Fuji X-T1 vs. X-Pro1 vs X-E2

Fuji has just announced its latest X-mount camera: the SLR-styled X-T1, which sits alongside the X-Pro and new X-E2 in the company's current lineup of high-end X-mount models. So, withthese three cameras on the market, how do they stack up against each other and which one should you buy?

Well, let's have a look!


Construction:
X-T1: metal, weather-sealed
X-Pro1: metal
X-E2: metal and plastic
X-T1 wins here

Body Style:
X-T1: SLR
X-Pro1: Rangefinder
X-E2: Rangefinder
To each his own


Sensor:
X-T1: 16Mp
X-Pro1: 16Mp
X-E2: 16Mp
All square

Aspect ratios:
X-T1: 3
X-Pro1: 3
X-E2: 3
Tied

Processor:
X-T1: EXR II
X-Pro1: EXR X-E2: EXR II
New is better

White Balance Presets:
X-T1: 8
X-Pro1: 7
X-E2: 7
X-T1 wins

Shutter Speed:
X-T1: 30-1/4000^th sec
X-Pro1: 30-1/4000^th sec
X-E2: 30-1/4000^th sec
Dead heat

Max. ISO
X-T1: 51,200
X-Pro1: 25,600
X-E2: 6400
X-T1 wins

Viewfinder coverage:
X-T1: 100%
X-Pro1: 100%
X-E2: 100%
Tied

Viewfinder Type:
X-T1: OLEDX-Pro1: Optical with digital overlay
X-E2: OLED
Optical always wins

LCD:
X-T1: 3” tilting
X-Pro1: 3” fixed
X-E2: 3” fixed
X-T1 wins

Built-in flash:
X-T1: no
X-Pro1: noX-E2: yes
X-E2 wins

Continuous drive:
X-T1: 6fps
X-Pro1: 6 fpsX-E2: 7fps
X-E2 wins again

Exposure Compensation:
X-T1: +/- 3
X-Pro1: +/- 2X-E2: +/- 3
Old loses

AE Bracketing
X-T1: yes (1/3, 2/3, 1EV steps)
X-Pro1: yes (1/3, 2/3, 1 EV steps)
X-E2: yes (1/3, 2/3, 1EV steps)
All square

Video:
X-T1: 1080p at 60fps
X-Pro1: 1080p at 24fpsX-E2: 1080p at 60fps
Old loses again


Wi-fi connectivity:
X-T1: built-in
X-Pro1: noX-E2: built-in
Old loses

GPS:
X-T1: optional
X-Pro1: no
X-E2: no
New wins

Time Lapse Recording:
X-T1: yes
X-Pro1: no
X-E2: no
New wins here, too

Weight:
X-T1: 440g
X-Pro1: 450gX-E2: 350g
X-E2 is the lightweight

So, which to buy?

First, let's start with the undeniable facts. First of all, the X-T1 has the edge in build quality thanks to its 75+ rubber gaskets designed to keep dust and moisture out of the camera, just don't forget to pick up a weather-sealed X-mount lens when they start hitting stores as Fuji has announced 3 such optics. On the viewfinder front, the X-Pro1 wins thanks to its optical viewfinder. Unfortunately, the X-Pro1 is looking rather dated in some areas such as video capability, connectivity, GPS, time lapse recording, and exposure compensation. The X-E2? It's the lightweight in the group, though not without some limitations.

My recommendations?

If viewfinder is a top concern, get the X-Pro1 as it's the only camera in the group to have an optical viewfinder. If you value portability, get the X-E2. Everyone else? Get the X-T1, especially considering its middle of the road (vs the other 2) price point. 

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10 Years of 'Opportunity'

Today marks a huge milestone for NASA's Opportunity Mars rover: 10 years on the Red Planet. Not bad for a mission that had a 90-day design life. To date, Opportunity has driven over 24 miles across Mars, and, according to NASA, is still going strong, inspecting an outcrop of rock at Solander Point, which sits on the rim of Endeavour Crater. 

Personally, I think it's about time that the now 'other' rover got some limelight back.

Launched for the Red Planet in 2003, a time which coincided with the closest Earth-Mars approach in thousands of years, Opportunity, along with its twin rover, Spirit, started their journey through space in the hopes of fulfilling a planetary scientist's dream of a large, long-lived, roving vehicle that was to serve as a mobile science platform. In the mission statement, Opportunityand Spirit were given a 90 day life estimate during which they would try to confirm the existence of water on Mars.

That was at the rovers' arrival in January, 2004.

