Best Buy--who knew it had such good deals on Fuji X Pro2

[Shashin]

So I have been looking for a second X Pro2 body. I thought they were discontinued and I had missed the $200 off offer from Fuji last year. I was looking for secondhand. Well, imagine my surprise to see X Pro 2 bodies on Best Buy for $999.99. (For those on other shores, Best Buy is a mass-market electronics store, more known for selling TVs and Canon Rebels than high-end or specialized cameras.)

 

[Bugleone]

Forgive my (obvious) ignorance, but I have become interested in fuji and may aquire X-E3...

Is a thousand dollars not massively over priced for an obsolete small sensor camera which has been replaced by a later, better model with more pixells....? I thought that fuji x was the 'poor mans full frame', but 1kD would go far towards a sony A7, which must be vastly superior to inferior APSC...or so I'm led to believe!

 

[Shashin]

Why is the X Pro2 obsolete? It still makes images and still works with my Fuji lenses. The difference between 24 MP and 26MP is not really something you are going to perceive and the performance difference is also negligible. And how is the X Pro3 a better model? I have an X Pro2 because of the dual magnification optical viewfinder that works with my lenses from 14mm to 90mm. The X Pro3 has a single magnification that starts at about 23mm and has tiny frame lines at about 50mm. Yes, there are somethings that are appealing with the X Pro3 like RAW HDR files, but I can do that in post as well. And the X Pro3 adds several hundreds of dollars.

I did research Sony FF cameras when I bought my X Pro2. I did not find the image quality was superior in the Sony (I also looked at a Leica M10, but the Fuji performance was superior to that). The Sony lenses would also end up more expensive and the system heavier, which was not my goal. And now to go to Sony would leave the problem of finding new lenses, so it is hardly a bargain. Besides, I really like Fuji optics.

As far as the quality difference, there are plenty of 35mm and APS-C images here at GetPDI. Personally, I find the photographer a greater factor in image quality than simply sensor size. I do not find the Fun with Fuji X (and even Fun with m4/3) has inferior images compared with many other threads featuring FF cameras. BTW, when I got my X Pro2, I made 40" prints to see if I was going to be satisfied with the quality at that size. Since I kept the camera, that kind lets you know the result.

 

[darr]

Forgive my (obvious) ignorance, but I have become interested in fuji and may aquire X-E3...

Is a thousand dollars not massively over priced for an obsolete small sensor camera which has been replaced by a later, better model with more pixells....? I thought that fuji x was the 'poor mans full frame', but 1kD would go far towards a sony A7, which must be vastly superior to inferior APSC...or so I'm led to believe!

I had one Sony camera, my first mirrorless, the NEX-7. It was a nice introduction into mirrorless, but I ended up donating it to a local arts agency. My biggest gripe with the Sony was it really showed itself as a computer first; its haptics and menu system were horrible IMO. I currently own four Fuji cameras: X-Pro3, X-Pro2, X-E2 and X100T, and they perform more like a rangefinder style film camera although they are digital. If you prefer haptics more akin to a film camera and optical viewfinders, the Fuji X-Pro cameras cannot be beat. There is a reason Fuji skipped the FF altogether and manufactures APS-C and medium format -- their photographers do not need it.

As far as an APS-C being "inferior," I just shipped off an 18x24" print that hung in the Tallahassee City Hall Gallery and another juried art show where it received accolades. The image was made with a Nikon D200 back in 2009. Imagine that, a 10.2 megapixel APS-C camera that sells used today for $35 that you can make art with.

As Will says "Personally, I find the photographer a greater factor in image quality than simply sensor size."
YMMV

Best to you,
Darr

 

[AlanS]

Seeing the results from my X100v, I am having a hard time not just going all in with the fuji aps system! (I have a A7II and good glass).

 

[Bugleone]

Well said all!.....Please excuse my 'devils advocate' post as I have never seen a fuji camera in the flesh!

I like the fuji 'ethos', and like Darr, I have also had some large (well,..20x16) prints hung from a NEX 3 camera....however, I'm thinking that XE3 with 18-55 and some wide angles might be the right things for me and won't break the bank, being that they have to fit in with the ancient cottage, classic vehicles, 2 charities and several other passions........ One of the problems for me is that, here in the UK, photography and cameras are rapidly becoming invisible so choices are not straightforward.....I'm trying to tie down just how much better 24mil FF is than 24mil APSc ...and how much better Fuji might be to 'other' APSc.....Thanks again!

 

[Shashin]

I would use the DPreview studio scene to compare cameras. You can also download files to play with as well. X Pro2 review and studio scene

There are also lot of FF vs. crop sensor videos to look at. This guy is a Fuji ambassador, but it was one of the first I found:

His web site has other good videos on Fuji: Andy Mumford

I have found simply buying the camera that captures my imagination and makes me want to use is the best guild. I will figure out how to get the image I want from it. People tend to judge work on its own merits, not by the underlying tech.

 

[rayyan]

As they say, the singer not the song.
The photog, not the camera.

Sure, I personally would not buy a camera, not suited to my needs. Difference between 24-26 Mpixels...meh! More importantly, how much would repair cost?
But I also recognize the force of marketing, the emotional aspects that can often cloud one's rational choices. Self justification usually follows an emotional decision.
Not forgetting peer pressure. All these are certainly huge, huge barriers to rational reasoning.

I have, and use one..the XPRO-2.

I guess it has got to do with ' fit for purpose ' for me. Besides, it brings the joy of photography back. I want to pick a Fuji X and use it.
That is the only reason I do photography. Always was, always shall be...for doing photography.

