Fuji xpro1 - pre-orders available, but wildly over-priced!

[Lensgod]

I don't know about you but I had a nice 5d Mark ii...it was fantastic, but way to big to carry around with me all the time, and sods law...every time I thought to myself "oh, that would make a good photo" I never had the thing with me. So I downsized to a pentax k5 with a couple of limited primes...nice combo, great image quality and colours...but still not quite small enough...so then I thought, I know, I'll get a Leica x1, or maybe a Fuji x100...but didn't think I could live with just the one focal length (I like 50mm, 35mm, 22mm and 15mm FF equivs). Then, I heard about the xpro1...figuring this might cost around 1000 great british pounds, and the lenses would be around 500 a pop that sounded just fine for a quality bit of kit...okay not too much in the way of fast zooms or longer focal lengths...now I hear that the lenses are a plastic and a bit big (unlike the handbuild metal pentax limiteds, which are also nice and compact)...and the camera body is bigger than the x100....so suddenly I'm thinking, okay...a compact the size of a small slr, with high quality primes that are made of plastic and wont fit in your jacket pocket when mounted, the zooms that might come out look to be f4 at the most, and to add insult to injury....it's body only pre-order price is around 1400-1500 quid!! Give me a break fuji, you started on the right foot, and I was genuinely interested...but now you've got me thinking, maybe I'll see what olympus have up their sleave, and failing that...maybe leica will make something nice (if I can be bothered to wait that long). What's that, a Nikon v1...small, and nice quality with an adapter for normal nikon lenses...hmmm, maybe I should take a look....

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[nickzou]

I think the size that it is is fine. Just shooting primes was probably okay at one point but in today's pro market I do think if Fuji really wants a part of that action they need to make a few nice fast zooms. It has an APS-C sensor, not overly packed with pixels, some nice looking glass to go along with it. I think the price tag is right on point.

[Derrel]

Fuji is aiming and pricing "up-market", to keep profits reasonable on limited production and sales. Fuji cannot just puke out cameras like Panasonic or Sony or Canon can...they need to get a good profit margin on their compacts, and at the START of the life of a highly sought-after, innovative,and ultra-stylish camera, the price is going to be as high as they can set it. That's just the way it is. If you want one, you have to pay the price. If you wish to be one of the cool kids at school, you need the expensive clothes and fancy shoes--and those cost a lot more than the run-of-the-mill stuff that the majority has. After a year or 18 months, the market will have hit saturation, and the price ought to come down a bit. Or, maybe you will find a good deal in six months,and be able to buy a used one and a lens or two. There will be people who buy,try, use, and then decide to get something else.

I must admit--even at the current prices, that new Fuji is one sexy beast!!! it looks like they really did this one right, since the third time's the charm. I hope the price drops to where you feel good about buying it sooner, rather than later.

[nickzou]

Fuji is aiming and pricing "up-market", to keep profits reasonable on limited production and sales. Fuji cannot just puke out cameras like Panasonic or Sony or Canon can...they need to get a good profit margin on their compacts, and at the START of the life of a highly sought-after, innovative,and ultra-stylish camera, the price is going to be as high as they can set it. That's just the way it is. If you want one, you have to pay the price. If you wish to be one of the cool kids at school, you need the expensive clothes and fancy shoes--and those cost a lot more than the run-of-the-mill stuff that the majority has. After a year or 18 months, the market will have hit saturation, and the price ought to come down a bit. Or, maybe you will find a good deal in six months,and be able to buy a used one and a lens or two. There will be people who buy,try, use, and then decide to get something else.

I must admit--even at the current prices, that new Fuji is one sexy beast!!! it looks like they really did this one right, since the third time's the charm. I hope the price drops to where you feel good about buying it sooner, rather than later.

You didn't like the X10?

