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Is Fuji still committed to the x100 line? Still worth it?


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I love the 23mm perspective and the small form factor of the camera, but wondering if the x100 line is still worth it (value for money wise). I would have felt more positive about it had a fw update been made to the x100s to speed up the AF to x100t levels but neither camera has seen any updates, and I find myself using my x-t1 and letting the x100s collect dust as I get more keepers of my young daughter with the x-t1. Now I'm wondering whether it's still worth getting an x100t (or wait for the next iteration) or if it's better to get the 23mm prime which will retain it's value and only get better when a new camera body appears. The support for the original x100 was admirable but Fuji's lack (or at least, less than the x100) of support for the latter s/t models, make me feel like I'm buying an expensive disposable. Meanwhile, my x-t1 keeps getting better!

 

X100 series still worth it or should I just get the 23mm?

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Kind of hard to say at the moment.

 

The X100 series is what started the X series, so somewhere it's like the great granddaddy of your X-T1.

 

Instead of offering direct advice I would rather give you a few pointer.

 

- Do you want a small compact camera or something larger but more versatile with different lenses available ?

- Would the size of the 23mm bother you if you were to use it as the single lens on your X-T1 ?

- Do you need/want a second body ?

 

Any of the X100 series camera still take wonderful pictures, they work in a bit of different way than your X-T1, after all, they were designed to be a "niche" product.

The X-T1 was made to please a lot more photographers, from enthusiast to protogs along the curious starter with control freak tendencies.

 

The X100 series was made to slow things down, you take the time to think about your picture, about the framing, the light,... in a world were everything has to go fast now, the first X100 was really a pleasant surprise. The camera wasn't anything major but it had that small thing that made you go back to your roots as photographer. The design of it was also very nostalgic for a lot of long time shooters.

 

Pricewise, you could easily get an X100S for the cost of the XF 23mm F1.4 lens. That's also worth some considerations.

 

If I were to make a choice now, I would maybe tend toward the 23mm, since I do also have a young son and a baby to be born soon, I would prefer to have something a bit more nervous as body to be certain to get the pictures rather have the opportunity missed.

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Thank you! Things that are important to me right now are small and compact (my camera bag these days serves as a diaper overflow bag) with faster/more reliable AF that can keep up with my daughter as, like you, I don't want to have a lot of opportunities missed. I am now leaning more toward the XF 23mm as the X100 imho is too expensive for what it is today. I love the concept and hope they can get the AF to a point where it can be my take everywhere camera (though I would also get the 35mm tele-converter for portraits too!) and not feel the need to upgrade when the next version comes out. This is how I feel about my X-T1 - I'm keeping it for life!

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If you don't mind a bit shorter FoV, give the 35mm F2 a try, it's quite fast to focus and relatively small enough to be carried in a bag with plenty of other things without taking too much space.

 

The smallest lens available is still the 27mm F2.8, it's okay speed wise and not as sharp as some other XF lenses, but you would need to compare both images side by side to really see the differences.

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I've had both the XF23mm and the X100S for a year or so.

After living with them both, here's what I've done:

I've put them both up for sale on eBay and bought an X100T

 

Here's why:

- little point in having 2 lenses of the same focal length.

- the 23mm is a lovely lens but bulky and not inconspicuous at a social gathering.

- my old X100S was inconspicuous and silent, but not so quick and easy to focus in low light or to change the focus point in a fast-moving environment.

- my new X100T has direct focus point control and face detection, and it focuses fast.

- with an X100 series camera instead of the 23, you can have a different lens on your interchangeable-lens camera. A 56mm, say. You have a 2-camera kit.

- you lose 1 stop of speed with the f2 lens, but I have 3 other fast lenses: the 16, the 35 and the 56, for when things get dark. I don't need a fourth fast lens.

- you can take X100 cameras anywhere. At a family gathering no-one pays it any attention when you're taking pics - especially in silent mode. You can get some great documentary images.

All in all I'm very happy with the choice I've made.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Not going to quote Warwick's post as I don't want it to feel like I am intruding into his personal choice but I want to use the points raised to offer a more nuanced reply.

