Losing my temper with new X100V: can these problems be fixed?

[Mark B UK]

Yesterday I opened up my new X100V. Today I came worryingly close to taking a hammer to it, so frustrated am I with the menus etc and the time I'm wasting trying to get it to do what should be basic stuff. And that's from someone who's been using Olympus OMD kit for years...

In the next few hours I'll lose my patience with this camera and either destroy it or return it and accept any losses that causes. Unless you guys can help me solve the problems I'm having...

1. The 'C' focus mode - continuous. When I select this there's a small square showing (EVF, OVF or LCD) which indicates a focus area, even though I've selected the AF mode that should activate 170-odd focus points. When I half depress the shutter button it disappears and the camera appears not to be focusing. If I remove the camera from my eye and use the LCD, and hold my finger on the screen for a moment, it does seem to activate continuous AF, with the camera deciding where to focus on. There must surely be a way of making C-AF work with the EVF and OVF. How?

2. The Program mode. The camera displays the last used shutter speed and aperture and the highest ISO enabled in Auto ISO until I half depress the shutter button, at which point credible figures appear, most of the time. Sometimes it still shows settings that reflect far lower light than is actually present, ie 1/200 f/2 and ISO 12,800 on a cloudly day in the south east of England.

3. The OVF frameline. Sometimes this becomes smaller and heads toward the bottom right of the overall field of the OVF even when the camera is focused on the middle distance.

4. Program shift. The dial on the front is supposed to deliver this. It doesn't, most of the time. Occasionally, it does.

I don't believe it's a faulty unit, because these are all firmware quirks. But I also can't believe that people live with a camera that behaves in this way. I haven't found the manual helpful, it doesn't seem to explain what the terminology means. And I don't think it's me, I've been taking photographs for 35 years and using digital cameras for 15. Perhaps it and I are incompatible? Some people think one way, others differently; the same compatibility problem may apply to humans and some inanimate objects. Grrr!

 

[BrownieVet]

Lol, hipsters who can't shoot without a hand held computer they call a camera. Gear never replaces skill or experience.

Really? . . . is there any way to shoot (take a photograph) of any subject / object without a dedicated camera or a cell phone with camera?

 

[Craig268]

Lol, hipsters who can't shoot without a hand held computer they call a camera. Gear never replaces skill or experience.

Really? . . . is there any way to shoot (take a photograph) of any subject / object without a dedicated camera or a cell phone with camera?

Ha, not surprisingly, Brownie missed the point completely. No computer here my friend, just sunny 16:

 

[Makingtrax]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

This has got nothing to do with seniors, it's about attitude of mind. There's plenty of people of all ages who harp back to the beauty of real books instead of using Kindle on their ipad, or hanker after a classic cars or old film cameras. I'm 69 but not one of them.

My iPad is light, easy to read and allows me to take my whole library anywhere, My modern car is warm, safe, easy to drive, fast, and comfortable. And my XT4 can handle anything I throw at it from astro photography to time lapse. Nostalgia over usefulness can be an excuse for people who can't be bothered to learn new things. ;-)

 

[ulises66]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

This has got nothing to do with seniors, it's about attitude of mind. There's plenty of people of all ages who harp back to the beauty of real books instead of using Kindle on their ipad, or hanker after a classic cars or old film cameras. I'm 69 but not one of them.

My iPad is light, easy to read and allows me to take my whole library anywhere, My modern car is warm, safe, easy to drive, fast, and comfortable. And my XT4 can handle anything I throw at it from astro photography to time lapse. Nostalgia over usefulness can be an excuse for people who can't be bothered to learn new things. ;-)

I agree. This is why many older people prefer a camera over a smartphone.

 

[FX Robot]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

The clock on my camera is still blinking 12:00. :-D

 

[Dem Bell]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

This has got nothing to do with seniors, it's about attitude of mind. There's plenty of people of all ages who harp back to the beauty of real books instead of using Kindle on their ipad, or hanker after a classic cars or old film cameras. I'm 69 but not one of them.

My iPad is light, easy to read and allows me to take my whole library anywhere, My modern car is warm, safe, easy to drive, fast, and comfortable. And my XT4 can handle anything I throw at it from astro photography to time lapse. Nostalgia over usefulness can be an excuse for people who can't be bothered to learn new things. ;-)

I agree. This is why many older people prefer a camera over a smartphone.

Because they are "nostalgic"? Not in our family. My dad is in his sixties and he would not stop taking pictures with his smartphone. I am the one with three cameras and a dozen lenses.

Nothing to do with nostalgia. I just use the best tools for the job. Sometimes it is my smartphone.

To me, it is not nostalgia over usefulness, it is all about the quality of the end result vs convenience.

 

[Jerry-astro]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

And if I had a nickel for every ageist comment I've read...

Keep your age related biases out of the forum, please. New gear can be confusing to most anyone, particularly if the UI design is unfamiliar... as it might be for someone coming from a very different sort of camera. Let's focus on the issues, please. Contribute if you have a suggestion or solution... otherwise, feel free to watch from the sidelines.

 

[ulises66]

Quality matters little to me because I don't print. I care about enjoying taking pictures, that's all. I am like Vivian Maier.

 

[Doug MacMillan]

I don’t have the X-100v, but I’ve read great things about it. I’m glad to hear others have been helpful and you are getting it sorted out.

