So, they have X-M1 and X-E1 and X-Pro1 to stay on the shelf, and all that exercise was necessary for Fuji to put more money in their pocket?
Riiiight ... And that also explains why the camera market is blooming right now, and all camera manufacturers are in the black. Fuji, Olympus, Nikon, etc. all rolling in money, can't make enough of cameras.
It also explains why Apple, with only one model of their camera, currently suffers terribly, leaving them the only choice of innovating and adding more to the camera package (as opposed to diluting or dumbing down). That investment of upping the game costs them lost sales, lost market, inability to be found on Flickr, and customers migrating to proper digital cameras in hordes.

You are posting nonsense, dude. Apple doesn't sell cameras. They sell cellphones. Yes Apple makes money with just one model, but so does Samsung with a dozen models. So what? The dozen versions doesn't seem to hurt Samsung profit.

Not the same sensor, it's a bayer 16mpx sensor, not the X-Trans., Fuji confuse people with the name X-A1. X-M1 have the same sensor than the X-E1, lack of EVF make camera cheaper.
Fuji have a good product line :
A1 : no x-trans sensor, no evf, AA filter quite cheap kit zoom lense
X-M1 : x-trans sensor, no evf, no AA filter
X-E1 : X-M1 with evf
X-PRO : old gran' father

16-50 : entry level kit zoom, good but not outstanding and cheapest
18-55 : top level kit-zoom, very good kit zoom, not cheap

Ken Rockwell site is far from being accountable! Hardly tries to impress and his opinion prooved to be several times excessively erroneous.Don't bother...

voodoo sensor, what a huge and compatible word for that sensor. One can say about X-trans all the good or all the bad, for me, it can't be in no way a replacement for the most fantastic sensor ever developed, the old Fuji super CCD with dual sized pixels. Unfortunately Fuji seems not to have found necessary to further develop that project which was, to my opinion, the sole real way to go and that all Fuji fans still wait for. A super ccd style sensor in FF, but, lets keep dreaming, companies do anyway not listen to us. Sony does it quiet often, and in most situations, but once realized, their pricing is such that none of those who asked for are able to pay anymore for it.

Canon is just not serious enough to introduce a superior mirrorless camera. The EOS-M with all its obvious shortcoming is a non starter from the very beginning.

Now, they are having the 100D to try retaining those customers who may go for other brands.

Fujifilm, Panny, and Olympus are losing heaps of money (tens of millions every year), while Canon is pulling in millions every year.

@Shamael: right, thats what is already happening. I use the X-Pro1 alongside my Canon 1DX. And for many purposes it has fully replaced the Canon (where bulk and weight is key). I stopped waiting for Canon to come around the corner with a good mirror less camera. Maybe in a few years. ;)

To be fair, the E series Finepix models were built to a (low) price - the F series were incredibly well built. Same as Canon with the A vs S series etc.

Yes, the point and shoots were crap. They make excellent large format lenses and the medium format cameras and lenses are top notch.

All of the Fuji X lenses are really, really good. The 14/2.8 is the best ultra-wide lens I've ever used. Period (including several Canon Ls, the Panny 7-14, Zeiss Touit 12mm and more). The 35/1.4 and 60/2.4 are exceptional and the 55-200 is brilliant as well. Frankly, there isn't a bad lens in the lineup, and they all have a beautiful rendering with great bokeh and a wonderful contrast curve. Truly excellent lenses.

Young people are picking up film more than older people. Another misconception.

If you are....you sure havent been paying attention.

Film is making a comeback. Once this digital thing blows over, people who are used to the instant gratification from digital cameras will go out and buy chemicals and developing tanks.

Sure it does. Bodies are disposable, lenses are an investment in the system. I've already been through 2 Nikon bodies since I started using digital 3 years ago, but I use my lenses from the early 1970 to this day on those bodies.

@ Bjrn SWE
They would appear to have the same body materials, according to Rico Pfirstinger from Fujixspot (who stated he spent 6 weeks with a pre-prod X-A1): "There’s little difference between these cameras. They look very much the same, they offer the same buttons and controls, (...), the same build, material and size (...)."

To make a cheaper camera to get market share and volume. That's easier with an off the shelf sensor. The X-E1s/2, when it emerges, will have X-Trans

Because mushy greens.

