petergabriel

There is no way I would trade the 23/1.4 for a 23/2... the 23/1.4 is a fantastic lens and it just does not feel big or heavy to me at all. I find the size on my X-T1 to be perfect... balanced, agile and a pleasure to use. Plus I love shooting at 1.4

I would too, but so far I don't like that Fujifilm's cheaper lenses are not optically corrected when it comes to distortion. I know they do it via software, but I don't like that. The 35 f1.4 and 23 f1.4 and 14mm f2.8 are optically corrected and actually rather well.

Didn't know whether to put this in general or the X-T1/X-T10 board. Move as you wish.

Anyway, as I alluded to in the comments a few days back, I have been able to get my hands on a pre-production X-T2... for about 60 seconds. There is nothing new I can report which hasn't already been talked about on the FR front page; Patrick's got everything covered and evidently his sources are in a better position to give you close-up photos and videos and whatever. If you want new information, there's little I can say.
What I can do is confirm some of the things people weren't sure about, and give you my impressions from having held it for about the time it took for my friend to eat his muffin, and chatting about it for a few minutes. Which isn't much, but hey; rumours are the best we've got, usually, so hands-on is a small step up, at least.
 
First, a few questions which I know will come up, and I'm just going to shoot down right away:

Q: Do you have any raw files to share, did you shoot any 4k video, etc?
A: No. It's not my camera. It's not a camera I'm supposed to have seen. It's not a camera I got to go out shooting with. I just got to hold it for literally a minute, look through the viewfinder, turn a few dials, glance at the menu, etc.

Q: How did you get it?
A: Several of my friends work in the industry; a couple are Fuji X photographers. I met one for coffee, he happened to have the camera with him. He let me hold it while he ate a muffin. That's literally all. There's no exciting super secret 007 spy story. 
 
Q: Can you give us [things which would give away your friend's identity]? Can they come and post here about their experience with the X-T2?
A: No. I've not signed an NDA or made any embargo agreement with Fuji, so I can say whatever the hell I like. He can't. Every X photographer and member of the press who has been granted use of an X-T2 has signed an NDA. Giving away anything which could lead Fuji to work out who talks to who could mean very real, very serious legal trouble for those photographers. So I won't say anything which could be used to identify any of my friends or info sources, and none of them post here or on any other Fuji-specific forum. They know I talk, but they also trust me to keep their identities completely safe and secret.

Q: Why should we believe you?
A: Common sense dictates that you shouldn't. Like all rumours, it would be smart for you to take everything with a big pinch of salt. All I can say is that most people who follow the front page probably have a good idea of my track record with talking about design aspects of bodies, which are later confirmed by Patrick's own sources. But if you don't wish to believe me, that's fine. I wouldn't believe me, either. That's the nature of rumours and talking about products which haven't been officially released yet.

Q: Did you also see a 23mm f/2 lens?
A: No.
 
 
Okay, obvious questions out the way, here's what I can elaborate on:

The photos Patrick's sources have been sharing with him are, undoubtably, legitimate. (As if there was any doubt at this point.)  The unit I saw is identical to those. 
All the things which I've mentioned before in the front page comments and Patrick's had as more reliably-rumoured specs, are right there. All the obvious stuff: dual SD slots, function button instead of dedicated video button, 1/250th sync speed, etc. Again, as if there was any doubt left, I can confirm that everything which has been repeatedly reported on the front page is accurate. This is why I say there's nothing new to talk about. Patrick's coverage has been incredibly accurate.

In terms of feel, it does seem a tiny bit bigger and heavier than the X-T1, but having not held an X-T1 for over a year—I sold my pair to 'trade down' to a couple of X-T10s—I could simply be misremembering the X-T1's size and weight. I couldn't exactly whip out a measuring tape and a set of scales to weigh it. In any case, it's not a problem. Still a small body, still a light body. Balanced perfectly with the 23mm f/1.4 which was on it. No need to worry about the size increase. I only noticed it because I was specifically thinking about it.
The textured parts of the surface—the fake leather texture—feels a little less rubbery and has a more pronounced texture than I remember the X-T1 having. (Certainly much nicer than the T10 has.) The smooth metal areas feel the same, no change there.

