X100 First day impressions

[urban_alchemist]

So, I arrived back from honeymoon to find a large box - within which was the little lump that is the X100. First impressions were ok, if not great - this is no Leica M9. It feels solid, but I'd stop short of many of the extreme hyperbole some have tossed at it: overall I'd put the build-quality beneath that of the Ricoh GXR; somewhere between it and the Panasonic GF-1. The included strap is just plain nasty, in touch, look and pungent smell. It was quickly replaced by the leather one included with the case: both well designed and comfortable in use.

During the day I shot about 100 images, using the OVF and EVF. I shot in RAW and JPEG, the images shown are the latter; forgive me, but I'm not going to be going near Silkypix at all. I'd much prefer to wait till Apple includes the .RAF files in an update soon.

So... to the important bits. What's it like?

Put simply: good, but far from perfect.

The OVF is definitely the star. Set up with grids, dof scale, and level, it is an absolute pleasure. I wish I could trust the AF more (more on that later) - if it was a case of a-nail-a-time, this would be the single best non-rangefinder system out there.

The EVF too is very good when necessary; comparable to both the GF-1 and GXR.

The shutter is completely silent. Auto-review is done in the VF. No-one will ever need to know that you've taken a photo - much of the time YOU won't know you've taken the photo! However, this requires you're in silent mode. More on that later too.

So what's the bad?

The only one that really worries me is the focus. You focus by pointing a centre 'blob' towards your subject, waiting for it to light green and the recomposing. All well and good, but the blob is quite big. Many times (~50%) I thought I'd nailed it, but the focus was just a little soft, either spilling out on the side, or just getting the depth completely wrong. My suggestion to Fuji? Add a spot-focus system as an option...

Othe problems involve the controls and the software. Let me say this simply: the control dial is Horrible (with a capital H). You just can't use it without knockign something you don't want to. The RAW button needs to be customisable, too (Fn is set to ISO by default; you'll need an ND button as well).

Silent mode is limited - for some unfathomable reason you can't adjust macro or flash without exiting it.

None of the settings are sticky (go into Aperture Priority and suddenly that photo you took last night at 3200 ISO will mean that your photo is completely blown out).

Auto ISO is sunk somewhere deep in a menu - not on the soft Fn key you set up.

So, to the images. I don't really think it's fair to judge the OOC J-pegs, as it'll be much more interesting to judge the RAW files once they're accessible. Velvia-setting seems a bit less punchy than the legendary slide film, and the camera seems to have a tendency to over-expose slightly (again - shouldn't be an issue with RAW). All photos are ISO 200... make of them what you will...

Am I elated? A bit. Am I disappointed? A bit. My M9 is heading back to Solms this week for a CLA and so I'll be alone with my X100 for my trip to Venice next week. I guess I'll have a much better idea of what it's all about then...

 

[peripatetic]

You don't need to use silent mode, just turn down the volume controls.

 

[purewire]

I think there may be an option to make that green focus box smaller so you can get a more accurate focus.

 

[willie_901]

Thanks for the helpful report.

I've been told (waiting for my pre-order to arrive) that focus and recompose in OVF mode becomes much more practical using the AF-C focus mode.

The technique goes something like this:

1. when not in use leave camera in AF-S or MF mode (saves the battery)

2. during use set focus switch to AF-C (continuous); now in OVF mode
the focus square shrinks or changes to a point (I'm not sure which :bang🙂

3. use the AF button to lock focus (the AF button has to be set for focus lock only)

4. release the button, recompose, press the shutter

5. when not in use reset the focus mode switch to AF-S or MF to preserve battery power

Also when the subject distance decreases the focus point can not perfectly follow the OVF frame lines due to parallax issues. Close focus should be more reliable by briefly switching to the EVF to set focus and then back to OVF to compose. It is not clear at what distance switching to EVF for a second or so to set focus pays off.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

When I used to squirrel hunt with my single shot .22, they called all that Kentucky Windage. Sure sounds like a lot of trouble to take a photo with a sophisticated camera, though. 🙂

 

[urban_alchemist]

Thanks for the helpful report.

I've been told (waiting for my pre-order to arrive) that focus and recompose in OVF mode becomes much more practical using the AF-C focus mode.

