aizan
Veteran
didn't i just say that i was not talking about the interface, i.e. the knobs, the viewfinder, or whatever?
semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
Apologies if I misread.
Paul T.
Veteran
The Hexar AF - which was very much a boutique product rather than mass market - was launched into a crowded field; there were plenty of autofocus cameras with optical finders; the Hexar was arguably the first to combine this with a truly high quality, fast lens and fast autofocus (and silent mode), but it was up against products from Contax, Nikon, Olympus, and others.
The intriguing aspect of the X100 is that Fuji are launching into what is not a crowded market. There's no one else there. It might be a niche product, but they will have all of that niche, and going by the example of EVIL cameras, no-one else will launch into that niche for a year or so.
Frank Petronio
Well-known
It's still baffling that none of the manufacturers didn't do something like this years ago? It's not like thousands of avid photographers weren't talking about their desire for such a camera online, right in plain sight.
Instead you get that Nikon copy of a Canon G9 or whatever that was... or another DSLR w high quality video (but unsuitable focusing, viewing, sound, etc.)
How deaf can they be that they wouldn't produce a professional digital video camera that used the DSLR sensors and lenses? Instead people are taking their still cameras and grafting viewfinders and other video refinements onto them in a home-brew, Duct taped fashion. And they been doing it like that for over two years now!
Look at the Panasonic G1... Camera of the Year and all that.... yet they actually made the follow-up models worse!
Instead you get that Nikon copy of a Canon G9 or whatever that was... or another DSLR w high quality video (but unsuitable focusing, viewing, sound, etc.)
How deaf can they be that they wouldn't produce a professional digital video camera that used the DSLR sensors and lenses? Instead people are taking their still cameras and grafting viewfinders and other video refinements onto them in a home-brew, Duct taped fashion. And they been doing it like that for over two years now!
Look at the Panasonic G1... Camera of the Year and all that.... yet they actually made the follow-up models worse!
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amateriat
We're all light!
Won't argue with you there...
This is what will be fascinating to watch: I looked at Nikon's P7000 with a degree of interest, but also got a big dose of "Canon Gx wannabe" from its design. Better than the P6000? Maybe. What I really wanted? Hardly, but what choice was I given?
Now, there's a real choice. Fuji has long had a similar mojo to Konica in regard to ignoring what the "majors" were doing in the market, and going their own way, concentrating on MF where so many were catering to systems-based 35mm gear, then creating MF rangefinders when everyone else was doing nothing but SLRs (although they did eventually blow everyone's socks off in that arena as well). You might call it an asymmetrical approach to the market. The X100 appears to continue in that vein, and i predict Fuji will reap considerable rewards with it if they get things reasonably right. My finances are rather up in the air at the moment, but if I think I can swing it, this is the digital camera I'd like in my bag alongside my film burners (which I'm keeping).
Bring it, Fuji.
- Barrett
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semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
+1 in a big way. Solid post.
Japan---Exposures
Member
If if if… yes, the camera looks good as mockup and on spec sheet, but that's all we know up to now - still a thousand ways to screw it up on the way...
user237428934
User deletion pending
semilog
curmudgeonly optimist
noimmunity
scratch my niche
Posts on this thread should be locked at 1000, in order to appease the price gods deliberating over the final price of this camera (credit card in hand waiting for pre-order).
user237428934
User deletion pending
When the price depends on the post count then let's stop now. 899 sounds even better.
Edit: Hey. Please don't delete posts. I have to adjust the number above every time
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noimmunity
scratch my niche
but it is hard to stop, isn't it?!
noimmunity
scratch my niche
But seriously back OT, I think the sales could be unexpectedly brisk, as they were for the GRD series. I know lots of people in this part of the world who don't give a hoot about photographic gear, yet love to be seen carrying a small enthusiast's camera. The X100 has potential to tap into the market concerned about the image, including the image of the gear as well as the composition and the final IQ. Judging by the number of young people wearing fashionable T shirts with photos of classic film cameras on their shirts, this could well leave the niche status and make it into pop cult.
amateriat
We're all light!