The concentric control dials are much nicer than before. I'd been told months ago (and mentioned it on the front page) that the lock buttons had been revised, and it does seem that way. They sit very slightly higher than the dial than they did before and pressing them required a bit more force, with a more definite click as they locked/unlocked. Not so much of a change that it will slow you down, but I can now see how this will definitely be enough to stop any accidental turning of the top dials. The dials are very slightly taller, as you've all seen; they also had a slightly colder feel, which I can only assume means they're being cut from a denser metal than before. Each dial felt very slightly stiffer to turn than before, too; though this could just be because it's obviously a newer body, since those things tend to get looser with age.
 
Viewfinder is bigger than before. How much bigger, I couldn't say; I've no way of meauring it and my friend didn't know a specific figure, either. But he'd told me before that it felt bigger to him, and looking through it myself, it did seem bigger, to me. Again, though, it's been a while since I looked through an X-T1's viewfinder—even when I had the X-T1, I alway use the rear screen—so I could be misremembering, but the T2's is at least as big as the Sony α7II's, a camera I've used more recently and can compare more clearly.
 
Refresh rate seemed flawless. Way above what the T1, Pro2, or α7II give. Again, I've no way of counting a specific number. I know that thing came out recently about it being 100fps. I don't know how I'd count 100fps. All I can say is we were sat in the back of an average-dimly lit high street coffee shop, and I didn't notice any lag or stuttering or anything. By far the most faultless EVF I've seen. The only way I could tell it wasn't an OVF is because of the brightness and the applied colour profile. (Film simulation.) Otherwise it may as well be an OVF. Hell, it's better than an OVF. Much brighter, under those conditions. If Pro2 owners get to look through this, they're going to question why they spent so much money on having an optical viewfinder. Like I said, no way of giving you specific figures, but I can say that the T2's EVF is by far the best SLR-style viewfinder I've ever looked through.
 
Rear screen, other than the new hinging—yes, it hinges just like Patrick's photos show—seems the same as the Pro2's. It's fine; great, even. It's what I typically use 99.99% of the time. But yeah, nothing special to say here, 'cause Patrick's photos have already shown you all of the hinging. Yes, it tilts up, down, and left and right. Or up and down in landscape and up and down in portrait, if you prefer thinking of it that way. Didn't seem any weaker or tougher than the T1's style of tilting. It's fine, it works, don't worry about it.
 
Yes, it's got 4K. He doesn't shoot video at all, and I don't shoot video with SLR or mirrorless, so this isn't an area either of us care about. I just saw that 4K was mentioned in the menu, and he told me that Fuji had told him it has a 10-minute limit on 4K files. So, kinda the same situation as Nikon's in. (They have a 3-minute limit, right?) But yeah, it's not something either of us uses, so I don't know what else I could tell you about this. But it does it, there. Another thing to tick off on the back of the box for marketing. Other video options remain unchanged from the Pro2, as far as I could see/tell with my limited interest in mirrorless video.
 
Focus on a still subject—my coffee cup—under slightly-dim lighting seemed the same as the Pro2. Used the 23mm f/1.4. Same focus point arrangement as the Pro2. Same joystick for AF point control on the back a the Pro2 has. We already knew it had it, of course, but I've seen some people wish for it to be larger, have more positive movement, etc. It felt exactly the same, to me. So no change there.
Can't say anything on focus tracking. Didn't test it. Not many high-speed subjects in the back of a Starbucks.