The quality of the pictures from the x-trans sensor was certainly a factor in my buying the XE-1. However, the trouble with lack of adobe support for the RAWs was just as much a disincentive for me! In the end it came down to the picture quality courtesy of the unbelievably good XF lenses...

As for the complaints on green, I just don't see it.

In 100% zoom, it's not a problem to pick out the X-trans shot. Both raw-conversions and camera jpegs have a distinct pattern.

Fuji lenses do win. But the mistake is no EVF option. NEX-5 does have the option for an expensive but good EVF.

I would have hoped that now with 2 models Fuji would have worked out an external EVF! Maybe in the version 2 of these.

"Is it just me or is this camera just a straight-up head-to-head with the NEX-5 range of models? Nothing more, nothing less?"

One control dial more. Built-in flash more (but weaker than the clip-on in NEX). Optional EVF less. Apps less. OSPDAF less. 10 fps less. ISO 12800, 25600 less. Compact powerzoom less. Digital zoom less. Sweep panorama less. Handheld twilight less. HDR less. Bigger, and weighs 54g more.
Does not seem to be competitive with NEX for a new system buyer.

Fuji always made special sensors, but x-trans is an ordinary sensor with a different filter array in fromt of it. Anyone can do that. Nothing in common with that amazing super ccd's they used once. To me, the further development of super CCD, more pixels, large size, was the way to go. At 1300 iso, that CDD was just great, better than most still are today. Imagine sensor progression in all those years, the super ccd was above almost all sensors at that time, and with actual development and knowledge, a new super ccd generation in small mirrorless bodies, how many of us just wait for that?

This is not signalling a new direction for Fuji. They are just filling the vacant entry-level spots in their line-up. The mode dial and aperture control from the body are more familiar to beginners coming from compact cameras, than the enthusiast-oriented controls of the higher-end models.

Yes. I think its easy to tell all the differences.
X-A1, no EVF, Mode dial, Regular Bayer Sensor.
X-M1, no EVF, Mode dial, X-trans sensor.
X-E1, EVF, Classical exposure control, X-trans sensor.
X-pro, EVF/OVF, Classical exposure control, X-trans sensor.

How could you not see that!

@foto guy - the X100 was the first X-series camera which put Fuji back on the map and that didn't have an XTrans sensor.

It's not the sensor which makes an X-series, but the form factor and handling. These new cameras have the form factor but the handling is much more modern - they're very much more mainstream, and that's what makes me worry for the brand.

And yet they had an X10 and XF1 before they had an X-Pro1...

I don't think they are diluting the brand at all. But making it more accessible. Some people don't like the X-trans sensor as still has issues with Raw development. But they like the compact size and the lenses. If this model is popular, you might see traditional Bayer pattern in a better body, like an X-E. Would be nice if you could get an X-Eb (Same body but with bayer sensor instead of X-trans).

Take no offense, Ron, but, only a few people care about the business thought process was.
Stay classy, Chillgreg.

"Note the lack of a $500 Rolex or $15,000 BMW."

I remember 318ti...

I'm glad I'm not the only one to find that hack Kai as a complete moron.

It's pretty apparent that these days most people don't care if you know anything about photography, but if you can entertain them. And then these same people go off spewing the complete nonsense of these clown reviewers as gospel.

Regadless of the opinion of Kai just looking at the camera he has some valid points. You do need to reach over the control dial to get to the shutter button, an arangement I've never liked, and there is a thumb button situated right where you may want to place your thumb to hold the camera.

I'm interested in opinons of folks who have handled an X-M1. Your love of Kai is somewhat irrelvant..

Thanks!

Ahhh Digitalrev... very entertaining but when the stars are aligned, they do sometimes do an actual review.

About that XM1 review, I honestly think that Kai is being anal about it. I was surprised when I got to test an XM1 at our local camera store since it is almost everything Digitalrev pointed out was not true and as far as I remember, they did not mention the awesome build quality only found on high end cameras since it has a magnesium alloy body.

I never did find the controls to be clumsy, I'm 6'1 and I can easily grip a basketball one handed easily and I never had problems with the back controls and seemed well spaced enough. It is either you are extremely clumsy or just anal to be troubled with it.

" the awesome build quality only found on high end cameras since it has a magnesium alloy body."

