Fuji X100 hands-on (video)

By PR admin | Published: February 21, 2011

Hands-on video review of the Fuji X100:

Related posts:

  1. Fuji FinePix X100 shutter and aperture demo (video)
  2. DxOMark: Fuji X100 outperforms 4/3 sensors
  3. Fuji X10 vs. X100 camera comparison
  4. Fuji X100 goes up in price
  5. Fuji X100 firmware v1.01 to be released on Thursday

This entry was posted in Fuji and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

23 Comments

  1. broxibear
    Posted February 21, 2011 at 10:18 pm | Permalink

    Looks like fuji are really onto a winner with this…it’ll be interesting to see if Canon and Nikon go down this road ?

    • Mark
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 11:55 am | Permalink

      The answer is NO, they won’t. Because they’re Canon and Nikon. Especially Canon.

  2. Huggs
    Posted February 21, 2011 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    I’ve been looking for a small cam with a VF. This might be the one.

  3. ZDP-189
    Posted February 21, 2011 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    I think it’s funy that they spend so long trying to justify its prime lens “a lot of people will be turned off because it hasn’t got a zoom lens, but it’s trying to be really retro”.

    Other than that (benefit), they don’t have any complaints. The high speed flash sync sounds cool if it’s down to the fast flash, not a full burn like Canon’s HSS

  4. grumps
    Posted February 21, 2011 at 11:42 pm | Permalink

    It looks like a winner in many respects. I own cameras from the Nikon D700, Canon 5D2, Leica M9 and Sony Nex 5 and plenty of extrememly fast glass. What makes many of the pictures good to me aren’t only camera and user specific. It’s the complete combination of everything, and the X100 does provides a lot.

    One thing, however, being a fixed lens and from this video, I cannot gauge how good the lens really is. This is the real make or break for me. Despite knowing it is a 35mm f/2, I cannot say I was impressed with what the quick video was able to provide. IQ, DOF Bokeh, distortion. That said I am impressed how far Fuji set the bar in terms of specification. The rest obviously remains to be seen!

  5. DolphLundgren
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 1:36 am | Permalink

    Why do all the pictures taken have such a strong magenta cast …?

    • Craig Houdeshell
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 4:53 am | Permalink

      Agreed.

    • stepper
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 7:38 am | Permalink

      I wouldn’t base any IQ opinions off of a youtube video screen shot.

    • CRB
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 8:07 am | Permalink

      I was asking myself the very same question….since the video has normal skin colors…

  6. Tim Catchall
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 2:32 am | Permalink

    Fuji are going to sell truck loads of these things. And rightly so. Expect it to be in short supply for at least the next three months.

  7. Wadcha
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 8:17 am | Permalink

    The magenta cast seemed to be on the snow scenes so maybe it is a WB issue, maybe not. Not worried since RAW is easy enough to adjust.

    What really struck me was the film like quality of the images even with the magenta. I think Fuji has got the film modes down.

    You can view couple of the images from the video at http://www.stalman.com. They look pretty great to me.

  8. Nobody Special
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 9:47 am | Permalink

    Well I have to say that while it seemed obvious since it’s introduction, Fuji has really done a nice job with the X100. As a Leica user for years, they have also shown Leica that they have crossed a design threshold that Leica has yet arrived at; especially the hybrid finder system.

    Time will tell about durability and optic quality, but it shows how to use a traditional design footprint and squeeze a lot more into it than was previously thought. It would be a real finishing touch to have interchangeable lenses, but that doesn’t take away from the overall package as shown and described. Well done.

  9. Kevin
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 12:30 pm | Permalink

    Wow, those reviewers have a lot of chemistry.

    Also, 1/1000 flash sync!

  10. grumps
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 3:35 pm | Permalink

    One thing is for certain, other manufacturers are taking notes! Thanks Fuji!

  11. Harold Ellis
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 3:57 pm | Permalink

    NOT IN MY HANDS!!!!!!!!!! YET GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!

