craigk49

I wouldn't want to take a chance on a card that has burned me once. Cards are cheap and a year's use is reasonable. I don't know how busy you are, but I would think a year is enough time for the card to pay for itself and than some.

I would go towards the 18-55mm because of the stabilization. Not to mention it is relatively light, made of metal and is incredibly sharp when used properly.

I was contemplating either an X-H1 or X-T3 and decided to go with the X-H1. I was prepared to be less than satisfied in some areas in exchange for a more durable body, finish and and some other features I wanted. The new X-H1 arrived yesterday and so far it has exceeded all of my expectations. So far, I have been concentrating on still images and all I can say is wow! One area I thought would not live up to my expectations is the autofocus accuracy and speed. I am used to using an X-T1 and an X-E3. I didn't doubt that the X-H1 would smoke the X-T1 and expected it to equal the X-E3. I don't know what kind of magic Fujifilm worked on the X-H1. So far, both the accuracy and speed blows the X-E3 away. But, then again I'm transitioning from my X-E1 to the 3. So far I've just had the X-H1 with me while shopping and running errands. I haven't tried to do anything I would want to share as they have all been quickie grab shots. However, had I been attempting some serious work, I am confident of far more keepers as well as images in perfect focus. Once I get used to the camera I will share some of the work here.

Thanks darknj for the comparison! Appreciate the time you took to post.

I'm impressed with FW 4.0 - understatement! Will be doing more testing later today. However, I'm interested in hearing about performance with FW 4.0 compared with your DSLR or some of the other mirrorless systems said to have superior focusing abilities. So, if you have access to say, a Sony A6000 for example, could you tell us about how the X-T1's performance compared both before and after the 4.0 update? I'm convinced that there is a significant improvement over previous firmware AF performance. No argument with that, since I was often frustrated with AF with previous FW. And, Fuji has provided incremental improvements since 1.0. I was far less frustrated by the time 3.0 came around. 4.0 so far seems more like a 6.0 release in terms of the increase in AF performance when compared to previous updates. That is really cool. But, has Fuji closed the AF performance gap with competing systems. If not, what do you think Fuji needs to do to achieve parity?

Just a thought - If you have an Amazon Prime membership and you have downloaded the file, you could use the free Cloud Drive to store the file on and post a link in the forum for those of us who would like to give it a whirl. I believe you must set up the file with permissions for public download but no upload. You will only want download access so no one could alter the file or upload to your account for security reasons. Just thinking out loud. You might be able to have admin set up a thread that is only accessible by logged in members. That would further limit the number of downloads from your Cloud Drive if you are concerned about that. If anyone decides to try that, I'm sure there are more readers than myself who would be grateful for your effort.

<sigh> Just checked and Dropbox has shut down the link due to too much traffic. Oh well.

The black bar is the shutter starting to close. On my X-T1 I can get away with 1/200th no problems. If you are getting 1/250th that is a bit better. Other people I've talked to can't go above 1/80th. Most likely the small variation is due to minor manufacturing differences. Fuji, probably only tests shutters to the 1/180th standard for flash synch. As long as it passes that test, it passes and is used. Similar variances occur with most mechanical devices coming off of assembly lines. No surprise, but it is nice when your copy does a bit better than it should. 8-)

Fuji still has a chance to save face in the "Tethered Shooting Plugin Debacle." At least for us in the West, by releasing a clear and concise statement regarding the plug in. First, tell us when it will be available. Second, tell us the price. We already know where it will be available assuming the information regarding availability on Adobe Exchange is correct. Since this is a Hot Topic Button for some X-T1 owners and some considering purchasing an X-T1, It would behoove Fuji and their national distributors to train their customer service people to accurately answer questions about the plugin. While this is an important issue for the folks who read and post to this forum, I don't think Fuji perceives this to be a pressing issue since only a tiny percentage of their camera market has the slightest interest in tethered shooting. Keeping this in mind will help us who want the plugin to better understand why Fuji hasn't put a lot of energy and resources to work on this issue. As much as I would like to be shooting tethered right now, not having the plugin is not the end of the world. I can use the iPhone/iPad app for a somewhat imperfect simulation of tethered shooting. I'm trying to look at this from Fuji's perspective. On the other hand, it does feel bad that a Pro feature has been handled so poorly from our perspective. In my opinion, Fuji could and will attract a much larger Pro audience with tethered shooting. I just hope that the debacle doesn't turn people away who may assume this is SOP for Fuji.

I think Fuji is being very conservative after jumping the gun with the first release of the plugin causing problems. They want to make sure they don't have customers experiencing files disappearing from their cards again. As far as PC users getting the plugin for free? That never happened. The plugin is included in HS-V5. That means purchasers of HS-V5 get a copy AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. Free, it is not. That being the case, Fuji is within their rights to program the update to fail when it cannot detect an installed HS-V5 on the hard drive. This is just one of many ways coders can prevent unauthorized access to software that hasn't been paid for. It's not free, it's not free, it's not free. So, Fuji made some mistakes with the release of HS-V5 - from our point of view. The information wasn't clear and lots of people were disappointed, myself included. I don't read or speak Japanese, so I can't say I may have come to a different conclusion had that been the case. I suspect this is one of those "perfect storm" situations where everything went to heck in a hand basket. That is life, sometimes. The larger and more complex an organization is, the more likely something like this is to occur. Since Fuji is usually so good about similar things, it makes this look doubly bad when we contrast it to all of the good stuff we are accustomed to. my 2 cents

Don't have time to worry about stuff like this. Doesn't matter if it is Fuji, Ford or the mayor. Someone with too much time on their hands will write something negative. Some people spend their entire lives looking for people, places and things to belly-ache about. I can't change that and when I start complaining about it, that kind of puts me in their way of thinking. And there is that little thing called karma. Sooner or later the Universe will balance the scales. So, I don't have to worry about it.

