The camera is still an X100. With obvious hardware changes, they would probably have called it X200 or something. Nomen est omen. Of course, I'd have preferred 1/3 steps, as well.
Right, I think its pretty clear they still had a lot of X100 hardware in inventory that needed to be used. With the exception of the sensor and processor, I don't know if they changed a significant thing in hardware (nicer menu button, different shape for OVF/EVF lever, pained a Q on the raw button). And then they did some fairly massive firmware overhaul and its a much nicer camera. But they no doubt had a bunch of lens assemblies already waiting to be used and adding 1/3 stops would have been a pretty expensive endeavor. So I fully understand why they left it as is. But after two years, with all of their lenses, the RX1, even the LX7 (!!!!) adding aperture rings with 1/3 stops, its kind of embarrassing in the midst of this otherwise very impressive update.
So when I said in my earlier post, 'how hard could THAT be', I'm sure it wouldn't have been difficult at all, but it wold have been plenty expensive, so I can see why they didn't fix that one. But after shooting with it for awhile and having gotten used to the X-Pro lenses, the LX7, and now even the RX1, it feels like a really cheap detail missed on an otherwise incredibly nice camera... It wouldn't be a make or break issue if I was seriously considering buying it, but it bugs me I must admit...
One other thing - is it really true that you can't turn the ND filter on and off from the "Q" menu? That seems like such a no-brainer! So you either have to give it the one fn button or you have to menu dive for it? THAT just seems stupid to me. Turning the ND filter on and off seems like something you'd be apt to do more often than change the timer (which is quickly accessible through the drive button anyway) or change your jpeg settings for color or shadow detail or sharpness.
-Ray
