Is all the excitement rational?

[ampguy]

I'm as excited about the X100's potential as anyone - the combined optical and EVF finder that Ferider and others have mentioned as possible, may be here in this camera.

Also, the sensor we know is a good size, APS-C, not FF, or even M8 size, but much larger than u4/3. And maybe the sensor will be top notch, equivalent to the best dslr aps-c sensors, maybe the next gen. Sony CMOS backlit, but we don't know for sure yet.

The EXR processor is likely going to have some of the same features that Fuji has used in their P&S lines, and not all the comments on those features have been positive.

But the fixed lens, this really has me wondering. When new lenses come out from anyone, we all want to see images from the lens before plunking down deposits, right?

Well, everyone seems ready to buy this camera, without knowing what the bokeh, distortion, sensor qualities, or usability is really going to be like.

Is this rational? Does anyone see the 'ready to buy' attitude similar to the line of apple fanfolks lining up around the block of an apple store the day a new gizmo is announced and ready to pay full retail, fully understanding that a newer, smaller, faster, sleeker, and cheaper version will be out ~6 months or so??

Just wondering here.

 

[aizan]

it will be months before we know anything about those issues, so the great excitement is not unwarranted. i think more people will buy it asap instead of waiting for reviews, though, especially at that price.

 

[sevo]

Fuji has a decent track record - but all that excitement about what might be a digital successor to their (6x4.5) pro point-and-shoots seems exaggerated. As much as I like my GA645Zi, it is not really a camera that ever caught on that massively even among our rather special group of odd camera users, and even GA owners and users will hardly claim that it is the camera that can replace all others...

 

[Ezzie]

NO! Not at all. But when, if I ever did rationale have anything to do with the process of camera acquisition?

 

[ampguy]

well

well

What I've always liked about those MF Fujis is that they say "Professional" in big white lettering 😉

I kind of doubt this new little X100 thing is going to have that lettering, so no pre-deposit from me ...

Fuji has a decent track record - but all that excitement about what might be a digital successor to their (6x4.5) pro point-and-shoots seems exaggerated. As much as I like my GA645Zi, it is not really a camera that ever caught on that massively even among our rather special group of odd camera users, and even GA owners and users will hardly claim that it is the camera that can replace all others...

 

[Ezzie]

They might make room for PRO, which is the Fuji digital equivalent

 

[mervynyan]

Fujinon lenses had a good track record, sure at least on par with OM and Pentax lenses. When Fuji Klasse series camera sells for 700-800 bucks, I think X100 for 1000 is a good price, maybe they will have 28 and 50mm version in coming years if this sells well.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Like all digital cameras it will have a short life expectancy. Maybe, the next generation will have interchangeable lenses. But, not to be negative, it looks like the industry with this camera and the Canon G and the Olympus Ep series' is moving in the direction of having viewfinders and interchangeable lenses. Are they looking to compete with the Nikon proam market?

 

[jsrockit]

The bottom line is that the camera concept either does it for you (so, you perceive it as rational) or it doesn't (so we are perceived as not rational). I don't get excited about the bulk of the cameras introduced these days. However, when someone seem to get it right on paper, and it seems to fit your style of photography, you have to be excited... especially when there aren't other cameras in its class at this price point.

 

[Matus]

I think that many of us dream long years after digital camera which, apart from being digital would come as close to classical film compact cameras (rangefinders) as possible. And as Fuji X100 seems to be pretty much the first that goes in this direction it causes a lot of excitement. Many will be surely disappointed as they hope for more than this camera will be able to deliver (already clear now). Still - this camera is a fresh wind and gives a hope that "good old cameras" return after long time.

X100 seems to belong to the same camp like Hexar AF, GA645 and Bessa III - all of which were/are original and exceptional in some way and were used by a small and particular group of photographers - us. Those cameras are "ours" 🙂

For me - I am really curios about the performance and details, although I will probably not get a fixed lens digital camera for $1000 as I am film oriented guy. If fuji brings a version with exchangeable lenses that I may be in.

I keep my fingers crossed that Fuji will get this camera right - or even better - the way we want it to be :angel:

 

[ampguy]

no rangefinder focusing

no rangefinder focusing

What this doesn't have is rangefinder focusing. So while you have an optical VF and EVF, I don't think you can focus without the EVF, unless scale focus. Or am I missing something?

