Fuji Inconsistent Aperture

I have yet to send my camera to Fuji but the problem worsened significantly - now the aperture blades almost consistently refuse to close at all. The only way to get a relatively correct exposure in A mode is to use ISO 1600 and f2.0. Anything else and everything is blown up.

What is really maddening is that I am in a rare photogenic environment - I'll be spending the next few days in Highland!! Arrgh!
 
In the old days when cameras were cameras, lenses with leaf shutters suffered a similar thing of blade sticking. On my lenses, before a shoot, I would cock the shutter and change the aperture maybe 100 times. This got everything working smooth.
I would try this right a way and see if it helps. Ya can't hurt anything at all.

If you look at your files from the camera, chances are you'll see that 90% are within 3 or so fstops. Exercise the shutter and aperture, it might help.
Don
 
I have some old cameras with leaf shutters - warming them up so to speak as Don speaks of is what we'd always do. Close enough was good enough.

Unfortunately with the X100 this only works after a fashion. It seems that if a camera is afflicted, continual exercise of the aperture blade only hastens eventual wide open lock out at around f/2.

However if one is stuck with the problem and it is early enough in the disease, you can force the blades to move, for a while/few sessions at least, by assigning the Depth of Field preview function to the Fn button. After turning the camera back on, press Fn - and then you should see the blades move for a while. I found that after turning the camera back on and off I'd have to fire off DoF preview again.

This only worked for a few days for me but it was enough to get by on until the camera then decided to be a soft focus f/2 machine for the remainder of that trip.
 
However if one is stuck with the problem and it is early enough in the disease, you can force the blades to move, for a while/few sessions at least, by assigning the Depth of Field preview function to the Fn button. After turning the camera back on, press Fn - and then you should see the blades move for a while. I found that after turning the camera back on and off I'd have to fire off DoF preview again.

Thanks, this has worked for me. We will see whether I've gotten any worthy image out of the trip, which is a wholly separate matter from the camera behaving weirdly :eek:
 
One of my students got her camera back on Monday. It's being sent back for repair again as it either wasn't fixed or... The replacement lens unit is faulty. I tested the camera last nite and it's defective.
 
One of my students got her camera back on Monday. It's being sent back for repair again as it either wasn't fixed or... The replacement lens unit is faulty. I tested the camera last nite and it's defective.

Oh the horrors.

Fuji UK just emailed me saying that mine was shipped. Let's see if Royal Mail can deliver it tomorrow, just in time for the weekend...
 
so has there been any official announcement that this design problem has been addressed?? or is fuji simply replacing faulty lens with the same old design that will eventually fail?? imeagerly waiting for a proper cure (rather than a bandage solution).
 
Let's not jump to conclusions that there is a bandage solution or that all X100s have this problem. As real as this problem is, it is not across the board.

I have not read any press releases. If anyone does have information that is in the form of a Fuji announcement, I will be one of the first to post it here.
 
And the camera is back this morning. Looks healthy, at least for now.

One funny thing I noticed: I put back the SD card I took out before sending the camera, and the playback display showed this gift-box icon. Had to look up the manual - this is the "gift picture" icon, which means the pictures were taken by other camera. Hmm, the serial number is the same, they only replaced the lens, so why this? Maybe hard-resetting the camera makes it forget about memory cards, I guess.
 
You could call them and ask? It's possible that the new lens changes everything as it is like getting a new camera, isn't it?

Enjoy your camera - I'll be looking forward to your photographs and impressions!
 
How many people have had the sticky aperture problem, what are the real percentages of problems to the amount of cameras in use.
Many of the enthusiast forums I am on, a small number of problems can turn into an avalanche of responses whether it is watches, cars, cameras, wine etc. The only way to tell if there is a real defect is with actual numbers
 
Fuji will not release a number for fear of prompting a recall. They don't want that scenario. I don't think things are overblown. There is certainly justification for the potential grief factor.
Personally, I know of 11 defective cameras. I have many emails from members at other forums asking me to explain the test I set up. It works and actually is nothing more than what we old view camera shooters did before a shoot.

My concern would be how Fuji handles the second hand market scenario.
I've read about a few being fixed for free and others getting charged around $600.00.
The other question this raises is, does the X10 have the potential for the same issue?
 
Good points well taken, Landshark. I have owned MINI Coopers since 2003 and have never had any problems with my cars but the MINI forums can go crazy over things.

I don't know how anyone can know for sure what the numbers are or what the bottom line is unless they work for Fuji and have access to that information. The best thing that anyone can do who is concerned is to write and call the company.

I'm happy to say that both my X100 and my X10 are in fine working order. Again, not to say that these problems aren't real for those who've experienced them - I know they are...but they are not universal.
 
I am in no way saying there may not be a problem, and even though 11 + cameras being bad can seem like a lot, one really needs to see overall numbers, on these forums we are are hyper sensitive to these issues, which is a good thing most of the time. One can only hope that manufacturers look at these forums for feedback about their products and if there is a problem they step and take care of it. I know Fuji wants to get in deep with the pro and enthusiasts photo market, it would be very foolish on their part not to address a known problem now before they ruin their reputation, just before they start to launch their upcoming products.
I just trying to point out that according to the forums, one of my expensive Swiss watches should have stopped working by now, my car should have blown a ring seal, my TV should be showing scan lines, my canon dslr should be out of focus, wines I have bought should not be worth drinking or the greatest ever made, a Japanese custom chef’s knife I bought should have de-cladded, my parrot should not dance, etc.
Not saying the problems are not happening, and if there was something wrong with mine, I would not be too happy, but is it 1 percent, 10 percent or 40 percent
 
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