Back on March 5, 2012 I wrote that I was happy with my current gear and I did not want another camera. Well, it was true then but how things can change in just a month or so. I am so ashamed of myself. I should be stabbed, shot, beheaded and thrown under a passing freight train. Why? Well, it all started with a rumor.
I read on a number of photography related websites that Fuji was coming out with a “Pro” level camera, something far better than the X100 with its fixed lens and certainly much better than the Fuji X10 which had suffered from not being able to handle specular highlights properly, often referred to as Orbs.. (I returned my Fuji X10 by the way) So, I continued to read and then the official Fuji press release came out and I was stoked by what I read. Then the pre-production cameras hit a number of photographers and they raved about the X-Pro1 and then I saw the photos and the specs on the lenses…. sigh… everything looked too good to be true. I knew I should wait and see but I just could not do it. I couldn’t help myself. Resistance was futile!
A friend of mine bought the X-Pro1 and told me it was amazing. This from a person I know and trust.. it was all too much for me! I visited a camera store, caressed the X-Pro1 in person. I brought a memory card with me and took sample shots which I would examine later that day. The Fuji X-Pro1 seemed to be everything I wanted in a small, rangefinder style package.. and yes, I know it is NOT a rangefinder. The glass was good the camera build quality was good.. and the sound of that shutter.. oh so Leica like.. just a whisper.. fwip, fwip, fwip… [Translation: Buy me, Buy me, Buy me]
The next day I caved and bought the X-Pro1 and the 18mm & 35mm lenses. I brought it home, charged the batteries, formatted a memory card and began to shoot… and I thought it might all be a dream and I would wake up holding a Holga and a roll of film. (No offense intended to Holga owners.)
I was amazed at the quality of the JPGs. They are the best I have ever seen and that includes the JPGs that came from my Canon 5D and 5DII. I’ve not really tried RAW as Photoshop CS5 does not support the Fuji RAW files and I am not a fan of SilkyPix and the Fuji X-Pro1 JPGs are absolutely gorgeous.
I was annoyed by the “Lens Chatter” of the X-Pro1 but shortly after I bought it Fuji released a firmware update that eliminated the issue altogether.. and so, I really have no complaints at all with the X-Pro1.
The Fuji X-Pro1 just may be the camera I have been waiting for for years to be produced by Leica. I am honestly very happy that Leica did NOT produce it.. because I know I would not be able to afford it if it bore the Red Dot.
Congratulations Fuji! You have a winner and I have the camera I have been looking for for years!
Sometimes when something sounds too good to be true.. it really is true.