I have been a fan of Leica M7 with 50 mm Summilux for a decade. I have used a few digital cameras but nothing could replace my M7. My biggest discontent with digital cameras have been white balance and contrast -no matter which camera I tried, I could never quite get the same perfect white balance and the natural and yet strong and beautiful contrast of film camera photography, especially those of M7 with Summilux. Digital photos almost always had the washed-out colors and weired color bias. I hesitated to invest in M9 because I did not believe, for right or wrong, it could quite deliver what M7 had delivered. Leica had never been known to be a pioneer in digital photography. I also tried the first digital Leica called Digilux some 9 years ago, which was a joke. Convenience means little if the quality is lacking; I would rather have 10 photos that I like than 100 photos that I do not like. So despite the efforts and costs of processing needed for a film camera, I kept on using my Leica M7.Enter Fuji X-e1. After taking some photos, I blew them on my 60-inch PDP. Perfect. Perfect at ISO 4000. And what a contrast. Wow. As far as I know, this is as close to a film photo feel as a digital photo could get: white balance is impeccable, skin tones perfect, strong contrast, colors that sing, and no grains at ISO 4000! Hallelujah.
Another thing about this camera: JPG files are excellent. I hate keeping RAW files. They are big files taking up so much space and post processing is such a pain to me. With this camera, you can simply forget about shooting in RAW. JPGs are just as nice. Even after reducing the file size to a mere 40 KB for emailing purposes, your photo retains the color and beauty.
The EVF is awesome. OLED screen is so bright and beautiful that you may never want to go back to the LCD on the back to focus, although there is some lag in dark because of low refresh rate. The lag would matter more in manual focus but also in auto focus, because you cannot capture the moment properly. Auto sensor option will turn off the LCD if the EVF senses your eye is nearby, and vice versa saving the battery. This camera is also packed with nice features that you actually use such as horizontal line indicator on the EVF -it tells you whether your composition is perfectly horizontal. Another useful feature is something called "color-mode bracketing" along with the usual other bracketing options. First, you can use a few very nice color modes with this camera, and, second, with a single click, you can produce multiple photos captured in different color modes. My favorite is the Velvia mode -for those who remember the ISO 50 film with thick colors to be used with a projector, yes, this resembles its colors quite a bit. Mind you, they are not for some special effects -they are still passable as "regular" photos because the difference is well within the boundaries of mainstream photos and the skin tones do not appear weird even in this mode; they are just a bit more vibrant and strong, that's all.
There is much to like about digital photography in general but also much to dislike. I like its compact size, convenience, ability to transfer files and view across different media, immediacy in viewing the result and ease of use. But I dislike the lens barrel that comes out with noise each time you turn it on. I dislike the menu buttons with labyrinthine structures. I dislike the touch buttons. Most of all, I don't like the color renditions and tricky white balance. This Fuji X-e1 has cured all or at least most such woes, while retaining the traditional forte of digital cameras and keeping its size well below that of a DSLR. Bravo. Now I am afraid my M7 may end up being a thing of the past, finally, although I will never part with it. A Leica is a Leica after all, but perhaps I will never buy a M9 as I feel I have found a worthy substitute at a fraction of the price.
As for me, I considered this one among the following contenders: Sony RX1 and RX100. I crossed out Lumix lines because somehow I could never be satisfied with its white balance. RX100 is very nice for its price and I consider it an ultimate P&S, but I do not like the lens barrel that comes out each time I turn it on. Also its sensor size is a bit too small for my liking. However, it is a great little camera to get and I may well get it someday for its extreme portability and HD video capability alone. As for RX1, although I love its full-frame sensor, having a fixed, not-that-fast (2.0), non-changeable 35 mm lens is the deal killer for me, along with having no internal EVF or OVF. For that kind of price, Sony should really have done better. If you are considering RX100, RX1 or even NEX 7, do yourself a favor and make sure you test X-e1 before making up your mind. Just demoing it through the LCD at the back of the camera is not enough. If your dealer allows it, bring your own SD card, take shots on it with all the aforementioned cameras, blow the pictures on your own computer at home while paying particular attention to the color qualities.
[UPDATE] As for the lens, so far I have only used the kit lens (18-55mm). I have not used manual focusing yet, so I cannot comment on it. This lens is quite light-weight and simply superb. Auto-focus is not the fastest but fast enough and accurate. You can make a shallow depth of field at 2.8 and the resulting bokeh is quite nice. This may not be the fastest lens (ie lowest F stop is 2.8) but certainly fast enough and since you can make perfect photos at ISO 4000, I think this lens is a lot more useful than the well-rated 35 mm 1.4, which I have never used but may buy some day.