Their initial mission to look for signs of water on Mars completed within the 90 day time frame, both rovers were still going strong. So, officially living on borrowed time, NASA scientists decided to try and get as much out of the rovers as possible before they too went the way of

Pathfinder/Sojourner, Viking, and all the other Mars missions.

Needless to say, the rovers did not disappoint, with their findings completely reshaping our knowledge of the Red Planet.

Speaking on Opportunity's unimaginable longevity, John Callas, project manager for opportunity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said that “these are magnificently designed machines . . . we really have greatly expanded the exploration envelope by having a vehicle that can not only last so long but stay in very good health over that time, such that we can continue exploring."

Hopefully, Opportunity will live to celebrate many more anniversaries on Mars.

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Specifications, Prices for Fuji's Rumored X-T1

The rumor mill is in high gear in regards to Fuji's hinted X-T1 (the name itself is as-yet unconfirmed) dSLR-like X-mount camera. First it was pictures and now, thanks to Fujirumors, there are specifications and prices, too. According to Fujirumors, this is what the camera will look like.
*bigger (x77 magnification) and better (high performance) EVF / (trusted +  anonymous sources)

*APS-C X-Trans sensor II (16MP) / (trusted +  anonymous sources)

*support for the UHS-II SD-card for super-fast writing speed / (trusted sources)

*dual SD-Card slot (trusted source)

*8fps with AF tracking / (trusted source)

*weather sealed body / (trusted sources)

*tilt screen (source who was right in the past, but not yet upgraded to trusted source + new source)

*SLR-type (Fujica) design / (source who was right in the past, but not yet upgraded to trusted source)

*WiFi capable

*ISO  up to 51200 (new source)

*smaller than the X-E2 (anonymous source)

*18-55 kit lens (anonymous source + other rumor sites)

*18-135 will be weather sealed (other rumor sites)

*additional battery grip / (anonymous source)

* faster AF then X-E2 / (new source) [I think that this source confused faster writing speed with faster AF-speed]

As for prices, the rumors state that the camera will go for, body-only, 180,000 Japanese Yen, $1,800, or about 1,250 Euro. As for availability, the camera is expected to hit stores. Unfortunately, there's no price as a stand-alone on the 18-135 lens, though.

Needless to say, the camera, if these specs are true, will be very impressive.

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Caught on Camera: Mini Moon January 2014

Yesterday night brought the the smallest Full Moon of 2014 (and about as small of one as you'll ever see at all). Why? When the Moon reached full last night, it was only about 2 hours away from a point in its orbit called apogee, which is the farthest away the Moon can be to Earth.

So, why is this?

As was first discovered in the early 1600s by Johannes Kepler, all orbiting bodies move in elliptical (slightly elongated) orbits, the Moon is no exception. The fact the lunar orbit is elliptical is the root of the whole 'mini Moon' event that happened last night. Because of the elliptical orbit, the Moon is not always the same distance from Earth, but a varying distance that can change by as much as about 27,000 miles, hence why the Moon can look bigger or smaller as seen from Earth.

The above composite photo (taken with Nikon D700 mounted on Orion ED80 telescope)serves as proof!

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Comet ISON Could Spawn a Meteor Shower Tonight

Comet ISON could spawn a meteor shower tonight, that's the word from NASA, which has an entire page on its website concerning a speculative “ISON-id” Meteor Shower. 

For the past year and a half, both astronomy enthusiasts and the general public went abuzz over Comet ISON thanks to a prediction by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that the comet could become as bright as the Full Moon. Unfortunately, Comet ISON didn't survive its close encounter with the Sun on Thanksgiving Day.

However, there may be one last hurrah from the comet.

As Comet ISON sped in towards Earth, scientists estimated that it shed about 100,000 pounds of debris per minute, leaving a massive trail of debris along its inbound path. The interesting thing to consider: Earth will pass through the Comet's inbound path tonight, reaching the deepest concentration of debris.

So, how likely is a meteor shower to happen? Short answer: no one knows. Still, you can't see anything if you don't go out and look. As for where to look, the shower (if it happens) will radiate from the constellation of Leo, specifically The Sickle.

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CES Day 3 Announcements

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is open!. CES serves as a showplace for all the latest in electronics gear, including cameras. Now, with the show open for business, manufacturers are really rolling out the new gear. Here's what's new today!

The big news of the day surrounds JK Imaging, which bought out a lot of Kodak's technology during that company's bankruptcy process. Now, K is going to be bringing some new gear to market, all under the Kodak nameplate.

Kodak PixPro S1: Micro Four Thirds,16Mp, 1080p HD video, wi-fi, sensor-based stabilization ($499 with a single lens kit and $599 with a two-lens bundle).

Kodak Astro Zoom AZ651: 65x zoom, articulating LCD, wi-fi, too. ($349).

