REVIEW: Six Months with the X-Pro2

Well I have reached the six month point of using the new Fujifilm X-Pro2 in the field and now it is time to report back on my findings.  

As an X-Photographer I obtained a pre production model back in November 2015 and was asked to fully test its capabilities and send my feedback on a regular basis.  This meant that the final version that was launched in January 2016 in Tokyo (where I was invited to take part in the press conference) that finally hit the shelves in February / March had received some real world testing from the 100 X-Photographer chosen worldwide using the camera in a variety of different situations. I now own a production model and the finished product is a great camera.

I received the prototype X-Pro2 on my return from the last round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain and the end of November so I wasn't able to test the X-Pro2 on motorsport until well into 2016. 

As regular readers of this blog will know I also tested the 100-400mm and tested the combination on a variety of sporting subjects including international rugby at Murrayfield.  I also used it for my landscape and travel work and I have to say I am extremely happy with the performance and results in all of these areas.  

It is so good that when I now pick up the X-T1 I see things like EVF black out and slower AF performance that I didn't notice before I got the X-Pro2.  Now the X-T1 is a great camera and I still use the two I have on a regular basis, but the X-Pro2 is the next step in the evolution of the X-Series and as such it sets new benchmarks that the X-T1 struggles to match.

I've even gone back to using the optical viewfinder after favouring the EVF almost 100% on my X-Pro1 and X100 for the last two years.  The focus assist in the OVF is a real plus point and gives the best of both worlds.

The 24MP sensor is brilliant and produces great quality images.  Also the ability to crop the 6000 x 4000 pixel images and still have an image larger than one from an X-T1 is a real asset.

The autofocus is a massive step up from the X-T1 and can cope with most sport and wildlife situations with ease compared to the X-T1 and is now on a par with a Nikon or Canon prosumer DSLR.  I still think that Nikon / Canon pro DSLRs have the edge in AF performance but the gap has closed considerably and Fujifilm can now hold its head high in these arenas.

So What's Not So Good?
So is the X-Pro2 100% perfect? No, it certainly isn't.  The lack of a tilting rear screen still annoys me and I am still not happy with the ISO dial when trying to adjust it in poor light or when the camera is strapped to a tall tripod.  The actual operation of the dial - lift and twist -doesn't bother me it is just not being able to see what the setting is in low light.  The solution is to use the rear screen to see what the ISO is set to.

The X-Pro2 still uses the same NP-W126 batteries as the X-T1 / XT-10 / X-E2 which is great from the compatibility point of view but is not so great for battery power.  The X-Pro2 is not so bad as some people would have us believe but I still get 400-500 shots per battery, far short of the equivalent Nikon / Canon DSLR and I do keep plenty of full charged spare batteries when I am out and about. The new battery indicator on the X-Pro2 is much better, giving a more precise reading on the amount of power left in the battery than in the X-T1 or X-Pro1.

One of the plus points is the fact the X-Pro2 is the first X-Series camera to have two SD card slots.  Slot 1 can utilise the faster SDHC II memory cards and this, coupled with the faster processor, means that images are written to the card faster.  The only downside is the fact that slot 2 is only configured for the slower SDHC I cards.  While you can use the newer SDHC II cards, you don't get the benefit.  I have got around this by swapping the cards around once the card in slot 1 has filled up, but this isn't an ideal solution.  I did a test on memory card write speeds in February HERE

One little annoying point is the rubber eye piece keeps falling off the camera when I put it in the camera bag.  The rubber only pushes on and is easily knocked off the camera when it rubs up against something, like the sides of the camera bag.  This has happened about three times in the past six months and each time I have found the eye piece in the bottom of the bag but it is really annoying when this happens.

The exposure compensation dial now has a 'C' setting, which gives +/- 5 stops using the front selector dial, which is brilliant.  However if the camera is on your shoulder it is easy to knock the dial off 'C' and when you put the camera to your eye the exposure is way off because the dial is now +3 or -3 stops.  My solution is to put tape on the dial which isn't an elegant solution but it does work well.  I wish the dial had a lock on it like the shutter dial.

Conclusion
This may seem like a lot of negative points but they are all minor irritations and in all the areas that matter to me as a photographer this camera is superb.  In fact it is the best X-Series yet and, dare I say it, the best camera I have used in the 25 years I have been a photographer.  Well maybe not THE best but it certainly ranks up there with my Bronica ETRSi and Nikon F3/ F5 film cameras and is certainly the best digital camera I've ever owned.

Plus points -

• The 24MP X-Trans III sensor
• The X Pro processor  - processes images a lot quicker than the X-T1 
• The much quicker AF 
• The high ISO ability and the fact that RAW is now available on all ISO settings from 100-51200.
• Superb Build quality and weather resistance
• Hybrid Viewfinder
• Dual SD-Card Slots
• ACROS Film Simulation
• Exposure Compensation dial 'C' Setting giving +/- 5 stops adjustment on front dial

Minus Points -

• No tilting rear screen
• ISO dial hard to read in low light
• Battery power - still a lot less shots per battery than the equivalent DSLR
• Only memory card slot 1 utilises the faster SDHC II cards
• Rubber eye piece keeps coming off the camera in the camera bag.
• Lack of a lock on the Exposure Compensation dial.

Here are links to some of the MacLean Photographic Blogs on the X-Pro2

• Photographing Birds in Flights with the X-Pro2
• Testing the Continuous AF on the X-Pro2
• Motorsport with the X-Pro2
• International Rugby with the X-Pro2
• Rally Photography with the X-Pro2
• Long Exposure Landscapes with the X-Pro2
• Fitting a MHG-XPRO2 grip to the X-Pro2
• First review of the X-Pro2 (Jan 2016)

CLICK HERE to view the X-Pro2 FLICKR Gallery with 125 examples of images taken with a variety of Fujinon lenses on the X-Pro2

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In June 2015 Jeff Carter was named as a Fujifilm brand ambassador and you can view his profile and gallery on the Fujifilm website HERE

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