Soon after I bought my first camera, a friend turned me onto Galen Rowell, who many consider to be the father of modern day adventure photography. I was about 21 at the time, and I instantly became fascinated not just with his imagery, but his lifestyle as well. Here was a man whose creative vision and hard work had paid off in a big way.
Here was a man who was living his dream, traveling the world, chasing light, photographing adventure, mountain landscapes and remote cultures and writing about the craft and intellectual aspects of photography.
Galen has been an enormous influence and inspiration for me, not just with my own shooting, but with my entire paradigm of life. While his imagery has wowed me ever since I first saw it, what has rang even deeper in my soul is a passage from his 1984 book Mountain Light where he lays out a stark truth of how many of us are taught to exist.
“One of the shocking realizations of adult life is that most of us are not fulfilling the most closely held dreams of our youth. Instead of pursuing dreams that were once integral parts of our personalities, we end up in one way or another fulfilling someone else’s ideas about who and what we should be, usually at the expense of our creative urges.”
Since those early days when I first pored over Galen’s books and magazine articles, I have devoted my life to photography and living a life that satisfies my own creative and adventurous urges and it has been awesome. That’s not to say that it has always been easy. In fact, the sheer dedication of living this kind of life causes some big complications in life, but in the end, it’s more fulfilling than anything else I could ever imagine.
The World Does Not Owe You Anything
The world does not owe any of us anything, nor does it always make special accommodations for us and our dreams. In the modern world where most of us exist, the powers that often dictate how we should spend our time and energies do not even care. However, since we all have basic financial needs, we often find ourselves caught between the pull of responsibility and those brief moments of happiness that give life and meaning to our souls.
It’s up to each of us to make our dreams come true, because if we count on others to do so, we’ll end up disappointed and unfulfilled. We’ll watch the years go by while we hold our dreams to ourselves in the back of our minds, wishing and waiting for them to come true.
Most of us are taught that life has rules. It doesn’t. Society has rules, but life does not. Life itself is what we make it, and the most inspiring thing you could ever imagine is that life can be about whatever you want it to be. You just have to make it be that.
It’s About Paradigm
We’re taught to subscribe to a certain paradigm that causes most people on this planet to spend half of their waking lives (or more) to toil away in the name of productivity, but the reality is that we don’t have to live there. We can make our own paradigm. We can do whatever we want. It can even revolve around productivity and responsibility, but in a way that is meaningful for YOU.
I know people who are happy with their lives and I know people who are unhappy with their lives. The difference is simple. The happy people are the ones who have taken control of their lives in some way and steered them in a direction that gives them fulfillment, while the unhappy people exist in a paradigm where they do not even have the time to do the things that they love in any given week, let alone in a year, or even a decade. Or an entire lifetime.
The sad thing is that most of the unhappy people do not even recognize that there could be another way. For whatever reason, they’re unwilling to make the necessary changes that will bring them happiness. Or they’re just too scared to make them.
Your life is your own. Take control of it and don’t give your blood to people who will not genuinely appreciate it. That’s not to say that it’s not ok to give some blood in order to gather the means to reorganize and make important changes, just do not give all of it.
Remember, life has no rules. It’s not a game. It’s not “supposed to be” anything. It’s just life and you only have one shot at it, so make the very most of it. Build it into whatever shape feels right for you, depending on what makes you tick. Do what you love in the way that works best for you. Travel. Be productive. Be responsible. Be creative. Be good. Be helpful.
Most importantly, be happy. It might always not be easy, but it will always be worth everything.
Galen Rowell reading his book “My Tibet” to a group of Tibetans in the village of Lo Manthang, Mustang, Nepal.
Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm all have great instant rebate deals going on right now. Here’s a rundown of what’s included in these deals and how much you can save.
Nikon Combo Deals
Nikon is running the latest incarnation of their Buy Together and Save offer, which means that if you buy a Nikon DSLR, you can bundle it with one or two lenses and get a really good deal on the combo. Almost all of the DLSRs in their lineup are included and depending on what body and lens(es) you buy, you can save anywhere between $100 and $680.
For example, if you buy the Nikon D610 by itself, you can save $100. Add the 24-85mm lens and your saving jump to $300. Add a the 75-300mm lens and you’ll get $500 off of the entire package. You don’t need to buy a camera in order to save on lenses, though.
How many photos do you shoot with your iPhone? Do you ever wish you could monetize them instead of just having them clutter up your memory chip?
In the past year or so, there have been a few small time and startup agencies who have tried to get this ball rolling, and now stock industry giant Alamy is jumping in the ring with its new Stockimo app.
Alamy is the biggest stock photo agency in the world, so if anyone has the pockets go this thing kind of thing started, it’s them.
Stockimo works like this: You sign up for an account (or log in with your existing Alamy contributor account), upload your images to the app, caption and tag them and then collect your commission payments when and if they sell.
In theory, it’s that easy, however, there are a few things to keep in mind. Since I’m already an Alamy contributor, I downloaded the app, set up my account and gave it a spin. Here’s what I’ve found so far.
1. Your photos have to be approved: I’m not sure what the criteria is, but after uploading about 10 photos, only 3 of them have been approved. Supposedly, Alamy uses a rating system, but I don’t know how they judge. That said, my 3 approved images have already shown up in Alamy’s main search results.
2. They have a different pricing structure: Stockimo images show up and are licensed as either “Commercial” or “Editorial” images. Both show up inside Alamy’s general search engine alongside other relevant images, but they have slightly different pricing plan. Commercial images are priced as Royalty Free, whereas Editorial images are priced Rights Managed. Since they’re smaller than traditional camera hi res images, they don’t have the higher end pricing options.
I don’t see this as an issue, though. Royalty Free images are licensed by file size, not by usage, so this actually fits perfectly within Alamy’s regular pricing model. Also, the prices are certainly better than what microstock offers you.
3. Existing Alamy contributors get a different commission rate: Stockimo is offering an “early bird” special rate of 40% commissions. In the future, it will be only 20%. Existing Alamy contributors get an even better rate, which is explained in your agreement.
4. You can even use filters and stuff! Alamy seems to recognize that Instagram and Hipstamatic type filters add to the creative value of photos, so they’re totally fine with you uploading photos that you shot and processed with these apps. Two of the photos of mine that Alamy took were made with Instagram.
5. You get paid via PayPal: Stockimo commissions are paid through PayPal, even for existing Alamy contributors. The good thing is that the payment threshold is much lower. You’ll get your money monthly if you earned more than $10.
6. Stockimo is for Phone only: No Android or Windows at this point, but that’s not to say that it won’t be available for these platforms in the future.
There’s no question that iPhoneography is here to stay. Even as DSLR and mirrorless cameras continue to get better, lighter, stronger, faster and smarter every year, the same technology soon finds its way into the iPhone, which currently has a high quality glass lens and an 8MP CMOS sensor. Sure, the entire lens assembly is still smaller than a pea, but image quality from the iPhone is more than good enough for just about any use on the web.
Consider that of all the images licensed by all the stock agencies every year, most of them are used 1/4 page or less on the web. iPhone image quality more than meets that criteria, so all that’s left is content, and we all know that a talented and creative shooter can make great images with an iPhone.
Alamy seems to have though this out carefully. I think they made a good move tying Stockimo right into their main agency model instead of trying to create a separate agency just for mobile images. They figure (and rightly so) that most clients don’t care what camera was used to make a shot. If it has the right look, then it’s the right image.
The only thing is that since the stock photography business is a numbers game, you’ll have to upload a lot of images if you expect to see any money. That’s where this a nice option if you’re already an Alamy contributor; Stockimo images just add to your existing collection and only increase your percentage.