More Astro Zoom: 4 more models are forthcoming, with lenses ranging from a 25 to 52x zoom and priced from $139-$249.

Smartphone clip-on lenses
SL25: 24-600mm film equivalent ($299)

SL10: 28-280mm film equivalent ($199)

Rugged Compacts
Kodak SPZ1 Action Cam: 3x optical zoom, 14 Mp, Video Image Stabilization. ($139).
Kodak SP1 Action Cam: ultrawide lens that has a whopping 160 degree field of view, wi-fi. ($169-$229 depending on the accessory package).

Beginner-friendly cameras

Kodak Friendly Zoom line: Prices will range from $69 - $129.

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Side by Side Comparison: Nikon D3300 vs. D3200

Which camera should I buy: the new Nikon D3300 or the old D3200? That's the question that a lot of photographers will be asking now that Nikon has announced its new D3300 entry-level dSLR, which is the successor to the D3200, which was announced back in April, 2012.

So, is are the extra features worth the price premium? Well, let's see!

Sensor:
D3300: 24Mp, no low-pass filter
D3200: 24Mp
D3300 is better in theory

Aspect ratios:
D3300: 1
D3200: 1
All square

Processor:
D3300: Expeed 4
D3200: Expeed 3
New is better

White Balance Presets:
D3300: 12
D3200: 12
All square

Shutter Speed:
D3300: 30-1/4000th second
D3200: 30-1/4000th second
Dead heat

Max SO
D3300: 25,600
D3200: 12,800
D3300 wins

Viewfinder:
D3300: 95%
D3200: 95%
Tied

AF Points:
D3300: 11
D3200: 11
Another draw

LCD:
D3300: 3” 921k dot
D3200: 3” 921k dot
Tied here

Built-in flash:
D3300: yes
D3200: yes
Same again

Continuous drive:
D3300: 5fps
D3200: 4fps
D3300 has the faster gun

Exposure Compensation:
D3300: +/- 5 stops
D3200: +/- 5 stops
Another draw

WB Bracketing:
D3300: no
D3200: no

Video: 
D3300: 1080p up to 60fps
D3200: 1080p up to 30fps
Finally, a difference!

Wi-fi connectivity:
D3300: yes
D3200: yes
Tie

GPS:
D3300: optional
D3200: optional
Another tie

Weight: 
D3300: 430g
D3200: 505g
The D3300 is trimmer

So, by looking at the above list, one can see a lot more similarities than differences. So, how about analyzing the differences?

First of all: the sensor. In theory, the lack of a low-pass filter should make the D3300 sharper right out of the box. However, by tweaking settings on the D3200, one can sharpen the images, too. Another consideration: the D3300/3200 are aimed at beginning dSLR users, who are likely not to split pixels (or even care) over which camera is fractionally sharper than the other. The same goes for the extra stop of ISO on the D3300. Bottom line: ISO 12,800 sucks on both cameras, which means that ISO 25,600 on the D3300 will suck even more.

As for other differences, they're few and far between, with the only practical one being the newer processor, which gives the D3300 1 extra frame per second. Does this matter? To most people, probably not, unless you're shooting fast action, wherein having that extra 1fps can (emphasis: can) make a difference. 30 vs. 60fps on video? It's highly doubtful that many people in the D3300's target audience would notice the difference.

Bottom line: when the D3300 hits stores next month, it will cost$650 when bundled with a redesigned (its smaller) 18-55 VR kit lens. In contrast, the D3200 can be had for about $525. So, is an extra 1fps worth $125? To me, absolutely not.

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CES Day 2 Announcements

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened yesterday. CES serves as a showplace for all the latest in electronics gear, including cameras. Now, with the show open for business, manufacturers are really rolling out the new gear. Here's what's new today!

Samsung:
WB350F: wi-fi capable, 21x zoom, 16Mp, leatherette finish
WB2200F: dual grip, 60x zoom (1200mm film equivalent), wi-fi, 16Mp

Not much. Hopefully, day 3 will be better.

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Nikon D3300 vs D3200: New Camera is Over-Priced, Over-Hyped Piece of Junk

Nikon just announced its latest dSLR: the entry-level D3300, which comes a replacement to the nearly 2-year old D3200. Unfortunately, the D3300 is merely a renamed D3200 reheated in the technologicalmicrowave and slapped with a higher price tag.

Check it out: D3300 vs D3200. As you can see, there are far more similarities than differences.