Burst rate is faster than the Pro2's. Apparently, Fuji told him it could max out at 9fps. He told me he's experienced some slowdown for focusing, etc, which is normal for any camera. So he reckons 8.5fps is what you actually get. I gave it a quick go just pointing at the table, to see where the buffer would kick in. It didn't seem to last any longer than the Pro2's, but it did get 32 frames of uncompressed raw in the same time span. (About 3 seconds, felt like.) That's about 5 or 6 more than the Pro2 manages, and for the same stretch of time, that does work out to be around 9fps. So I expect Fuji are being honest when they told him 9fps is the max. A dark table in a dim room is a pretty easy and quick scene to capture, so pretty ideal for maxing out the FPS and buffer. Who knows if they'll try to market it as 9fps or 8.5, or even just 8, so people aren't disappointed when it comes to bursting more complex shots. In any case, it got more shots in the same time as the Pro2 does, so we've got a faster burst and a deeper buffer, but ultimately covering the same 3-and-a-bit seconds.
Like I said, just pointed at the table, so I can't speak for how well that keeps up when combined with continuous focus tracking.
I don't know about the boost mode with the grip. Didn't have it on the camera. If they split the burst so it's 8fps without grip, for consistency, and 11fps with the grip for speed, that'd make sense. Having the camera without the grip be capable of 9fps but only shoot at 8fps is a sensible thing to do for the sake of the shutter's lifespan, write speeds, being able to market a deeper buffer, etc. But right there this afternoon, with no grip, it shot above 8fps.
The only thing about the grip I can say is that, having seen the basic body in person, it definitely will be a new grip. There's no way the old grip would be compatible with this body. Different door shapes, different grip depth. Fuji did send the new grip to him with the body, but he's just not a grip user so he's not bothered with it. I am a grip user, so I asked more about it, but yeah, he doesn't use it so not much to say. It's new, it's got that boost mode, and the old grip won't work. Everything we already knew, basically.
 
As far as focusing, burst, and write speeds go, the camera was in the high performance mode. Didn't try putting it in power saving. I can only assume everything slows down in power saving, just like with every other Fuji camera.

Write speed for a single frame felt to be about the same speed as the Pro2, with an SDXC card in the UHS-II slot. This wasn't a technical test, no other cards to try in different slots.

Start up time seems the same as the Pro2 and wake up time felt a tiny bit faster than the Pro2. Couldn't time it, obviously. But it seemed a fraction quicker.

Battery he had in it was the same old NP-W126. I expressed some disappointment on this, because I'm always hoping for larger-capacity batteries. But I remain hopeful, because the battery is one of the things which most commonly changes between pre-production and final release models. I really hope this is changed and we get a bigger capacity for the release. But for what it's worth, this pre-production unit was using the NP-W126, just like the Pro2, Pro1, T1, T10, E2, E1...
 
Nothing new in terms of colour profiles (film simulations), .jpg settings, etc. All the same as the Pro2. No idea on raw handling because, of course, no software supports T2 raws, yet. But my friend said the .jpgs he's been shooting have been identical to the ones out of his Pro2, so yeah. Everything's the same there, as we all expect.

Micro USB port, unlabelled, but it looked to me like a micro B, and he told me Fuji said it's USB 3.0, though he's had no use for it. (Of course, no software right now supports the T2.) That should help for tethering, I suppose? Not that Fuji's tethering is worth a damn. In any case, hey, looks like a micro USB 3.0 port is on the cards. (Though wasn't the Pro2 meant to have micro USB 3.0, too? But that ended up having micro USB 2.0. So I won't be surprised if Fuji decides to be cheap and downgrades the T2 to USB 2.0. But hey, pre-production has 3.0.)
 
Mini HDMI port is still there. I'm guessing that it's a D-type, like the Pro2 has; he didn't know which particular version and I don't know enough about the different types of mini HDMI to identify it. It's unlabelled. In any case, hey, it's there, looks just like it is with the Pro2. Ditto for the audio ports.
 
Doors for battery/port/card access all have the same double action hinge and latch as the Pro2's battery door has. It's just less flimsy than the T1 had. Nothing about them suggested to me that it is any better weather-sealed, though. Feels very much like this is still a 'weather resistant' body and not a 'weather sealed' body.
 
