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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2013
This review is going to be a short one, only to warn those of you who might be considering this camera of its fatal flaw, from my experiences with these.
During this past summer we bought not one, but four XF1s among the friends and family. I loved the Fuji. The EXR sensor was made famous by its X100 for great signal to noise ratio, low light capability, and saturated colors. It has incredible and accurate JPEG colors that requires little to no adjustment to look amazing. The lens is tack sharp. The zoom lens starts at a very good 25mm wide range with a big f1.8 aperture. Add optical image stabilizer and a low noise sensor, it's a champ at low lights. There is full manual control with RAW. The video looks great at 1080p. The menus and controls are well thought out. Focus is fast and accurate. The build quality was excellent, felt solid in the hand, and it looked great (in my opinion). This was a camera that performed like much larger bodies with larger sensors, at a fraction of the size and cost.
The twist lens is a bit of a nuisance and requires both hands for operation, while not really booting any faster than if it had a power button (it still takes a second or so to turn on after the lens extends). I didn't understand the design decision, other than perhaps by doing so it results in a quieter operation without motor noise, and possibly better reliability as well.
The lens, alas, became the fatal problem, which I'll describe in more detail later. During the summer we shot thousands of pictures, and the camera failed within 6 weeks, right outside the return period. Granted, I shoot a lot more than the average user, but there was no explanation for this. I thought maybe we did something that caused this failure, but in reality we babied the camera without ever abusing it.
However, in time, ALL of the other three cameras developed the same problem. I purchased these in July, and the last one developed this problem at the beginning of November--the one that's probably the least used. This denotes that the problem isn't isolated, but results from a design flaw, that in my four cameras, caused a 100% failure rate.
The problem, which eventually renders the camera inoperable, comes in stages. The process is identical for all four of the XF1 cameras, occurring at zoom range after 35mm. It approximately develops as follows:
- After a good number of shots (it varies a bit on this one, from 1000-5000 frames, probably depending on how often the lens was turned or how it was assembled?), you start noticing some strange blurs around the edges, particularly for telephoto end of the lens. It's easy to put it off as a lens quality issue.
- Then, you'll notice that exposure goes haywire around the telephoto end. It would either grossly overexpose or underexpose, and using compensation or manual override wouldn't do anything. Sometimes it would appear as if the sensor is screwed up, giving garbled images while metering/focusing. Restarting the camera would fix it, until you try to take shots at the tele end again. (at least two other reviewers mentioned this early stage problem)
- Soon after, when you zoom over 35mm, and physically move the camera, you will get "Lens Control Error" which requires a reset. On one of the slower progressing cameras, this developed into a full fledge problem where anything after 35mm will give a shaky image on the viewfinder, like the optics have come loose (or I think something went wrong with the image stabilizer)., and you will easily get "lens control error" with any sudden physical movement. For the other three XF1s, it's more of a abrupt degeneration to the point where the "lens control error" will occur every time you zoom past 35mm, with a noticeable shift in image on the LCD (as if optics suddenly tilted/shifted).
- My friend who kept on using his at 25mm range, thinking he could make do with it as long as it's not zoomed in. However, it eventually worsened that it'll give "lens control error" at 25mm too, rendering the camera completely unusable at shooting photos. (video included)
The 100% failure rate, the speed at which it failed, as well as the identical progressions and symptoms suggest that this is a highly repeatable and non-random issue. There is clearly a design flaw. My family has gone out of the country with two of the cameras, with no warranty service available to them. My friend and I are stuck with ours, and will take up Fuji's warranty service in the coming days. The dilemma for us is whether if we even want this replaced with the same camera, knowing the same design flaw persists; That's unless Fuji had figured this out with a good fix, something I have found no evidence of so far. It seems like a near certain loss that's difficult to recover; and it's a shame since the camera was such a great performer and so portable.
While the price of XF1 has come down due to its end-of-life status, I would still advise against the purchase of this camera. As of right now we're looking to probably get either a flawed replacement, or a "repaired" camera that's only 3 months old. Neither is ideal, and you can avoid my predicament by getting something else, possibly XF1's latest successor, the Fuji XQ1 or other capable pocket cameras. I hope this helps.
___________________________________
11/20/2013 update:
Here is the latest update. I just got off the phone with the Fuji Pro Repairs (1-800-800-3854 Option #1 and then Option #2. That's the only way to reach them since all my emails got a terse reply making me call this number). They weren't particularly helpful, to say the least, and were pretty dismissive about the problems I experienced. They were fighting to talk over me, stressing again and again how they have never heard of this problem, how they never see this online and in their own service bulletin, and how they have worked there for a long time to know better, etc. Frustrated, I asked to speak to the call center manager, who were no better for it--same dismissive attitude, and almost identical "the cameras are great because we've never heard of this problem in the X years I've worked here" rhetoric. (Perusing Amazon reviews, I could see lens control error just a few reviews earlier than mine. He probably thought it's isolated like myself. I did until my other 3 broke).
