Fujifilm FinePix X100

Opinion: 7000 shots
in less than a year by an amateur
what more is there to be said ?

Opinion: Un poco lenta al empezar y el foco manual tiene una utilidad relativa, va por pasos y no es muy preciso.
La calidad de la imagen es muy buena proporcionada al tamaño de sensor que utiliza. El diseño me parece muy agradable. No es la cámara de mi vida pero es una buena cámara.

Opinion: First - I find the viewfinder is much better than the evf on nex 7 (which I bought last week mainly to use with my old Zuiko OM lenses). It is almost on par with my Sony A850.
Come on! the autofocus is not that bad. This is a great camera. AND - the quality of the pictures... WOW! I have the Panasonic GF3 and it might be a little more snappy in focusing in low light, but the x100 is more easy setting up for zone focusing - it has a metering scale. So I was puzzled about all the negative review on the net for the x100. Greating Jens from Sweden.

Opinion: Don't listen to the bad reviews on the menu and the slow AF and other stuff...
I got It today and I was out all day with It in Paris and I'm in love with this camera.

No other word for it, I'm just there shooting everything with It, this is just dumb.

On the slow startup and recording time, this is true, It doesn't love shitty card, with an old card It took for ever to record a raw. With a sandisk extreme 8gb, no problem at all.
And It simply cannot focus on the OVF on short distance. Just impossible, but most of the time, It doesn't
come between you and your picture...

On the viewfinder, I'm sure you've seen pictures or vidéos of It but nothing, and I really mean nothing can prepare you to this. This is better and bigger than my EOS 40D, you can put all the infos you want on it and the switch to OVF is cool. This is good to the point that you use this camera like à SLR with the screen shut down ;-)

Opinion: The best one for my pocket... A good friend for my D700!

Opinion: After several long months of browsing forums and looking for the perfect travel/daily camera, I finally went and bought the X100. I'm a strictly hobbyist photographer, mostly interested in shooting people, streets and buildings.

Let's talk about the bad stuff first - Be warned! The X100 is a different photographic beast since you can't zoom to compose images. You can't afford to be lazy with this camera. Composing images that with other cameras was just a flick of a button or a twist of the lens, is now an activity that reminds you to enroll for gym class. This camera has terrible battery life and barely gets you through a day of shooting (Fuji says 300 pictures on full charge, but it's more like 250. Buy several batteries, if you're an active shooter). The camera menu is a bit messy, but not bad as the internets are making it out to be. Troll the nets to find out settings that suit your style of shooting, and stick with it so you don't have to fiddle with the menu systems often. The start-up time is a bit laggy, you can't just turn on the camera and shoot immediately, it takes a few seconds (3-4 seconds) but the start-up time improves exponentially if you format the card in-camera and use a Class 10 SD card. Using the Optical Viewfinder can produce parallax when close to the subject. There have also been lots of complaints about the slow AutoFocus in low light for this camera. It's no better or worse than my Panasonic LX5, just shoot in AF Continous mode and it's fine. Not such a big deal for me. Hmm... those are about all the negatives there are to this camera.

Now onto the good stuff and man are they good - Image quality! To me this is all that matters and no camera in this size currently produces the kind or results that this camera can produce. If you want similar or better image quality you have to graduate to the Leicas (M9, M9P etc) and to me at Rs 5 lakhs (10,000$)and above, for a body and 35mm Summicron lens, this is not even a consideration. The Leica X1 comes close, but this camera beats it by a narrow margin IMO (the X1 is more expensive by 800$). The X100 lets you shoot very usable JPEGs without having to use RAW all the time, and the JPEGs have enough headroom to work with in post. The Straight-out-of-camera JPEGs are... how do I describe it... very film like. Sharp and soft at the same time.

The build quality of this camera is amazing, and Fuji have really put in a lot of time and effort into getting this right. The camera feels like a serious photographic tool that lends confidence while shooting. The top and bottom parts are die-cast magnesium alloy which house the controls for shutter speed, exposure compensation and the trigger. The lens has the aperture control, like any proper camera should, and once you know your way around the camera you will rarely look away from the viewfinder while composing a shot.

The hybrid viewfinder is a work of art and magic. Being able to switch between a large bright optical viewfinder like a DSLR camera and then at the flick of a switch have an 1.4 million dot Electronic view of your scene is fantastic. To me that's worth the price of the camera itself. Parallax does show up when shooting close with the optical view finder, but Fuji projects a reworked frame line which shows how the image will be finally composed so you get used to recomposing pretty quickly. While shooting focus critical shots in low light, just switch to the EVF and you're good.

The metering and Auto White Balance in the camera is the best I've seen in any camera till date. The average metering works best IMO. Or while shooting portraits, turn to spot metering, point at the cheek of the subject (which is usually blown out) and click. The ISO performance of this camera is outstanding! DXOMark the website that is known for technical tests on all consumer cameras rates the ISO performance on this camera higher than the Nikon D3s till ISO 3200. The low light jpgs straight out of camera at 3200 are actually usable especially for FaceBook size images, though I would frequently restrict the ISO to 1600.

