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NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras)

06 Nov

The post NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

The Fujifilm X100 camera line has consistently appeared in lists of the best compact cameras over the last decade. This is not surprising; the series boasts a sharp 23mm f/2 Fujinon lens, great ergonomics, and a ton of cool features.

The series started with the original X100 in 2010, but is now in its fifth iteration with the launch of the Fujifilm X100V in February 2020.

The Fujifilm X100F camera — One of the best compact camera options of the last decade: the Fujifilm X100 series.

As a “take everywhere” camera, the X100 line has many advantages. But perhaps one of the drawbacks is that there isn’t a lot you can add to it to increase its versatility.

Or is there?

In this article, I take a look at the NiSi filter system for Fujifilm X100-series cameras.

So if you’re ready for a thorough NiSi filter system review, let’s get started.

Fujifilm X100-series accessories

Until recently, the only thing you could add to an X100-series camera that truly added to its versatility was one of Fujifilm’s teleconverters.

The fixed 23mm lens has a 35mm full-frame equivalent field of view. Adding the TCL-X100 teleconverter, this changes to a 50mm equivalent, whereas the WCL-X100 widens your field of view to 28mm.

Although the optical quality is excellent, the teleconverters are relatively heavy and quite pricey. If only there was something lighter and cheaper yet with excellent optical quality that would add to the X100 camera experience…

Enter the NiSi filter system for X100-series cameras.

NiSi filters

As a long-time user of the X100 series, I was excited to see NiSi recently launch a filter system for this camera lineup.

NiSi has a great reputation among landscape and cityscape photographers, because their filters are made from high-definition optical glass and offer true-to-life color reproduction.

Cleveland Point by Matt Murray NiSi filter system review example — The waves were gently lapping against this old jetty, but with the NiSi ND8 filter attached to my Fujifilm X100F, a 5-second exposure was enough to smooth the ripples out.

I’ve been using the NiSi 100mm system for the last few years with my Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujifilm X-T2. And I have been impressed with the results.

So, as a long-time user of the X100 series, I couldn’t wait to try out this new NiSi filter system.

NiSi filter system for Fujifilm X100-series cameras

For this NiSi filter system review, I tested the filters designed for Fujifilm X100-series cameras on my Fujifilm X100F.

Here’s what’s included in the kit:

NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated filter
NiSi HD polarizer filter
NiSi ND8 3-stop neutral density filter
NiSi Natural Night filter
NiSi X100 filter holder
Filter carrying case

There is also a slightly cheaper starter kit that contains only two filters: the medium-edge graduated ND filter and the polarizer. I’m not sure why you would opt for the starter kit when, for a small additional cost, you can get two extra, very useful filters.

NiSi filter system review — The NiSi filter system for the X100 series.

First impressions

My first impression of the kit was very positive: the quality and design of both the packaging and the filters is impressive.

The filters come in a light gray filter case, which has a tough shell and looks to be hard-wearing. Inside, each filter is wrapped individually in tissue paper. The filter case has several divider tabs inside, one for each filter as well as the filter holder.

NiSi filter system — The filters come wrapped in tissue paper.

My next thought was to marvel at how tiny the kit was, so much smaller than my 100mm NiSi filters. Of course, when you think about how big the lens is on the X100, it makes perfect sense for the set to be so small.

The filter set is as light as a feather and very compact. If weight matters to you, you’ll barely notice this new bit of kit in your bag.

Build quality

The build quality of the kit is excellent. The filter holder is constructed with aluminum alloy (the same material used in the popular NiSi V6 100mm filter kit). The filters themselves are made of high quality, precision-annealed optical glass, which is a point of difference as some other companies use resin.

Installation and usability

Getting your X100-series camera ready to use the filters is super easy.

First, unscrew the front ring on your camera’s lens. If you’ve never used a lens hood or teleconverter on your X100-series camera before, you may even be surprised to know there is a ring that comes off the front of the camera.

When this ring is taken off, it reveals a thread mount. The next step is to screw the NiSi filter holder onto the lens. Now you’re all ready to go!

Brisbane at night by Matt Murray — For this image of Brisbane at night, I stacked the NiSi ND8 filter along with the NiSi Natural Night filter.

Using the filters

Once the filter holder is in place, take a filter out of the pouch and slide it carefully into the filter slot closest to the lens.

Note that the holder has two slots so you can add another filter to the holder if you wish.

