Fuji X100 - Is it a keeper?

[Amin Sabet]

What's your personal verdict? Will you be keeping the X100?

 

[Country Parson]

Most certainly a keeper! It is not a do-all camera, but for what it does it is uniquely designed and proficient. Rather that define "what it does" I will simply defer to the many X100 images that have been posted here in the recent past.

 

[Ray Sachs]

Oh yeah. Even if the results weren't so good, its so much fun to shoot with it would still be a keeper. And the result ARE that good. Particularly in low light.

A definite keeper.

-Ray

 

[BruPri]

Keeper. (probably until the X150 comes out with all the "fixes")

 

[Andrewteee]

Good question!

 

[Armanius]

A lot of quirks. BUT, perhaps the most elegant camera I've ever used. Compact, classy, sexy, and good IQ.

Keeper.

For now.

 

[jonoslack]

I think not - but perhaps I'm in a different position from some.

I think it's immensely good fun, and it takes great pictures, and, to be honest, I can live with it's quirks, there are plenty of work-arounds.

BUT

1. Manual focus doesn't
It's grotesquely slow to turn the wheel
you can't tell whether it's in focus using the optical viewfinder
if you're going to use the EVF, then why not use AF?

2. It's not really small
It doesn't fit in a pocket (at least, not in a summer pocket)

3. It's not very flexible
you can do close ups with it, but 35mm isn't really an ideal focal length
for other stuff 35mm might be the best focal length, but it isn't the only one

4. It's not weatherproof
The build quality may be great - but looking at the various doors and knobs, I wouldn't want to shoot it somewhere it was very dusty or likely to rain. Not a problem for street shooters, but not great if you're going walking (basically it's back to meaning you need a bag).

In the final analysis being fun and sexy isn't enough.
I love shooting it, but I'll always have the K5 along with me - as the X100 isn't small enough to go in a pocket it means I'll have a bag, in which case why not.

The low light is great, but so is the low light on the K5 . . .

The lens is just about good enough for landscape . . but actually, it's not really better than the K5, (I did a comparison between the X100 and the K5 with the 18-135 at 24mm and f5.6; the corners were a bit better on the Fuji, but as for the rest it was pretty much a dead heat).
. . . . . and it's nothing like as good as the M9. So, in the final analysis; If I'm going to carry a K5 and something else, then it'd better be a K5 and an M9.

 

[soundimageplus]

I know you probably won't believe me but the answer is yes. I've just sold 6 cameras because of its arrival. I really love it, and love using it and love looking at the results. To me it fills in the missing piece of my gear jigsaw puzzle. A small, light, high quality camera thats brilliant in low light. I can live with the "bugs" I looked down the Dpreview list and didn't really see anything that bothered me. I've learned how to set it up as I want and I use in a pretty simple way.

Of course there's always the possibility of something better coming out, but its definitely staying until that happens.

What's your personal verdict? Will you be keeping the X100?

 

[retow]

Definitely a keeper, no question. It's the "digital RF" to take along when a M9 is too much value or weight/size.
In my personal Size/Weight/IQ/UI/Fun/Price equation, it scores presently highest.

 

[Streetshooter]

All I've ever wanted from a digital camera was a 35mm FOV and to let me have my old Leica feel and style of working.
The X100 allows that for me. I'm not saying it's a Leica but I am saying that this camera gets me to that place.....
So, I could sell off every other camera I have and just use the X100 for everything, forever... That's how comfortable I am with it.....

 

[BBW]

Keeper, absolutely positively.

 

[jonoslack]

LOL - This thread really concentrated my mind - so much so that my X100 is up for sale in the buy and sell section.

It's muddying the water for me and not really presenting me with anything I don't have already.

So it's gotta go!

The best thing about it is that it's encouraged me to join this excellent forum

all the best

 

[Amin Sabet]

Remember, Jono, your K5 and M9 are also considered "compact" around these parts. Also, the Pana G3 which you didn't get yet .