I'm taking time out to write this in the hope that all the effort I put into research over the last few months is of use to someone else. I'd like to end by saying that the most important factor to me, since buying this camera, is that it makes me want to get out there and take more pictures. And that to me is the best 'feature' of this camera. Good luck!

Opinion: After all the hype surrounding the X-100, I finally took the plunge and bought one. I have always wanted a nice compact camera that has first class image quality, and could be taken anywhere without all the baggage associated with a DSLR. Prior to this, other compact cameras such as the Canon G series, (of which I think quite highly) have always had to compromise image quality, especially at high ISO, as a consequence of using a small sensor. About the only other camera that could be classed as 'compact' is my Olympus EP1 with its 17mm pancake lens. This latter camera certainly 'ticks all the boxes' bar one - lack of a viewfinder. The LCD is largely washed out in bright sunlight making accurate composition difficult. Much has been said about the 'quirky' user interface of the Fuji, and some of it is true, but in my opinion I think some of the criticism is somewhat severe. I have had several Fuji cameras, and all their user interfaces were quirky and simply represents Fuji's approach. My old S-9600 was an example, but you get used to it if you read the manual and play with it, and the X-100 is no different, and indeed I can detect more than a hint of the S-9600 in its operation. Some have also criticised the manual focus as being unusable, and I have to disagree, I find it perfectly usable. I accept that it is not as rapid as a true manual lens, but it does allow very precise focusing particularly when using the magnified image feature. Similarly, I do not find the manual focus switch on the side to be difficult to use, mine is quite positive, with a good detent in each of its positions, such that it has never yet slipped out of its assigned position. Equally, others have complained that the exposure compesnation knob is too easy to accidentally move. Again, I have never experienced this, mine has a nice positive detent, and has never accidentally moved.

So, is this a revival, in digital form, of the classic range-finder cameras of the 60s, 70s and 80s? Cameras such as the Canon Canonet or the Yashica Minister D? That depends upon your point of view. It is certainly styled after these classics, and indeed I think most would agree that it is a beautiful camera, which simply invites you to pick it up and use it. However for those yearning for the simplicity of these classic cameras, then this may not be for you. Equally, this niche camera may well have only limited appeal to those spoiled by the ready availability of variable focal length compact cameras and DSLRs - times have moved on, and whereas the classic range-finder cameras were of fixed focal length for a reason, that reason has now largely gone, and excellent zoom lens are now available whose image quality is very good. Even so, it is still true that all other things being equal, a prime lens will produce a sharper image than its varifocal sibling, especially in this case where the sensor and the lens have been carefully designed to complement each other. So, for those of us who did our photographic apprenticeship with a classic fixed focal length range-finder camera, then the X-100 could well be the 'tool of choice'. Its 35mm (equivalent) focal length is just about optimum for my needs, and as I am primarily interested in landscapes, the excellent images produced by this sensor/lens combination is a big plus. Moreover, it is a fast lens as well, at f/2 which means that macro shots with a lovely soft background are also readily achievable, especially with the inclusion of the ND filter. The large sensor means that noise is essentially of little concern certainly over the range of speed from ISO200 to ISO1000, and even at higher speeds it is not really too intrusive. Furthermore, unlike many other cameras, the amount of noise processing performed in-camera is under user control as well.

The hybrid viewfinder is a real joy, and gives possibly the best of all worlds. Overall therefore I find myself really liking this instrument, and well pleased with its performance, the image quality, as well as the superb build quality.

All is not perfect, nothing ever is, and there have certainly been problems with early models with the dreaded Sticking Aperture Blades, which, to be fair, Fuji have quickly fixed, but it still remains to be seen whether the latest version is free of this problem.

So, is it for you? Can you live with a 35mm equivalent fixed-focal length lens? Can you take the time to really learn the user interface rather than wishing it were a Canon, or Nikon, or Olympus instead? If you are used to all the advantages of interchangeable lens and zoom lens, then this camera will likely frustrate you as it demands that you approach photography from a different direction. In addition, this is not an inexpensive camera, you can get a very well specified DSLR/Lens combo for this price, and, if you go to a mirror-less system, one that is equally portable. But, if you are prepared to approach this camera's capabilities and work with them rather than pining for something else, then it will reward you with some absolutely superb images. For me, it is definitely a love affair.

Opinion: Having recently sold a Leica M6TTL (because of the hassle of processing), I decided to pick one of these up two weeks later. I was going on vacation with my wife and was done carrying my heavy Nikon D kit. It was the best move I ever made. This is a thinking man's camera, but will reward with some amazing resolution and low light capability. I would like to see a few changes made in the menus, but read the manual and you are well on your way. It gives me images that I can be proud of and maintains the rangefinder experience. Color rendition, even with JPEGS is amazing. Now this camera never leaves my side. Fuji did a great job on the marriage between lens and sensor. The build is gorgeous. Fuji made a bold move in putting so much image quality into a no compromise fixed focal length camera and they deserve the rave reviews.

