gavinlg
Veteran
wowwww... Thats what you call direct feedback. With DPRs proposed changed it's going to be significantly better too...
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I don't personally think there's a huge gap between what we expected and what we currently have. A couple of decent intelligent firmware updates are going to put this camera where it belongs ... well and truly at the top of the heap.
Leica will need to think very seriously about the X1 and where to go with it because it's already well behind the Fuji in all areas IMO.
Gid
Well-known
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
willie_901
Veteran
Yes ... I though it was a little overly brave in hindsight!
You don't make the news... you just report it.
I've never used the X1. So all I can say is carrying the X100 with me where ever I go is a great solution for me. Except for the cheesy battery charger, the X100 meets my daily needs and is worth every penny.
But because of the price, the lens speed – and most of all – because I can't put my eye up to the camera and take a photo without using an accessory finder – I would never buy a X1. Also I have not read any reports that the X1's recent firmware upgrade has significantly improved the AF system. Has the X1 firmware update made a big difference?
No, it didn't in the AF department.
gavinlg
Veteran
I would agree with you, though without having used the camera myself. All the main criticisms that I have read seem to be due to:
a) people wanting the camera to do something that it's not really designed for (manual focus, macro with OVF etc)
or
b) people who are expecting an m9 for $1000
Yes, 99% true. The rest are firmware based issues that are legit.
willie_901
Veteran
Thanks for the info.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I got the replacement this morning and from what I can see so far it's a different camera ... the exposure seems much more consistent generally and without the random three stop glitch that plagued the last one.
The guy at the store was telling me that Fuji are very good with warranty and have always reacted promptly to any problems they've encountered in the shop with their products.
In spite of the frustration (broken toy) this has been a very reassuring experience for me regarding Fuji's committment to customer service.
The guy at the store was telling me that Fuji are very good with warranty and have always reacted promptly to any problems they've encountered in the shop with their products.
In spite of the frustration (broken toy) this has been a very reassuring experience for me regarding Fuji's committment to customer service.
KM-25
Well-known
I can only speak as someone who shoots for the love of photography and gets paid for that love, but I used an M9 to shoot thousands of photos last year over a three week span on very high profile jobs in which a discreet approach to certain situations was more than just a little appreciated.
So flame on but considering the Barnack heritage that HCB loved so much about the Leica M, I can say that if the M9 had just a fixed 35/2, the X100 would bury it alive in terms of getting the job done.
I am confident that Fuji will address as much as technically possible in terms of firmware with the X100 and this camera will be a serious turning point for the entire industry to wake the hell up for once.
Seriously folks, the more I shoot with this camera, the bigger a waste of money the M9 looks to be. The image quality, the high iso performance, white balance and color tone are just *perfect* with this little camera. I don't even bother with shooting raw anymore, I simply get it right in camera nearly every time with this amazing new tool.
The person this camera is designed for is not interested in the Bokeh of the Noctilux or some asinine titanium collector's set. The person the X100 is designed for is a photographer that relishes in the photograph, not the gear.
In my opinion, this camera belongs in the bag of every photojournalist out there.
So flame on but considering the Barnack heritage that HCB loved so much about the Leica M, I can say that if the M9 had just a fixed 35/2, the X100 would bury it alive in terms of getting the job done.
I am confident that Fuji will address as much as technically possible in terms of firmware with the X100 and this camera will be a serious turning point for the entire industry to wake the hell up for once.
Seriously folks, the more I shoot with this camera, the bigger a waste of money the M9 looks to be. The image quality, the high iso performance, white balance and color tone are just *perfect* with this little camera. I don't even bother with shooting raw anymore, I simply get it right in camera nearly every time with this amazing new tool.
The person this camera is designed for is not interested in the Bokeh of the Noctilux or some asinine titanium collector's set. The person the X100 is designed for is a photographer that relishes in the photograph, not the gear.
In my opinion, this camera belongs in the bag of every photojournalist out there.
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__--
Well-known
Although I'm not a Leica fanboy and sold my M9 after because I had to send it back to Solms for repair twice, the above has a breathless quality that does not coincide with what I've seen from serious reviews, like that of Sean Reid, and from seeing JPGs produced by the camera. Don't get me wrong: it seems like a very good camera, but the JPGs "straight from the camera" don't look to me like I wouldn't want to shoot RAW with it.
—Mitch/Bangkok
Who Likes the Snapshot Aesthetic?
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bigeye
Well-known
Keith: I'd like to hear your thoughts on Ken Rockwell's review of the X100. He's quite a fan and I find him technically reliable.
- Charlie
- Charlie
KM-25
Well-known
And I am not a Leica hater, I use my M6 & M3 near daily with Tri-x.
One thing to consider is that the Alex Webb's, David Alan Harvey's and Bill Allard's of the world don't post camera reviews but lots of people with only average skills in seeing the ebb and flow of light do, Sean being one of them.
You simply need to see for your self, that is why I buy the gear I am curious about and don't really give a piss about what some wedding photographer says, especially when he is going to charge me to hear his opinion.
Sound harsh? Maybe, but it seems these days all people are interested in is writing or comparing camera reviews, not being a great photographer.
One thing to consider is that the Alex Webb's, David Alan Harvey's and Bill Allard's of the world don't post camera reviews but lots of people with only average skills in seeing the ebb and flow of light do, Sean being one of them.
