Wednesday 27 January 2021

The One Ring Camera and the Landscaper's Dream

 

 
Fujifilm X-T2, Neewer (7Artisans) 25mm f1.8

This week has seen 3 new cameras announced.

Sony announced the A1, their flagship for the Alpha line. This is their first true attempt at a direct analog to Canon's 1D X line and Nikon's single-digit line. It's also a shot across their bows. It's simply the best do-everything camera on the market by a long shot, combining the second best resolution on the market for Full Frame with the best AF and highest frame rate. It comes at a price, but the A1 is no more expensive than a D6 or a 1D X Mark III. Assuming there's no hidden crippling issue, this release puts Sony firmly atop the Mirrorless market for the forseeable future. Everyone expects Canon already has something on the way to match this, given the performance of the R5, but Nikon just refreshed its Z6 & Z7 and didn't manage to match the then-current competition, the A1 raises the bar for Nikon to match with a notional Z9, and to a point that few think Nikon will be in a position to match within the next two years.

The A1 is simply the new standard for a do-everything camera. If you want a camera that can do everything well, even if it's not quite class leading at everything, the A1 is it and there is no competition for that crown anymore.

Fuji had a pair of announcements.

First off is the long awaited and much rumoured GFX100S. This takes the sensor of the groundbreaking GFX100, shrinks the IBIS unit and stuffs it in to what's basically a X-H1 body. While not small overall, it's small in comparison to any MF option except the GFX50R, notably smaller than the GFX50S in fact. You also get a modern-style PASM interface and what is frankly a disappointing EVF spec (basically the EVF introduced in the X-H1) although in practice the EVF should be fine. And it's $500 cheaper than the A1. AF is class-leading, as is video. Yes, this is a practical 4K camera using a medium format sensor. For landscape shooters this now sets the bar, as the size/weight issues of the GFX100 are set aside on this body, which comes in between a D850 and D780 in weight.

Fuji also announced the X-E4, a camera that some folks have been waiting for since the X-T30 launched. It adds a flip screen, deletes a bunch of controls and goes with more Leica-style ergonomics, ie none whatsoever. And it costs $50 less than the X-T30. Unless you really love the 'RF on a budget' looks of the X-E line, spend the extra $50 and get a camera with better controls, or $150 and get one with IBIS, a real grip and a flip/twist screen (the X-S10). The X-E4 is form over function, and doesn't bring much to the table for the X-E3 user as the gains are largely in video and action shooting, neither of which this form factor is really intended for.

Fuji also launched 3 lenses.

The GF 80/1.7, now the worlds fastest AF Medium Format lens. Looks great and is an optical derivative of the XF 50mm f1.0, so it should render well. $2300USD though. MF glass ain't cheap.

The XF 70-300mm f4-5.6 R WR LM OIS. This one's been known about for a year. Exactly what everybody expected, except $800USD and takes both Fuji TC's. It's barely larger than the 55-200 when collapsed, so unless there's optical issues expect this to replace the 55-200 as the default long zoom for people who don't need the speed of the 50-140 or the reach & quality of the 100-400. I'm very interested in this lens, although as I already own the 55-200, it's low on my priority list. Perfect match for the 16-80/4 WR and/or the 10-24 II WR in a landscape set.

Finally, the XF 27mm f2.8 R WR II. Fuji's pancake gets an aperture ring and weather sealing with the same excellent optics but without the speed boost it really needed. The 27 has always been a lens that a few love and everybody else ignores. This won't change that, beyond now having the features that make it no longer overpriced. The first version was too much money for a lens that lacked the features of a Fujicron, it now has those. For me, this is a yawn but some will like it as it's very good optically. Still $400USD for a somewhat large pancake that's only f2.8.

Overall, a solid set of releases for both, although to me the X-E4 and XF27II underwhelm. The other two bodies are very interesting, but also solidly in the range of too rich for my blood.

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