Opinion: I've been using the X100 as my main "carry everywhere" camera since receiving mine in May (sans several weeks where I sent it in for service and resent it back because Fujifilm service totally screwed up the original repair. They eventually made it right, but don't expect anything close to CPS level support). I've been shooting Canon DSLRs for over a decade, and have gone through way too many point and shoots from just about every major manufacturer in that same time (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Leica/Panasonic, Samsung). I'd increasingly succumbed to the convenience of phone-shooting, but the X100 really caught my eye when it was announced as something that could deliver much-better-than P&S quality in a much-smaller-than DSLR package. Since then, I've shot a few thousand frames (including a few that I liked).

In summary, the X100 is a fantastic piece of equipment, however it's also (as the price hopefully hints at) a bit of a specialty camera. It requires a fair amount of commitment to figure out its sharp edges and peculiarities (of which there are many). I'd specifically *not* recommend the X100 if you're planning on using it for casual/social use. If you are, prepare to miss a lot of shots. It has meh HD video and (also meh) sweep panorama, but you won't bother with those as switching modes is a pain and a half and not why you'd get this camera. Also, while it's being marketed to pros, if you've been spoiled by modern DSLRs, prepare for decidedly non-pro responsiveness/speed/battery life/and absolutely yes, AF. The X100 was a particularly big adjustment for me because I prefer to shoot natural/low light (wide open) medium close ups (of people), and the X100's CDAF performs beyond miserably for that combo.

Now, that's a very big list of caveats, and yet, I describe the X100 as "fantastic" and am giving it 4 stars. Unlike some, I'm not an apologists for the X100's weaknesses. There really are some really bad things (most of the firmware comes to mind), however, the X100 does some things *so* well that it overshadows most of its negatives (as long as you're aware of them).

First and foremost, the X100 really does deliver on the IQ front. The APS-C sensor is fantastic; completely usable at ISO 1600, and even decent at 3200 (although very ugly banding sometimes crops up in higher ISOs). The 23mm (35mm equiv) lens is super smooth (great bokeh), and tack sharp (f4 and up). The lens/sensor combo gives you depth of field you won't find this side of a DSLR, and the fantastically silent leaf shutter is something you won't find on any DSLR, full stop. Out of camera colors are great; color balance and exposure are usually spot on. I shoot always shoot RAW+JPG, but these days am quite happy w/ OOC JPGs 90% of the time. If you do shoot RAW, I'd recommend you shoot with the fastest card as you can (this year, it's been the SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/s cards) as the files are huge (20MB each). Also the card speed actually affects all operations, including turn-on time. (I mentioned the firmware was crap, yes?) Also I shoot single, not burst mode as you can't perform adjustments while it's buffering. (...)

The other big feature worth pointing out is the amazing optical viewfinder (OVF). As a hybrid, it allows switching to a decent EVF (good resolution and brightness, but rather mediocre framerate) which can help w/ framing/fine-focusing, but you won't want to use it because the OVF is just too pretty. It also sports some high-tech projection capability, overlaying realtime data, including parallax-corrected framing guides, and more importantly, the range guide. There's no focal screen/patch of any sort, so the range guide on the bottom is going to be invaluable when you're shooting - not for MF, which is pretty much useless, but to let you know when the AF is completely wrong. The range guide includes (conservative) DOF ranges which makes it also extremely useful for zone-focusing. When zone-focused, the X100 is extremely responsive (although even w/ all settings to manual and OVF only, the aperture still inexplicably "dances" when releasing the shutter. This is worse in *bright* light).

Ultimately, what makes X100 so special, despite its flaws, and beyond any individual feature, is that the X100 delivers a very satisfying and authentic photographic experience that's missing in most lesser cameras. The X100 is a photographic tool that you can really master/bond/immerse yourself with. The retro design is more than skin deep, and MF excepted, by and large delivers the tactile controls (aperture, shutter, EV dials) that, along w/ the OVF really does just get out of the way when you're shooting. In my day to day use, I am almost never touching the screen (in fact, I've had it gaffed over in prep for an international trip, and it hasn't been an issue at all). Granted some more fn buttons would be useful (I'd probably use the ND more, but I'd rather avoid the menus, which like the rest of the firmware are... not good). Also, sadly, there is no physical ISO dial.

Tip: For the first few months I shot in Manual w/ the AF-L to focus. Because of the way MF is designed however (to be zoomed/fine-focused w/ the EVF), the focus area is much larger/less precise than in AF. These days I mostly shoot in AF-S (which also has a parallax corrected focus area option) w/ AF-L set to toggle. This seems to be generally more effective, although with some caveats: MF mode will focus much closer than AF-S, which while improved, still sucks (this is sometimes a problem in regular social/candid shooting situations). Also, even w/ the AE/AF-L set to AF-L only, the current (v1.11) FW will still improperly AE-L as well when in toggle mode. What this means is that you have to unlock even to be able to manually change the aperture/shutter.