Nothing beats a real–world user review, right? Michael Reichmann (luminous-landscape.com) recently had a go with a Fujifilm X100, which he summarized as “exceptional but frustrating.”
The review highlights what we’ve all been anticipating about the X100, but with a few caveats. Here’s his noteworthy observations:
- This is a no nonsense camera. None of the various dummy modes in consumer cameras are available.
- Build quality and handling is good, while keeping weight ideal.
- Autofocus performance is good, but not as fast as a Panasonic GH2.
- Manual focusing is a little disappointing, confirming that the manual focus ring is fly–by–wire and not mechanical. The optical and electronic viewfinders both have their downsides and may not be as good as everyone expects.
- Despite being just 12 megapixel, the APS–C sensor is “comparable to a Nikon D3.”
- The rear control dial is not as useful as it needs to be and seems to be just an afterthought after the camera’s initial design.
- The software’s menu system (and rear controls) is rather not as user–friendly as expected.
There’s a lot more in the said review so you’d probably want to check it out. For now, this helps us see the Fuji X100 in its true form, with less of the nostalgia magic it has been so full of.
