{"id":2701,"date":"2013-11-25T11:43:08","date_gmt":"2013-11-25T16:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=2701"},"modified":"2014-01-22T19:44:53","modified_gmt":"2014-01-23T00:44:53","slug":"review-fujifilm-x-e2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-fujifilm-x-e2\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fujifilm X-E2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fuji has released a rather large number of bodies in 2013, and they conclude the year by issuing their first X-Series upgraded camera, the X-E2. \u00a0When the X-E1 (reviewed here<\/a>)\u00a0<\/em>was released only a little more than a year ago, it was the second entry in the X-System. \u00a0A scaled down X-Pro 1 without the optical viewfinder. \u00a0 Even though the X-Pro 1 has yet to see a successor, Fuji announced the X-E2 last month to succeed the year old X-E1.<\/p>\n

\"xe2_collection\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The X-E2 looks almost identical to its predecessor, but it carries with it a lot of changes on the inside, including EVF improvements, faster autofocus, a new processor and more. \u00a0Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with my reviews, I review from a real world shooting perspective. You won\u2019t find lens charts or resolution numbers here. There are plenty of other sites that cover those. I review products on how they act for me as a photographic tool. I am not a videographer, so my reviews concentrate on the still imaging capabilities of a camera.<\/em><\/p>\n

Body and Ergonomics<\/h3>\n
\"Fujifilm<\/a>
Fujifilm X-E2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f\/1.4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you first look at the X-E2, it’s hard to recognize it as a new camera. \u00a0In fact, the exterior design is nearly identical to the X-E1. \u00a0Indeed, from the front, the only visible difference between the two cameras is the presence of the number 2 on the engraved top plate. \u00a0The X-E2 is exactly the same size, has the same grip, the same EVF placement and mostly the same button arrangements, with a few modifications. \u00a0As such, it feels exactly the same in the hand as the X-E1.<\/p>\n

The X-E2 has the same retro styling as the X-E1 before it, and the look still holds up. \u00a0The X-E2 is available in silver and black, and both look quite handsome. \u00a0The top plate and front are made of magnesium alloy and the rear of the camera is plastic. \u00a0The result is a relatively solidly built, but very lightweight camera. \u00a0When I reviewed the X-E1, I noted that my copy had some misaligned seams and some other small niggles. \u00a0These are not present on the reviewed X-E2, which is quite precisely built.<\/p>\n

The camera is comfortable to hold with most of the prime lenses, though the grip is rather small when using a larger lens like the Fuji 55-200mm. \u00a0I’d recommend picking up an accessory grip to aid in handling with heavier lenses.<\/p>\n

The control layout is largely unchanged from the X-E1, though some of the buttons, such as the AF button and Q button have been moved from their original locations on the X-E1. \u00a0Fuji added the ability to make the down arrow on the four-way controller on the X-E1 operate the AF point selection in a firmware update this past summer. \u00a0With the X-E2, that position has become the official AF button. \u00a0This makes a lot more sense ergonomically, and now all major camera controls that are likely to be changed during shooting can easily be reached with the camera to your eye.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder and Screen<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The rear of the X-E2, showing the new larger rear screen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On paper, the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is the same one in the X-E1. \u00a0It’s a 2.4 million dot EVF that is clear and detailed and decently large. \u00a0In practice, the EVF is massively upgraded. \u00a0The big difference is the minimum refresh rate, which has increased from 20 fps to 50 fps. \u00a0That may not sound like a big deal, but when light levels drop, the X-E2’s EVF is smooth and remains clear in any light. \u00a0In the darkest of light, a little noise can creep in, especially when you magnify the view, but it’s still not bad. \u00a0It makes the X-E2 a joy to use in any light, where the X-E1 could sometimes bog down and become practically unusable, especially when manually focusing in low light. \u00a0The X-E2 has no such problems, and using manual focus lenses with this EVF is excellent, especially with the focus aids that I’ll discuss more in detail on page 3.<\/p>\n

The rear screen has also gotten an upgrade, though this one is immediately visible. \u00a0The new rear screen on the X-E2 has over double the resolution as the somewhat dated one on the X-E1. \u00a0The X-E2’s rear screen is a 3.0″ 1 million dot display that is gorgeous. \u00a0The view is clear, detailed and has excellent color and contrast and really helps you see more detail when reviewing images and helps in manually focusing when using the rear screen as well.<\/p>\n