Fujinon lenses had a good track record, sure at least on par with OM and Pentax lenses. When Fuji Klasse series camera sells for 700-800 bucks, I think X100 for 1000 is a good price, maybe they will have 28 and 50mm version in coming years if this sells well.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I think the excitement is rational. Fuji has a good reputation for lenses, and some of its earlier digital point and shoots obtained a certain cult status at the time for its handling of noise in low light.

While not a rangefinder, neither were the Contax T2 and T3, both of which cost me in the $1000 range given what the Canadian dollar rates were at the time.

I'm sorry to see all the dissing of m4/3 though. (Although I'm sure it will be tempered by naysayers attacking the Fuji for not being "full frame.") There have been rumours for a while that the upcoming models of the GF series will incorporate some kind of optical viewfinder, and that series does allow for interchangeable lenses. Some variation of the hybrid viewfinder would work well for those.

Finally, I like the heft of the Fuji, as has been described. I feel a little hypocritical in that, because I love my OMs, but they were often criticized by Nikon fans as being too light.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I'm excited that Fuji has brought back a favorite type of camera: Essentially a Modern Fixed-lens "RF", modern equivalent of a Minolta Hi-Matic. The viewfinder holds a lot of promise.

INteresting side-note: was reading an old Dec 1990 Pop Photo. While all of the other comapnies has "Video-Still Capture Electronic cameras" using 2" floppy disk, Fuji debuted a Digital camera that used solid-state memory cards.

 

[jsrockit]

I wonder when we will see the first digital folder... with bellows. 😉

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Well- not a folder, but collapsibe lens tubes are popular. Just like a Minolta Hi-Matic 5, Instamatic S20, Rollei 35, and Kodak Pony. Retracting lenses.

 

[mervynyan]

What this doesn't have is rangefinder focusing. So while you have an optical VF and EVF, I don't think you can focus without the EVF, unless scale focus. Or am I missing something?

I guess it is like Contax G, half press the shutter to lock, if AF is good, I don't have problem with that.

 

[cam]

I guess it is like Contax G, half press the shutter to lock, if AF is good, I don't have problem with that.

if the prototype is anything to go by, focus was almost ingtanaeous. (keep in mind that they lit the booth perfectly, etc., but it was still pretty impressive.)

 

[Sonnar Brian]

For manual focusing- I'm thinking Frankie's suggestion of a live-view magnified "focus patch" in the viewfinder would be easy to implement. Read out the center portion of the sensor, put on the center of the hybrid finder, and use it for manual focus. Easier to do than an RF Cam. You would see the in-focus image through the optical viewfinder, and the image as seen on the sensor. Focus and frame at the same time. A little extra lag to close down the shutter and then tape the picture, like on an EP2.

 

[emraphoto]

for me.. yeah. i could go the rest of my life with a 35mm lens.

for others? tough decision.

 

[Frankie]

I started photography with a new Minolta Hi-matic 7s...a full size fixed lens RF camera.

I was soon lured by the idea of interchangeable and long lenses, so traded the Minolta for a Pantax ES, the OM1, then F2... Many years later, I ended up with 8 mechanical Nikon's and 24 AIS lenses now reduced to 14.

During this time, I still dabble in RF cameras...Konica S3, Minolta Hi-matic F, CLE, then M4-2, Contax G2...all gone, and then ZI.

The ZI with only the CV 40/1.4 was to be my one camera/lens early retirement around the world celebration of a long career.

Soon I got interested in digital retrofitting the M, so I acquired an R-D1, M2, M6 and a few M-mount lenses...CV 25/4, 50/2.5 LTM and M-Rokkor 90/4...that project is now summarily killed by the X100.

GAS would have continued but suddenly cured by the X100. I can't explain it except the design feels right. AND it is the one camera/lens 40mm'ish focal length digital camera design I want. 😀

Imagine X100, 32Gb SD, a spare battery...no film/processing needs, no airport issues. Shoot freely, bracket at will...and email pictures to a few selected friends.

I will keep my mint Black F and Titan F2 for old time sake; and am tossed between keeping the FM2/T or black FM3A. I will only keep 3 lenses: 24/2.8, 35~70/3.3-4.5, 135/2.8.

I will also keep my Bronica ETRs with 50/75/150, in case one day I want to go 645 digital via the Hasselblad CFV-50 back.

The rest goes to eBay...soon.