All the stuff people have bizarrely asked for, even though it's obvious it would never have, were indeed not there: no IBIS, no pop-up flash, no CF cards, no APS-H or 35mm sensor, no bayer sensor.

 
 
So, there you have it. Everything I could glean from ~60 seconds with a pre-production X-T2 body. I don't think there's anything else to say, didn't get to give it a proper test or mount my own lenses or memory cards or shoot with it. I'll happily answer questions if I can, but I don't know what else I could say; if you're curious about something which I've not already written about, then chances are it's something I didn't look at or think to ask about. Obviously I'm asking about the camera as much as I can without being annoying, and I hope I'll be able to beg for a little more time with it at some point. But for now, that's about the extent of all I know and saw.
 
This might be interesting to you, it might be boring, I don't know. Just thought I may as well share 'cause I can.

that photo looks funny... as if the whole image was squeezed a bit horizontally to make them look skinnier. 

Great. Thanks.

So, got the camera today with the 18-55, and so far I am impressed. The camera seems to be more responsive than the x100s and on par with the x100t.
 
The auto focus, even at dusk, I am very satisfied with its performance. Especially with the 18-55 which is dead quiet and very fast.
 
I don't know what people are comparing the x-pro 1 to when they bash its AF. I know it is not the worlds fastest, but it more than gets job done.
 
The image quality, well, it is Fujifilm. Gotta love it! Oh, and opposite my x100s and t's waxy skin when using high iso is no where to be found on the x-pro 1. I am starting to understand why some people call the x-trans 1 sensor the best :-)

I just bought a used x-pro 1 for 380$ produced in November 2015. Like new! And I love it. Like the best of two worlds. Reminds me of my x100s but with interchangeable lenses. Perfect!

So, got the camera today with the 18-55, and so far I am impressed. The camera seems to be more responsive than the x100s and on par with the x100t.
 
The auto focus, even at dusk, I am very satisfied with its performance. Especially with the 18-55 which is dead quiet and very fast.
 
I don't know what people are comparing the x-pro 1 to when they bash its AF. I know it is not the worlds fastest, but it more than gets job done.
 
The image quality, well, it is Fujifilm. Gotta love it! Oh, and opposite my x100s and t's waxy skin when using high iso is no where to be found on the x-pro 1. I am starting to understand why some people call the x-trans 1 sensor the best :-)

I know the x-pro 1 (and 2) and x-t1 from my local camera store. But I just thought the price being so cheap I could use it until the x-t2 comes out. And then keep it as a second camera body or sell it again.

Used from nov 2015. Taken 500 shots. That is cheap right? I was actually going to wait for the x-t2, but that means I would not have a camera for my summer vacation. Just sold my x100t.
 
Should I go for it?

Yeah, I noticed them to, but could not make anything from them :-)

Why I would wait for an x-t2 as opposed to getting a cheap x-t1:
 
Probably because...
 
- It will have 1/8000 mechanical shutter. Almost as good as my beloved ND Filter on the x100t
- New sensor & New processor. And thereby better high iso handling, better resolution, more PDAF (and based on x-pro 2 reviews, more punchy - aka better looking - images).
- Faster AF in low light. -3 EV vs. 0.5 EV
- Acros
- Maybe it will have the joystick from x-pro 2. If so, please don't make the body bigger because of it.
- Dual card slots.
 
Hopefully because...
 
- Upgraded EVF with higher resolution and perhaps even magnification.
 
Not so much because...
 
- 4K video. I really don't care.
- If they change the form factor, look or feel of the camera. The ISO dial is just fine as is.
 
All in all new tech that Fujifilm will improve upon via firmware update for years to come.

I would of preffered "nitro engage" and a bright blue oversized led button. And a little stick shift on top to change drive modes.

These were all taken with the 16.
Judge for yourself whether distortion is a problem.
As for the max aperture, from my point of view it really helps when it comes to freezing action and hand-held photography in low-light situations - you get faster shutter-speeds.

 
 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks Patrick! Can't wait to hear more about specs. And price!