 

[Karl]

I will try to argue for the xpro2 not from the image quality angle but from usage.
I shoot mainly food and commercial work and Im using a 5Dm4 for the tripod work and it hardly ever moves from 50 iso and TSE lenses. All the work around is done with a Xpr2 and a couple of primes. The advantage of the fuji is simply its lightness, easy usage and you can choose between looking like a professional or not since coming with a tiny camera like that you never look like you are going to take over the set with you gear and you can simply be a bit less conspicuous.
The quality is not the same and that is what I mean, its not worse it just a different file and when as in my case you work with totally different angles with the different cameras the look is different as well so for me it doesn't really matter. Once we did a test in a controlled environment comparing the files from a 5Dm3 and a xt3 and yes the Canon has more dynamic range and yes you could see slight differences regarding full vs aps-c frame but in real usage it was almost negligible.
My only pet peeve with the fuji is that I would like to have an option of 32 or 50 iso for crazy noise free and maximise dynamic range but at the same time that's why I am looking at the rumoured cheaper Fuji 100 for the spring.

 

[archiM44]

Why is the X Pro2 obsolete? It still makes images and still works with my Fuji lenses. The difference between 24 MP and 26MP is not really something you are going to perceive and the performance difference is also negligible. And how is the X Pro3 a better model? I have an X Pro2 because of the dual magnification optical viewfinder that works with my lenses from 14mm to 90mm. The X Pro3 has a single magnification that starts at about 23mm and has tiny frame lines at about 50mm. Yes, there are somethings that are appealing with the X Pro3 like RAW HDR files, but I can do that in post as well. And the X Pro3 adds several hundreds of dollars.

I did research Sony FF cameras when I bought my X Pro2. I did not find the image quality was superior in the Sony (I also looked at a Leica M10, but the Fuji performance was superior to that). The Sony lenses would also end up more expensive and the system heavier, which was not my goal. And now to go to Sony would leave the problem of finding new lenses, so it is hardly a bargain. Besides, I really like Fuji optics.

As far as the quality difference, there are plenty of 35mm and APS-C images here at GetPDI. Personally, I find the photographer a greater factor in image quality than simply sensor size. I do not find the Fun with Fuji X (and even Fun with m4/3) has inferior images compared with many other threads featuring FF cameras. BTW, when I got my X Pro2, I made 40" prints to see if I was going to be satisfied with the quality at that size. Since I kept the camera, that kind lets you know the result.

 

[archiM44]

Will,
Just saw that I posted before saying what I wanted to namely that your comment about not sensor size but the photographer determining quality is fully demonstrated in your many posted images!

 

[Bugleone]

..."It's the indian not the arrow"...all these sayings are true!

Shashin (Will?)....Thanks for the v. useful links, paticularly the DPreview link which is very interesting..........Thanks to friendly all posters!

 

[rayyan]

Interesting take...

a documentary photographer

 

[Bugleone]

rayyan!......Thank you!..THANK YOU!!........it's a grey autumnal morning here in England...the trees are still and grey, but on my screen this amazing creative man!.....Ive watched five of his videos back to back,..and put his channel on my fave's. That man just oozes creative energy and artistic ability!...Thanks again! And, I've never heard of him before.

 

[doobs]

Dang. I was

So I have been looking for a second X Pro2 body. I thought they were discontinued and I had missed the $200 off offer from Fuji last year. I was looking for secondhand. Well, imagine my surprise to see X Pro 2 bodies on Best Buy for $999.99. (For those on other shores, Best Buy is a mass-market electronics store, more known for selling TVs and Canon Rebels than high-end or specialized cameras.)

LOL. Well thanks for that....

I wasn't in the market for a camera, but that's a smoking deal on an excellent camera., It's on it's way. I'll put my 35mm f1.4 on it and the 18mm f2.0 will go on the X-Pro1.

Now the problem is this fundamentally hoses my workflow as I'm using the last perpetual version of LR (v6.14) as a DAM with Capture One v12.1 for post processing. LR v6.14 doesn't support the X-Pro2 as far as I can tell. Oh well.

cheers

chris

 

[pegelli]

LR v6.14 doesn't support the X-Pro2 as far as I can tell. Oh well.

Congrats on your new camera, hope you show us some results here as well.

And as far as LR 6.14, you can always convert to dng with the latest Adobe dng converter and LR 6.14 will read the dng's fine.

 

[doobs]

At this juncture I'm only using LR as a DAM for my archive. I've been toying with the idea of something else, but I ....might... just bite the bullet and do the "LightRoom Plan" at $10/month which gives me the 1Tb storage space for backing up my catalog. I've been using Amazon photos for that purpose of late, but Amazon is planning on deprecating the access to Photos from automatic backup clients, so that will make the backup a bit more difficult. It was supposed to happen on 1 November, but my back-up client still works.

Until recently, this would have been heresy, but I've decided that I'm not sending the Vulture Capitalists (Axcel) that own Capture One any more money. I'm not a huge Adobe fan, but they have been significantly more transparent in their activities than Axcel has been.

Thanks and I'll definitely post some shots, after Christmas of course as LOML has dictated that this will be a Christmas present!

chris

 

[doobs]

Well,

I got an email this morning that delivery of the camera is delayed. I'm pretty certain I know what that means. No camera.

The email indicates that they will cancel the order of not shipped by the 26th. Not much more to do until then.

 

[doobs]

Well my pessimism was completely unwarranted. About an hour after I posted the message above, I got an email stating the camera was available for pickup.

Here she is before being whisked away by Santa Claus:





Yay!

 

[bensonga]

So I have been looking for a second X Pro2 body. I thought they were discontinued ....

Thanks Will. I have wanted an X-Pro2 also, to supplement my X-Pro1. I too thought they were discontinued and no longer available new. Just placed my order with Best Buy. Excellent price and camera.

Gary