image courtesy: zackarias
Zack’s full review is now online. Read it here at zackarias.com. He says that it’s the “strangest gear review I have ever written.” I found his strange and creative review very pleasant to read. There are also some beautiful shots. Great job Zack! Here an extract:
“What is the soul of this camera? It’s the styling. That’s the first part of it. Then it’s the feel of it. Then it’s that damn amazing hybrid optical viewfinder. It’s attention to details. It’s listening to the community. It’s a perfect camera. […] I wouldn’t change anything. I don’t need more pixels. The AF is plenty fast for me. Peaking added to manual focus is a God send! It’s fantastic. Maybe I’d request to be able to change the color of the peaking. Currently it’s white. Maybe red / green / pink would be good options to have in the menu. But yeah, manual focus is legit now. I prefer the peaking to the digital split image.”
X100S: BHphoto / Adorama / AmazonUS / AmazonDE / AmazonUK / AmazonITA / DigitalRev / your ebay / your Amazon
X20: BHphoto (black – silver) / Adorama (black – silver) / AmazonUS (black – silver) / AmazonUK (black – silver) / AmazonDE / AmazonITA / DigitalRev / your ebay / your Amazon
21 Responses
I ordered my X20 from Adorama on Wednesday the 20th and it arrived the next day (I had upgraded shipping as a member of NAPP).
Haven’t given it a workout yet, but will let you know if it was really worth the $600 upgrade from my wonderful (orbs recall replacement) X10.
Thanks for sharing. Now what does it have to do with the post you’re replying to?
a REALLY great review!
I’d want something weather sealed for a “desert island”
Why do people keep spreading this crap that Fuji’s handle like Leica M’s or that Fuji is the new Leica?
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
As Ken Rockwell was the first to point out, the Fuji is much closer to a Contax G2, if retro comparisons are to be made at all.
Leica M’s are manual focus rangefinders.
They allow very fast work on the street using hyperfocal focussing – a task that was impossible until the recent introduction of the Fuji 14mm. Manual focusing on the Fuji’s still remains “by wire” and that remains a big problem for me.
Having owned and loved an X-Pro1 with the 18mm and 35mm primes, adapted Contax G2 Zeiss lenses and Leica M ones, I can tell you that manual focusing both old range finder lenses and Fuji’s new ones is a complete pig on the X-Pro 1.
I bought an XE-1 and while the EVF is higher resolution and makes manual focusing easier, it is by no means quick and fluid.
The one thing Fuji did was get me to even consider Leica.
I’m not the proud owner of a 1957 Leica M3 and 50mm and 35mm lenses.
I also briefly tried a new Leica MP but felt it was not much different from the M3 to justify the cost.
I also found shooting film to be an expensive proposition that requires at least $1000 investment in a 4000 dpi scanner.
I’ve since pre-paid for the new Leica M 240.
Why would I spend $7000 on a digital body that will be obsolete in a few years?
The same reason I choose to drive a car that costs a little more than a budget entry model.
I’ll tell you quite simply.
The handling, focusing, end to end user experience of a Leica is unparalleled.
When people claim that a Fuji is a new Leica, they have clearly never held, let alone shot a Leica.
In my opinion that’s like comparing a Honda to a BMW.
Yes, they both have 4 wheels and an engine but the handling and the joy of driving them is completely different…
ET
Perhaps, but the Leica is far overpriced for what it is and it is very limited – only manual focus, significant limitation to long exposures, and useless for telephoto work, if i am not mistaking. So, really a Leica is great for street and portraits, but little else. Don’t get me wrong, they are beautiful cameras, but are not very versatile and are overpriced ($3000 -$4000 perhaps, not $7000). It’s funny people will still pay over $5000 for an M9, when it is inferior to many cameras in many ways. If someone wants the rangefinder experience, I totally understand, as there are no other choices in digital. The only other real advantage for Leica is no other company has introduced a full frame mirrorless camera, so there is no other option for that. Fuji is definitely the closest competitor, and would would really close the gap -would be better overall- if they were to introduce an APS-H sized sensor in an X-PRO 2, assuming the imaging circle would cover that size of sensor.
Evil, if you don’t think you can scale focus a 23 mm lens eq 35 mm, then you don’t understand scale focusing. Of course a 14 mm lens is easier to scale focus…
so an X100s doesn’t have a rangefinder mechanism. Doesn’t need one. It focuses faster than one.
There is no justification for a 10,000K camera and lens set. Sorry.
Actually, I’m in a similar boat to ET, Fuji got me interested but Leica is all I really need. The lens are better, period. The body is really a great clean design. Are they worth the cost … not sure, they might be if only because the M mount is here to stay while the X mount might not last even 3 years.