You guys might like this: Fujifilm X-T2 REAL LIFE IMAGES LEAKED ! – Joystick + New Articulating Screen + more!
 
More here: http://www.fujirumors.com/fujifilm-x-t2-real-life-images-leaked-joystick-new-articulating-screen-more/

With the X-Pro2, they kept it under wraps (VERY succesfully, I'll add) until the last second.
 
For the X-T2, I'd speculate:
 
1) Announcement, probably with some product photos and specs, in late June
2) Get it in the hands of X-Photographers covering the Olympics; since this is supposed to be a sports as well as video oriented camera
3) Presentation of final product and availability announcement in Photokina
4) In stores 3-4 weeks later
 
This will help to build up expectations in the public and give them enough time to iron-out possible bugs.

I think you misunderstood my post entirely. I have listed it with specs that we will probably (most likely) see in the x-t2, then what we hopefully will see in the x-t2 and then what I don't really care about seeing ported to the x-t2 :-)
 
- The x100t has a ND filter, but shutter speed is only as fast as 1/4000 sec. (never mind the electronic shutter), so given that the x-t2 will get the 1/8000 sec. shutter speed of the x-pro2 this remedies the lack of ND filter, so you can shoot with open lenses in sunlight.
- No, you are misinformed. The 4.0 firmware changed the x-t1 from +2.5EV to +0.5 EV. The x-pro2 is even better with its -3.0EV
- I don't see why the x-t2 should get any bigger. The x-pro2 got bigger than the x-pro1 because of the added weather sealing.
- You may be right about the 4K heat issue, but I think Fujifilm will prefer to keep the size as is as opposed to fattening the x-t1 solely because of 4k video.
- Is Acros limited to the x-pro2? Why?

Why I would wait for an x-t2 as opposed to getting a cheap x-t1:
 
Probably because...
 
- It will have 1/8000 mechanical shutter. Almost as good as my beloved ND Filter on the x100t
- New sensor & New processor. And thereby better high iso handling, better resolution, more PDAF (and based on x-pro 2 reviews, more punchy - aka better looking - images).
- Faster AF in low light. -3 EV vs. 0.5 EV
- Acros
- Maybe it will have the joystick from x-pro 2. If so, please don't make the body bigger because of it.
- Dual card slots.
 
Hopefully because...
 
- Upgraded EVF with higher resolution and perhaps even magnification.
 
Not so much because...
 
- 4K video. I really don't care.
- If they change the form factor, look or feel of the camera. The ISO dial is just fine as is.
 
All in all new tech that Fujifilm will improve upon via firmware update for years to come.

Improve the black out time in the EVF between shots Fuji .   Take the shot and get back to showing me what's happening as fast as a DSLR.    This is a MUST fix for X-T2.

The new sensor and processor obviously (and thereby even better iso performance, AF performance and no more waxy skin jpegs)
 
Maybe the joystick?
Maybe click/lock style shutter/iso wheel (so you can keep it unlocked without holding down the pin in the middle)?
Higher refresh rate in EVF?
Hopefully better 4-pad controller. Like x100t.
Hopefully the ability to focus better in low light (EV) like x-pro2
 
Hopefully not the ISO dial from x-pro2!!!
 
And I don't care one bit about 4k. 2k is fine.
 
Otherwise I really do not hope they change to much besides sensor and processor.
In my book x-t1 is near perfection, so a refined update is all I need.

I wouldn't count on it, but maybe there is a chance we will see an x100t 2.0 upgrade. Here is my theory.
 
Fuji has mainly shown Kaizen love to the camera models with large eco systems. Meaning the cameras with lenses and accessories a plenty. They (obviously) want to keep their customers and get them to buy more stuff. Nothing wrong with that. Perfectly legit. 
 
So what about the x100 models. Well. x100s received a couple of bug fixes, x100t received a couple of bug fixes, x100 recieved what many consider Kaizen love, but to me "all" Fuji did was to make a less than impressive camera operating system work like it, more or less, should have from the get go. Fuji was still a small player on the mirrorless market when the x100 came out. They had to fix what they could via firmware, to make an already loved camera useable. Still, gotta love the improvements they made.
 
