{"id":6409,"date":"2016-03-31T15:53:26","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T20:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=6409"},"modified":"2024-09-05T16:42:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T21:42:13","slug":"review-fujifilm-x-pro-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-fujifilm-x-pro-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fujifilm X-Pro 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After four long years, it’s finally here: the Fuji X-Pro 2.  Fuji fans have been waiting for an update to the original X-Series interchangeable lens camera for a long time, and Fuji has seen fit to update quite a bit with this new rangefinder-styled flagship.  While the exterior of the camera looks very similar to the original X-Pro 1 released in 2012, the X-Pro 2 has the first all-new image sensor for the series and a host of new features, most of which center around the controls of the camera.  I was excited to get my hands on the X-Pro 2, and after running it through its paces the past two weeks, I’m excited to tell you about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The Fujifilm X-Pro 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\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\n\n\n

Construction and Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The X-Pro 2 stays true to the original styling and construction of the X-Pro 1. If you were to quickly look at both cameras, you’d be forgiven for failing to notice any differences. The X-Pro 2 is solidly constructed of magnesium alloy, and Fuji’s done a great job putting together a package that feels tight and very high quality.  The metal top and bottom plates are single piece items, with no seams to be found. There are no creaks or points of flex anywhere on the camera body.  Fuji has also added weather sealing, such that it should hold up to shooting in light rain when using a WR designated lens.  The center of the camera is covered in the classic black leatherette to add even more to the retro styling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerning that styling, the X-Pro 2 truly looks like a classic rangefinder.  It doesn’t have a rangefinder mechanism, but the hybrid optical\/electronic viewfinder sports a large front window, and the classic dials of the Fuji X-Series interface cement the retro look.  It’s truly a beautiful camera, in my opinion. Fuji’s even replicated the old self timer lever on the front of the camera, as it did with the X-Pro 1, though in both cases, the lever serves to switch the operation of the viewfinder rather than set a mechanical timer.  Fuji isn’t a slave to tradition, however, as they’ve thoughtfully modified the original X-Pro design to add some extra grip and improved shooting ergonomics.  The front grip is similar in depth to the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1 and X-E2, but it adds a soft tacky rubber edge where your fingers fall.  This rubber edge is duplicated on the rear thumb grip as well, and while it’s a subtle change, it’s one that adds excellent purchase to the grip of the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The Fuji X-Pro 2 hasn’t changed much in design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While some will want a more substantial grip, especially with some of the larger Fuji lenses, for most shooting I found the grip to be perfectly adequate.  The camera fell naturally into my hand, with easy access to almost every control.  For those who want a larger grip, Fuji sells a metal hand grip that extends the front handhold and adds an Arca-Swiss style dovetail for use with most premium tripod heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The buttons on the X-Pro 2, despite having weathersealing, feel much the same as those on the X-E2, rather than the mushy buttons of the X-T1.  Response is firm and clicky, while the top dials move with excellent firmness to resist accidental activation but still offer easy manipulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only ergonomic concern was the rather thin nature of the front and rear command dials.  These small dials don’t have particularly firm detents, and while both are pressable, they lack the firm response of earlier Fuji command dials. I’ll get into the newest feature: the focus stick, in the controls section, but for ergonomic concern, it’s well placed and very easy to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, Fuji did a great job with construction and handling on the X-Pro 2.  It’s a classic design, but with some modern touches and a design that makes it easy to get the shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation and Controls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The X-Pro 2 has changed a lot from its predecessor, but gains almost all the features of the X-T1, plus a few more.  While there are some unique features on the X-Pro 2, they are almost entirely focused on improving the usability of the camera and simply getting the shot.  This starts with the controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main control scheme is similar to almost every other Fujifilm camera out there.  The aperture is controlled by the ring on the lens (for most Fuji lenses), while shutter speed is controlled by the dedicated dial on top.  Exposure compensation is controlled via a dedicated dial on the right side of the body. The X-Pro 2 features two command dials as well, which can operate 1\/3 stop intervals of shutter speed, or adjust aperture for those lenses that lack an aperture ring. The command dials also can take over exposure compensation duties as well, if the dedicated dial is moved to the new ‘C’ position.  