Alright, so I got my XE2 friday night and have shot with it all weekend. I also got my 23mm 1.4 at the same time so a large portion of my “dream” small camera system (I prefer EVIL, thankyouverymuch) has now arrived. Once the 10-24 and 56mm arrive I’ll be all set. Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of the changes, what’s wrong, what’s right, and a wish list for some firmware updates!!!
Changes:
- New sensor with phase detection sensors (faster AF)
- WB seems to be a bit better
- Manual exposure mode now has a working exposure preview!!!! (the histogram also reflects your settings!)
- the EV dial, shutter dial and on/off switch are much stiffer (no more accidental changes!)
- the EVF keeps it’s framerate up even in the dark now
- face detection AF (moves exposure to the face as well, can’t choose the AF point if this is selected, forced to use center point)
- 14-bit RAW
- auto ISO with user defined min and max ISO and also shutter speed (but one shutter speed for all FLs and you MUST pick one, the floating 1/FL isn’t an option anymore)
- 4 CF-n buttons
- Q button has moved
- WiFi!
- Bigger screen with more pixels (which meant my L-bracket didn’t fit w/o some grinding)
- Multiple exposure is in the drive menu now
- If using RAW only, JPEG options hidden from drive menu (filters, ISO bracketing etc)
- you can delete images while zoomed in
- it uses the new X100s images deletion method (which is nice once you get used to it)
- faster in every way, power up, AF, menus, 7fps etc
- exposure compensation dial now goes +/- 3 (vs. +/-2 on the XE1)
- the screen has a different aspect ratio so a lot of things have changed where and or how they’re displayed.
- split prism and peaking MF helpers are added (peaking was added to the XE1 via firmware)
- can zoom in on detected faces during playback
- new EVF eye sensor mode where only the EVF is used but it’s also only on with a face against it (or your pants…)
- AE and AF locks each have their own buttons which opens up a lot of options when one is pressed but not the other.
- replay of sequences no longer as mini animated .gif
- Micro USB remotes now also work (as well as mini stereo jack remotes from the XE1 and mechanical remotes on the shutter)
- continuous AF can use all AF points now.
What’s changed that they need to fix!
- With the XE1 you could have your replays setup to be LCD only and your shooting option to be eye sensor. Or basically the shooting option and the viewing option were NOT tied together. With the XE2 those options are the same option. Yes they added eye sensor EVF only, but I can’t have rear LCD playback with eye sensor shooting now (so I can cup my hands over the LCD or kids can point at it while reviewing w/o the EVF turning on).
- Auto ISO should have an option for the shutter speed to change with the lens focal length.
- The camera does NOT remember that it’s 2s delay was in use when you turn the power on/off. Now I understand how normal users would prefer this option… But I use this ALL THE TIME for landscaping, and when I’m using it there are times between shoots where I want the camera off (or it goes to sleep) and it forgets the fact I had it on. Into the menus to turn it on again EVERY TIME…
- Face detect AF needs to be one of the choices for the FOUR Fn buttons. This would allow me to turn it off quick and pick an AF point. OR… Allow me to pick the AF point to use when the camera doesn’t see a face (with face detect on you’re stuck with the center point only). Face detect AF is GREAT, but when it doesn’t see a face you’re stuck with center point only…
- allow us to define one or two or maybe even three options for the Q menu. I do not shoot JPEGs. So those color settings and all the other JPEG settings in there are a complete waste. I’m sure at least one setting in there is something each user will NEVER use. So allow the bottom row to be user defined… Default them to whatever fuji engineers want. But let us change them to what we want (and allow ANYTHING!).
Dream list for firmware updates (these would be nice but I don’t think they’d do it):
- Built in intervoltmeter
- hyperfocal focusing helper during Manual focusing… This would be an option you turn on in the menus. Once on, and once the camera is in MF mode, the AF-L button would be a hyperfocal tool instead of the focus on button it currently is (you could set this to another button to keep both options working as well potentially). When pressed the camera would look at the aperture you’ve chosen (or the camera has if it’s doing it for you) and the focal length in use and then it would calculate the hyperfocal distance AND THEN SET THAT AS THE FOCUS POINT!!!! This would be epic for landscape photography!!!
