Absolute tip / high-ISO expert

+ Excellent image quality
+ Excellent operability
+ Pretty fast autofocus in daylight
+ Very good rotatable display
+ Solid case
+ Flexible installation Lightning

- Places carrier AF in low light
- Noise reduction is expected to act in places gentle
- Size, tactile and material improvement of a few buttons

First:
I have a relatively extensive camera equipment and currently use a Nikon D7100. The last time I felt increasingly that such a system for street photography due to the weight and the size is simply impractical. In addition, I wanted to save me the trouble of having to edit all images in the RAW converter. Prerequisite for the new was so: compact, light, the best possible image quality (especially good Engine JPEG).

Material and workmanship:
Ahead of me was already clear that there are quite cameras with better material quality in the price segment around 500 Euros. The X-A1 and the kit lens are made predominantly of plastic.

This standard zoom has a very smooth plastic surface. Focus and zoom ring run quite precise and not too easy. Overall, the feel is not enough quite reach my previous Nikon and foreign lenses. However, the Fuji lens is also lighter than comparable lenses a not unimportant factor for me.
Taking the camera in hand, of course you can feel immediately the plastic. Nevertheless, it makes a pretty solid impression - the workmanship is good. Camera operations, however, differ as to the quality feeling. Thus, the rotary control for motives and feel each exposure to very high, raced a clean and made of metal at least superficially. The on-off switch and the trigger are indeed entirely of plastic, but can also be operated cleanly. In contrast, (spongy pressure point too small), the aperture wheel (cheaper plastic) and the Play, record, and DispBack- Q button does not completely convince.

DISPLAY:
The swiveling display can be accurately turn in the respective vertical position without being fragile. The metal structure behind it also looks pretty solid. Apart from the mechanical properties also convinced the display quality in every respect. The 3-inch, 920,000 pixel resolution display has a high contrast and excellent viewing angle stability. Colors and contrast are scarcely affected even with strong viewing angles. The already good display brightness can be increased if necessary by two seconds of pressing the Q key.

On Time:
The X-A1 needed is almost ready for a second to it. This is perfectly adequate for my needs.

MENU and operating concept:
The menu is structured quite clearly and logically. If you are in recording mode, you get the menu tab to match the range shots (ISO, image quality, and so on). Below are a few riders for the general settings. In Play mode can be found here thus also specific options (Clear, Red Eye Correction, etc.).
The operating concept is very well thought out and allows a similar work fast as with a DSLR - separate aperture, exposure and AF controls goodness. The control dial for shooting modes range from typical motif settings and the "A, M, S, P" options in addition the carbon storage function. Here in "A" settings made from the menu for "C", for example, be taken. Thus two contrasting settings can be stored separately and accessed when needed this very quickly. The individually assignable button "Fn" on top of the housing facilitates quick setting changes.

FLASH:
Unlike rigid mounting flashes, this works on by pressing the flash button on the top of the housing. With the aid of the index finger, you can change the vertical position and so leave as bounce flash indirectly flashed across the ceiling. In rooms, this results in significantly better lighting design possibilities. The performance of small flashes is quite passable and sufficiently shorter distance. With Auto ISO, the internal software prefers higher ISO values ​​higher flash intensity and thus preserves natural background light. Before using the flash the lens hood should be removed or reversed, otherwise the entire zoom range comes to unsightly shadows.

Autofocus:
The professional AF my Nikon is naturally quicker in all situations. Nevertheless, the autofocus of Fuji not least works mostly thanks to the new EXR II processor relatively quickly and without lengthy pumping. In low light, the camera suggests respectable. So a Christmas market in the late evening was rarely a problem for the AF. However, these pumps often aimlessly with very little residual light and low-contrast object. Here, for example, an X-E2 with phase AF certainly an advantage. The deactivatable AF illuminator is quite loud and strong. When used, you should make sure that it is not covered by the right middle finger.
The 49 AF points can quickly selected via AF button and their size are adjusted with the aperture wheel. Face detection works well in darker environments usually good. However, you get to focus on the desired face with several people and different distances to each other problems. Here I would like to see a choice on the cursor keys.

