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Fuji FinePix X100
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Super Rog !. If I put up the camera in the product review section, you might also review there if you have the time ? :)
Hi Guys,
I got it for reportage/street type photography mainly ( first thing I did when I got it was set it to B&W, aperture priority. This is how I envisage using it mostly in the future). But I’m heading away for the weekend, and where I’m going, there ain’t a lot of streets!
I might grab a few landscape shots with it, but I’m not promising anything.Damien; got it in Conns (I know, I know, the dearest place in Ireland I hear you say) but they were the only ones who had it in stock.
Also, their price is actually good (€999, apparently it’s £999 in England) + €149 for the leather case (It looked so good I couldn’t resist :roll: )Mark: I’ll do a review, no problem, when I get the hang of it, although some of the features etc I won’t be even trying as they’d hold no interest for me (video for example).
Any, thanks for the congrats, and we’ll see how it goes.
Rog
Perfect camera for it, I suspect, Rog. I’m sure you’ll put it through it’s paces :)
I like the idea of a digital rangefinder at a lot less $$$ than an M9. If they did a digital version of my 645zi roll film rangefinder then I’d sell an arm.
Yes, you’ll have to give us your thoughts on the camera, Rog. I know you’ve since sold it, and would be curious as to what made your decision. Should I have a spare grand to drop on a camera in the future, I would strongly consider the X100, although the Ricoh GR-D series has also caught my eye of late, as a take anywhere camera. I’m not sure how the 28mm field of view would suit me though, which was also the thing that made me re-think the X100, as I don’t shoot with a 35mm lens all the time.
I have a demo model for a few weeks :)
I think if you’re used to shooting film, and you’re thinking of going digi, this would be the camera for you, but try before you buy ’cause a grand’s a lot to spend on a camera you might not like. Being a digi photographer, I found it hard to get used to, but I’m enjoying having it in my jacket pocket, and I think it’s improving my photography. I think anything that forces you to shoot differently does.
Very nice Andy. Think its key market are those of us who don’t mind shooting with primes/ a single focal length. Know a lot of film shooters who would shoot mainly with a rangefinder and 35mm lens, and for this, it would seem to be perfect, as well as those of us who like to walk out with a small kit and usually a single prime. Would be interested in what you find difficulty in adjusting to, and whether its the single focal length/ rangefinder-type design, or rather quirks of the X100 as a digital camera.
I shoot a lot of street, so the focal length is fine for me. I usually shoot on a 7D (APS-C sensor) with a 18-200m lens, usually at 18mm. That’s not too far off the x100 fixed focal length when you factor in the crop effect. If you shoot street or documentary, the short focal length will encourage/force you to get close, and that’s a good thing, but it rules this camera out straight away for people who like longer focal lengths.
When I picked it up first, it didn’t feel right in my hand. That was through no fault of the camera though. I’m used to the grip of a dSLR, and it took me a long time to get used to the rangefinder-type feel. The other two guys behind our publication shoot mostly film, and both were instantly comfortable with the x100, so that shouldn’t discourage film shooters from considering it.
The dual viewfinder is interesting more than useful. It renders manual focus very difficult though. There are no distance markers on the focus ring, and you need to use one of the LCD screens to see what’s in focus. Although there is a digital distance meter, it can be slow to update after you’ve turned the ring. Having gotten over most of my issues coming from (other) digital, this one remains a problem for me. The autofocus is also a bit slow compared to other cameras I’ve used. While the camera is on, it tries to remain on focus, and it’s weird to feel it rack focus in your hand as you walk around. The odd thing is that I shoot from the hip a lot, so it should be just a matter of clicking the shutter, since it’s trying to keep focused anyway, but it takes about a second to find focus and take the photo. That’s too long in my opinion, especially for a camera with such a short focal length. It’s too long to be in someone’s face, even if you’ve asked permission.
One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned much is its dynamic range. Traditionally, digis have a lower dynamic range than most forms of film (that’s the ability to correctly expose bright, and dark objects in the same scene without blowing out the brights, or crushing the darks). The x100 packs a lot of dynamic range into it’s APS-C size sensor. I’m not sure exactly how it compares with film, and I’m still trying to determine whether it’s high dynamic range setting is just software, or if the sensor is actually more sensitive. The practical applications of this are two fold. As anyone who shoots digital and film knows, film is usually more forgiving when you under of over expose. That’s because of that whole dynamic range issue. This camera is just as forgiving in my opinion. Secondly, when you have a scene with bright, and dark objects, this camera will outperform most others in capturing both the brights and the darks. This added dynamic range also give the photos a somewhat ‘film feel’, especially in black and white shots.
For the people it’s aimed at, it’s well worth a thousand euro, but it’s not for everyone, and a thousand euro is a lot to waste if it’s not for you. Personally, I’d miss being able to zoom in occasionally, and the focus issues would bug me too much, but maybe by the time I write my article, I’ll have changed my mind about that, or found another way to work with it.
I’m gonna be trying a range of 4/3 cameras next month for an article on ‘the death of the dSLR – do mirrors matter anyway?’. I’m excited by all the new mirrorless, dSLR quality cameras on the market, and I think it’s the way to go (but can’t wait to research it thoroughly by trying as many of them as I can and putting them up against a range of dSLRs). The x100 has certainly carved out a nice little niche for itself amongst the mirrorless shooters though.
Cheers for the feedback, Andy, I’m sure I’m not the only one that appreciates it. As you say, a grand is a lot to drop on a camera, and even reading of film rangefinder users experiences, there are a few that tried it and ultimately didn’t like it enough to keep, so alternative opinions are definitely of use, especially an indepth hands on impression like yours above.
I guess I’m in the fortunate position of being a little more discerning these days, not having a grand or so to freely drop on cameras, as otherwise I probably would have bought an X100 as soon as it hit the shelves, and to be honest am still undecided whether I would like it. I’m a 50mm shooter for the most part with a Leica M, and while an X100 is a lot more affordable than an M9, or even M8, I’m not sure I could live with the 35mm focal length for all my walkabout shooting, than if it were 50mm instead, or even a 28-50mm f4 lens.
Leica M… you win! I played with one of those last month. It was the M9P. The ultimate Leica in my view (well the S series is awesome, but for a different purpose). Full frame, none of the usual bling. Wish they’d let me keep it for a few days.
ANDYwithCAMERA wrote:
Leica M… you win! I played with one of those last month. It was the M9P. The ultimate Leica in my view (well the S series is awesome, but for a different purpose). Full frame, none of the usual bling. Wish they’d let me keep it for a few days.
Ha ha, my exposure to M’s has been restricted to film M’s, a vital organ would probably be required to acquire an M9, lol. Love the simplicity of the M’s, and don’t think I will ever shift the the feeling of ease and connection in lifting an M3 and 50mm lens to my eye. Would love to achieve that one day with digital, at least for my walkabout shooting, but dslrs have their place too, and would not swap my D300 for my portrait shooting.
They offered me one in exchange for my first born but I’d already promised that to Steve Jobs.
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