Body & Design
The X-Pro1 is overall very much like the X100, but with a some welcome tweaks and refinements. The essence of the control layout is unchanged: the top-plate shutter speed and exposure compensation dials, lens-mounted aperture and manual focus rings, front-mounted lever for viewfinder mode selection, and shutter button threaded for a traditional cable release are all very much present and correct. The focus mode selector has been notably improved, and is now a rotary switch like the X10's. Once again, though, there's no analogue ISO dial.
The back of the camera, however, sees the biggest changes. The X100 received some criticism for its sometimes-fiddly plastic buttons and dials being out-of-keeping with the rest of the design, and Fujifilm has completely revised the rear layout to address this. The buttons have been rearranged and are now larger and more positive, which a higher quality of finish. Consequently, the X-Pro1 really does feel like a serious photographic tool.
The four-way controller is larger, with separated directional keys, a bigger 'OK' button and no surrounding dial; instead there's a single, clickable rear dial placed for thumb operation. The Drive mode button tops a column on the left side, above the metering mode and focus area buttons. Perhaps most notably, though, the RAW button has disappeared, replaced by a Q button that brings up a rear-screen control panel to change a range of other functions.
Tellingly, there's no dedicated movie record button: the X-Pro1 can record 1080p30 videos, but only via a drive mode setting; there's no real attempt at integration. The message here from Fujifilm is pretty simple - this is camera that's focused fundamentally on stills image shooting, and movies are very much a bonus.
From the top, the X-Pro1 has a very similar layout to the X100. The On/Off switch surrounds the shutter button, which is threaded for an old-fashioned cable release. Beside it is the 'Fn' button, which is larger than the X100's; this can be programmed to operate functions such as ISO, which again has no dedicated control of its own. The shutter speed dial now has a central locking button, and the exposure compensation dial is recessed into the top plate, both of which should help prevent accidental changes.
The X-1Pro has a rather minimal handgrip - just enough to give you something positive to hold onto, and stop the camera slipping out of your fingers. Fujifilm will be offering an accessory grip that bolts into the tripod socket to provide a more positive hold - although you won't be able to change the battery or card with it attached. Meanwhile, the lens barrel is almost entirely occupied by the manual focus and aperture rings - note that both of these controls are electronic, rather than mechanical.
Compared to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 and Sony NEX-7
As the first mirrorless camera aimed specifically towards professional photographers, the X-Pro1 has no really direct competitors. Arguably the closest is the Sony NEX-7 (the X-Pro1 is likely to be in same price range at least), and we've chosen the enthusiast-orientated Panasonic GX1 to represent the Micro Four Thirds system. The traditional control layout of the X-Pro is very different from the button-and-dial approach of the other two cameras.
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| The X-Pro1 is much bigger than the Sony NEX-7 from the front, and the optical viewfinder doubtless has a lot to do with it. However in this comparison the huge Sony 24mm F1.8 adds bulk to the NEX (although it's obviously not directly comparable to the Fujinon 35mm F1.4). |
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| This comparison again emphasizes that the X-Pro1 isn't your common-or-garden Compact System Camera, by any stretch of the imagination. |
Compared to the Leica M9-P
It's not rocket science to work out who Fujifilm are really gunning for - the X-Pro1's similarity to the Leica M9 demonstrates the company's refound confidence, having already placed the X100 squarely up against the Leica X1. It's pretty clear that Fujifilm very much sees the X-Pro1, with its hybrid viewfinder and infinitely-variable framelines, as the modern autofocus reincarnation of the classic rangefinder. Let's not forget that the company is no stranger to the high-end professional market - it may have had a hiatus of several years, but made a wide range of medium format film cameras.
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| This composite illustrates the similarity in size between the X-Pro 1 and the Leica M9-P. It also emphasizes the X-Pro1's rangefinder-inspired traditional control layout. |
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