[UPDATE 2] The flash did not work. Since it was the first time I tried, I guess it did not work from the beginning. I was thinking of returning the unit, but when I called Fuji service center, the person suggested me to "RESET" the unit from the menu button. I did, and it worked. I asked him if this was a well-known issue, and the person told that it was and Fuji was working on it. I asked again if this was something I have to do from time to time (ie resetting), and the person told me that so far it seemed to work fine with the first reset but they were not sure. So if you buy a unit, make sure you test the flash. If it does not work, reset the unit. Fuji is working on the fix. I was thinking of reducing a star from my rating, but since it is working fine for now after reset, I am leaving as is. But if Fuji does not come with a permanent fix or if this happens again, I will reduce a star.
[UPDATE 3] I found out why the flash did not work. It had nothing to do with bugs or defects. Manner mode was on and that was why. When the manner mode is on, not only all sounds are muted but also flash and focus light are all disabled. Perfect for taking photos at classical concerts. (If you just want the sound off without disabling the flash or light, there is a sound option menu as well including complete off.) That explains why it worked when I reset the camera -the manner mode is turned off at reset. Funny, even the experienced Fuji service man did not know this -he told me they were "working on it." It shows this is such a new model -so new that even the front field folks have not figured out all about it, I guess.
[UPDATE 4] Manual focusing a moving object through EVF in low light even when magnified is tricky. It does not give you a focus confirmation. I comparison-tested manual and auto, and there was always a discrepancy which makes me not to trust my eyes. Also the kit-lens' manual focusing feel is not superb, although certainly much better than that of X100. So I think this should be mostly used as an auto-focus camera when you use the kit lens. Make sure you push the "enlarge" button to help focus manually -a big difference. By the way, you can always push AE-L/AF-L button to bring the object into immediate auto focus even when the camera is in manual focus mode, which I find very useful. You can also set this button's function AE fix only or AF fix only or both AE fix and AF fix in the menu settings.
[UPDATE 5] I think one firmware upgrade feature this camera desperately needs is Minimum Shutter Speed setting. Without this, Auto ISO is only half effective, along with aperture priority mode. Currently when set at auto-ISO and in the aperture priority mode, this camera is giving me a shutter speed close to the focal length, which, in the case of the kit lens, is 30 mm and hence 1/30th. This is obviously no good when shooting a moving object, which makes me adjust the ISO value up manually, rendering the auto-ISO not that useful. Fuji, please update and implement this firmware feature in a near future. Otherwise, people would simply have to shoot in speed priority mode mostly.
[UPDATE 6] I ordered Fuji M-mount adapter to use the body with my 50 mm Summilux. Now there are a few cheaper choices you have such as Kipon but the reason I ordered an official Fuji was because I read that it is the only one that shows all the information as Fuji lenses do. There are three things you need to be aware of. First, certain Leica lenses do not work with this adapter so you need to read about which ones work and which ones do not. Second, it does not show the F-stop information anywhere on the viewfinder (even though it takes photos with the F-stop you set on the lens) -it shows "F0 (zero)" all the time. Less of a problem in the aperture priority mode since you know it anyway (since you are setting the aperture), but in the speed priority mode, there is no way of knowing the aperture. Third, the results are OK but certainly not any better than the kit lens. There is no Leica magic -well-focused pictures look almost identical to those produced by the kit lens. So two conclusions: (i) I am not so sure about the advantage of buying a much more expensive official Fuji adapter; and (ii) your chief reason for buying the adapter must be to expand your photographic options and not to improve IQ. IQ will be largely the same even with the supposedly superior and certainly more expensive Leica glass.
[Update 7] I ordered Kipon adapter for Contax G2 lenses. For those who are not familiar, Contax long ago sold a film rangefinder called G2 with three Carl Zeiss lenses in the bundle: Biogon 2.8/28mm, Planar 2/45mm, Sonnar 2.8/90mm. Those lenses were beautifully crafted, sharp as a tack, and represented supreme value then (you may still find them at eBay). I once used and loved this Contax G2 extensively along with my Leica M7, but it has been sleeping in my closet in recent years. To get to the point, those Carl Zeiss lenses worked like charm on the X-e1 body. Sharp, sharp all they way. Particularly amazing was 90mm Sonnar's portrait performance under low light (with the crop factor of this body, it becomes a 135mm mild zoom). Wow! I could see my son's peach fuzz on face in a shot taken from quite some distance. On the X-e1 body (I cannot stress this qualification enough), I actually prefer Carl Zeiss glasses to the Leica glass. It is a match made in heaven, and you owe it to yourself to get an adapter to try those lenses if you happen to have them like me. I never thought I would be resurrecting those almost antique lenses from the film era in this digital age, not out of curiosity but for real field usage! One caveat: the Biogon 2.8/28mm could not be attached to this camera with the Kipon adapter -it could not be locked and would not focus. I am not sure if there is any adapter you could use for Biogon 2.8/28mm available in the market.
