Fujifilm X-Pro1: Conclusion

Conclusion

The X-Pro1 is a camera that's hard not to like - the retro rangefinder look is cool, controls are nicely placed and materials, build quality and overall fit and finish are quite nice. Auto focus and shutter lag performance are good, as is image quality - combine this with ISO performance that, frankly, sets a new standard for APS-C sensor cameras to my eye and it's clear Fuji has done a lot of things right with their latest mirrorless, interchangeable lens offering. I just can't get over that ISO performance, and the minimal range of shooting options actually makes this a fun camera to shoot.

So why am I just a bit ambivalent over the X-Pro1? It has a lot to do with that $1700 price tag for the body and lenses at $600 a pop. Your $1700 will buy camera bodies like Nikon's D300S or Canon's 7D, and while both of these cameras are older models and due for replacement, in most performance parameters they will outdo the X-Pro1: shutter lag, AF acquisition time, burst shooting with continuous autofocus, power up time, single shot to shot time, burst write times, diopter viewfinder adjustment - the list goes on.

The X-Pro1 enjoys a high ISO noise advantage, but that's about it. It's a large camera and not that much lighter than a DSLR so the size/weight argument as a reason to go with a mirrorless interchangeable lens model versus a DSLR doesn't gain as much traction as it would with a smaller mirrorless platform. Fuji has unabashedly promoted the camera as being designed for professionals and advanced amateurs, but folks who shoot fast moving subjects need continuous autofocus with burst shooting, so that's at least one group that probably will not flock to the X-Pro1.

Make no mistake, I really like this camera. The image quality and particularly the high ISO performance are just marvelous. But with midrange DSLR money involved I'm just not sure that the overall higher and more balanced performance of the DSLR doesn't trump the ISO card of the X-Pro 1.

Pros:

• Very good still image quality
• Very good video quality
• Exceptional high ISO performance for an APS-C sensor camera
• Good ergonomics and control placement

Cons:

• Cost
• No continuous AF with burst shooting
• No diopter adjustment for viewfinder
• Slow write times with RAW file burst shooting

Individual Ratings: *

Image/Video Quality 
Features 
Design/Ease of Use 
Performance 
Expandability 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score