3.7 X100

[Etta Lesniak]

Theinternal battery has since gave way (so settings are not saved when I do a battery change), and a call to the local Fujifilm Service centre recently was that they refused to fix it, and so this is a camera that is simply eking out a day by day existence before its components fail, but yet it felt good to hold it in my hands again.

So many of us have full interchangeable lens systems for our more professional work so this is a camera that fits squarely into the want department, not the need one. So why do we keep coming back? In fact, I have owned every single iteration of the X100 series, sometimes in both colours.

In fact, I can imagine more than 12 years ago, the development team at Fujifilm probably asked themselves the question below, and in doing so, cracked the formula for a fixed lens camera design that will stand the test of time.

As a user of professional systems, it is liberating to use a X100 camera, like how a Leica Q /Q2 makes me feel. As an user coming from mobile phones or from entry level point and shoots, the X100 camera feels like an upgrade, one really can understand why either way you have a happy user.

The images from the X100 are hardly clinically perfect. The lens flares, gives a glowing effect when shot at F2 close to MFD, has only decent dynamic range and on, but yet they are beautiful in their own characterful way.

I always believe this is what Fujifilm prides themselves on, with their many film simulations that forms the DNA of the brand. As the X-Trans sensors got upgraded across the decade, of course the way the images render on the X100 is very different from the much more saturated and contrasty drawing of the more modern Fujifilm sensors nowadays.

In fact even comparing modern variants, my Ricoh GR III focuses more reliably than the X100V, which has hardly been firmware updated by Fujifilm functionality wise while the Q2 and GR III has really leap-frogged ahead with firmware updates. (yeap, Kaizen is probably dying or dead).

But my argument is, sometimes cameras become cult classics not because they were perfect performers to begin with, they are exactly classics because their uniqueness and idiocracies made us feel something when using them to photograph moments of our lives, and the X100 is indeed one such camera.

Thank you for this Keith.

I have recently acquired a Olympus E-P1 with the 17mm 2.8 prime lens. This lens on a Micro 4/3 sensor is the equivalent of a 23mm on a crop sensor.

The tonal range and quality of the photos are beautiful. I shoot RAW and JPG. I edit the RAW in Dark Table and apply film presets from t3mujinpack.

Great fun

I am mainly a Fujifilm shooter though haha.

Me again, I have just signed up as a member of your site.

My god you have a beautiful site and so many interesting articles.

Time to pour a glass of wine and start reading.

Again thanks so much for all this.

cheers from the west coast of Canada.

GM

Ha, probably a good thing, Fujifilm ambassador Jonas Rask once said in an interview that he had met many people who had regretted selling their Fujifilm X-100, x-100s, x-100t, x-100f etc

I have the x100t and I simply love it and will not sell it. My main set-up is the Fujifilm x-T2 combined with various Asahi Takumar lenses mainly the 28mm f3.5 & the 35mm f3.5 and the 50mm f1.4 which all give a painterly look to my photos.

Just got back from my mini road trip today where I took along the Fuji X100 and Leica X1 so I could compare shooting them side by side. I wanted to write about the experience AND the image quality results of both out of camera JPEG and RAW conversions. First off, the light was harsh today so these were all taken between 9:30AM and 2PM, not the best light but still was able to get a feel for each camera and compare them.

What I will do here is post straight from camera JPEG images from each camera, as well as a few processed in RAW and a couple of FULL size samples from RAW. When I show JPEG output, each camera was set to the same color setting. If Velvia on the X100 it was Vivid on the X1. If it was standard on the X1, it was Provia on the X100. IN every comparison the same Aperture was used. For ISO, the base ISO of each camera was used for best image quality. ISO 100 for the X1 and 200 for the X100.

On Saturday I posted a side by side picture with a Poll and asked all of you to guess which image was from the Leica X1 and which was from the Fuji X100. The Poll was pretty evenly split and finally the top image broke away with the most votes, meaning that the majority thought the top was from the X1.

