360Photography

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  • Ambassadorship and $24,000 of kit up for grabs in broncolor’s Gen Next contest

    Picture by David Sheldrick, one of the winners from last year’s contest

    Broncolor is looking for its next generation of young ambassadors and has opened the entry process for this year’s Gen Next contest. The competition is aimed at flash users between the ages of 18 and 30 who inspire the judges and who represent what they see as the next generation of photographers. Winners will receive $ 24,000 worth of broncolor flash equipment and will have their photography promoted for two years through broncolor’s activities around its ambassador program.

    The contest has been running for three years already and on each occasion the company has picked five young photographers to promote. Submissions should include three images that involve some use of flash, though the company doesn’t specify that its equipment has to have been used. As ambassadors the winners will be required to actively promote their use of the broncolor equipment that they won, and will be expected to produce posts for the broncolor blog – but they will also get 20% off purchases and free loans for approved projects.

    Entry closes on 6th March. For more information see the broncolor Gen Next website.

    Press release

    The Gen NEXT program from broncolor seeks young photographers with exceptional talent and creative vision to become Gen NEXT Ambassadors.

    For a chance to become a Gen NEXT ambassador, share three of your most inspiring images to the official contest website at gennext.broncolor.com. The contest is open to image makers worldwide, between the ages of 18 and 30, looking to push their career to the next level. Entries are accepted between January 16th and March 6th, 2017, with winners announced the following month by April 26th.

    Selected winners will be named as Gen NEXT ambassadors and outfitted with $ 24,000 (USD) of broncolor equipment. For the next two years, their work and journey as growing photographers will be featured on the Gen NEXT website. With stunning images, behind-the-scenes content, and insight on the photographer’s artistic decisions, Gen NEXT gives an inside look at the creative growth, while promoting the ambassadors’ work to broncolor’s global audience.

    First launched in 2014, Gen NEXT features 15 outstanding young photographers representing a wide range of interests in the world of image making. Through their impressive work, the current Gen NEXT ambassadors have already received considerable worldwide attention and continue to lead the way with inspiring images.

    First Generation
    Gen NEXT ambassadors from the inaugural 2014 group of five include Benjamin Von Wong (CAN), Dustin Snipes (USA), Jason Jia (CHN), Lara Jade (USA) and Manuel Mittelpunkt (GER).

    Second Generation
    Gen NEXT’s 2015 group features Anita Anti (UKR), Cristina Otero (ESP), Gonzaga Manso (ESP), Lauri Laukkanen (FIN), and Yulia Gorbachenko (UKR).

    Third Generation
    The latest group from 2016, adds five more ambassadors; David Sheldrick (UK), Jvdas Berra (MX), Justin Lister (USA), Lara Zankoul (LB), and Natalia Evelyn Bencicova (SK).

    To find out who will follow in their footsteps, stay tuned on gennext.broncolor.com and on our social media channels Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube.

    Welcome to the future of photography. Welcome to broncolor Gen NEXT.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • TwoEyes VR stereoscopic camera simulates human vision

    Another VR camera has launched on Kickstarter, but this one does things a little differently: TwoEyes VR features two horizontally-oriented cameras spaced 65mm apart that record footage in a stereoscopic arrangement. The resulting 3D video simulates the way someone would see the subject with their own eyes.

    TwoEyes VR features two F2.0 180-degree lenses spaced 65mm apart, which is said to be the average distance between human eyes. The two cameras (CMOS 1/2.3” sensors), when used together, can record 3D videos in both 180 and 360 degrees, while recording with just one camera results in 360-degree non-3D footage. The camera also supports generating red-cyan 3D footage.

    Content is stored to an internal 128GB drive, while other camera features including a 4K image processor, 2,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.1, dual-band WiFi, WiFi Direct, and a gyro sensor. The related Android and iOS mobile apps offer users live video previews from the camera, two-button shooting controls, and a post-processing tool for generating either 3D, VR, or 360 videos. 

    The team behind TwoEyes is seeking funding on Kickstarter, where they have raised more than double their $ 40,000 goal with 36 days remaining in the campaign. A ‘Kickstarter Pack’ is offered to backers who pledge at least $ 239 — it includes the camera and global shipping. Shipments to backers are expected to start this upcoming August.