Quite often, I found myself using filters in combination; for example, at dusk I was using the 3-stop ND filter to get longer exposure times for ferry trails on the Brisbane River, along with the Natural Night filter to correct the color of the light. In very bright conditions, I often used the graduated ND filter along with the polarizer filter.

The filter holder rotates 360 degrees, which is very handy for when you need to use the graduated ND filter in either horizontal or vertical orientation. Of course, for the other three filters, the orientation doesn’t matter.

NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated ND filter

The NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated ND filter is a fantastic piece of kit to have in your camera bag.

As with all graduated neutral density filters, it helps to darken specific areas of an image such as bright skies. But as a graduated filter, it allows normal exposure in other parts of the image.

The filter is quite long in comparison to the length of the filter holder, allowing you to move the filter up and down in the holder to control its exact placement.

NiSi HD Polarizer

The NiSi HD Polarizer reduces reflections and glare by filtering out light that has become polarized due to reflection from non-metallic surfaces.

This comes in handy when you want to remove glare on the water or reflections when shooting through glass. The filter provides good color and saturation in scenes.

I enjoyed using the polarizer, though the effect is less noticeable compared to the other filters.

ND8 filter

The NiSi ND8 filter is a neutral density filter that gives a 3-stop exposure reduction. This allows you to photograph with slower shutter speeds or wider apertures than would usually be possible.

A neutral density filter is perfect for being able to show movement in your images. For example, you can use the NiSi ND8 to shoot traffic trails or flowing water.

This filter is probably the most fun and most dramatic filter to use in the kit. It’s fantastic to create long exposures using this filter; you can then see the effect it has on moving elements in your photos.

NiSi filter system review ND8 example — Here’s an extreme example of the ND8 filter in use. The longer exposure time makes the sea looks perfectly smooth!

Natural Night filter

The NiSi Natural Night filter is the perfect companion for night photography. When shooting cityscapes, many factors affect the color of the light; these include mercury vapor, sodium, and low-CRI streetlights. The glow from these light sources prevents your camera from seeing the sky properly and can negatively affect your images.

The NiSi Natural Night filter blocks out the most common wavelengths of light pollution, leaving you with a more natural-looking night image.

Here’s an image taken without the NiSi Natural Night filter:

Story Bridge and Howard Smith wharves in Brisbane at night — Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane without the NiSi Natural Night filter.

And here’s the same composition, captured once the NiSi Natural Night filter had been added:

Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves at night (using the NiSi Natural Light filter) — What a difference! Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane with the NiSi Natural Night filter.

NiSi filter system review: Conclusion

I’ve really enjoyed using the NiSi filter system for the Fujifilm X100 lineup.

The filters are a fantastic addition for anyone shooting with this series of cameras. They add another layer of versatility without compromising the compact nature of your setup.

Until recently, the only way to add to the versatility of the king of compact cameras was by purchasing a pricey (and heavy) teleconverter. But with this kit, you have multiple creative options to use depending on the conditions.

Boasting excellent build quality, the professional kit contains four useful filters. They are small, light, and come beautifully packaged in their own tough case.

The professional filter set is also fantastic value for money, widely available for around $ 65 USD. The starter kit, with two fewer filters, is available for around $ 49 USD.

In fact, I can’t recommend this filter set highly enough.

So now that you’ve finished this NiSi filter system review, the question is not, “Why would you buy the system?”

It’s rather: “Why wouldn’t you buy it?”

You can grab the NiSi filter system here.

The post NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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Five reasons why Fujifilm probably won’t make a full-frame X100

17 Mar

Introduction

The X100 series is one of Fujifilm’s most popular and important product lines. Over the course of almost ten years, the company has built the X100 series into an iconic line of cameras, which established Fujifilm as a serious brand with enthusiasts, and continue to be best-sellers.

Ever since its introduction, some photographers have been asking Fujifilm to develop a full-frame version of the X100. And on the face of it, that’s an appealing thought. Who doesn’t like the idea of greater depth of field control and a boost in potential image quality? But we strongly suspect that Fujifilm will never do it. Read on for the five main reasons why not, and why we doubt that a full-frame version is on the cards, either.

Size and weight

The Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II is a very small compact camera with a 35mm F2 lens, but in order to make it so compact, compromises were made on ergonomics and battery life.

The X100V is a little bigger than previous iterations of the X100 series, but it’s still a relatively small camera, considering everything that Fujifilm has packed into it. One of the reasons for that is its APS-C sensor. A larger sensor would mean a larger imaging circle (which means a larger lens to achieve the same F stop), a larger shutter mechanism, and probably a deeper body, to accommodate the additional circuitry hardware, and to keep it cool.

