Fuji X100

[sweat100]

Took the camera to document a ROM in Malaysia last week. Some of the photos taken by this camera. In my opinion, this camera performs very well. It can safely have the strength to rival with the DSLR. I used the canon 35L along side and noticed more CA from that lens compared to the X100.

 

[vicpeh]

Sharing some more shots. I hope the lens screams more than it can bear.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5178/5532209644_684e50deb7_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5531624405_f3a204d267_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5091/5532207718_d97ffa10ce_o.jpg

Nice pics! I wish the bokeh could be more "watery" though.

 

[tomcat]

It's a money world. I was about to purchase a used set from one of the owners for a fee, agreed dealing location and timing, but a ridiculous offer of $1750 out of nowhere came in. And I was like 'wow, ok, I am not willing to be the person giving extra 100 to the original buyer who bought for 1699." I am sure the price of this camera WILL go down. I am not paying $1750.

Don't be too upset over this. Count yourself lucky that you did not buy the camera. It's just wrong to:
(a) pay more than the retail price for a used camera
(b) pay someone to 'pop the cherry' of the camera and have fun with it for a few days until he got sick and tired of it before selling to you.

You would kick yourself if you had bought it and stocks start coming again after the Japanese sort out their administrative problems caused by the recent natural disaster. The mark-up between the retail price and the dealers' price is like $300 (I know because I have seen Fuji's fax to my dealer). There would be a lot of room for discounts at street prices.

Anyway, the X100 is not an easy camera to use and demands a lot of decision making on the part of the user in order to get the best out of it. The casual P&Ser would get frustrated using it and more will be selling off their expensive folly in due course.

And like weekh said, you would be 'Paying a premium for the retro feel and the hybrid viewfinder. The lens is nothing to scream about.' That's quite true... these are features that only appeals to rangefinder users and camera collectors. And from the images I seen so far, the lens does not really live up to the expectations. To my eyes, my Leica D-Summilux 25mm f/1.4 for Four Thirds is much sharper than it, have nicer bokeh and cost far less. :think:

 

[useruseruser2010]

Don't be too upset over this. Count yourself lucky that you did not buy the camera. It's just wrong to:
(a) pay more than the retail price for a used camera
(b) pay someone to 'pop the cherry' of the camera and have fun with it for a few days until he got sick and tired of it before selling to you.

You would kick yourself if you had bought it and stocks start coming again after the Japanese sort out their administrative problems caused by the recent natural disaster. The mark-up between the retail price and the dealers' price is like $300 (I know because I have seen Fuji's fax to my dealer). There would be a lot of room for discounts at street prices.

Anyway, the X100 is not an easy camera to use and demands a lot of decision making on the part of the user in order to get the best out of it. The casual P&Ser would get frustrated using it and more will be selling off their expensive folly in due course.

And like weekh said, you would be 'Paying a premium for the retro feel and the hybrid viewfinder. The lens is nothing to scream about.' That's quite true... these are features that only appeals to rangefinder users and camera collectors. And from the images I seen so far, the lens does not really live up to the expectations. To my eyes, my Leica D-Summilux 25mm f/1.4 for Four Thirds is much sharper than it, have nicer bokeh and cost far less. :think:

I'm not upset over it. I am just happy for people who actually bought this camera and still can earn money from it! There are people who may be willing to pay 2k for it! Darn, I should have gone to the IT fair to purchase it :bsmilie:

I will get this camera one day, but not now, as the prices (even at 2nd hand) is obnnoxiously over-inflated. The specs are nice, the retro feel etc, but meanwhile I shall stick to my DSLR first, which has the same APS-C sensor size but more bulky and lower ISO limit :sticktong

 

[useruseruser2010]

And speaking from a SANE point of view, I appeal to potential X100 adopters to wake up and stop paying high prices just to get this camera NOW. I have nothing against this camera, nor against those who sell for a profit now, but just can't help to think, why are these 2nd hand adopters sooo willing to let the 1st hand buyers earn extra money? Are they too rich to give them hand-out? Use the money to go on holidays and take more pics!

I know I'll be flamed for this, but this is just my honest 2 cents to those people who is considering buying from the IT fair X100 owners. I can foresee a price inflation now. But the bubble finally burst after new stocks come in, then people will realise, heck, did I jus pay the extra xxx dollars for novelty, 1st-hand ownership (just to post some 'forced-bokeh' shots on CS) and maybe 'exclusivity'?

I shall comment no more on this trend. To those potential 2nd hand buyers who are willing to pay > $1699 - 2k, do make your informed decision.