Stockimo’s terms are non-exclusive, so you can still market your images through other non-exclusive channels and if you decide it isn’t right for you, you can always have Alamy delete your account and remove your photos from the service.
Check out Stockimo for more details or to sign up for an account.
Last night I guided a team of international photography clients for an evening of aurora photography in Talkeetna, Alaska. I drove up separately from the group, and since I arrived in Talkeetna a little bit early, I found myself with about a half hour of open time right as the sun was going down.
Grabbing my camera bag, I walked out onto the frozen Susitna River right at the edge of Main Street and shot a few photos with my Fuji X-T1. I managed to snap a few pictures of last light on the peaks of the Alaska range, but actually found more color and drama in the ice formations in an area where the river was running free and open.
Being very careful not to wander too close to the edge, which would no doubt provide me with an extremely quick demise and cause my clients to wonder where the heck I was, I treaded out onto the ice and shot these photos just after the sun dipped below the horizon.
I was really drawn to the contrast between the static ice and the flowing river, so I tried to shoot as low a shutter speed as I could (silly me, I’d left my tripod in the car)and still get some rushing water. Crouching down and bracing my elbow on my knee, I was able to get as low as 1/10 sec, which was still pushing it. Any slower and things started to get soft.
These are both handheld straight JPEGS made with the Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens. I’m not usually a huge fan of this focal length for shooting landscapes, (I prefer either wider or longer) but I’ve been having a lot of fun with this lens. For one thing, it’s tiny, and thus easy to pack and extremely inconspicuous. The angle of view equates to 40mm when compared to full frame, so it’s pretty close to that nifty 50 range.
I shot this photo about a year ago while skiing at Hatcher Pass here in Alaska. It was made with my Nikon D700 and my favorite lightweight “adventure zoom lens,” the Nikon 70-200 f/4G ED VR. I love this lens for backcountry adventures because it weighs about half as much as my 70-200mm f/2.8 and it’s super sharp. This means I can keep up with my super fit ski friends who aren’t carrying any heavy camera gear and still get pro quality images. Oh, and did I mention? It’s also half the price.
Know what else I love? Extra camera batteries. Ok, so I don’t really have a thing for batteries, but here’s the deal: If you’re shooting in the outdoors, you’d better have a least one extra battery for every camera that you own. Especially if you do any cold weather photography.
I kind of miss the days when cameras took AA batteries. I’d pop a set Energizer AA lithium cells into my SLR and forget about it. They’d last a really long time and worked great in the cold. And even if I didn’t have an extra set of lithiums, you could get AA batteries ANYWHERE, like the gas station. You could even cannibalize them from your Walkman.
Now, every camera has a proprietary battery that needs its own charger. I guess in the end it’s better to recharge than to throw away, but this means that you’d better have at least one extra, because if your a prolific shooter, or if you often shoot in winter, you’ll be SOL if you don’t one. Every watch that little battery icon turn red and realize that you DON’T have an spare? Yea, that’s not very much fun.
Here are the batteries you’ll need for most Nikon and Canon DSLRs, as well as the batteries for the Fuji X cameras. If you’ve got another brand or type of camera, look here.
DSLR Batteries
Nikon
DSLR batteries generally last a long time, and they tend to work pretty well in the cold, but I always carry at least one extra with me at all times. More if I’m traveling or spending multiple days in the backcountry. The higher end Nikons, like the D800, D600 and D7100 use the EN-EL 15 battery. There’s also a generic version available, which costs a little less. I’ve never used generic batteries in my Nikons, but chances are, some of them are probably the same OEM battery, just with a different label and packaging.
Most of the consumer end Nikon DSLRs, like the D5xxx and D3xxx series use the EN-EL14 battery. There’s also a generic version here. These are smaller capacity batteries, so they won’t last as long in the cold, so if you shoot a lot in winter with one of these Nikons, you might want more than one spare.
Canon
Many of the Canon DLSRs, like the EOS 60D, 70D, 5D II, 5D III, 6D and 7D, use the LP-E6 battery. There’s also a generic version of the LP-E6, which costs a lot less.
Fuji X Camera Batteries
As cool as the X cameras are, their battery life is not what you’d find on a high end DSLR, so it’s a really good idea to get some extras. The Fuji X-Pro1, X-E1, X-E2 and X-T1 all take the NP-W126 battery. I’ve got three of these and in fact, there have been many days when I’ve burned up all three during the course of a single day of shooting. Ideally, I’d like to have at least four. There’s also a generic version of the NP-W126. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve used generic batteries in my X20 with no problems.
The Fujifilm X100S is uses the NP-95 battery. I haven’t used the X100, so I don’t know how well it performs with regards to battery life. According to the manual, it’s about the same as the other X cameras – around 330 frames. Get yourself in front of a great subject and you can burn that up pretty quickly. There are also a couple of generic versions of the NP-95.
The Fuji X20 takes the NP-50 battery, which is pretty economical. I have five or six of these of these.
Universal Battery Charger
What if you’re on a road trip and don’t have any way to charge your batteries? The Digipower TC-3000 Universal Battery Charger will let you charge any lithium ion, NiMh or Ni-Cd camera battery, and it also comes with a 12v adaptor that lets you charge right from your car.
Most batteries have 4 contacts, but the outer two are the active ones. You simply slide the tabs on the charger to the appropriate width and then place your battery in the charger.
Having something like this also means that you don’t have to carry multiple chargers if you’re traveling light and carrying more than one camera, say a DSLR and a point and shoot. You can also use it with one of the new solar charging kits by companies like Goal Zero. It will take awhile to charge a camera battery from a portable solar panel, but it’s better than nothing.
Eneloop Rechargeable AA Batteries
If you’re using speedlights or other devices that take AA batteries, (maybe an old SLR film camera) The Sanyo Eneloops are the best AA rechargeable batteries around. I’ve lost count of how many Eneloops I’ve got kicking around in my battery drawer. I use them for camera flashes, computer mice, bike lights… anything that takes AA cells.
On average, the Eneloop batteries will hold 90% of their charge for up to one year and they can be recharged up to 1500 times with no significant memory loss that is usually experienced with other AA NiMH batteries.
Just over a year ago, I saw some dude tweet about having “just arrived in Anchorage for a fat bike adventure.” Naturally, this peaked my curiosity, and after a short conversation, I got on my bike and met him at the intersection of Fireweed and C streets.
His name was Glenn Charles. He had a fully loaded Ti Salsa Mukluk and was intending on riding it all the way up to Denali National Park. I showed him how to get to the Chester Creek Trail, and rode with him to the edge of town before sending him on his way.
We hit it off right away, because Glenn is a fellow photographer who also likes to pedal his way to adventure. He does some really cool stuff and creates great narratives about his travels. At the time, his camera setup on the bike was a Nikon D800, three Zeiss lenses and a Sony Nex-7, although since last year he’s taken himself on quite a journey with changing up his photography rig.
In the few weeks that I spent with Glenn hanging around, I feel that I gained a lifelong friend. He has a great outlook on life and his infectious adventure-ness definitely made an impact on me during that brief period of time. He’s inspired me to keep finding ways to transform my own life into what I WANT it to be, which includes lots of travel and living outside of the normal bounds of what we often think that life is “supposed to be.” Even as a longtime pro photographer, I constantly question whether I’m doing it in a way that’s being true to myself.
Although we haven’t been able to coordinate schedules for another tip yet, I keep in touch with Glenn on a regular basis and look forward to more adventure with him in the coming years.