I personally think there hasn't been as many complaints surfacing on their bulletin (if true) because XF1 is evidently a low volume seller, judging from the sometimes low clearance prices required to move them since summer. There's also plenty of mentions to this problem around the web when you Google "xf1 lens error". That notion was likewise vehemently dismissed by Fuji's reps, again stressing that they have never seen or heard of it, in their bulletins or on the web. They suggested that it could very well be a firmware problem (when it's obviously physical with the optical wobbling and shifting of preview image.) I was treated like this crazy idiot who just didn't know what I was talking about.
I inquired the possibility of replacing my broken XF1 with a different camera, since I was convinced that XF1 is flawed. I got slightly different replies. The first rep said that depending on their tech department's determination, they may replace it with "at least an XF1", which lead to the possibility of something different/better. I asked to speak to the manager because the rep said only the manager could decide. However, the manager said there's "zero possibility" that it would be replaced with anything other than XF1, at best. As you might imagine, both the rep and the manager made it clear that they would be doing me a favor by replacing it with another XF1, which they stubbornly believe is a bulletproof pro camera that only insane people would find otherwise. They said that the only thing I could do is to send it in and have them look at it, then they'll decide whether to repair or replace. I would have to write a letter, explaining the problem in detail, put in any sales receipt or what not, and they'll determine what to do.
Everything I just spoke on the phone--as difficult as it was to explain to deaf ears--would not go on record apparently, until I send in the camera and a letter (maybe that's part of the reason why they have no record of the problem in their service bulletins?). No RMA case was created (they couldn''t). No shipping label would be provided--I'd have to ship with a trackable service at my own cost. They'll just contact me when they receive it, if I put my contact info on the letter. When I suggested that the lack of at least a RMA seems unstructured and unsafe, I got another rant on how they've been doing this for 35 years with no problems.
So this call accomplished little, other than finding an unwillingness by Fuji to acknowledge this as a flawed design, and their complete lack of awareness to this problem. I'm not feeling terribly optimistic with the warranty service now--quite the contrary. Yet seeing how the broken camera is completely useless in my hands anyway, I will ship mine back to them just to see what happens.
The address to send the camera to for repairs:
Fujifilm Camera Repairs
1100 King George Rd.
Edison, NJ 08837
I encourage those who may have the same problem as mine to bring it to Fuji's attention. This certainly shouldn't have been a non-issue. I will report back when I have updates.
___________________________________
12/2/2013
Just got off the phone with Fujifilm service center in Edison, NJ again. The camera has been received by Fujifilm on 11/26/2013 according to Fedex. I have just received an email this afternoon at 3:43pm:
-------Begin email insert------
Thank you for using FUJIFILM Service and Support. Your product was received into our system today, 12/2/2013, at our Edison service center. It is our goal to have your repair completed and shipped to you within 10 business days from today. Due to holidays or parts availability, repair time may increase. You will receive an E-mail with tracking information on the day your repair is shipped.
If your repair is out of warranty, you can Approve or Refuse the estimate online by clicking the following link: https://camerarepair.fujifilmusa.com/CheckOrder or by calling 1800-659-3854 and follow the prompts to the Digital Camera Repair Dept. Please supply the above Repair Reference number.
If a response is not received within 2 weeks, your repair will be shipped back to the address given as a "No Reply to Estimate"
You can always check the status of your repair by also clicking on the link above and supplying your Repair Reference Number.
-------End email insert------
So it looks like it's in the process, and they are apparently going with the repair route. Since it's apparently an automatically generated message, I thought maybe repair can equal to replacement. At any rate, there's a confusing bit about how I need to respond to them in 2 weeks, so I used the website link to check up the repair status, and I got the following:
-------------Begin estimate insert-----------
Order Status
WAITING FOR ESTIMATE APPROVAL
Estimate Charge ($)
140
Shipping Charge ($)
18
Tax ($)
11.66
Total Charges ($)
169.66
---------End estimate insert -----------------
It looks like they are waiting for my approval of $169.66 to have the camera repaired! I called up the number provided in the email (which didn't really lead directly to the repair center. I needed to navigate 3 levels of menus, option 1, 2, 4 I believe for pro repairs), asking about why I was charged this amount when it should have been under warranty.
