x100 firmware update debuting at PMA Sydney

[Spyro]

http://www.channelnews.com.au/Digital_Cameras/Compact_DC/Q9J4J2P7?page=1

I think this report is confusing focusing speed with zooming speed...

[magicianhisoka]

hopefully it turns out well. then i can consider it as a backup :)

[Leigh Youdale]

I think I'll still wait for Mk II of this camera (if there ever is one) which might have addressed a few more issues and offer interchangeability of lenses.
Although, Fuji do have a habit of introducing innovative and interesting designs but not doing much in the way of major upgrades and even dropping production after a few years in favour of a new offering.
But I'd love to have that viewfinder on my GF-1.

[Catto]

It lives...just installed mine.
http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/software/firmware/x/finepix_x100/fupd.html
R

[Vobluda]

No better AF performance? :/

[Catto]

Hard to say, it's night over here - the whole thing feels slightly quicker in terms of operation / menus, etc; but I might be imagining that.

Bigger grr: ISO and Auto ISO are still in two different places!! Why can't Auto just be at the beginning and end of the ISO selection menu, like any NORMAL camera?

Also, no real change to the Fn button behaviour except that it's easier to change what you program to it; I'd hoped it would be a kind of 'my menu' shortcut where you could access things you would normally want in a hurry, or else an instant on/off switch for the ND filter. No such luck, it's still push button, select up or down to turn ND on or off, half-press shutter to confirm.

Ah well - next update...?
R

[collarge]

Very pleased with this 1.10 upgrade, feels a lot faster to turn on and in general feels like its had a morning coffee, rather than the Prozac it was on before. :)

[Richard G]

Is installing the Fuji software from the original disk that came with the camera really necessary on my Mac? I was hoping I could just install the upgrade without that.

[Spyro]

tell me about it... I've left the cd at work, along with the cable.
Why cant just copy it through the card reader?

[__hh]

Just had a read of the upgrade instructions and a run-down of the changes - this is a classic case of bad English. Not as bad as Chinglish, but I would call it Jinglish :)

What's worse, the usual web sites and bloggers (I won't name any) have simply cut-and-pasted this Jinglish on their web site without any further explanation.

No reason a copy of the update file onto an SD card wouldn't work. Isn't that the standard way?

[Spyro]

^^thanks mate
Yep no cd or cable needed, or the stupid .exe file or installing fuji software on your computer. Just download the .dat file, chuck it through the card reader onto a formatted card and straight into the camera.

[Spyro]

Problem is I dont really see any improvement in anything :D
The focus ring is still horrendous...

[Tibs]

I'd really like to know if the new firmware makes it possible to use the optical viewfinder closer then 80cm, regardless of accuracy. I read the following in the changelist:

2. “CORRECTED AF FRAME” menu is added in “SET-UP” menu (the last line on menu page 6) to display additional AF frame (corrected AF frame for reducing parallax) which can be effectively used for macro shots. (Factory default value is set to “OFF”)

Can anyone confirm that turning this on in the menu allows the OVF to be used even at closer ranges?

[greyelm]

I'd really like to know if the new firmware makes it possible to use the optical viewfinder closer then 80cm, regardless of accuracy. I read the following in the changelist:

2. “CORRECTED AF FRAME” menu is added in “SET-UP” menu (the last line on menu page 6) to display additional AF frame (corrected AF frame for reducing parallax) which can be effectively used for macro shots. (Factory default value is set to “OFF”)

Can anyone confirm that turning this on in the menu allows the OVF to be used even at closer ranges?

If this is turned on the corrected af frame is set for 800mm which is the closest focussing distance when not in macro mode. The green focus frame now shifts to positions adjusted for parallax. It is easier to see than it is to describe.

[Tibs]

If this is turned on the corrected af frame is set for 800mm which is the closest focussing distance when not in macro mode. The green focus frame now shifts to positions adjusted for parallax. It is easier to see than it is to describe.

So this still makes it impossible to focus closer in OVF mode, making it mandatory to use the EVF for doing anything closer then 80cm?

[Gid]

So this still makes it impossible to focus closer in OVF mode, making it mandatory to use the EVF for doing anything closer then 80cm?

Yes, as per RFs, but at least you can use the EVF.

BTW, I updated by copying direct to my SD card without all the Fuji updater stuff and everything got set to factory defaults:mad: The parallex corrected OVF focus box is fantastic, although the two frames (far and near focus) and the green focus box visible at the same time can get a bit confusing.

[Keith]

The incremental changes with these firmware updates is pretty much a non even IMO.

I have very few issues with the X100 ... I'm happy with the menu interface the way it is but if they need to mess with it fine ... at least Fuji are listening. Manual focusing is pointless with this camera ... it just feels wrong and no firmware update will change that worth a damn. That system needs a complete re-think IMO!

The camera does have limitations and people need to accept that and learn to use what it provides and not sweat too much over what it doesn't.

