What do YOU think of X100's pricing?

[Spyro]

I'd gladly pay $2k for it but thats just me.

 

[Keith]

I'd gladly pay $2k for it but thats just me.

Sssshhhhh ... they might hear you! 😛

 

[Flinor]

The X100 is, to me at least, the digital reincarnation of the Konica Hexar AF. I used a couple of Hexars for years with great results and great pleasure. IIRC I paid $450 for my first Hexar almost 20 years ago. If we inflate that $450 to 2011 value the X100 seems pretty reasonably priced.

 

[shashinka-ichiban]

Well, just think, if the X100 does well, the X150 may go for more. Fuji's taking a big risk with this camera. It could be a flop like the F300EXR or be a major success, but we won't know for a few months yet. I'm sure of one thing, and that's Fuji's market research team more than likely polled, and surveys groups to find out what they would and would not be willing to pay for this camera, and compared it to costs to manufacture.

 

[gavinlg]

It's priced amazingly well. You can't get an equivalent aps-c slr or evil with the same feature highlighs and specs for even close to the 1200 of the x100.

For example, a current Sony slr like the a-55 with the new zeiss/Sony 24mm f2 will have a similar iq performance, but will be significantly bigger, and will cost 2k.

I think the main problem with people thinking it's too expensive is simply because they misunderstand the camera. It ISNT a consumer point and shoot! It's more like a digital Hexar AF - a serious small camera. It's also slightly cheaper than the Hexar AF was on introduction, even though it's a significantly more complex camera.

I've seen one in real life. It doesn't look like a cheap camera, and it certainly isn't some point and shoot - it looks no less serious than a zeiss ikon or Hexar RF.

 

[jsrockit]

I think the main problem with people thinking it's too expensive is simply because they misunderstand the camera. It ISNT a consumer point and shoot! It's more like a digital Hexar AF - a serious small camera. It's also slightly cheaper than the Hexar AF was on introduction, even though it's a significantly more complex camera.

Exactly, but many who say this think anything digital is not a serious camera.

 

[gavinlg]

Exactly, but many who say this think anything digital is not a serious camera.

The funny thing is the same logic applies with this too - a lot of the anti-digital thing comes from those who misunderstand it. Its a pity... Digital is a very powerful and versatile medium.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

The X100 is, to me at least, the digital reincarnation of the Konica Hexar AF. I used a couple of Hexars for years with great results and great pleasure. IIRC I paid $450 for my first Hexar almost 20 years ago. If we inflate that $450 to 2011 value the X100 seems pretty reasonably priced.

All of us (well, lots of us) would buy it if it had the Hexar AF's autofocus system including its point of focus (distance) information on the viewfinder, focus dot confirmation, accuracy, speed, no hunting, and darkness abilities. I'll be the first one to buy one if it's really like my Hexar AF. That would be a great camera no doubt!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Paul T.]

All of us (well, lots of us) would buy it if it had the Hexar AF's autofocus system including its point of focus (distance) information on the viewfinder, focus dot confirmation, accuracy, speed, no hunting, and darkness abilities. I'll be the first one to buy one if it's really like my Hexar AF. That would be a great camera no doubt!

Cheers,

Juan

You might know this already, but the point of focus information on the Fuji is rather like that on the Hexar, but better. I do find the little bar useful on the Hexar but the Fuji would be more so.

I don't expect the X100 to be better at focusing, without hunting, than the Hexar, sadly. Ridiculous, in that all those 80s and 90s Point and Shoots with active IR are far superior to their modern equivalent, for all the supposed advantages in modern technology.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Hi Paul, no I didn't know there's distance info in the viewfinder... That's great! Even if the AF system works a bit different than on the Hexar AF, knowing the focused point makes it totally! Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[jonmanjiro]

You might know this already, but the point of focus information on the Fuji is rather like that on the Hexar, but better. I do find the little bar useful on the Hexar but the Fuji would be more so.

I don't expect the X100 to be better at focusing, without hunting, than the Hexar, sadly. Ridiculous, in that all those 80s and 90s Point and Shoots with active IR are far superior to their modern equivalent, for all the supposed advantages in modern technology.

The distance bar also shows the amount of DOF for the selected aperture - very cool 🙂

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Wow! It will be nice to see that! The camera will sell like hot bread...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Arjay]

I don't expect the X100 to be better at focusing, without hunting, than the Hexar, sadly. Ridiculous, in that all those 80s and 90s Point and Shoots with active IR are far superior to their modern equivalent, for all the supposed advantages in modern technology.

That remains to be seen.

I agree with you that the Hexar AF is unrivalled in its AF speed and precision. However, the Hexar only focuses on one specific target point which requires the photographer to precisely point the camera using the viewfinder.

The X100 promises to focus on a (configurable) grid of multiple targets. This might offer advantages (hunting or not) when the photographer shoots 'from the hip' and doesn't point his camera precisely using the viewfinder.

 

[_larky]

I'm going to shoot manual focus so I don't care. 🙂

A digital compact nice looking camera with manual focus and everything else, that takes the picture almost silently as soon as I press the shutter release. That's perfect for me.

I was going to buy as soon as it was released, but will now have to wait a month or two and save up, other stuff to keep my money aside for.

 

[willie_901]

I really don't trust highly automated AF. We have no idea how the algorithms work nor do we know how the programmers approached the problem. I rather do it myself. With digital cameras I use AF as manually as possible. An obvious exception is action photography.

Even with the D300 and D700 occasionally the fully automated AF system (which is outstanding in every way) makes a bad choice. With these bodies and an AF lens I usually use single focus mode and the center focus point. I usually focus using the AF button (not the shutter button), recompose and shoot.

Manual focus-by-wire with the LUMIX G1 EVF and the LUMIX 20/1.7 worked really well for me. It was fast and accurate. Using this method I enjoyed a high rate of success. I rarely used AF. I will say the AF face dectection worked well the few times I used it for family snaps.

With the G1 I would:

o center the desired focus area in the finder
o move the focus-by-wire ring to initiate the digital zoom
o adjust focus visually (I never viewed the focus lock indicator)
o touch the shutter releases to un-zoom the EVF
o compose and shoot

Sometimes I would just take the shot the instant focus was complete.

As far as I know, the X100 has an option for digital zooming during manual focusing with the EVF.

I expect the X100 to work similarly, I could be disappointed though. With the X100 OVF I'm guessing the speed and reliability focus capture indicator will be crucial. It may be EVF zoom focusing will not be important at all.