- High Key and Low Key modes working in RAW… Basically, this is also an ETTR (expose to the right) and ETTL (expose to the left) option. High and low key are both there but only when you’re shooting JPEGs (or RAW and JPEG). These options basically scew the meter to expose bright or dark images. Here’s what I want (and remember I’m a landscape guy): The low key or ETTL setting would use the meter to look at the histogram and expose the scene as darkly as possible w/o clipping shadows. High key or ETTR would do the same but with highlights to the right but juuuust not clipped. This allows us to meter w/o blowing highlights or blocking up shadows using the meter which would be amazing for landscapers.
- Then, take the above mode and give us two bracketing options… one would be both ETTR and ETTL or both high and low key, two images. The other would be those two options and one normally exposed image. These would be great for HDR or exposure blending.
Alright, I think that about covers it!!! ha ha. Seriously though, fuji had me with the X100. I fell in love with their system and lenses and the bodies. The XE1 came along and it was a better fit for me. Similar in size with the 18mm but larger controls that worked better for me. Now the XE2 has fixed my biggest complaints with the XE1 (AF speed and exposure preview in M for landscape work) so I jumped at the chance to get one. And I’m glad I did. It’s a great camera that really fits how I want to shoot with a smaller camera. I’ve tried MFT (three times actually). I’ve tried sony’s NEX line (twice, the NEX7 is close to a perfect pocket landscape camera but falls flat in 2 areas). I’m tired of lugging the canon around with me. The sony a7r looks very promising, don’t get me wrong, but the lens choices aren’t there and won’t be for at least a year (I had a NEX5 from launch and waited forever for lenses to get developed). Fuji has what I want and the last two pieces to the puzzle (10-24 and 56mm 1.2) should fall in place very soon. It’s a great time to be a small system user and all the choices are great. Fuji’s just the best fit for me and with the XE2 the system has finally hit a maturity level where it’s hard to find any serious negatives with it. It’s a small step forward from the XE1 on paper, but in use they’ve tweaked and improved almost every aspect of the camera and made it better.
The other thing I love about fuji is their user/owner support via firmware updates. They’re still updating the X100 which has been replaces by the X100s for over a year. When I first got my XE1 a new firmware came out that was a MASSIVE step forward in AF speed. It’s the fact that not only do they release new features (peaking etc) and boost performance dramatically over the life of a product that impresses me… but they keep tweaking older bodies with new tricks even if they’ve been replaced in the lineup!!!
As for the 23mm, it’s also quite good. I’ll be posting some shots with it soon enough (there’s some below as well). It’s quite large -vs- the 35mm but you have to always remind yourself about the size of the item on a FF DSLR. I’d bet it’s 1/4 the volume of my 35mm 1.4… It’s a lovely lens that’s built like a tank and has the push/pull AF/MF clutch (which I love but some people hate).
Here’s a quick gallery from this weekend. Bear in mind I’ve had the camera since Friday night and have been home with the kids for the weekend. I did manage to shoot sunrise on Saturday and Sunset on Sunday so there’s two landscapes in here with the rest of the family pics… The other observation I have is these require much less WB adjustment -vs- my XE1 files. It’s a small sample set over three days, but it feels like the AWB is doing a better job.
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Amazon Silver XE2 Kit
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BandH Silver XE2 kit
BandH Black XE2 body only
BandH Black XE2 kit
Thanks for posting your initial impressions of the x-e2 and the very photos you’re already getting out of it. As a fellow dad of two (mine are 1 and 4), I’m curious to hear more about your experience with the autofocus performance when photographing those fast moving bugger’s. For the candid/action shots do you feel more like you got lucky or it’s the norm when you nail the focus?