Continue: Operation and Performance<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Operation and Menus<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The X-E2’s top plate, with shutter speed and exposure compensation controls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like the other X-Series cameras, the X-E2 features a truly old-school control scheme. \u00a0There is no mode dial, but rather the aperture is controlled by an aperture ring on the lens, while shutter speed is selected with the dedicated shutter speed dial on the top of the camera. \u00a0EIther of those two parameters can be set to ‘A’ to make that parameter automatic. \u00a0There is a dedicated exposure compensation dial that sits at the right rear of the top plate, for easy adjustment by your thumb. \u00a0The X-E2 has expanded the exposure compensation dial to allow for adjustment +\/- 3 full stops in 1\/3 stop increments. \u00a0The shutter speed dial has also seen one minor addition: the camera’s top flash sync speed of 1\/180s is now directly selectable.<\/p>\n

The simplified old school control scheme is one of the best things about the Fuji X-Series. \u00a0It allows you to quickly and easily change the major exposure parameters, as well as see what the settings are at a glance, even with the camera off. \u00a0It’s a wonderful way to operate a camera, and it makes you feel connected to the experience in a tactile way. \u00a0The X-E2’s dials are a little stiffer than those on the X-E1, which will help prevent accidentally knocking the dial to another setting. \u00a0Aside from the two dials and the on\/off switch and shutter button, a programmable function button, (by default set to control ISO) sits on the top of the camera. \u00a0In a wonderful usability tweak, long pressing on a programmable button brings you right to the menu option to change the function of that button. \u00a0Slick.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/a>
Some of the rear controls have moved<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The only control on the front of the camera is a toggle switch that easily flips between single shot autofocus, continuous autofocus and manual focus. \u00a0Previous Fuji X cameras required you to be in manual focus in order to magnify the live view. \u00a0While focus peaking and the digital split-prism focusing (I’ll get into those more later)are only accessible in manual focus mode, you can now magnify the live view in any focus mode by pressing in on the rear dial.<\/p>\n

Fuji has tweaked the controls on the rear of the camera a bit. \u00a0The AF button has moved to the four-way controller and in its place a second programmable function is now available. \u00a0The Q button has moved to the old location of the View Mode button, which has mysteriously disappeared. \u00a0The final tweak is the splitting of the AEL\/AFL into dedicated buttons for each parameter on the thumb rest hump. \u00a0The buttons are well laid out and easy to access, and it makes operating the camera simple and straightforward.<\/p>\n

Fuji’s menus are also well laid out easy to navigate. \u00a0The main menu has five shooting sections and three ‘setup’ sections. \u00a0There is also the easily accessible ‘Q’ menu, which is entered by pressing the Q button on the rear of the camera. This brings up a panel of common settings, including ISO, JPEG settings, self timer, white balance and autofocus settings. \u00a0Overall, the interface on the X-E2 is all about power and simplicity: \u00a0All the functions you need for a great shooting experience are right at your hands, without a bunch of extra stuff you’ll never use.<\/p>\n

One area of operation that has been improved in the X-E2 is the Auto ISO function. \u00a0Previous auto ISO implementation on the X-E1 defaulted to the nominal handholding speed of 1\/(1.5xfocal length) with native lenses and 1\/30 second on adapted lenses. \u00a0The X-E2 allows you to set a minimum and maximum ISO as well as a minimum shutter speed. \u00a0I’ve never been an auto ISO person in the past, but after I started using it on the X-E2, I grew to quite enjoy it.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest issues I had with the X-E1 was the relatively slow and deliberate nature of the camera. \u00a0You had to wait on the camera to finish writing to a card to be able to zoom the viewfinder, card writes were slow, there was some shutter lag and overall, the camera was a pretty low-performance affair.<\/p>\n

The X-E2 features a new processor that is roughly twice as fast, and as a result, all the annoying lags that were present in the X-E1 are now gone. \u00a0The camera reacts quickly, writes quickly, doesn’t cause delays for the shooter while it does another task, allows you to zoom and change focus aids and such on the fly while writing to the buffer; shutter lag is extremely short and the camera simply feels like a responsive machine.<\/p>\n

One thing to note is that the X-E2 really hungers for a fast SD card.\u00a0 I had been using a 30MB\/s SanDisk Ultra for the first part of my time with the X-E2.\u00a0 Upon taking a burst of RAW photos that filled the buffer, it would take a very long time to flush the buffer – in the neighborhood of 20-30 seconds (I didn’t exactly time it).\u00a0 Upon putting a 90MB\/s UHS-1 card in the X-E2, after filling the buffer with RAW shots (which is 8 frames), the camera continued to shoot at around 1 fps as long as I chose to hold the button down, and the buffer completely flushed in about 3-4 seconds.\u00a0\u00a0 That kind of speed means you can rattle off short bursts with regularity and still have a responsive camera.<\/p>\n

