Disappointing Encounter With The X100F

colker said:
You can buy/order a custom tweaked 100 monochrome and it´s not cheap. The files are worth it.
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Do you have one?

I bought a replacement X100 CMOS sensor off ebay and one of these days am going to pull the glass off the sensor and remove the CFA.

Shawn
 
Can someone say what a good condition Black Premium Edition x100 would sell for please. I realize it is pretty old now. There is one available for about 350. Is that a good price? Too low? I've seen the regular models for more, so I wonder. Don't want to get ripped off buying long distance.

It looks near new. Thought to ask if there is any dust on the sensor. Were they prone to dust? Anything else?

Thanks. Don't mean to change the subject too much.
 
If it is in good shape that isn't a bad price. The main issue to watch out for on the original x100s is the sticky aperture blade problem. The blades don't stop down consistently and you will get overexposure. Have the seller set the lens to f5.6 or f8 and take 10 or 20 of the exact same shot in a row outside (single shot mode, not motor drive) and if they all aren't the same exposure the camera probably has sticky aperture blades. You can also see this by watching the camera stop down using the DOF preview function if you set the camera to f8 or f11. Put it in/out of DOF preview a bunch of times in a row and if the opening isn't consistent every time the camera has the problem.

It took 3 tries for me to get a good used x100. Once from a seller here (who refunded the purchase), the second was for KEH and then they exchanged it for another that was fine.

You can see it in this video: https://flic.kr/p/M7pe4s

Shawn
 
shawn said:
Do you have one?

I bought a replacement X100 CMOS sensor off ebay and one of these days am going to pull the glass off the sensor and remove the CFA.

Shawn
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No I don´t..

and i want to know more about your experiment. Always wondered what exactly that custom shop is doing to the sensor. They say on their copy that converting xtrans is harder than other sensors.
 
shawn said:
If it is in good shape that isn't a bad price. The main issue to watch out for on the original x100s is the sticky aperture blade problem. The blades don't stop down consistently and you will get overexposure. Have the seller set the lens to f5.6 or f8 and take 10 or 20 of the exact same shot in a row outside (single shot mode, not motor drive) and if they all aren't the same exposure the camera probably has sticky aperture blades. You can also see this by watching the camera stop down using the DOF preview function if you set the camera to f8 or f11. Put it in/out of DOF preview a bunch of times in a row and if the opening isn't consistent every time the camera has the problem.

It took 3 tries for me to get a good used x100. Once from a seller here (who refunded the purchase), the second was for KEH and then they exchanged it for another that was fine.

You can see it in this video: https://flic.kr/p/M7pe4s

Shawn
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Ok, Shawn. Thanks for this.
 
Tati said:
...
It looks near new. Thought to ask if there is any dust on the sensor. Were they prone to dust? Anything else?

...
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I never had a sensor dust problem with my X100 or X-100T. I carried/carry both daily.

The issue I had with the original X100 was color banding artifacts (raw files) above ISO 640. I read this banding was camera dependent. My X-100 was from the first batch released in the US. The banding may have been addressed by the time the special edition was released. The X-100 replaced a D200 body which had much lower overall raw file IQ above ISO 640. So, in low light I rendered monochrome images with both cameras.

The other X-100 problem is the AF is slow and prone to locking on higher contrast objects near the intended focus object. The latter can be minimized by experimenting with some of the AF menu functions.

My X-100 did not have sticky aperture blades.
 
willie_901 said:
I never had a sensor dust problem with my X100 or X-100T. I carried/carry both daily.

The issue I had with the original X100 was color banding artifacts (raw files) above ISO 640. I read this banding was camera dependent. My X-100 was from the first batch released in the US. The banding may have been addressed by the time the special edition was released. The X-100 replaced a D200 body which had much lower overall raw file IQ above ISO 640. So, in low light I rendered monochrome images with both cameras.

The other X-100 problem is the AF is slow and prone to locking on higher contrast objects near the intended focus object. The latter can be minimized by experimenting with some of the AF menu functions.

My X-100 did not have sticky aperture blades.
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You had these problems w/ the T also?
 
My original X100 had a very loose exposure compensation dial and then a sticky shutter which was replaced and then was stuck on 1/4000s. My dealer demanded a late serial number camera replacement. That was readily accepted, came quickly and has been great.