When you’re done reading that one, check out his other stories. There’s one about exploring a year of photography in nothing but black and white, and another about bike touring along the Lost Coast of California. Really good stuff. Worth your time.
During the past few weeks, I’ve shot quit a few RAW photos with my new Fuji X-T1. However, since Lightroom is not yet able to read the RAW files, I’ve just been sticking them all in a separate folder for safekeeping until I can make use of them.
Remember, when you’re shooting JPEG, you’re basically taking the 4,056 levels of color and brightness information that are captured by the sensor and letting the camera’s image processor compress it into an 8-bit file that only contains 256 levels of color and brightness information.
No matter how good the image processor is, invariably, you’re going to lose some info. When shooting in difficult lighting, you could lose a lot of info. Wouldn’t you rather make the decision about what’s lost and what’s preserved? That’s why we shoot RAW
Adobe finally updated Camera RAW to v.8.4 RC, which means that it’s a stable release candidate. This new version includes support for the X-T1, as well as many other new cameras, so I’m finally able to open and process my X-T1 RAW files in Photoshop.
In addition, Adobe not supports the Fuji Film Simulations, which means that you can easily apply the X camera color profiles like Velvia and Astia to your RAW images. No more having to tweak them and hope you can get close. To find these profiles, click on the Camera icon in the ACR panel and click on the Camera Profile selection dropdown menu. You’ll find them all there.
Here are a couple of quick examples to see how much information is actually captured in the X-T1 sensor vs. what the camera distilled down into the straight JPEG.
Example 1: Skógafoss Falls, Iceland
First the JPEG, then the RAW. When I was shooting this scene, I knew that the camera would have a hard time with the extremely bright sunlit waterfall detail at top right when it distilled the file down to an 8-bit JPEG. In the JPEG, that detail is blow out, whereas in the RAW file, I was able to preserve it and keep it with tolerance.
Also, I have much more latitude to tweak the colors without running into oversaturation problems.
Example 2: Snow Bike Commuting, Anchorage, Alaska
Last week, I shot some photos of my friend Eric riding with his son Finn in the clamp-on handlebar seat. We missed the direct sunlight by about 20 min, but since the ambient light was still good, I shot anyway. Since they’re in shade, though, they’re really dark. You can see that I’m able to lighten up the RAW file quite a bit and bring lots of color detail back.
Example 3: Northern Lights, Iceland
I shot all my northern lights photos from Iceland in RAW, knowing that I’d be eventually be able to bring out more detail and reduce noise over what the JPEG could do. As much as Fuji X shooters love the X-Trans JPEGs, they do have limitations. As you can see, the RAW file lets me bring out so much more information that’s not present in the JPEG and drop down the brightness in that brightly lit building just a bit to that it’s not quite so blown out. You can also see that the building is sharper in the RAW version.
As much confidence as I have in the Fuji JPEGs, sometimes RAW is necessary if you want to preserve the maximum level of sharpness, exposure and color info in your image, especially in tricky light. Seeing how well the 16MP X-Trans sensor handles RAW gives me even more confidence to use the X-T1 in any kind of situation. Let me know what you think after seeing these image examples.
Read my extensive review and field test of the Fujifilm X-T1 here. It’s due to hit shelves any day now, so if you think this camera is a good match for your style, you can preorder it here. Thanks for reading and thanks for your support! EDIT: B&H Photo and Adorama both have X-T1 bodies in stock and are shipping right now! Body/lens kits should start shipping any day, so you can preorder and get it as soon as they become available.
As a full-time pro action, outdoor and adventure photographer, I have extremely strict criteria for what I want and need in a camera. Most mirrorless gear doesn’t quite get the job done they way I need it done. As much as I love how small and light the Fuji X cameras are like the the X20 and X-E1, I still have to adapt with some pretty big limitations when I use them, and that’s not ideal for me.
For the kind of fast breaking, “right in the middle of the action” mountain, sports and travel photography that I do, I demand quick and accurate autofocus performance, high quality imagery, the ability to change settings at the blink of an eye, flash compatibility and a body that’s rugged enough to take a beating. For this reason, I have relied on my Nikon DLSRs in the past for most of my “serious action/adventure photography” work. Up until now, anyway…
The new Fujifilm X-T1 is the X Camera matured. It’s the X Camera that I’ve been waiting for. I love it because it’s the Fuji X Camera that lets me shoot my style without limitation. And it’s lightweight and considerably more compact than a DSLR, which makes it ideal for travel and use in the backcountry. And with continued firmware updates, Fuji keeps make the X-T1 even better.
For every single reason why the X-E2, the X-Pro1 and even the X100 aren’t quite perfect for my wide ranging outdoor photography needs, the evolution of the X-T1 nails it. It’s as if Fuji asked me personally what I’d like to see in an X camera and then made this.
As a matter of fact, one of the Fujifilm reps did ask me that exact question last year while I was at PhotoPlus. I must have answered it right, because late last fall, they brought me on board to test out an early version of the camera and showed me what they had in mind for the final design. At that point, the X-T1 hadn’t been built yet, but when I saw some 2D mockups, I thought, “well, that looks pretty cool, but will it perform?” I like my X Cameras and I like testing out gear, but as a pro, I can’t really afford to get bogged down in too many different camera systems. In order to remain nimble and efficient, I need a few go-to tools that get the job done.
I shot with the prototype for a few weeks, but it wasn’t until the official announcement a few weeks ago when I finally saw the production version of the X-T1. I was blown away, and since I had been the only person in the USA to use the prototype and be in on the details of the X-T1 before launch, I was able to get mine early. I’m actually the first American photographer to own an X-T1.
I got mine right after it was announced, and since that time, I’ve shot thousands of frames with it here in Alaska and during a recent trip to Iceland. I’ve shot action, adventure, landscapes, travel scenes, people and night time photos with it. I’ve used it in the extreme cold, the rain and the “cold rain- you know, the kind that freezes when it lands on anything. If there’s anyone who has put the Fuji X-T1 through the rigors and shot more real-world outdoor images with it than I have, I’d like to know who they are.
As for my initial response to the X-T1, my answer is: Yes. It does perform. It performs beyond my expectations. Most importantly, it performs seamlessly within my style and that’s what matters.
Bear with me, there’s a lot here in this full review of the Fuji X-T1, but I’ve broken it up into clearly spaced sections. If you don’t have time to read the whole thing right now, you can bookmark it, come back and easily find where you left off.
Main Specs
Fujfilm designed the X-T1 as premium interchangeable lens camera that’s built to withstand the elements and deliver pro quality performance. It’s the most advanced X camera to date.
The main features surrounding the X-T1 are the highly improved AF system that offers continuous shooting with precise, predictive autofocus at up to 8 frames per second, and the vastly improved clear EVF, which has the shortest display lag of only .005 sec and a huge .77x finder magnification. That’s a bigger view than what you see when looking through most DSLRs, including the Nikon D810 and Canon 1DS Mark III.
16.3 megapixel APS-C size X-Trans CMOS II sensor with no optical low pass filter.
High Precision 2.36 million pixel high eyepoint OLED electronic viewfinder.
9 Phase Detect AF sensors.
Predictive AF tracking for shooting moving subjects at up to 8 frames per second.
Dust and water-resistant with 80 points of weather sealing. Freeze resistance to -10℃.
Milled aluminum dials for shutter speed, ISO, EV -/+, metering and drive modes.
Twin command dials and 6 fully customizable FUNC buttons.
ISO 200-6400, plus Low (100) and High 1/High 2 (12500-25000)
Redesigned sensor circuitry that enables extremely high ISO, up to 51200.
Wi-Fi enabled with companion remote control mobile app.
