Finally my thoughts on the Fuji X100s. 🙂
The following review just reflects my opinion and style of shooting and that might not be suitable for everybody’s needs, please keep that in mind.
Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was eager to get one. That thing is looking damn sexy and at that time it was unique and the only company that makes something similar is the one with the red dot. But as you might know, they are freaking expensive and so are their lenses. And of course the lack of autofocus is something I don’t want to deal with every day. Don’t get me wrong I am used to manual focus on my DSLR rig and I’m loving it. But sometimes it can be really convenient to let your camera doing the work. So when Fuji came up with a rangefinder styled body but with all the features of a modern camera I was completely sold. My plan was to take the x100 with me on a trip to Korea, but unfortunately it took six months till the x100 hit the shelves. Finally I couldn’t get one before my trip so I ended up bringing the DSLR rig. A couple of months later I had the opportunity to try out the x100 and I was somewhat disappointed. The AF felt a little sluggish and the camera wasn’t as responsive as I expected, so I decided to wait till something else is in the pipeline. Now two years later Fuji came up with the x100 replacement and a bunch of improvements as well as a new sensor, an updated version of the one you can find in their x-mount cameras. Early previews mentioned that the camera feels much more responsive and the autofocus is a big step ahead over the original x100. The x100s seemed to be the camera I was looking for and I wanted to give it a try and preordered shortly after the announcement. (Now) two weeks ago the camera arrived and I was really excited about it, but that weekend the weather was really bad and I had no chance to go out and shoot. That was frustrating and when you think it can’t get any worse it actually does. So after taking some indoor shots I noticed that some pictures look really grainy and after checking the EXIF data I realized that my brand new x100s was already broken. In aperture priority the camera sometimes switched automatically into manual mode without me hitting any button. For example the camera chose 1/4000 instead of maybe 1/50 while pushing the ISO up to 6400. A couple of days later I talked to my dealer and he told me that he would get another camera within one week. And now here it is and it works just fine…
1/125, f/2.8, ISO-1000
Design & Ergonomics
Never change a winning team that’s what the guys over at Fuji might have thought while designing the new x100s. The camera is a beauty like its predecessor and it’s really hard to tell them apart. While maintaining the overall design and look Fuji only did some minor changes when it comes to the layout of the buttons. Pretty cool that they changed the order of the AF modes. AF-S is no longer in the middle position but on the bottom and that absolutely makes sense. Seriously, who is using AF-C mode on a camera like this? I think they could have dropped it at all or just add it somewhere to the menu. But that’s just my opinion and someone else might find it quite useful, who knows. However the best thing they did was adding the Quick-Menu accessible through pressing the Q-Button that replaced the former RAW-Button. There you can change your ISO, dynamic range modes, film simulation, white balance, LCD brightness and so forth. You can also toggle between your custom presets and that can be pretty handy from time to time.
Well, there is one thing on this camera I’m not so comfortable with and that’s how it fits in my hands while shooting or just carrying it around. Usually I don’t use a strap and that’s no big deal on other cameras but here I am always afraid of accidently dropping it. For future usage that means to be very careful or using a strap and I think I will go for second option like I did the last two weeks. 😀
Shooting the Beast
„Hell yeah“ that’s what I thought after taking the x100s out for the first time. This is seriously one hell of a street camera, absolutely unobtrusive and totally capable of delivering stunning results. When I go out most of the time I shoot in aperture priority with the ISO on auto. That gives me the chance to react quickly and just concentrate on composing the image and nailing the focus. One thing I noticed about the x100s is that quite often the camera metering is on the dark side meaning it is underexposing about one stop. Usually it happens when the lighting is more flat with low contrasts. On a sunny day with a lot of shadows and harsh lighting the metering seems to be ok. If you’re shooting Nikon like I usually do that’s a totally different behavior. On all Nikon bodies I have used I had to dial in -1EV to get the best results on a sunny day and +/-0EV was ok on a day with low contrasts. That’s nothing I am really surprised about since my beloved Fuji S5 pro did the same like the x100s and it’s no big deal and you can get used to it very quickly.
The cool thing about this camera is that once you find your settings, it’s just ready to go and there is nothing else to worry about. It’s a dream for real photographers who don’t want to deal with too many technical aspects of photography. No need to think about which lens to mount on, just dial in your settings and you’re done and ready to take stunning photographs.
And of course there is this gorgeous hybrid viewfinder! Man, that thing rocks and even the EVF is quite nice, especially in low light situations it is very useful.
