2 thoughts on “Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS EXR Digital Camera with 23mm Fujinon Lens and 2.8-Inch LCD”

1. 176 of 189 people found the following review helpful

   
   Flawed Gem 4.5 Stars Excellent IQ but this is not a beginners camera, May 23, 2011

   By 

   B. Fuller (United States) –
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS EXR Digital Camera with 23mm Fujinon Lens and 2.8-Inch LCD (Camera)

   I will start right off who this camera is not for. If you are looking for an all-around camera, this is not it (Get a GH1 or GH2). If you try to use it as an all around camera you will hate it. If you don’t have a good fast camera already then this camera is probably not for you. If you are trying to take pictures of moving objects, this camera is probably not for you. This camera takes a fair amount of time to set up a shot so any fast moving subject will be very difficult to capture properly. This camera is in no way a beginners camera. If you are looking to just point and shoot, then you will need to look elsewhere.

   If you like to take your time to frame and set the exposure on your camera then this might be the camera for you. If you want a small portable camera, with exceptional picture quality, great noise qualities, and a built in view finder, then this is most likely the camera for you. If you want an exceptionally quite camera, this one is amazing. There really is no other digital camera like it.

   This camera reminds me mostly of shooting my Leica M8 and that is a good thing. If you think of the X100 as an automatic manual focus you can get some really nice shots.

   I initially bought the X100 to shoot outdoor portraits and it does that very well. Better than any other camera around right now. That was the initial reason I decided to keep the X100. When I first shot with it I really did not like the handling and was thinking of returning it. My big mistake was trying to use this as an all around camera when it is not.

   However, I just spent a week shooting the camera in Berlin and I really enjoyed using it. My kit was a GH1, GH2, and X100. I left all of my Nikons at home as they are too big and heavy. With interchangeable lenses and fast handling the GH cameras can cover almost every conceivable shooting situation. With a fixed lens and slow handling the X100 is limited in what it can cover. However, it makes you slow down and really set up the shot the way you want it. The DSLRS and M4/3 are so fast that it is easy to reel off a number of good shots. The X100 makes you savor each shot. Because of that I really enjoyed shooting it. Just as a comparison I shot 750 (2 battery charges) with the X100. And 1300 frames with the GH2. I had 465 – X100 (62%) and 829 – GH2 (64%) shots that I liked. I got 132 – X100 (18%) and 205 – GH2(16%) shots that I really liked. And I got 4 – X100 (.5%) and 9 – GH2 (.7%) that were my favorite of the trip. As you can see the statistics are very comparable. Use a tool in the way it was designed and you should be able to get consistent results.

   The X100 fits very nicely in the Lowa Rezo 60 bag that I loop through my belt. It will also fit in a jacket pocket. I don’t like carrying the weight around my I neck so I do not use a neck strap. Instead I purchased a very cheap wrist strap and use that to keep the camera secure.

   The way I have the camera setup is as follows:
   Quick Startup On
   OVF power save Off
   Display Option – EVF and Back screen
   Fn Button – 3 Stop ND Filter
   Auto ISO – 3200 / 1/30

   The reason I have the camera setup like this is as follows. I switch the camera off to save power when not in use. The quick startup allows for a .7 start. I use the EVF most of the time so I don’t need the OVF power save on. Also, the OVF power save option does some weird things so I don’t use it. I use the EVF and back display to switch depending on how I want to frame the shot either back screen or EVF. The camera switches between the two based on whether you put your eye up to the viewfinder or not. The 1/1000 max shutter speed is very limiting at f2 so the ND filter gives a 1/8000 equivalent and is built right in but is activated in the menus. I use it very regularly so I have it set to the fn key. I have the ISO set to auto because it is a pain to get to. The camera does a very good job of keeping ISO down until the shutter speed starts to drop below 1/30. The IQ is very good at ISO3200.

   Here are a couple of techniques for using the X100. Both utilize EVF.