Genuinely small full-frame cameras exist (the Sigma fp and Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II spring to mind) but with both, their small size comes with compromises. The fp lacks a viewfinder and even a mechanical shutter. In fact, the fp is better thought of as a module inside a camera system rather than as a wholly complete camera in and of itself. Meanwhile the RX1R II has a fairly cramped control layout and a tiny battery, rated for a pitiable 220 shots, and not infrequently capable of rather less than that, depending on how you use it.

It’s impossible to know exactly what a full-frame X100 might end up looking like, but you can bet it would be larger and heavier than the cameras that we know and love.

Development cost of full-frame

The Sigma fp is even smaller than the RX1R II, and one of the ways in which Sigma ensured the smallest possible body is by eliminating both a viewfinder and a mechanical shutter. An X100-type camera without either of those things would probably be a non-starter.

And then there’s cost. The 26MP sensor in the X100V is used in multiple other Fujifilm cameras, which means that they can be purchased from Sony in bulk, keeping the per-unit cost down.

Economies of scale mean that it would probably be very expensive for Fujifilm to procure a relatively small number of totally different sensors for only a single product line, aimed at a relatively small group of customers.

On top of that, a new, larger sensor would probably mean developing a new shutter mechanism: either a conventional mechanical shutter in-camera, or a scaled-up in-lens shutter, of a type similar to the current X100 line. Either way, Fujfilm would need to make it from scratch, likely with associated development and production costs.

Bigger sensors also draw more power, and create more heat. One way or another, it all costs money.

Add all of these costs together, and developing a niche product like a full-frame X100 would probably be very expensive for Fujfilm. And what would that mean?

Literal cost to consumer

The Leica Q2 is a good example of a fantastic camera, with a built-in finder and a great lens, that makes the most out of its high-resolution full-frame sensor. But it’s priced beyond the reach of most of us.

You guessed right: it means that a hypothetical full-frame X100 would cost you more. One of the major reasons for the success of the X100 line over the past decade has been the cost of the cameras, at a sweet spot of around $ 1,200 at point of launch, usually dropping a little over their lifetime. Obviously, $ 1,200 is still a considerable chunk of change, but compared to the likes of the Sony RX1R II or the Leica Q2, it’s a relative bargain.

Imagine if Fujfilm had to double the cost of the X100 in a full-frame version. Would you buy one? Even if you’re one of those people who would answer “yes”, it’s only logical that you’d be counting yourself among a minority, compared to the potential audience for the traditional APS-C bodies.

Loss of brand identity, and customer trust

For customers who have made large investments in Fujifilm’s APS-C products, the announcement of a full-frame camera may look like a vote of no confidence in the smaller format.

Customers really like it when companies play to their strengths, talk frankly to them, and don’t try to fix something that isn’t broken. Fujifilm has said so often – and for so long – that it has no interest in developing full-frame cameras, that such an abrupt change of direction would risk damaging the brand in the eyes of some of its most loyal customers.

In short, Fujifilm is not a full-frame brand. It’s arguably the only company (R.I.P. Samsung) that has really made a full-throated case for the benefits of APS-C over full-frame, and has spent the past decade doubling-down on that approach, creating the most convincing dedicated APS-C lens lineup on the market.

If Fujifilm introduced a full-frame version of the X100 concept, there’s no doubt that the company would attract a certain number of new customers. But several other, much less positive things would happen: For starters, a lot of loyal X100 series fans would feel betrayed, and worried that such a move might spell the end for a range of cameras they’ve come to love.

Photographers with an investment in the APS-C interchangeable lens X-series would also get spooked. To a Fujifilm shooter who has spent thousands of dollars on XF lenses, the announcement of a full-frame camera – any full-frame camera– could look like a massive vote of no confidence in APS-C.

Finally it’s not hard to imagine the feelings of someone who has just dropped thousands on one of Fujifilm’s medium-format GFX cameras, if the company suddenly announced it was developing a compact full-frame camera. Which leads us on to…

Risk of cannibalization

How many GFX 50Rs would Fujifilm sell if a similarly-sized, fixed-lens alternative were available? Such a product would risk cannibalizing Fujifilm’s existing lineups.

I’ve explained the likely potential costs (both real and in terms of potential damage to the brand) to Fujifilm of adding a full-frame X100 lineup, but there are always costs associated with doing something new, and costs are acceptable if there’s a major long-term benefit.

