Fuji Xpro 2 Mini Review
Although there's nothing like a completely manually focusing camera (with an almost non-existent menu system—my Leica M9), it finally became clear to me that I couldn't afford to grow within a Leica system. For a couple of weeks I borrowed a Fuji Xpro1 from the Smithsonian artist Rick Ashley (http://notrickashley.com) and forced myself to learn many of the features it has to offer and see if I could make the switch from Leica to Fuji once the new model was available. Luckily I found out quickly what makes the Xpro2 system unique to the mirrorless cameras: the option between a an optical viewfinder (OVF) and an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Try as I will, I can't stand looking at the world through an EVF. This has automatically ruled out other mirrorless cameras such as Sony, Olympus, and even other Fuji cameras like the XT1. The camera has filled in the exact same spots I used the Leica for: it's always on me picking up the kids, taking the dog for a walk, getting groceries, etc.. In addition, because of its intuitive handling and fast autofocus it comes along on newspaper assignments (fits in perfectly with 2 Canon DSLRS), and is also a wonderful fit on portrait shoots when I use the Pentax 645D medium format system.
Living in New England I love the confidence I have with full weather sealing. Walking out the door in a snowstorm? No problem. I love the dual SD card slots: I shoot RAW to one card and JPG (with one of Fuji's wonderful film simulators). The world looks fantastic through the OVF and keeps me as close as possible to the rangefinder experience the Leica gave me. Image quality is dynamic and very close to a full frame sensor output. Things they could improve? The diopter seems to be easily thrown out of whack and so does the exposure compensation dial. I like the ISO control but it's a little tricky to dial if you are moving fast. I would also love to see them offer lenses like the 16 1.4 as a 16f2 to keep the lenses small. Where would I like to see Fuji go with their next incarnation of this camera? Not sure right now; I'm too busy enjoying a camera that feels intuitive and definitely encourages me to do what I like most: take photos! #fujixpro2 #fuji35f2