 

[Ouverture]

And speaking from a SANE point of view, I appeal to potential X100 adopters to wake up and stop paying high prices just to get this camera NOW. I have nothing against this camera, nor against those who sell for a profit now, but just can't help to think, why are these 2nd hand adopters sooo willing to let the 1st hand buyers earn extra money? Are they too rich to give them hand-out? Use the money to go on holidays and take more pics!

I know I'll be flamed for this, but this is just my honest 2 cents to those people who is considering buying from the IT fair X100 owners. I can foresee a price inflation now. But the bubble finally burst after new stocks come in, then people will realise, heck, did I jus pay the extra xxx dollars for novelty, 1st-hand ownership (just to post some 'forced-bokeh' shots on CS) and maybe 'exclusivity'?

I shall comment no more on this trend. To those potential 2nd hand buyers who are willing to pay > $1699 - 2k, do make your informed decision.

I cant agree more on this. I am really amazed why there is a craze to buy it now

This is not a limited edition and not something that really wows everyone actually, maybe people nowadays see a camera as a trend product and good looks is the only criteria.

When stocks start to come in and the novelty starts to die down, there will be plenty of them around at lower price somemore.

Make no sense for rushing to buy. Its just a camera, i am sure you can wait a bit longer to take pictures, its no life and death situation. Better try take more pictures with your current cam will be better.

People in japan are struggling without food and water, this is what life and death situation is.

 

[krishna91]

Stop preaching. Live and let live. There will be a strong market for all good products, and there is for this one, just like there was for M9. Give this camera the credit it's due for it's image quality and handling, it isn't about 'retro and hybrid viewfinder' alone.

 

[henry soh]

Such a situation is unavoidable.

 

[weekh]

I'm still enjoying the rangefinder style composing and shooting with this cam although the lens is only so so...
But if someone really want the cam now and is willing to pay >$2k, I'm willing to sell u mine.
I will write a check in excess of $1600 from the sale to be donated to the Red Cross to help the people in Japan.

 

[tomcat]

I'm still enjoying the rangefinder style composing and shooting with this cam although the lens is only so so...
But if someone really want the cam now and is willing to pay >$2k, I'm willing to sell u mine.
I will write a check in excess of $1600 from the sale to be donated to the Red Cross to help the people in Japan.

Good one ! :thumbsup:

 

[chalib]

I'm still enjoying the rangefinder style composing and shooting with this cam although the lens is only so so...
But if someone really want the cam now and is willing to pay >$2k, I'm willing to sell u mine.
I will write a check in excess of $1600 from the sale to be donated to the Red Cross to help the people in Japan.

:thumbsup:

 

[lunas]

Don't be too upset over this. Count yourself lucky that you did not buy the camera. It's just wrong to:
(a) pay more than the retail price for a used camera
(b) pay someone to 'pop the cherry' of the camera and have fun with it for a few days until he got sick and tired of it before selling to you.

You would kick yourself if you had bought it and stocks start coming again after the Japanese sort out their administrative problems caused by the recent natural disaster. The mark-up between the retail price and the dealers' price is like $300 (I know because I have seen Fuji's fax to my dealer). There would be a lot of room for discounts at street prices.

Anyway, the X100 is not an easy camera to use and demands a lot of decision making on the part of the user in order to get the best out of it. The casual P&Ser would get frustrated using it and more will be selling off their expensive folly in due course.

And like weekh said, you would be 'Paying a premium for the retro feel and the hybrid viewfinder. The lens is nothing to scream about.' That's quite true... these are features that only appeals to rangefinder users and camera collectors. And from the images I seen so far, the lens does not really live up to the expectations. To my eyes, my Leica D-Summilux 25mm f/1.4 for Four Thirds is much sharper than it, have nicer bokeh and cost far less. :think:

I second that. This cam is over-hyped up...Fuji limits the initial launch units to create the stir..and it works! Be calm, everyone. Buying this camera by no means will improve one's photography skill...

 

[wilswong]

Overhyped? Perhaps. But if the hype is due to real quality then gives? If one really sit down and be honest with the image quality, then I think at least give it due recognition that Fujifilm has done its job and done it really well.

If the image quality is great to your eyes and the camera matches what you do and it matches with the value proposition you are willing to pay, buy it.

But I draw the line about profiteering. It is a second hand camera. It is a digital camera that don't hold value like the old cameras because of electronic parts. Be sane and not sorry.

 

[wilswong]

Overhyped? Perhaps. But if the hype is due to real quality then gives? If one really sit down and be honest with the image quality, then I think at least give it due recognition that Fujifilm has done its job and done it really well.

If the image quality is great to your eyes and the camera matches what you do and it matches with the value proposition you are willing to pay, buy it.

