The Gen XY Lifestyle
Retro Cameras with Cutting Edge Tech
Retro-themed cameras aren’t new, and in fact it’s remarkable that it hasn’t fizzled out as a trend either. The aesthetic appeal of a retro-style camera is probably one of few things that young and old can agree on.
FujiFilm and Olympus have recently released a couple of cameras that are the best in their class – the FujiFilm X-Pro2 and the Olympus PEN F respectively. Both are mirrorless system cameras, both are of a reasonable size in relation to the image quality that they offer, and both are oozing performance and looks in equal measure.
FujiFilm X-Pro2
The long awaited successor to the X-Pro, the new weatherproofed flagship sports the latest 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor as well as a new EVF that mimics an old school rangefinder. Though it looks quite similar to its predecessor, its improvements pretty much bump it into the lead as the flagship camera in the X-series.
The camera sports 273 autofocus points, extended ISO 51,200 range, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000s. Other useful features include a dedicated joystick to control autofocus points, an optional compressed RAW image mode to save space, a grain simulation mode to mimic old film cameras, as well as a dual card slot.
Olympus PEN F
The PEN F slips into Olympus’ PEN lineup as its premium option, as it has all the bells and whistles, including built-in electronic viewfinder – a first for the PEN series. Olympus pulled out all the stops in making it stylish, and the camera eschews visible screws on its exterior.
Like the X-Pro2, it also has the company’s latest sensor; in this case, a 20-megapixel four-thirds sensor, which is the largest that micro four-thirds cameras have to offer. The PEN F is also equipped with a useful, fully-articulating LCD touchscreen, as well as other useful features such as its fabled five-axis stabilisation as well as a clever 50-megapixel high-resolution mode for still shots.
The FujiFilm X-Pro2 will retail for S$2,799 (body only, pre-order now) somewhere in February. The price for the Olympus PEN F will be announced closer to its release date.
