[Winder]

I'm thinking about updating my K-X to either a X-E1 or a K5II (or get a good deal on a "old" K-5)..
I do like the form and features of the X-E1 since I don't want to carry a big heavy DSLR with me at all times. The picture quality looks great but the af worries me (unless it is very updated from the x-pro1).

Since I have a 18-250 and 35 2.4 and a Af360, the upgrade to a K5/K5II would be easy and logical. The WR is a big positive but it is a tad more expensive than the X-E1 and bigger..

I mostly take "tourist pictures", street photography and landscapes.

Please Pentaxforum, help me make up my mind

For street work i think the X-E1 is going to be hard to beat. The new firmware for the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1 has gotten really good reviews for AF and write speeds, but it has no been out long enough to know if the users agree. It appears that the new AF is as fast as the NEX-7, but not as fast as the OM-D.

[Rupert]

I'm beginning to see the X-E1 in my future....it's a fine looking camera, great size and features, and might suit my needs for a long time. Fuji has impressed me beyond description with my little X10....the new firmware is fantastic, and I think they are on a roll in the right direction.

Just my two cents....!

Regards!

[stormtech]

What don't you like about the K-x? How are you not considering the K-30?

You aren't going to get a big performance boost from a better sensor. In the great majority of images, you'll see no difference. The main difference between a K-x and a K-30 or K-5 is in the controls. If you're after better controls and weather resistance, a body upgrade to a new Pentax will do it. I value WR and two wheels very highly, so I understand an upgrade to a higher spec Pentax for that reason.

Ditching what you have now for mirrorless may make sense if body size is that critical to you, so long as the compromises in the MILC system are acceptable. Not for me, I'm still convinced that APS-C DSLR is the best all-round choice. No matter which camera system you carry, you'll still need a camera bag. Whether the body in the bag is a bit smaller seems a little trivial. Changing systems is an expensive proposition, not something you want to do more than once.

Clicker suggested a p&s. That may make sense if you're after small. Get a Sony RX100 or Fuji X10 for true portability, and keep your Pentax system for when quality or flexibility are more important.

Nice post with sound suggestions - agree with you 100%.

[tuco]

For street work i think the X-E1 is going to be hard to beat. The new firmware for the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1 has gotten really good reviews for AF and write speeds, but it has no been out long enough to know if the users agree. It appears that the new AF is as fast as the NEX-7, but not as fast as the OM-D.

A simple test for the XE1. Set the camera to, say, f2.8, have someone walk toward you, pick up the camera and take a shot without hesitation. Is the person in focus? I still can't do that with my XP1 with current lenses and v2.0 firmware. Good for the street?

[Emacs]

For street work i think the X-E1 is going to be hard to beat. The new firmware for the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1 has gotten really good reviews for AF and write speeds, but it has no been out long enough to know if the users agree. It appears that the new AF is as fast as the NEX-7, but not as fast as the OM-D.

No, its AF is neither fast and accurate enough for street. IMO it's the OM-D that bests all other cameras in this aspect: quiet shutter, fast and reliable AF, touch tiltable screen and "touch to shoot" function make it the most stealthy camera in the market.
Fuji won't be the best choice of street shooter until they will stop copying old crap look and use new possibilities.

[tuco]

No, its AF is neither fast and accurate enough for street.

Assuming XE1 is as good as the XP1 in that regard then the AF is accurate. How much DOF on a 35mm lens at f8 focused out, say, 3 meters? Enough.

[Winder]

I don't do much street work. The few times I really did get into street work was with a 6x6 with a waist level finder. I really enjoyed using that camera for street work. I kind of find it funny that AF speed is a key issue for street shooters when the greatest street shooters in history never used AF cameras.

[WillH]

Dunno! Know two people personally who have pre-ordered theX-E1. I need to look through the EVF and see how that feels and if the manual focus is any good!

Leaning the other way.....

[Rupert]

I'm a Pentax guy...if fast AF was a priority, I'd be a Nikon guy by now. If the X-E1 has the same IQ as the X-Pro it would work for me I do believe. I like the size, the shape and the features, although I don't care for the shape of the grip...but I could live with it.
Just waiting to see how the zooms perform......
Regards!

