X-Pro3 Ideas and the X-Pro2 with Eterna

Last week (click here if you missed it) I spoke a lot about my hopes for any X-Pro3.

This week I’d like to share a few ideas about changes that Fujifilm could make to the X-Pro range.

I’ve seen other writers and bloggers with similar sorts of articles and I have to say that some of the CGI mock ups of cameras I’ve seen have been amazing, so realistic and well done.

You’re not going to find any of that here 🙂

Just some very, very poor sketch work and a terrible little photo composite!

So I hope you brought your imagination with you today, because you’re going to need it 🙂

To begin with, here’s an idea I have for the evolution of the hybrid view finder.

As we know the current VF has three possibilities

1) The optical view finder
2) The electronic view finder
3) The ‘electronic rangefinder’ that combines both optical and EVF

Above is the current ERF, which is also mainly how the optical viewfinder looks

Above is the EVF view showing focus peaking

What I’d personally like to see, is the electronic rangefinder part of the hybrid solution to be expanded upon to make it more useful.

(But unlike my dodgy image, keeping the correct perspective between the real world OVF and the EVF)

What about if we could have everything within the framelines as an EVF, but still keep the part around the planned shot as optical?

I’d like to see something like this as an additional feature, not one that replaces any of the existing modes

I think it would also be great if there was some way that we could have three levels of magnification, not just the two we get now, so that longer lenses were better suited to the OVF

Also, I wonder if there’s a way to get an ‘optical focus peaking’ that showed the OVF view, but with the focus peaking we see with the EVF

I’m sure you’ll have even better ideas!

At the moment the hybrid VF has quite clear divisions between being optical and electronic. I’d like to see those functions merged to offer the benefits of each solution

I’d also like to see a change to the top plate controls

Control placement is pretty personal stuff!

So what I think might wok out well isn’t necessarily going to be what you think would work out well.

My ideas are along these (crudely sketched) ideas

A: New Placement for On/Off Switch (a bit like on a LX100)
B: In-Built Adjustable 2thumbs-up” Grip
C: Metering Mode switch beneath the SS dial (a bit like on a X-T1)
D: Drive Mode switch under the Shutter Button
E: Dedicated ISO thumb wheel with display via a top plate window

The revised On/Off switch is to help stop the existing design catching on things and is also to free up the shutter button for the Drive Mode switch

The thumb grip should be adjustable so that it can be placed where the photographer wants it to be!

The ISO dial would be a lot more usable without the current design of lifting up and twisting

I feel these changes would give all the major controls of the camera to all to the finger tips of the right hand.

This would enable us to control: ISO, Drive, and Metering modes all with dedicated controls.

For the Rear LCD I’d like to see a flip out and twist solution (like on the D5100) so that the screen can be orientated in most directions and stored glass down when not in use

I’d also like to see the dioptre relocated to a position where it doesn’t stick out and get easily knocked.

I’m sure many of you will hate these ideas and/or have far better ones!

But my suggestions here are about keeping the X-Pro thoroughly modern, but give it back it’s utilitarian purpose or having everything that’s needed regularly easily available externally.

Personally, I also feel that a flip out screen, albeit a simple one, would be a big help to certain shooting conditions

But, as I mentioned last week – I’d also like to see a return to the more signature look of the X-Pro1 images.

I’ll be writing more about this next week.

But an option for softer less processed looking images MIGHT be right around the corner…

These next three shots are all from the X-Pro2

Opened from RAF in the Fujifilm’s RFC software, I’ve got each image duplicated.

One set has had Astia applied and zero other edits. The other set has been modified so that RFC thinks the RAF is from a X-H1, then I’ve applied ‘ETERNA’ and about 10% saturation of colour

This new film simulation certainly gives a different look to the X-Pro2 images

I’ll go into more details about this next week, but for now I’ll leave you with some examples

X-Pro2

“X-H1”

X-Pro2

“X-H1”

X-Pro2

“X-H1”

Next time I’ll describe how I modified these files and also show you what happens when we modify X-Pro2 RAFs to be from different Fujifilm Models.

I hope you’ll join me then!

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