DJ,
with the previous fuji products (X100, X100s, XE1) I always felt lucky when I got a shot in focus. With the XE2 I might say I’m not confident in it’s ability quite yet only because it’s so much better than the other fujis I’ve owned… Now I’m getting shots in focus far more often than not. Like out of 6 shots 1 might not be in focus? So it’s very very good with the kids now. And this is with the 23mm 1.4 lens, so it’s a big chunk of glass to move and it needs to be very accurate since I’m always shooting at 1.4… I’d bet the 18mm is MUCH faster due to the wider FOV and smaller max aperture. I’d also bet the 35mm might be slightly quicker as well because it’s moving smaller parts. The 14mm is the fastest lens fuji makes focus wise but that’s because it’s a 2.8 and their widest lens. But yeah, the focus is very good now. You no longer need the kids to stop and hold still and pose for you. It’s much more like the OMD was when I had it.
Good Luck!
Ben
Liked the video review very much though curious to know why you switched room m43 after so many tries, especially the omd.
Paul, I originally sold my omd to fund some projects around the old house when we moved. I’ve always liked the feel of the Fujis but the af was terrible when I got my first x100. So I got the x100s at launch and added the xe1 in the summer. The xe2 is the sweet spot for me. I’ve sold the xe1 and x100s. The other aspect I love with the Fujis is the lenses. They’re amazing and better built and on par optically or better than the mft options.
I am looking for an lcd protector also. Let me know if you find one that will fit.
John, mine hasn’t come yet (because I’m returning the first one it ordered) but from what I can tell the rear LCD is the same size on a 5Diii so anything for that should work.
Hi Ben,
Thanks for your video review, I found it most helpful! I own an XE1 and am considering upgrading to the XE2. The new face detection feature you first talked about in your video caught my attention. Me and my girlfriend travel a fair bit and we find that we can never get in-focus pictures when we ask a passer-by to take a picture for us, or if we try to take a “selfie”. One question if I may, does the face detection feature work well when there are TWO faces in the picture? Or if you’re pointing it at yourself (taking a selfie?)
Thanks!
Casey
Casey,
Yes, it works and it works well. The only issue is if you have it in face detect mode and no one is looking at the camera it can be tough to use the AF point you want. So you get used to diving into the menus to turn it on/off a bit but it’s not terrible (I wish I could set it as a CFn button). When two faces are in a shot it picks one. I haven’t figured out which one yet but typically they’re close enough they both end up in focus.
Ben
Hi Ben,
Thanks for the video review, very helpful. I bought the EM5 earlier this year from a 60D, in part due to your review. Love it!, size, weight, lenses etc…. All good, but recently I feel the image quality is lacking a bit for me, especially in low light. The grain is ugly so leaving it for artistic reasons is not even an option. I find if the lighting conditions are good then the camera will operate wonderfully. I have a 4 year old that loves to run around so I need fast AF And fast FPS (EM5 hits all these). Now I started to feel that XE-2 would be a better match for me. Picture quality, low light. AF, FPS and look is fantastic. I was considering the EM1 but it’s quite an ugly camera and not sure if I will be happy in the long run…. Are you finding the lenses to be more on the heavier side? I love MFT lenses, so light!! I mostly shoot in Aperture mode or Manual mode, how easy it to switch between these modes? I was trying the camera out in a store and was unable to switch out of Aperture mode. mostly due to my lack of experience with fuji menus and controls. Still on the fence over the XE-2. Will keep looking into it more and more.
