Hamish Gill
Tech Support (and Marketing)
For some time now I have been looking for a truly pocketable good compact digital camera... When I say some time, what I really mean is, since the introduction of digital! I might well have at long last found that camera!
Rx100 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
I thought I would do a little diary like the http://www.realphotographersforum.com/digital-cameras/6960-diary-nikon-d800-user.html I'm doing ... first a bit of back story that's got me here...
My first digital (of note) was a Canon powershot s60 it was very average... It was stolen, so I quite happily went back to shooting film with my Nikon F60.
I eventually got a job at a camera shop, and really lost interest in compact digitals very quickly! I lusted after and eventually bought my first "real" digital camera a Nikon D70. It walked all over every compact in the shop! There really was zero contest! I had a brief flirtation with a frankly awful sony P200, Fuji piqued my interest with the f30/f31/f31fd but whilst hoping they would bring out a thinner version they brought out the f40fd - a disappointment by comparison.
I waited and nothing happened 1/1.7" sensor after 1/1.7" sensor they came out ... nikons p7000 looked interesting ... no raw, passable image quality, no deal! I had a ricoh of some sort, that was quite nice... panasonic lx3, yep, fine, pretty flat looking photos to my eye!
I found the epson rd1, not small, but small enough and slr quality - I still use it, but it doesnt fit in my pocket.
Then came the m4/3rds cameras - I bought the panny gf1, great camera, too big, to complicated!
Each time I go back to the digital slr.
Fuji X100, great camera, still to big, does nothing for me that the Epson rd1 doesnt do better.
By this time I have a family too, I want something I can use like its a pro camera, but the missis can use like its a basic p&s - nikon 1 system comes out... we might be on to something here? No, too many little things about it that dont quite fit! Its a bit to consumer and a bit too big to go in my pocket!
The Sony RX100 registered on my radar the day it was announced, but 20mp ... no, that was going to be a compromise even on its 1" sensor. Then I bought a nikon d800 and my preconceptions about pixel count went out the window! Then I read the Luminous Landscapes review, then the Steve Huff review ... hmm, sod it, ill take a punt!
I'm looking for this camera to completely replace the fuji x100, my supposed carry everywhere camera that I haven't carried anywhere for a long time (the battery is flat and Ive been taking the epson rd1 instead).
So... how does it fair?
So far, image quality is better than I was expecting ...
(I have tweaked the colours a bit here - nothing major ...)
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
It is also extremely quick at focusing ... All these shots were first attempts - I often miss this silly face she does!
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
Nice bit of subject separation from the back ground at 28mm/1.8
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
I would have got these shots with my D800, but I wouldnt have got them with the fuji x100 without a whole load of luck!
It does have its annoyances though... not least in the auto iso department! No floating iso in manual mode?? no ability to adjust the lower shutter speed in auto iso?? These features are surly standard requirements by now??
No current adobe support... ok, this will be fixed, but it bugged me when I found out! The above shots were converted to tiff using the sony software then processed in LR a bit more to my taste ...
I processed them as they do have that compact sony "look" ... a bit poppy and bright ... hopefully there will be more scope for adjustment when I have raw support!
Putting those aside, so far I'm very happy and confident that both my self and my missis should be able to get a lot of very satisfactory shots out of this camera!
Anyway, I will report back soon ... hopefully my positivity and positive experiences will continue!
In the meanwhile, does anyone wanna buy my fuji x100? its now formally for sale!
Rx100 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
I thought I would do a little diary like the http://www.realphotographersforum.com/digital-cameras/6960-diary-nikon-d800-user.html I'm doing ... first a bit of back story that's got me here...
My first digital (of note) was a Canon powershot s60 it was very average... It was stolen, so I quite happily went back to shooting film with my Nikon F60.
I eventually got a job at a camera shop, and really lost interest in compact digitals very quickly! I lusted after and eventually bought my first "real" digital camera a Nikon D70. It walked all over every compact in the shop! There really was zero contest! I had a brief flirtation with a frankly awful sony P200, Fuji piqued my interest with the f30/f31/f31fd but whilst hoping they would bring out a thinner version they brought out the f40fd - a disappointment by comparison.
I waited and nothing happened 1/1.7" sensor after 1/1.7" sensor they came out ... nikons p7000 looked interesting ... no raw, passable image quality, no deal! I had a ricoh of some sort, that was quite nice... panasonic lx3, yep, fine, pretty flat looking photos to my eye!
I found the epson rd1, not small, but small enough and slr quality - I still use it, but it doesnt fit in my pocket.
Then came the m4/3rds cameras - I bought the panny gf1, great camera, too big, to complicated!
Each time I go back to the digital slr.
Fuji X100, great camera, still to big, does nothing for me that the Epson rd1 doesnt do better.
By this time I have a family too, I want something I can use like its a pro camera, but the missis can use like its a basic p&s - nikon 1 system comes out... we might be on to something here? No, too many little things about it that dont quite fit! Its a bit to consumer and a bit too big to go in my pocket!
The Sony RX100 registered on my radar the day it was announced, but 20mp ... no, that was going to be a compromise even on its 1" sensor. Then I bought a nikon d800 and my preconceptions about pixel count went out the window! Then I read the Luminous Landscapes review, then the Steve Huff review ... hmm, sod it, ill take a punt!
I'm looking for this camera to completely replace the fuji x100, my supposed carry everywhere camera that I haven't carried anywhere for a long time (the battery is flat and Ive been taking the epson rd1 instead).
So... how does it fair?
So far, image quality is better than I was expecting ...
(I have tweaked the colours a bit here - nothing major ...)
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
It is also extremely quick at focusing ... All these shots were first attempts - I often miss this silly face she does!
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
Nice bit of subject separation from the back ground at 28mm/1.8
Connie 13 08 12 by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr
I would have got these shots with my D800, but I wouldnt have got them with the fuji x100 without a whole load of luck!
It does have its annoyances though... not least in the auto iso department! No floating iso in manual mode?? no ability to adjust the lower shutter speed in auto iso?? These features are surly standard requirements by now??
No current adobe support... ok, this will be fixed, but it bugged me when I found out! The above shots were converted to tiff using the sony software then processed in LR a bit more to my taste ...
I processed them as they do have that compact sony "look" ... a bit poppy and bright ... hopefully there will be more scope for adjustment when I have raw support!
Putting those aside, so far I'm very happy and confident that both my self and my missis should be able to get a lot of very satisfactory shots out of this camera!
Anyway, I will report back soon ... hopefully my positivity and positive experiences will continue!
In the meanwhile, does anyone wanna buy my fuji x100? its now formally for sale!