Tempered glass 1.04 million pixel tilting LCD monitor.
Full HD video at 30 and 60 fps, with Film Sim modes and external mic option.
Rugged All-Metal Weather Sealed Body
The “T” in X-T1 stands for “Tough.” Fuji built the X-T1 with a rugged, all-metal chassis made of die-cast magnesium. It’s actually molded with a special process that keeps it light as well as a strong.
Whereas just about every mirrorless camera out there, as well as all but the top DSLRs are made with at lots of plastic, the X-T1 body is metal all the way through, from top to bottom, front to back.
It’s also got 80 points of weather sealing, including O rings on the dials, silicon rubber around the buttons, cushions between gaps and soft resin materials near the top plate, You typically only find this in pro DSLR bodies, so this shows you how much Fuji is positioning the X-T1 as a rugged professional grade camera. As someone who uses cameras in tough environments and bangs them against rocks, ice, and whatever else happens to be in my way (I move through the world a little too fast sometimes), having an all metal, weather sealed camera body is an absolute necessity for me.
I’d never take my X-E1 on a mountain expedition, or even on a day of backcountry skiing when it’s dumping snow, but I’ve already gotten the X-T1 wet a few times and it didn’t miss a blink. I’d feel comfortable taking the X-T1 anywhere I’d take my Nikon D700, and I’ve beat the crap out of that over the past five years. Fortunately, I haven’t dropped my X-T1 yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long before that happens.
Body Design, Controls and Handling
As you can see above, Fuji took a departure from the rangefinder feel of their other X cameras and designed the X-T1 with an SLR inspired body. I love this. Rangefinders are immensely cool, but I’ve never really used them. I’m an SLR guy. Always have been. Most adventure and action shooters are, so I like the continuity and feel of the X-T1.
Some people have remarked about the X-T1 being a “fake SLR” because it has the hump, whereas the other X cameras don’t. When you look at the back, you can see why it’s designed that way. Compared to the X-E2, Fuji has gotten rid of all the buttons on the left side, and instead, they’ve extended the large LCD all the way to the edge.
Part of this is to allow for access to the tilting function of the LCD (more on that later). The other thing is that all of the left side buttons on the X-E1 and X-E2 have been either moved above the screen (trash and playback) or have been transformed to be controlled by top-deck dials. This make for an overall cleaner back and it allows you to make adjustments more quickly.
The other thing is that even though the X-T1 is not an SLR and doesn’t have a mirror, it does have a larger EFV module than any other digital camera. Not just other X cameras, we’re talking any other camera out there. The view inside the X-T1 is even bigger than what you see inside both the Canon 1Ds Mark III and the full frame Nikon D800.
When you see just how much bigger the EVF images is inside the X-T1 compared to the X-E2, you can understand that Fuji used bigger glass elements in the X-T1’s EVF. The optical system is made with 3 glass elements in 3 groups, including a double-sided aspherical lens. All that glass has to go somewhere and putting it up front and center makes logical sense. Also, the hump houses a heat-transfer structure that keeps the EVF operating at an constant, optimum temperature.
I like the hump and the center placed viewfinder. I often shoot with both my Nikon and Fuji systems side by side out in the field, so having that continuity makes things that much easier for me. (More on the EVF below.)
Dials. Lots of Dials. And Buttons.
Fuji went all out with the dials on the X-T1. There are 3 main dials on the top deck that control ISO, shutter speed and EV +/-. Two sub-dials below those control metering and drive mode. I’ve heard people say that a separate ISO dial is unnecessary, but I’ve made extensive use of it so far. When you’re shooting in quickly changing conditions, being able to change your ISO in a second without having to dig into the menus can speed things up tremendously.
To me, this layout makes sense and having shutter, EV and ISO at your fingertips puts you in more in control. On my X-E1, I usually used Auto ISO, but that makes you set a shutter speed limit. What if I want to go lower than that for some reason? Simple. Turn the ISO dial to whatever setting you want. On my X-T1, I don’t use Auto, I just use ISO 200 and change as needed.
Below ISO and shutter speed are the two sub-dials that control drive and metering. Again, really nice, Essential, in fact. I’ve always had drive mode set up that way on my Nikons, so I’ve gotten pretty used to being able to go from S to CL to CH in a heartbeat. When you’re shooting action, that’s about as much time as you may have. Same thing with metering. Nice to have it right there. With the X-T1, it’s the same way, with S, CL (3 fps) and CH (8 fps).
In addition, the Drive dial also has BKT, Multiple Exposure, ADV and Panorama. ADV is where you find those fun creative filters like Toy Camera and Miniature. Not essential by any means. Some people never use them. I do on occasion, because I fully embrace the fun-ness factor that Fuji packs into the X cameras, so again, not having to dig into a menu to get to those is pretty nice.
So how to the dials feel and function? They feel great. They’re well placed, they work with easy movement and notched clicks. Two nice changes, the EV+/- dial has been toughened up a bit since the X-E1 and X-E2, so it’s a little harder to accidentally change it when you don’t mean to.
Also, a big difference with the shutter speed dial is that it rotates 360, so if you’re on a low setting, like 1 sec or Bulb, you don’t have to spin it ALL the way back around the other way to get it back to 1/4000. A couple clicks and you’re there. Although it’s a free spinning dial, you do have to press the button down to get it out of A mode, so to go from B to 1/4000, it’s really two clicks and a press. Still much faster than turning it back the other way.
Finally, on the top deck, you’ll find the Video Record button and the Wi-Fi button. Once again, this means that you can shoot video on the fly without having to go into the Drive menu and switch to Movie mode. You just hit the button and you’re recording. Hit again and it stops.
The Wi-Fi button lets you work in conjunction with the Fujifilm Camera Remote app, and it can actually be set as one of the FUNC buttons. More on both of those things later.
6 Programmable FUNC Buttons
The X-T1 has 6customizable FUNC buttons: 4 on the D-Pad, one on the front by the grip and the Wi-Fi button. You can set these to any one of these buttons to control any one of the following parameters: (The * notates the settings that I’m currently using for my FUNC buttons.)
AF Mode*
Focus Area*
Select Custom Setting
Face Detection
RAW*
Aperture Setting
WiFi Communication*
BKT/ADV setting
Macro*
Preview Depth of Field
Self-Timer
image Size
Image Quality
Dynamic Range
Film Simulation*
White Balance
On the back, there’s also a Q Menu button, where you can access most of these settings above, whatever you don’t have set as a FUNC button, as well as a Focus Assist button. Focus Assist replaces the option of pressing the rear command dial to zoom in on your image when you’re focusing manually or previewing a photo. I use this function all the time. The button lives right under your thumb, so it’s easy to access even when you’re looking through the viewfinder.
All of the buttons and dials are well laid out, although they’re smaller and more recessed than the buttons on the X-E2. I wish the D-Pad buttons were a little bigger. According to Fuji, the buttons were designed to sit flush against the body to avoid being pressed unintentionally while holding the camera.
Personally, I’d like to have the D-Pad buttons be a tiny bit bigger, but I can see why they did it like this. I actually do hit the D-Pad buttons quite a bit on the X-E1 when I don’t meant to, so as much as I’d like to have bigger buttons, I’ll take that tradeoff. Even though they’re small, my thumb has learned where to go to hit the right setting, and they’re way harder to hit accedentially.
If you have really huge thumbs, it might be a little tough for you, but I’ve been able to hit the right controls while wearing gloves, so maybe you’ll be OK. The twin command dials are a little small as well, but again, hardly a deal breaker. Since the camera has a top deck shutter speed dial and since many of the Fuji XF lenses have aperture rings, I don’t even use the command dials very much.