There’s no doubt that by putting a full-frame sensor behind a fixed 35mm F2 lens, Fujifilm would be providing photographers with a more powerful tool than any of the previous X100 series models, but that might actually end up being a problem. Why? Because it would risk ‘cannibalization’.

In this context, ‘cannibalization’ describes a situation where sales of a new model come at the expense of sales lost in other parts in the lineup. Would Fujifilm want to risk a large number of sales of the (at this point presumably quite profitable) X100-series in favor of a new, costlier full-frame model? It seems unlikely, and it’s even less likely that the company would risk sales of the nascent GFX range by inserting a full-frame model into the lineup, aimed at the exact same type of users.

Summing up – arguments against

Every one of Fujifilm’s medium format cameras so far has used the same NP-T125 battery. It’s physically big, because it has to be. That means the cameras have to large enough to accommodate this kind of battery.

To sum up, it’s highly unlikely that Fujifilm will develop a full-frame X100 series camera for the following reasons:

A larger sensor would add size and weight, mitigating a major X100 selling point
Such a product would cost a lot to develop and manufacture
The result would be a very expensive camera – reducing its potential audience
A move to full-frame would annoy and worry existing loyal Fujifilm APS-C customers
The risk of cannibalization within existing lineups is too great

At a technical level, the imaging potential of full-frame is undeniably greater than APS-C, and only slightly less than medium-format. But the additional development cost, and the size and weight penalty involved in making full-frame work in a compact X100-type form factor, would be considerable. It’s lovely to imagine a full-frame X100 with a 35mm F1.4 lens, but less lovely to picture how much larger, heavier, and costlier that camera would have to be, compared to an X100V.

But what about medium format?

Fujifilm has a long track record of making fixed-lens medium format cameras, from the days of film. Could it repeat the trick with digital?

Fujifilm has said repeatedly that it has no interest in full-frame. Instead, it has developed a medium format lineup, offering far superior image quality potential and differentiated from both its own APS-C line, and the growing crop of full-frame mirrorless cameras now on the market.

The sensor in Fujifilm’s flagship $ 10,000 GFX 100 can be thought of essentially as four X-T3 sensors, in a single piece of silicon. With four times the surface area, and current-generation chip design, the GFX 100’s sensor is capable of astonishing resolution and dynamic range, putting it in a different league to even the best APS-C cameras.

So might Fujifilm build a medium-format X100? There’s an argument to be made that it makes sense in a way that full-frame just doesn’t. Medium format would offer an increase in potential image quality over full-frame (albeit relatively modest – about 2/3EV), a significant leap in image quality over APS-C, it’s a major part of Fujifilm’s brand identity, and the larger format is a key differentiator for Fujifilm compared to competitive manufacturers.

In conclusion

For all of the appeal to Fujifilm of burnishing the company’s credentials in the medium format marketplace, an MF X100-type camera still seems very unlikely, for all of the same reasons why a full-frame X100 is probably a non-starter.

The difference in image quality between full-frame and what Fujifilm calls medium format is relatively modest. In fact, in our testing we found that the 50MP sensors used in the GFX 50S and 50R don’t offer significantly better performance than the best current full-frame sensors. The more advanced 100MP sensor in the GFX 100 is a slightly different matter, but its cost (larger sensors are significantly harder to produce, and their ‘yield’ is much smaller) probably makes it impractical for use in such a different type of camera.

Meanwhile, remember how a full-frame X100 would have to be bigger and heavier? Well that’s even more true with a hypothetical medium format version.

The GFX 50R provides a convenient point of comparison here. It’s not huge, compared to (say) the GFX100, but it’s definitely not a camera you can slip into your pocket. Imagine a fixed version of the compact 50mm f3.5 on the front, and it might be possible to shave off a few mm here and there. But either way, you’re likely still looking at a very expensive product, which probably won’t deliver much better image quality than a current full-frame model from Nikon or Sony.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t still want one.

What do you think? Let us know in the poll below.

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Have your say

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What do you think? Full-frame Fujifilm X100

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Can you build a cheaper X100 with a mirrorless body and pancake lens?

15 May

One of the ones to beat: the Fujifilm X100F offers excellent image quality in a relatively compact and, dare I suggest, quite attractive package.

As a bunch of (perhaps above-averagely tech devoted) photographers, one of the unifying factors in the office is our love of larger sensor, fixed prime lens cameras. Obviously there are still arguments about whether they should be 28mm or 35mm equivalent and whether the compactness and lower price of APS-C outweighs the image quality benefits of full-frame, but that’s because we’re an awkward, opinionated bunch. We’re broadly agreed that they’re a great concept.

