Official Fujifilm X100 Sample Images

#1 Manuel

This camera confuses me. Aesthetically it is a dream, and technically it seems to be a tour de force. And the sample images seem to confirm its qualities. However, the fixed lens limits its use, confining it to street photography, portraits and landscapes. If it had the ability to interchange lenses, I would buy it in a heartbeat. As it stands, it is a second camera for aspiring photographers who already own a very good DSLR. However beautiful the X100 is, and image quality notwithstanding, I can't help thinking Fuji missed the mark.

10:25 am - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#2 Marcello

The real problem is the price...

2:20 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#3 Siu Hay Yip

Well said Manuel. The X100 could have been a Leica M9 killer. How hard can it be to produce a better and cheaper M9?

3:50 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#4 Coffee

@ Manuel & Siu Hay Yip ...

A comparison with the Leica M9 is a little unfair as the M9 is (still) in a class of its own. As yet, there's no other relatively compact camera system which features a full-frame sensor. I think it is much more appropriate to compare the Fuji X100 with Leica's X1 ... and here the Fuji looks much more attractive than the Leica. It's got better specs and costs a lot less.

I agree that the X100 would be even more attractive if it had a standard lens mount for interchangeable lenses from Fuji, Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander etc. But it seems there are technical problems that made such a design unfeasible for this model. This is what Andy Westlake wrote on subject in his preview of the X100 over at dpreview ...

"The fixed lens is also crucial to the implementation of the optical component of the hybrid viewfinder. A version designed for interchangeable lenses would need to cover a wide range of focal lengths, which brings a whole new set of problems. It would have to either zoom optically or use ever-smaller frame lines for telephoto work; both of these solutions are notorious for parallax errors, especially at close subject distances. Optical zoom finders can't readily support ultra-wideangle or macro lenses either. So while we'd love to see an interchangeable-lens development of the X100 as much as anyone else, it's clear such a camera would necessarily be a rather different beast."

5:04 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#5 Coffee

P.S.

While I'm sure the X100 is an excellent camera that's capable of high quality photographs, I'm wondering who is such a camera for? What can the X100 do that e.g. the Pentax K5 with one of the tiny Pentax pancake lenses can't do? Very little, it seems. Both cameras are similar in size and weight but the Pentax is an SLR with a lens mount for a huge variety of excellent Pentax lenses. Ultimately, I think, for many people the reason to get a Fuji X100 instead of a small SLR is more of a lifestyle choice than a rational decision. Yes, the X100 is damn pretty and I'm sure I couldn't resist the temptation if I had the money ...

5:53 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#6 Texas

I would LOVE to have a camera like this with the large APS-C sensor. The size is great, the images are great, but I have to agree with others that not being able to change lens is a big let down. Whoever can figure out how to bring all these things to a camera for a price under $1000 will get my money. Maybe some of the other big camera makers will bring something like this to the table, just hope it is sooner rather than later.

6:56 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#7 Scotto

I think this is about the perfect camera. The 23mm lens should be roughly equivalent to a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera and f2 is enough for just about most things.

While many people will compare this to a DSLR, pointing out all of the things it can't do, There are a lot of people who prefer rangefinders (me included). This isn't an overweight, machine-gun Canikon that can do anything with the addition of just one more $1k attachment. It's a camera for people who know how they shoot and know what they want.

As for price, the Canon and Nikon 24/f2.8's run about $350, but the f1.4's run about $1,700. If they made an f2 version, I'd expect it to fall somewhere in the middle of that price range.

7:57 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#8 Pesc

Many of these comments echo my own thoughts.

In a world where zoom lenses offer good (sometimes excellent) quality across the range of focal lengths, it's going to take a leap of faith to part with the cash for this camera, however beautiful it may be.

But it might just be worth every penny.

In any case Fuji deserves credit for staying true to a vision.

11:59 pm - Thursday, February 10, 2011

#9 Olivier_G

Coffee: the Fuji X100 is half the weight of the K5+lens and quite smaller also.