[Winder]

I'm a Pentax guy...if fast AF was a priority, I'd be a Nikon guy by now. If the X-E1 has the same IQ as the X-Pro it would work for me I do believe. I like the size, the shape and the features, although I don't care for the shape of the grip...but I could live with it.
Just waiting to see how the zooms perform......
Regards!

When I read a post from Pentax users complaining about the AF speed of other brands I feel like I have stepped into an parallel universe. Anyone who values AF speed would not be using Pentax to begin with.

[oramandor]

I own both the K-5 iis and the X-E1

After several tests, I am deciding to keep the K-5 iis for these reasons:
-OVF
-Cleaner and easier to work with RAW files
-Faster and more reliable AF
-Battery life
-Deeper RAW buffer
-Faster continuous shooting,
-Extremely quiet shutter sound
-Weather sealing

RAW files: I know that Adobe has yet to perfect their compatibility with the X-Trans sensor pattern, but even with Silkypix, I wasn't able to get the same noise-free and still sharp images I was able to get with the K-5 iis in Lightroom. Both cameras seem to have the same amount of dynamic range, but when you try to bring back those shadows, the K-5 iis has a finer and less destructive noise pattern.

OVF vs EVF:
For some reason the EVF on the X-E1 is laggy and has a very low refresh rate until you focus. My Sony a77 never had this problem, so there is still hope for that.... maybe. Other than that, the main thing I don't like about EVF's is that they're not bright enough. No matter if they're LCD or OLED, if you go take pictures outside on a bright day, the EVF will look dark no matter how high you turn up the brightness. Once your eyes adjust to how bright it is outside, the EVF is not so great. On the other hand, EVF's are great for indoor photos because it makes things seem brighter than they are which makes manual focusing easier. But manual focusing indoors is no longer necessary with the K-5 iis's new AF system. Just make sure you set the AF fine adjustment if you need to correct front or back focusing. (I had to set it to -2 for my Sigma 17-50mm lens)

Autofocus:
The K-5iis is faster to focus, whereas the X-E1 has both slower focus and has trouble focusing in low contrast scenarios. (to the point where you have to try several times to focus on anything)

The Fuji X-E1 is a lightweight and visually attractive camera, and Fuji has optically amazing lenses. But they need to fix the EVF lag (and brightness IMO), AF accuracy/speed, RAW support/Sensor design, and battery life for them to charge this much money when there are so many better options for the same price or less.

[westmill]

Well I now have the EX1 and 18-55 F2.8- F4 lens. I love it I prefer it to the K5 but its true about the files. The only decent PP for the Raw files is the god awful Silkypix. YUK... So bad Im shooting JPGs until its sorted. Outstanding JPG engine makes this usable. I find highlights clip very early though. Image quality is superb. Better than K5 at very high ISO. The Pentax Files are far nicer to work with though. I would say the pros and cons between the two cameras makes them pretty even in my eyes. I prefer the Fuji because it suits me. Despite the huge raves on image quality I dont realy see the differance. The Fuji has the edge at very high ISO and thats about it. Nobody can complain about K5 image quality. The K5s files are lovely to work with too. The cameras are so different you cant say one is better than the other. Although I love it and glad I bought it I am just as sure others may regret it. The E X1 is a bit like Marmite.... yer going love it or your going hate it

[oramandor]

I attached a screenshot comparing 100% crop of RAW files from both the Pentax K-5 iis with Sigma 17-50mm and Fuji X-E1 with 35mm at iso 800 same f stop and shutter speed.

K-5 iis on the left (Lightroom), X-E1 on the right (Silkypix)

I tried to make both RAW files look the best they could.

The Fuji RAW files lack the same sharpness and detail as the Pentax.

[Emacs]

The bayer filter with no AA layer provides higher resolution, because it (resolution) is limited by the less resolved channel (green, red, blue), otherwise many color artifacts (moire) will apear. Since X-Trans have larger distances between red and blue patches, it has lower resolution in these channels so weaker overall resolution. The silkypix seems quite OK with X-Trans resolution wise, but it's prone to color moire, based on my experience.

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Wow - a zombie troll bait thread.