Review: X100 v X100S update
In June, as a user of a wonderful Fujifilm Finepix X100 Black Limited Edition, I was given access to a X100S for a long term back-to-back test. I did an initial report (CLICK HERE) on my findings on the improvements the 'S' offered and whether they were worth spending the extra £250+ over the standard X100, which is still available as the old stock is run out by retailers. A month on and I thought I would report back on whether I had changed any of my initial impressions.
In a word the answer is 'no'. Don't get me wrong, the X100S is a wonderful camera and the extra 4mp on the sensor, the quicker start up and auto focus is well worth having but I still find myself reaching for my X100 when I go out and not the 'S'. Why is this? Well there are two reasons.
The first is the RAW files on the 'S' can't be opened by Photoshop Elements 11 but they can with Lightroom 4.4. My usual workflow when using my X100 / Nikon D800 / Nikon D700 is to download in LR and then open the RAW files in PSE. With the 'S' I have to change my workflow which, as most photographers will agree, is something that doesn't sit easily. I have found a method that works and it annoys me to have to change the way I do things because the X-Trans sensor can't be read by the latest edition of PSE.
The second is easier to explain. I love the X100, it is a great camera and I know my way around it. The X100S is essentially the same camera, it operates in the same way, the lens is the same super sharp Fujinon 23mm f2, the controls are all in the same place BUT the X100 is a familar friend and it is my 'go to' camera when going out for a walk or when travelling for work.
As you probably have surmised from this blog, we have recently moved to the South East coast of Scotland and we are spending a lot of time exploring the beaches and countryside surrounding our new home in East Lothian. The X100 has been a constant companion in the past two weeks because it is easy to pick up, put in a pocket or sling the Lowepro AW100 bag over my shoulder. The Nikon D800 / D700 kit is a more considered choice because of the bulk of lenses and the bag.
I left the X100 at home on a recent trip to Edinburgh and took the X100S. It felt comfortable and right and the images it produced were of the same quality as the ones the X100 can produce. And there's the rub - the X100S doesn't produce images that are noticeably better than the older camera so why should I spend an extra £500 to buy an 'S'.? Yes the ergonomics are slightly better over the X100 but for me that isn't worth changing the camera.
I will continue to use the X100S until I have to return it next month. Don't get me wrong, the X100S is a superb camera and I can highly recommend it to anyone looking for a professional quality compact camera that produced images as stunning as its looks.
However the standard set by the older X100 was so high when it was launched means that the X100 is far from being second best when compared to the newer camera. My next purchase will probably be an interchangable compact system camera like the Fuji X-Pro1 rather than a fixed lens compact. But this would be in addition to the X100, rather than a replacement for it more likely replacing my 'spare' Nikon D700.
Thank you Fuji, you have certainly sold me on the concept of downsizing from the bulky DSLR systems for some of my work. Now where is that credit card?
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| Fujifilm Finepix X100S |
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| Fujifilm Finepix X100 Black Limited Edition |
The first is the RAW files on the 'S' can't be opened by Photoshop Elements 11 but they can with Lightroom 4.4. My usual workflow when using my X100 / Nikon D800 / Nikon D700 is to download in LR and then open the RAW files in PSE. With the 'S' I have to change my workflow which, as most photographers will agree, is something that doesn't sit easily. I have found a method that works and it annoys me to have to change the way I do things because the X-Trans sensor can't be read by the latest edition of PSE.
The second is easier to explain. I love the X100, it is a great camera and I know my way around it. The X100S is essentially the same camera, it operates in the same way, the lens is the same super sharp Fujinon 23mm f2, the controls are all in the same place BUT the X100 is a familar friend and it is my 'go to' camera when going out for a walk or when travelling for work.
As you probably have surmised from this blog, we have recently moved to the South East coast of Scotland and we are spending a lot of time exploring the beaches and countryside surrounding our new home in East Lothian. The X100 has been a constant companion in the past two weeks because it is easy to pick up, put in a pocket or sling the Lowepro AW100 bag over my shoulder. The Nikon D800 / D700 kit is a more considered choice because of the bulk of lenses and the bag.
I left the X100 at home on a recent trip to Edinburgh and took the X100S. It felt comfortable and right and the images it produced were of the same quality as the ones the X100 can produce. And there's the rub - the X100S doesn't produce images that are noticeably better than the older camera so why should I spend an extra £500 to buy an 'S'.? Yes the ergonomics are slightly better over the X100 but for me that isn't worth changing the camera.
I will continue to use the X100S until I have to return it next month. Don't get me wrong, the X100S is a superb camera and I can highly recommend it to anyone looking for a professional quality compact camera that produced images as stunning as its looks.
However the standard set by the older X100 was so high when it was launched means that the X100 is far from being second best when compared to the newer camera. My next purchase will probably be an interchangable compact system camera like the Fuji X-Pro1 rather than a fixed lens compact. But this would be in addition to the X100, rather than a replacement for it more likely replacing my 'spare' Nikon D700.
Thank you Fuji, you have certainly sold me on the concept of downsizing from the bulky DSLR systems for some of my work. Now where is that credit card?
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| The scene outside our front door in East Lothian taken on the X100S |
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| The same scene outside our front door captured on the X100 |
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ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION
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