Comprehensive X100 Review

[Chris Dodkin]

Photography Blog has a hands-on review of the X100 posted

http://photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_finepix_x100_review/

They give it a good working over, and highlight the good and the not so good features of the camera.

Worth a read if you're interested in the camera - ahead of actually being able to get your hands on one to demo!

They conclude:

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 is a brilliantly-realised, beautiful and intuitive camera that's well suited to its principal use of unobtrusive, candid street photograpy. There are a few weak points in terms of its overall ease-of-use, most notably the slow write speeds and slightly sluggish auto-focusing (at least compared to a DSLR), but as a first-generation product it's remarkably well thought out and put together.

For some reason the image test pages are coming up with images missing right now.... hope they get that fixed soon!!!!!

RATINGS (OUT OF 5)
Design 5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image Quality 5
Value for money 4

 

[Larry Bolch]

The Fuji Guys just tweeted that the first shipment is now on the ground in Canada. No idea how many units, or if I am high enough on the pre-order list to get one. However, my spare battery is being charged in anticipation.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Fingers crossed for you Larry!

 

[Larry Bolch]

I can be patient, being well aware of the situation in Japan. It is not like I am bereft of photographic capability. I have quite capable equipment, but not in the carry-everywhere category.

The X100 is a camera I have been waiting for since the beginning of digital photography. In film days, when the work-day was over, most of us carried compact rangefinder cameras everywhere. After an eight hour day of lugging heavy camera systems, lighting equipment and so on, we wanted to be able to travel light, but still have a camera that could provide publication quality images.

Even though we were working as photographers, we were also enthusiasts. It has always been extremely difficult to find a photography job, and only the most enthusiastic hung in long enough to score one. When the shift ended, we still saw ourselves as photographers. None the less, we did not want to have to carry a Sinar 8×10, case of film holders and an 20 pound tripod and head when we were taking a stroll to the grocery store or meeting friends for dinner.

When shooting travel assignments and out scouting or off to lunch, I carried a medium format Plaubel Makina 67 with a built in 80mm (40mm equivalent) f/2.8 Nikon lens. Early on, it was a Retina, followed by a Konica S3 that was so good that my ex- claimed it in the settlement—and she is a writer, not a photographer!! Finally, I carried a Nikon L35 until the end of film for me. For planned shoots and any photography that demands ultimate quality and versatility, I do have my D700 and a goodly arsenal of glass. What I do not have, is a domestic Sherpa to lug it. (Where is Tensing when I need him?)

Upon seeing the first picture of the X100, I recognized that it was the result of evolution from the exquisite little rangefinders, sharing their mitochondrial DNA, but in 2011 form. Large enough to hold comfortably, but light enough to be no burden. A built-in sharp and fast lens of around 35mm with a leaf-shutter allowing flash at any shutter speed. Completely self-contained with no need for any accessories. The hybrid viewfinder sounds like a brilliant bonus. I love the idea that Fuji designed a maximum Fujinon lens, then created a custom sensor to get the best out of it with minimum compromise if any.

I have a nice belt pouch that carried my Coolpix 5000 and 8400 back then. They were exceptionally capable cameras for the time, with 2/3" sensors—large for a compact camera, but only about 20% the size of the X100's APS-C sensor. ISO400 was very noisy with the little sensors. From what I have been seeing, the X100 is only about 1.0EV less capable than the D700 at any given ISO. The X100 will be with me when I walk to the store, take a bus downtown to pay the bills—any time I have nothing in mind to shoot. After thousands of shots with its predecessors, I know exactly what to expect.

At the moment, I carry another Fuji, the Finepix W1 3D stereo camera as my carry-everywhere camera. Blows my Stereo Realist—from way back when—away. However, it has tiny 1/2.3" sensors. The x100 sensor is eleven times that size. The stereo camera shoots .mpo files, which when extracted are JPEG only—no RAW—and the sort of low light/high-ISO noise that can be expected. I plan to continue using it for stereo photography, but the X100 will be my street and after-work camera—whenever it arrives.

 

[Larry Bolch]

I heard on Thursday that the first shipment had arrived in Canada—but was very limited in quantity, so I had no big expectations. This morning I got a call from Diana, my favorite camera seller, saying that Fuji Canada would be distributing them on Monday, and mine should be in the store within a day or two. Needless to say, I am pleased.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

We're looking forward to a full review!

 

[Hamish Gill]

I heard on Thursday that the first shipment had arrived in Canada—but was very limited in quantity, so I had no big expectations. This morning I got a call from Diana, my favorite camera seller, saying that Fuji Canada would be distributing them on Monday, and mine should be in the store within a day or two. Needless to say, I am pleased.

yeah, id echo Chris's comment!

I fully agree with your feelings towards this camera and what it offers and at what price point!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Larry - did you get one then?

 

[Hamish Gill]

yeah, come on larry spill the beans ... is it as good as we all hope?
how does it compare in the noise steaks to the d700?
you wanna lend it me yet

 

[Larry Bolch]

yeah, come on larry spill the beans ... is it as good as we all hope?
how does it compare in the noise steaks to the d700?
you wanna lend it me yet

Since it was supposed to ship to dealers today, I assume it is probably in transit to dealers and to the warehouses of chains. With luck, it will be booked into the London Drugs warehouse tomorrow and shipped to my neighborhood store shortly thereafter. I would hope that they ship air-freight and not by dog team, though we still are buried under a lot of snow.