I'm in AZ where dust and low humidity are a problem. Yes, you are right about the silica gets. They go in the airtight bags. They other reason I use the bags is I'm around smokers and over time that gets in bodies and lenses. I don't really use Q-Tip brand because they do leave lint. Oddly the bargain basement brand at the dollar store is 100% cotton and I've never had a lint problem with them. The cotton is probably grown here in AZ, shipped to China and sent back to the Dollar Store. 8-) I never use one more than about a minute tops before trashing it and getting a new one. The damp end for cleaning and the dry end for drying works best.

I have both bodies. I love both of them. The X-T1 is my go to when it is important. The X-E1 is my every day carry. You will be happier with the X-T1 for events. When Firmware 4.0 is available in late June, auto focus promises to be much more on par with DSLR level performance. We will have to wait until June to find out. The mini review on Fuji Rumors is pretty enthusiastic about the pre release version. He ended by saying once you have tried it, you won't want to go back. For events, the improved continuous focus and better low light performance will have you doing cartwheels when comparing with the X-E1. Even with firmware 3.X. I'm sure you are aware the sensors are identical (in theory). IQ will be similar. What you will gain with the X-T1 is more "keepers" for each session. Particularly, from the areas that are probably giving you headaches with the X-E1. You will get the electronic shutter and the advantages that go along with that. Probably not much for events except for total silence if you ever need to really be unobtrusive. The flippy screen has some advantages for you in crowds. You will also notice some speed improvements that are sometimes subtle, sometimes important. If you do lots of shooting in continuous mode, pick up one or two of the ultra high speed cards. Yes, they are expensive, but they are very fast. As mentioned before, build quality - the X-T1 is built like a brick!

The best policy on sensor dust is prevention. It takes a little time, but prevention takes less time than fixing spots on files in post. Yes you can save the repair as a preset and apply it to 300 images. But, you still have to look at each image to make sure the repair isn't messing with something else. Regular cleaning and dust removal from lenses, lens & body caps, lens mounts and good storage practices will prevent a majority of dust spots on sensors. For the most part, the dust gets there from where? If it is on the rear lens cap, it will migrate to the rear of the lens and mount. From, there it is a very short trip to the sensor. Similarly, if your body is dirty and dusty, it will find its way into the body and sensor. Regular cleaning is about the only answer. I start with the blower to remove loose particles. Then, a clean brush will dislodge more stubborn particles. NEVER BLOW using your breath. You may think it is a "dry" blow, but there will always be small droplets of saliva which contains acids that damage metals and lens coatings. When the entire exterior of the body and lens are cleaned, I move on to the lens, caps and mount. It makes no sense to remove the lens for cleaning if the body and exterior of the lens are covered in dust! If the rear element in the lens moves in and out, make sure you set it so the rear element is all of the way to the rear. Otherwise, the dislodged dust will find its way into the interior of your lens. Most of this is common sense. I use the same steps in the same order for everything. 1. Blow with Rocket Blower 2. Dislodge stubborn particles with a clean soft artist's brush 3. Wipe with a dean damp (never wet) cotton swab (q-tip) 4. Air dry and inspect. I see lots of people fail to clean things like caps, mounts and the lip under the mounts (body & lens). Check yours and if you see black gunk on them, the gunk is an accumulation of body (yours - not the camera's) oils. That attracts more dust & debris and is acidic. I store lenses and bodies in fresh clean zip lock type bags. Yes, there is lots of dust floating around inside your house of office. If you don't think so, wipe the top of a door with a white cloth. When my equipment is clean and put away, I wash the brushes with mild soap and water for next time. Almost forgot, when doing the q-tip clean step, frequently discard used q-tips and replace with clean fresh ones. DO NOT USE TAP WATER! The minerals will leave spots. Always use DISTILLED WATER to dampen the q-tips. Make sure they are only damp when using them to clean. If they are wet, the excess water can get into lenses and bodies. If this ever happens, you will have a bad day! None of this will insure you will never get a dust spot on your sensor, But, it will be infrequent at best.

The 4.0 firmware update for the X-T1 is due out in late June. Fuji released a video here... https://youtu.be/ZaoIZXA5RMM I'm hopeful. Unless you can steal the D800/D600, you may want to wait for the update before deciding.

According to the Fuji Guys, the plug in will be available "soon" on Adobe's site. They mentioned they are planning on publishing a YouTube video when the plugin is available. So, Fuji hasn't abandoned the Mac plugin. I have found a couple of places where the required HS-V5 app is sold. It's been a while since I checked. I believe it was available as CD/DVD(?) purchase at B&H and there was an online camera store in Australia selling it. I know that doesn't help much. The "free" aspect comes from Fuji's wording for the HS-V5 update. The update is indeed free. But, only to purchasers of HS-V5. The installer will check your computer for an installed HS-V5 app. If you don't have it on your hard drive, the installer will quit with an error message. Lots of people assumed the plugin was free. It isn't. And it won't be free when it becomes available on Adobe's site. I will be sold through Adobe. Considering the free firmware updates (think 4.0 for X-T1) that literally give you a new camera just for downloading and installing, it isn't such a hard pill to swallow.