Don't I know it! But, as a far more famous person than I'll ever be said: I've got this feeling...
I sort-of grok your paranoia here, Jon. But you have to think volume, man! What if we pushed this thing to 2000 posts?
Think big: this could be hipper than an M-whatever. Look at the cachet the Contax Gs have gotten from being included in fashion photo shoots for the likes of GQ and such. All we need is someone here who knows someone who knows someone who knows a fashion shooter or AD with Vogue or Glamour and thinks the model du jour would look really cool holding this jewel of a camera on the cover or in a feature spread or maybe a L'oreal ad campaign, and we're off to the races, understand?
Never mind. I just want the damn camera. Destiny can wait.
- Barrett
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Naumoski
Well-known
The announced price on Photokina for x100 was 1000 dollars (tough not officialy confirmed and yet not final price), have someone already ordered the camera, or will order really quite soon?
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noimmunity
scratch my niche
Barrett, we must have been having the same thought at the same time, marvel of the net
Don't I know it! But, as a far more famous person than I'll ever be said: I've got this feeling...
I sort-of grok your paranoia here, Jon. But you have to think volume, man! What if we pushed this thing to 2000 posts?
Think big: this could be hipper than an M-whatever. Look at the cachet the Contax Gs have gotten from being included in fashion photo shoots for the likes of GQ and such. All we need is someone here who knows someone who knows someone who knows a fashion shooter or AD with Vogue or Glamour and thinks the model du jour would look really cool holding this jewel of a camera on the cover or in a feature spread or maybe a L'oreal ad campaign, and we're off to the races, understand?
Never mind. I just want the damn camera. Destiny can wait.
- Barrett
amateriat
We're all light!
Highly doubt that any orders have been placed just yet, although I'm betting Fuji have had a ton of inquiries to that end. By this time, they must know they've got something akin to a tiger by the tail. I'm assuming the production status of the camera has now been greenlighted.
This is exactly the process Chevrolet went through when they presented the new Camaro as a show car: not everyone wanted one, but enough people went gaga over it that GM greenlighted production of a version that, for once, wasn't watered-down, and they're selling briskly enough to declare it a success. It didn't have to outsell Impalas or Malibus, just enough to make the process worthwhile. (Luckily for Fuji, they don't have the digicam equivalent of the Ford Mustang or Dodge Challenger to contend with...yet.)
- Barrett
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
I want one. I think it's great and it LOOKS great. For 1000$ I'd buy one.
But, dare I day it, could Fuji go the extra mile and make this into a system camera, maybe in the next generation? It might be all the camera I'll ever need!
But, dare I day it, could Fuji go the extra mile and make this into a system camera, maybe in the next generation? It might be all the camera I'll ever need!
jrv
Member
Marketing managers are very risk adverse, just like most people.
They know that if they bring out an unusual product that fails they'll be fired. If they bring out a product just like the other successful products on the market they'll have something that people will buy, and often only a few minor improvements and a lot of advertising are needed to make the product a "success" and get the marketing manager a raise. This is a safe, low risk approach; stick to what someone else showed works and you'll be OK.
It's rare to find someone willing to stick his neck out and risk failure on a new product. One of the challenges of management is figuring out how to let people fail (but not too often!). Apple is a good example of a company that has figured this out (it helps that the CEO is heavily involved since he's not going to fire himself).
Fuji has been willing to do things differently in the past and not follow Canikon's endless me-too-ism. Even if this does turn to be flawed hopefully it will force some new thinking into the industry.
Ezzie
E. D. Russell Roberts
Look at it this way. Think of all the boring posts we will not be having as a result of it being fixed focus.
- which version of the summicron/lux is best?
- if I was to have only one Leica lens, which would that be?
- how to code this and that lens?
- which focal length is for me?
- show us your pre-asph pics
- etc etc
- which version of the summicron/lux is best?
- if I was to have only one Leica lens, which would that be?
- how to code this and that lens?
- which focal length is for me?
- show us your pre-asph pics
- etc etc
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