Alright, so I got my XE2 friday night and have shot with it all weekend.  I also got my 23mm 1.4 at the same time so a large portion of my “dream” small camera system (I prefer EVIL, thankyouverymuch) has now arrived.  Once the 10-24 and 56mm arrive I’ll be all set.  Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of the changes, what’s wrong, what’s right, and a wish list for some firmware updates!!!

 

Changes:

• New sensor with phase detection sensors (faster AF)
• WB seems to be a bit better
• Manual exposure mode now has a working exposure preview!!!! (the histogram also reflects your settings!)
• the EV dial, shutter dial and on/off switch are much stiffer (no more accidental changes!)
• the EVF keeps it’s framerate up even in the dark now
• face detection AF (moves exposure to the face as well, can’t choose the AF point if this is selected, forced to use center point)
• 14-bit RAW
• auto ISO with user defined min and max ISO and also shutter speed (but one shutter speed for all FLs and you MUST pick one, the floating 1/FL isn’t an option anymore)
• 4 CF-n buttons
• Q button has moved
• WiFi!
• Bigger screen with more pixels (which meant my L-bracket didn’t fit w/o some grinding)
• Multiple exposure is in the drive menu now
• If using RAW only, JPEG options hidden from drive menu (filters, ISO bracketing etc)
• you can delete images while zoomed in
• it uses the new X100s images deletion method (which is nice once you get used to it)
• faster in every way, power up, AF, menus, 7fps etc
• exposure compensation dial now goes +/- 3 (vs. +/-2 on the XE1)
• the screen has a different aspect ratio so a lot of things have changed where and or how they’re displayed.
• split prism and peaking MF helpers are added (peaking was added to the XE1 via firmware)
• can zoom in on detected faces during playback
• new EVF eye sensor mode where only the EVF is used but it’s also only on with a face against it (or your pants…)
• AE and AF locks each have their own buttons which opens up a lot of options when one is pressed but not the other.
• replay of sequences no longer as mini animated .gif
• Micro USB remotes now also work (as well as mini stereo jack remotes from the XE1 and mechanical remotes on the shutter)
• continuous AF can use all AF points now.

What’s changed that they need to fix!

• With the XE1 you could have your replays setup to be LCD only and your shooting option to be eye sensor.  Or basically the shooting option and the viewing option were NOT tied together.  With the XE2 those options are the same option.  Yes they added eye sensor EVF only, but I can’t have rear LCD playback with eye sensor shooting now (so I can cup my hands over the LCD or kids can point at it while reviewing w/o the EVF turning on).
• Auto ISO should have an option for the shutter speed to change with the lens focal length.
• The camera does NOT remember that it’s 2s delay was in use when you turn the power on/off.  Now I understand how normal users would prefer this option…  But I use this ALL THE TIME for landscaping, and when I’m using it there are times between shoots where I want the camera off (or it goes to sleep) and it forgets the fact I had it on.  Into the menus to turn it on again EVERY TIME…
• Face detect AF needs to be one of the choices for the FOUR Fn buttons.  This would allow me to turn it off quick and pick an AF point.  OR…  Allow me to pick the AF point to use when the camera doesn’t see a face (with face detect on you’re stuck with the center point only).  Face detect AF is GREAT, but when it doesn’t see a face you’re stuck with center point only…
• allow us to define one or two or maybe even three options for the Q menu.  I do not shoot JPEGs.  So those color settings and all the other JPEG settings in there are a complete waste.  I’m sure at least one setting in there is something each user will NEVER use.  So allow the bottom row to be user defined…  Default them to whatever fuji engineers want.  But let us change them to what we want (and allow ANYTHING!).

Dream list for firmware updates (these would be nice but I don’t think they’d do it):

• Built in intervoltmeter
• hyperfocal focusing helper during Manual focusing…  This would be an option you turn on in the menus.  Once on, and once the camera is in MF mode, the AF-L button would be a hyperfocal tool instead of the focus on button it currently is (you could set this to another button to keep both options working as well potentially).  When pressed the camera would look at the aperture you’ve chosen (or the camera has if it’s doing it for you) and the focal length in use and then it would calculate the hyperfocal distance AND THEN SET THAT AS THE FOCUS POINT!!!!  This would be epic for landscape photography!!!
• High Key and Low Key modes working in RAW…  Basically, this is also an ETTR (expose to the right) and ETTL (expose to the left) option.  High and low key are both there but only when you’re shooting JPEGs (or RAW and JPEG).  These options basically scew the meter to expose bright or dark images.  Here’s what I want (and remember I’m a landscape guy):  The low key or ETTL setting would use the meter to look at the histogram and expose the scene as darkly as possible w/o clipping shadows.  High key or ETTR would do the same but with highlights to the right but juuuust not clipped.  This allows us to meter w/o blowing highlights or blocking up shadows using the meter which would be amazing for landscapers.
• Then, take the above mode and give us two bracketing options…  one would be both ETTR and ETTL or both high and low key, two images.  The other would be those two options and one normally exposed image.  These would be great for HDR or exposure blending.

Alright, I think that about covers it!!! ha ha.  Seriously though, fuji had me with the X100.  I fell in love with their system and lenses and the bodies.  The XE1 came along and it was a better fit for me.  Similar in size with the 18mm but larger controls that worked better for me.  Now the XE2 has fixed my biggest complaints with the XE1 (AF speed and exposure preview in M for landscape work) so I jumped at the chance to get one.  And I’m glad I did.  It’s a great camera that really fits how I want to shoot with a smaller camera.  I’ve tried MFT (three times actually).  I’ve tried sony’s NEX line (twice, the NEX7 is close to a perfect pocket landscape camera but falls flat in 2 areas).  I’m tired of lugging the canon around with me.  The sony a7r looks very promising, don’t get me wrong, but the lens choices aren’t there and won’t be for at least a year (I had a NEX5 from launch and waited forever for lenses to get developed).  Fuji has what I want and the last two pieces to the puzzle (10-24 and 56mm 1.2) should fall in place very soon.  It’s a great time to be a small system user and all the choices are great.  Fuji’s just the best fit for me and with the XE2 the system has finally hit a maturity level where it’s hard to find any serious negatives with it.  It’s a small step forward from the XE1 on paper, but in use they’ve tweaked and improved almost every aspect of the camera and made it better.

The other thing I love about fuji is their user/owner support via firmware updates.  They’re still updating the X100 which has been replaces by the X100s for over a year.  When I first got my XE1 a new firmware came out that was a MASSIVE step forward in AF speed.  It’s the fact that not only do they release new features (peaking etc) and boost performance dramatically over the life of a product that impresses me… but they keep tweaking older bodies with new tricks even if they’ve been replaced in the lineup!!!

As for the 23mm, it’s also quite good.  I’ll be posting some shots with it soon enough (there’s some below as well).  It’s quite large -vs- the 35mm but you have to always remind yourself about the size of the item on a FF DSLR.  I’d bet it’s 1/4 the volume of my 35mm 1.4…  It’s a lovely lens that’s built like a tank and has the push/pull AF/MF clutch (which I love but some people hate).

Here’s a quick gallery from this weekend.  Bear in mind I’ve had the camera since Friday night and have been home with the kids for the weekend.  I did manage to shoot sunrise on Saturday and Sunset on Sunday so there’s two landscapes in here with the rest of the family pics… The other observation I have is these require much less WB adjustment -vs- my XE1 files. It’s a small sample set over three days, but it feels like the AWB is doing a better job.

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