The service rep looked up the info and said that they found a ding on the front of the lens housing, suggesting impact damage, resulting in the lens error, and the warranty was voided. I tried to explain how the front lens housing has a very thin sheet metal, and can easily be dinged (e.g. putting it in the pocket with other things?), and how I have three others in pristine condition with the same problem, proving its irrelevance. I sent this camera (my friend's) in because it's got the most advanced development of this error, where it shows up without having to zoom.
The representative wasn't belligerent and defensive like last time, but he went on to say that's how the tech reported it and he couldn't do anything about it. He suggested to transfer me to the manager, so I could speak to him. I had him do that, but after a few minutes the same rep returned, saying how the manager was able to lower the bill to $100. I said that's not going to cut it (this really isn't about the money), and I needed to speak to him (even though it really didn't seem like we'll get anywhere), so he transferred me.
After a minute, a brusque and rushed voice came on and said "hello", and I responded a few times; but he apparently had a problem hearing me (not sure why), and he hung up on me. I had to call again, immediately, navigating through the menu and holds, asking again to speak to the manager, Dan Scarola. This time it went straight to his voicemail, saying that he's out for the day. I left a message, again explaining the situation, and left my number, asking for a call back.
So, that's the latest update. Needless to say, I'm more than disappointed. I'll try to reach him tomorrow, and if that doesn't get anywhere (a rather likely event), I'll be forced to cancel the estimate and get the broken camera back--it doesn't make sense to pay $100-$169.66 for a half-measure repair on a 199 camera (it also seems strange that the rather exorbitant estimated cost can be so arbitrarily adjusted). I don't even think it's worth the $7 FedEx shipping I paid for sending it in (not sure why Fuji's charging $18), if they are only going to do a repair without acknowledging the evident and a repeatable engineering flaw. Not only will I end up with repaired/refurbished cameras, they will most likely develop the same errors again.
The inclination to downplay camera problems and voiding warranty really brought down my expectations to nothing, and my initial "wait and see" sentiment became that of an outrage. I have had a great opinion on Fuji's recent cameras, and I recommend them heartily to family and friends (hence the 4 XF1s). Yet this good feeling has gone negative through the recent dealings with Fujifilm. I actually have other new Fujifilm X series cameras, and now not only am I leery about my future support, but that I just don't want to deal with Fujifilm anymore.
The media could not be loaded.
During this past summer we bought not one, but four XF1s among the friends and family. I loved the Fuji. The EXR sensor was made famous by its X100 for great signal to noise ratio, low light capability, and saturated colors. It has incredible and accurate JPEG colors that requires little to no adjustment to look amazing. The lens is tack sharp. The zoom lens starts at a very good 25mm wide range with a big f1.8 aperture. Add optical image stabilizer and a low noise sensor, it's a champ at low lights. There is full manual control with RAW. The video looks great at 1080p. The menus and controls are well thought out. Focus is fast and accurate. The build quality was excellent, felt solid in the hand, and it looked great (in my opinion). This was a camera that performed like much larger bodies with larger sensors, at a fraction of the size and cost.
The twist lens is a bit of a nuisance and requires both hands for operation, while not really booting any faster than if it had a power button (it still takes a second or so to turn on after the lens extends). I didn't understand the design decision, other than perhaps by doing so it results in a quieter operation without motor noise, and possibly better reliability as well.
The lens, alas, became the fatal problem, which I'll describe in more detail later. During the summer we shot thousands of pictures, and the camera failed within 6 weeks, right outside the return period. Granted, I shoot a lot more than the average user, but there was no explanation for this. I thought maybe we did something that caused this failure, but in reality we babied the camera without ever abusing it.
However, in time, ALL of the other three cameras developed the same problem. I purchased these in July, and the last one developed this problem at the beginning of November--the one that's probably the least used. This denotes that the problem isn't isolated, but results from a design flaw, that in my four cameras, caused a 100% failure rate.
The problem, which eventually renders the camera inoperable, comes in stages. The process is identical for all four of the XF1 cameras, occurring at zoom range after 35mm. It approximately develops as follows:
- After a good number of shots (it varies a bit on this one, from 1000-5000 frames, probably depending on how often the lens was turned or how it was assembled?), you start noticing some strange blurs around the edges, particularly for telephoto end of the lens. It's easy to put it off as a lens quality issue.