   1) Set your camera to manual focus and spot focusing. Put the focus square on the subject. Press the focus/exposure lock button to focus the camera. Move the center to where you want to meter and press the shutter release half way to set exposure. Now frame for the picture and shoot.

   2) Set you camera to auto focus S. Put the focus square on the subject. Press the shutter release half way to set focus and exposure. Frame the picture and press the shutter release the rest of the way to shoot.

   On the down side the menus and buttons need some work but they can be fixed with a firmware update. An example of the poor menus deals with ISO. Setting the ISO is on the shooting menu. Setting up the Auto ISO and switching it on and off is on the…

   Read more

   Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

   Was this review helpful to you? 
   

   
   |

    Comments (18)

   Reply ↓
2. 60 of 62 people found the following review helpful

   
   Great camera but not for everyone., May 16, 2011

   By 

   Emily J. Pezzulich (Springfield, Va) –
   
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS EXR Digital Camera with 23mm Fujinon Lens and 2.8-Inch LCD (Camera)

   My name is Alan, I orderes this camera under my wife’s account.

   Before this camera was announced I had looked at the Sigma DP2 camera. The Sigma took great pictures but was slow and could not handle candids. I was tempted but not enough. When the X100 was announced it looked like it solved the problems that the Sigma has. I wanted this camera.

   This camera is not for everyone. Fuji says this camera is for pros and serious amatures. This is true. In designing the camera to appear like an old rangefinder they incorporated program mode, aperature priority, shutter priority and manual mode exactly as they worked in the old cameras. This left out the “safe mode” that existes in other cameras that limits what you can do in the menus to things that will really screw up your shooting. In safe mode typically you can’t enter a white balance any you can’t set the ISO to 12,800. If you don;t know what you are doing with the camera you can mess up all your shots. The manual leaves out some details. The camera has seperate ISOs for program, apertature priority, shutter priority, manual and panorama. Until you realize that changing mode also changes ISO you can loose some pictures. You have to put some effort into learning this camera.

   The handling is certainly adaquate, but it takes some getting used to. When using the optical viewfinder at close range the focus box in the viewfinder will not correspond to what you are aiming. at. Don’t use the optical viewfinder at close range. Problem solved. When you press the shutter button half way down the electric viewfinder freezes until focus is attained. Not a real problem but for a $1200 camera they should have done better. When changing to and from macro the display does not update fast enought. Another thing to get used to.

   So why did I rate this camera at 5 stars?

   Low light pictures are fantistic. The combination of a state of the art APS-C sensor and a f2 lens lets me take great picures under very low light. Any camera can take good pictures in bright light.

   I like the manual focusing. I know some people think it is useless. Not true. This is not a rangefinder with a quick turn of the focus ring going from minimum focus to infinity. It takes a lot of turns to do that. I like that. I use manual focus when auto focus will not work. I went out seveal nights ago and shot a few test shots at ISO 12,800. The camera wouyld not auto focus in that light but using the distance scale in the viewfinder I was able to take acceptable shots. This manual focus is great for macro shots where you are not sure where the auto focuse is focusing.

   I like haveing a viewfinder. When using cameras having only screens on the back of the camera I can not see what I am shootine if there is sunlight on the screen. I think I will eventually fully appreciate the hybrid viewfinder, but for now I am glad to have either.

   I shoot in RAW. THe large sensor gives me more to play with.

   I like the lack of shutter noise.

   Having a fixed focal length does not bother me. I think it is actually helping my photograph by making me get closer to my subjects. The pictures are more personnel. (I tried shooting several sessions with my Lumix G1 using only the 29mm lens so I knew this was true before ordering the camers.

   I like this camera a lot. I was aware that there would be some shortcoming like a lack of zoom but they were acceptable. They will not be acceptable to everyone. If they are acceptable to you this may be the camera for you.

   Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

   Was this review helpful to you? 
   

   
   |

    Comment

   Reply ↓