This also allows EC to be adjusted up to + or – 5 stops instead of the maximum of 3 offered by the dedicated dial.  One oddity that occurs in this ‘C’ mode is that pressing in on the front command dial switches the EC control away from it.  If you’re in Program mode (both shutter speed and aperture set to ‘A’), this command dial will then control the program shift of aperture and shutter speed, but if you aren’t, it simply disables  the control entirely until you press it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear command dial is also pressable, and like earlier Fuji cameras, pressing acts as a magnification button, both in image review and when shooting with the rear screen or the EVF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The top of the X-Pro 2 features the combined shutter speed and ISO dial and the exposure compensation dial<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The final dial control is ISO, and like the X-T1, the X-Pro 2 features a dedicated ISO dial.  However, the X-Pro 2’s ISO control is built into the shutter speed dial.  In a nifty bit of engineering that harkens back to film cameras, lifting the edge of the shutter speed dial allows you to change the ISO. This works just fine, though it’s a bit more fiddly than the more standard dial on the X-T1, and has a big downside of losing tactile feedback: you can’t tell how far you’ve moved the ISO dial by feel, so you’ll need to watch the display if you’re changing ISO in dark conditions. I would rather have this control than move ISO to a button like on many other Fuji cameras, but the implementation is a step down from the dedicated control on the X-T1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear of the camera has a similar array of buttons to many other X-Series cameras, but instead of splitting some of them to the opposite side of the camera like on the X-E2, everything is within reach of your thumb with the X-Pro 2.  This improves handling in the field and makes the camera easier to work with. While these improvements are great, the single best new feature with regards to controls is the new Focus Stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The rear controls of the X-Pro 2, including the new focus stick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Focus Stick is an 8-way joystick that sits just to the left of where your thumb rests when holding the camera, and it is something that I hope will be coming to all future Fujifilm camera bodies.  The stick provides direct control over focus point positioning, which not only makes choosing your focus point significantly faster and easier, but frees up the four buttons on the four-way controller to be used for other actions.  The stick is quick and responsive, and makes switching focus points extremely simple, even when using the viewfinder.  Pressing in on the stick twice will reset the focus point to the center, and pressing the stick during image review allows you to easily switch between the two SD cards that can be placed in the X-Pro 2.  After using this method for focus point selection for even a day, I was absolutely sold.  It’s my favorite improvement on the camera, as it simplifies shooting and speeds up operation significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-Pro 2’s redesigned menus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One big change that Fuji implemented for the X-Pro 2 is a new menu system.  Instead of the old system that grouped things into catch-all ‘camera’ pages and ‘setup’ pages, the X-Pro 2’s menu breaks up the options into Image Quality, Focus, Still shooting options, Flash, Video and Setup.  The resulting menu system is easier to navigate and is more logical.  They’ve also added a new page called ‘My Menu’, that allows the user to select specific functions from any of the other menu sections for easier access.  Above, you can see the options I’ve chosen to put in the My Menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, the changes to the X-Pro 2 almost universally enhance the shooting experience, and yet will be very familiar to existing Fuji shooters.  These aren’t earth shattering changes on a spec sheet, but when taken together, the control scheme on the X-Pro 2 is predominantly excellent, and a big step up from earlier bodies.  I hope these changes make their way to the X-T2 when Fuji updates that body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let’s talk about the main reason why people would be drawn to the X-Pro 2: the hybrid viewfinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Viewfinder, Performance and Other Features<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Hybrid Viewfinder and Rear Screen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The biggest difference between the X-Pro series of cameras and the rest of the X-series bodies is the unique hybrid viewfinder.  In the same finder, Fuji packs a rangefinder-style optical viewfinder (OVF) and a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF). Let’s touch on the electronic viewfinder briefly before we dive into the more unique OVF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The X-Pro 2’s EVF features the same high-resolution 2.38 million dot panel featured on the X-T10, with almost identical magnification.  