But is there another way of getting the same result? Of putting together a small mirrorless camera and one of the newly prevalent pancake primes, and ending up with a cheaper and more flexible combination?

There’s always something enticing about the prospect of doing something your own way, of cleaving from the path prescribed by the marketeers, and coming up with a better solution.

So what are your options? Let’s looks at the lenses available and then see if there’s an appropriate body to match.

The lenses

First it helps to decide what focal length you want. I’ve mapped the most common pancake lenses on a graph, showing equivalent focal length and equivalent aperture. This lets us compare field of view, depth of field and, to a reasonable approximation: low light image quality. I’m not going to argue about this, it just does.

As this chart shows, you broadly speaking get to choose from roughly 24, 28, 35 or 40mm equivalent lenses. I’ve included a couple of our favorite fixed-lens prime cameras on for reference.

Looking at the chart, you might think: ‘great, I’ve got lots of choices.’ But please let me ‘manage your expectations,’ if you don’t mind me using one of the most loathsome phrases I’ve ever encountered.

Why don’t I want you to get your hopes up too much? Well, mainly because some of these lenses just aren’t very good. The precise reasons for my skepticism vary but a recurrent concern is that far too many of these lenses use ‘unit focus’ or ‘group focus’ design, where a most, if not all of the lens groups have to be moved around to focus the lens. This is probably the worst way to design a lens that’s going to be used with contrast detection AF: accelerating lenses in one direction and then the other rewards the lightest of focusing elements. By contrast, trying to heft multiple groups around takes rather longer. On the other hand, this design can give good optical results. Eventually.

Then you’ve got the lenses that are optically iffy. The Sony 16mm F2.8 E may stand out because it’s the only 24mm equivalent option here, but there’s the slight downside that it’s legendarily indifferent. In fairness, there may be examples that don’t have corners or whole sides of the lens that are a bit mushy, I’ve just never encountered one.

28mm equiv.

28mm equivalent lenses allow you to shoot slightly wider-angle scenes. Or this picture of a train.

There are two stand-out choices here: the tiny but seeming end-of-life Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 II Aspherical II and the not-really-a-pancake at all Sigma 19mm F2.8 DN for Sony E-mount. Both are fast-focusing and, at around $ 280 and $ 200 respectively, are rather keenly priced. And, to add to the appeal, the main camera they’re likely to have to face down is the Ricoh GR II, which has only a moderately fast F2.8 maximum aperture (and unit focus, would you believe), so either of these lenses should be able to offer a credible alternative.

35mm equiv.

At 35mm equiv, again there are two obvious choices. Personally I’d prefer the Olympus 17mm F1.8 over the Canon 22mm F2, just on the basis that it uses a single, internal focus element. This means it’s much faster than the Canon, whose group focus design holds it back a little, even on the latest EOS M bodies with their clever Dual Pixel AF.

That said, the Canon is a jolly reasonable $ 250, rather than the $ 400 that the Oly will set you back. Also, the Olympus is again a little stout to really class as a pancake lens. But, given it can be paired with some very small bodies and because I like its snap-back manual focus ring, I’m keeping it in the running.

40mm equiv.

The GX85 isn’t as small as the GX850 (which makes us mourn the end of the GM line all the more), but it still pairs rather well with the 28mm equiv 14/2.5 or the 40mm equiv 20/1.7.

40mm equiv used to be a fairly standard lens for fixed prime lens cameras. It doesn’t really have the hint-of-wide-angle charm of a 35mm equiv, but some people like it. It’s Panasonic’s 20mm F1.7 that’s the obvious choice here. It’s the same old story: ‘first pancake design? let’s use unit focus,’ but it’s a pretty reasonable $ 270 and it’s fast enough so long as you don’t have ambitions of using it in AF-C mode all the time.

Fujifilm’s 27mm F2.8 is a little slower, in equivalent terms, but it’s really the combination of this and a $ 450-odd price tag that puts me off.

The cameras

So, what are the best cameras to pair these little lenses with? Personally, I’d argue that the perfect pancake-shooting camera will carefully balance three key properties: size, price and a degree of external control. I don’t expect all three to be optimal, but those are the things I need, if I want to get anywhere close to the experience of something like a Ricoh GR or a Fujifilm X100 series.

I’m not going to insist on a viewfinder, since Ricoh, Fujifilm, Leica and Sony have sold prime lens cameras without them and presumably they’ve done some sort of market research before committing hundred of thousands of dollars to that decision. But it’s a nice thing to have.