    Via: Kickstarter

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Samsung virtual assistant rumored to use camera for object identification

    In its upcoming flagship smartphone Galaxy S8 Samsung is expected to implement a Siri or Google Assistant style virtual assistant named Bixby. According to sources of SamMobile, Bixby will include visual search capabilities and be able to analyze a photograph and identify objects within the frame. The system will also perform optical character recognition on visible text. Users will be able to launch the service via the camera app or a dedicated button on the side of the device. 

    We have seen apps with similar functionalities before, for example Google Goggles, but Bixby is reportedly aiming to take things to the next level by offering a higher degree of interchange with other applications installed on the phone. For example, users will be able to use detected objects or text to order on shopping apps or perform searches.  

    The Bixby technology is likely to have come from Viv Labs, a startup created by former Apple employees and Siri co-founders Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer, and Chris Bringham. Viv Labs was acquired by Samsung last October. It’s not quite clear at this point when the Galaxy S8 will be revealed to the public. It could be at the Mobile World Congress at the end of February or on a dedicated event as late as April. In any case, we’re looking forward to the camera being used in innovative ways on the new Samsung. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Here’s the first known photo of a US Presidential Inauguration

    When James Buchanan was sworn into office on March 4, 1857, John Wood made history by making the first known photograph of a US Presidential inauguration. 

    Wood was hired by Montgomery C. Meigs, an engineer managing the expansion of the US Capitol which added wings for the Senate and House. According to Robert O’Harrow’s The Quartermaster, Meigs was an early days photography enthusiast. As prints became easier and more affordable to produce, he saw the value in using photography to make copies of architectural plans and hired Wood.

    For the inaugural photo, Meigs constructed a small stage so that Wood could capture the scene. The crowd of more than 20,000 mostly stood on a platform Meigs had built to hide construction debris. His journal mentions that Wood was able to make the inauguration exposure in 4 seconds, as he had been experimenting with a ‘photography process of great speed,’ referring to the wet collodion process that was being widely adopted at the time. The image that resulted is an albumen print, resulting from a method of making prints that used a substance found in egg whites and table salt to bind photographic chemicals to paper. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Dear Nikon: Please let us keep the 20mm F1.8G, Love, Dan

    An open letter to Nikon 

    Dear Nikon, 

    Dan Bracaglia here from DPReview.com. It’s been brought to my attention (mostly due to the nagging of coworkers) that the Nikkor 20mm F1.8G lens you’ve loaned us needs to be returned to Nikon ASAP. I guess this makes sense, seeing as we’ve had it for about 20 months now. But perhaps I can convince you, beyond a reason of a doubt to allow us just a little more time with it. I ask because I truly love this lens. And here’s why:

    There’s no such thing as a perfect lens, but a lens can certainly be the right tool for a specific job, and to that extent, it’s perfect. Your 20mm F1.8G is just that for me.

    I first moved to Seattle about five months before you shipped DPReview the lens. I’d previously been living in New York City and photographing live music. Back then I largely shot with a 17-35mm F2.8 (the lens motor has since died) and an on-camera flash. It was the perfect setup for the rowdy punk rock shows I frequented.

    ISO 12,800, 1/160 sec at F2. Edited to taste in Lightroom.

    But, after moving I realized I was going to have to switch up my music rig. I became aware that shows in small and mid-size venues in Seattle were well-documented, but shows happening in less traditional spaces, like friends’ basements, living rooms or art/community centers were often not photographed (despite being well-attended). So I launched a photoblog with the goal of documenting my local music community.

    Out of respect for these intimate environments, I vowed to leave my flash at home and shoot available light only. And what could be better for documenting in the dark than fast primes? 

    When shooting shows with available light, three things matter most to me in a lens: its size/weight (too large = too intrusive), it’s brightest aperture and its focus speed. Your 20mm, Nikon, is a perfect balance of all these things. A look at the Sigma 20mm F1.4 to gives an idea of how big and cumbersome a brighter 20mm lens could be.

    And when paired with my D750, the combination is fast-to-focus (using the center area) even in conditions that are often too dark for me to physically see. This is incredibly impressive and useful. Even if I can’t tell whether or not my subject is in focus, I need to be able trust that my camera and lens can. Simply put, when used together the D750 and 20mm F1.8G sing.

    ISO 12,800, 1/160 sec at F1.8. Edited to taste in Lightroom.

