Clive Woolls 
, Feb 10, 2012; 06:01 p.m.
I had been hesitating over the Fuji X100 purchase waiting for the MILC version to arrive and now it has been announced as the X-pro1 it's time to re-assess the landscape.
I have to say I'm a little surprised at the prices .... the X-pro1 with a 35mm lens ships for $2300 and the X100 is a shade under $1200 at Amazon. Both have aps-c sensors, fujinon lenses and similar form factors so either the X-pro1 is a breakthrough camera and worthy of the the somewhat elevated price tag or the X100 suddenly looks like a real bargain. The X100 has a difficult menu system (some say) but in my experience you mostly set it how you want it and leave it there.
If the X-pro1 was $1700 including a lens I would get one straight away but nearly double the price of the fixed lens camera is a bit surprising. So is the lens mount worthy of the premium price point and the prospect of a Leica mount adapter which won't be cheap if Pentax 67 -> 645 adapters is anything to go by. Would a film plane shutter add so much to the cost?
My D700 body was $2400 last year if that means anything. OTOH the M9 is $7k ! :-(
Anyone care to add their thoughts?
Jim Momary 
, Feb 10, 2012; 07:23 p.m.
Bob Atkins 
, Feb 10, 2012; 07:26 p.m.
Low volume items with a limited market often carry a high price. If you want something cheap and good, there's always a Canon EOS Rebel with a 50/1.8 lens. Yours for around $500-$700.
If you want a MILC/EVIL and don't mind the 4/3 format, you can get an Olympus Pen E-PL1 with a 14-42 zoom for under $300 or various fast(ish) primes for a few hundred more.
The Fuji stuff has never been cheap, nor has it been a high volume seller. It's not what something costs to make, it's how much it can be sold for. Just look at Leica. Plus if you want it as soon as it's released, you pay an "early adopter" premium too.
Eric Friedemann , Feb 10, 2012; 07:28 p.m.
The X-Pro1 has a 16MP sensor to the X-100's 12MP sensor. The price point of the X-Pro1 is reasonable compared to,
say, the Oly E-P3, again a larger, higher resolution sensor than the Oly's 12MP M4/3rds sensor, and if you add the 12mm
f/2.0 lens and an EVF to the Oly, you're close in price.
Andy L 
, Feb 10, 2012; 07:30 p.m.
Sure, and it's a nice camera, but a NEX 5n is $600. Is the Fuji that much better than the midrange Sony?
Leslie Cheung , Feb 10, 2012; 07:39 p.m.
IMO fuji is banking on the retro looks, feel of the leica, must have an OVF crowd. Both X100 and the new one is overpriced with a shaking AF system and quirky menu system. However, it is grossly underpriced, if you compare it to the M9 and M8.
All depends how you are looking at it...
Eric Friedemann , Feb 10, 2012; 07:43 p.m.
Andy, I think the draw on the X-Pro1 is the super-cool hybrid finder and the high-end retro design. Pricewise, Fuji is
positioning the X-Pro1 as an alternative to the Leica M9 at a fraction of the price. But, yes, Fuji certainly isn't being
modest with its pricing.
Clive Woolls , Feb 10, 2012; 08:02 p.m.
@ Eric
Funnily enough the hybrid finder was one thing I could take or leave when I handled the X100. Novel sure, but I could live without it.
But then I'm the guy who looks at a Mercedes Benz and just sees all the extra luxury things that will go wrong. Glass half empty....
Eric Friedemann , Feb 10, 2012; 08:21 p.m.
Clive, what's not to like? If you use the optical finder setting, you get a finder that's way better than a traditional Leica
finder. If you use the EFV setting, you get a 100% video image you'd pay $200 or more to add to the hot shoe of an Oly
or Panasonic mirrorless body. It's a win-win.
My store has the black X100s on order. If Fuji ever ships them, I'm getting one.
Clive Woolls , Feb 10, 2012; 08:22 p.m.
I didn't say I disliked it, just that for me it doesn't have the wow factor. If anything the camera never gets column inches WITHOUT the evf being mentioned as if it's the be all and end all of the camera.
For the record I also felt the X100 a little cluttered with no obvious fingergrip space to those unfamiliar with it.
That is tangential to the above posting though.
My OP was an expression of surprise at the initial X-pro1 price.
