NOW It's Hands On. Fuji X-T1

Came in early. Made sure the battery of the Fuji X-T1 was charged. Put on the 18-55 lens and popped around the place shooting. Some of the results are here on this post, though the nature of a blog picture can never show the entire quality of the file - it is too small.

Right now, I can't see what the RAW work would be like - this computer has too old a copy of PE to do it and Aperture doesn't support the X-T1 RAW file yet. This will be added, no doubt, in the next few months. Until then I would have to use one of the jpeg file settings.

This is not a limitation with Fuji. I discovered a long time ago with my Fuji X-10 that the jpeg files were so good that I didn't even bother to update to RAW work for two years. I could go to the car shows and shoot happily and just show or print the jpegs as is.

Of course, since I decided to get fancy and add to my fill-flash setup ( see previous posts ) I had glorious opportunities to stuff up the exposures....and seized those opportunities...so starting to use the RAW has proved to be a benefit. I can recover my sins gracefully in a darkened computer room with the door shut.

For the time being, I would shoot the X-T1 in studio in jpeg readily - I can see the results straight away and modify them with studio lighting. I would also feel perfectly confident in using it as a field camera dependant upon the camera's meter - it does a far better job of exposure than I do, as long as I do not try to help it out.

And Adobe and Apple will beaver away in the electronic background and one day announce that you can use their products with Fuji X-T1 in RAW.

Note, I suspect that you can use the Fuji RAW conversion in the camera right now on a picture by picture basis.

Please also note one ergonomic/design note. Like some Canon lenses for Canon cameras, Fuji X lenses for Fuji X cameras have a metal lens mount and the electronic contacts that are recessed slightly into the mount. Fuji have the advantage over Canon that there is only one type of mount - you don't get confused with red-dot or white-square when you try to mount a lens. Fuji have the advantage over my large Nikon in that the Nikon mount is filled with sharp edges and protruding levers and can be a bit crunchy when going on and off.

If I could offer one request to the Fujifilm company in their lens design, it would be to follow the lead of manufacturers who place a raised dot or other external indicator at the point where their lens mount engages the body. Just to be able to feel the orientation as you bring the lens to the camera. I suppose you could always sew a button to the lens with a strong bit of twine...I must try this with the shop lenses.

I'll let you know how I get on...