The x100s features a built-in ND filter that reduces the light by 3 stops. That’s pretty cool on a sunny day if you want to shoot wide open. On the downside if you forget to switch it off afterwards you will lose 3 stops of light when you might really need them. That happened to me quite often the last two weeks and I am sure that’s not only me. Would be nice if Fuji would address this and give us an auto setting for the ND-filter.
1/90, f/2, ISO-400
1/4000, f/2, ISO-200
Autofocus
The autofocus on the original x100 was totally disappointing and I was really curious about how the improved AF on the x100s would perform. And yeah, it’s definitely better, especially in good lighting conditions it’s much faster and will lock on immediately after pressing the shutter. Out on the streets you’re now able to just point and shoot and most of the time the focus will be spot on. That’s good news but however, in low light situations the camera sometimes can’t find anything and you have to give it some time or find something else to focus on. So if you’re shooting let’s say 90% low light then that might be a deal breaker for you but for me I think that is something I can live with.
One thing that can be really annoying from time to time is the macro-mode. If you need to get close, you have to switch to macro-mode so the camera is able to focus in closer. In general it’s good to have that opportunity but if you want to shoot close and the next shot happens to be a little further then you have to get out of macro-mode first and that bothers me a lot. Would be great if Fuji would give us the possibility to set this in some kind of auto-mode. Then the camera could use the whole focus range and the shooting experience would be much nicer.
Shooting Flash
If you’re really serious about shooting flash then this is the tool for you. The cool thing is, you don’t have to stop down to match the sync speed of your camera. The x100s allows you to shoot wide open and instead of stopping down you can sync up to 1/4000 and overpower the sun by just using a cheapo flash like the Yongnuo YN-560 II. If it’s still too bright then dial in the ND-filter and there you go. For my testing I used a Nikon SB-700 flash unit off camera with a softbox on a light stand and for triggering I took nothing but the built-in flash on the x100s. Using a TTL cable or radio triggers would be more convenient but if necessary the built-in does a pretty good job there.
1/4000, f/2, ISO-200, SB-700 full power through Softbox
1/2000, f/2, ISO-200, ND Filter, SB-700 full power through Softbox
1/8, f/2, ISO-400, SB-700 1/16 through Softbox
Image Quality
Let me get to the point right away, the image quality you’re getting out of the x100s is nothing but outstanding! At base ISO the images look nice and crisp throughout the frame even wide open. Stopping down to f/4-5.6 will increase the resolution noticeable but it is already on a very high level starting from f/2 onwards. The x100s obviously benefits from the lack of an AA filter, but on the downside moiré can be present in certain situations.
100% crop
When you are in macro-mode and get very close, pictures will be significantly softer if you are shooting wide open. Stopping down to f/2.8 will increase sharpness dramatically and from f/4 onwards there is nothing left to worry about. Unless you want that dreamy look I wouldn’t recommend shooting at f/2.
1/100, f/4, ISO-400
1/70, f/6.4, ISO-1000
What about higher ISO settings? For a camera with an APSC-Sensor it shows pretty good performance in low light situations, where you have to crank the ISO up to 6400. Of course grain starts to creep in if you go beyond ISO-1600, but the loss of details is very little. And even at high ISOs the files don’t fall apart in post processing, you’re still able to beat the hell out of them.
100% crop: 1/30, f/2, ISO-6400, ACR 7.4 RC with NR off
1/30, f/2, ISO-6400
Back in the days when I used to shoot a Fuji S5 Pro I absolutely loved its color rendition and the x100s does not disappoint here either. The skin tones are just beautiful and overall the colors look very pleasing even when you are shooting JPEG. The only downside is, that Fuji doesn’t support us with a native RAW-Converter that is able to output those colors in 16-bit Tiff Files. You can convert RAWs in camera but you can only export them as JPEGs. I would love to see Fuji giving us some more options there. Of course Adobe is getting better in supporting the x-trans Sensor in its software, but the colors coming out of the x100s in JPEG are still superior.
Dynamic range wise the x100s seems to be pretty good so far, not as good as the D800 but that’s no surprise though.
Out on the Streets
1/500, f/2, ISO-200
1/240, f/2, ISO-200
1/2000, f/2, ISO-200
1/550, f/2, ISO-200
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
1/300, f/2, ISO-200
1/420, f/2, ISO-200
1/480, f/2, ISO-200
1/110, f/2, ISO-200
1/100, f/2, ISO-200
1/850, f/2, ISO-200
1/210, f/2, ISO-200
1/160, f/2, ISO-200
1/340, f/2, ISO-200
1/125, f/2, ISO-1250
1/125, f/2, ISO-800
1/125, f/2, ISO-1250
1/125, f/2, ISO-1250
1/125, f/2, ISO-800
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
1/125, f/2, ISO-500
1/1000, f/2, ISO-200
Final Thoughts
The Fuji x100s is exactly what I was looking for, it is compact, lightweight, looks gorgeous and is able to deliver breathtaking images. The focal length gives you enough flexibility for most occasions. I would use it for travelling, weddings, reportage, street and especially environmental portraits. The only thing it’s not perfectly suited for is close up head shots, but that’s something I can perfectly live with. And in case you need something wider, you can pick up the wide angle adapter and convert the 35mm lens into a 28mm lens which should be wide enough for most usage.
