A single of the most persuasive cameras in latest many years, was the Fuji X100. It experienced a slick retro look, strong construct, and some interesting characteristics these kinds of as the hybrid optical viewfinder. The camera looked really attractive slung over your shoulder, and felt great in your palms. But it experienced a handful of flaws. Sluggish managing at occasions, and life-time dual shot game hockey system much more crucially, erratic vehicle-concentrate. It tended to get the qualifications when focusing in lower-distinction mild. I beloved my Fuji X100, but ultimately bought it.
Well, the Fuji X100 was just updated with the Fuji X100s (B&H).
To sum it up: the Fuji X100s is what the original Fuji X100 should’ve been!
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the wonderful things that has remained the same The hybrid optical viewfinder is nevertheless as wonderful to behold! I really like exhibiting the X100 / X100s to buddies, and waiting for the WOW! as the optical viewfinder kicked in as they held it up to their eye. More about the hybrid optical viewfinder afterwards. Guide focusing has been significantly improved. In manual focus mode, touching the focus ring, instantly brings an enlarged look at which tends to make it easier to good-tune the concentrate. You have a few choices with the guide focus â€" just the electronic viewfinder magnified or the Electronic Break up Graphic purpose or guide focus peaking. I favored the plain edition with just the digital viewfinder enlarged. But you have choices now.The manual focus has been enhanced to this sort of an extent, that it even tends to make perception now to use the Fuji X100s as a guide target digicam! That retro classic layout with the steel physique. Severely, just search at this digital camera, and notify me you don’t want one? The styling is perfect. And it feels great way too. There is a nice fat to it. It feels sound. The shutter dial feels smooth. The aperture ring feels easy. This digicam actually feels good to deal with. To quotation the spec sheet for the Fuji X100s: The leading and base elements are created from die-cast magnesium for longevity. The aperture ring, shutter pace dial, and publicity payment dial are all made from precision-milled metal. The exceptional 23mm f/2 lens which is equal to a 35mm see with a complete-frame DSLR / 35mm digital camera. The lens is crisply sharp. A developed-in 3-quit Neutral Density filter. This will help with maintaining a broader aperture. The shutter is very peaceful. It is a scarcely audible tiny *snick* of a sound. In typical business office or work problems, you would not be able to listen to it. And because there is no mirror that slaps around, you can handhold this digital camera to decrease shutter speeds than you usually would with a DLSR. Changing in between Exposure Modes is nonetheless straightforward and rational. You established the aperture dial to ‘A’ if you want Shutter Priority. You established the shutter dial to ‘A’ if you want Aperture Priority. Or, you set the two dials to ‘A’ if you want Program method.Â
I’ve experienced the camera in my palms for the earlier two months, making an attempt it out where ever I could â€" which includes a couple of outings to New York, exploring Manhattan on foot. But this Road Photography issue is difficult â€" waiting around for serendipity to kick in, hunting for that gorgeous intersection among moments, mild and composition.
To illustrate this review, I met up with a product, Viktoria (MM portfolio 1986665 / 2454407), who is also an stylish ballet dancer.
The two images above, were shot using accessible light:
one/320 @ f/two @ four hundred ISO
For these two photographs, I pre-targeted on Viktoria exactly where she stood, anticipating in which her motion would stop up. It created most sense to use manual target below. Then, at the peak of movement, I had a break up next to time my shot.
In the graphic right at the top, you can see her foot even now move, and there is some movement blur.
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syncing flash with the Fuji X100sWhat actually interested me with the Fuji X100s (and is something you could do with the X100 as effectively), is sync your flash at greater than max flash sync speeds. The guide states that you can sync flash up to one/2000 of a sec. Sure, 2000-th. That isn’t a typo.
For this set up, shooting straight into the solar, I did not want the sky to blow out to white, besides the location in which the sunlight is.The trees practically silhouetted, with Viktoria completely below-exposed. (See the comparison shot.)
Getting carried out some checks in the studio to see how the flash’s effective energy diminishes as the shutter speed is dialed up, I knew I would have to deliver out something greater than a speedlight.
So I introduced the 600 W/s Profoto AcuteB2 Power Pack (B&H) to give sufficient juice.
To still use the vast aperture, I engaged the built-in ND filter, which reduce the light-weight by three stops.
digital camera settings: one/2000 @ f/2 @ two hundred ISO (with 3-stop ND filter)
(I had the digicam set to Daylight WB, but experienced to warm the impression in Photoshop.)
