Review: Fujifilm X 100

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | Custom manifest | Our great sin his personal ????-coldewey.cc. ? Read More

Short version: unique and powerful camera prevents uneven attention to detail and inadequate system menu. For the camera, so strongly and effectively focus on back to basics heritage ugly menu slow focus and chintzy dials seems especially out of place. In this case, beauty really is only skin deep. With the exception of fabulous lens and sensor I must say.

Features:

12-megapixel APS-C sensor23mm F/2.0 Fujinon lens (~ 37 mm equivalent) advanced hybrid EVF/LCD optical rangefinderRetro styling and high quality buildMSRP: $ 1199

Pros:

Simply beautiful and strong as rangefinder hellHybrid incredibly coolGood image quality and low light performance and

Against:

Operation often frustratingManual accent is a simple awfulSlow and sometimes difficult autofocus

Full review:

I made no secret of my excitement about X 100. After playing around with it at CES earlier this year it was almost the only camera I'm seriously looking forward to. And finally, something to replace my aging Canon. The triumph of retro design and modern technology. And in a sense, that is. But while they certainly created a beautiful camera that can produce beautiful images, they were able to make the camera you want to use it.

Before we go any further, let me simply remind our readers that it's pretty late and clearly anecdotal review. For thorough testing and comparison of image quality I recommend DP Review coverage. It's only me to add my thoughts to the pile.

Something old, something new

There is no denying Fujifilm has crafted an amazing object. Too many cameras, especially compact, have a sense of high-tech chintziness, thin bits of metal, plastic, chippable and toylike set. Fujifilm has a camera that feels almost like a solid, as my old Canon film SLR from the beginning of the 70-ies. You have a retro look, of course, but it also has a feel for the most part.

I love the way the shutter and aperture ring offsets dials and feel. It is so nice to spinning-then again to choose something etched in stone without using the jog dial to tell part of the software to open a little more aperture. Shutter release button threaded, metal-joy press. Pancake lens and compact form factor to make things a little close for comfort if you have big hands, but hot hard to figure.

And hybrid viewfinder! What a result! Seeing that the overlay to the rangefinder for quick references, and then binding via the electronic viewfinder the High Res is magical. It works as advertised, it looks great and makes you want to show it. Here's how it looks; Sorry, image quality lenses up to putting my eyepiece limited my Compositional options.

Cool, isn't it? There is some difference in rangefinder and Viewfinder show, but this is the reality of Rangefinders. Knowing your design in the Rangefinder is something that takes time and the ability to instantly switch to the electronic Viewfinder is very convenient.

The other shoe

But then I started taking pictures.

The first thing I did was try to focus the camera on something on my desktop. Autofocus, image flashed and worked ... nothing was in the center of attention. I tried again and again. Apparently I had to switch to the macro for objects closer than 20 inches or so. And that's when I first used the d pad/dial. That cheap feeling a little piece of junk! His rocking everywhere, you have to hit it sort of your thumbnail and Center button to the microscopic. It was on camera, $ 1200?

All menu system gives me the same feeling of low quality. This interface more consumers in the professional camera. Information on the LCD and Viewfinder haphazard and poorly organized. Taking video means the switch-disk configuration for that crappy little d pad. Why not, say, the shutter speed dial, because this is the dial cannot be used in any case in video mode? If you should have a macro mode, why do I have to click and choose between on and off? If there are only two modes, why not just button to switch between them?! This is nothing that I couldn't get used to, but that's not what I want to get used.

And manual focus, one of the fun things in the "professional" camera, especially one with such a big, fast lens and HD video, useless. You have a nice (if narrow) ring with a smooth action, but in fact only change the focus in little spurts for about half a second of each other. Not only that, but I felt incredibly low sensitivity. I brought him on its minimum focus, which is pretty close (~ 4 inches) by using the Macro AF mode (accurate when you are in your range), and then use the manual focus ring for the President on the other side of the room in focus. Averaging about a quarter of a turn for the movement, it took me 16 spins to get President in focus! This three or four complete revolutions rings! Lens for my Canon comes from macro to infinity in a half-revolution.

Conclusion

I don't want to do this in a litany of complaints. But I am disappointed in this Chamber. Can he ever lived up to my expectations? Of course, I think this is even with updated firmware still have a huge number of improvements, before this camera is a workable replacement for something like a DSLR or even really a reliable alternative to other ~ $ 1000 camera. X 100 is a unique and powerful device, but its weaknesses just make it too much of a chore to make it worth a recommendation. The camera is simply not ready for those who do not wish to compromise on how they shoot.

However, this is the first version of the camera, which has sold incredibly well and almost certainly will see real improvements in the next few years. This is a "visionary" of the first generation product, in fact, with all the pros and cons associated with this class of devices. If you are ready to fight the camera interface and doesn't mind dozens of quaint operational habits, X 100 is interesting and capable camera. But if you're looking for surveying experience is convenient and fast, look for other now.

Product page: Fujifilm X 100

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