I took some photos yesterday with one of my Fuji cameras and was reminded why I enjoy using them so much.

 

[Joachim Gerstl]

No idea why you bought the X100V but the camera is clearly not for you. AF-C, Program-shift, ..

I'm sure that there are many cameras that are much more suitable for your shooting style.

 

[Peter J Davies]

No idea why you bought the X100V but the camera is clearly not for you. AF-C, Program-shift, ..

I'm sure that there are many cameras that are much more suitable for your shooting style.

That's pretty defeatist.

The OP (Mark) has already stated that he is making good progress as a result of advice received and by watching video tutorials and using the on-line owner's manual.

 

[Mark B UK]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

And if I had a nickel for every ageist comment I've read...

Keep your age related biases out of the forum, please. New gear can be confusing to most anyone, particularly if the UI design is unfamiliar... as it might be for someone coming from a very different sort of camera. Let's focus on the issues, please. Contribute if you have a suggestion or solution... otherwise, feel free to watch from the sidelines.

+1. Also, as the OP, I don't consider myself old (I'm 52). My frustration arose from a combination of a poor instruction manual and counterintuitive interface (for ins, being unable to activate flash because of an item elsewhere in the menus that simultaneously disables both flash and all bleeps etc for a stealth mode).

 

[Mark B UK]

No idea why you bought the X100V but the camera is clearly not for you. AF-C, Program-shift, ..

I'm sure that there are many cameras that are much more suitable for your shooting style.

How patronising is this? My main camera (E-M1 mk2) has those features, as did the pocket one that I bought the X100V to replace (LX100 mk2). My problem was not with understanding or using those features but with activating them on a particular camera.

 

[ulises66]

I had another Fuji compact, the X70, and the menus were much simpler.

 

[Robmas4229]

I had another Fuji compact, the X70, and the menus were much simpler.

Yeah, everyone wants more and more features and capabilities. Fuji tries to please as many as they can but it makes the menus a lot more complicated. I love all the improvements they made to the V but there's an awful lot there I'll never utilize.

 

[BrownieVet]

Seniors getting frustrated with new electronics. If I had a nickel.....

And if I had a nickel for every ageist comment I've read...

Keep your age related biases out of the forum, please. New gear can be confusing to most anyone, particularly if the UI design is unfamiliar... as it might be for someone coming from a very different sort of camera. Let's focus on the issues, please. Contribute if you have a suggestion or solution... otherwise, feel free to watch from the sidelines.

To Jerry: I was hoping one of you MOD guys would put an end to "wise crack" irrelevant to the issue.

+1. Also, as the OP, I don't consider myself old (I'm 52). My frustration arose from a combination of a poor instruction manual and counter-intuitive interface (for ins, being unable to activate flash because of an item elsewhere in the menus that simultaneously disables both flash and all bleeps etc for a stealth mode).

To Mark: I hope you find the video clips provided by RUQRU helpful. I highly recommend your taking time to watch the video in its entirety.
My post shows my practice of using Goggle to search for video tutorial on practically any subject of interest to me. Those video tutorials are the modern version of the "How-to of whatever for Dummys" prevalent some 23 to 35 years earlier, and better, IMHO.
.
You are a generation younger than I am. My education and profession is in STEM

.

Best regards

 

[Joachim Gerstl]

No idea why you bought the X100V but the camera is clearly not for you. AF-C, Program-shift, ..

I'm sure that there are many cameras that are much more suitable for your shooting style.

That's pretty defeatist.

The OP (Mark) has already stated that he is making good progress as a result of advice received and by watching video tutorials and using the on-line owner's manual.

No it is not. There are many cameras to choose from. Why choose one which is designed for a very specific shooting experience and than complain that it doesn't work like any other camera. That simply makes no sense. It's like buying a cabriolet and complain about the lack of luggage space.

The X100 is not a complicated camera. The opposite is true. Literally within seconds you know if this is your camera or if it is not. There is no need to watch videos or study manuals.

 

[Mark B UK]

No idea why you bought the X100V but the camera is clearly not for you. AF-C, Program-shift, ..

I'm sure that there are many cameras that are much more suitable for your shooting style.

That's pretty defeatist.

The OP (Mark) has already stated that he is making good progress as a result of advice received and by watching video tutorials and using the on-line owner's manual.

No it is not. There are many cameras to choose from. Why choose one which is designed for a very specific shooting experience and than complain that it doesn't work like any other camera. That simply makes no sense. It's like buying a cabriolet and complain about the lack of luggage space.

The X100 is not a complicated camera. The opposite is true. Literally within seconds you know if this is your camera or if it is not. There is no need to watch videos or study manuals.

I want that very specific shooting experience. A small camera with a fixed focal length lens and a relatively big sensor. A mix of the Leica M6 and 35mm Summilux-M Asph I used for travel back in the 1990s and the Panasonic LX100 mk2 I owned until recently, but with a better lens, AF and sensor.

The X100V is not complex, but its menus are. I'm working through that, with the help of people here and YouTube videos.

 

[Makingtrax]

Quality matters little to me because I don't print. I care about enjoying taking pictures, that's all. I am like Vivian Maier.

So you're a nanny?

 

[Robmas4229]

“I'm working through that, with the help of people here”

Some people at least.