Fujifilm X-E1 in stock!

The new Fujifilm X-E1 bodies have finally arrived in very limited quantities, both in black and silver. This baby brother to the X-Pro1 is a lighter and smaller alternative that is also much less expensive. It comes in at a whopping $700 less actually! Yep, the X-E1 bodies are only $999. Sadly, we have not yet received any X-E1 kits with the new XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 OIS zoom. They are slated to arrive a little later this month.

The X-E1 has the exact same superb X-Trans sensor as the X-Pro1 and you are not giving up any performance whatsoever as far as speed of shooting or image quality. So why the savings? Mainly the X-E1 has less rugged construction and it also does not have the X-Pro1's superb Hybrid-Viewfinder. Instead, it has a pure EVF (electronic viewfinder) but one that is substantially upgraded compared to the EVF mode on the X-Pro1. It has a 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder that is very sharp, has good eye relief, a diopter adjustment dial, a high refresh rate and seems to have excellent colour accuracy and saturation. One other slight downgrade that is likely dictated by its more compact dimensions, is that the rear LCD is now a 2.8" unit, like the X100 and not the larger 3.0" one that the X-Pro1 has.

Size-wise, the X-E1 is virtually identical to the X100 (see: Announced! Fujifilm X-E1 Body & New Lenses for a visual size comparison) and I find it to be very nice as far as ergonomics with some slight tweaks that make it even better than the X-Pro1. For example, the 'Q' quick-menu button is now slightly recessed, instead of protruding from the rear thumb-grip, so it is much less likely to be pressed by accident, something I found myself doing when I tested the X-Pro1.

Anyway, keep an eye on this blog for some detailed first impressions of the X-E1. Yes... I did pick up a body for myself. After getting used to the remarkably good dynamic range and low noise of my Nikon D800, I felt that my compact system needed a quality boost, and I think the X-E1 may be just what the doctor ordered...