The technique goes something like this:

1. when not in use leave camera in AF-S or MF mode (saves the battery)

2. during use set focus switch to AF-C (continuous); now in OVF mode
the focus square shrinks or changes to a point (I'm not sure which :bang🙂

3. use the AF button to lock focus (the AF button has to be set for focus lock only)

4. release the button, recompose, press the shutter

5. when not in use reset the focus mode switch to AF-S or MF to preserve battery power

Also when the subject distance decreases the focus point can not perfectly follow the OVF frame lines due to parallax issues. Close focus should be more reliable by briefly switching to the EVF to set focus and then back to OVF to compose. It is not clear at what distance switching to EVF for a second or so to set focus pays off.

I'll try that tomorrow....

Regarding paralax and the EVF, I've found through tests taht less than about a metre it's beter to switch from OVF to EVF and either macro or manual focus...

 

[Jamie Pillers]

My first day with X100

My first day with X100

I just received the X100 yesterday. I've now got it set up to be my dream camera. Aperture priority or manual... same as CV or ZI. LCD turned off. RAW... no worry about white balance. Function button provides an ND filter when I want shallow DOF in daylight.

Optical Viewfinder is WONDERFUL! For the first time since I started using rangefinders, I can easily see the 35mm frameline AND the space around it with my glasses on!! I've set the viewfinder to display only the aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation (all of these are shown outside the frameline.

Autofocus is great and that's what I'll use most. I'll use manual focus when I want to set a zone focus distance on busy streets, but the autofocus is fast enough that I may not need to do that.

With the camera set up like this, its easier to use than any other RF camera I've owned.. primarily because of the autofocus. I can pick up action on the street much faster with it than fiddling with the focus tab of my manual lenses.

I had a Hexar AF camera years ago and I took my best street photos with it. The X100 is better because: shutter speed up to 1/4000, ND filter, ISO from 200 to 3600, just as quiet. I'm happy. 🙂

 

[Wadcha]

The EVF too is very good when necessary; comparable to both the GF-1 and GXR.

Thanks for the impressions. I guess the only contention I have is with your description of the EVF quality in comparison to the GF1. If you meant the GF1's optional EVF I think the X100's is worlds nicer. I haven't used the GXR's but I would compare the X100 EVF more closely to the Oly VF-2 EVF.

 

[goffer]

I just received the X100 yesterday. I've now got it set up to be my dream camera. Aperture priority or manual... same as CV or ZI. LCD turned off. RAW... no worry about white balance. Function button provides an ND filter when I want shallow DOF in daylight.

Optical Viewfinder is WONDERFUL! For the first time since I started using rangefinders, I can easily see the 35mm frameline AND the space around it with my glasses on!! I've set the viewfinder to display only the aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation (all of these are shown outside the frameline.

Autofocus is great and that's what I'll use most. I'll use manual focus when I want to set a zone focus distance on busy streets, but the autofocus is fast enough that I may not need to do that.

With the camera set up like this, its easier to use than any other RF camera I've owned.. primarily because of the autofocus. I can pick up action on the street much faster with it than fiddling with the focus tab of my manual lenses.

I had a Hexar AF camera years ago and I took my best street photos with it. The X100 is better because: shutter speed up to 1/4000, ND filter, ISO from 200 to 3600, just as quiet. I'm happy. 🙂

Great to hear... thanks for the write up 🙂

 

[urban_alchemist]

I just received the X100 yesterday. I've now got it set up to be my dream camera. Aperture priority or manual... same as CV or ZI. LCD turned off. RAW... no worry about white balance. Function button provides an ND filter when I want shallow DOF in daylight.

Optical Viewfinder is WONDERFUL! For the first time since I started using rangefinders, I can easily see the 35mm frameline AND the space around it with my glasses on!! I've set the viewfinder to display only the aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation (all of these are shown outside the frameline.

Autofocus is great and that's what I'll use most. I'll use manual focus when I want to set a zone focus distance on busy streets, but the autofocus is fast enough that I may not need to do that.

With the camera set up like this, its easier to use than any other RF camera I've owned.. primarily because of the autofocus. I can pick up action on the street much faster with it than fiddling with the focus tab of my manual lenses.

I had a Hexar AF camera years ago and I took my best street photos with it. The X100 is better because: shutter speed up to 1/4000, ND filter, ISO from 200 to 3600, just as quiet. I'm happy. 🙂

Indeed, great to hear another user's impression. I'll try changing Fn to the ND filter; maybe I'll just leave it on Auto-ISO instead of toggling...

 

[cpharris]

Function button provides an ND filter when I want shallow DOF in daylight

Do you have the camera set to Auto ISO?

 

[Ming Rider]

Not to worry. They'll bring out an X100.2 before long.

Sound familiar?