 

As a father of young child and a soon to be born baby, the X100T isn't fast enough for me, specially with those teleconverters, the AF slows down noticeably and it's bloody expensive for just a fancy "magnifying glass". Granted it's a good quality one, but really it's just fancy glass to me. It might be good enough for general purpose, but clearly ill-advised for a parent with young child. 

Once time passes and the young one learns to stay still for a least a single second, then yes, the X100T could be a better camera in many social gathering.

 

Side note, the X-T1 with either the 18, 27, or any of the 35mm wouldn't be drawing much attention either. That's the advantage the X-T1 has over the X100T, you can change your lens to suit your needs and not just a couple of teleconverters...

 

People keep saying that the 23mm is big, but it's really about the size of the 18-55 kit lens @18mm. The 23mm has its size mostly due to the F1.4, it would be much smaller if Fuji made it also F2 but that would kill the X100 series market.

 

The silent mode is also present on the X-T1, so kind of a moot point here.

 

It truly boils down to:

 

- Bigger but better chances to get that picture at young age.

- Smaller but better to carry around when doing family trips past 3 years old child.

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People keep saying that the 23mm is big, but it's really about the size of the 18-55 kit lens @18mm.

That's big too.

 

I changed to mirrorless because I was fed up with big cameras that I would leave home instead of bringing along. It doesn't make sense to me to screw a rather large lens on that small camera ... negates the purpose.

 

But for people who want to photograph small kids mainly, there is something to be said for a second hand DSLR with a good zoom lens. DSLRs from three or four years back have more than enough punch for fast moving subjects, and can be had (even from a camera shop, with warranty) for good prices.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

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[...]

But for people who want to photograph small kids mainly, there is something to be said for a second hand DSLR with a good zoom lens. DSLRs from three or four years back have more than enough punch for fast moving subjects, and can be had (even from a camera shop, with warranty) for good prices.

[...]

 

That's partially true, I still have an old Nikon D5000 in the house and anything above ISO 800 on the camera is just a smudge of pixels, which would happen a lot indoor. You would still need to pay decent money for something that would be able to hold ISO 3200 decently plus price of the lens, but you would get a better AF speed.

 

If I were to pick something for myself now, I would either go with the Nikon D5500 or the much older Nikon D300S but neither solution would be smaller than X-T1 plus 23mm lens.

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Purchased the 23mm but deciding to send it back after the XE2s rumor. I know it's just a rumor and all but I'm getting a little fed up with Fuji. The cameras are a joy and I'll keep my XT1, 10-24, 35, 56, 50-140 and when the body conks out, get a used XT1, but I don't want to increase my investment with Fuji at this time. A7r ii and 35mm prime on the way. I may hate it but what if I don't?

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[...] I know it's just a rumor and all but I'm getting a little fed up with Fuji. [...] A7r ii and 35mm prime on the way. I may hate it but what if I don't?

 

I don't get why the angst against Fuji over a rumor, even if it turns out to be true, so what about it ?

 

Which 35mm for Sony ? The Loxia at F2 or the Distagon F2.8 ? 

 

As for Sony, there isn't much to dislike about the A7 MkII series, all 3 of them are very good to excellent camera body and they are finally getting good to very good lenses. On paper, Sony is making a lot of ticks in the right check boxes for a lot of shooters.

 

Some love, others hate it. I remain mostly curious about the whole thing and wonder if Sony is going to release another body in 6-8 months from now.

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My curiosity finally got the better of me - got the loxia. I was more interested in the S for its low light capability but wanted at least 16mp. When I think about it, my concern with getting more Fuji gear is that the company may not be able to keep up with the pace of innovation of its competitors, namely Sony, and letting them capture the market and generate the resources to accelerate even faster.

 

This being said, I will be more than happy with my current Fuji gear for years and will wait to see what they do with future camera releases. I just don't want to get anything more at this point in time.

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I do not think Fuji is even trying to keep up with the competition, they are just doing their thing. The success of the Instax system tells you a lot about what they are thinking of their photography system.