Of course, due to a whole lot of shakin' goin' on around the factory, the quantities were necessarily limited. No guarantee that my camera is in this lot. I have waited a dozen years for this camera, so another couple of weeks can be endured. Word today from Fuji is that they are prepared to resume manufacture, and new product should ship in early April.

There is a highly entertaining video review of it, where a young man with a strange accent takes it to the streets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-VoXxwGWYc



I don't think he is Canadian—not enough snow...

 

[Hamish Gill]

that has done me no good... im going to order one now...

 

[Hamish Gill]

ordered... now the waiting game ....

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I'm not sure the guy in the video really liked it... couldn't he have been a little more enthusiastic? LMAO!

 

[Hamish Gill]

well it worked on me ... the final straw for me wanting one that was!

 

[Larry Bolch]

Fuji announced yesterday that they are ready to restart production and cameras will be shipping again in early April. Other than the D3 nearly four years ago, I can not remember any other camera that has set off as much discussion on the InterWebs.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Fuji announced yesterday that they are ready to restart production and cameras will be shipping again in early April. Other than the D3 nearly four years ago, I can not remember any other camera that has set off as much discussion on the InterWebs.

i concur entirely ... and i bought one of them too ... im such a sucker

 

[Larry Bolch]

I expect we will both get a lot of use out of them. Not having the services of a domestic Sherpa, I leave the D700 system at home far too often when I walk out. The X100 will be with me most of the time. I do have a couple of small cameras, but they suffer like all small cameras from small sensors, and the quality that results.

Having an ever-present camera capable of high quality will be very significant, specially for street which I greatly enjoy. Over the past week, I have gone through all my street shots since beginning with digital, and put together a web-gallery in the order they were shot. Enjoy!

http://larry-bolch.com/street/

 

[Hamish Gill]

Some nice shots larry, I like the one called three women!
It's funny how Fuji seem to have filled a gap in the market that perhaps many brands didn't even recognise ... The closest I found to finding a camera for what I'll be using mine for was the Epson rd1 with 28 1.9 Voigtlander lens ... But as good as that combo is, it was quite noisy beyond 800iso ... And often not quick enough for someone like me having grown up with af cameras! Not to mention the limitations of using a rangefinder in very low light ...
Next was the gf1 ... No view finder ... And you need the instruction manual to turn it on ...
I have never been scared of fixed lens cameras either ... I find them liberating, not restricting!
And it has manual dials for shutter and aperture ... It just ticks all the boxes for me ... But I think I'm preaching to the converted here anyway

 

[Larry Bolch]

Some nice shots larry, I like the one called three women!
It's funny how Fuji seem to have filled a gap in the market that perhaps many brands didn't even recognise ... The closest I found to finding a camera for what I'll be using mine for was the Epson rd1 with 28 1.9 Voigtlander lens ... But as good as that combo is, it was quite noisy beyond 800iso ... And often not quick enough for someone like me having grown up with af cameras! Not to mention the limitations of using a rangefinder in very low light ...

http://www.larry-bolch.com/bike-week/

Leica M5, f/1.0 Noctilux, f/1.4 Summicron—anticipate and so pre-focus. In terrible light, you can not expect D3/D700 focusing speed and accuracy with manual focus cameras.

Cameras are just dumb devices—they depend upon the photographer holding them in order to deliver. Yes, I too greatly depend upon auto-focus, and the D700 offers several options when appropriate. However, I take full responsibility to ensure my focus is dead-on—or acceptably close.

Next was the gf1 ... No view finder ... And you need the instruction manual to turn it on ...

My first digital camera was the classic Nikon Coolpix 990. I bought it with low expectations, as a chance to get a head start on digital. I was astounded what it could deliver, and there are a number of its images in the gallery. However, I don't have many of the first thousand exposures, since they were made with manual in hand, learning and trying everything. By the time I was actually shooting with it, I was thoroughly fluent with it.

When it became obvious that there was to be no successor to the Coolpix E8400, with some reluctance, I acquired a D200. Same bit—hours and hundreds of shots with manual in hand.

I have never been scared of fixed lens cameras either ... I find them liberating, not restricting!
And it has manual dials for shutter and aperture ... It just ticks all the boxes for me ... But I think I'm preaching to the converted here anyway

Very true. I may have the camera this week. If not, within a couple of months. It will fill a vacant space in my photography that has been there since digital began.

The 8400 is a magnificent camera, but its large-for-the-time 2/3" sensor was really only good for ISO200 or less. A self-contained camera with an APS-C sized sensor that can be carried everywhere in a belt-pouch is what I have been waiting for. It will not replace the D700 when heavy-lifting is called for, but as a camera that is always with me when there is nothing in mind to shoot, it will be ideal.

It will also be the go-to camera for serendipitous street, candid, decisive moment stuff like I show in the new gallery.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Sorry, larry, I meant limitations of using a rangefinder in the sence of type of VF not type of camera ... I'm quite happy with the work arounds ... And in fact when using a rf camera more often than not I'd zone focus regardless of light level!
A rangefinder for me is often just a more convenient zone focus camera ...

In very low light with the d3 I have been known to attach the su800 and use the centre point for focus to activate the af-Ill ... It's like having the advantage of high powered af assist of a large flash ... Without actually using a flash! Works pretty well to be fair... Although with the quality of the matt screen in the d3 manual focus can still be the quickest option to get... As you say, focus dead on or acceptably close!