[Update 8] I tried a "duel" among the three lenses again: Summilux 50/1.4, Sonnar 90/2.8, and the Fujinon Kit. I shot my bookshelf full of books on a tripod position (around 50 shots each) and tried to see differences. Because of the differences in magnification, Sonnar actually shot from a further distance. Again, the differences were minor but there was a clear winner to my eyes: Sonnar. Color renditions were very similar. But the Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, although sharp in the center at every aperture, was softer and blurrier on the sides at the same F stop with Sonnar. Sonnar was tack sharp around all edges. I did not notice this when I mounted Summilux on my M7 body. That is why I said I do not particularly prefer Summilux at least on X-e1 body. Fujinon was not as sharp as Sonnar, but entirely acceptable and consistently good.
But since the results were so similar, I urge people to buy different lenses only to obtain different F stops or angles and not to obtain better IQ. I see it this way: if you already have a Summilux, you may want to buy a cheap adapter ring, but if you do not have one, forget it. At over $4,000, it is not worth the price at least on this body.
It is great to hear Zeiss is coming out with auto-focus for X-mount (see the comment by Midnight Coyote below), but I fear the price! Manual focusing with Sonnar is actually quite fun, and there is one great advantage with manual focusing: once focused, you can shoot subsequent shots actually faster than an auto-focus and this is a great advantage in extreme low-light conditions in which the auto-focus hesitates and struggles for each shot.
So why 3 stars? because I cannot recommend it to most people. I HIGHLY recommend this to experienced photographers.
However the look, the feel, the incredible high ISO performance, all top notch. The focus is just sad compared to other cameras. If you want to buy this for sports, weddings, wildlife or chasing kids around(which is a bad decision due to the lack of telephoto lenses) you will be very disappointed. If you take a slow and deliberate approach to your photography you will be greatly rewarded. This is a camera you work with, not a camera you use, and I really like that aspect personally. But the slow AF, weak AF in low light, and lack of features other cameras have in spades keep it from being a 5 or even a 4. If I were to rate it off the sensor and feel only it would be a 10 out of 5. Optically it is as close to perfect as you will get for less than $3000, and the kit lens is no slouch.
If anyone is looking at this they are also probably looking at the Olympus OMD. I own both of these cameras and want to put up a side by side comparison from my own experience.
Why compare this against the OMD? Because it has set a new benchmark of performance in the world of mirrorless cameras, and even with a smaller sensor it competes well against larger mid range DSLR's. Other options include the NEX 7 and maybe the NEX-6. I have owned and used both the NEX c3 and NEX 5N quite a bit and they are awesome fast high performance compact point and shoot cameras, you sort of have to just trust them, and they do an excellent job but i am a bit of a control freak with my cameras. I found the manual controls lacking, especially compared to the Olympus OMD and Fuji XE-1. That is not meant to be a knock against the NEX line, i would have included the NEX-7 in this had i any experience with it, nor do i have any experience with the GH3.
my experience with DSLR's includes the Nikon D40, D70, D90, D7000, and the Canon 60D and 7D all of which I have used extensively with pro grade lenses such as the Nikon 24-70f/2.8, 70-200f/2.8, and equivalents on the Canons. I am not a pro, just a hard core enthusiast/amateur and timelapse photographer with horrible spelling, and a decent job to fund the hobby.
I hope this helps.
1) Autofocus
OMD's AF blazingly fast for single AF. It focuses in low light areas without the need of the focus lamp, very little hunting. The Continuous AF is not on par with the D7000. It is loaded with various features such as facial tracking, left and right eye priority, touch to focus and shoot, etc. I use the facial tracking when doing things like instructional videos on timelapse.
XE-1's AF system is best not tested after using the OMD, because compared to the OMD it is laughable. It hunts in low light even with the AF lamp. It seems to work well enough with some decent light around. The options on Fuji's AF system is Single, Continuous, and Manual. There is no tracking, no facial recognition, you can set the size of the AF point, that is about it. For photographers with a bit of experience this AF system is not going to be much of a hindrance. There is also the Manual focus bar on the display which is AWESOME. See more on that later.
2) Customization
The OMD is highly customizable, everything from the viewfinder, display, lens function, f1, f2, the list goes on. It is the most customizable camera I have ever had. Almost to the point of making things a bit confusing. It took a while but I now have it set to how I like it, and it is pretty easy to use. You can have the OLED and EFV display different things as well, in fact, borrowing somebody elses OMD for a shoot will probably leave you annoyed and frustrated because they probably set it up a lot differently and it wont even feel like the same camera.