There’s more to this than lens depth. A 60mm equiv camera with a full-depth SLR mount and single control dial isn’t quite what I’m talking about.

Sony E-mount

This one’s easy, I reckon. The Sony a6000 is small, it offers a degree of external control plus a little bit of customization, has a viewfinder and is available for $ 500. Even though I have mixed feelings about the small, convenient and frequently slightly wonky 16-50mm power zoom, you can pick it up as part of a kit for just one hundred extra dollars. And, in doing so, take some advantage of the extra flexibility that comes from going down the ILC route.

The a5100 is also worth a look. It’s essentially the same hardware but with fewer controls and less scope for customization so would seems to fall foul of my rules almost immediately, but the flip-up touchscreen is going to appeal to some people.

I wouldn’t, personally, try to save money by picking up an NEX-6, at this point. On paper it doesn’t look that different from an a6000 (it was slightly higher spec in a couple of respects), but having got used the to improved menus and customizable function menu of the a6000, I couldn’t go back. Especially not for a camera I actually want to enjoy.

Canon EF-M

Canon has bounced around all over the shop in terms of who it’s targeting with its EOS M cameras. Whether this is an attempt to protect its DSLR sales or a sincere belief that only entry-level users want mirrorless cameras, it’s meant there aren’t many options if you want an enthusiast level of direct control.

The Canon 22mm F2 isn’t the fastest focusing lens but it’s better on the company’s more recent cameras and makes a great ‘world as I see it’ documentary lens.

The EOS M3 was the first model to include both a command dial and a dedicated exposure comp dial, so is one of the few I’d consider for this task. You can pick one up for around $ 430 at the moment, so it’s pretty well priced, too.

Like the Sony a5100, the EOS M10 is a simplified, primarily touchscreen-controlled model, which isn’t really my thing, but might be yours.

Sadly, both of these models are built around the company’s last generation Hybrid AF CMOS sensors. It works reasonably well but it’s not a patch on the Dual Pixel AF that arrived with the M6. The M6 would be a much better fit for this role than either of the bodies I’ve mentioned, but sadly it’s currently around $ 900, which significantly undermines the aim of putting together a cheap kit. If the price drops, though…

Micro Four Thirds

The Micro Four Thirds system has two great advantages, here: as the world’s first Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera system, both Olympus and Panasonic have had enough time to develop some inexpensive bodies with a good level of control. Then, of course, its slightly smaller sensor allows the camera bodies and lenses to be that bit smaller, too.

The Panasonic 20mm F1.7 pairs well with a small camera body, meaning it’s with you when a stranger unexpectedly throws straw at you.

This leaves you with a good choice of bodies. On the Panasonic side of things, there’s the GX850/GX800, which is currently the company’s smallest body. Sadly it’s not quite as small as the ‘GM’ series it replaces. The GM5 would be perfect for this application, but it’s only going to get harder to find one at a decent price, now. The slightly larger GX85/GX80, which gives more direct control. If you’ve spotted anything of a trend so far, you won’t be surprised that this is the one I’d go for.

The Olympus rival here would be the E-PL8 (or the PL7 if you can find one). With a little bit of button reassignment and customization, the PL8 makes a pretty good hands-on shooter and also offers a flip-up touchscreen. The JPEG color is lovely, too, which is a bonus if that was one of the factors pushing you towards the X100F.

Recommendations:

28mm equiv:

Sony a6000 + Sigma 19mm F2.8
~ $ 700 ($ 800 with kit zoom)

As I say, this one’s easy. It’s a capable camera at a fiercely competitive price. The Panasonic GX85 + 14mm lens will be a bit smaller, feels a bit better in the hand and offers 4K video, but it ends up being around $ 900 and you don’t even get the kit lens for that, so I’d go with the Sony/Sigma combination.

35mm equiv:

Olympus E-PL8 + 17mm F1.8
~ $ 950 ($ 1050 with 12-32mm kit zoom)
Fujifilm X-A3 + 23mm F2
~$ 1050 (including 16-50mm kit zoom)
Canon EOS M6 + 22mm F2
~$ 1020 ($ 1150 with 15-45mm kit zoom)

As you can see, you get plenty of choices if you prefer the 35mm equiv focal length (which, as right-thinking people, you should). The Olympus is both pretty and pretty small, the Canon is the most expensive but fits more honestly into the Mirrorless+Pancake definition and requires much less reconfiguration to adapt it to the task.

But, since this is an opinion piece, not a review, I’m going to cheat and choose something that I’ve not even mentioned yet: the Fujifilm X-A3 and 23mm F2. Sorry to spring it on you like that.