A professional photographer looking for a camera to take into a coat pocket, or along its Pro System while travelling, and for whom the 35mm equivalent fits the bill, will take the Fuji other a DSLR. The rangefinder viewfinder and look may actually allure him even more, to get a different perspective from its usual DSLR.

I personally don't need this camera, but I see an interesting market here for it.

8:20 am - Friday, February 11, 2011

#10 cyleow

"How hard can it be to produce a better and cheaper M9?"

It is HARD, VERY HARD; did you know how long it took KODAK to perfect that FF ccd?

Duh!

11:00 am - Friday, February 11, 2011

#11 HK guy

I have a Nikon DSLR with the 18-200mm zoom and a 14-24mm wide angle zoom, and a Panasonic GF-1 with the 20mm fixed lens alone. I save all the pictures taken in 2010 to Aperture.

One would have thought the Nikon DSLR is way more useful as it covers a wide zoom range, can shoot in burst mode, bigger sensor etc. However, the data shows that out of the c.8000 pics taken last year, more than 7000 are taken by my GF-1 with a fixed lens...the GF-1, being lighter and smaller, simply invites me to use it a lot more often!

And I see the x100 as a (potential) improvement to the GF-1! Key is the focus speed - if it's slow i will be extremely disappointed...

3:16 pm - Friday, February 11, 2011

#12 Manuel

HK guy, I think you're misusing the expression 'fixed lens', as the Panasonic GF-1 is an interchangeable lens compact camera. When it comes to lenses, 'fixed' is the antonym of 'interchangeable'. Unless you call it a 'fixed' lens because it broke down and you had it repaired

4:24 pm - Friday, February 11, 2011

#13 Chris

I remember when I was a kid I used to play with my dad's camera, an old Zorki-4 35 russian rangefinder. To me, this Fuji X100 brings back great memories. I would love to give this digital camera to my child, as a gift. This way, I would see myself in him...

8:48 pm - Friday, February 11, 2011

#14 Neonart

Manuel,

I think HK guy refers to the point that the Panny 20 has become a "fixed lens" on his GF1 (maybe because it's his only m4/3 lens) and yet provides him more photos than the Nikon DSLR setup.

I find his argument very convincing. A smaller camera, even if limited in comparison to a DSLR setup, will be used more. The more you use your camera, the more photos you take, and the better you become as a photographer.

3:18 am - Thursday, February 17, 2011

#15 Left Cross

Those samples shots taken by this camera were nice. And as for the design.. I'm drooling right now. Definitely on my wish list this year!

12:22 pm - Friday, February 18, 2011

#16 Manuel

Neonart,
HK guy meant that his lens is fixed as opposite to having an extensible barrel for zooming. I got it first time - I just couldn't resist the sarcasm (sorry, HK guy...).
And I see his point, too. A DSLR is something you don't carry around so easily, which means losing a lot of shooting opportunities. However, having had a compact camera (the paradigm of 'fixed lens'), I rapidly grew disappointed at its limitations. I believe the same should happen with the Fuji X100 - even though it is a huge step from point and shoot cameras. That's why the MFT system cameras are so appealing: they are compact enough to be carried around comfortably, yet offer the convenience of using the most appropriate lens for shooting a given subject. The only problem is that it's just too soon to say it is the right format.
None of the above detracts me from saying the X100 is a highly desirable camera, sitting just below the Leica M-series and above the Olys E-P1 and 2.

3:15 pm - Friday, February 18, 2011

#17 Scott

I think some of you guys are missing the point about this camera, It's not a camera that is trying to do everything,it's a camera that is there to explore a purity of vision and thought. The cameras limitation are it's strength

9:18 pm - Tuesday, March 1, 2011

#18 Manuel

@ Scott:
According to some photographers (e. g. Michael Freeman), the choice of lens corresponds to an artistic option. You use an angular lens to get the viewer involved in the photograph and to provide sense of depth to landscapes, and you use a telescopic lens to compress depth, bringing the subject closer - even if the viewer can feel distanced from the photograph. This choice of lenses translates the dichotomy between subjectivity and objectivity. With the Fuji X100 you are deprived from such choice. It's perfectly OK to buy it if you have another camera (preferably a good DSLR), but otherwise you'll be missing half of the expressiveness of photography. Plus you'll always get strong diagonals and barrel distortion (you can nevertheless correct the latter in post-processing) if you try to shoot parallel lines from a certain distance, because that's the lens' nature. If I lived on a diet of street photography, I'd buy the Fuji X100, though. Even if it were to stand as my only camera. That's how much I love its design and spirit. But I want something more from my photos: I want to be free to express myself without the constraints of a fixed lens.