Pros:
- Beautiful design, all your friends will love it 😀
- Fast control of aperture and exposure
- Exposure compensation dial
- Gorgeous hybrid viewfinder
- Exceptional overall image quality
- Very nice color rendition
- Pretty good high ISO capabilities
- Quick Menu
- Leaf Shutter that is silent and lets you sync up to ridiculous 1/4000
- Not as intimidating as an DSLR or other big camera
- Unobtrusive when shooting candids out on the streets
Cons:
- Fixed focal length can be limiting sometimes
- Soft images when shooting really close and wide open
- The camera feels a little slippery in hands so better use a strap
- AF in low light more on the slow side and pumping from time to time
- The wheel on the back could be a little stiffer
Wish List:
- Auto-mode for ND-Filter and Macro-Mode
- The opportunity to save the images as 16bit Tiffs when converting RAWs in camera
If you like my review make sure to hit the like button below. I will keep this review updated once in a while after having used the X100s a little more.
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If you have any questions, please leave me a comment.
Nice review and excellent images! Great work.
I have an X100S on pre-order and can’t wait for it to arrive. Looks like a great tool to work with.
Anonymous
Thanks for your comment! 🙂 Hope you’ll get yours soon.
Anonymous
As a X100 owner, this sure is a tempting camera!
And your sample photos for this article is artistically among the best I’ve seen in a review lately. Wow!
Anonymous
Thank you for your kind words Jonas! 🙂
Anonymous
Wow one of the best X100S Review I’ve read! Also the pictures are just beautiful. Now I am very interested by getting the X100S soon.
What kind of filter to you have used on B&W pics, posted above?
Anonymous
Thank you frapp! For my B/Ws I use silver efex by nik software. If you don’t know it, check it out!
Anonymous
[…] Finally my thoughts on the Fuji X100s. :)The following review just reflects my opinion and style of shooting and that might not be suitable for everybody’s needs, please keep that in mind.Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was… […]
Anonymous
Hey man – wonderful images. I find it very hard taking pictures in my own culture (that’s why I travel Asia so much) around my own people – but you did very well. Some of your pictures are fantastic – especially for just every day candids in the street (I mean, no special occasion or anything). I tried on the weekend and a lady told me off for pointing my camera at her kid – I rest my case (that has never happened once in all my years of photographing in Asia)!
I still have both and have been comparing the two, side by side. Initially, I still preferred the images from the old X100 (I am taking longer to get the look from RAW that I like on the S – in L/R), but I am slowly really starting to like the S now. It is much faster and more user friendly than its older brethren. I haven’t had to yet, but I think there is much more resolution there for cropping as well. It makes a wonderful companion to my D700 – the two go together really well, and that combo is my perfect traveling kit.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to write your review – one of the better more balanced ones, I would presume.
Sutto
Anonymous
Hi Philip, first of all thank you! 🙂
Here around my hometown I also find it hard to take good photographs. I mean it seems a lot easier when I am somewhere else and especially when the cultural background is completely different. That’s probably because ordinary things locals don’t find interesting at all, are often really exiting for someone who is new to that area. And of course the language barrier sometimes helps to avoid confrontations. If you look like a tourist and if they don’t want their photo to be taken, they might just look away. I was in St. John on Antigua one month ago and I was walking around with other members of our boat crew and I brought my D800 with me. I had my tiny voiglaender 40/2 mounted to the camera and took pictures of the people roaming the streets and they were full of them. A lot of them saw what I was doing and they didn’t seem to bother, only one guy said “hey man, don’t take no picture no more”, but I kept shooting. 😀
I never owned the original x100 so I can’t compare them. However the files coming out of the x100s are really nice, like them a lot. I am planning a trip to Myanmar this year and I think I will only bring the x100s instead of my D800 plus lenses.
By the way, nice images on your website! 🙂
Anonymous
I agree with you about the fixed focal length. When we were in Venice, I tried to take some wide angle shots of Piazza San Marco, and while I was able to capture the entire tower, most of the piazza ended up outside of the frame. It is a camera that has been designed for street photography, and it should be used in that way. Great article, and lovely photos! Mat
Anonymous
Thanks Mat! 🙂
Anonymous
For wide angle you can use Panorama 120 deg.. It’s working.