He just came out of nowhere! Grabbed shot with the Fujifilm X100F

Clearly I’m not sorry, though. The X-A3 isn’t as well built as the Canon, and the Fujifilm 23mm F2 doesn’t fit any sensible definition of a pancake, but it’s the closest you’ll get to the capabilities of the X100 series. On top of this, the X-A3 has twin control dials, a 24MP sensor and a sensible price tag, so it’s in. And, just to add to the appeal, it is part of a system with the best range of circa-$ 500 prime lenses I can think of. So there.

Fixed lens or ILC?

Swings and roundabouts: there are advantages and disadvantages to each solution, but both these 35mm equivalents have a lot going for them, whether as main or secondary camera.

Ultimately, going down this route, whichever brand and combination you choose doesn’t buy you such an photographer-focused camera as the likes of the Ricoh GR II or the Fujifilm X100F. You usually have to settle for a darker lens and significantly less control. Worse still, you don’t even necessarily save that much money.

However, the clear benefit of slapping a pancake (or something vaguely like it) on a little mirrorless camera is flexibility. Because, as soon as you want to expand your horizons beyond the pancake’s field of view, you can can put on another lens and do just that. So please think carefully about which other lenses are available and, whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy the prime lens shooting experience.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Throwback Thursday: Fujifilm X100

19 Jan

The X100 wasn’t the first compact camera to include a truly large sensor: Sigma gets the credit for that, but it was the first to get enough right to really grab the attention of photographers.

We’d been asking manufacturers to build a small camera with a big sensor for a number of years, so you can imagine the buzz in the office when Fujifilm showed up in London with a pre-production X100 and asked ‘Is this what you meant?’

The company had recognized that its most successful niche (the S-series superzooms) was becoming a commodity market, with most customers caring more about how many ‘X’ the zoom range was, rather than which brand name was printed on the front. So it set out to build a product to appeal to serious photographers.

Its response was to create a retro-looking camera that recreated the look and concept of the fixed-lens rangefinders cameras that sold so well throughout the 60s and 70s. But the X100 wasn’t a rangefinder, instead incorporating a clever ‘hybrid’ viewfinder that let you switch between an optical and digital preview, depending on what you were trying to shoot. And photographers loved it.

The X100’s fixed 35mm equivalent lens, relatively small size and easy-to-access external controls make for an exceptional ‘walk around’ second camera. Photo by Carey Rose

The camera’s size and styling meant it immediately caught the photographic imagination. The fixed lens design meant that users of other system didn’t have to worry about lens compatibility or changing systems, it was another tool that did a different thing, which helped it find space in the camera bags of all kinds of photographers.

In the wake of this success, we’ve seen several other manufacturers try to burnish their photography credentials by introducing large sensor, prime lens cameras. Sony went full frame with the capable but quirky RX1, Nikon followed Fujifilm’s lead and stuck its consumer compact branding on the 28mm-equiv Coolpix A and Ricoh gave its GR series a new lease of life by putting an APS-C sensor inside, but none of these have hit the combination of features, price, capability and downright desirability that the X100 achieved.

Stumbling start

That said, at launch, the camera was more cool concept than polished product. It was slow, it was full of maddening quirks and it needed to be switched to Macro mode at exactly the focus distance you wanted to use it at. In fact it was so far from the level of refinement that we were used to that we included a whole page listing the bugs, quirks and idiosyncrasies at the end of our review.

And, to its credit, Fujifilm listened. In a series of firmware updates the company not only smoothed-over a host of the camera’s most annoying rough edges, but then went about adding features.

It’s hard to remember, now, but as recently as 2010 it was very rare for camera makers to do anything beyond fixing critical bugs with firmware. A combination of not wanting to acknowledge any shortcomings and of wanting to divert development resources to the next project meant that cameras didn’t tend to get much better after launch.

Even in the troubled early days, the files – and especially the colors – from the X100 were as handsome as the camera itself. Photo by Carey Rose

Fujifilm rode-out the internet sniping about ‘releasing unfinished products’ and established a model of mid-life improvements and updates that is being increasingly adopted across the industry. More than three years after the X100’s launch, Fujifilm continued to offer not only autofocus improvements but also additional features such as focus peaking that hadn’t even been considered at the camera’s original launch.

And there are some aspects of the camera that firmware could never fix. The manual focusing remains vague and fussy, the lens’ otherwise excellent performance drops off significantly at close distances and the focus mechanism, which moves a relatively large, heavy focusing group, is never going to be ‘snappy.’ Yet the X100 and its successors remain versatile, likeable cameras.