You simply need to see for your self, that is why I buy the gear I am curious about and don't really give a piss about what some wedding photographer says, especially when he is going to charge me to hear his opinion.
Sound harsh? Maybe, but it seems these days all people are interested in is writing or comparing camera reviews, not being a great photographer.
willie_901
Veteran
I find myself in full agreement with KM-25.
I would not expect a print journalist to photograph my wedding as well as an experienced wedding photographer. And I would not expect a photographer to practice journalism as well as a formally trained journalist who works with the benefit of formal peer review (such as an editor). I have paid to read reviews by photographers with formal journalism training and who work with editors. Otherwise I won't pay.
With regard to the X100 RAW files: I find them very impressive. I sell 50 to 100 photographs a week from D700 RAW files. I can report that the X100 RAW files have about 80 to 90% of the flexibility I find with the D700 files. The X100 RAW files are about 10-20 % better than those from the D300 (which I used before the D700).
The X100 lens performs better than any Nikkor lens I've ever used on a digital camera. The X100 lens does have a weakness. The lens has significant spherical aberation artifacts that limit the sharpness below F4 when the subject is very close (macro mode) and that generate flare when a strong point-source light is just out of the frame. Otherwise the lens is a strong performer.
The most surprising aspects of the X100/lens combination is the very low level of native CA and the lack of purple fringing when highlights are severely over exposed.
I would not expect a print journalist to photograph my wedding as well as an experienced wedding photographer. And I would not expect a photographer to practice journalism as well as a formally trained journalist who works with the benefit of formal peer review (such as an editor). I have paid to read reviews by photographers with formal journalism training and who work with editors. Otherwise I won't pay.
With regard to the X100 RAW files: I find them very impressive. I sell 50 to 100 photographs a week from D700 RAW files. I can report that the X100 RAW files have about 80 to 90% of the flexibility I find with the D700 files. The X100 RAW files are about 10-20 % better than those from the D300 (which I used before the D700).
The X100 lens performs better than any Nikkor lens I've ever used on a digital camera. The X100 lens does have a weakness. The lens has significant spherical aberation artifacts that limit the sharpness below F4 when the subject is very close (macro mode) and that generate flare when a strong point-source light is just out of the frame. Otherwise the lens is a strong performer.
The most surprising aspects of the X100/lens combination is the very low level of native CA and the lack of purple fringing when highlights are severely over exposed.
marcr1230
Well-known
The Exposure Compensation knob is way to easy too change.
I just got back from an outing, my pictures started good, then went to -0.33EV
Last picture was at -1.67EV. This is likely because I was pulling the camera out of my bag repeatedly. I would definitely appreciate a lock on this dial
I just got back from an outing, my pictures started good, then went to -0.33EV
Last picture was at -1.67EV. This is likely because I was pulling the camera out of my bag repeatedly. I would definitely appreciate a lock on this dial
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__--
Well-known
Wow! Both of you are harsh indeed on Sean Reid who, in my view, is the best reviewer around of digital caneras. I don't really want to engage you in this level of vituperation, but it needs to be said that a reviewer or tester of the usability and technical qualities of cameras, like an art critic, does not need to be a great photographer. Moreover, I don't see that a peer review or training with journalism has much to do with the quality of a camera tester and reviewer. Conversely, it doen't follow that a great photographer is necessary either a skilled or even knowledgeable camera critic or tester.
As for the views of wiilie_901's on X100 RAW, these are in line with what I have seen on the web, unlike KM-25's views on X100 JPGs stratight out of the camera — but to each his own, and I would not pontificate on a camera that I have't yet used.
—Mitch/Bangkok
Who Likes the Snaopshot Aesthetic?
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Amazingly this is about the only thing he says that I totally disagree with. Leave the Fuji on default settings, put the aperture and shutter dial both on 'A' and you'd be struggling to get a bad result ... the camera will do the lot on these settings if you're so inclined. It can take perfect photographs in the hands of the most inexperienced novice in this mode.
In the end the bulk of the people who buy this camera will be realatively inexperienced photographers ... as are most of the people who buy the mid range DSLR's.
Richard G
Veteran
Ken's enthusiasm is never in doubt but I think he is right in everything he says about the X100. I don't think many inexperienced photographers will get to see its benefits. Fixed focus lens and no zoom. How will that sell? And who would want manual controls? I don't think there are many dads buying kit DSLRs for the manual controls. But there are some discerning types without a lot of photographic knowledge who just recognize that this is something and they will get one on trust and be very happy.
One of the things I've found very satisfying is the closure of the same loop I operate with my 35 Summicron or the ZM Sonnar: I know how the shot ought to work out - I can anticipate the effect of the character of the lens on the picture I get back from the developer, and this happens with the Fuji lens and the pictures from the X100. I am very inexperienced with SLRs, although increasingly interested, but I don't get that feeling looking through my Zuiko lenses, only when I get the photos back.
One of the things I've found very satisfying is the closure of the same loop I operate with my 35 Summicron or the ZM Sonnar: I know how the shot ought to work out - I can anticipate the effect of the character of the lens on the picture I get back from the developer, and this happens with the Fuji lens and the pictures from the X100. I am very inexperienced with SLRs, although increasingly interested, but I don't get that feeling looking through my Zuiko lenses, only when I get the photos back.
bigeye
Well-known
After nearly a year of watching, at 8:03am EDT, 6/5/2011, I experienced total consciousness of the Fuji X100. (So, I have that going for me.)
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