We now know the price of the Fujifilm X-Pro1 for US residents: $1,700. One week after become available for preorders over on Amazon Japan for roughly $1,743, the camera is now listed on Amazon’s US site for the price of $1,699.95 for the body only. The system’s lenses are also available, and cost between $600 and $650 a pop.
Yesterday we shared that some impressive sample photos taken by the camera are now available for pixel-peepers to feast their eyes on.
When Fujifilm said that the X-Pro1′s sensor “resolution and low noise will surpass rival 35mm full size sensor[s]“, they weren’t kidding. Photographers Christian Fletcher and Michael Coyne have both been testing out the camera, and have extremely positive things to say about it:
My initial feelings are that this camera is a worthy replacement for a bulky dslr system. If you have to travel light, this is the camera for you. Physically it is only marginally larger than the x100 so slinging it around your neck for a day is no problem. In fact I am wearing mine right now!, it is a fashion accessory!! Man bling! or Girl Bling too for that matter. [#]
Fletcher has published a number of untouched sample photos to his blog, including the ISO 6400 image above shot by Coyne. Click here to check out the full-res version (be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor). Some more sample photos can be seen here, including an ISO 25600 one.
A clearer picture is emerging of what the Fujifilm X-Pro1 will cost when it’s finally on store shelves. The camera is now available for preorder over on Amazon Japan for the price of ¥135,000 (~$1,743). This suggests that the US price will be in the range of $1,600-$1,700. The lenses will likely be in the range of $600-$700 each. A PDF version of the owner’s manual has also been released, and should be interesting to anyone who wants a closer look at how the camera works.
Crippled by its recent financial scandal, Olympus is in need of a bailout and has been open to the idea of forming a strategic alliance with other companies. The latest news is that Sony is on the brink of acquiring a 20-30% stake in the beleaguered medical device and camera company, a sizable increase from the 0.03% it currently owns. The alliance would combine Sony’s expertise in making camera sensors with Olympus’ expertise in medical devices. Fujifilm has also been named as a company that’s interested in investing in Olympus, but Sony seems to currently be the clear front-runner.
The Economist has a fascinating piece looking at the similarities and differences between Kodak and Fujifilm, two juggernauts of film photography that took different paths when digital photography came around:
While Kodak suffers, its long-time rival Fujifilm is doing rather well. The two firms have much in common. Both enjoyed lucrative near-monopolies of their home markets: Kodak selling film in America, Fujifilm in Japan. A good deal of the trade friction during the 1990s between America and Japan sprang from Kodak’s desire to keep cheap Japanese film off its patch.
Both firms saw their traditional business rendered obsolete. But whereas Kodak has so far failed to adapt adequately, Fujifilm has transformed itself into a solidly profitable business, with a market capitalisation, even after a rough year, of some $12.6 billion to Kodak’s $220m. Why did these two firms fare so differently?
Fujifilm claims that the sensor in its new X-Pro1 mirrorless camera system beats DSLR sensors (both crop and full frame) in resolution and signal/noise ratio. To give salivating photographers a taste of the camera’s image quality, the company has released 9 full-resolution JPEG images shot at different settings and focal lengths. The photo above was captured at ISO 1600 (check out the full-res here). They also provide a glimpse into the camera’s film simulation mode, as each one was shot in either Velvia or Provia mode.
At CES the company also announced that they’ll be releasing a lens adapter for the camera that will make it compatible with Leica M-mount lenses as well as old Fujinon lenses.
Here’s a hands-on tour of the new Fujifilm X-Pro1 that was announced yesterday — a gorgeous camera that has the photo world buzzing with excitement. There’s been a lot of speculation on the camera’s price, which hasn’t been announced, with most sources reporting that it will be in the range of $1,600-$1,700. Read the rest of this entry »
Pretty much everything we wanted to know about the Fujifilm X-Pro1 was leaked over the weekend, but now the camera finally transitioned from the world of rumors into official reality. Fujifilm unveiled the X-Pro1 at CES today, and confirmed the leaked specs. They also announced plans to release 9 additional lenses within the next three years. Sadly, the usefulness of the official announcement ends there — there was no word on how much things will cost when they become available late February (the price will be announced later this month).
Update: The price of the camera, based on a briefly-online Amazon product listing, is rumored to be $1,700 for the body only.
Fujifilm’s beautiful X-Pro1 mirrorless camera isn’t official yet, but we now have a clearer picture of what the system will look like after a few product pages for X-series lenses were accidentally published on Amazon (they’ve since been removed). In addition to new images of the camera itself, prices for the lenses were revealed: $500 for the 35mm f/1.4 and 18mm f/2.0, and $600 for the 60mm f/2.4. Also, get this: the camera will be able to simulate 10 different kinds of film (e.g. Provia, Velvia, Astia, B&W)! Read the rest of this entry »
The Nikon D4 wasn’t the only upcoming camera to have its photos and details leaked today: Fujifilm’s retro-styled system camera also got the same treatment. Réponses Photo (the French magazine that leaked the D4) has leaked an article about the Fujifilm X-Pro1 — previously believed to be called the X1 or LX10. A press release about the camera also appeared on Wells Fargo’s website (screenshot here). We now know that the camera will offer a custom 16MP CMOS sensor, use Fujifilm’s EXR processor technology, feature a second-generation hybrid viewfinder, and be launched with 3 fast prime lenses (18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, and 60mm f/2.4). Read the rest of this entry »