A camera to love

Our original (initial firmware) review concluded that ‘the X100 is too flawed to quite earn our outright recommendation, but if you’re prepared to tolerate its foibles as the price to pay for its superb image quality, it’s a camera you can easily grow to love.’

And it’s that last sentiment that captures the X100 perfectly. In spite of all of its flaws, several members of DPR staff went out and bought the camera and there’s barely a member of staff since who hasn’t owned at least one camera from the X100 series.

Onward and upward – though Fujifilm has been busy keeping the X100 line up to date, we’ll always have a soft spot in our hearts (and for some of us, a space in our camera bags) for the original. Photo by Carey Rose

In the six years since the launch of the original X100, retro design has become commonplace, large sensors in small cameras have become ubiquitous but the X100’s combination of concept, capability and style still help it stand out. For all its faults, its status as a classic, rather than a camera designed to resemble one, looks assured.

Do you own any X100-series cameras? Will you be buying the new X100F? Let us know in the comments!

Original Fujifilm FinePix X100 Sample Gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page).

We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don’t abuse it. Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution.

Note: Please click through for full-size images from this legacy gallery.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Back from the dead: Fujifilm boosts X100 with major firmware upgrade

18 Oct

Following recent updates to the X-Pro1 and X-E1, Fujifilm has released a major upgrade to the X100, the original (now-discontinued) X-series model, which was announced back in 2010. Since its release, the X100 has benefitted from a series of major firmware improvements, and the latest – likely to be the last – offers faster startup time, and improvements to automatic and manual focus. Firmware v2.0 is available for download today. Click through for our opinion on this announcement, and the official press release.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fuji X100 Hands On Field Test With Tyler Stalman

24 Nov

The Camera Store’s Chris Niccolls had a chance to use the very exciting Fujifilm X100 for a day. So he grabbed renowned photographer Tyler Stalman (www.stalman.com) and spent a day in the freezing Alberta cold taking photos. Chris and Tyler check out the innovative hybrid viewfinder, camera controls, and test out the amazing sync speed for flash photography. Huge thanks to Stephen Lemmer and Sean Chamberlain for enduring the cold to help us out!

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Match Technical launches Thumbs Up EP-5S thumb rest for Fujifilm X100

08 Aug

Chinese accessory maker Match Technical has introduced a version of its ‘Thumbs Up’ accessory grip for the Fujifilm X100. The Thumbs Up EP-5S is an updated version of the grip we featured in our Leica M9 preview, and slots into the camera’s hot shoe. It features a revised, ‘ergonomic profile’ thumb rest, includes a silicone insert to cushion the join between the grip and the camera, and is available in either black or silver. (via DCWatch)
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm Canada offers sneak peek at X100 firmware

07 Jul

Fujifilm Canada has released details of the forthcoming X100 firmware update on its ‘@fujiguys’ Twitter feed. A series of updates detail ten significant changes to the X100’s firmware, designed to address some of the criticisms of the camera’s behavior. Changes include more responsive ‘wake from sleep’ behavior without a long press of the shutter button, clear indication of the eye sensor being engaged and the maintaining of ISO/Self-Timer/DR/Flash/Macro settings when exposure mode, review mode or power state is changed. The original messages can be found at http://twitter.com/#!/fujiguys but, as yet, no official announcement of when the updated firmware will become available has been made.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Just posted: Our updated in-depth review of the Fujifilm FinePix X100

04 Jul

Just Posted: our revised Fujifilm X100 review. Amongst the changes listed in Fujifilm’s 1.10 firmware update for the FinePix X100 were several that addressed issues raised in our original in-depth review. To reflect this, we have gone back into the studio and re-tested the X100 to see just how much difference the changes make. Does the update allow the X100 to achieve its obvious potential as a high-quality luxury compact camera, or is it still too quirky to earn our outright recommendation? Read our extensively updated review to find out.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm updates X100 firmware to v1.10

04 Jul

Fujifilm has released the promised fimware update for its X100 large sensor compact. Firmware v1.10 includes 22 feature modifications and additions, including correction of several issues highlighted in our review of the camera. The company has detailed the changes and revised the user manual to reflect additional features added as part of the update. Both the firmware update and the updated user manual can be downloaded from the company’s website immediately.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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	I would love a full-frame X100!
	I'm happy with my APS-C X100, don't change a thing.
	Don't stop at full-frame, I want medium format!