The Fuji XE1 is nowhere near as customizable. It has ONE function button, but you cannot even use the scroll wheel on the back to control it, you still have to use the thumb pad which means you have to pull it from your eye, seems kind of pointless. I would say this camera is not very customizable, if it were not for the Q button where you can scroll through pre-sets, but I would argue this is not customization, this just enables fast configuration changes. The screen and EFV will show the same info
3) EFV
The OMD has a decent viewfinder. It is not very sharp even when adjusted with the diopter, I know it is not my eyes because I read at 20/15 since my Lasik. Very little lag, even in low light. The eye sensor works ok but could stand to be a bit faster. It throws up a nice large image about the same size as the OFV on the D7000. Not sure why but you cannot have the EFV on non-stop, even when shutting off the rear display the EFV is off until the eye sensor is triggered.
The XE1 has the same size viewfinder, but higher resolution and you can see the difference. Things look sharper and crisper, no doubt about it. However it is much laggier. The eye sensor is better though, and flips from screen to EFV faster. You can leave the EFV on non-stop with the back off if you like.
Build quality
The OMD nice solid construction. Not a fan of the dials, the dials do feel a bit cheap. Weather sealed which is awesome! Some users of the OMD have had the dial pop off.
The XE-1 also has a nice feel to it, but not as nice as the OMD. However the dials feel much better and more secure. It is NOT weather sealed at all. The compartment door on the side feels extremely cheap compared to the refined feel of the rest of the body.
Ergonomics
OMD is not bad, it is a small camera, with small buttons a bit mushy because of the weather sealing but that does not bother me much. Without the grip it is ok for lighter lenses. I have the Panasonic 12-35 on mine and it really needs the grip. Let's talk about the grip too, it really helps, but the bottom corner of it sort of digs into my palm on the large area at the base of the thumb. The battery grip helps, but I have been considering machining out a plate to attach to the bottom with a curved surface to help remove the bottom corner. The memory card is on the side which I prefer so you don't have to detach it from a tripod plate to swap out the memory card. Dials and buttons are well laid out in a nice intuitive manor
XE-1 Better IMO ergonomically. It just feels awesome. However they focus light is on the grip? WTF? The 18-55 kit lens has some heft to it, but it still seems to balance without the need of a grip. The buttons are larger, fairly flush but stick out just enough. It is pretty darn comfortable to hold. I like how the viewfinder is not in the middle like the OMD, this means I don't have to bump my nose in the screen. The dials and buttons are very well laid out. The memory card sits in the battery compartment like the NEX, I don't like this, I prefer to see it on the side..
Image quality
This horse has been beaten to death. You can find TONS of sample images and pixel peeping online. Basically 95% of the time the OMD will be more than good enough for what you need. The XE-1 in my opinion IS better, but not by a substantial amount in most scenarios. However one area the XE-1 shines is HIGH ISO. 6400 is perfectly usable on the XE1, but not the OMD. In fact, ISO 12,800 looks pretty darn good on the XE-1. Keep in mind there is not a lot of RAW support, Adobe LR, Photoshop, etc,. due to the non traditional bayer filter. However that may change. In the meantime if you do not mind shooting Jpeg the XE-1 has a killer jpeg engine in it and they look fantastic!
Video
The OMD is pretty decent for video, it is not up to par with many other cameras but the 5 way IBIS makes it seem like the camera is floating on a steady cam unit. No complaints on the video, not a lot of options, but it gets the job done.
The XE-1 video is very very basic. This seems like it was added in because they felt it needed to be there for advertizing. It works, i would not expect this to become a new DSLR Video cult classic in any way.
Image Stabilization.
The OMD's 5 way IBIS is just awesome. This is by far the best image stabilization system available period. It really makes shooting in low light very, you can shoot 300mm at 1/15th of a second and keep it sharp. AWESOME!
The Fuji XE-1 has stabilization in the lenses, so this may or may not get better and depends on the lens being used. My experience with the kit lens is that it does a good job, on par with Canon and Nikons IS/VR systems in thier lenses.
Cool stuff specific to each camera.
OMD Highlights and Shadows. How cool is this? it shows you live where you are clipping. I always have it ON with the OMD. I really like that feature
OMDArticulating screen. I was not a fan of the idea when this became popular, gotta admit, I have started to like it.
XE-1 DOF and manual focus bar. This is AWESOME. There Is a bar at the bottom of the screen/efv that indicates distance, there is a red line surrounded by a white bar that indicates the focus point. The red line is the exact center of the focus, the white bar shows you the depth of field. So when adjusting the aperture up the white bar expands and contracts to show the area that will be in focus. Using this you can manually focus in very low light with only knowing the approximate distance to the subject.