- Then, you'll notice that exposure goes haywire around the telephoto end. It would either grossly overexpose or underexpose, and using compensation or manual override wouldn't do anything. Sometimes it would appear as if the sensor is screwed up, giving garbled images while metering/focusing. Restarting the camera would fix it, until you try to take shots at the tele end again. (at least two other reviewers mentioned this early stage problem)
- Soon after, when you zoom over 35mm, and physically move the camera, you will get "Lens Control Error" which requires a reset. On one of the slower progressing cameras, this developed into a full fledge problem where anything after 35mm will give a shaky image on the viewfinder, like the optics have come loose (or I think something went wrong with the image stabilizer)., and you will easily get "lens control error" with any sudden physical movement. For the other three XF1s, it's more of a abrupt degeneration to the point where the "lens control error" will occur every time you zoom past 35mm, with a noticeable shift in image on the LCD (as if optics suddenly tilted/shifted).
- My friend who kept on using his at 25mm range, thinking he could make do with it as long as it's not zoomed in. However, it eventually worsened that it'll give "lens control error" at 25mm too, rendering the camera completely unusable at shooting photos. (video included)
The 100% failure rate, the speed at which it failed, as well as the identical progressions and symptoms suggest that this is a highly repeatable and non-random issue. There is clearly a design flaw. My family has gone out of the country with two of the cameras, with no warranty service available to them. My friend and I are stuck with ours, and will take up Fuji's warranty service in the coming days. The dilemma for us is whether if we even want this replaced with the same camera, knowing the same design flaw persists; That's unless Fuji had figured this out with a good fix, something I have found no evidence of so far. It seems like a near certain loss that's difficult to recover; and it's a shame since the camera was such a great performer and so portable.
While the price of XF1 has come down due to its end-of-life status, I would still advise against the purchase of this camera. As of right now we're looking to probably get either a flawed replacement, or a "repaired" camera that's only 3 months old. Neither is ideal, and you can avoid my predicament by getting something else, possibly XF1's latest successor, the Fuji XQ1 or other capable pocket cameras. I hope this helps.
___________________________________
11/20/2013 update:
Here is the latest update. I just got off the phone with the Fuji Pro Repairs (1-800-800-3854 Option #1 and then Option #2. That's the only way to reach them since all my emails got a terse reply making me call this number). They weren't particularly helpful, to say the least, and were pretty dismissive about the problems I experienced. They were fighting to talk over me, stressing again and again how they have never heard of this problem, how they never see this online and in their own service bulletin, and how they have worked there for a long time to know better, etc. Frustrated, I asked to speak to the call center manager, who were no better for it--same dismissive attitude, and almost identical "the cameras are great because we've never heard of this problem in the X years I've worked here" rhetoric. (Perusing Amazon reviews, I could see lens control error just a few reviews earlier than mine. He probably thought it's isolated like myself. I did until my other 3 broke).
I personally think there hasn't been as many complaints surfacing on their bulletin (if true) because XF1 is evidently a low volume seller, judging from the sometimes low clearance prices required to move them since summer. There's also plenty of mentions to this problem around the web when you Google "xf1 lens error". That notion was likewise vehemently dismissed by Fuji's reps, again stressing that they have never seen or heard of it, in their bulletins or on the web. They suggested that it could very well be a firmware problem (when it's obviously physical with the optical wobbling and shifting of preview image.) I was treated like this crazy idiot who just didn't know what I was talking about.
I inquired the possibility of replacing my broken XF1 with a different camera, since I was convinced that XF1 is flawed. I got slightly different replies. The first rep said that depending on their tech department's determination, they may replace it with "at least an XF1", which lead to the possibility of something different/better. I asked to speak to the manager because the rep said only the manager could decide. However, the manager said there's "zero possibility" that it would be replaced with anything other than XF1, at best. As you might imagine, both the rep and the manager made it clear that they would be doing me a favor by replacing it with another XF1, which they stubbornly believe is a bulletproof pro camera that only insane people would find otherwise. They said that the only thing I could do is to send it in and have them look at it, then they'll decide whether to repair or replace. I would have to write a letter, explaining the problem in detail, put in any sales receipt or what not, and they'll determine what to do.
Everything I just spoke on the phone--as difficult as it was to explain to deaf ears--would not go on record apparently, until I send in the camera and a letter (maybe that's part of the reason why they have no record of the problem in their service bulletins?). No RMA case was created (they couldn''t). No shipping label would be provided--I'd have to ship with a trackable service at my own cost. They'll just contact me when they receive it, if I put my contact info on the letter. When I suggested that the lack of at least a RMA seems unstructured and unsafe, I got another rant on how they've been doing this for 35 years with no problems.
