Christmas has come early with the release of firmware version 2.0 for the X-Pro1 and all the X Mount lenses. There are a few things we still need, but this is by far the biggest jump in performance Fujifilm has made in any firmware release.
WHAT WE GOT Focus has been improved by a long way. It really is amazing what Fuji has done with just a firmware upgrade, it feels more like a hardware upgrade! I'm seeing the biggest jump in the 18mm f2 lens. It used to be slower and could hunt a bit, but it's now fast and locks on really quick, even in rooms with bad lighting.
Manual focus is now really really really good and now has 3x as well as 10x magnification. I can now manual focus quickly and accurately through the viewfinder even without using the magnified view. It feels more like I've had laser surgery on my eyes that a firmware update! Things pot right into focus with less turning of the focus ring, although I would say that slightly less again would be even better. That said, I'm not complaining in the least.
The speed at which the files are written to the SD card has doubled, but the thing that is most noticeable is the speed you can flick through photos on the LCD, it's super fast and no longer pauses every few images when you hold the pad down.
Auto ISO now goes up to 6400, but that leads me to the one thing that's missing and what we really need. So Fujifilm is you're reading this, thanks for making the X-Pro1 and lenses even better, but here is a list of what we need IMO.
WHAT WE NEED
- 1. Minimum shutter speed limit when using Auto ISO (like in the X100).
- 2. The ability to use the Exposure Compensation Dial in Manual Mode.
- 3. The option to set Macro from the Quick Menu and have the four way pad constantly active for moving focus points without pressing the AF button first (like on a Nikon DSLR).
When shooting these cameras, it is crucial that they can be operated without having to press any of the left hand buttons (i.e. To select focus points), it's very slow and causes shots to be missed. Focus points are moved a lot more than Macro Mode!
Again, this is a huge leap for the X-Pro1 and I'm now looking forward to the X-E1 even more.