We can forget how exciting the anticipation of this camera was and how its arrival exceeeded the hype. Fuji did a brilliant job and remained responsive to photogrpahers’ requests for improvements. Leica have learnt something from them I suspect.
 
colker said:
You had these problems w/ the T also?
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No.

The X-100T has fast, dependable AF. Using the electronic rangefinder mode in OVF means you can confirm the actual focus object at a glance. I use focus peaking for that ER display. The EVF and OVF have 49 total focus points and the center 3 × 3 matrix are phase-detection points. The in-camera CPU is much faster. I use multi-point AF selection when DOF is wide. For subjects in motion the X-100T uses predictive focus tracking. Even fly-by-wire lens collar MF is a practical (well, much less annoying anyway) option.

I use raw. For color ISO 1600 is works well for color when exposure is optimized. I never go higher than 1600. I just push the raw file brightness in post-production. B&W rendering works well at higher levels of underexposure (~ISO 3200).

I have never seen banding with my X-100T.
 
Keith said:
It was recommended highly by several people here when I asked for a quality fixed lens daily carry camera on behalf of a friend and justifiably so ... it has a great reputation for excellent IQ and performance.

My friend went ahead and bought one a week or two ago and visited me today and bought the little Fuji with her so I had a chance to play with it. I had an original X100 and was impressed with it's simplicity but I see a lot has happened to the X100 since then. Nothing simple about this camera and also very little about it that seemed intuitive to me. Congratulations Fuji because based on popularity the camera is a winner but I think you have given it a lot of DSLR style complication that it really didn't need.

Apologies in advance to happy X100F owners but this was my overpowering impression.
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I have shot with Leica M cameras for 10+ years and I have to agree - the X100F is a complex camera compared to the M-P 240, let alone any of the film based M cameras.



I have learned to use the essential functions on the X100F and bypass the complexities. I still get lost in the endless menu options at times, which slows me down and can be a little frustrating.



In my brief (six weeks so far) experience with the X100F, I have come to be of the opinion that the key to using and enjoying this little gem of a camera is to stick to the basics.
 
noisycheese said:
I have shot with Leica M cameras for 10+ years and I have to agree - the X100F is a complex camera compared to the M-P 240, let alone any of the film based M cameras.



I have learned to use the essential functions on the X100F and bypass the complexities. I still get lost in the endless menu options at times, which slows me down and can be a little frustrating.



In my brief (six weeks so far) experience with the X100F, I have come to be of the opinion that the key to using and enjoying this little gem of a camera is to stick to the basics.
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I'll keep your last statement in mind when my X100F arrives next week and try not to become overwhelmed. The KISS principle always works.

I also used Leica M film cameras for over a decade, and additionally the Epson R-D1, which I recall as uncomplicated.
 
I have to vent my opinion here. I love the X100F but the raw files are impossible to edit into a natural nice greyscale in ACR and Ps. It is so sad because I bought it mainly for bw. Somehow the raw files gives me raw files with the middle tones to dark.. it is impossible to fix.. So I am back to using my trusty D3200 for black and white, which is just amazing for bw.
 
Do you have the DR200 or DR400 turned on? That will drop exposure by 1 or 2 stops. Adobe should compensate for that though.

Also, try shooting Raw+JPEG using the Acros setting for JPEG. It does a very nice job.

Shawn
 
Danlo said:
I have to vent my opinion here. I love the X100F but the raw files are impossible to edit into a natural nice greyscale in ACR and Ps. It is so sad because I bought it mainly for bw. Somehow the raw files gives me raw files with the middle tones to dark.. it is impossible to fix.. So I am back to using my trusty D3200 for black and white, which is just amazing for bw.
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Are the middle tones just too dark? That sounds like under exposure. I went from Nikon to Fuji, and the Nikon wipes the floor with the Fuji in metering.
Or are they too compressed? So much so that curves can’t fix it? Curves can usually fix all these issues if you understand how they work (not saying you don’t, im just surprised you can’t get what you want). I’m a bit confused, it sounds like you want a neutral contrast black and white, but it’s too dark? Do you mean too contrasty? Do you have examples?
 
Most of the people who buy these cameras do so after reading reviewers who tell them that better and newer features equate to a better and newer camera which equates to the buyer being a better and newer photographer. Those same people who buy the cameras based on tech reviews will never use the camera's features and will end up with photos that look very much like the photos they take with their iPhones. But I am grateful for the uncritical consumer with spending cash. They are the ones -- not photographers -- who keep the industry going.
 
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