Fujifilm X-Pro1 Performance

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Fuji X-Pro1 Performance

Timing and Performance

Mixed performance from the Fuji X-Pro1.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	~1.3 seconds	Time it takes to turn on and capture a shot.
Shutdown	~1.1 seconds	How long it takes camera to turn off before you can remove the memory card.
Buffer clearing time	13 seconds after 18 Large/Fine JPEGs*	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card.
	33 seconds after 14 RAW files*
	37 seconds after 13 RAW+ L/F JPEG files*
*Note: Buffer clearing times measured with a SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/sec 8GB SDHC card. Slower cards will produce correspondingly slower clearing times. Slow cards may also limit length of bursts in continuous mode. ISO sensitivity and noise reduction settings can also affect cycle times and burst mode performance.

Startup and shutdown time were quite slow at default settings compared to most SLRs, but reasonable for a CSC. The X-Pro1 has an optional Quick Start mode that can cut startup time in half according to Fuji, however we didn't test that mode. Buffer clearing times were very slow with a 45MB/s UHS-1 card, so you'll definitely want to get the fastest card you can afford.

Mode Switching
Play to Record, first shot	~1.8 seconds	Time until first shot is captured.
Record to Play	~4.2 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture.
Display recorded image	~0.7 second	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.

Mode switching was also slow, especially record to play. Luke noted that the X-Pro1 would not got directly from startup to record, nor play to record. There's always a delay and a second shutter press needed.

Shutter Response (Lag Time)
Full Autofocus, Single-area AF mode	0.369 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, with the lens already at the proper focal distance setting. (All timing performed with the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R lens.)
Full Autofocus, Multi AF mode	0.626 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, with the lens already at the proper focal distance setting.
Continuous AF	0.367 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects.
Manual Focus	0.176 second	For most cameras, shutter lag is less in manual focus than autofocus, but usually not as fast as when the camera is "prefocused".
Prefocused	0.053 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.

The Fuji X-Pro1's autofocus speed was slightly below average for compact system camera these days. The Fuji X-Pro1 produced full-autofocus shutter lag (with the subject at a fixed distance) that ranged from 0.369 second using Area AF mode (center), to 0.626 second using Multi AF mode in our tests. Manual focus shutter lag was pretty fast, though, at 0.176 second. Prefocused shutter lag was quite fast, at only 0.053 second. This is much faster than most SLRs and faster than most CSCs as well, though not as fast as models with an electronic first curtain option.

To minimize the effect of different lens' focusing speed, we test AF-active shutter lag with the lens already set to the correct focal distance.

Cycle Time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large/Fine JPEG	0.77 second	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots with no signs of slowing, 8 seconds to clear*.
Single Shot mode RAW	0.77 second	Time per shot, averaged over 14 shots, 33 seconds to clear*.
Single Shot mode RAW + L/F JPEG	0.75 second	Time per shot, averaged over 13 shots, 37 seconds to clear*.
Early shutter penalty?	Yes	Some cameras don't snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.
Continuous 6 fps Large Fine JPEG	0.19 second (5.25 frames per second); 18 frames total; 13 seconds to clear*	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length of 18 frames. Then slows to 0.69s or 1.45 fps after buffer is full.
Continuous 6 fps RAW	0.19 second (5.38 frames per second); 11 frames total; 26 seconds to clear*	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length of 11 frames. Then slows to 1.93s or 0.52 fps after buffer is full.
Continuous 6 fps RAW + L/F JPEG	0.18 second (5.42 frames per second); 10 frames total; 33 seconds to clear*	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length of 10 frames. Then slows to 2.46s or 0.41 fps after buffer is full.
Flash Recycling	N/A	Flash at maximum output.
*Note: Buffer clearing times measured with a SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/sec 8GB SDHC card. Slower cards will produce correspondingly slower clearing times. Slow cards may also limit length of bursts in continuous mode. ISO sensitivity and noise reduction settings can also affect cycle times and burst mode performance.

Single-shot cycle times are slightly faster than average for a CSC. We measured 0.77 second when shooting large/fine JPEGs or RAW files, and 0.75 second for RAW+JPEG files.

"Continuous 6 fps" mode speeds are good, ranging from 5.25 to 5.42 frames per second depending on the file type, though that's a bit below Fuji's 6 fps spec and slower than some other recent CSCs. The Fuji X-Pro1 also offers a "Continuous 3 fps" mode, but we didn't test that mode.

Full resolution buffer depths are good for JPEGs, at 18 frames with our difficult to compress target. You'll likely do better with typical subjects. When shooting RAW files, buffer depth dropped to 11 frames, and 10 frames with RAW+JPEG. Buffer clearing is very slow with our 45MB/s UHS-I card, at up to 33 seconds after 10 RAW+JPEG frames. Faster cards are however available.

Download Speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	8,879 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-769=USB 2.0 Low; Above 770=USB 2.0 High

Download speeds were reasonably fast, quick enough that you probably won't feel the need for a separate card reader. (Note that this test was performed with a SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/sec SD card: Slower cards would likely show slower transfer times.)

Bottom line, the Fuji X-Pro1's performance was a mixed bag during our testing. Startup time and mode switching were sluggish, while autofocus speed was slightly below average these days. Prefocused shutter lag however was good, as were single-shot cycle times. Burst mode speeds were good, but buffer depths just so-so with RAW files. Buffer clearing was quite slow, so invest in a very fast card.

Battery

Battery Life
Below average battery life for a compact system camera at default settings, but you can conserve a lot of power by using the optical viewfinder.

Operating Mode	Battery Life
Still Capture, (CIPA standard)	300 shots
Still Capture, (Fuji standard, optical viewfinder)	Up to 1,000 shots

The Fuji X-Pro1 uses a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack for power, and comes with both a single battery and charger. The CIPA-rated 300 shots per charge is below the capacity of most Compact System Cameras these days. (Fuji does not state which viewfinder was used to obtain that rating, but they claim up to 1,000 shots are possible with the optical viewfinder, according to their own testing methodology.) The X-Pro1 has a Power Save mode that improves battery life slightly (up to 350 shots), but Quick Start mode can reduce battery life substantially (down to 150 shots). Kudos to Fuji for allowing the user to tweak startup performance versus power consumption. As usual, though, we recommend getting a second battery for your X-Pro1 if you plan any extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))