X100/s/t wide converter? Do you like it?

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I got the 50mm converter for the X100/s/t today. It's large! But it lends the camera a certain weight that I like very much, and it feels very solid and the camera works perfectly with it, as though it belongs on there. Will shoot with it tomorrow, but for now: is anyone using the 28mm one? How do you like the images, compared to, say, the 18mm f/2?

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I use the wide converter (28mm equiv.). I like it a LOT. The balance is right… feels like my old Voigtlander body with 28 Ultron mounted. Image quality is excellent… no reduction of image quality from the native lens, that I can tell. I highly recommend the converter lens… GREAT deal!

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Thank you, Jamie! I just noticed that it's really inexpensive now--the black one is actually cheaper on Amazon than the silver. I may pick one up--suddenly the X100 is turning into a nice little digital "rangefinder" kit.

 

[Harryo1962]

I like it a lot. The weight and balance are excellent. No drop in image quality. I think it will be staying on my camera full time.

 

[tomken]

I've been thinking about the WCL for some time now, I think I'll be getting one since everyone is happy with theirs and I can't see any difference in IQ. Does anyone have any pros/cons they'd like to mention to anyone that's thinking of buying one?

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I got the 50mm converter for the X100/s/t today. It's large! But it lends the camera a certain weight that I like very much, and it feels very solid and the camera works perfectly with it, as though it belongs on there. Will shoot with it tomorrow, but for now: is anyone using the 28mm one? How do you like the images, compared to, say, the 18mm f/2?

After you've had a bit of experience with it, I'd love to hear what you think of the 50mm converter lens. Does it begin to feel heavy or out of balance as a walk-around lens? Ghosting or flare problems?

 

[taemo]

I had the WCL and didn't mind it when I needed to go wider, became obsolete to me once I got a GR.
Have the TCL, painfully slow on the X100 but fast on the X100T that I had previously.

I prefer shooting the X100 as it is but it's nice to know that I can use it as 50mm equiv when needed.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

After you've had a bit of experience with it, I'd love to hear what you think of the 50mm converter lens. Does it begin to feel heavy or out of balance as a walk-around lens? Ghosting or flare problems?

I will! The one thing I already dislike about it is that it blocks a third of the OVF and I'll probably have to use the EVF. But it's beautifully made.

 

[danielsterno]

yeap, x100 is my only digital camera and use the TCL. I love it despite the AF slowness and the size of the TCL. Size does telegraph & is not stealth specially I have it in silver and do a lot of street, bar/restaurant close quarter shooting…. i can't justify the buy the x100T for the faster AF, I make it work and prefer the sensor in x100 first gen despite 12 vs 16mp…..

 

[JHP]

Any insight into what the viewfinder does when using one of these converters? Can someone take a photo of the OVF with 50mm attached? It's a shame how bulbous the 50 adapter is.
I'd have been happy with a stopped down 2.8 adapter to save size, rather than this huge thing which apparently retains it's f/2 aperture.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Any insight into what the viewfinder does when using one of these converters? Can someone take a photo of the OVF with 50mm attached? It's a shame how bulbous the 50 adapter is.
I'd have been happy with a stopped down 2.8 adapter to save size, rather than this huge thing which apparently retains it's f/2 aperture.

Sure, here you go. It's actually not as bad as I originally thought, but it still blocks about a fifth of the photo area. You have to go into the menu and switch to the appropriate setting to get the proper frameline and distortion correction; I've put that item on the Q menu.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Here's a nice video of bigheadtaco's review of the tcl-x100:
http://www.bigheadtaco.com/2014/06/video-review-fujifilm-tcl-x100.html

 

[bigshot]

I have both the wide and the tele converters. They are inexpensive on eBay from Japanese dealers. I like them both. Some people have said that the telephoto is longer than the wide is wide, but that isn't true. They are both equally different from the lens on the camera. The optics are spectacular. Back when I was a kid, I had a Petri rangefinder with a wide and tele converter. Those were slow and fuzzy around the edges. No problems with that here. I just wish I had a nice leather case for these two lenses like the one the Petri converters came in.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Took me a while to shoot and upload pictures using these! I mostly shot my family on vacation this past week with the tele; here are a few (my cousins, my son, my dad and uncle, respectively).

Loveladies 2015 (64 of 71)

Loveladies 2015 (52 of 71)

Loveladies 2015 (44 of 71)

And here are two with the wide. No discernable difference in IQ with these, from the 23mm. The wide does leave a bit of distortion, even after internal processing, which I don't see the logic in. I corrected it on the pool photo but not on the wall photo.

28mm at the pool (2 of 2)

28mm at the pool (1 of 2)

 

[ray*j*gun]

I got the Wide Converter for Christmas and I think its outstanding. I DO NOT feel its over sized and is made like a watch. Keeping the same F stop rating is amazing to me and the IQ using this lens is super. I have been impressed with this superb little camera since I bought it from Helen a while back and this new lens has made the rig even better.

 

[Photog9000]

yeap, x100 is my only digital camera and use the TCL. I love it despite the AF slowness and the size of the TCL. Size does telegraph & is not stealth specially I have it in silver and do a lot of street, bar/restaurant close quarter shooting…. i can't justify the buy the x100T for the faster AF, I make it work and prefer the sensor in x100 first gen despite 12 vs 16mp…..

Glad to see someone who does not have GAS! IMO, it is better to get to really KNOW what your equipment will do before even considering something new. When I was a working shooter for a small weekly newspaper, I used a pair of Nikon D2H bodies from 2003 to 2013 instead of jumping up to the full frame D3 when it was introduced. I still miss how I knew exactly how my D2H would handle a particular situation. Hopefully, I will get to the same point with my X100S that replaced the D2H bodies when I retired (really wanted the lighter weight!).