Review Date: August 2, 2011
Category: Serious to Advanced Amateur
Fujifilm FinePix X100
Photoxels Gold Award – Compact Mirrorless
USER’S EXPERIENCE
Wednesday, July 11, 2011 – Here’s what I receive in the box:
- FinePix X100
- No memory card [Fujifilm sent me a 2GB SD memory card for the review]
- Li-ion Battery NP-95 3.6V 1700mAh 6.2Wh
- BC-65N Battery Charger
- Shoulder Strap
- USB Cable
- Lens Cap
- Documentation: Owner’s Manual
- Software CDs: MyFinePix Studio v2.1 (Win), FinePixViewer v3.6 (Mac OS X), RAW File Converter
Amazing. Exceptional. Superb. The superlatives thrown at the Fujifilm FinePix X100 boggles the mind. Rarely has a digital camera receive such high praise from so many amateur and pro photographers alike.
What we have in the hand is one beautiful and gorgeous camera! There’s no denying the absolute elegance in the lines and proportions of the camera. It may not have the finish quality of a Leica costing ten times more, but it is nevertheless beautiful. Fujifilm designers simply did an exceptional job here. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the Fujifilm X100 and the Leica M9-P.
In light of the excellence of the design on the top and front of the camera, it becomes all the more surprising when we look at the back and the menu. Anyone who picks up and starts using the X100 will immediately realize that the Multi-selector (what Fuji call the Command Dial on the X100) is just too fiddly.
I guess for those who constantly text, tweet and write email on their smartphone, the need to use your fingertip (even fingernail) to operate the Command Dial may be par for the course. However, on a camera with professional aspirations and aimed for street photography, fiddling and daintily pressing buttons just cause frustration. I have not cut the fingernail on my right thumb for 2 weeks now because I still need it to press the Menu/OK button.
But what really matters is the image quality, And on the X100, image quality is superb. Add a fast F2 lens and superb low noise at high ISOs, and you have a compact camera that you can take almost anywhere and return with some great shots.
There are a number of things to be aware of, which are not necessarily problems, but a note of caution is nevertheless warranted:
- When you are peering through the OVF, you can still take pictures even when the lens cap is still on the lens. The camera will even try to focus and take a completely dark picture.
- When viewing your images on Playback, it tends to brighten the images so they look OK but may really be underexposed. I got fooled a couple of times.
- The battery goes in four ways (the right way, plus 3 other wrong ways) which can be disconcerting.
- In self-timer mode, after the camera has focused on the subject’s face, counted down, and, before it triggers, it refocuses all over again.
What I like about the X100:
- Excellent image quality at ISO 200. Very good image quality up to ISO 1600.
- Superb build and design.
- Excellent lens.
- Love the shutter speed dial and aperture ring.
No review is complete without a couple of improvement suggestions:
- Improve AF speed and precision in low light.
- Improve light meter accuracy in low light.
- Provide a tiltable LCD.
- Playback must be true to image (i.e. don’t brighten playback image).
- LCD should gain up in low light.
- Manual AF requires too many turns.
In summary, the Fujifilm FinePix X100 is a beautifully designed digital camera that is a joy to use and produces excellent image quality. Highly recommended.
Next: Fujifilm X100 QuickFact Sheet / Buy