[M4streetshooter]

Keith,
I find MF the best way to use the camera. It will focus from 4" to infinity.
Now press the control lever and you get a magnified view. 1/2 press the shutter and your back to full view. How else could you do zone focus or hyperfocal distance?
It focuses faster even in low light.

[jcm0]

mmmm. M4streetShooter, Please explain how you manage to focus with MF with this camera: how do you get rid of these two shortcomings:

1) No Focus confirmation in MF mode / OVF
2) With EVF, even with magnified view, the screen resolution is not enough to focus (make a test: determine what distance separate the farest to the nearest points where your focus seems right in the EVF : you'll get a wide focus error zone)


Thanks !!!

[M4streetshooter]

Ok... Here's how it works. In MF mode, the camera gives a confirmation but it's by watching the scale. There's an indicator that will move. I have learned to trust the camera. It has not lost focus once. You will not see a green box, that's unrangefinder anyway. It will focus from around 4" to infinity, quickly and in low light.

PS.. My name is Don

[Richard G]

I upgraded with a Mac. The .dat file of ~32MB is the thing to download, not the useless 95kb file where it gives the option of the Mac or Windows. It copies fine to the SD card. I now regret not reviewing my various settings first. But it is a good refresher to go through the menus and review the choices. And I kept copies of great posts here by various users about their preferred settings.

[Keith]

OK ... I take back what I said in haste! :o

I just did the update and the noticable improvement in manual focusing ability of the camera will allow me to use it without grinding my teeth! It's still somewhat pondorous but hey ... I'm very happy!

Congrats to Fuji for paying attention to their customers. They can almost be forgiven for dropping 1600 Neopan ... well, almost! :D


I really, really like this camera ... I've decided to give them a nine out of ten. :)

[Richard G]

Can someone explain to me what item 1 of the upgrade list means? Rocked. I preessed the button and something like a lock showed up. Pressed again for 3 secs and what I had turned on was turned off. Could it be (I just realize this moment) they mean Locked? Were they in the lobby or on the roof when they wrote this?

Now I've worked this out I see its great advantage. I have accidentally turned on burst mode carrying the camera and by locking still image that cannot happen. This is more important than being able to lock Macro on, which I also will want.

[DavidX]

The little extra box on the OVF in AF with this update had an added benefit for me.

I was thinking - now why can't the MF area box be nice and small like the AF box is? And I see how it can't, because until you know the distance you can't know the parallax...

Bingo! (lightbulb goes on)

When using the the MF box think:
top left portion of the box for focussing on far away things
bottom right portion of the box for focussiing on close things.

= Significant improvement!

For me this gets over the macro thing; as we know, using MF and AF/AE lock you have solved the macro mode problem; you can go as close as you like.

[M4streetshooter]

Keith, glad your finding peace with the camera. Dropping 1600.... Nah no forgiveness!

I reall like locking, rocking... the control wheel. A few times I was working fast and the camera was doing video. I couldn't figure out what was going in.
My thumb hit the top of the wheel, drive mode...
Well, that's a good fix... Now if I can sew my thumb back on all will be right in the world...

[jcm0]

Don (M4streetshooter), thank you very much for your answer !

I have try your recipie in real life. But, try to focus on a uniform surface in low light, you will see the distance indicator moving, but for sure, not at the right position, and in lot of cases, when in MF + low light, doing several AF measurement gives in general differents distances... :-(

[M4streetshooter]

This is true. This is also true for just about any camera.
I find the camera responds well even in low light, if you find a decent focus spot.
It doesn't hunt as much in MF as in AF.

[willie_901]

The probability of automatically computing the correct focus distance decreases as the contrast of the focus region decreases. Even phase-detection autofocus systems rely on contrast differences to compute focus.

In extreme cases this is even true for skilled person using an excellent optical rangefinder camera.

I believe the Fuji X100 defaults to a preset focus distance when autofocus fails. This is why the focus scale indiator changes.

[M4streetshooter]

Well, regardless...it's a great camera with an offbeat sense of humor.

[jcm0]

(...)
I find the camera responds well even in low light, if you find a decent focus spot. It doesn't hunt as much in MF as in AF.

This is an interesting point Don. I'll have a closer look to MF.

How strange it is with that camera that different modes gives differents results. For example I have also seen that with AUTO ISO, the ISO choice made by the camera is different with EVF/OVF or AF/MF/AF-C ...

[M4streetshooter]

True again... I use mostly A mode with auto ISO. It's the first time I've ever trusted a camera for Auto ISO. The files are brilliant. Even if I insist on say, 1/250 f11, the camera will adjust ISO to give proper results.
The other modes I have no use for... I have heard stories of the camera doing different things in different modes.
If my camera starts playing tricks on me, well...it won't be a pretty site I tell ya....

Here's another thing I discovered....I remove the battery sometimes for a few minutes, then the camera gets smarter when it comes back on...I guess it's like a computer, sometimes they need to reset....
don