Anonymous
double click on the macro button to turn on and off. It’s not “auto” but pretty sweet and easy.
Also, I see you use Silver Efex – because you have that you can now get all of the other Nik products for free. One good move by Google, I hope they keep on supporting Nik.
Have you ever used Alien Skin’s Exposure4?
Anonymous
Hi Jeff, I’ve already heard about the double-click “workaround”, but I would prefer some sort of auto-mode. I really love the nik filters, they are great. I have no idea what to think about google now owning nik software. Hopefully they will continue to support their products! Haven’t heard about Alien Skin’s Exposure 4 yet, do you use it and if you do, how does it compare to the nik products?
Anonymous
I’m planning to use it on everything personal, but i’ll give it a try at weddings too 🙂
Thanks for the great review!!
Anonymous
Thanks Theodoros! 🙂
Anonymous
A great real world review. These pictures are amongst the best I have seen taken with this new camera. You seem to have mastered your craft, have a great eye for composition and a perfect knack for timing. Your collection has inspired me to go out and shoot with my new X100s. Thanks for sharing. Love the post processing too.
Anonymous
Stephen, thank you! Have fun with your new x100s, it’s a lovely camera. 🙂
Anonymous
How did you manage to select a shutter speed of 1/2000 sec for the pigeon image, while the Fuji X100S specs state that at F/2.0 shutter speed is limited to 1/1000 sec?
Cheers,
Luego
Anonymous
Hi Luego, in M it’s possible to shoot up 1/4000 wide open. 🙂
Anonymous
What happens when you over-ride the apperature and shutter limit and shoot wide open at 1/4000th? The manual says you have to go to f8 to get 1/4000th and it doesn’t mention syncing. It also says you can only sync up to 1/1200th, period. I’m confused.
Does the 1/1200th sync limit mean all f-stops? The manual also says you can only go to 1/1000th at f2, so even that is a contradiction.
I like the idea of syncing at f8 1/4000th of a second though if that is possible. I’m not sure how strong the built-in flash is for overpowering the sun at that setting, but a cheap speed flash like mentioned would be nice.
Anonymous
You can sync at any speed, the only issue is that if you go beyond 1/1000 @f/2 the bokeh will look more “busy” because the shutter is not fully opened.
Anonymous
Very Nice pictures and a very balanced review.
Anonymous
Thanks for an excellent review and superb photos. By coincidence, I took a Macro shot at f2 on my X100 just before reading your review and was wondering about its softness in comparison to the same at f8. Now, all is revealed! I have posted both shots on my Flickr stream for those who might learn from you, like me, quoting your observation and giving a link to your review. Justin.
Anonymous
Hey Justin, thank you! I’m glad that I could help you with my review!
Anonymous
what where the settings you used in production and on the camera I really like the B & w’s. is it silver effects pro?
Anonymous
Nice picture! very balanced comment!~ thx!
Anonymous
Really nice pictures, and good review. I got one now and I just LOVE it… thanx
Anonymous
[…] Finally my thoughts on the Fuji X100s. :)The following review just reflects my opinion and style of shooting and that might not be suitable for everybody’s needs, please keep that in mind.Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was… […]
Anonymous
[…] Finally my thoughts on the Fuji X100s. :)The following review just reflects my opinion and style of shooting and that might not be suitable for everybody’s needs, please keep that in mind.Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was… […]
Anonymous
Very enjoyable review, and a great set of pictures. Thanks Robin.
Anonymous
Really wonderful and inspirational pix!
Some of the best pictures I have ever seen on this camera in any review.
What editing program have you used with the black and white pictures?
Very nice tonings..
Anonymous
One of the best reviews of the X100s I’ve seen. Love the images where you showed its ability to sync with flash at high shutter speeds. Which is exactly what I am using mine for…great job and thank you for the review!
Anonymous
Thanks Jakob! 🙂
Anonymous
Great photos and nice, simple, straight forward working review. I have one on order…..hope it comes real soon
Anonymous
Thanks Robert! 🙂
Anonymous
[…] still happy with the “S” but wait, there is one thing I didn’t mentioned in my review and that’s the poor battery life. If you’re not careful and you don’t switch it off when […]
Anonymous
[…] Excellent X100S review. Not sure if this has been posted before, if it has, I apologize in advance, but its a new to me Fuji X100S review. Informative as a 'users perspective' gear review in it's own right, no epic statements or fanboyisms …and really nice photos to enjoy. Fuji X100s Review » Robin Schimko | Fotografie […]
Anonymous
I released myself from the burdon of a Canon 5D and assortment of heavy lenses about 4 weeks ago. I feel relieved and rejuvenated after getting the 100S. For all its faults (only a few….and which camera does not have any?)it is an absolute delight to use, and it is the only camera I have ever used where I feel inclined to actually give it a name. Frank the Fuji. Almost human!