 

From an honest point of view, the Fuji X cameras are lacking in a lot of points, but their natural way of working along the "Ol' Timer" style charmed away quite a lot of the older protogs.

 

Congrats on your Loxia, please share some pictures with me as that lens also got me curious. Oh and if you could do a few low light AF test I will be curious about that part too. I got a couple of colleagues discussing about those Phase Dectection AF points. From the bit of time we had the camera in our hands, it felt kinda like the Phase AF points served mostly to get there then the camera would switch to Contrast for the fine tuning.

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As a user of both the 23mm and the X100T I prefer the X100T for my personal shooting. I use the XT1 and interchangeable lenses professionally, so when shooting for myself I want something completely different so it doesn't feel like work. I've loved using the X100T, and have purchased the WCL and TCL to use with it. I take it everywhere with me, and enjoy the process of shooting with it.

 

That said, I'd never shoot a wedding with it (though it's perfectly capable of it) - the XT1 is just faster for me to use, and the 23mm f/1.4 is gorgeous. When someone's paying me I can't afford to fiddle around "enjoying the process" - I just need to get the shot.

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The simple answer is "what do you want your camera for?"

 

I am currently using an X 100T and the reason for that is simple... I want something I can carry around in my pocket and use under almost any condition.

 

It's not perfect, but it's doing a pretty good job.

 

It saves me having to own an carry around a multiple of bodies and lenses. I'm not saying I will not own a camera with interchangeable lenses again - but I wold do so along WITH my X 100T or successor and not instead of.  

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I was in a similar situation and decided for the X100T. The 23mm is as long as the whole X100T and therefore tough to carry around in a pocket of a coat or jacket - which led to sacrifing one stop plus a bit of sharpness and buying the X100T. Did not regret it so far, it travels with me constantly, the image quality is great and I have an alternative body as well.

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I certainly don't see any indication of Fuji not being committed to the X100 line in the title. What is the reasoning here? Because they didn't provide a focus firmware update to the X100S? Of course the X100T is still worth it (it's cheaper now than it was a year ago). But that's all subjective of course. Firmware updates are a bonus but a camera should be bought for what it is at the time of purchase. Any future improvements are a bonus not a given.

 

Anyways, the X100T is certainly an improvement on the X100S in terms of handling so only you can decide. Perhaps I'd be frustrated with Fuji too if I owned a X100S and expected a firmware update that didn't arrive. I think the issue here is that Fuji were extremely generous with the X100 update but realistically, how could they continue doing that? It wouldn't make any financial sense for them to be updating old cameras with all the latest features of the just released versions. The Sony A7 MkII looks great. I prefer the Fujis but it's all a matter of personal taste of course.

 

Let us know the verdict on the Sony after you get a chance to use it. 

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I recently replaced X100 with X100t and would like enhanced low light auto focus fw upgrade. The only negative is that the buttons on the t are smaller and stiffer compared to X100/s. The  font on the screen is sometimes a bit small, the screen while higher resolution little washed out? When you enable Face detection the only indication is a small icon change (and not in OVF) while we could use a banner on the LCD like when other settings are changed.. :)

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Hi everyone,

 

Does anyone know if a firmware upgrade will come for X100T with improved AF and digital teleconversion like seen on the new X70 ?

Thx.

 

P.

This is something that needs to be clarified by Fuji ASAP. I'm going to buy the X70 if the X100T won't get an update.

 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

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Hi everyone,

 

Does anyone know if a firmware upgrade will come for X100T with improved AF and digital teleconversion like seen on the new X70 ?

Thx.

 

P.

 

You are aware that the digital teleconversion is just a fancy image crop, right ?

 

As for the AF, we haven't got any word about it at this time.

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I'd expect either no further updates OR an update to include elements of the X-T1 firmware 4. You will not see firmware changes from the X-Pro2 or the X70 rolled out to the X100T.

The X-Pro2 I agree but the X70 just has V4 of the XT1 firmware and is what should be ported over to the X100T to bring it in line with the rest of that generation like the recent XE2 updates.

 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

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