XE-1 film simulation modes. I know I know, the OMD has Art modes. However to be honest, my personal opinion is most of the art modes are just stupid and I will never use them, they are too over the top, the only one I kind of like is the Dramatic Tone. The film simulation modes are just more subtle and does not look like it was heavily processed, it still looks like a natural photograph.
XE-1 Pop up flash. I dig it, it is low powered, probably just enough to kick up shadows a bit in harsh sunlight conditions or to nudge up the shadows a bit on a backlit situation. It goes INTO the camera and gets out of the way. you can also use it for bounce in smaller rooms. The OMD just has that goofy/stupid attachment flash that requires you to remove 3 separate plastic covers which can get lost.
XE-1 Aperture ring! yes! I love the way this camera is setup. The shutter dial, aperture ring, give it a very nice feel.
XE-1 High end kit lens? Yes! This kit lens is awesome! it has a wonderful feel, metal construction, very very smooth and competent feel to the focus and zoom rings. Due to it being a variable aperture lens there is no hard stops on the aperture ring, but it does feel very good.
In the end these are two very different cameras and do not make for a good comparison.
The OMD is a Ninja, it is a Jack of all Trades and master of many, it is fast, efficient with excellent image quality. It is a finely engineered marvel of photographic joy.
The Fuji XE-1 was clearly designed as a fun camera geared towards photographers. It takes more care and thought, and seems to have been intended with more of an artistic purpose. It has a lot of personality to it.
The differences between the two really balance each other out, and I recommend them as a set. They are so different they almost feel natural together.
As for which is better that depends on what you are into. If you need high speed system for fast changing environments the OMD is probably the better choice. The Fuji seems to be more of an artist's tool intended for deliberate shooting. Even though I will probably use the Fuji more than the OMD, I will probably take far more pictures with the OMD than the XE-1. I feel the OMD us something I will "use", the Fuji will be something I "work with". I suspect Leica is keeping a very sharp eye on the Fuji Xpro-1/XE-1 cameras, as they are the first ones to really start competing with Leica in the area that Leica dominates, and at a fraction of the price. I know that the Leica has a full frame sensor, keep in mind that Fuji's X-trans sensor is routinely (and rightfully so) compared to the Canon 5DmkII and the Nikon D700 full frame cameras. It IS that good.
If I were only allowed to keep one, it would certainly be the XE-1. It really seems to hit what I want to do with my photography which is very slow and deliberate. If you are into wildlife, sports, etc., the OMD would be a better choice. In fact, for many people I think the OMD will be a better choice.
[UPDATE DEC 31 2012]
I have had a little bit more time with this camera, and have really been enjoying it. I still stand by my 3 star review even though i really enjoy this camera. I was hoping as i got to know the camera a little better i would find out that i was doing something wrong. The fact is the AF is still very slow, it has some shutter lag, and is in general a pretty unforgiving camera.
This is a camera that rewards effort, that is not to say it fights you. It is an excellent choice for experience photographers or those keen on learning photography, Whereas the OMD seems to have Cleo the psychic crammed into it because it seems to read my mind and has lightning fast response like bruce lee.
If you can just ante up and get both, you will have a really awesome combination for any situation.
[Update 1/15/2013]
I just got back from a week of hiking around Sedona Arizona, I took both the OMD and the Fuji XE-1 and my plan was to start out with the XE-1, then halfway through the hike switch to the OMD. After a few days the OMD was just left at home. I love shooting with the XE-1 and just find it more enjoyable. The rest of my review still stands, the XE-1 is a camera you work with, the OMD is a camera you use. The OMD has pretty much fallen as a backup for bad weather, and as my primary camera for time lapse photography while the XE-1 is my primary photography camera.
Buy Fujifilm X-E1 16.3MP Compact System Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD - Body Only (Silver) Now
I arranged to get these three top cameras at the same time and tested them on the same indoor shot (bookcase of colorful books) with room light at ISO 3200 and 800 and flash at ISO 200. Had to use different lenses of course (18-55mm zoom on Sony, 24-85mm zoom on Nikon, 18-55mm zoom on Fuji), and all shots were JPEGs, so this comparison does not make it possible to distinguish the relative contributions of sensors, lenses, jpeg processors. All the noise reduction settings were on defaults. Just for fun I threw in my Canon S95 pocket camera and my iPhone5. All pix were blown up to the screen equivalent of about 24" wide.A word about JPEGs vs. RAW: It is important to understand that modern lenses including these three are no longer just hunks of glass; they are designed to be used with the in-camera JPEG processing firmware, which undoes the inherent distortions on the wide angle side. Vignetting is also corrected, and chromatic aberration. It is no longer necessary to design lenses depending so much on the difficult correction of glass elements with additional glass elements, aspherics, etc. Lenses are now part software, which results in better optics at lower cost. In principle a poor single element lens could give near perfect results, limited only by the processing power of the little computer in your camera. You can see this for yourself; watch the LCD image and then fire the shot you'll see the replay image come up with the whole field visibly altered by software distortion correction. For this reason it would require a lot of skill and Photoshop time to do the same thing manually starting from the RAW images. JPEG's are the way these lenses are designed to be used, so that's how they should be evaluated, as part of the whole camera.