  12. Gareth
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm | Permalink

    This has pretty much convinced me. The shots were not spectacular, but what is the competition? small=rubbish except leica which=expensive and not as fully featured.

    I still want to see some full size 800-1600 iso f/2 files. but i’m pretty sure i will get this. maybe even on the 5th of march.

  13. Iorick
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 7:53 pm | Permalink

    Clap, clap, clap! Good show! Quite enternaining! But that’s it! It’s really a “Leica Killer” like they say, if you think about X1, for price and all the other stuff. But that’s it. They did the same mistake as Leica did. Fixed lens? They dont want to sell lenses? Dont they know there’s where the money comes from? Specially Leica, since it has very good lenses to sell. Not the same with Fuji. Did you noticed the terrible distortion on the aquarium shot? Nice toy though Fuji. Like specially the manual dials, instead of those tricky digital menus, that’s something others should follow, although not new (Canon already did it on G12 and previous).

    • TCS Jordan
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 9:35 pm | Permalink

      I shot and edited the video.

      The shots of the viewfinder were shot through the viewfinder. Distortion is solely due to using a compact camera at 24mm shooting at the closest focus distance. Distortion seems to be fantastic in the actual photos. We opted to keep a vignette around the viewfinder shots to prove that it is just a shot of the VIEWFINDER, not actual images. Chris also mentions this.

      Thanks for watching the video, we had a lot of fun shooting it (and freezing outside)!

      Jordan @ The Camera Store

  14. beholder
    Posted February 22, 2011 at 8:26 pm | Permalink

    i feel it’s too retro-ish, too toy-ish: not a workhorse but style/swag camera.

    • Jorge AD
      Posted February 22, 2011 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

      “it’s too retro-ish, , too toy-ish”: RIGHT! If you ignore the all-new hybrid viewfinder that lets you shoot in very low light without EVF refresh issues, yet allows reviewing the shot without removing eye from eye-piece, the 720P 24 fps that can be shot at F2 even out in the sun due to integrated 3 stop ND, the 1/4000 high speed sync (I bet the wireless trigger is what limited them to 1/1000 in the field test), the in-camera panorama, the in-camera real HDR, very sharp yet clean ISO 6400 out of camera jpg (check http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23475 ) Aperture and Shutter speed controls that stay put and can be set even while the camera powers up, all in a 54 mm deep package (coat pocketable)… ?????

      As for “not a workhorse but style/swag camera” I have my EOS 7D and fast primes for that thanks… This will be the “always with me, even when I am not being paid to photograph” high quality camera…

      For those that still wonder how they can be real photographers without a zoom lens: http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Pontification/n_Telephoto_Is_For_Wimps/a_Telephoto_Is_For_Cowards.html

  15. Wadcha
    Posted February 23, 2011 at 10:06 pm | Permalink

    Well posted. I’m with you.

    Out of my 2 digital and 11 film cameras (all of which are in rotation) I have but one long lens, a 70-200 that I use for concert photography twice a year at big festivals where the performers can be a good distance away, even when you are in the photo pit. The rest of the time it is all 35mm, 28mm and some 50mm.

    I realize many people want to swap lenses incessantly to see how good all their legacy glass looks on the latest digital platform (only reason I bought a NEX) but when it comes time to capture a real photograph, not just another test shot of flowers or a cat, the wide primes get the call.

    Fuji made the right call with the prime, as did Leicea with the X1.

  16. Old Dude
    Posted February 24, 2011 at 12:24 am | Permalink

    Very thorough review despite the cutesy playground crap. It amuses me how often reviewers of this camera consider it “retro” to have aperture, shutter speed, and EV (or ISO) controls as primary access controls rather than hidden under mode dials and menu displays. These are the fundamental picture taking controls that go into making every photograph that only recently have been hidden from us users. What amazes me is how long it has taken a manufacturer to stop trying to be innovative and just give us what we need to make photos directly at hand. Just think, you can know what exposure setting the camera is on without even having to turn it on… Brilliant! Or maybe just the way it should always be.