Remember, anytime you follow my links here and buy from B&H or AMAZON, this helps to keep my site going. If it was not for these links, there would be no way to fund this site, so I thank you in advance if you visit these links. I thank you more if you make a purchase! I have nifty search bars at the upper right of each page so you easily search for something at either store! I currently spend 10-14 hours a day working on this site and the only way that I can pay for it is with your help, so thank you! Currently my traffic has been increasing but my funds to pay for the site has been decreasing, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Even if you buy baby food, napkins or toothpicks at amazon it helps this site, and you do not pay anything extra by using the links here. Again, you pay nothing extra by using my links, it is just a way to help support this site, so again, I thank you in advance

If you enjoyed this article/review, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page and also be sure to join me on twitter or my new facebook fan page! Also, you can subscribe to my feed at my subscribe page HERE and read these posts in your browser or news reader! Also, the new forums are NOW OPEN on this site so get involved if you like! Thanks so much for visiting my site!

Thanks for the review Steve. I have been back a few times reading this over the last few months. Now that the prices for both cameras have come down, I have the opportunity to get an X1 for $950 or a X100 for $700. With these prices in mind, which one is better value? I am torn between the two, mostly because of the faster operation and EVF of the X100 that I really like. Any advise is welcomed.

The Photography industry is moving so fast which makes my choice to change.

The Nikon D800 is darn good and could be adjusted to use FX and DX lenses and still have High Quality pictures. But then the Fuji X1 Pro came out. This is digging my pocket deep into Bankruptcy.

very intresting reading and photos i have just orderd the x100 and carnt wait to try it out carnt really streatch to the price of the leica but would to try one out ,

it will be the first rangefinder camera that i have used too really looking forward to this .

Very nice test. Both has many equal qualities and technically the X100 has a much better technology.

I was tempted to buy the X100 but need to refocus on what I really need.

Oh yeah; I have the old D70 which needs replacing. Have the D300 which is my tool for the time being. My lenses are the most important of all.

Besides my D300 I use my Canon S90 a lot too.

My aim is to get a full FX sensor camera for low lighting and quality and the D700 is out dated compared to the D7000.

Now waiting for the Sony NEX7 to fit my fabulous Nikon lenses or/ unless Nikon is coming with a new FX model 18Mp-24Mp

I still want a compact that gives me control of depth of field in the same way a full frame digital or a 35mm film camera does. Whether that is optically (preferable) or by software I do not think it matters.

The other thing, with all the commentary about high ISO performance what about low ISO performance? I want the digital to be spectacularly sharp with great colour at ISO 50 for the same reasons that people choose ISO 50 Velvia.

I hope the X2 is a full frame replica of the Leica IIIg or IIIf. To me the IIIg or IIIf are the best compact film cameras ever built. Smaller than an M with the same quality and interchangeable lenses.

It looks like the contrast is held up better on the x1 shots, which may mean that the x100 needs a hood and has an inferior lens. The x1 has a protruding lens built to work without one and seems to handle harsh light better.

Steve Your review is phenomenal as always.I always shot the X1 in jpeg until i read Ken Rockwells use of the quick fix Auto enhance for DNGS. .The resulta are amazing.. The camera beomes M9ish. On Mothers Day the X1 out did the 5DMARK 11 and the D3000. On grand children whom were not moving I highly reccomend the Aperture Auto Enhance.

Hi Steve,

Great comparison. I think anyone who has to make a choice between these cameras will always miss the other one! After reading your article they will get confidence that they made the right choice.

The X100 distorts much more than the X1 and you can see it when shooting up close or in peoples faces. As for the EVF of the X100 vs the EVF for the GXR, cant say as I do not own the EVF for the GXR though have used it briefly. I would take a built in EVF/VF any day over a add on, just for aesthetic reasons. As for performance, the X100 EVF is fantastic IMO.

I have both the X1 and X100 and recently took the X100 on a trip with me to San Francisco as my only camera. When I bought the X100 I thought the X100 would definitely replace my X1 but after using the X100 on my trip I am not so sure. While I got nice results with the X100, I find the X1 easier to use and smaller, which is key for me when walking around a city and wanting to quickly take a shot without going into menus and fiddling with buttons. Yes, there are fewer features on the X1 but I love the simplicity, like on the M9.

I use the Sandisk Pro 45MBS 16mb card. Its fine if its in the camera all day and reformatted before putting in. Once I transfer images to my computer, and then try to put it back in the camera, it starts up slow. If I reformat, its under half a second.

3a8082e126