well, there's a digital DoF scale in the viewfinder... Admittedly it's a little unwieldy, but if you stick to 7-8ft, f/11, 1/125 and auto iso 1600 (my own settings) then you aren't going to need to change it on the fly and don't really care about the speed. Am I missing something?

P.S. I'm in no way saying that Fujis are better/equal/worse than Leicas, since I never held a Leica.

armis wrote in post #15971808
But you can pre-focus with an X-series as well, there's a digital DoF scale in the viewfinder... Admittedly it's a little unwieldy, but if you stick to 7-8ft, f/11, 1/125 and auto iso 1600 (my own settings) then you aren't going to need to change it on the fly and don't really care about the speed. Am I missing something?

P.S. I'm in no way saying that Fujis are better/equal/worse than Leicas, since I never held a Leica.

With these scales you can be a lot more accurate and they are much faster and more intuitive to use. Well, heres an example with an old FD Canon lens because I am to lazy to do it.

But heres an example using a 24mm 1.4L FD lens

armis wrote in post #15971808
But you can pre-focus with an X-series as well, there's a digital DoF scale in the viewfinder... Admittedly it's a little unwieldy, but if you stick to 7-8ft, f/11, 1/125 and auto iso 1600 (my own settings) then you aren't going to need to change it on the fly and don't really care about the speed. Am I missing something?

P.S. I'm in no way saying that Fujis are better/equal/worse than Leicas, since I never held a Leica.

This is what I thought, too....before I got my Leica.

At f/11, it's not a huge deal, but I often zone focus at f/8, where the DoF starts to get shallow enough that you need to be reasonably accurate on your zone focusing. On the X-Pro1, a slight movement of the focusing ring will go unnoticed because there are no DoF markings on the lens. On the Leica (or any camera using lenses with DoF marks), you can immediately see where you're focused.

Moreover, the issue with the Fuji lenses is that the focus ring is infinite; there are no positions that always correspond to a certain focusing distance. When I'm zone focusing, I have three zones: 0.7-1.2m, 3-5m, and longer than 5m. I know precisely how to get to each of these zones, just by where the focusing tab is. With the Fuji, I get no such information.

Note, however, that this is a criticism of the Fuji lenses (which are optically brilliant, to be clear), not the X-Pro1, per se. If you adapt Leica (or SLR) glass to the Fuji, you can enjoy the same features, AND you gain 1.5 f/stops of DoF because of the smaller sensor.