Results at ISO 3200:
Nikon D600 (full frame) gave the nicest image, as we should certainly expect for the sensor size, camera size and weight, and cost. Image was creamy, clean and contrasty.
Fuji XE1 was second. Image was just a bit noisier and rougher than Nikon full frame.
Sony NEX6 was third. Although it had more contrast than the Fuji, this varied by colors; in some areas, such as red type on a blue book cover, the image actually washed out completely. Noisier than Fuji and evident compression artifacts.
Canon S95 quality is not in the same ballpark at high ISO and magnification; very rough.
iPhone5; like a juvenile delinquent in a class full of straight A students!
Results at ISO 800:
ISO 800 is my basic setting in daily photography. All three images were beautiful.
XE1 was the cleanest, but the Sony NEX had more punch and contrast.
Nikon D600 was a bit rougher and noisier than the other two, but of course had the highest pixel density when blown way up.
Results at ISO 200:
Nikon D600, Fuji XE1 and Sony NEX 6 are quite comparable, with the choice being almost a matter of taste. Here the D600 is a bit noisier than XE1 in some areas and many people would say the Fuji XE1 half frame actually looks better overall than the Nikon full frame, which is remarkable. Sony NEX is right up there with them; the three images have different qualities, but there is no obvious winner. Canon S95, although still raggedy compared to this company, is not bad at all at low magnification and low ISO.
What is amazing about comparing XE1 and D600 is not that the Nikon DSLR is superior but that it is only SLIGHTLY superior and then only under extremely low light and high magnification. Fuji really seems to have some special sauce on their half-frame sensor which allows it to capture photos almost as good as a full-frame DSLR. At ISO800, they are all very good but XE1 is best. If your goal is best image with least bulk to lug around, XE1 is the winner. The XE1 is an improvement over XPro-1, simpler, smaller, but still a bit quirky and the interface odd. Sony NEX was just a bit muddy at high ISO, but superb at ISO800 and below. Also, there are so many other good things about Sony NEX (focus peaking, in-camera HDR, articulated LCD, wireless, ability to use legacy lenses easily in MF mode, picture effects) that I use mine all the time.
Let's talk about viewfinders. I have a soft spot for my Nikon, and greatly prefer the optical through-the-lens viewfinder to EVF or LCD, but objectively speaking, purely in terms of image quality per unit weight/size, there is no longer any real justification for DSLR. Fuji is a unique instrument for the photographic artist. Sony NEX is also so good as to make the need for full frame DSLR questionable, and is the most flexible, ergonomic and cleverly fabricated of the three. You may have various reasons to choose one of these three, but image quality is no longer the deciding factor. Finally, all three of these are cameras for photographic fanatics; for ordinary folks looking to capture uncropped snapshots in good light at a viewed size about 4x5, the tiny Canon S95 and iPhone5 results don't look that much worse to the naked eye.
So that's the good news; now for the other news. If image quality were the ONLY consideration, we would all still be using 8X10 view cameras. There is also useability in day to day picture taking, and here the XE1 is going to make many photographers unhappy. Besides the EVF, which many folks will not like, the autofocus is slow and in some cases (60 mm lens) borderline unacceptable. Also the latency (time from button press to shutter release) is lacking. Although the XE1 looks like a Leica and has wonderful precision materials, it does not equal the Leica's lghtning fast street photography. The XE1 is quirky and idiosyncratic in its menus and has a significant learning curve. Five stars because the IQ is so outstanding, but an overall assessment would be lower.
Update in June 2013: My predictions about customers not necessarily liking the XE1 even though the images it makes are stunning is proving to be correct. Fuji is reducing prices subtantially, which can only be because sales are not meeting projections. I suspect there are significant levels of returned product as well. In addition, the main reason for mirrorless was size and weight over DSLR, but Canon has recently put out the SL1 which is smaller and lighter than the XE1!