[bhop]

The x- pro1 (note the word "pro" in the name) is being aimed at pro photographers. They're also aiming for Leica/rangefinder enthusiasts. You can tell by the shape of the camera, controls, lenses offered, etc. Whether it'll catch on with pros or not remains to be seen. I have an x100 (and love it) but I know the x-pro1's AF is going to have to be a HUGE improvement from that to be of any use for pros. I also highly doubt the lenses will be plastic at the prices they're predicting, and have read they have a 'high quality' feel, on some hands-on review sites. Personally, I think the price is reasonable for what it is and the market they're going for, especially if the new sensor is as nice as fuji has been saying it is.

[gsgary]

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 beat them all in Photo Professional, Nex7, V1,EP3,

[unpopular]

too bad it's 4/3

[Lensgod]

I respect your comments. Although I must admit that a lower price point would have attracted me. As it is I'm thinking I'll wait to see if the leica mirrorless camera emerges latter this year. Of course during that time if the xpro1 prices reduce in the same way that happened to the x100 then I'd probably consider it again. That said, it looks like Fuji may still be considering what price to release this at...I noticed this posting on another forum...perhaps they are waiting for any other announcements from Canon, Pentax, Oly and Nikon during Feb....I'll keep waiting with my fingers crossed....
Preorder X Pro 1 kit here: Fujifilm SLR/X100 Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[bhop]

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 beat them all in Photo Professional, Nex7, V1,EP3,

Those cameras are all worthless to me because they all lack optical viewfinders. I know most people don't care about that, but I also know i'm not alone in that opinion.

[gsgary]

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 beat them all in Photo Professional, Nex7, V1,EP3,

Those cameras are all worthless to me because they all lack optical viewfinders. I know most people don't care about that, but I also know i'm not alone in that opinion.

You can get one that fits on the top but i think they are expensive, none of these cameras are my cup of tea, M9 is what i want

[Jeremy Z]

You didn't like the X10?

My thoughts exactly. But the X10's sensor is much smaller, too.

Lensgod, keep an eye out for the Canon G1-X, due to come out in a month or two. Bigger sensor, fixed zoom lens. My only gripe with it was that it is an f/2.8-5.9 or something. Thus, we're giving up a big part of the advantage of the large sensor by requiring that the sensitivity be cranked up to account for the slow lens.

Do you do a lot of work where you'll need prints bigger than 8x12? If not, consider something with a smaller sensor and a fast lens. Something around 1/1.7, like a Canon G12, S100, Olympus XZ-1, Panasonic LX5, etc.

[usayit]

Its the new digitized Contax G* or the new Hexar RF!

I like it!!! I'm not what would call the "typical" consumer.... everything about the release screams Epson R-D1-like (which I also owned and liked).... niche market group... poor sales.

[Jeremy Z]

Its the new digitized Contax G* or the new Hexar RF!

I like it!!! I'm not what would call the "typical" consumer.... everything about the release screams Epson R-D1-like (which I also owned and liked).... niche market group... poor sales.

I thought Contax was done?
(source: Contax – RIP or Resurrection)

The thing is that they didn't seem to make significantly better cameras than the ones that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars less. They're just European instead of Japanese. They had little touches here and there that were nice, but nothing that could justify the price for most of us.

As for the Leica M9, Leica's brand name must be as strong as Rolexes, since they're still in business...

[bhop]

Its the new digitized Contax G* or the new Hexar RF!

I like it!!! I'm not what would call the "typical" consumer.... everything about the release screams Epson R-D1-like (which I also owned and liked).... niche market group... poor sales.

I thought Contax was done?
(source: Contax – RIP or Resurrection)

The thing is that they didn't seem to make significantly better cameras than the ones that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars less. They're just European instead of Japanese. They had little touches here and there that were nice, but nothing that could justify the price for most of us.

As for the Leica M9, Leica's brand name must be as strong as Rolexes, since they're still in business...

I think his Contax comment was saying the x-pro1 is like the new contax.. not that contax is still around.. as far as Leica still in business, of course they are, they're pretty much the only option for digital rangefinders, and even their film cameras are awesome user cameras if you like a basic no-frills type of camera that lets the photographer do the thinking.