IRL: Fujifilm X-Pro1, Garmin Edge 200 and Otterbox’s Universal Defender case, revisited

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

If we've never explained where the idea for IRL came from, now might be as good a time as any. Our own Tim Stevens, a car nut in his own right and a one-time auto editor for Engadget, wanted to test gadgets the way auto mags do vehicles. That is to say, on an ongoing basis, over a long period of time. That mission rings particularly true this week: Jon's taken hundreds of test shots with Fujifilm's X-Pro1, Terrence has been commuting with the Garmin Edge 200 cycling monitor and Brian has owned the Otterbox Universal Defender case so long that he's actually taking back the praise he gave in a prior IRL. All that and more after the break.

Continue reading IRL: Fujifilm X-Pro1, Garmin Edge 200 and Otterbox's Universal Defender case, revisited

IRL: Fujifilm X-Pro1, Garmin Edge 200 and Otterbox's Universal Defender case, revisited originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm M-Mount Adapter brings Leica lenses to the X-Pro1

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It's not the cheapest, and it's not the first, but if you've been holding out on picking up an M-Mount adapter for your X-Pro1 with the hope that Fujifilm with launch a Leica-friendly accessory of its own, your patience does appear to have paid off. The camera maker just announced its very own M-Mount Adapter, featuring a 27.8mm distance between the lens mount and the sensor, an aluminum and stainless steel construction, and three levels of distortion correction. After you upgrade your camera firmware to version 1.10 (or later), you'll have access to an advanced M-Mount Adapter Settings menu, which utilizes pre-registered lens profiles and corrections. The software includes presets for 21mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm Leica lenses, leaving two additional slots for adding your own settings. You'll need to hang in there for a few more weeks -- the M-Mount Adapter is expected to ship for $200 in June. There's full specs in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Fujifilm M-Mount Adapter brings Leica lenses to the X-Pro1

Fujifilm M-Mount Adapter brings Leica lenses to the X-Pro1 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera review

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 mirrorless camera review

Hear any mention of retro-styled cameras with exorbitant price tags and it's hard not to get suspicious. That kind of talk brings to mind Leica's incessant re-branding of Panasonic Lumix models, or those unicorn limited editions out of Japan that just leave us baffled. But it's okay, you can relax with the Fujifilm X-Pro1. At $1,700 for the body only it's crazily expensive, sure, but not when you compare to an $8,000 Leica M9-P. Besides, it's a legitimate heir to a strong line of Fuji shooters that includes the much-loved X100 and the more accessible X10. That's a strong pedigree, and no matter how deeply you peer into its mirrorless aperture, the X-Pro1 should offer up enough technology to stop you being cynical.

Like what, you ask? Well, a genuinely surprising bespoke 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, for starters, plus a hybrid viewfinder designed to keep everyone happy all of the time, and a Fuji X lens mount that already has a Leica M9 adapter available (plus others, like Nikon, if you scan eBay). It all adds up to something special, but before you go tweeting this article to whimsical rich uncles, there are also some complicating factors you ought to be aware of. Even in a utopian paradise where everyone could afford this sip of photographic luxury, it's far from certain whether everyone would choose it over other interchangeable lens cameras. Read on past the break and we'll explain why.

Continue reading Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera review

Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm X-Pro1 high-ISO shots go under the loupe in mirrorless standoff with OM-D E-5 and NEX-7

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We'll soon be putting Fujifilm's new interchange able shooter through our own wringer, but in the meantime we found an apt low-light comparison with two of its non-reflex brethren. Although blogging photog Steve Huff admits the tests are "crazy" and depend on the camera's own auto-exposure choices, the results do give some food for thought. How would the pricier rangefinder-bodied X-Pro1 stack up against the Sony NEX-7 and Olympus OM-D E-M5? If we had to guess -- and we really do, given his methodology -- the noise levels on the Fuji at ISO 3200 and 6400 look to be slightly better than the Sony and smaller-sensored Olympus. If you'd like to take a stab at judging for yourself, follow the link below.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 high-ISO shots go under the loupe in mirrorless standoff with OM-D E-5 and NEX-7 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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