Bottom line is that the XE1 is a lovely instrument but not for everyone; you really should try it out before buying.I've only had my X-E1 a couple days so I won't write a book here, well maybe I will :). I also own the Olympus E-M5 and had the NEX-7 so I can compare this Fuji to it's competition a bit here. To the point, this X-E1 takes BEAUTIFUL pictures.. They are so nice even just browsing the thumbnails on my computer, this X-E1 is standing out as something special vs my NEX-7 and E-M5 to a degree. I find getting around on the X-E1 is super quick MUCH better than the Nex7,and the X-E1 is quite intuitive to use. The EVF is excellent, as good or better than the Nex7's and I have not noticed any lag despite a few people saying the X-E1 EVF refresh rate is slower than the NEX's EVF. I just haven't noticed any problem at all about it. The lcd screen looks just fine...great color, yes less pixel density than say a Nex or E-M5 but more accurate color..so which is better? Accurate color or more pixels..I prefer accurate color! I currently have the 1.4 / 35mm lens so that's what I am using for my review by the way.
Focus speed is pretty quick..also owning an X100 I'd say this is a bit quicker to a lot quicker to focus overall. I'd also say YES, it can hunt a bit in lower light. Manual focus actually works WELL this is a Fuji?..though if it had the Sony PEAKING type feature, that would be helpful. Unlike the x100 you don't need turn the focus ring forever. You can see a magnified view of your target, and it's clear enough thru the wonderful EVF that just slightly turning the focus ring will get you superb focus..even in VERY low light, if auto is hunting too much. I may rarely use this feature but the built in stitch panorama feature works INCREDIBLY well, BETTER than the Sony Nex7 I am surprised!. One other nice feature on the X-E1 is after you take the shot, in playback mode you can push the command dial in..this will bring up a zoomed in view of WHERE your focus was. This is useful so say you wanted to focus on the eyes..and it shows you really focused on an ear you can re shoot..well done Fuji! Those who may own an E-M5 it has a similar feature where on playback a little green box auto shows you WHERE the focus point was...sort of a tie here on that useful feature.
The Q menu (QUICK MENU,) is wonderful and you can get to things usually buried in the menu rocket fast. As to this special sensor and no Moire pattern? Well it's very good, BUT I have seen some moire pattern on a jacket and jeans a couple of times, though less than my E-M5. Most of the pics I have taken with the X-E1 HAVE been Moire pattern free however!
As many sample pictures may seem, if you leave in camera sharpening set to zero, and Noise reduction to zero the jpegs tend to be a tad soft. I bumped the sharpness up one notch, and NR down 1 notch, and the pictures have tons of detail now yet have virtually no noise even up to 1600 or 2000 iso in GOOD light.
For raw files for now, for best results you need to use the included Silkypix software. It knows how to work with this special Fuji sensor. But unlike many people crying about it, Silkypix is not THAT bad..it does have a learning curve, it's rather clunky, YET powerful. I mostly use raw to correct white balance and or exposure compensation. For such small stuff like that, Silkypix is just fine..you can save the output as an uncompressed tiff file if you like, then finish up in LR or Photoshop or whatever graphic software you are more comfortable with..no worries!
Two features I miss from the E-M5 vs the X-E1 are IN camera Pixel mapping, and the E-M5's GREAT 5 axis image stabilization. Fact is, you are going to have to raise the ISO up a bit higher on the X-E1 for a faster shutter speed in low light vs the Olympus if you don't want a blurry picture. Hence? The E-M5 will give you indoor pictures with lower noise as the iso can be set lower than the X-E1. If you buy the Fuji zoom lens however, it IS an optically stabilized lens so in that case the E-M5 may not be much better as to image stabilization. You can then lower the iso on the X-E1 in low light depending upon the aperture you choose of course. The zoom is a VERY fast lens for a Zoom fast as in 2.8 aperture vs the norm at 3.5, But the E-M5 has IN body stabilization so ANY lens you pop on it will be stabilized...a plus for the E-M5.
If you want a camera that is made REALLY well, is very quick to operate has amazing accurate color ESPECIALLY skin tones (Best I have ever seen) don't like that Sony color?? and Olympus just doesn't sing to you..this X-E1 can take breath taking photos! I should have said this earlier, to me what sets this X-E1 apart from it's competition MOSTLY is it's film like picture quality and VERY accurate pleasing color. As much as I love my E-M5 it does not show color as accurately as the FUJI, and the Sony Nex(s) tend to have that cool Sony Color..yellowish skin tones always. Fuji X-E1 you no need spend so much time post processing it just has accurate color almost always, without tweaking anything. :) I have to say I still love my E-M5 too, and it's focus speed is way faster than the Fuji BUT to my eyes OOC pics from the E-M5 are just no match for the Fuji ESPECIALLY color accuracy(Repeating) and a hard to put my finger on, film like silky quality that this X-E1 has. Great little camera overall!! Didn't give it 5 stars cause the auto focus could be quicker and it has a tad too much iso noise above 1600 in low light..BUT OVERALL a GREAT camera!