As for the differences, they're rather insignificant. First of all: the sensor. In theory, the lack of a low-pass filter should make the D3300 sharper right out of the box. However, by tweaking settings on the D3200, one can sharpen the images, too. Another consideration: the D3300/3200 are aimed at beginning dSLR users, who are likely not to split pixels (or even care) over which camera is fractionally sharper than the other. The same goes for the extra stop of ISO on the D3300. Bottom line: ISO 12,800 sucks on both cameras, which means that ISO 25,600 on the D3300 will suck even more.

As for other differences, they're few and far between, with the only practical one being the newer processor, which gives the D3300 1 extra frame per second. Does this matter? To most people, probably not, unless you're shooting fast action, wherein having that extra 1fps can (emphasis: can) make a difference. 30 vs. 60fps on video? It's highly doubtful that many people in the D3300's target audience would notice the difference.

Bottom line: when the D3300 hits stores next month, it will cost$650 when bundled with a redesigned (its smaller) 18-55 VR kit lens. In contrast, the D3200 can be had for about $525. So, is an extra 1fps worth $125? To me, absolutely not.

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CES Day 1 Announcements

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened today. CES serves as a showplace for all the latest in electronics gear, including cameras. Now, with the show open for business, manufacturers are really rolling out the new gear. Here's what's new today!

Panasonic:
Lumix DMC-LZ40: 42x zoom, 20Mp, optical stabilization
Lumix DMC-SZ8: 12x zoom, wi-fi, 16Mp
Lumix DMC-ZS35: 18Mp, 30X zoom, electronic viewfinder
Lumix DMC-ZS40: 16Mp, 20x zoom, no viewfinder
Leica DG Nocticron 42.5 f1.2 ASPH lens ($1,600, Q1 2104)

Sigma
50 f1.4 DG HSM Art
18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM

Sony
A5000: “world's lightest interchangeable lens camera” at 7.4oz, ($600 with kit lens, March)

Nikon
Coolpix L830: 34x zoom, 16Mp, tilting 3” LCD ($300, February)
Coolpix S6800, S5300, S3600 compacts: (February, $220, $180, $140, respectively)
35 f1.8 AF-S Nikkor: for film/FX,DX ($600, February)
Nikon D4S (planned, further details sketchy)
D3300: 24Mp, no low-pass filter, 5fps, new processor ($650 with kit lens, February)
18-55 f3.5-5.6 VR Nikkor II: smaller than its predecessor ($250, February)

So there you go, today's CES announcements.

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CES 2014 Kicks off Tomorrow, Lots Already Announced Today

Come tomorrow morning, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for 2014 will kick off in Las Vegas, serving as a showplace for all the latest in electronics gear, including cameras. However, despite the show not being started yet, some manufacturers are already announcing their new gear.

So, what's already coming down the pike?

Samsung
NX30 SLR-like camera: 20Mp APS-C, tilting viewfinder, improved AMOLED display
16-50 f2-2.8 lens
16-50 f3.5-5.6 lens

Fujifilm
Finepix S1: 50x zoom, weather-sealed, f2.4 on wide end ($500, March)
Finepix XP70: waterproof to 33ft, shockproof, temperature resistant ($230, March)
Finepix S9400W: 50x zoom, f2.9-6.5 lens, wi-fi connectivity ($350, March)
Finepix S9200: same as 9400 but without wi-fi ($330, March)
Finepix S8600: 36x zoom, entry-level ($230, March)
X100s: black special edition
XF 56 f1.2R lens

Canon
ELPH 640: 16Mp, 12x zoom, DIGIC 4+ ($200, March)
SX600: 16Mp, 18x zoom, DIGIC 4+ ($250, February)
Powershot N110: rear-facing dual camera, wi-fi, tilting LCD ($350, May)

Needless to say, there's a lot more that will probably be unveiled in the next 3days, so stay tuned for updates!

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Belief in Pseudoscience Runs Rampant as 2014 Dawns

Happy New Year 2014! It's a new year and, despite the progress in science and technology, two things I've seen in the past day serve as clean-cut evidence that belief in baloney continues to run rampant. First up: a new Pew Research Center poll has found that a third of Americans deny the scientific fact that is evolution and the morning news featured a 10-minute segment with an astrologer making predictions for 2014.

This is 2014 AD, right?

First up: evolution. Yesterday, I read in the news that on Monday, Pew released a new poll about Americans' belief in the theory (virtually the fact by now) of evolution. The finding: on average, a third of Americans refuse to recognize the fact that present life forms have evolved over time. The belief in evolution varies over demographics. Age wise, the young are most likely to believe in evolution. Politically, far more Democrats and Independents believe in evolution than Republicans, among whom belief in evolution is falling. Religiously, two thirds of white evangelical Protestants deny evolution while nearly 80% of white mainline Protestants believe Darwin's theory. Additionally, when it comes to belief in evolution among the religious, most groups represented in the survey show nearly a 50/50 split over the question of whether evolution is purely natural or guided by a supreme being, with only the religiously unaffiliated showing a clear majority believing that evolution is purely natural. As for education, the more schooling one gets, the more likely one is to believe in evolution.