I specialise in night city scapes and was worried that the 100S would just not cut it in the way the 5D did. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It is easily on a par….if not better.
I terms of street shooting, I do miss my Ricoh GRD3 (damaged lens) and I am not quite comfy with the grip on the 100s so am saving for a thumbs up and grip. I have discovered the delights; couple days ago, of the X-E1 with a littl scamp of a lens …the Samyang 8mm fish eye.
Anonymous
Hey Pete, thanks for sharing your story. Enjoy your new Fujis! 🙂
Anonymous
Sind wirklich alle Bilder mit f2 gemacht? bei jedem Bild Blende F2, cheers.
Grüsse von there Bergstrasse!
/Karl
Anonymous
[…] Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was eager to get one. That thing is looking damn sexy and at that time it was unique and the only company that makes something similar is the one with the red dot. But as you might know, they are freaking expensive and so are their lenses. And of course the lack of autofocus is something I don’t want to deal with every day. Don’t get me wrong I am used to manual focus on my DSLR rig and I’m loving it. But sometimes it can be really convenient to let your camera doing the work. So when Fuji came up with a rangefinder styled body but with all the features of a modern camera I was completely sold. My plan was to take the x100 with me on a trip to Korea, but unfortunately it took six months till the x100 hit the shelves. Finally I couldn’t get one before my trip so I ended up bringing the DSLR rig. A couple of months later I had the opportunity to try out the x100 and I was somewhat disappointed. The AF felt a little sluggish and the camera wasn’t as responsive as I expected, so I decided to wait till something else is in the pipeline. Now two years later Fuji came up with the x100 replacement and a bunch of improvements as well as a new sensor, an updated version of the one you can find in their x-mount cameras. Early previews mentioned that the camera feels much more responsive and the autofocus is a big step ahead over the original x100. The x100s seemed to be the camera I was looking for and I wanted to give it a try and preordered shortly after the announcement. (Now) two weeks ago the camera arrived and I was really excited about it, but that weekend the weather was really bad and I had no chance to go out and shoot. That was frustrating and when you think it can’t get any worse it actually does. So after taking some indoor shots I noticed that some pictures look really grainy and after checking the EXIF data I realized that my brand new x100s was already broken. In aperture priority the camera sometimes switched automatically into manual mode without me hitting any button. For example the camera chose 1/4000 instead of maybe 1/50 while pushing the ISO up to 6400. A couple of days later I talked to my dealer and he told me that he would get another camera within one week. And now here it is and it works just fine… […]
Anonymous
[…] Finally my thoughts on the Fuji X100s. :)The following review just reflects my opinion and style of shooting and that might not be suitable for everybody’s needs, please keep that in mind.Since the original X100 was announced back in 2010 I was… […]
Anonymous
[…] using the camera for roughly two months now and I am loving it. Earlier this year I also did a review on the Fuji X100s and people seemed to like it, that’s why I decided to write my second product […]
Anonymous
These are some fantastic photos. Makes me want to go out there and pick up an x100s. Also, I love black and white photography so it seems this camera would work really well for me. Now, I’m headed to check out some more of your posts.
Anonymous
Hi Tomas, thanks for comment!:)
Anonymous
Hi, thinking of purchasing the X100F. And experiment with the ND filter and high speed sync flash with my Nikon SB900. If I understood well, it is a lot of guess work on how strong the flash needs to be right? you put A very open, S very short, ND filter on, and then hope it all comes ok? 🙂
Anonymous
It’s very simple…just try and check the result. If you’re not happy with it then change the settings accordingly. It’s not just the flash power, also the distance to the subject has an impact on the results. After doing this for a while you will be able to guess that pretty easily. 🙂
Anonymous
Hi Jennifer, when shooting I typically set the camera to aperture priority and of course most of the shots are taken wide open, I rarely stop down beyond f/4. Post is done in ACR using individual settings for every photo and for b&w conversion I usually use silver efex.
Anonymous
Thanks Anson! 🙂
Anonymous
Thanks Eric! Enjoy your new baby! 🙂
Anonymous
Thank you Nathan! 🙂
Anonymous
Erik, for b&w I ususally use silver efex, I think it’s the best tool, but that’s just my opinion.
Anonymous