Cheers,
Camilo
Camilo,
The fuji lenses are a bit bigger and heavier but they’re not bad. The 23mm 1.4 is the only one I’d call heavy. The fuji bodies are VERY light though so it’s not bad at all. IQ wise the fujis beat the MFT options and really I find the fujis to be about on par with my old canon 5Dii files which is to say they’re very good. They pull a lot of detail out of the sensor thanks to it’s lack of an AA filter. As for controls, as long as you have an R lens and an XE or XP body then just dial the lens to whatever setting you want and the shutter speed dial (on the body) to whatever you want and you’re in M. If you want Av, set the aperture ring to what you want and the shutter to A. If you want Tv/S then set the shutter dial to what you want and the aperture ring to A. It’s quite simple once you do it a few times and honestly one of the things I LOVE about these cameras. Mode dials are just wasted on me because I use Av and M exclusively. So with the fuji I’m just adjusting the shutter speed from a set value to A basically.
Good Luck!
Ben
Hi Ben,
You wrote that the Nex 7 was almost the perfect pocket landscape camera for you, but fell flat in two areas. I’d be interested to know what they were.
Bob,
I bought one a few months ago used along with the kit 18-55 lens and the 10-18mm UWA zoom. What pushed me that way was the A7r launch had me thinking about the smallest camera with the best IQ for landscapes (because the A7r basically has a D800e sensor in it). But the FE lens lineup doesn’t exist yet. They have a 35mm that’s slow, a fast 50mm that costs way too much for a f/1.8 and a 28-75mm zoom? Call me when you flesh that lineup out sony… Yes it can use adapted FF lenses but shrinking just the camera and not the lens down doesn’t cut it for me. I want a system that works well together.
But… It got me thinking. The A7r takes E mount lenses and then crops the sensor down. So the 10-18mm would work on it at reduced resolution (until they make a proper UWA zoom). But then a lightbulb went off in my head. Why punt with a $2500+ camera in crop mode when you can get a NEX7 for ~$700 used and it’s got an amazing 24mp sensor in it with a weak AA filter? So I bought one and tried it. And in use it’s a GREAT landscaping camera. Tiny, great lenses and great controls with the trinavi setup. So what didn’t I like? Two image quality issues came up. The first thing I noticed was that the camera produces really weird and annoying flare at small light sources when stopped down. Think lights in urban shots or lighthouses. You get the starburst you’d expect but then to the side of that there’s a very weird orb of light. And it repeats. At every single light source. At first I thought maybe it was the lens (which would still be a deal breaker since it was the 10-18mm) but the 18-55 does the EXACT same thing. So it’s the sensor. The second issue that popped up was the purple fringing I’d read about but hoped the recent firmware would fix. Unfortunately it didn’t fix the problem and with the 10-18mm it’s noticeable.
So why not a NEX6 then? To me the NEX lineup is about zooms and being a landscape camera. Their prime lineup isn’t as nice as fuji’s (I have a XE2 which I REALLY like for people/family shooting). So I could rationalize having the NEX in addition to the fuji if it offered better IQ for landscapes AND lenses the fuji didn’t (fuji’s UWA 10-24mm isn’t available yet). The NEX6 doesn’t offer me anything over the XE2 I have (except for the lens but the fuji’s will likely be better). It’s a good option if you’re comparing both systems with just zooms. But if you add primes to the mix the fujis win for me.
The A7r is still a camera I’m interested in, but not until they make the lenses I want. The M-mounts don’t work at wide angles well and I’m not willing to adapt larger lenses.
Hope that helps.
Thank you for the informative review Ben. I currently own a Olympus E-M5 and sometimes I’m a little disappointed in the amount of detail this camera can render, especially when photographing landscapes. I wonder if the Fuji is better. What are your thoughts on the difference in image quality from both cameras in good and low light?
Ricardo,
I was impressed by the E-M5 when I had it. But landscaping with it -vs- my 5Dii it couldn’t quite match it. With the Fuji it’s MUCH closer and I’d say it’s actually right about even with a 5Dii. My 5Diii can still pull in a bit more detail but I’d almost say the fuji has more DR? As for noise the fuji easily beats canon’s (even FF) in chroma noise as there basically isn’t any. Basically the fuji is a step above the MFT bodies for sure. And it’s darn close to canon’s FF bodies because of it’s lack of an AA filter and their Xtrans sensor layout.
Good Luck!
Ben