Also, since I don’t shoot video very often, I would have liked to see the Record button be available as programmable FUNC button instead of the Wi-Fi button. However, if you were to disable this button as Record, there is no other option for triggering video. Again, that’s just me. I imagine that most people who shoot video more than I do will like the instant Record button.
Tilting LCD Screen
As you can see above, the Fuji X-T1 has a tilting LCD screen. Having never owned any camera with a tilt screen before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first saw the 2D mockups of the X-T1, my thoughts were, “eh, I probably won’t use that much.”
Now, after using the X-T1, my thoughts are almost the same, minus the “eh.” I don’t use it much, but there are times when it really comes in handy. The screen is made with tempered glass, so it’s tough, and the mechanism that holds it into place has a lot of resistance. It’s not going to accidentally drop out at an opportune moment, you have to tug it pretty hard to pull out from its secure home tucked into the body.
The screen pulls out and tilts in two directions, which gives you the option to shoot at angles that would normally be difficult to get your eyes lined up straight. Think looking straight down while the camera is on a tripod. Shooting up, down or at a right angle while holding the camera away from your body. Shooting around corners. Shooting really low to the ground, like in this shot below with the XF 14mm lens.
Between the super bright sunlight, the wet sand, waves that rolled in quickly, and fast moving subject, this was actually a difficult shot. I only had a few seconds to nail it. Crouching down low enough so that I could look straight into the camera while keeping a lookout for the waves in case I had to make a quick escape would have been really tough. Flipping open the LCD made this so much easier. I got the shot, flipped the screen closed and moved on.
You usually don’t see tilting LCD screens on pro level cameras. In the Nikon line, you don’t get one until you drop down to the D5300, so I can see how the whole tilting screen thing has a bit of an amateur feel. Did Fuji try to cram too much into the X-T1? I don’t think so. For me, it’s hardly a make or break item, but how that I’ve used it, I’m glad that Fuji included this feature.
I see it as just another professional tool. After all, we pros are always trying to get different and unique angles with our photography, why shouldn’t we embrace a tool that helps us get those angles without having to crane our necks and bodies and force ourselves into really uncomfortable positions? Could also be a really handy tool for shooting video.
Other Features
Memory card door: The X-T1 has a side memory card compartment door that operates much like my Nikons. Feels familiar. A little less burly, but I prefer it over the compartment at the bottom. Of course, shooting 16 GB cards, I rarely have to change cards, especially when shooting JPEGS.
Battery Life: This is still a limitation of mirrorless cameras, the batteries don’t last nearly as long as DSLR batteries. The X-T1 is rated at 350 frames, but I’ve gotten well over 1,000 shots per charge while shooting a combination of JPEG and RAW. I always recommend getting at least one extra battery with any of these smaller cameras. It does work well in the cold, one night I shot over 100 RAW images with it at between 0 and minus 10 degrees F and then left it on the porch for about an hour in those temps before the battery finally died. So, overall, not bad, but I still carry an extra battery everywhere I go.
If you need more battery life, you can always get the optional vertical grip that holds a second battery and thus doubles your available shot count. It also has a second set of command dials, AF/AE Lock buttons, Focus lock button and a shutter button. I haven’t tried the grip, but I’ve heard that it’s very comfortable to use.
Intervalometer: The X-T1 has a built-in intervalometer that lets you set the number of frames, interval and initial delay until the camera starts shooting. This means you can do time lapse with the camera.
Panorama: All the Fuji X cameras have panorama mode. It seems to be getting better, which is a function of the image processor. Sometimes it gets confused, but when it’s right on, you get a great image. Click to see this pano shot at full size.
The Fuji X-T1 in Use
Fuji did an amazing job with the X-T1 design, every single aspect of the camera is very well thought out. Coming from DSLRs and some of the other X cameras, the slightly smaller X-T1 fits perfectly in my hands. I love the compact size, I like the layout of all the buttons and controls and I love the body contour. Like I said above, I wish the D-pad buttons were a little bigger, and the twin command dials are a little small, but aside from that, it’s easy to shoot with both hands or with one hand.
In fact, the milled top deck dials make it really easy to use with one hand, because all the controls are so easy to manipulate. You’re either turning them with your index finger or thumb, or bringing your left hand up to quickly change something before letting go to quickly reach for whatever it is that’s making you shoot one handed again.
With it’s pronounced grip and solid design, the X-T1 has a very professional feel to it. It’s balanced quite well, not matter what glass you’ve got out front. I’ve used it with a variety of lenses, from pancake to long zoom, and with every setup, it handles extremely well.
I also love that the X-T1 is so versatile. Stick on the XF 55-200mm and you’ve got a long lens pro action rig, attach one of the short fixed teles and you’ve got a mean, lean portrait shooting machine, or slap on a pancake and suddenly you’ve got something that walks and talks rather like an X100S. Same sensor, same colors, but with a way more advanced AF system, plus the option to switch lenses if you get tired of just one viewpoint.
My favorite lens to use with the X-T1 is the XF 14mm ultra wide angle. That lens is so good, that it feels like I’m shooting full frame, but with much less weight and bulk.
Finally, a Clear, Usable EVF!!
Up to this point, I have hated every electronic viewfinder that come into contact with. I love that the X20 has an optical viewfinder, but it’s pretty small. With the X-E1, I hold my nose on those rare times when I actually look through the EVF. With that camera, I usually shoot while looking at the LCD, but to me, that’s not what it’s all about. While I do like having the option of using an LCD sometimes, I just don’t feel like I’m in full control. It’s kind of like driving from the back seat.
The X-T1 has a brand new High Precision 2.36 million pixel high eyepoint OLED electronic viewfinder that has a much higher refresh rate and a bigger view than any other camera out there. At .77x, it’s even bigger than the Canon 1Ds Mark III and WAY bigger than the X-E2.
It’s so big, in fact, that if your eye isn’t right up to the cup, you might have trouble seeing all the way to the edges. If this is an issue, you can always switch from FULL to NORMAL mode to shrink the view. However, I wear glasses, and even though I have to look around a tiny bit to see everything in the X-T1’s viewfinder, (it’s like sitting close to a big screen movie) I still keep it on FULL and don’t really see this as an issue. I like big.
In addition, the EVF displays shooting info inside the viewfinder, and it even has an auto-rotate feature that turns both the image and the info into the correct orientation when shooting verticals. Nice touch.
This picture below shows you the difference in size between the X-T1’s EVF and three other popular digital cameras. Note: The camera review site where this came from has obviously mislabeled the X-T1 as X-M1, but the image on the top left is indeed the viewfinder from the X-T1.
Aside from FULL and NORMAL and VERTICAL, the X-T1 also has DUAL mode, which lets you view a a secondary split image or highlight peaking overlay when you’re focusing manually. You don’t have to use the DUAL screen with manual focus, though, that’s just an option.I’ve actually used manual focus quite a bit on the X-T1. It’s good enough for shooting portraits and other critical work, especially if you have a bright lens, like the XF 35mm f/1.4 and the awesome new XF 56mm f/1.2 short tele/portrait lens. I even used MF when shooting the northern lights while in Iceland. In total darkness, the AF wasn’t able to grab anything, so I focused manually and was still able to get sharp images.
Looking through the viewfinder, the screen was bright enough for me to visually achieve sharp focus on snow covered ridges in the distant mountains. When using MF, you can set the camera so that as soon as you start turning the focusing ring on your lens, the camera will automatically zoom to help you focus better. It’s the same as if you pressed the Focus Assist button.
