The recent X-Pro 1 discounts have caused my E-mail box to fill up with questions about whether or not the X-Pro 2 is worth the wait. So, instead of answering everyone individually, I figure a post is the best way to address the issue. Most people wonder if the X-Pro 1 is fast enough to be relevant, which is definitely a concern. I’m not very demanding about cameras being fast beyond autofocus, but by today’s standards, the X-Pro 1 will take patience. If you use zone focusing, the camera is very responsive, but most people rely on autofocus. Further, the EVF isn’t very good by modern standards, but you shouldn’t be using it much anyway if you are shooting the camera how it was designed to be used. The EVF on the X-Pro is functional for critical framing and lenses that are too long or wide for the optical view finder, but you should be using the excellent bright hybrid viewfinder whenever you can.
If you’re comfortable with working with a camera that can be a little sluggish, the next issue you might wonder about is how good is the image quality. I would say the X-Pro 1 is still an exceptional performer and, if you’re not currently in the Fujifilm system, you can use the money saved to buy a few lenses for it like the XF 35 F2 and XF 90 F2 R LM WR, which are both great. You might be compelled to wait for the higher megapixel X-Pro 2 like I am, and you can read more about the importance of megapixels in my article 24MP and Beyond, but if you’re just starting out, or looking to photograph for print or web today, 16MP should be sufficient and the ISO is very usable up to 6400 if you find the grain pleasing. Beyond that, many have said that the X-Pro 1 has the best skin tones of all the current Fuji cameras on the market so, if you enjoy the Fuji color signature, this might be the best camera for you. The X-Pro 2’s actual image quality will remain in question until more photos become available under a variety of lighting conditions.
I try to be very rational about recommending cameras to people, so another issue that you might want to consider is resale. The X-Pro 1 will likely hold its value at its current discounted price point so, if you decide you want to get the faster X-Pro 2 later, you shouldn’t lose much selling the camera on eBay or Amazon. Resale is very important to some people and, in my experience, Fuji cameras are pretty easy to sell, and buyers generally know what to expect, so it can be a frustration-free experience. This has not been my experience with other more mainstream camera makers.