 

[jonoslack]

Remember, Jono, your K5 and M9 are also considered "compact" around these parts. Also, the Pana G3 which you didn't get yet .

That's great. You mean you aren't going to use this as an excuse to boot me out?

I thought I was doomed

It's really good here, all these intelligent and amusing people
All the best

 

[jonoslack]

As a addendum to my decision . . . I'm now dithering, having had such an honest and intelligent (and fast) response from Fuji UK, and a great response also from Park cameras, I'm wondering whether I won't just hang on in here with the X100 and see how it pans out with firmware updates in the future.

decisions decisions

 

[Ray Sachs]

Dithering is permitted. I dithered myself silly BEFORE I got the camera - not reason not to do it after...

What did Fuji UK say - anything about a rough schedule for FW updating? I saw a quote from a US rep that amounted to 'that'll probably happen someday'. I'm prepared to just use it as is, but I sure wouldn't MIND a FW update, if it addressed my particular pet peeves...

-Ray

 

[BruPri]

LOL - This thread really concentrated my mind - so much so that my X100 is up for sale in the buy and sell section.

It's muddying the water for me and not really presenting me with anything I don't have already.

So it's gotta go!

The best thing about it is that it's encouraged me to join this excellent forum

all the best

Jono, interesting to me (perhaps only to me) is the opposite effect that it's having here. I feel like jettisoning the rest of my stuff as the Fuji has one thing the others don't, that being a very attractive limitation which is inspiring me to be more creative and learn the basics that I somehow either never learned or forgot (not surprising given the 53 years of birds nest bits that have collected in my brain) As I mentioned to another member here, the Sony Nex is my family camera, events and birthdays etc. The Fuji is just for me.

 

[jonoslack]

Dithering is permitted. I dithered myself silly BEFORE I got the camera - not reason not to do it after...

What did Fuji UK say - anything about a rough schedule for FW updating? I saw a quote from a US rep that amounted to 'that'll probably happen someday'. I'm prepared to just use it as is, but I sure wouldn't MIND a FW update, if it addressed my particular pet peeves...

-Ray

Rough Schedule? No, if they'd done that then I'd not have believed it, partly because I'm aware of how little influence overseas branches of Japanese companies actually have. Partly because, writing software myself, I realise that giving a schedule when you aren't contractually obliged to is complete madness!

I made 4 points to them

1. no focus confirmation in OVF - so you can't really manually focus
they acknowledged this as a fact and a limitation
2. Macro mode switching off when you review an image
they acknowledged this and said they were asking for a firmware fix
3. focus point size resetting if you swap from OVF to EVF
they also acknowledged this and said they were asking for a firmware fix
4. Parallax problem with AF on OVF at less than 10ft
They acknowledged this as a fact and a limitation.

These were the main points I brought up - I'm aware of all the other bugs/issues, but these were the ones which I found irritating.

Somehow, when someone acknowledges and apologises for something . . . . it doesn't really matter anymore. Like you, I can live with these issues.

Still haven't decided though

 

[BBW]

BruPri, I'm glad you're liking yours. I'm a bit concerned that my daughter is going to be liking mine. She loves the manual controls.

*Oops, Jono - I see you did follow up - and I'm so glad to know more. The firmware fixes sound promising.

 

[jonoslack]

Jono, interesting to me (perhaps only to me) is the opposite effect that it's having here. I feel like jettisoning the rest of my stuff as the Fuji has one thing the others don't, that being a very attractive limitation which is inspiring me to be more creative and learn the basics that I somehow either never learned or forgot (not surprising given the 53 years of birds nest bits that have collected in my brain) As I mentioned to another member here, the Sony Nex is my family camera, events and birthdays etc. The Fuji is just for me.

I do understand that . . . but my camera for me is really my M9 - the K5 is useful and necessary (although there will have to be a Pentax/Sony decision at some point). But I'm beginning to think that I can actually live with 3 systems!