Manual focus:
Again, this is quite well resolved. Upon activation of the MF Assist in combination with "max.Glanzlicht focus" the outlines of objects are highlighted, so you can see the desired focus point relatively accurately. Pressing of the aperture is automatically zoomed into the image in order to enable an even more precise focusing.

LENS:
Of course, the optically stabilized kit lens with 16-50mm 3.5-5.6 is not particularly bright. However, it is also correspondingly smaller and lighter. The focusing speed can as mentioned above be described as good. On top of an already at full aperture very high sharpness, I'm so not used to Nikon standard zoom. The 16mm Anfgangsbrennweite are another, not to be underestimated advantage especially for landscape photography. In this area, the distortion is natuer accordance relatively strong. Overall, the lens makes me in terms of optical performance a very good impression.

BATTERY:
This is relatively persistent. Depending on the display use are ever 800-900 pictures in it. The battery indicator is a bit unbalanced and suggests very long a full battery. Following it goes but relatively rapidly until the battery level warning is displayed in the form of a red-colored battery.

WLAN:
For some possibly a nice feature. However, the data transfer rate is relatively low and so it is already much quicker at 1-2 dozen RAW images via USB or SD card transfer to your destination. A smartphone app for remote control, there is not (yet).

IMAGE QUALITY:
Here I would first recommend prospective this camera, visit the website of dpreview to compare the ISO test images of X-A1 directly with other cameras. Meanwhile, this can even be done by clicking on the adjusted resolution print or web view. Generally, you should notice two things: first operates Fuji obviously a bit ISO Cheating. Virtually all X series models have a longer by nearly 1/3 to 1/2 stop increments Shutter speed at comparable brightness and aperture. The X-E2 is, according to the test images even next to almost a stop. Unfortunately, the accuracy ISO in most tests is not considered. Second, in the X-A1 in JPEG Daylight mode apparently of no value "-2" instead of the usual NR "0" applied (as of 29.12.) - So you should better look like the Bulb / LowLight mode.

- JPEG:
As mentioned above, the performance of the JPEG engine was a purchasing criterion. In this regard, I was fortunately not disappointed. I have the AUTO-ISO function often set to 6400 because even at this level still a lot of pictures (depending on the subject) have a surprisingly good image quality with very subtle noise and excellent sharpness. Here, the Fuji is just around several ISO and f-stops better than the Nikon D7100 thanks to the highly effective JPEG processing in HighIso area and outflanked by the way still virtually all full-format cameras in terms of noise (see mentioned test patterns). However, especially in comparison to this demodulator with partially visible in the big picture view texture and loss of detail. This is also the only weak point: in practice from ISO 1600 images even at the slightest noise reduction "NR -2" are often too strong ironed a bit. Visible It is then especially in some individuals shots. Apparently it is here but, among other things also on the available light, the skin structure and the distance to the person. I have certainly also high ISO portrait images that seem not smoothed exaggerated. Still, I would have the minimum level "-2" to "0" expects total closer to the center position.
The white balance is often accurate, but tends now and sometimes quite strongly towards yellow (particularly in artificial light) and red (sometimes with flash). I've been using for available light shots the C function of the motif-rotating wheel. Here I can optimize and save the white balance for higher ISOs and artificial light. Generally, one should consider that no camera has a perfect auto-white balance, and there will be different degrees of variations depending on lighting conditions.

- RAW:
Again, the X-A1 shows its positive side. At higher speeds it is slightly in front of the Nikon D7100. Textures and noise keeps them at a pleasingly good level to ISO6400. With a little reworking larger, high-quality prints are also in this area there. At low ISO speeds, the Nikon because of their higher resolution offers a bit more crop potential.
One reason for me, the X-A1 preferable to higher-priced X-Trans-Cams, was the better support for Lightroom, since the X-A1 uses the more common Bayer filter with ordinary color filter. This is also reflected in the mentioned dpreview comparison images in RAW again (see Focus).

CONCLUSION:
I was looking for a camera that clearly distinguishes itself in terms of size and weight of a DSLR without this leading to significant restrictions on the use and image quality. In short, the X-A1 is in this respect a direct hit and exceed my expectations overall. The price is exceptional considering the performance offered. Tangible compromises have only the autofocus in particular are taken in strong dark.