A fork in the road - X100 vs XE (not yet sure of model)

[shawn]

Thanks ruby.monkey. I'll have a good look at everything, although weather sealing and the ability to take speed boosting adapters has no real appeal - I'd rather get speed in dark spaces from higher ISO than depth of field limiting wide lens apertures.

With speedboosters you gain about a stop of light no matter what aperture you are set at. You also loose the crop factor which is nice.

I have a Lens Turbo II that I used with my old XP2. It worked well but wasn't compatible with every lens. If they projected deep into the body it wouldn't work and it also limited infinity focus slightly on one of my lenses.

XP2 OVF is really nice as is it ERF mode where you get the OVF plus a tiny EVF in the corner. That can be used to show the whole frame or a zoomed in focus point and that does work with adapted lenses too.

If you plan on using the EVF more, strongly consider the XT2/3. Larger viewfinder than the XP2 (.77x vs .59x) and it is OLED so it is just a little nicer overall and will work fine with polarized sunglasses. After using the EVF in my A7RII the EVF in the XP2 felt like looking into a tunnel.

Shawn

 

[shawn]

That would explain my delight at no blown highlights, it's the major part of why I mostly shoot film.

Another photographer who I had thought to be purist said most pros (himself included) use P all the time.

Time to start enjoying and less talking.

Use the AutoDR mode on the Fuji and set ISO to Auto with a max ISO of at least 400. That will help to keep your highlights intact too. What happens then is if the camera thinks it is going to blow highlights it meters as if the ISO is 400 but actually shoots with the sensor at ISO 200. Then it applies a tone curve to lighten the shadows and mids without clipping the highlights. It gives a stop more highlight range.

You can also set the camera to DR400 with ISO at 800. That will give 2 stops. Camera meters as if ISO800 but sensor is run at ISO200. AutoDR won't select DR400 on the x100t, only on first generation cameras.

Shawn

 

[Rob-F]

Original X100 user here. Even though I may bring Leicas, Nikons, and Hasselblads on a photo trip, my X100 will always go along. I love this camera for its viewfinder as well as the image quality. I posted a little photo essay in the W/NW section on Paris, Texas that I shot entirely with the X100, while the rest of my stuff stayed in the Jeep.

With that being said, six weeks ago I had eye surgery to remove cataracts. They put in plastic lenses that made my vision better corrected than it even was. A bit of an ordeal, but well worth it!

 

[Photog9000]

So, of the choices of an XE or an X100, which of those would you suggest, and which model. I love the glass, the looks and build, but haver between a simple and small fixed lens of the X100 or the ability to mount more glass of the XE.

When I sold all my Nikon gear (pair of D2H bodies and several zooms and primes) at retirement, I also went through the throes of choosing between the X100 and XE series of cameras to drop weight. At first I purchased just an X100S as I wanted to get to a minimalist setup. Bought an XE-1 about three months later to mount a Nikkor 1,8/i5mm for some diversity. Then Fuji came with the WCL and TCL conversion lenses. I preferred the X100S for a couple of reasons (size and 3-stop ND filter) so ended up selling the XE-1 and Nikkor and bought a second X100S. I have put the WCL (28mm) on one body and the TCL (50mm) on the other. That setup has given me the minimalist approach that I wanted with enough lens difference to satisfy me.


One of the main reasons I did not go with just a single body and several lenses was because I am not big on changing lenses for the most part plus it would be too tempting to get back in the gear acquisition mode. Having just the X100S meant I no longer needed ND filters for shooting in bright light at wide open apertures which is something I do on many occasions.


Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Thanks all. I'm enjoying the camera a lot but need to get at least another battery (forgetting to charge last night was a problem).

After a few years of film it's a bit weird getting into menus and options again, but it gives me so much flexibility. The constant, the colour rendition in classic chrome mode remains exquisite.

Pre-production Jaguar E Type engine

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I'm taking too many images and loving not having to develop them. I found myself unenthused about developing a Tmax 400 roll from my Nikon F2AS this morning, partially because I knew the meter is underexposing.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I found a reasonably priced tele converter for the X100T - first generation, and I have to say that extra flexibility it gave was much appreciated today. Lovely results using the camera, and for the first time in 18months I came away from an event without any film images shot. I feel both guilty and rather dirty...

Series III Landrover at Prescott Hill climb. Shot in macro mode with the teleconverter giving a 50mm equivalent. Classic chrome emulation.

 

[Richard G]

The Fuji engineers did marvellous work with the X100. I bought a hood, and the filter adapter required to fit it; and a second filter adapter to which I attached a filter. The latter was needed for the surf coast to keep salt spray off the lens. I also bought a case. I liked the idea of the WCL and TCL conversion lenses too.

But just to mount the hood (for which an adapter was already required, remember) I had to unscrew the sweet metal filter thread cover ring, and put it somewhere safe. I put it and the lens cap in the drawstring bag the hood comes out of. Now too I have to detach the cover part of the ever ready case which won’t go over the hooded lens of course.

I defend Fuji on the score of all that palaver: it is the price of supreme compactness. And Reader, for a long time I’ve just given it all up in favour of the base set-up: camera, filter ring and cap, in its case. This is safe in a drawer or a shoulder bag or my carry-on case and is never far from quick use. Never did by the conversion lenses. The hood is for special occasions and I’ve not used a filter for years. Maybe I should just have caved in to what Fuji provided in the first place.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

It's a bit fiddly, but I only have the filter ring at present, but it's no more of a pain than adding a Rolleinar to my Rolleiflex, and as I always have a small bag to cart stuff in, it's a minor inconvenience. It does give me a lot more flexibility though, and the results are well worth it.