But I draw the line about profiteering. It is a second hand camera. It is a digital camera that don't hold value like the old cameras because of electronic parts.

Be sane and not sorry.

 

[wilswong]

Overhyped? Perhaps. But if the hype is due to real quality then what gives? If one really sit down and be honest with the image quality, then I think at least give it due recognition that Fujifilm has done its job and done it really well.

If the image quality is great to your eyes and the camera matches what you do and it matches with the value proposition you are willing to pay, buy it.

But I draw the line about profiteering. It is a second hand camera. It is a digital camera that don't hold value like the old cameras because of electronic parts. Perhaps that's the reason why I am not a ruthless businessman.

Be sane and not sorry.

 

[Atarandas]

I think tomcat and weekh has spoken fairly.

You can't deny there's a lot of hype generated for this camera. Neither can we deny the image quality that the camera is capable of.

Having said that, I guess the real question is, is it generating picture iq that is not seen in other apsc sensor camera. I believe the answer is no.

Pick up a modern age dslr with sensor technology of same age as the x100 coupled with a good lens. You can probably get equal if not better images. At the end of the day, it's just photographic tool.

Which is why there is a camp which view that the hype is generating price pressure or premium for the camera, which could be excessive as what is really different in terms of tech is the "retro look plus the hybrid view finder ", which is great I think. But at a steep premium .

 

[ghoonk]

I agree

People need to understand that the X100 fills a niche

I have looked and tried the Sony NEX-5, one of the best EVIL cameras out there, but shooting in manual mode is a PITA because the controls are just fiddly.

The X100 is the only camera out there that offers this much control short of a Leica, in a package smaller than most EVIL cameras but larger than consumer PnS ones.

It is overpriced from the perspective of someone looking for a ILC

It is underspecced from the perspective of someone who already has a DSLR.

This fits the bill for me because I don't always want to be walking around with my D3s or my D700, nor do I want to start going and getting more lenses. I was in the market for a Leica m8.2 for the reason that I wanted a camera with a fast prime, APS-C sensor (I can't afford an M9), as compact as a Leica, and with manual and easily accessible controls for shutter speed and aperture. Like film cameras, ISO isn't something you're able to switch around easily, though the capability is there if needed. If you look at this this way, the X100's remit becomes crystal clear - Fuji wanted to introduce a modern interpretation of the classic rangefinder, with the benefit of adjustable ISO and digital recording.

This camera is not targeted at these markets. Which also explains why this is not like your typical EVIL or high-end compact camera, nor is it marketed the same way. People who understand this will understand how the X100 fills a niche.

So, in short, what I'm really paying a premium for is a NEX-5 with a 20mm fast pancake lens and manual physical controls for aperture and shutter speed. And an optical/hybrid viewfinder.

Advantages of NEX-5 over X100:
- 920k pixel screen
- interchangeable lenses
- autoHDR
- panorama
- higher resolution (14MP vs 12MP)

Advantages of X100 over NEX-5
- optical/hybrid viewfinder
- fast prime
- dedicated dials/knobs for aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation
- on-body flash
- superior low-light performance (larger photosites)
- according to sample shots, the DoF and bokeh appears to be better than the NEX-5 (if there are lens options that allow the NEX-5 to beat the X100, I'm not aware of it)
- more compact

More detailed comparison: http://snapsort.com/compare/Fujifilm_FinePix_X100-vs-Sony_Alpha_NEX-5

 

[iJeff]

ghoonk, X100 has panorama mode too (click DRIVE and scroll down).

 

[Atarandas]

Bokeh is a function of lens not the camera body. The nex5 been lambasted by many for the lack of manual controls. But in reality it is not targeted for professional use but more as a high end pns.

The menu interface is designed almost like pns from cybershot series where u need to hit many buttons to change settings. The recent firmware upgrade to the nex allows customization of the buttons that allows for quicker change of settings.

But in anycase, I don't really see it as an apple to apple comparison. What I think many is tryin to highlight in this post is to caution against impulse purchase of the x100 and later on to sell it quickly in b&s.

While some bro are fully aware of what the are buying , there are some who may get over into the hype and end up getting something that isnt what they were looking for as pointed out in many posts.

But in anycase buy what you like and no matter what other pple say. Cheers %2

 

[ghoonk]

Well, there goes one more advantage the NEX-5 has over the X100.

I just checked out sample images of the AutoHDR. A little disappointed as the images seem flat after processing. Since I'm shooting in RAW, it probably won't bother me much

Just picked up a rumor from the store that there will be an interchangable lens version of this coming from Nikon later in the year. Not sure if this is true, or if it is, whether it will still happen after what just happened to Japan.