The Fujifilm X100: Not Just for Street Photography

Why do certain cameras get 'pigeon holed' as good for one type of photography? I don't know either!

Regular readers of this blog will have noticed a lot of posts using the new Fujifilm X-T1 over the past month and I have to say I am enjoying using this superb X-Series camera alongside the X-Pro1.  So what about the camera that started my Fujifilm journey back in October 2012, the X100 black limited edition? The small, but perfectly formed, X100 is usually in my coat pocket and is still being used on a daily basis.

This is a camera (along with the newer X100S) that has been pigeon holed by some 'experts' as a 'Street Photography' camera. While it does perform extremely well in this environment, the X100 is suited to a lot more photographic situations, in fact I would go as far as saying this is my perfect travel / people / landscape camera.  

It does make me wonder who makes these sweeping generalisations.  Are these the same people who say you can't use an X-Pro1 for sports photography (well check this out) or the Nikon D800 is too slow for wildlife photography (well I beg to differ)?   Have they ever been out from behind their computer keyboards and actually shot with the cameras they are saying are not capable of shooting in a given situation?  I think the majority of these 'experts' haven't even handled a camera before spouting their sanctimonious rubbish. 

Anyway lets look at what the X100 CAN do.  

First off the X100 makes an ideal environmental portrait camera, the 23mm f2 Fujinon lens being perfectly suited to produce great people images. 

Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones - X100 shot at f2 on the 23mm lens with ambient light

Take this shot of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, the former boss of French cosmetics firm L'Oréal and the President of the FIA Endurance Commission.  I did an interview with him at the Circuit Paul Ricard for the FIA WEC official website and, with both my official photographers out on track, I grabbed the X100 to take a picture to go with the editorial I was going to write. 

The image was shot at f2 using ambient light from the large windows behind me and the result is pin sharp and perfectly suited to the interview I produced. 

The little X100 did get some attention from Sir Lindsay,  who asked if it was a Leica.  I was pleased to tell him it was a Fuji, sometimes known as the poor mans Leica.  He came straight back at me after viewing the images saying that the camera wasn't a poor mans anything looking at the results it produces.  A pleasing response from a man with impeccable business credentials. 

The second example of the environmental portrait is the olive seller in Marrakesh, taken in the Souk.  Pointing to the X100, he allowed me to take the picture whereas two other photographers touting DSLRs were refused permission right behind me.  Perhaps the olive seller thought the X100 was a small 'tourist' camera and the DSLR touting togs looked like professionals - I don't know the reason but I got the shot and that's all that mattered.

The image above was taken on the beach at Belhaven Bay and the horse riders were galloping across the sand.  I saw that there was a large patch of wet sand so panned and took the shot of the riders as they reached the centre of the wet area.  The result speaks for itself.  Perfectly sharp with the horses taken in the perfect location.  The X100 is no good for action?  Well I beg to differ!  It isn't a camera you would choose to sit on the touchline at Twickenham with, but in certain conditions the X100 is quite capable of getting the shot.

Landscape photography:  The X100 takes stunning landscapes and the moderately wide 23mm f2 and 19mm f2 (when fitted with the WCL-X100 adapter) are the perfect tools for this style of photography.  I have adapters that allow me to fit the Lee ND Grads and 10x ND filters and I also have a 49mm polariser.  

Let's talk about wildlife!  Here is a shot taken in Glen Etive in January of a stag that walked out in front of the car as we drove up towards Glen Coe.  The other cameras, along with the longer lenses, were in the boot of the car and the only camera I had to hand was the X100. I took the shot and with a bit of cropping in photoshop I'm sure you'll agree the result isn't too shabby. 

On macro mode the X100 is quite capable of getting some great images as shown by the two picture below.

To see the variety of images taken on the X100 visit the X100 Flickr gallery.

The upshot is the X100 is capable of producing excellent images in a variety of situations and is light enough to carry around at all times.  Yes the fixed 23mm f2 lens can seem to be limiting but that's what makes this camera great, it gets the photographic juices flowing.  It forces you to think like a photographer!

The next time you read something on the internet saying a camera can't take images in a given situation find out who the person writing the statement is.  Ask what makes them qualified to make such a statement.  

Anyone can write anything on the internet and, while there is a wealth of good information available, there is also a lot of utter rubbish on the internet so you have to be careful.
  
My own experience is to make informed judgments after actually using the equipment and only reading blogs and reviews from trusted sources.  I would never use this blog to say camera XYZ is no good in a situation without actually testing it for myself.  I just wish others would do the same.


All images taken on a Fujifilm X100 Black LE and a Fujinon 23mm f2 lens

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ALL IMAGES (UNLESS INDICATED) ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION

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Jeff Carter is an Official Fujifilm X Photographer and was named as a Fujifilm brand ambassador in June 2015. In 2016 he worked with the company on the launches of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 in Tokyo and the Fujifilm X-T2 in Paris in July 2016.  You can view his profile and gallery on the Fujifilm website HERE

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