Burst mode has been increased to 7 frames per second (with locked focus), though the buffer is a little shallow if you’re shooting RAW. \u00a0The camera can shoot at a rather slow 3 frames per second while maintaining continuous autofocus. \u00a0In the X-E1 this was a meaningless distinction, as continuous AF on that camera was abysmal. \u00a0However, the X-E2 has made considerable strides in that area. \u00a0Let’s take a look:<\/p>\n

Autofocus<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The AF on the X-E2 is much improved<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Autofocus performance has always been the Achilles heel of the Fujifilm X-Series. \u00a0Fuji started improving that reputation earlier this year by releasing a major firmware update for existing bodies that did improve autofocus considerably, though it still lagged quite a bit behind the competition. \u00a0With the X-E2, \u00a0Fuji has promised a big upgrade in autofocus performance, and for the most part, they’ve succeeded.<\/p>\n

The X-E2’s X-Trans CMOS II sensor features phase detection (PDAF) pixels on the sensor, and Fuji has further refined the contrast detection (CDAF) algorithms as well. \u00a0The result is a vastly improved autofocus system, though not without its quirks.<\/p>\n

Phase detection is only available when using the central 9 autofocus points, out of the total grid of 35 points. \u00a0When using focus points outside this zone, or when the phase detection pixels can’t detect vertical contrast, the camera will use CDAF only. \u00a0The CDAF improvements have made the X-E2 a competent camera in single shot AF, with relatively decent speed and very good accuracy. \u00a0There is less hunting back and forth when using CDAF than there was on the X-E1 and speed is relatively quick, though still a little slower than the newer Micro 4\/3 cameras. \u00a0Still, the speed is quite decent.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-E2 can now acceptably track motion in continuous autofocus. This shot was the 5th frame in a continuous series, running directly at me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When using the PDAF points in areas where they can detect vertical contrast (these are not cross-type PDAF sensors), the autofocus is exceptionally fast. \u00a0In fact, when using the faster focusing lenses, the X-E2 will lock on nearly instantly. \u00a0You can always tell when PDAF engages because there is absolutely no hunting of the lens. \u00a0You press the button, and the camera instantly moves to the focus point. \u00a0I have not noticed any front or backfocus when using PDAF. \u00a0Accuracy is just as good as with straight CDAF. \u00a0While you don’t always get the blazing speed with the X-E2 (it will default quickly to CDAF if the PDAF can’t find contrast), overall, the AF is quite good now, and finally on par with many other mirrorless cameras.<\/p>\n

As a small usability touch, in addition to the focus square turning green now, there is a small green dot below the exposure compensation indicator in the viewfinder that appears when focus is confirmed. \u00a0Just another nice touch, especially when shooting in silent mode.<\/p>\n

The addition of PDAF on sensor also means that the X-E2 is capable of actually tracking \u00a0a moving subject. \u00a0I tested the X-E2 with the Fuji 55-200mm lens and my daughter running right at me at a full sprint. \u00a0Setting the camera to the low-speed burst mode of 3 fps and tracking her, a surprisingly high number of shots were in perfect focus. There were a few out of focus shot at the beginning of a run, though the camera quickly locked on after that and positively tracked movement until she got very close to me. \u00a0During that tracking, about 80% of the shots were in perfect focus. While not at the level of most higher grade SLRs, the X-E2’s continuous focus works, and works fairly well.<\/p>\n

With more and more cameras from multiple manufacturers having on-sensor phase detection, it seems that the days of inadequate continuous autofocus in mirrorless cameras are coming to a close.<\/p>\n

Continue: Key Features<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Wi-Fi<\/h3>\n

The X-E2 is the third X-Series camera to feature WiFi (behind the X-M1 and X-A1). \u00a0The implementation hasn’t changed since those cameras, which means that the WiFi is a little more limited than many other makers, but still works pretty well.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The WiFi dialog on camera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The X-E2 can utilize its built-in WiFi transmitter to transfer images to a mobile device, allow a device to browse the camera card’s contents (and then transfer), geotag images with GPS data from a smartphone and transfer images to your computer over a home WiFi network.<\/p>\n

