In case some of you missed it, below is my video showing the X-Pro 1 body, lenses, and the menu system of the camera. Again, it is much like the X100 but you gain the advantage of the faster and different focal length lenses. Add to that the Fuji colors and you have a fantastic camera for image quality. ![]() Due to lack of AA filter, the images that come from this sensor pop with detail and sharpness. Probably some of the best IQ I have seen from any mirrorless to date. The X-Pro 1 may just be worth the $1699 body only cost as the IQ is great for a crop sensor APS-C camera. That’s a lot of cash for just about anyone. Add the grip and extra battery and you are at about $3500. ![]() I feel the X-Pro 1 should have come in at $1399 for the body only because as it is, this camera will cost you $3300 with all three lenses. Do I feel the Fuji X-Pro 1 is worth $1699? No. Then again, do I feel the M9 is worth $7k? No, not in 2012. Unless you shot one, owned one and used one with great Leica glass you wouldn’t understand. I am sure Fuji fans will call me a Leica fanboy but the fact is that there is still nothing like shooting an M. In other areas like build, use, feel, manual focus, simplicity and image quality, the Leica wins. The only area where this beats an M9 is in high ISO, and in this area it slaughters the M, kicks it while it’s down and stomps it before it kicks it across the street. It feels nothing like an M9, shoots nothing like an M9 and the quality in not equal to an M9. I will tell you all up front RIGHT NOW that this is not an M9 nor is it even remotely similar in operation. I will say right now the main competitor to this camera is not the Leica M9 but rather the Sony NEX-7 and even the new Olympus OM-D. So now that I have been shooting with this “X-Pro 1” for a while, what do I think? Well, read on to find out my thoughts as I share my real world results about the build and feel, use, and image quality of the camera. In my honest opinion they are not trying to beat the M9 as the X-Pro 1 simply does not, but many of us who can not buy an M9 WILL think about the X-Pro and a few M9 users will buy one as well to play with. Fuji knew this so they targeted this camera system at those people. But with a camera like the X-Pro 1 at 1/4 the cost, it is now possible to get a Leica look-a-like and fast primes that give superb image quality. Some refuse to pay that price and some simply can’t. Why wouldn’t they? There are so many people that would LOVE a Leica M9 but refuse to pay the $7000 body cost and even more for lenses. If Fuji could pull off a nice solid body, fast AF and rock solid reliability…then yes, I feared Leica would lose some sales to Fuji. They even designed it like a black Leica M with that awesome retro look and feel. I sat there and thought “Uh Oh” – Leica is in trouble. There it was…Fuji was set to release a PRO version of the X100 with interchangeable FAST lenses at 1/4 the price of a 3 year old M9. Yes, Fuji started working on the “top secret” X-Pro 1 and the internet buzz was insane for months about it. Even though MANY of the X100 users were having the “sticky aperture blade” issues with the cameras, Fuji started to work on a new higher end version. One of the reasons for this was that Fuji did a super job with the marketing and hype for that camera and with the huge success of the X100 they decided to keep the X train rolling full steam ahead. Prices on Amazon were jacked up and people were paying $1600 for the standard X100 kit and yes, even at that price they would sell out within a day or so. ![]() What I mean by that is that it did not have the Zen like simplicity of an M.īut we can not deny the fact that the little X100 was the big camera hit of last year and when it arrived it was sold out for months. ![]() The image quality, the feel, the small size and the hybrid EVF/OVF…it all brought me back to the basics of photography even though it was a bit more technical than a basic Leica M. On several occasions I even had the $200 overpriced black edition in my shopping cart because even though it is NOT a Leica (In case you did not know, I love my Leica) I felt a connection to it. I no longer have an X100 but still have a soft spot for it. You can read my X100 review HERE and see how much I loved that camera. The last time I was this excited about a camera release was with last years Fuji X100, which I adored but at the same time, found frustrating on many occasions. Well here we are and I have now had the Fuji X-Pro 1 in my hands for a little while and I am ready to let you all know how I feel about it!
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