    I’ve been mostly shooting it alongside your marvelously cheap 50mm F1.8D, which was actually my favorite Nikon lens (shocking!) before I got my paws on the 20mm 1.8G. I use the 50mm for detail shots and the 20mm to capture the tone of the room. Both are coat-pocketable and don’t add much bulk to the D750. Moreover both are sharp enough for me by F2.2 and fast-to-focus. The only thing I don’t like about the 20mm against the 50mm is the price, which is much more than the quintessential fast 50. 

    That’s where the loan comes in. I know, I know, I’m lucky to be able to have access to loaner gear (we do ALSO use the lens for camera testing and sample image shooting), it’s just hard to justify spending $ 800 on a lens that will likely be soaked in beer within two weeks of my purchase (not that it’s ever happened to your 20mm…). I suppose I should be grateful for having had the chance to use a piece of gear and fall in love with it before buying it. After all, the inherent danger of using loaner gear from any brand, is getting attached.

    At the the end of the day, maybe I should look at the $ 800 price tag as less about the cost of the lens and more about the price of being able to continue to document something I love, without drawing much attention. And to that regard, I owe it to myself, my community and you, to pony up and buy one. 

    I’ll do that, but maybe after just one more loan extension?

    Sincerely,

    Dan Bracaglia

    P.S. Anyone at Nikon want to purchase a slightly busted 17-35mm F2.8 for $ 800?

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Feisty upstart: Hands-on with the Fujifilm X-T20

    A great looking camera

    Our first impression of the X-T20: ‘that’s going to generate a lot of comments.’ And there’s one simple reason for that: the X-T20 is an awful lot of X-T2 for a lot less money.

    This probably shouldn’t be a surprise: the X-T20 has the same relationship to the X-T2 as the X-T10 did to the X-T1. The only difference is how quickly the smaller camera has followed on its big brother’s heels.

    The sixteen month gap between the launch of the X-T1 and X-T10 softened the blow of Fujifilm offering much of the T1’s spec at a lower price. But X-T2 owners are likely to flinch slightly at the sight of a camera with such similar spec announced only four months after the T2 hit the shelves, and the knowledge that it’ll be another month before anyone can get hold of one is unlikely to ameliorate the sting.

    What don’t you get?

    There certainly are differences between the T2 and T20. Just like their respective predecessors, the more expensive model features a larger viewfinder. The X-T2 uses a larger OLED panel with better magnification (0.77x vs 0.62x, which is more than 50% larger) and a more distant eye-point, meaning you can see the whole panel from further away. The smaller camera doesn’t have any weather sealing, either.

    There’s no battery grip option for the X-T20, so you can’t get the reassurance of the 1000 shot-per-charge CIPA rating that the X-T2 has with access to three batteries. Similarly this means there’s no way to extend the T20’s video longevity, nor to add a headphone socket. Video makers will also note the lack of Log output from the new camera.

    Other differences

    The X-T20 doesn’t offer dual card slots or support for UHS-II cards, which is likely to mean it can only capture sugnificantly shorter bursts of images, making it a considerably less attractive camera to anyone whose interests extend to sports shooting.

    The X-T20’s 4K video is taken from the full width of the sensor, unlike the X-T2, meaning more lenses will be able to offer a wide-angle view while video shooting. However, this is achieved by line skipping, rather than capturing, demosaicing and then downsampling, so the resolution capture won’t match the X-T2.

    The X-T20 also lacks the clever dual tilting screen that we liked so much about the T2. The X-T20’s rear LCD tilts up and down, meaning you can still shoot stills or video from waist level, but it doesn’t adapt itself as well to portrait-orientation shooting.

    So what’s the fuss?

    That’s settled, then, they’re totally different cameras, right?

    Well, no, not really. The most significant similarity is the move to a 24MP sensor (an X-Trans CMOS III, to use Fujifilm’s terminology). This was always likely to be part of the X-T20’s spec but that doesn’t mean we should overlook just how much of an improvement this will offer, compared with the existing 16MP chip.

    It’s not clear whether it’s purely the higher resolution or more sophisticated processing, but the 24MP chip is much less prone to the paintbrush-esque artefacts or ‘waxy’ skin texture that could occur with the earlier X-Trans cameras. Either way, just the inclusion of the 24MP sensor should have existing X-mount owners studying their bank balances.