The EVF GUI has been totally redesigned as well. On the X-T1, you have the option to turn on and off any number of elements inside the EVF, including a grid, histogram, all your shooting info, ISO, shots remaining, battery charge, EV+/- and more. Nothing overlays over the image in the viewfinder, but for ultimate creative immersion, you can turn off all the tools and just get lost in your scene. You could even save that option to a Custom Shooting menu and either access it via the Q button (it’s the first setting in the menu) or assign it to one of the FUNC buttons for instant recall. Hmmmm….. I think I just made up my own Custom Setting #1.
Real Time Exposure Changes Reflected in the EVF
Another nice thing about the EVF is that if you reach for the EV+/- dial or change the shutter speed/aperture when you’re shooting in manual mode, your exposure changes will be reflected in the EVF view. This means that the EVF image will get brighter or darker depending on what you change. Not all mirrorless cameras do this. Combined with the option to show a histogram inside the viewfinder, the X-T1 gives you really good control for making real time exposure changes while you’re shooting. This has definitely helped me when shooting in tricky light.
So, here’s the deal with EVFs, at least for me. I suspect that it might be the same for many of you DSLR users out there too. As good as the scene looks on the back LCD of today’s digital cameras, I much prefer to look at my subject through the viewfinder when I’m shooting. It just makes me feel more connected to whatever it is I’m photographing. With its super fast refresh rate and huge size, the new EVF on the X-T1 is a real game changer.
On this camera, I find myself using the EVF almost 90% of the time. Although it’s not quite the same intrinsic “realness” as what you get with a pentaprism and a mirror on an SLR, it’s pretty damn good. It’s completely usable. When the light is good, the clarity is amazing. You almost don’t even know that you’re really just looking at a tiny little TV screen. The digital effect is obviously more noticeable when you’re shooting in dim light, but at least it will brighten up to show your subject better. When shooting in really dim light with a DSLR, you can’t see anything unless you switch the camera to Live View.
How the Fuji X-T1 Shoots and Performs
Of course, all the ergonomics, cool metal dials, metal chassis and super bright EVFs don’t mean anything if the camera can’t deliver. Let’s take a look at how the Fuji X-T1 actually performs in real life situations.
Whereas the X-Pro1, X-E2 and X100S will lock onto moving subjects and track them at up to 3 frames per second, they’re not really action cameras. I’ve shot action with both the X-E1 and 2, and compared to what I’m used to with my Nikon D700 and AF-S lenses, it’s severely limiting. You have to work really hard to nail it and you often end up with lots of out of focus frames.
Like the X-E2, the X-T1 has 49 selectable AF points, 9 of which are phase detect points right on the sensor. In single shot AF-S mode, the camera focuses very fast and probably quite comparable to the other high end X cameras. However, AF-C mode and CH is where the X-T1 stomps all over the other models in the line.
The X-T1 has been designed with a brand new predictive AF system that enables follow-focus and tracking at up to a whopping 8 frames per second. That’s HUGE. That’s faster than my Nikon. That’s what makes the X-T1. Also, whereas previous X camera AF was only able to track and capture speeds equal to a running child, the X-T1 has is capable of following subjects that move at speeds of up to 40 km/h.
The big advancement is that it doesn’t just track, though, the X-T1 actually features built-in movement prediction algorithms that have been programmed into the camera. It also has an increased buffer memory (double that of previous models) that can handle up to 20 RAW captures at full frame rate. Other X cameras will only handle 8 before slowing down. Using one of the new UHS-II SD card, this number jumps to 40 frames. I’ve been shooting with one of these cards and I can attest that it’s VERY fast.
Some X-E2 owners are wondering if their AF systems could be beefed up with a firmware update. I don’t know the answer to this, but I suspect that the AF advancements on the X-T1 do not lie in the software alone. There could be mechanical/hardware advancements inside the X-T1 as well, which help it achieve this kind of performance, but I don’t know if this is the case.
From what I’ve seen in my real-life outside shooting tests, the AF system on the X-T1 rocks. It’s light years beyond the X-E1 and what I saw during my brief time using the X-E2. Don’t get me wrong, the X-E2 is incredibly fast, but it just can’t hold a candle to the X-T1 when it comes to shooting fast subjects at 8 frames per second in AF-C mode.
The Game Changer
Above all else, this is the game changer for me. Since I shoot things like skiing, biking and running, having quick and accurate AF and a high frame rate are the two absolutely essential things I need in my cameras. I’ll sacrifice a little bit of quality in order to get that, which is why I never made the jump to the D800, 4 fps is almost crawling. 5 is doable. I prefer at least 6.
With 8 fps and predictive AF tracking, the X-T1 is an incredible, solid performer in the action department. It eats fast moving subjects for breakfast and leaves plenty of room for lunch. It basically gives you DSLR performance in a small package. Is the AF system comparable to a Nikon D4? Probably not, although I did a low light test against a Nikon D7100 and when it’s dark, both cameras did about the same, which means that neither camera did very well. They both hunted and had a hard time finding a subject.
Focus performance depends largely on the amount of light and contrast you have, as well as the lens you’re using. The DSLR guys have been refining their systems for decades, whereas Fuji has built a brand new lens lineup from scratch in the last couple of years. They’re good, and some are better than others, but from my tests with the X-T1 using a variety of different lenses, it gets the job done.
Bottom line: The AF system on the X-T1 is a remarkable advancement and it delivers as promised. I would absolutely rely on this camera to deliver pro results when shooting just about any action subjects that I typically photograph. (If you’re not familiar with my work, you can click the HOME page at the top and check out what I do.)
Image Quality
Of course, super fast AF is just a means to an end. Creativity, light and composition are the things that count in photography, so let’s see how the X-T1 images look. This will be somewhat of a short section for two reasons. Since the X-T1, X100S and X-E2 all share the same sensor and image processor, they all produce essentially the same quality imagery.
If you’ve shot other Fuji X cameras, then you already know the scoop. If you haven’t, here’s the deal. The high end Fujifilm cameras use the 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor and EXR Image Processor II. Since they arrange the red, green and blue pixels on the sensor in a random, irregular pattern, they can get away with not using an optical low pass filter, which increases resolution and detail. The result is that the images from cameras like the X-T1 are incredibly sharp and brilliant.
In addition, Fujifilm combines decades of film experience to produce excellent color reproduction in their digital imagery. The X-T1 includes all of the film simulations of the other X cameras, including Provia, Velvia, Astia, Pro Neg Hi and Low, a few B/W modes and Sepia.
I love using these different color modes, because it gives you a wide variety of creative options when the light isn’t ideal for shooting “regular” color, or when I just want a different look. Different subjects lend themselves well to different color and tonal palettes, and the X-T1 film simulations give you more than enough creativity to handle any photographic situation.
Another thing with the Fuji images is that their JPEG processing engine is incredible. In fact, many photographers who shoot Fuji cameras just shoot JPEG all the time. They’re that good. Why mess with RAW when you don’t need to? If JPEG gives you the look you’re going for, then you’re golden, and you saved some hard drive space.
Again, the X-T1 follows suit. The images JPEGs look amazing with excellent tone, sharpness and color. As good as they are, though, not all situations are ideal for shooting JPEG. You want to shoot RAW when you’re dealing with high contrast and challenging tonal ranges, such as in these situations below.
I actually did shoot both of these in RAW+JPEG, but since Lighroom doesn’t yet recognize the X-T1 RAW files (update coming soon) I can only show you the JPEGs. As soon as I’m able to process the X-T1 RAW files, I’ll do a full comparison against the JPEGs. (Photo Ninja software reads the X-T1 files.)