Fakuryu Are you sure you used an X-M1? It has a plastic, not magnesium allow body. There's like a metal part on top but most of the body is plastic.

You guys sound like Germans – I mean the 'old' Germans. I am sure the Fuhrer also would not have accepted any kind of ease and humor in online camera reviews. Lighten up, it is only stupid gear for intelligent art.

Actually, it could be argued that this is the epitome of modern technology. Such a lens simply wouldn't work on an SLR, as the phase-detect AF would fail and the viewfinder image would be very dull. But on a mirrorless camera, it'll work much better (although low-light AF is unlikely to be brilliant).

X-trans is not the only thing that defines Fuji :p And this camera looks exactly the same as the x-m1. It still has retro styling en the same ergonomics

No X-Trans sensor, No EVF or hybrid VF, well, no VF at all, no aperture/shutter speed dials... Those are the things that even with third party software problems brought Fuji back and won them a firm place and recognition among the enthusiast and set them clearly apart from the competition. But while pretty this is just another generic me-too soulless mirrorless that happens to share the mount and I highly doubt the people that will be attracted to this will also be attracted to cameras like the X-Pro1, X-E1 or X100s and I can't see how this kind of customers will pick this camera over a Sony, a Canon or even a Samsung when there is absolutely nothing unique to it and the brand is even less known by most people. As many others have pointed out, this is just trying to milk the X cash cow by saturation at the risk of diluting the brand philosophy and perception. A waste of time and resources that will drain money from other projects.

Lets see, X10, second 'X' camera, no shutter dial, no aperture ring. No EVF. Fuji must have diluted the 'X' brand before it even got started! Either that or it's all in your elitist head. XF1, no aperture, no shutter, mode dial, no VF... X-S1, no shutter dial, no aperture dial... X20... X-M1...

This is just as much an X camera as the rest of them. X is Fuji's more premium branding... Nothing more.

So, does DxO support it now? ;)

Yes, the shockingly bad conversion issue has been significantly improved, but not resolved.

Surely the support of the XTrans is just as much the 3rd Parties' fault as it is Fuji's? Can't really blame Fuji if the 3rd parties refuse to develop support for it.

REALLY?! Oh my gosh you are right! I hadn't even noticed! I was totally expecting this ENTRY model that sits below the X-M1 that doesn't have one to have an EVF... How strange!

Hell no!

LR has had good X-Trans support for months now

Good ... ?
better as months before, but not as good as Fuji demosaics, and not as good as for support for other bayer's patterns

You like this speak always understand difficult x-trans!

Yep, Xtrams canot do green leaves in mid to background, we all know that, but to me personally, the strength of Xtrans is not in landscape shooting, but more in portrait photography, with its realistic skin colors, and ability to retain highlights in fine detail like blonde hair etc.... even in Jpeg. That is why I love XE1 for portrait photography. It does look from photos that Rico Pfeiizenger posted on flicker from XA1 that the 16MP Sony Bayer Sensor of XA1 can do greenery just fine. So one can buy XA1 for landscape and keep one of the XPRO1/E1/M1 for portraits and everything else.

I have yet to see smearing in my landscape because I don't use ACR for raw conversion. Anyway, CS5 is my last version of photoshop.

You're being insanely ridiculous. The fact is, there are usually compromises that have to be made in order to meet a certain price point. But apparently, certain camera snobs live in a world where there is no such room for any compromise whatsoever, even if it means being able to offer a less expensive model to broaden a particular brand's appeal to a wider market. And when such a camera appears, they throw tantrums, whining about cameras "made of recycled biscuit tins" or "made out of recycled cardboard." You sound like a small child crying hysterically, who claims he's going to die, or is going to run away from home, if he doesn't get the toy he wants! Grow up. Fuji makes several camera models to choose from. If this one doesn't appeal to you, then maybe there's another one in their line that does appeal to you. That is, after all, why they offer *several* different models, in case you didn't know.

why even bother glorifying such babblings with an answer?

Zvonimir - I wish you could be a bit more objective outside Pentax land. The same could be said about the Q and many colors. Come on man. I think it's completely fair of Fuji to do a lower entry model.

Well,. according to Zvonimir, best cameras on the market right now are Pentax Q, Q7, K01, Pentax MX1. And just by sheer luck they happen to be all Pentax branded.