10:05 pm - Tuesday, March 1, 2011

#19 C.Y.Leow

@Manuel:
Well said! Best comment so far!

10:12 pm - Tuesday, March 1, 2011

#20 Roger

Apart from that pricepoint, this is the digital camera I'd love to be able to get my hands on. Its "simple". There's a focussing ring and aperture ring on the lens, a shutter speed dial on the top plate and exposure indication in the optical viewfinder which has framing lines... You can hold it properly with access to all the controls without taking your eye away from the viewfinder, unlike most all other compact digital camera users, swaying about like meerkats, peering at the led screen in bright sunlight with the camera at arms length. And it's got a PROPER cable release!!!

Anyone with a background in film photography can pick up this little beauty and get well exposed and focussed shots. The shutter speeds and aperture values make sense, it can be used without having to prod arcane buttons and delve into menus.

The fixed focal length of that nice bright F2 lens isn't a problem. You just have to use your legs to get the framing right. And a 12Mp APS-C sensor gives you room to crop in Photoshop.

Oh well, I'll just have to soldier on with my Canon G11

5:18 pm - Friday, March 4, 2011

#21 Howard

It looks like the tragedy in Japan is going to slow down production. Keep the company, the workers, their family and countrymen in your thoughts. Help if you can.

1:16 am - Thursday, March 17, 2011

#22 ARNE DANSK

how do we know if an x100 "gallery" photo is AS IS or PHOTOSHOPED ?

4:44 am - Wednesday, June 1, 2011

#23 Jenkins

The only thing that worries me is the reported lag times, this aside - it's about time some-one came up with a DSLR sensor on a range-finder without charging us all silly money. Canon should have done this ages ago with the G series - I've been complaining about this for about two years and it now seems that it is Fuji who have come up trumps.

I'm saving up my pennies now and will purchase one ASAP.

Fuji should be commended for going where others fear to tread.

I could go on...

12:35 pm - Tuesday, June 7, 2011

#24 Joop

"What can the X100 do that e.g. the Pentax K5 with one of the tiny Pentax pancake lenses can't do? Very little, it seems."

For starters, the Fuji X100 has a little less noise at high ISO settings. Also it renders fine detail better. The Pentax K-5 and a million other camera's just like it, look almost exactly the same. Great camera's no doubt about it, but they just don't have the low profile classic look of the Fuji X100. The size is not the same. The fuji is both smaller and lighter then the Pentax K-5 and still performs equally good or better. This is great!

Anyway, I think the Fuji X100 is a specialist tool. You really have to know what you are doing and it has to fit your style of photography. If you are in doubt, try it out first or just don't buy it. I like to travel light, but I don't like to give up good image quality. The Fuji X100 seems to give us the best of both worlds.

I have tried a good and recent 16 megapixel micro 4/3 camera, but man, those tiny sensors just can't keep up. They are very noisy, even the best of them. Images come out gritty and rough. Nothing like the clean, smooth and flexible images of the Fuji X100 that you can edit much better.

I think the Fuji X100 is a great little camera. Go get one!

2:26 pm - Saturday, October 1, 2011

#25 Matthew

@Siu Hay Yip
are you a idiot?
how hard will it be?
well, to digital technology
its so damn easy to be better than the m9
but to make a CMOS sensor of rangefinder technology is impossible at the moment
also, the opticals design and leica lens are very well made. ITS TOTALLY DIFFERENT STANDARD
and also the firmware are unique designed, the contrast and colour are very very unique
WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS, its different standard and different price range, why the #### will somebody compare a x100 to a m9. Besides x100 is a compact camera. Its a damn good high end compact camera, but dont be such a jealous cunt to leica users

9:13 am - Saturday, October 29, 2011