While the size isn’t anything special, the optics provide good eye relief for me as a glasses wearer, and the sharpness, brightness and clarity are outstanding.  The finder on the X-T1 is superior due to its notably higher magnification, but otherwise, I’d put the X-Pro 2 in 2nd place among Fuji EVFs.  In low light, when set to high performance mode, the EVF shows very good refresh and almost no lag. When switching to the EVF, you’ll get a very nice experience.Fuji displays the EVF by physically moving a panel to block the light from the OVF, in which case the projected electronic display becomes very visible and clear. Oddly, this panel stays down until you raise the camera to your eye, at which point the eye sensor tells the camera to raise the barrier and have it click into place. It happens quickly, but the sound of the mechanism switching is slightly annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As nice as the EVF is, the OVF is the main reason for a lot of people to consider the X-Pro 2.  Switching between the OVF and EVF is as simple as pulling the front lever on the camera. The OVF has two magnifications and will switch automatically between each depending on the lens you have mounted.  The wide-angle optics cover lenses from 14mm (which fills the entire viewfinder) to 27mm, while the higher magnification is used for 35mm and longer focal lengths.  The actual frame captured is denoted by bright frame lines that adjust based on focal length and focus distance. If you are using one lens and are curious about how another lens would frame the scene, you can press the button on the lever to bring up a bright frame preview of focal lengths in the magnification you are currently using .  The image below shows the preview and field of view at the higher magnification for longer focal lengths.  You can see that the 35mm frame fills most of the optical finder, while the 90mm frame is just a small portion in the center. If you want to preview the frames at the wider magnification, simply pull the viewfinder lever and hold it for a few seconds, and it’ll switch.  It will stay in that position until you switch it back, turn off the camera or attach a different lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The Bright Frame Preview in the OVF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Composing with the OVF is more akin to a rangefinder experience than an SLR or mirrorless camera, as, with the exception of the 14mm frame lines, you can see not only the area captured by the camera, but also the area outside the frame.  This is great for street shooters who can use this extra info to better time a person walking into the frame, or to see elements converge before they enter the frame. The frame lines adjust based on focus position, and attempt to compensate for parallax, though at very close focus distances, this can be somewhat off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One issue that parallax can cause is with focus point placement.  By default, the camera comes with the ability to simply select your focus point and shoot. You’ll see an overlay in green on the OVF just like you would on the EVF, that shows the position of the focus point.  This position is quite accurate when focused close to infinity, but the actual position of the focus point when focusing closer is down and to the right.  If you’re shooting for eyes with shallow depth of field, this can be a challenge…as you won’t see confirmation in the viewfinder of accurate focus.  To address this problem, Fuji has added two features, both of which are visible in the shot below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The optical viewfinder of the X-Pro 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The shot above shows the viewfinder with the XF 56mm f\/1.2 attached.  The solid square indicates the selected focus point.  The broken square below is a guide to show where the focus point will be when focused at its closest focus distance.  At intermediate distances, the actual point will be somewhere between the two.  The two squares helps give an idea of where the actual focus point is going to fall.  For extreme precision, however, the X-Pro 2, like Fuji’s X100T, has the ability to overlay a magnified EVF patch in the lower right corner, which shows a magnified view of the focus point.  If you see your subject in the magnified patch, your focus point is dead on it.  The patch can also be used with Fuji’s focus aids, which still include focus peaking and their unique digital split-prism focusing. To bring the focus patch up, you simply push away from your hand on the viewfinder lever when the OVF is activated.  It’s a great little feature than can really help when shooting people using the OVF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the hybrid viewfinder is the main reason for the X-Pro 2 in the Fuji lineup, the question becomes: is it a reason for you to get one?  For some shooters, it will be fantastic.  Street shooters especially, I think would like having the OVF capabilities. I personally found it great when walking around the city in broad daylight: it’s bright, clear and beautiful.  However, the OVF is also quite limited.  It’s really only good to use with the prime lenses from 18mm to 60mm.  While 90mm and 14mm lenses will work, and zooms will get framelines to 135mm, it becomes difficult to compose with these focal lengths.  Beyond them, you have to use the EVF in order to frame your subject.  Then there’s dimmer light.  Anyone who has extensively used EVFs in dimmer light recently can attest that they make seeing in lower light conditions significantly brighter and easier to view than an optical finder, and the same is true here.  