Low Light, High ISO
Reducing noise, especially at high ISO levels and when shooting in low light is a huge concern, especially when you’re dealing with smaller sensors. The Fuji APS-C size X-Trans sensor is not full frame, so it has slightly smaller pixels than say a D800. Smaller pixels mean less light gathering capabilities, so each one has to do as good a job as it can.
In trying to combat noise on the X-T1, one of the things the Fuji engineers did was to redesign the actual circuitry around the sensor, which has reduced some electromagnetic issues that arise from bundles of wires being so close to the sensor. They also implemented additional heat dissipation, (a hotter sensor can cause an increase in noise) and addressed ways to retain color consistency with regards to how the sensor reproduces blacks.
These advancements have given Fuji the confidence to include high ISO speeds of 12500, 25000 and even 51200.
Sounds good on paper, but does it work? Is it usable? In my tests, the X-T1 does a great job when shooting at high ISO. It’s considerably better than on the X-E1. There’s very little noise at ISO 800, and even when you go higher, it’s very manageable; no worse than high speed 35mm film grain used to be. In many cases, you’ll find it to be better.
Here are some examples below. Click on the images to see full size images. You can zoom all the way in and see for yourself.
The X-T1 doesn’t have a built-in flash. Instead, it comes with a tiny little flash, the EF-X8. It has a guide number of 11, which isn’t great, but there are two things about it that are. One, is sits up higher off the top deck than a standard pop-up, which means better red-eye control.
Second, and more importantly, the X-T1 has an option that lets you turn off the TTL pre-flashes. This means you can use it as a commander to control any number of other speedlights and flashes. Of course, they have to be in Manual mode and optical slave mode, but that’s no big deal. Ask David Hobby what you can do with a couple of manual flashes and a trigger.
I haven’t played around with the flash much, but I’ll post when I do.
WiFi Remote Camera Control App
Fuji released a brand new remote control app called Fujifilm Camera Remote. It works in conjunction with the X-T1’s WiFi button. You press the button, connect your mobile device to the X-T1 WiFi network, fire up the app and you can control the camera right from your device.
You can shoot remotely, set things like ISO, aperture, Film Simulation, etc… and even focus and fire the shutter by simply touching the screen on your phone or tablet. Then, you can view, import and share photos right from the camera to your device. You can even set up geotagging with the X-T1 through the GPS on your phone.
It’s actually pretty cool. I’ve made extensive use of this app, mostly to transfer select images to my iPhone, which I used to share images while I was in Iceland. All of my image posting during the trip was done this way. Here’s a video from Canadian Reviewer that shows you how it works.
Conclusion
Fujifilm hit it out of the park with this one. The X-T1 is a breakthrough camera that’s been carefully thought out, very well designed and filled with some incredibly advanced and useful features. Up to this point, mirrorless cameras simply weren’t up to the task for outdoor action, adventure and travel shooters. They either were’t rugged enough, fast enough or versatile enough. Or, they just didn’t appeal to many shooters because they didn’t “look” like cameras.
With its classic design and hot rod performance under the hood, not to mention the really nice collection of quality glass that Fuji is building, the X-T1 is sure to appeal to a very wide range of photographers. Aside from the obvious slew of adventure shooters who are simply tired of carrying around their huge, heavy gear in the backcountry, I see this camera as a great choice for any outdoor photographer who wants a more lighter and more rugged camera system than what they’ve been using.
The X-T1 is also an ideal camera for travel. I used it exclusively for a week in Iceland. That was actually the first time I took my X20 on a trip and didn’t even touch it, and I LOVE that camera! I was actually traveling with someone who had a Nikon D800 setup. Within hours, she was jealous of my small, compact kit and also of the really nice creative options that I was able to pull off when the light got bad. By the end of the week, she was cursing me for making her rethink her entire travel photography setup.
As someone who has been shooting exclusively with DSLRs for over 20 years, the X-T1 is a breath of fresh air, because not only does it perform, it also has a huge “fun factor.” All the Fuij X cameras do. They’ve done something really right with their approach to photography. They make you love your camera again. Ask any X camera owner.
Also, there’s just something special about the way they’ve incorporated the color palettes from their most famous films into these awesome little cameras.There’s a reason why so many people used (and continue to use) the old Fuji Films, they had a great look. Ultimately, photography is not about pixels, it’s about tone, color and creativity. The Fuji cameras put that concept right out there on the front end of the picture taking process where it should be. They give you the kinds of options that foster concepts like style, artistry and vision.
For all that it can do, there’s no reason why the X-T1 couldn’t be your only camera. It’s really a hot little number that’s capable of doing everything, and for many people, it could easily replace their DSLR. Image quality is top notch, as good as the X100S, which many pros totally RAVE about. It’s actually a very competitive price, especially when you consider that the Nikon Df costs almost twice as much, is WAY bigger and doesn’t have many of the creative options and the aesthetic style that the X cameras pack. It’s the same price as the Nikon D7100 with the same size sensor, a faster frame rate, a much smaller body, manual dials and all the Fuji X camera colors and film simulations. Although the D7100 is a great camera, I can see many reasons why people would choose the X-T1 over that one.
If you’re not ready to dump the DSLR yet, (I’m not either) the X-T1 makes an excellent companion camera for those times when you want to save on weight and bulk, but still need the performance of a pro grade camera. Maybe you’ll shoot the DSLR for some things and use the X-T1 for traveling and times when you want to go light. You’ll probably find yourself using the DSLR less and less. That’s how it’s turning out with me.
Mirrorless cameras have finally arrived, and with the X-T1, they’ve just taken a huge leap forward. I’m sure the other cameras will catch up soon, (they always do) so from that standpoint, it becomes a question of using a camera that feels good in your hands, produces photos that YOU love, and gets the job done the way YOU need it done.
For me, the X-T1 fits that bill and I’ll be excited to keep using and take it on more trips. Let me know what you think!
I've rarely used my Nikon DSLR in the last year, whether this is because my trusty XT1 does a lot or because I look at your work and think, "Pahhh this Nikon, I don't need that big bulky thing in my bag today. If Dan and others get such work with XT1 or similar, then so can I".
Michael Gallacher
I took the X-T1 and D700 to Belgium last year...should have just left the Nikon at home. The color was so much more true with the Fuji.
Michael Moberly
Support this site: The Fuji X-T1 is starting to ship now, but in limited stock. B&H Photo and Adorama are both shipping the X-T1 body right now, but still taking preorders on the body/lens kits. I imagine this being a very popular release, so if you want one right away, you might think about ordering yours now.
You can show your appreciation for the time and effort that it has taken me to compile and write this very detailed review by purchasing either the X-T1 or some of the Fuji XF lens through the links below. It won’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep this site running. Thanks so much!
Here on my blog, it’s usually all about me. Today it isn’t.
Instead, I’d like to feature the work of three other photographers. I don’t know any of these three shooters personally, but their work is amazing and absolutely worth a look. They all make incredible use of the light, but most importantly, they take their cameras into the beautiful places of the world. Do that over and over again and you’ll take better pictures.
People like this inspire me and make me want to get out there with my camera even more and improve at my own photography. They remind me that great photography is not about the gear, it’s about being there in good light.
Enjoy. I hope this inspires you.
1. Max Rive
Max Rive is a landscape and adventure photographer from Europe who shoots some of the most beautiful and amazing mountain images that I’ve ever seen. This photo above is “Sunrise in the Dolomites.” Check out his 500px page here and follow him on Facebook.
I follow Randy Langstratt on Facebook and Google+, and I really enjoy looking at his awesome photos of the Colorado Plateau, which is where he makes his home. Check out his 500px collection and his Flickr page to see more of his work.