I have come to really enjoy having the ability to transfer images from my camera to my smartphone, and it’s the main feature I use on WiFi enabled cameras. \u00a0The X-E2’s interface is a little quirky in this regard, but it works well. \u00a0You simply enable WiFi from image review (by pressing menu then selecting Wireless Communication), select the camera’s WiFi network on your mobile device, then open the Fujifilm app and press Receive and Connect. \u00a0It works fine, but it’s a fair few steps. \u00a0It is also baffling when you use multiple mobile devices, such as a phone and a tablet, as the camera will only remember one device at a time and will refuse to connect to the second until you press ‘OK’ on the camera to change mobile device. \u00a0Despite its quirks, you quickly learn the steps and can transfer your images with ease.<\/p>\n

The X-E2 can also take GPS information from your smartphone and transfer it to the camera for use in geotagging your images. \u00a0This certainly works, but the problem is that it doesn’t continually read your location for each image, but rather gets the GPS data once and adds that to all images until you update it. \u00a0This is fine if you’re shooting in one location for a while, but isn’t very useful if you are roaming around a city or hiking somewhere.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Fuji still doesn’t offer any way to remotely control the camera through a mobile device. \u00a0Olympus, Panasonic and Sony all offer this capability with their WiFi enabled cameras, so it’s a bit of a disappointment to see it left off the X-E2. \u00a0Hopefully, given Fuji’s excellent reputation for adding features via firmware updates, this capability will be added to the camera in the future.<\/p>\n

Focus Peaking and Digital Split Image<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The X-E2’s focus peaking has highlighted the in-focus battery, making it easy to see where the focus is placed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While most people will be using autofocus for the majority of their shooting, there are certainly times when manual focus is preferable. \u00a0Additionally, one of the great things about mirrorless cameras is their ability to use manual focus lenses<\/a> from almost any camera system. \u00a0As such, the manual focus experience of a mirrorless camera is important, and Fuji has been improving that experience steadily over the past year.<\/p>\n

This summer, focus peaking was added to the entire Fuji X-System lineup, and it makes another appearance in the X-E2. \u00a0When focus peaking was added via firmware to the X-E1, it was useful, but not perfectly implemented. \u00a0The white outline was somewhat difficult to see on the low-res rear screen and it was also very subtle in the viewfinder. \u00a0Focus peaking has been improved on the X-E2, and the (still only white) outline is much more clearly visible in both the viewfinder and on the rear screen. \u00a0In most situations, peaking is extremely easy to use and is very precise. \u00a0I use it for the majority of my manual focusing. \u00a0You can also magnify the viewfinder in conjunction with peaking to very precisely place your focus point. \u00a0With the more visible outline on the X-E2, the experience with focus peaking is much improved over previous versions, and it even manages to highlight the in focus areas on relatively low-contrast areas when using very fast lenses, which is better than the performance I’ve experienced on something like the Sony NEX-7.<\/p>\n

\"Fuji's<\/a>
Fuji’s unique Digital Split Image – The third battery from the left is in focus, as you can see by the unbroken lines of the battery. The two batteries on the left appear broken, and thus out of focus. The split image rectangle can be magnified to fill the viewfinder with the center of the image as well<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the addition of phase detection pixels, Fuji also has added their very unique Digital Split Image capability, which first made its debut on the X100s. \u00a0When digital split image is activated, the central part of the viewfinder turns to monochrome, and is divided into four bands. \u00a0When the image in the bands is lined up, that part of the image is in focus, just like using a split-prism focus screen in an SLR. \u00a0You can also magnify this view as well for very precise focusing.<\/p>\n

I found the digital split image to work well. \u00a0I prefer using focus peaking for most manual focus work, as it is easier to see in most circumstances and faster. \u00a0However, there have been some situations where precise placement with focus peaking was difficult to discern, and the digital split image worked beautifully to nail the focus point. \u00a0It works best on flat subjects, of course, so shooting a continuous curve or the like is more difficult with this focus aid enabled. \u00a0It’s a great tool in Fuji’s bag of tricks.<\/p>\n

Fuji makes it very easy to switch between these focus aids and the standard view. \u00a0Simply press and hold the rear wheel for a second or so, and it will switch between Standard, Digital Split Image and Focus Peaking, so you don’t even need to take the camera from your eye to cycle the manual focus options.<\/p>\n

In-Camera RAW Conversion<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>
The X-E2’s RAW conversion dialog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like the other Fuji X-Series cameras, the X-E2 features some of the best in-camera RAW conversion around. \u00a0Accessing in-camera RAW conversion is as easy as pressing the Q button while reviewing an image, and it brings you to a list of processing options for the RAW file. \u00a0You can adjust exposure by pushing or pulling the image, you can change the Film Simulation (more on that below), adjust white balance, highlight and shadow curves, sharpness, noise reduction and so on.<\/p>\n