While the OVF will work fine indoors, it’s also dim and flat (as youx expect), while the EVF is quite bright. I also very much like (and am accustomed to) seeing the final image as it’s going to be shot, where the EVF shines.  I used the OVF a lot during my time with the camera, but for my shooting: I prefer the EVF in the vast majority of situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear screen on the X-Pro 2 is a very high-resolution 1.6 million dot 3 inch display, and it is very bright, crisp and clear, with excellent contrast. It’s the best screen on any Fuji camera with regards to quality, but it’s also fixed in place. As one who uses the tilt screen on most of my other cameras, there were times I felt a bit frustrated that I couldn’t shoot low to the ground without difficulty. Luckily, WiFi remote shooting can take the pressure off if you really need to shoot low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus and Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The autofocus system in the X-Pro 2 is largely similar to the AF system in the X-T1 (on firmware 4) and the X-T10, but the new X-Trans CMOS III sensor features a much larger phase-detection capable area, plus some firmware tweaks and other improvements that help speed things up.  The X-Pro 2’s phase detect autofocus (PDAF) points cover over half the sensor, and the majority of the camera’s 273 autofocus points. When in the PDAF area, I found speed in most lighting situations to be very similar to what I achieve with the PDAF points on my X-E2 or X-T1, but when light levels drop, the X-Pro 2’s better low light focus acquisition helps lock focus faster and more surely. The faster processing on the X-Pro 2 also adds a slight benefit to speed when using the outer contrast detect (CDAF) points over earlier Fuji cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final result is single point autofocus that is quite quick with most lenses, though falling a bit short of the ultra-fast Panasonic and Olympus bodies.  I do feel Fuji’s strides in autofocus speed are considerable over the past few years, though, and for most any situation, I feel the speed is excellent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-Pro 2 allows selection of all 273 points (top), or a more manageable 77 points (bottom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The camera allows you to set up focus point selection for precision placement by selecting one of all 273 AF points, but I feel most people will opt for the much more manageable 77 point grid.  The 77 point grid still covers the majority of the frame and is dense enough to allow for very precise focus placement, without dealing with the clutter of hundreds of points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wider phase-detect area on the X-Pro 2 also allows it to be a bit better for continuous autofocus duty.  As with earlier Fuji cameras, the zone AF selection, where a group of points can be selected, really allows the camera to track movement quite well.  While still not up to DSLR standards in the continuous AF department, I’ve always had a very good success rate with my Fuji cameras, and the X-Pro 2 is no different.  However, I also didn’t notice a dramatic improvement over earlier bodies, save for the wider phase-detection area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Biking<\/a>
Biking – Fujifilm X-Pro 2 with Fujinon XF 56mm f\/1.2 @ f\/2, Continuous AF (ACROS film simulation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new processor in the X-Pro 2, which Fuji dubs the ‘X-processor Pro’, keeps data flowing smoothly and the camera responsive at all times.  X-Pro 1 shooters who have waited to upgrade will be amazed at the speed. The X-Pro 2 is a camera that writes quickly, processes quickly, and moves between options quickly.  I never found myself waiting on the camera, even after a large burst of photos.  Speaking of burst, the X-Pro 2 can rattle off 8 frames per second and shoot around 30 RAW images or over 80 JPEGs before slowing down. It’s a quick camera that responds exactly how you’d want a camera to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Normally I split this section into its own page, but I’m doing a condensed version for the X-Pro 2 for a simple reason: the big features on this camera, when compared to the X-T1 and other X-Series cameras, lie in the viewfinder and the upgraded controls, both of which I’ve covered in-depth.  The rest of the feature list reads just like that on the X-T1 or X-T10.  The X-Pro 2 has fully featured Wi-Fi capabilities, including remote control, image transfer and geotagging.  It has the same excellent intervalometer, the same great built-in RAW conversion and the same electronic shutter capabilities.  If you want a more detailed summary of these features, check out the Key Features part of my X-T10 review<\/a>: the way they operate on the X-Pro 2 is unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-Pro 2’s dual SD card slots<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are a few things of note that aren’t covered there, however. First up: Dual card slots. As I alluded to when discussing the focus stick, the X-Pro 2 is the first Fuji body (and the first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera) to feature dual SD card slots.  The X-Pro 2’s two slots can be configured to write data in one of three ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n