So this call accomplished little, other than finding an unwillingness by Fuji to acknowledge this as a flawed design, and their complete lack of awareness to this problem. I'm not feeling terribly optimistic with the warranty service now--quite the contrary. Yet seeing how the broken camera is completely useless in my hands anyway, I will ship mine back to them just to see what happens.
The address to send the camera to for repairs:
Fujifilm Camera Repairs
1100 King George Rd.
Edison, NJ 08837
I encourage those who may have the same problem as mine to bring it to Fuji's attention. This certainly shouldn't have been a non-issue. I will report back when I have updates.
___________________________________
12/2/2013
Just got off the phone with Fujifilm service center in Edison, NJ again. The camera has been received by Fujifilm on 11/26/2013 according to Fedex. I have just received an email this afternoon at 3:43pm:
-------Begin email insert------
Thank you for using FUJIFILM Service and Support. Your product was received into our system today, 12/2/2013, at our Edison service center. It is our goal to have your repair completed and shipped to you within 10 business days from today. Due to holidays or parts availability, repair time may increase. You will receive an E-mail with tracking information on the day your repair is shipped.
If your repair is out of warranty, you can Approve or Refuse the estimate online by clicking the following link: https://camerarepair.fujifilmusa.com/CheckOrder or by calling 1800-659-3854 and follow the prompts to the Digital Camera Repair Dept. Please supply the above Repair Reference number.
If a response is not received within 2 weeks, your repair will be shipped back to the address given as a "No Reply to Estimate"
You can always check the status of your repair by also clicking on the link above and supplying your Repair Reference Number.
-------End email insert------
So it looks like it's in the process, and they are apparently going with the repair route. Since it's apparently an automatically generated message, I thought maybe repair can equal to replacement. At any rate, there's a confusing bit about how I need to respond to them in 2 weeks, so I used the website link to check up the repair status, and I got the following:
-------------Begin estimate insert-----------
Order Status
WAITING FOR ESTIMATE APPROVAL
Estimate Charge ($)
140
Shipping Charge ($)
18
Tax ($)
11.66
Total Charges ($)
169.66
---------End estimate insert -----------------
It looks like they are waiting for my approval of $169.66 to have the camera repaired! I called up the number provided in the email (which didn't really lead directly to the repair center. I needed to navigate 3 levels of menus, option 1, 2, 4 I believe for pro repairs), asking about why I was charged this amount when it should have been under warranty.
The service rep looked up the info and said that they found a ding on the front of the lens housing, suggesting impact damage, resulting in the lens error, and the warranty was voided. I tried to explain how the front lens housing has a very thin sheet metal, and can easily be dinged (e.g. putting it in the pocket with other things?), and how I have three others in pristine condition with the same problem, proving its irrelevance. I sent this camera (my friend's) in because it's got the most advanced development of this error, where it shows up without having to zoom.
The representative wasn't belligerent and defensive like last time, but he went on to say that's how the tech reported it and he couldn't do anything about it. He suggested to transfer me to the manager, so I could speak to him. I had him do that, but after a few minutes the same rep returned, saying how the manager was able to lower the bill to $100. I said that's not going to cut it (this really isn't about the money), and I needed to speak to him (even though it really didn't seem like we'll get anywhere), so he transferred me.
After a minute, a brusque and rushed voice came on and said "hello", and I responded a few times; but he apparently had a problem hearing me (not sure why), and he hung up on me. I had to call again, immediately, navigating through the menu and holds, asking again to speak to the manager, Dan Scarola. This time it went straight to his voicemail, saying that he's out for the day. I left a message, again explaining the situation, and left my number, asking for a call back.
So, that's the latest update. Needless to say, I'm more than disappointed. I'll try to reach him tomorrow, and if that doesn't get anywhere (a rather likely event), I'll be forced to cancel the estimate and get the broken camera back--it doesn't make sense to pay $100-$169.66 for a half-measure repair on a 199 camera (it also seems strange that the rather exorbitant estimated cost can be so arbitrarily adjusted). I don't even think it's worth the $7 FedEx shipping I paid for sending it in (not sure why Fuji's charging $18), if they are only going to do a repair without acknowledging the evident and a repeatable engineering flaw. Not only will I end up with repaired/refurbished cameras, they will most likely develop the same errors again.
The inclination to downplay camera problems and voiding warranty really brought down my expectations to nothing, and my initial "wait and see" sentiment became that of an outrage. I have had a great opinion on Fuji's recent cameras, and I recommend them heartily to family and friends (hence the 4 XF1s). Yet this good feeling has gone negative through the recent dealings with Fujifilm. I actually have other new Fujifilm X series cameras, and now not only am I leery about my future support, but that I just don't want to deal with Fujifilm anymore.