Considering that the Fuji doesn’t use a focal airplane shutter, you don’t have the limitation of that ceiling with maximum flash sync as you do with DSLRs. You can sync at higher shutter speeds. But … just before you get thrilled about this, there is not truly any obtain below. As you improve the shutter speed, the flash power is properly diminished. It is a around-linear progression, equivalent-ish to what you’d see with high-velocity flash sync (HSS) on a DSLR.
In simple fact, the power of the flash was minimize down so substantially for 1/2000 and the ND filter, that we utilized the Profoto Acute B2 600 W/s powerpack (B&H) at entire power with the beauty dish (and sock).
We experienced to operate pretty close to Viktoria to get ample light-weight on her for that shutter pace placing (and ND filter). Right here is the pull-back shot to give you an thought of the length. (Viktoria had to keep heat whilst we had been environment up.)
The thought that you can sync up to 1/2000 with the Fuji X100s seems fascinating, but in exercise, it doesn’t offer a enormous reward. I definitely would not trade a DSLR and large-pace flash sync just for this. Even now, an intriguing notion to play with.
Eventually, the powerful 35mm focal size just doesn’t offer that considerably separation from the history at f/2 that a longer focal size would’ve. Now, if the Fuji X100s arrived out with a twin digital camera giving with a matched 85mm f/2 lens, then we’d be onto something!
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higher-ISO sound functionalityWhen I 1st wrote about the Fuji X100, I was extremely amazed with the large-ISO. Even however it was an APS-C sized sensor, the impression high quality was almost on par with my Nikon D3 physique. The substantial-ISO noise of the Fuji X100s appears even far better. I really do not have a Fuji X100 on hand to directly compare though, but have a seem at the 3200 ISO photographs in the following links! I believe you are going to be surprised.
I’ve placed different complete-rez pictures in a folder so anyone can download them to have a appear.
- minimal-contrast scene: warehouse wall
- medium distinction scene: castle
other sample pictures shot with the Fuji X100s
I’ll hold adding far more images over time.
For these sample photographs, which are all JPGs from the digital camera, the Dynamic Selection was established to Car. The Movie Simulation was established to Regular. Shade, Sharpness, Highlight Tone and Shadow Tone had been all set to () Common.
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is the Fuji X100s for you?This is a question that has numerous responses.
The Fuji X100s undoubtedly has a distinctive character of its personal. If you need to have more than just the 35mm-equal lens, then you’re much better off examining the Fuji X-Professional 1 (B&H) which has related great picture good quality, or the Fuji X-E1 (B&H). The Fuji EX-1 with the package zoom lens is about the identical cost as the Fuji X100s (B&H). So it is a powerful contender for your focus. But the Fuji EX-1 does not provide the Hybrid Optical Viewfinder. The OVF is this kind of an incredible component of the X-1 Pro and the X100s that it is anything that would sway me. There is a slight lag with the EVF that is disconcerting to a long-time DLSR user that is utilised to the optical check out in the viewfinder.
You have to get utilised to to the Fuji X100s to genuinely value it. The camera handles very properly, and the controls these kinds of as the aperture ring and shutter dial are superbly crafted and effectively positioned. BUT, you have to get to know the digital camera, and you have to get to know the menu.
There are all types of gotchas that will vacation you up at first.
For instance, I wanted to demonstrate the hybrid optical viewfinder (OVF) to a good friend, but I could only get the electronic viewfinder (EVF). It took me a although to figure out I experienced unintentionally engaged the macro manner. Then you only see the EVF. This can make sense. Since the Fuji X100s doesn’t give you that direct see of your scene like a DSLR would (through the mirror and prism), you get parallax error the closer you get to your subject. By the time you’re in Macro method, you need to see exactly what you are likely to get, and then you require to search at the EVF. Fuji tends to make that your only choice then. Rightfully so. But you need to have to know about this, or else commit a whilst foolishly likely by way of the menu to consider and figure out why the OVF doesn’t present.
So in numerous these kinds of methods, you have to get the time to know this digital camera. But when you get there â€" and it is not a hard camera to get to know â€" this minor gem is a pleasure to work with. It is a very able camera with wonderful graphic quality … as extended as the solitary focal size isn’t a limitation.
The Fuji X100s is a digital camera for the pictures enthusiast in all of us. And let’s get a little elitist about it â€" sure, this is a digital camera for the the connoisseur. If you adore images and the toys, you will uncover this camera very attractive.
The the Fuji X100s looks alluring, and it feels alluring .. and much better but, can make *you* look sexy. And that’s really worth the price tag of the digital camera presently.
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