So what about the camera models with an eco system worth talking about. The reason the xt1 has received so many firmware upgrades is because it is still a very attractive camera, and because it is cheaper for Fuji to keep up with the competition, by upgrading firmware, on a camera that is still on the market, instead of building and shipping new hardware.
 
Also when Fuji releases a camera like the x-t10 which is considered a younger sibling to the x-t1, and the x-t1 is still on the market, they have to upgrade the x-t1 to make it at least on par with the x-t10. Otherwise customers will be confused as to which model is the high end model of the two.
 
Believe me, if they had released the x-t10 after the rumored x-t2 had arrived, the x-t1 would not have received so much Kaizen love. Then it would have been perfectly legit to leave the x-t1 in the dust (being the already great camera it is), as the x-t2 would now be the older and wiser sibling to the x-t10. No more customer confusion.
 
So that leads me to the x70 which is considered the younger sibling of the x100t. Well. New menues. Faster AF. Improved what ever. Maybe this means that Fuji will actually send out a 2.0 firmware upgrade for the x100t, simply to get it on par with the x70. The rumors has already started, so maybe, if we are lucky (and the x200, or whatever it will be called, does not see the light of day in the mean time), we will see a Kaizen love firmware update to the x100t. I for sure hope so. I love the camera. But improvements are always welcome.
 
I am sure you can find loop holes in my theory on Fujis Kaizen love, but I still believe it to be more or less accurate.
 
My three fitty...

I wouldn't count on it, but maybe there is a chance we will see an x100t 2.0 upgrade. Here is my theory.
 
Fuji has mainly shown Kaizen love to the camera models with large eco systems. Meaning the cameras with lenses and accessories a plenty. They (obviously) want to keep their customers and get them to buy more stuff. Nothing wrong with that. Perfectly legit. 
 
So what about the x100 models. Well. x100s received a couple of bug fixes, x100t received a couple of bug fixes, x100 recieved what many consider Kaizen love, but to me "all" Fuji did was to make a less than impressive camera operating system work like it, more or less, should have from the get go. Fuji was still a small player on the mirrorless market when the x100 came out. They had to fix what they could via firmware, to make an already loved camera useable. Still, gotta love the improvements they made.
 
So what about the camera models with an eco system worth talking about. The reason the xt1 has received so many firmware upgrades is because it is still a very attractive camera, and because it is cheaper for Fuji to keep up with the competition, by upgrading firmware, on a camera that is still on the market, instead of building and shipping new hardware.
 
Also when Fuji releases a camera like the x-t10 which is considered a younger sibling to the x-t1, and the x-t1 is still on the market, they have to upgrade the x-t1 to make it at least on par with the x-t10. Otherwise customers will be confused as to which model is the high end model of the two.
 
Believe me, if they had released the x-t10 after the rumored x-t2 had arrived, the x-t1 would not have received so much Kaizen love. Then it would have been perfectly legit to leave the x-t1 in the dust (being the already great camera it is), as the x-t2 would now be the older and wiser sibling to the x-t10. No more customer confusion.
 
So that leads me to the x70 which is considered the younger sibling of the x100t. Well. New menues. Faster AF. Improved what ever. Maybe this means that Fuji will actually send out a 2.0 firmware upgrade for the x100t, simply to get it on par with the x70. The rumors has already started, so maybe, if we are lucky (and the x200, or whatever it will be called, does not see the light of day in the mean time), we will see a Kaizen love firmware update to the x100t. I for sure hope so. I love the camera. But improvements are always welcome.
 
I am sure you can find loop holes in my theory on Fujis Kaizen love, but I still believe it to be more or less accurate.
 
My three fitty...

General improved AF would be nice, but I would rather have them implement the new Eye-focus feature from the X-T1, and off course update what ever improvements they have made to Face Detection.