    Performance/processor

    The X-T20 also gains the same processor as the X-T2 so just about every aspect of the T20’s performance should be similarly snappy.

    The autofocus speeds, shutter lag time, shot-to-shot time and startup delay are all comparably rapid, meaning the X-T20 should be a pleasantly responsive camera. The only detail that’s unclear is whether the X-T20 will share the X-T2’s ‘Boost’ mode that increases EVF refresh rates from 60 to 100Hz.

    The use of the same NP-W126S battery as the X-T2 means the X-T20 can offer a CIPA rating of 350 shots per charge; a 10% improvement on the camera’s predecessor. As with all CIPA numbers, real-world usage is likely to last much longer than this, but the figure should be comparable between cameras. The X-T20 will charge over its USB 2.0 socket.

    AF system (inc customization)

    The X-T20 gains its autofocus system wholesale from the X-T2, not only providing direct access to up to 325 selectable AF points (up from the X-T10’s 49), but also gaining the sophisticated continuous AF fine-tuning. The development of this system for the X-T2 helped that camera offer hugely improved C-AF and tracking results when paired with fast-focusing lenses.

    The X-T20 doesn’t offer a customizable C-AF preset (option 6 in X-T2’s menu, shown above), to allow fine-tuning of the system’s behavior, so you need to choose between the 5 available presets.

    Touchscreen

    The X-T20 doesn’t have the X-T2’s AF point joystick but it does, instead, have a touch-sensitive rear LCD. We’ve not had a chance to try the production-ready X-T20 touchscreen experience, so can’t be sure exactly how well it will work (and we’ll be updating this story very soon, once we have).

    The camera lets you set the focus point, set focus point and initiate focus, or set focus point, initiate focus and fire the shutter. The ability to move the focus point during movie shooting is also promised, which is a huge bonus. The touchscreen isn’t active when you’re shooting with your eye to the viewfinder.

    The touchscreen also has a role to play in playback mode, allowing swiping between images, pinching to zoom in and out, and double-tapping to jump to a magnified view of the focus point used. Our initial experiences with a pre-production model suggest it isn’t the most responsive touchscreen system, but we’ll have to wait for the final samples to be sure.

    Ergonomics

    Comparing side-by-side, the X-T20’s ergonomics are very similar to those of the T2. Like the X-T2, the T20 has a dedicated movie-shooting mode, freeing up a button on the top plate for customization and meaning you can preview the video angle-of-view prior to shooting. However, the camera loses the Fn button that the X-T10 had it its rear panel, so you don’t end up any better off, overall.

    The handling isn’t quite the same, of course: the smaller camera doesn’t have a front-plate Fn button, its shutter button is rather smaller and the top-plate Fn button isn’t quite as conveniently located. The X-T20 also misses out on an ISO dial, but the ability to cycle between three Auto ISO presets probably makes up for that (and is more effective than the pretty-but-unusable combined shutter speed/ISO dial used on the X-Pro2 and X100F).

    On the camera’s right shoulder is an exposure comp dial that extends from +3 to -3EV and also features a ‘C’ position that hands-off control to the camera’s command dial, extending the available range of compensation out to +/-5EV. There’s also a lever to engage full auto mode if you need to hand the camera to your grandma.

    The X-T20 also gains the improved menus offered on the X-T2, including a custom ‘My Menu’ tab.

    Kit and caboodle

    Best of all, Fujifilm offers the X-T20 in a series of kits. For existing X-mount users there’s a body-only option ($ 899). For budget buyers who need a lens, there’s a kit with the XC (no aperture ring) 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS ($ 999): a perfectly standard kit zoom. But the combination that stands out to us the the kit with the 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS ($ 1199): one of the best kit lenses on the market and a great way to minimize the need to upgrade.

    This much camera and lens for the list price of an X-T2? Even if it does upset some people, the X-T20 looks likely to make a lot of photographers very happy.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • F is for ‘4th’: Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    Fujifilm has announced the fourth in its series of X100 rangefinder-style cameras: the X100F. The X100F features an updated sensor, revamped autofocus system, larger battery and tweaked ergonomics. We met with Fujifilm recently and got our hands on a pre-production sample. Click through for a quick product tour.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    Superficially very similar to its predecessor, the X100F is a clear evolution of the X100-series lineup in terms of design. The most obvious difference between the two cameras from the front is the X100F’s new front control dial, which brings the total dial-count to three.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    Here’s a closer look at that dial, and next to it the viewfinder mode selector lever, which toggles the hybrid finder between optical and electronic viewing modes. The 23mm (35mm equivalent) F2 prime lens is the same design as the X100T (and X100S and X100) and can accept the same telephoto and wide-angle adapters.