For many scientifically literate people, these findings are troubling.

While there is no such thing as an absolute truth in science, that's not to say that there can't be mountains of evidence that, when looked at collectively, pretty much prove something is true beyond reasonable doubt. Such is the case with evolution. Ever since Darwin's 1859 theory first hit the press, evolution has been a touchy subject, with researchers all over the world wanting to study this, at the time, heretical idea for themselves. Result: over decades of study, evolution has evolved from a single man's hypothesis into a virtually unassailable theory, one that can be observed to be at work in the present.

Now, what does all of this have to do with astronomy and space? Answer: plenty.

Like biology, astronomy is a subject that has had a history of conflicting with religion and, even now, can shock the sensibilities of some, particularly religious fundamentalists, who continue to cling to the belief that the world was created in a matter of days and that the age of the Earth can be determined by counting back the years as given in holy books. Just as anyone committed to the correct teaching of science would be appalled at the lack of evolution in biology, a same revulsion would occur if the Big Bang along with solar system formation were taught side by side with the account in Genesis, or skipped altogether, in astronomy. Needless to say, omitting these two most basic of processes would do as major a disservice to any astronomy student as glossing over evolution or teaching it in tandem with a most nonscientific idea as creationism would do to anyone learning biology.

Unfortunately, thanks to the social climate of the country we live in, being that the U.S. is an anomaly in the Western world wherein belief in creationism, depending how it is defined,  far outweighs that in evolution, it is not uncommon for people to cherry-pick what scientific facts they choose to believe. Example: someone may have a purely scientific mindset except for a denial of evolution.

As a final thought, consider the following: in science, if there is any commandment, it is this: respect the facts. No matter what we want the world to be or what our preconceived notions are, the world is the way it is, inflexible to human will. If one truly wishes to assume a scientific mindset, he/she must have respect for facts, no matter how contrary to personal beliefs they are. In the case of both evolution and the Big Bang, all facts point towards the scientific theories, not the religious dogma, being the truth. Yes, there are many great things about religion, such as ethical principles, its function as a social bonding agent, influence on the arts, and many others. However, religion is not science and it should not be a substitute for science.

See also:
The case for Evolution 
The Pew Center 

Next up: astrology.

Astrology is the ancient belief that the stars and planets shape one's personality and fate. The ancients believed that the zodiac constellations (the ones through which the Sun passes) hold special powers that can shape personality. Also, it was believed that any given constellation was at its most influential when the Sun was present within its boundaries. As the final astrological commandment, the planets themselves have special traits that they can pass on to individuals.

Take these three tenants, combine them with the logical fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc (false causal relation) and one gets astrology, the long since debunked belief that planets, stars, and the Sun can impact the fate of humans.

So why do people continue to believe such nonsense? The theories are many.

One belief is that humans like to be part of something bigger than themselves. That's why we have families and join social clubs, we want to belong. Taken to the extreme, some people like the idea that their personal fates are tied to the celestial realm, which seems like the ultimate way to belong to something. Unfortunately, these people are wrong when it comes to the heavens impacting their lives. However, on a much more basic, wondrous level, we are all part of the cosmos in that every atom in our bodies was formed either in the Big Bang or in the cores of stars.

Another (false) idea is that astrology provides answers as to why things happen. Put it this way, some people would rather believe that a bad alignment of, perhaps, Mars and Venus is the reason that he/she had a blowup with a significant other. To put it bluntly, some people just hate taking responsibility for things and the heavens can provide an easy scapegoat for life's misfortunes.

A third idea of why people believe in astrology is because those daily astrology columns really serve as an advice column. Want proof? Find and a horoscope. If you read the message closely, you'll see that the predictions aren't predictions at all, but merely suggestions, and rather vague ones at that. For some people though, any advice is good advice. Personally, if you must have advice from strangers, stick to your local Dear Abby-esque column.

A final reason that people believe in astrology is that old habits simply die hard.

So, back to the new year. 2014 is here and, if you're looking for a new year's resolution but just can't seem to settle on one, why not make it a point to kick irrational beliefs like astrology to the curb? Oh, and while you're at it, be sure to toss those lucky shirts, magic charms, and any other object that has potential to harm sound judgment out the door, too.

Needless to say, while we've come a long way, there's much to be done when it comes to getting the word about science out to everyone.

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