Merry Christmas, season’s greetings and all of that. If you have not received any Christmas presents this year, let Fujifilm be the first!

The long awaited firmware update for the X-T1 is finally here and you can download it by clicking right here.

Now if you’re still here, then you must be at least slightly interested in the opinion of a (mildly biased) X-T1 user regarding how the firmware update has changed his camera.

So, in order of how much I value them, here’s my low down:

Classic Chrome

I really like this Film Simulation mode. I had previously used the X100T and loved to just stick it on Classic Chrome, change EXP Comp to -2/3 and shoot. No need to do anything to the shots after because the JPEGS straight out of the camera are just superb.

Here’s a few shots I took recently+. All shot as RAW and then converted in-camera to Classic Chrome (left) and Provia standard (right)

I also want to add this one which is one of my favourite shots from the Alex Lambrechts street workshop. This was taken on an X100T using Classic Chrome straight from camera.

Interlock Spot AE & Focus Area

I never quite understood why Spot Metering only ever worked in the centre of the image. The beauty of it was that you could quickly expose perfectly on a specific subject rather than tweak with the EXP Comp dial, but then you had to re-frame every shot once you lock the exposure by half-pressing the shutter. This was a quiet change that made it onto the X100T, so I was delighted to see it also on the X-T1 FW update.

Shots below show spot metering on the focus point. If you look close you will see that they also demonstrate the next feature – changing the size of the AF square in MF

Change the size of the AF square in MF mode

This is one that lot of people have asked for over the last year or so. Personally I like to use MF for everything, and just use the AF-L button to autofocus. (TIP: Shoot B+W mode with Red of Blue focus peaking and it makes it SOOOOO easy to see the focal plane. Don’t forget to save RAW files in case you don’t actually want B+W images!). This little fix allows me to have the AF accuracy of normal AF mode while continuing to shoot how I prefer.

Electronic Shutter

Since my favourite prime lenses are the XF23mm and XF56mm, shooting wide open in bright conditions often causes me to need to stop down, not because I want a deeper depth of field, but because I don’t want to massively over expose my shots. Now I no longer need to worry as the shutter will just automatically adjust. And it’s surprising just how often it does this, even shooting around f/2.

Additionally, I like to use the remote app and leave the camera hanging around my neck for the ultimate “candid” shots on the streets. Manually activating the Electronic Shutter makes every shot completely silent.

Instax printing

This one doesn’t actually affect me right now, but I hope it will in the VERY near future. I love the prints you get from the instax cameras and to be able to send images from a top quality digital camera, straight to the printer will go down a treat around the dining table on Christmas day!

Button lock

This is a feature I’m sure a lot of people will like. You can basically choose to either lock ALL settings, or just select certain settings to lock. For now I’ve locked the Movei Record button that I so frequently accidentally press, although if I thought about it I could just change that function button to something more useful than Movie Record. However, the position of it does make it one I do often press by mistake. I’m used to having that particular function button either work as ISO or ND filter (both for using on X100S) and neither are needed on the X-T1. I’m sure I can find something useful to put there.

And everything else…

I’ve only mentioned the things that I think will change the way I shoot with my X-T1. There’s loads of other things that all seem great and I’m sure lots of people will use. Perhaps one day I will too. Here’s the full official list of changes:

1 Electronic Shutter
2 New Film Simulation “Classic Chrome”
3 LCD Brightness、EVF/LCD Color Control、Preview PIC. effect
4 Direct selection of AF area
5 Unlocked AE-L/AF-L Buttons
6 Variable Focus Area during MF
7 Direct selection of Macro mode
8 Q.Menu customization
9 New Video Frame rates (50P/25P/24P)
10 Manual Shooting in Video mode
11 Phase detection AF support for Instant AF
12 Interlocking of Metering and Focus areas
13 Expansion of shutter speed in Program Shift mode
14 Add Flash compensation in Function setting
15 Instax Printer Print
16 Lock Function
17 Three Custom White Balances
18 Expand EVF/LCD displaying types in manual exposure mode
19 AF+MF
20 PC tethered shooting support

To save your mousewheel the effort of scrolling back up to the top, here’s the link again to download the Fujifilm X-T1 update.

Hope you enjoy!

About the author

I am a full-time employee of Fujifilm UK but this post is not the official word of Fujifilm, simply just the opinion of a guy who just happens (rather conveniently) to love Fujifilm cameras!