Fuji Upgrading to X20 first

Ah, to have loads and loads of money. Alas, I don't. I do have and love both the X10 and the X100, so there was a bit of anguish when it got announced that both would get upgraded. I can (barely) afford to upgrade one, and it will be the X20 -- and would be if they were the same price -- and here's why:

-- My only real complaint with the X10 has been that from time to time it is a little flaky in focusing. Fast, accurate focusing is a real plus, probably by itself cause to upgrade.

-- Having information in the viewfinder is important; having the focusing box (and focus confirmation available, ala the X100) makes the X20 far more serious. That, too, is probably alone enough to justify the upgrade to me.

-- With a small sensor, even little increases in sharpness are a big deal. Removal of the AA filter alone is a big deal. While I never found noise to be much of an issue with the X10, the reduced noise can't be a bad thing, either.

The improvements in the X100s will be wonderful, but the improvements in the X20, were there a way to quantify them as a percentage, would be oodles higher, I think.

Can't wait!

Some pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/depscribe/
 
I went browsing through your Flickr. Your night shots on the street Christmas Eve and the streetlight in the fog were all X10 shots. Extremely nice X10 shots. If you are getting these types of shots from the X10 you could easily wait until the X20 prices go down and pick one up. You are doing a great job with what you have now.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Many thanks

Very kind words. One does tend to try to see if there is a situation where there's so little light that the Fujis won't make a usable picture! And the pictures you mentioned were taken in part because I didn't really believe they would work. (And I remember in ages past, when I would return to the darkroom increasingly doubting my ability to push the film an extra six stops! So I'm easily amazed -- wish I'd had something like the X10 five or six years ago, when low-light digital was . . . problematic.)
I do really hope that the X20's new focusing system is as quick as advertised, because that's important to me.
Then again, if I were master of the universe, I'd have something like an X100s with a lens equivalent to the X10's -- say effective 24-100, f2. (Yeah, I know it would be a lot bigger, but I don't care -- it would be worth it.) I'd also have an X100s body with a 21mm-equivalent lens.
How much better a place the world would be if we were in control . . .
 
All those are DEFINITELY pluses towards a X20 upgrade, infact I'm pretty set on getting one myself...ONLY if it meets or exceeds the dynamic range of the X10's EXR sensor in 6mp/ISO100/DR400 mode. Otherwise... not worth it for my purposes.
 
I understand that some are much taken with the 6mp mode. I never quite saw what they were finding wrong with the 12mp mode. Actually, I never found anything very useful in the EXR stuff at all. I have one of the earlier EXR point-and-shoots, and I didn't see much improvement due to it there, either. Must be useful for the kinds of pistures that I don't much take, or else my eyes grow old . . . or both . . .
 
My only real complaint with the X10 has been that from time to time it is a little flaky in focusing. Fast, accurate focusing is a real plus, probably by itself cause to upgrade.

I had the same problem with mine - but the focus problem was more than just a little flaky!

In truth, it was the lack of dependable focus accuracy that caused me to sell mine (rather than focus speed). It was the only major complaint that I had about it, and was the only reason for selling it. However, it does seem that I might have had a bad example... because when I read the experiences of others, focus accuracy does not seem to be a stand-out problem.

The trouble is that the x20 (with its improved AF) is now a very attractive proposition...:eek_old:
 
I've encountered this a bit also; not enough to render the camera unusable but certainly enough to alter the keeper:delete ratio, but I attributed it to my shooting when the little light I didn't see next to the viewfinder hadn't turned green yet. I've also had the occasional picture taken when to the best of my knowledge i was not pressing the stutter yet. Not often enough to suggest a malfunction -- probably operator error.

The new focus system is welcome, too, because (less in the X10 than in the X100, though this could be because I got used to it in the X100) there needs to be something contrasty and *vertical* in the focus area. The new system ought to eliminate that. And focus confirmation inside the viewfinder will help as well, I hope. And pray.
 
I understand that some are much taken with the 6mp mode. I never quite saw what they were finding wrong with the 12mp mode. Actually, I never found anything very useful in the EXR stuff at all. I have one of the earlier EXR point-and-shoots, and I didn't see much improvement due to it there, either. Must be useful for the kinds of pistures that I don't much take, or else my eyes grow old . . . or both . . .

You will see a huge difference when you compare the regular 12mp dr100/200 and a6mp higher DR when you shoot skies with the x10.
 
Dennis, welcome to the forum! I have to say that my heart skipped a beat when I just spotted the fact that quite a few of your photographs were taken in Athens, Ohio! Do you live there? I graduated from OU back in 1978 with a BFA in Photography... What a great town and the countryside around there is gorgeous! I look forward to spending more time looking through your Flickrstream, your images have already brought back quite a few memories!
 
Indeed, I'm in Athens at this very minute. Have been here for eight years this month. Among my various pastimes is a column "The View from Mudsock Heights," in the Athens News. If you are truly bored sometime, look it up!

Where are you nowadays?
 
Wonderful - now I can live vicariously!

We live in a town called Rye, NY...but will be moving up to Kent, CT in several months. Kent is in the northwestern portion of Connecticut not far from the NY border...near Sharon, West Cornwall...beautiful countryside which reminds me in so many ways of southeastern Ohio - which I truly loved.

I'll definitely look up your column, Dennis.:2thumbs:
 
Okay, this is *too* spooky -- I moved here from Newtown, Ct., and before that lived in White Plains and raced sailboats out of Rye and Larchmont. And spent a lot of time at the various spots along Route 7 north of Danbury, which is to say Kent, Kent Falls, Cornwall Bridge, Caanan, and north into Massachusetts.
 
Ah. That would explain it -- I don't shoot skies much. I guess the X10 isn't very good for that.

Definitely not. It's a great little camera otherwise but it is clearly behind in photos of bright skies with clouds. Unless it is my camera or photographic skills of course!

Peter
 
I long planned on reaching advanced age and spending my time with an 8x10 view camera, making gorgeous black-and-white pictures which I would contact print. Best way to get a truly full range. I achieved the advanced age part, but by the time I got here it had become insanely expensive to do any chemical-based photography at all.

So instead of gorgeous landscapes, I'm stuck photographing other stuff instead. (Though infrared landscapes with the X100 are kind of cool.)
 
I know this isn't a geography thread, but you're all so close to home I can't resist...

I live in New Rochelle, my sister lives in Danbury, I know Kent (well, Kent Falls park anyway), I'm in Rye and Larchmont and Mamaroneck all the time. Here's an album just shot a few days ago on Mamaroneck Ave in White Plains, including a show about the history of boats and boating along the Sound Shore and Hudson Valley.

Howdy neighbors!

Back on topic: Definitely picking up a new X20 on release day to complement my wonderful X100. Need a longer lens for 20% of the travel photos, I'm going to Cuba in April, entirely based on the quality of my recently acquired second-hand X100.

--Adam
 
I understand that some are much taken with the 6mp mode. I never quite saw what they were finding wrong with the 12mp mode. Actually, I never found anything very useful in the EXR stuff at all. I have one of the earlier EXR point-and-shoots, and I didn't see much improvement due to it there, either. Must be useful for the kinds of pistures that I don't much take, or else my eyes grow old . . . or both . . .

There's nothing at all wrong with the 12mp mode... it's just that for my line of work as well as shooting/post-processing style, I really crave dynamic range. It's a little mindblowing how great the X10's relatively tiny sensor is at capturing details in highlights.
 
Back
Top