    However, new ‘Mark II’ versions of these adapters have been released alongside the X100F. We understand that the Mark II versions are optically identical but feature electronic contacts which match contacts on the X100F camera body, meaning that the camera can recognize when an adapter has been fitted and respond accordingly.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    The X100F’s rear control layout has been simplified compared to the X100T, and the controls have been slightly rearranged. The LCD screen is the same, but controls are now arranged on the right of the display, with an AF selection joystick added at upper-right. Essentially the same control that we’ve seen added in the X-Pro2 and X-T2, this should make changing AF points much easier than it was been in previous X-series models. 

    The AF system has been revamped, too. The X100F now features 91 user-positionable AF points (which can be more finely divided into 325, if you prefer), with 40% of the imaging area covered by a hybrid phase-detection autofocus array, and focus should be responsive down to -3EV.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    Another change, but arguably a less impactful one is the addition of an integrated ISO dial to the shutter speed dial on the X100F’s top-plate. This matches the same dial on the X-Pro2. It looks nice, but we suspect that for many users it will stay locked on the ‘A’ position most of the time.

    This view also shows off the expanded exposure compensation range of +/-3EV on the dedicated exposure compensation dial (upper right). The ‘C’ position allows exposure compensation of up to +/-5EV, using the camera’s control dials.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    The X100F gains a new battery – the same NP-W126S that’s used in the X-Pro2, X-T2 and X-T20. Battery life is rated at between 270 and 390 shots (CIPA) depending on whether you mostly use the electronic or optical finder. As always, these figures only give a value that can be compared between cameras; in real-world usage you’ll probably get more than this.

    The bigger battery means a slightly deeper camera, and this increased size makes the X100F feel a little more solid and businesslike compared to the previous models.

    Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

    The X100F will be available in silver or black, shipping next month for $ 1299.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nokia Lumia 1020 used as microscope in low-cost DNA sequencer

    The Nokia Lumia 1020 was launched back in 2013, but with its large 41MP sensor and innovative down-scaling algorithms is by many still regarded as one of the best smartphone cameras today. 

    Now, a team of researchers from the University of California, Sweden’s Stockholm University and Uppsala University has used exactly that camera to design a smartphone-based low-cost DNA sequencer and molecular analyzer. A $ 500 3D-printed attachment turns the Lumia camera into a microscope that can then be used by health workers in developing nations and remote locations to find genetic mutations that cause diseases without analyzing samples in a lab. Usually, the equipment needed for this task costs tens of thousands of dollars. 

    When testing, tissue samples are placed in a small container. The Lumia and optical attachment are then used to record multi-color fluorescence and bright-field images. The captured image data is fed into an algorithm for analysis in order to find any possible mutations. The teams says the design can detect even a small amount of cancer cells or other genetic mutations within a large amount of normal cells. 

    Given the Lumia 1020 has been out of production for quite some time it’s good news that the optical attachment can be adapted to work with more recent smartphone models. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • GIMP seeks funding for future advanced features

    Open source image editing application GIMP has always been free, but the work required to continue building and improving the software doesn’t come without cost. In a recent post, the team asks GIMP’s users to lend financial support to Øyvind Kolås, the man behind the Generic Graphics Library (GEGL) and 42% of its commits.

    Kolås is responsible for numerous improvements to the graphics engine GEGL, as well as the pixel data conversion library babl. Thanks to this work, in part, GIMP 2.10 will offer numerous notable features including the previously announced 16-bit and 32-bit color channel processing. However, some requested features are still missing, including CMYK and spot colors support, additional filters, better GPU usage and more. 

    To help get the ball rolling on those features and others like them, GIMP is pointing users toward a Patreon page for Kolås, where he explains, “GIMP does not redistribute donations to developers/contributors — and I am currently living off savings…” Thus far 186 patrons have lended a total of $ 793/month support for Kolås. Support options for prospective patrons starts at $ 2/month, and ranges up to $ 128/month or higher for institutions.

    Via: GIMP

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Throwback Thursday: Fujifilm X100

    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)