My Fujifilm finepix X100

Just before year 2011 ended, Dixie and I decided to purchase this camera for our upcoming trip to HongKong-Macau. (And yes, we know we are a little bit slow, X100 has been around for quite a while and fuji is going to release their latest X-Pro 1.)

Ever since we got it, we have quite a few people asking whether is this camera really as good as it is said? The price of this camera has dropped quite a bit since it is released (from approx. S$1700, june 2011 to S$1400, dec 2011), I hope this post served to help those who are looking to upgrade their camera and not going for the latest technology.

And so is this camera really worth that value?

Claimed by Fuji, “aimed at the professional photographer or keen enthusiast looking for exceptional quality pictures from a compact camera”, we do hold high expectation of this camera.

I generally consider this camera one of the prettiest cameras up to date. Even when I compared the physical appearance of it with X10 and the next upcoming X-Pro 1, I will still opted for the X100 metallic design (disclaimer: my preference my choice).

The Specs of the X100
Large 12.3MP APS-C Size CMOS Sensor
FUJINON 23mm (35mm equivalent) Single Focal Length Fixed F2 Lens
Switchable Optical/Electronic Viewfinder
2.8″ LCD Monitor W/460K-Dot Resolution
JPEG + RAW (Process In-Camera)
100-12800 ISO Capabilities
HD 720p Video W/Stereo Sound
Classic Design Magnesium Alloy Body
High Speed Contrast Autofocus
internal memory of approximately 20MB
SD memory card/SDHC memory card/SDXC(UHS-I) memory card

(quoted from: http://www.finepix-x100.com/en/x100/technical-specification)

Performance

Well, since there had been n-number of reviews on the technical specs or performance of this camera (check out steve huff’s review on this camera), I shall talk about my experience and photos this camera has brought me.

We all know fuji’s cameras are well-known for its luscious color and quality and X-100 did not fail its predecessor in upholding this long lasting reputation of Fuji.

(There is a couple of film stimulation to play with; I have use provia (standard) settings for most of my shots. No post processing except for resizing unless stated)

Versatile 35mm Single Focal Length Fixed F2 Lens, very suitable for landscape or street photography

Amazing amount of details

100% crop

Fast AF speed under sufficient lighting conditions,

shot in moving bus, behind the windows

F2.0 with ND filter gives a very pleasing bokeh under daylight despite the limitation to shutter speed

Pleasing flare performance

Good ISO performance from 800-1600

ISO 800

ISO 1000

ISO 1600

(this image is processed)

My Nitpicks

AF
True enough, the AF is not as fast as most DSLR or even match up to the latest Olympus EP series camera (believed that we can’t ask for more, this is totally different league of camera as compared to DSLR). During daylight conditions, the AF performance of this camera is pretty acceptable, however, under low light conditions, it’s a nightmare.

Macro
Well, the macro function of this camera might not mean what we could get from a macro lens. It is just another function that allows you to go a little closer to your subject.

Battery life
I haven’t read much about the reviews on the battery life of this camera however my experience shows great disappointment on the battery life of the camera. Despite fully charged, I have encountered low/dead battery conditions in cold weather (after approximately 100 shots) a couple of times in my 5 days stay in Hongkong/Macau.

My conclusion for this camera is:
If you are looking for a compact camera producing high quality of photos, please ignore all the small nitpicks of this camera, this is one of the best deals to consider! No regrets!