Fujifilm FinePix X100 In-Depth Review: Digital Photography Review

Camera Menus

The X100's menu system is divided into three main sections - Shooting, Set-up, and Playback - and will probably look quite familiar to owners of Fujifilm compacts. Sadly this isn't really a good thing - the menus are somewhat illogically-organised, which is unfortunate because they provide the only access to a number of extremely useful functions (such as Auto ISO and flash exposure compensation).

When you press the 'Menu' button the camera initially enters the top level tab (either Shooting or Playback), regardless of whether you accessed the Set-Up menu more recently. In each of these menus the camera jumps to the most-recently accessed item, or the top item if you've just turned the camera on. As far as the camera is concerned, pressing the 'Fn' button counts as entering the menu, so if you use it to change the ISO (for example) then the camera will jump straight to ISO next time you enter the menu.

Shooting menu

The shooting menu plays host to most of the camera's photographic settings. The ordering of the options is far from ideal, though; for example the ND filter setting is on page 2, and flash exposure compensation buried right down on on page 3. We're not convinced many photographers change image size and quality more frequently than they'll want to access either of these.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Self Timer	• Off • 2 sec • 10 sec	Self-timer cancels after each shot
ISO	• L (100) • 200 • 250 • 320 • 400 • 500 • 640 • 800 • 1000 • 1250 • 1600 • 2000 • 2500 • 3200 • 4000 • 5000 • 6400 • H (12800)	Auto ISO is also available, but is configured and enabled/disabled in the Set-up menu L(100) and H (12800) are unavailable and greyed-out when shooting raw.
Image size	• L 3:2 • L 16:9 • M 3:2 • M 16:9 • S 3:2 • S 16:9	- 4288 x 2848 (12M) - 4288 x 2416 (10M) - 3072 x 2048 (6M) - 3072 x 1728 (5M) - 2176 x 1448 (3M) - 1920 x 1080 (2M)
Image Quality	• Fine • Normal • Fine + RAW • Normal + RAW • RAW	ISO bracketing, film simulation bracketing and DR bracketing drive modes will override this menu, and prevent the camera from recording RAW files. RAW is always 3:2 aspect ratio.
Dynamic Range	• Auto • DR100 100% • DR200 200% • DR400 400%	DR200 provides one stop additional highlight range with a minimum ISO of 400; DR400 provides two stops additional highlight range with a minimum ISO of 800
Film Simulation	• Provia / Standard • Velvia / Vivid • Astia / Soft • Monochrome • Monochrome + Yellow filter • Monochrome + Red filter • Monochrome + Green filter • Sepia	Mimics the looks of various Fujichrome slide films, or black and white films shot using monochromatic filters

ND Filter	• Off • On	Engages the ND filter, which reduces the light reaching the sensor by 3 stops
WB Shift	• Set • Cancel	+/- 9 steps each red/cyan and blue/yellow
Color	• High • Medium High • Mid • Medium Low • Low	Adjusts color saturation
Sharpness	• Hard • Medium Hard • Standard • Medium Soft • Soft	Adjusts JPEG sharpening level
Highlight tone	• Hard • Medium Hard • Standard • Medium Soft • Soft	Controls the contrast specifically in the highlight region (above middle grey)
Shadow tone	• Hard • Medium Hard • Standard • Medium Soft • Soft	Controls the contrast specifically in the shadow region (below middle grey)

Noise reduction	• High • Medium High • Standard • Medium Low • Low
AF Mode	• Multi • Area	- Auto selects AF point - Manually select AF point
Flash	• + 2/3 • + 1/3 • +- 0 • - 1/3 • - 2/3	Flash exposure compensation
External Flash	• On • On (Commander) • Off
Select Custom Setting	• Custom 1 • Custom 2 • Custom 3	Recall saved custom settings
Edit/Save Custom Setting	• Custom 1 Save current settings ISO Dynamic Range Film Simulation White balance Color Sharpness Highlight tone Shadow tone Noise reduction • Custom 2 (same options as above) • Custom 3 (same options as above)	Saves custom parameter sets for future recall. The same range of options is available for all 3 custom sets. You can save current camera settings into a Custom set, and modify each parameter from within this menu at any time.

Disp. Custom Setting	• OVF Framing Guideline Electronic Level AF distance indicator Histogram Aperture / S-speed / ISO Exp. Compensation Photometry Flash White balance Film Simulation Dynamic Range Frames remaining Image size / quality Battery level • EVF / LCD (same options as above)	Allows configuration of the information that will be shown in the viewfinder in detailed display mode. The OVF and EVF/LCD displays can be independently configured; each has the same set of options