Why, well the entire competition is going to be full frame in that time frame and Fuji will have to keep up. Perhaps they would go to M mount … and thats why the Leica stuff has more intrinsic value, its M mount.
I don’t really need 3 ways to manual focus, and more than two ways (if you count the tricks) autofocus. Could probably do away with half the buttons, Q button is great. Really like the film simulations, if I could get those effects in post processing somehow that would be nice.
Love the XPro1, new 100s is great too, but a Leica is all I need 😉
Seems strange to say Fuji got you interested but Leica is all you really need, it kinda seems back to front, Leica got most people interested in this design of camera (rangefinder or not) but Fuji is all you really need. It’s like you’re saying i’m interested in a Honda but a Porche is all I really need..
It’s ridiculous to ridicule the Leica Fuji similarities (this goes for Evil Ted), you can reduce a product further and further down separating it’s market each time but in reality the Fuji’s are pretty much based off the Leica’s, Contax ain’t doing #$%^ now, no one’s glued to their monitor wondering what camera they’ll bring out next, it’s Leica, therefore the comparison.
Leica’s are a niche product, for those that are lucky enough to be able to afford them and appreciate finely crafted machines, which we all do, and which is why it has that extra feeling to it, it’s like wearing a Rolex compared to a digital watch that has a million functions and can connect to the internet and play mp3’s (I assume there’s crazy digital watches out there that do that now though when was the last time you saw a digital watch??) and in that way I think the Fuji is probably more usable but still less desirable. If I could easily afford the Leica being a hobbyist then i’d definitely get a Leica, but the Fuji X100s is a fine replacement that in some ways is better.
As WE ALL KNOW there is no such thing as “THE PERFECT CAMERA” so before i purchase anything i make a point of making sure the camera “speaks to me” e,g, ergonomics, quality etc etc so while i completely agree that for some ppl the Leica system is far and better a better choice thats not necessarily the case for everyone and as much as i support and respect your point of view i hardly see the need for you to go to SOMEONE ELSE’S and disagree with their point of view .. I got out of the Leica system and into the FUJI X system fully knowing it was a brand new product and i was going to experience a few growing pains along the way with it (witch FUJI seems to be addressing surprisingly quickly) now not only i find myself perfectly happy with the results i get from it i also happen to have a little cash leftover from all the lenses i sold witch i have been using to travel a little more…I personally don’t buy a name plate but i just buy the best car suited to my needs regardless of its price tag of how other ppl might feel about it ..(last time i checked TESLA were not exactly cheap any way) I do love how quickly FUJI seems to be polishing the X system and while it might not be for everyone, it is the best system for me so far (i don’t shot sports) , after all they are just tools for a craft …..
I think there’s some kind of a misunderstanding here. I don’t get the impression he’s actually comparing the Fuji to the Leica, he’s simply stating (in his opinion) that the X100(s) is taking it’s place as the “project camera”.
I stopped reading once you mentioned “Ken Rockwell”
I wish there was a “like” button for that comment!!
@ ET
interesting comment regarding zone focusing – that’s how I actually used to use X100 before they fixed AF with the FW updates.
So yes, zone focusing works very very well on X100, just distance/dof scale in the OVF, prefocus and off you go – never had any problems with it and zone focusing has absolutely nothing to do with RF, you can zone focus on anything that gives you distance scale and DoF scale.
Also Fuji being a cropped sensor you have larger DoF and therefore zone/hyperfocal focusing is easier 😉
And Zack was talking about the way it used to be, a M camera + 35mm cron on it, prefocus and shoot – this is exactly what X100/X100S allows you to do with almost silent shutter, and that’s what he meant by saying that Fuji is new Leica, from street shooter’s point of view.
the real issue is whether you can adjust scale focus on the fly without looking in the viewfinder, if you can focus just by feel. can you go from full length to head and shoulders, horizontal to vertical orientation, whatever comes up, in an instant? if you’re using a one-setting-fits-all technique (zone or hyperfocal) or an insufficiently responsive focusing process (sometimes using the af button in manual mode, or using the distance scale in the viewfinder), you’re not getting the same benefits as some other cameras out there.
Nice pics. Best pics I’ve seen so far imho.
+1, and the shot from the Phase 1 is awesome. Shows what’s possible and where each camera stands in relation.
Great review and fantastic images! In addition to being a creative and hilarious write, it is refreshing to see some inspiring photos in a review.
I agree. Zack killed it with his review. Incredible shots and the funniest, most entertaining write up in the history of photography! Period. What I see in his review is a talented photographers passion for a tool that suits him and who has the guts to say what he thinks and many of us will agree with him. Back to real photography. Top spot, and a gold metal for Zack Arias!
The best camera review ever.
Can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!