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Hawkeye_a · Jun 12, 2013, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Phileas

First thing that comes to mind for me is how slow the lens is. Really slow.

What were they thinking? It's such a compromising product..... too big to pocket, no interchangeable lenses, a very slow lens and an huge price tag. If they are so worried about loosing sales of the M, they should just focus on the M and forget the rest.

It seems like a very poorly thought through product to me; it almost seems as though their priority was to prevent it from being 'too much'(IQ) like the M, instead of building the best in its category for customers.

Also OreoCookie, great pics from the Fuji! If its not too much of an inconvenience, could I make a request for an outdoor night shot of a city, if possible?

Cheers

Phileas · Jun 12, 2013, 10:26 AM

I know, right? A fast lens is such a pleasure to use in low light - I shoot at 1.7 all the time with my Lumix.

OreoCookie · Jun 12, 2013, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Phileas

First thing that comes to mind for me is how slow the lens is. Really slow.

Yup.
It really baffles me: Leica isn't doing that well financially, and they could really start to take some risks. I have never used a Leica rangefinder, but Fuji's big X-series cameras are IMO delivering just that. There is a market for the X2, but to be honest, after playing with the Ricoh GR and the NIkon Coolpix A in the store, I don't think the Leica can really be that much better. (Both felt very, very sturdy, especially the Ricoh. Subjectively even sturdier than the X100s, but I think that's just due to the metal vs. faux leather/plastic finish for most of the front.)

The Leica X Vario is way too big, it's too slow and doesn't have interchangeable lenses. I think the Leica Mini is modeled after the Leica Minilux Zoom, but back in the film days, that camera didn't exactly take the world by storm.

In the world of my wet dreams, Leica would adopt Fuji's X-mount and make bodies as well as kick-ass lenses. Fuji is clever enough to make the lens mount specs available to third parties (hello, Canon and Nikon, perhaps dslr users also want AF Zeiss primes) so that one can already buy Zeiss primes. Just in case Fuji's prime lenses don't deliver

OreoCookie · Jun 12, 2013, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

Also OreoCookie, great pics from the Fuji! If its not too much of an inconvenience, could I make a request for an outdoor night shot of a city, if possible?

Not at all.
I'll try to take some frames this weekend.

OreoCookie · Jun 24, 2013, 10:49 AM

So I haven't accomplished much artistically as far as traditional night shots go, but here are some more photos:

Last weekend, I was having dinner with a few friends and people were asking me: »Oh, is that a film camera.« and were ultimately surprised when I told them it's a digital camera. My love for this camera is still growing: by a wide margin, it's the best handling camera I have ever owned. The image quality is fantastic. And I always have it with me.

To give you an example: I almost exclusively use the optical viewfinder to compose shots, but thanks to the hybrid nature of the beast, by default it gives you a review of the pic you just took for 1/2 second (you can configure that -- or switch it off). This allows me to easily gauge the exposure and use the exposure compensation dial if necessary. With my dslr, I would have to take my eyes off the viewfinder and review it there.

By the way, the last picture (I'm the guy in the Daringfireball T-Shirt) was taken by a 7-year-old, just in case there are any doubts whether or not this camera is complicated.

Hawkeye_a · Jun 24, 2013, 03:48 PM

Cheers OreoCookie! That first picture at ISO2500 is very very impressive.

OreoCookie · Jun 24, 2013, 10:10 PM

Thanks.
One more thing: Fuji's Auto ISO implementation is the first one that makes sense to me on an intuitive level (my Nikons also have Auto ISO, but I was never able to use them).

subego · Jun 24, 2013, 10:26 PM

Can you elaborate?

OreoCookie · Jun 25, 2013, 02:04 AM

On the Auto ISO thing? Sure.
Earlier Nikon dslrs I have owned (the D70 and D80) had too small a range for Auto ISO to be useful for me (I think up to ISO 800). And the other thing is that the minimum shutter speed really depends on the focal length, i. e. 1/60 s is way too slow if I mount my 80-200 mm zoom but plenty for my 30 mm prime. But the camera would shift up the ISO value too late for tele lenses while I'd probably have some more leeway for normal focal lengths. That's why I never ended up using Auto ISO. Moreover, it changes the way M works -- which I use a lot when I use my flash.

The X100s only has one focal length, so the second problem simply disappears. And I have set ISO 200-3,200 as the range for Auto ISO which covers all, but the most extreme situations. As you can see from the shots, I have no qualms about using ISO 3,200, the shots look great.

subego · Jun 25, 2013, 02:08 AM

I gotcha...

I was curious because I don't think I've ever even tried auto ISO, not counting my iPhone.

Phileas · Feb 21, 2014, 09:17 PM

I finally caved, and got a x100s.

It's like coming home. Aperture on the lens, exposure on a dial, an optical viewfinder overlaid with all the electronic information that's useful and nothing else, the list goes on and an. Fuji has created a small masterpiece with that camera.

From all the cameras I've ever owned, this is my favourite, by far.

OreoCookie · Feb 22, 2014, 10:53 AM

Congratulations, Phileas, I feel the same way about it. I rarely even use my dslr.