Out in the morning to shoot crop format on the fp L, I got fifty-eight frames (almost no playback) with the camera switched on over a period of less than 2.5 hours before the battery went completely dead. The detailed spec sheet for the camera doesn’t specify a shots per charge number with the EVF-11 attached. But it specifies 240 without.
This was with the camera set to Eco Mode and EVF to 30 seconds. This is not a showstopper—or even a significant issue—for me, a stills shooter. But if other early adopters have the same experience, it could kill sales (and subsequently support) for the camera.
Once one gets accustomed to placement of controls, the camera is amazingly nimble in the field. Image quality is superb and raw files are very workable. I haven’t yet tried it in low light.
In the afternoon UV13 sun with hot, sticky weather, the body barely got warm to the touch. For my purposes, that alone more than offsets the short battery life. As one uses the camera, it becomes more obvious that a lot of thought went into the design. Even if it doesn’t become a best seller, it’s surely destined to become a cult favorite.