Set-up menu

The Set-up menu mainly contains the X100's 'set-once and forget' options. Oddly, though, it's also home to Auto ISO, which you'll find at the bottom of page 3: Fuji apparently deems it lower priority than choosing which of the three available fake shutter sounds you prefer. Firmware 1.1 adds, right at the bottom, a very useful function for dealing with AF point parallax issues - we recommend enabling it.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Date/Time	• OK • Cancel	Set date / time and display format
Time Difference	• Home • Local	Sets time zone difference when away on a trip
Lang	(Choose language)	Choice of 34 languages
Silent Mode	• On • Off	Turns on and off the flash, all operational sounds, and the AF illuminator
Reset	• OK • Cancel	Resets camera to default settings
Format	• OK • Cancel	Formats SD card or internal memory

Image Disp	• Continuous • 3 sec • 1.5 sec • Off	Sets the length of time for review image to be displayed after shooting.
Frame No	• Continuous • Renew	Defines file-naming convention on changing/reformatting SD card.
Operation Vol	• Level 3 • Level 2 • Level 1 • Off	Volume control for operational sounds (AF confirm, self-timer and menu operation beeps)
Shutter volume	• Level 3 • Level 2 • Level 1 • Off	Volume control for pre-recorded shutter release sounds (actual shutter is practically silent); see also below.
Shutter sound	• Sound 1 • Sound 2 • Sound 3	- 'leaf shutter' sound - 'focal plane shutter' sound - 'SLR mirror + shutter' sound
Playback volume	• Level 1-10	Volume level for movie playback

LCD Brightness	• 11 levels, -5 to +5
Auto Power Off	• 5 min • 2 min • Off
OVF power save mode	• On • Off	Live histogram is not displayed, and AF time is increased.
Quick start mode	• On • Off	Reduces time taken for camera to turn on from 2.2 sec to 0.7 sec.
Fn Button	• Preview depth of field • Self-Timer • ISO • Image size • Image quality • Dynamic range • Film simulation • ND filter • AF mode • Select custom setting • Movie	Select one of these functions for quick access from the top-plate Fn button. This sub-menu can be accessed quickly by pressing and holding the 'Fn' button for 2 seconds.
ISO Auto Control	ISO Auto control On Off • Max Sensitivity 400 800 1600 3200 • Min shutter speed 1/125 sec 1/100 sec 1/80 sec 1/60 sec 1/40 sec 1/30 sec 1/15 sec 1/8 sec 1/4 sec	When ISO Auto Control is enabled, the sensitivity value set in the ISO menu (or via the Fn button when enabled) is used as the minimum. Auto ISO works in manual mode, but does not honor the exposure compensation setting.

Red Eye removal	• On • Off	Enables pre-flash for red-eye reduction
AF Illuminator	• On • Off
AE/AF-Lock Mode	• AE and AF when pressing • AE and AF on/off switch	AF-Lock button will activate autofocus even in manual focus mode.
AE/AF-Lock Button	• AE lock only • AF lock only • AE/AF lock	Select whether AEL button controls autoexposure, autofocus or both.
Focus check	• On • Off	Displays magnified view in EVF/LCD when rear thumb lever is clicked in.
Focus ring	• Clockwise • Counterclockwise	Defines operational direction of focus-by-wire manual focus ring

Focus scale units	• Meters • Feet	Select units for focus distance/DOF scale shown in the viewfinder.
Framing guideline	• Grid 9 • Grid 24 • HD framing	- displays 'rule of thirds' grid - displays '6 x 4' grid - displays guidelines for 16:9 shooting
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB	Select colour space of output JPEGs.
Long exposure NR	• On • Off	Uses dark frame subtraction to reduce noise in long exposures.
Save Org Image	• On • Off	Retains original image when removing red-eye in JPEG processing.
Autorotate PB	• On • Off	Autorotates portrait format images during playback.

Background Color	• Blue • Purple • Pink • Orange • Green • Black	Changes color scheme of menus.
Guidance Display	• On • Off	Choose whether to display tool tips
Corrected AF frame	• On • Off	Allows display of parallax-corrected AF point

Playback menu

The X100's playback menu reflects Fujifilm's focus on consumer compacts - you can make photobooks in-camera or mark movies for upload to YouTube, for example. To be perfectly honest we doubt the average X100 owner will spend a great deal of time in here at all. The most interesting and useful item - in-camera raw conversion - is more easily accessible via the dedicated 'RAW' button.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Photobook assist	(Enters Photobook Assist sub-menu)	Allows you to select images and build photobooks
Image search	• By date select date • By face all image closeup couple group • By favorites 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star No stars • By type of data still movie continuous RAW • By upload mark YouTube Facebook
Erase	• Back • Frame • Selected frames • All frames
Mark for upload to	• YouTube • Facebook • Reset all
Slide show	• Normal, face detect • Normal • Fade-in, face detect • Fade-in • Multiple
Raw conversion	(Enters raw conversion mode)	See 'Playback displays'

Red-eye removal	• Select frame for processing
Protect	• Frame • Set all • Reset all
Crop	• Select frame for cropping
Resize	• M • S • 640
Image rotate	• Select image for rotation
Copy	• Internal memory to SD card • SD card to internal memory

Print order (DPOF)	• With date • Without date • Reset all
Disp aspect	• 4:3 • 16:9	For displaying images with the camera connected to a TV