After each adjustment you can choose to preview the final image by pressing Q again, and then OK to save the image, or Back to make further adjustments.<\/p>\n

Fuji’s JPEG engine is the best in the business, and the excellent Film Simulations allow for quick changing of JPEG parameters that somewhat mimic certain film looks. \u00a0There’s standard (Provia), a high saturation Velvia mode, a soft portrait read Astia simulation as well as multiple filters on black and white conversion and my personal favorite, Pro Negative High (Standard is also available). \u00a0These allow for quick changes of the look of the final image and all are excellently tuned. \u00a0The high JPEG quality and the ease of custom RAW conversion makes it great for sharing in conjunction with WiFi.<\/p>\n

Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Image Quality: Dynamic Range and Color<\/h3>\n
\"Dawn<\/a>
Dawn – Fujifilm X-E2 with Fujinon XF 23mm f\/1.4 R @ f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not much has changed in the image quality department since the introduction of the X-Pro 1, but that still isn’t necessarily a bad thing. \u00a0The X-E2 files are still among the best in the business. \u00a0The camera has outstanding dynamic range that can capture tones in even very harsh light. \u00a0Only in the most extreme circumstances will you exceed the camera’s dynamic range.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Fuji has always had excellent color, and this continues with the X-E2. \u00a0While the RAW files are a little muted right out of the camera, they take saturation adjustment well and the color can be brought out well.\u00a0 JPEG color is outstanding.<\/p>\n

One note about the X-E2’s RAW compatibility as of November 2013. \u00a0Adobe has enabled RAW capability in the latest release candidate for Lightroom 5.3, but the Adobe standard profile is pretty bad for the X-E2. \u00a0It can leave some odd magenta shadows on interior portraits and other color inaccuracies. \u00a0Luckily, a custom profile I made with my Color Checker Passport fixed this and brought it back to the beautiful Fuji color I am used to. \u00a0Hopefully Adobe produces a better profile for the final 5.3 release.<\/p>\n

\"Bikes<\/a>
Bikes – Fujifilm X-E2 with Canon FL 55mm f\/1.2+Speed Booster @ ISO 4000<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Image Quality: Noise<\/h3>\n

The X-E2 has very good noise control, with JPEG images showing very low noise up to ISO 3200 and even somewhat usable images at the ISO maximum of 25,600. \u00a0RAW files show more noise but also much more detail. \u00a0Noise remains quite low up to ISO 1600 and very usable at ISO 3200 and 6400. \u00a0I don’t hesitate to shoot with Auto ISO at ISO 6400.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that the X-E2, like all X-Trans sensors, does overstate ISO a bit. \u00a0In my experience it’s about 1\/3 stop overstated vs my other cameras.<\/p>\n

Overall image quality with the X-E2 is on a very high level. The low noise, great color and excellent dynamic range are combined with a sort of ‘it’ factor with the images, which have a depth that is unusually rich for an APS-C sensor.<\/p>\n

JPEG Quality<\/h3>\n

As mentioned on the previous page, the X-E2’s JPEG quality is outstanding. \u00a0Fuji’s JPEGs are good enough that I don’t feel particularly limited if I choose to shoot JPEG. \u00a0As I desire full control over my images, I almost always only shoot RAW, but I do shoot RAW+JPEG from time to time, especially in the black and white modes and often end up using the JPEG in many cases. \u00a0With the control you have over the dynamic range, the highlight and shadow curves and film simulations, you can also obtain tremendous dynamic range in the JPEG images.<\/p>\n

Video<\/h3>\n

The X-E2 features a semi-featured video mode, accessed through the drive menu.\u00a0 The camera can shoot 1080p or 720p, and you can choose 60 or 30 fps.\u00a0 You can now adjust exposure compensation on the fly and you can still select the shooting aperture, but ISO and shutter speed control are not available.\u00a0 It’s clear Fuji intends its X-series to be a stills oriented camera, and the video mode’s lack of features and power is a testament to that.<\/p>\n

Video quality itself is fairly good, but nothing particularly special.\u00a0 This is not a hybrid camera.\u00a0 It’s a stills camera that can shoot video when you need it.<\/p>\n

Other Items of Note<\/h3>\n

A few other things to note about the camera:<\/p>\n