(Adding this about a week later) I was wrong..low light iso is definitely better than my E-M5 much tighter grain and less grain..compared many same pictures iso side by side. Maybe about a tie with the NEX7 or a bit lower noise. Raising my prior 4 star review to 5!! Biggest downside is you can find faster auto focus in a Nex or EM5..but this XE1 is pretty fast to focus..it's just not EM5 quick. GREAT camera!!
Added Dec 30..if you may want the smallest possible case for the XE1 WITH Kit Lens? I searched high and low and the Lowepro Munich 100 case has a perfect snug fit, it seems well made too. For me as this camera is small, certainly vs a DSLR, I don't want a huge case. This case is for the camera with attached kit lens only. No room for an extra lens etc. I don't use the strap..so that may or may not fit here. Thought this may help somebody IF you want a good small case for this great camera.
http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Munich-100-Camera-Bag/dp/B003X1M3FS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356892704&sr=1-1&keywords=lowepro+munich+100I've owned a variety of cameras over the past 40 years and digital cameras in particular going back 15 years. When I purchased the Fuji X-E1 in black with the 18-55 F2.8-4.0 zoom kit lens, a couple of weeks ago, I held on to my Nikon D700 and Olympus E-P2. The D700 is a great camera and a wonderful friend over the past several years, and the E-P2 was pretty good but had some issues. However, within a few days after purchase of the X-E1, the D700 and E-P2 had been sold. I don't think I will be looking back.
A couple of days ago, I spent an afternoon with the X-E1 and took about 300 photos. Wow, what a pleasure! The size and layout are really good. Not too small and fiddly like the Oly, and not too big and heavy like the D700.
The X-E1 is a photographer's camera. Controls are easy to use and well laid out. But that's only half the story. The image quality, low light performance and dynamic range are all fantastic definitely surpassing the D700 in low light performance. I could reliably shoot the D700 up to 1600 ISO, but the X-E1 does better at 6400 ISO than the full frame Nikon did at 1600!
I have made all firmware updates (as of late December 2012), including both the body and lens. Focusing is a non-issue for my camera. I NEVER had the camera hunt or mis-focus with my 300 shots a couple days ago and most shots were indoors! My old D700 would not have done that well with autofocus. The D700 would occasionally hunt and mis-focus. And compared to the Oly E-P2, the Fuji's focus is night and day better. During my afternoon of shooting much with low light, I confirmed I can shoot reliably down to 1/15th second shutter speed with the image stabilized 18-55 lens.
I love the Quick menu giving easy access for adjusting the X-E1. The 18-55 lens is a great zoom, with fast glass (for a zoom) and ring adjustment of zoom, focus and aperture. The small built in flash comes in handy. The Oly had no flash and it was always an inconvenience to pull out the external flash and mount it when needed. Plus, the Oly had an external electronic view finder, which could not be mounted with the flash installed.
The Electronic View Finder (EVF) is an excellent tool and I'd say I take 75% of my photos using the EVF. When I purchased the X-E1, I considered the Sony RX1, but decided against it because: 1) no built in view finder, 2) lens could not be interchanged, and 3) user interface was too menu driven. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 was considered, but the four thirds format does not match the Fuji X-E1 in low light performance. I also considered the Fuji X-Pro 1 and would have gone for it, had it a built in flash. I actually like the slightly larger size of the X-Pro 1.
One of my favorite features of the Fuji X-E1, is the film simulation bracketing. Fuji made several iconic films over the years and you can select three types from a list and bracket your shots with them. I found in post production I would pick one film type or the other depending on the shot. So it really gives the photographer more choice. And with the low cost of high capacity SD cards, space for bracketing shots is not a problem.
My only issues with the camera are: 1) can't set a minimum shutter speed for full auto or in aperture priority; 2) Lightroom 4 does not yet process the raw files to their full potential. Lightroom 3 (my preferred platform) does not handle the Fuji's raw files at all. The camera shoots unbelievably good jpegs that require very little adjustment, however, so this is not a major problem. Finally, the "format card" command is buried a deep, dozen or so clicks into the menu. Fuji needs to fix this with a firmware update.
Pros:
1) Image quality
2) Low light performance
3) Dynamic range
4) Built in flash
5) Built in EVF
6) Well laid out controls that are easy to use
7) Perfect balance of size (not too small or too big)
8) Interchangeable lens
9) High quality lenses available at affordable prices
10) Stabilization with the 18-55 lens
Cons:
1) No minimum shutter speed setting for auto
2) Lightroom still not up to snuff on processing raw files (as of late December 2012)
3) "Format Card" buried too deep in the menus
Given all of the above, the X-E1 is now my favorite camera of all time.
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