By now, I’m getting pretty familiar with the new Fujifilm X-T1, having shot well over a thousand frames with it in a variety of conditions over in Iceland and back here in Alaska.
I’ll continue to do more extensive reviews of this awesome new camera so that by the time it’s released on March 7, you’ll have a solid understanding of how it performs and what to expect, should you decide that to add it to your arsenal.
Note that since Lightroom isn’t able to read the X-T1 RAW files yet, these are all straight JPEGS with no correction of any kind, except for the northern lights photo. I did some basic exposure adjustment on that shot just to lighten it up.
To give you an idea of how photos look from his camera, I’ve put together a sample of collection that illustrate the image quality of the Fuji X-T1. Each of these photos links to a full size version that’s sitting in my Dropbox folder so you can zoom in and do a critical inspection of resolution, noise and sharpness.
1. Out the Airplane Window
The benchmark of any camera, of course, is how well it shoots out the airplane window. While this is predominantly iPhone territory, I decided to wade into the waters of this subject with my new X-T1. This was shot at ISO 250 in Velvia mode, 1/100 at f/4.5 with the XF 27mm pancake lens. This is a superb little lens, with the key word being little, or rather tiny. It’s got a 41mm full frame view, which makes it a fun little all around lens when you don’t want to get too wide.
Even outside the thin plastic Boeing window, check out how sharp both the wing and the distant mountains below are. In great light, the X-Trans sensor does a incredible job. Click for the full size version.
2. White Ptarmigan on Snow
I used manual focus on this shot, with the XF 55-200mm lens. The very low contrast between the ptarmigan and the snow made it nearly impossible for the AF to get the bird in sharp focus, so I switched to MF and used the highlight peaking function.
One nice features on the X-T1 is that you can set it to zoom on your subject while performing your manual focus. This helps you make critical adjustments and fine tune for maximum sharpness. Even with the zoom set all the way out to 200mm, I was able to nail the bird in perfectly sharp focus.
Exposure info: ISO 500, 1/300 at f/4.8, in Pro Neg Standard mode. Click for full size.
3. Gullfoss Waterfall
Here’s another image shot with the XF 55-200mm lens. This lens has excellent OIS image stabilization, because I was able to hand hold this shot with a surprisingly low shutter speed: ISO 200, 1/50 sec at f/9 with the lens zoomed out to 90mm (effectively a 135mm angle of view.) STD (Provia) film sim. Even at this distance, the X-T1 holds up with impressive sharpness. Click for the full size version.
4. Geysir Watchers
I love the film simulations on the Fuji X cameras. It’s probably one of my favorite feature on them, because it allows me to still get great looking images that I’m really happy with even when the light isn’t ideal. I’ll often throw my Fuji into BW mode when the clouds roll overhead. Dim overcast never looks very good in color and with my DSLRs, I usually put the camera away and move on, or else try to work a closeup subjects. With the Fuji film sims, I can quickly switch to a new mode and keep shooting.
This shot was made with the XF 14mm f/2.8, which is my favorite Fuji lens. ISO 250, 1/110 sec at f/4.5 using Aperture Priority in regular BW mode. Click for the full size.
5. Wooden 2×4 Wall
I shot this on the streets of Reykjavik with the XF 18-55mm lens zoomed to 21mm. ISO 200, 1/18 sec at f/4.5. STD (Provia) film mode. Even handheld at only 1/18 sec, there’s quite a bit of very sharp edge to edge detail in this photo. Click for full size.
6. Reykjavik Traffic Light
Another image shot on a dark winter day with the XF 55-200mm lens. I could never live without a decent telephoto and I’m pretty impressed with this lens. It’s very sharp and even though it’s not terribly fast, (f/3.5-4.8) the OIS works extremely well, and it still gives nice, soft backgrounds.
I shot this zoomed to 67mm at ISO 200, 1/240 sec at f/4, Velvia mode. Very sharp! Click for full size.
7. Ice Axes
I’m normally not a medium range zoom guy. I prefer a fast wide angle prime and a longer telephoto zoom, however, the XF 18-55mm lens is a pretty versatile tool. I actually use it quite a lot. It’s very sharp and drops to a pleasing out of focus background behind your main subject.
With the lens zoomed to 21mm, I shot this at ISO 200, 1/60 sec at f/4.5, Velvia film mode. The red starts to oversaturate in Velvia mode, but it did that on film too, so I’d expect no less from the X-T1 Velvia film simulation. Click for full size.
8. Caught in the Surf!
Another photo shot with the XF 55-200mm lens. Despite the extreme contrast of sun lit waves, white water and black sand on the beach, the X-T1 JPEG engine and EXR Image Processor II did an impressive job holding everything together. Shooting in RAW, you’d have even more control. Also, note how tack sharp the waves are by her feet. That 55-200 is very high quality glass.
Reykjavik was long used as a forward allied air base for planes flying from the US to Europe and back during and after WWII. In 1973, this US Navy Douglas C-117, which is the military version of the DC-3 ran out of fuel and was forced to crash land in bad weather on the beach along the south coast of Iceland.
Word has it that later on, a local farmer came across the wreck and discovered that the second tank was completely full of fuel. Apparently, the pilot had switched to the wrong tank, and since the US had already abandoned the plane, the farmer ended up with a year’s worth of aviation fuel to run his tractors.
I made this photo of the plane with Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the background with the XF 14mm f/2.8, ISO 200, f/450 sec at f/8 in Velvia mode. Note how sharp that 14mm lens is!! Click for full size.
10. Basalt Colums, Reynisfjara Beach
Although the sun was out on this afternoon, I just felt that the graphic nature of these basalt columns would render well in black and white. This images was shot with the extremely sharp XF 14mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100 (default is 200, but you can set it to LOW ISO, which is 100) 1/75 sec at f/10 in BW mode. Click for full size.
11. Northern Lights
This is the only photo that I did any adjustment on. I shot it with a tripod and the tiny little XF 27mm pancake lens and brightened up the JPEG exposure in Lightroom. As I mentioned above, I also shot in this in RAW, so it will be interesting to see the difference in latitude and noise. That said, the JPEG still holds together pretty well, especially considering the short exposure time and somewhat high ISO.
Exposure info: ISO 800, 3.2 seconds wide open at f/2.8. Click for full size.
12. Reykjavik Lights Hotel at Sunrise
My last morning in Iceland, waiting outside my hotel for the bus to take me to the airport, I quickly captured this shot. I was the only time I saw direct sunlight while in Reykjavik. Being a coastal city, it’s often cloudy. Reykjavik is a lot like Anchorage.
The X-T1 and Fuji’s EXR JPEG Image Processor rules with shots like this. Minimal noise, tons of detail and superbly sharp. ISO 200, 1/600 sec at f/5 and STD Provia mode. With light like this, though, I should have shot in Velvia mode. I can always tweak a little more vibrancy out of this shot in Lightroom. Click for full size.
I hope this gives you an idea of how well the new Fuji X-T1 does in the image quality department. I’m super impressed with this camera and was so excited to have mine in time for the Iceland trip. I love how the files look, and combined with all the new features, it’s really a solid performer. Stay tuned for more review posts in the next couple of weeks.
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Soon after I bought my first camera, a friend turned me onto Galen Rowell, who many consider to be the father of modern day adventure photography. I was about 21 at the time, and I instantly became fascinated not just with his imagery, but his lifestyle as well. Here was a man whose creative vision and hard work had paid off in a big way.
I’ve actually used manual focus quite a bit on the X-T1. It’s good enough for shooting portraits and other critical work, especially if you have a bright lens, like the 
Fuji released a brand new remote control app called 
