Fuji announces Finepix X100: ultimate retro awesomeness

<p>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/19/fujifilm-intros-finepix-x100-12-3mp-aps-c-based-camera-with-hyb/</p>

<p>I want one. I want one right now. Sadly, I can not have one until next year, so for now all I can do is drool on my keyboard.</p>

<p>The link you give say it is a rangefinder-esque. What does that mean? is it some confusing term like "mirrorless DSLR"? Just by the pictures, I don't think it is a rangefinder at all. Maybe it can manually focus with the magnified EVF or LCD</p>

<p>Our Pentax forum is talking about this camera too</p>

<p>Looks like a winner!<br>

<br />http://www.dpreview.com/news/1009/10091910fujifilmx100.asp</p>

<p>This dpreview calls it a digital compact. It never says "rangefinder" anywhere. And in specification:</p>

<p>Focus : High-Speed contrast AF</p>

<p>In the picture, there is no window for a rangefinder</p>

<p>The review doesn't say a word about manual focusing, but it looks like the lens has a focusing ring</p>

<p>I don't vouch for Engadget writers' grasp of photography jargon, but if I understand the diagrams correctly it is not a rangefinder in the sense of a coupled rangefinder like a Leica, instead having a prism that lets it overlay an info display onto a simple optical finder or use an EVF that's like an M4/3 or NEX.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The link you give say it is a rangefinder-esque. What does that mean? is it some confusing term like "mirrorless DSLR"? Just by the pictures, I don't think it is a rangefinder at all. Maybe it can manually focus with the magnified EVF or LCD</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You are overthinking.</p>

<p>Their statement just means that the design looks something like a classic rangefinder.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>the design looks something like a classic rangefinder</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I am so familiar with classic rangefinders and that's why I see it doesn't look like a classic rangefinder rightaway (without thinking). It looks similar to many P&S like the Kodak Easyshare cameras with optical viewfinder.</p>

<p>Fuji does listen to my complaint about cameras without viewfinder (and I really love Fuji for that). This camera gives me both things that I want, an EVF and also an optical viewfinder with shooting info displayed. I believe no other camera ever have that, even a DSLR with liveview doesn't have an EVF and I cannot view (Live or Dead) anything on the back LCD</p>

<p>This makes me forget about wanting an M9 =) I love the retro rangefinder styling. Is it a fixed-lens rig?<br>

I hope the concept takes off and spurs other companies to build their own. With a licensed M-mount.</p>

<p>Yes, the lens is fixed at 23mm (35mm equivalent, arcording to dpreview). How often do you shoot at that focal length (which is about 16mm on a Canon 50D)? That is so bad that maybe dpreview is wrong and 23mm is the real focal length (not a 35mm equivalent rating). Maybe they meant to write (35mm, 35mm equivalent)</p>

<p>It's nowhere near the M9 because it is NOT a rangefinder and the lens is NOT interchangable which allows shutter in lens design instead of shutter in body design, it may not have manual focusing either. A good thing that is the price will not be high (and this is really the main concern of a lot of customers)</p>

<p>"How often do you shoot at that focal length"</p>

<p>All the time. My walkaround lens on the 5D is the Voigtlander 40/2.0, my main lens on my Mamiya 7 is the 65/4.0, I loved the 60mm lens on the Fuji GS635S. 35mm is just right for photographing random things. Wide enough that you can fit it all in, yet not crazy wide so moving in for a closer shot doesn't result in dizzy.</p>

<p>(FWIW: 23mm is the real focal length, and 35mm is the equivalent. It's an APS-C camera. It's exactly the same as 23mm (not 16) on a Canon 50D.)</p>

<p>I want one.... and I am a 100% film user! It just looks nice!</p>

<p>Yes!<br>

I am waiting for this for some time ,now ! I love the optical wiewfinder .the 35mm is the focal length that I use the most on my G9 (70% of the pictures , I think).<br>

But it's not stabilised , that's a shame , for the low light handheld photography I would liked a stabilised lens (even at F2).<br>

It interesting to see what 1600 and 3200 noise/detail performance will deliver.</p>

<p>Yawn))).</p>

<p>Now when it comes in BLACK it will look like a rangefinder ought to look like. :)</p>

Holy, 10 cm MFD (apparently)!

 

O' Fuji, deliver with raw files at high sensitivity at least as good as Sony A700 ISO 1600.

And deliver with price around USD 400.

And I deliver you a sale.

BTW, no hood, no sale.

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<p>FWIW: 23mm is the real focal length</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes!, that is much better. The specs of dpreview is wrong</p>

<p>How are the specs wrong? </p>

<p>I want one...... *drool*</p>

<p>Alvin</p>

<p>One big question for me still remains, though I haven't read the dpreview just the engadget one.<br>

Does it have the responsiveness of a point and shoot or a DSLR in terms of start-up and shutter lag?<br>

It looks very good, even though 35mm equivalent of 35 is a little wider than I prefer. Definitely catches my eye!<br>

DS Meador</p>

<p>It's like we're all waiting for the delivery of a baby! This design could fit the bill for me - I learned on rangefinder 35 mm cams in the sixties, and would like something with a larger sensor than my current P&S.</p>

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<p>How are the specs wrong?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Rob, it's about the term "35mm equivalent". For example, the Panasonic FZ-20 lens is specified (right on the barrel) as 35mm equivalent. 36-432. Which means the real focal length is only 6-72mm</p>

<p>But dpreview specifies the Leica X1 lens as 24mm (35mm equivalent), and the Fuji X1 lens as 23mm (35mm equivalent). That is easily interpreted as the real focal length of the X100 is only about 16mm. Even if they want to be short, they should have written 35mm (equi.) or better 23mm (35mm equivalence of 35mm).</p>

<p>That is no big deal, but it did confuse me. I will have to double check when reading dpreview then</p>

John, it has an APS-C sensor with 1.5x crop factor, so the actual 23mm lens is 34.5 crop equivalent. One site did have specs indicating a possible zoom lens choice, but that might have been a mistake.

 

As an EXR fanboy, I am awaiting what CMOS + EXR + HybridAF means. Hopefully it's like the F300EXR sensor with on-chip phase-detection sites and 100-800% DR modes, but implemented in CMOS instead of CCD.

<p>Original source?<br>

http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n100920.html</p>

<p>"Made in Japan is tentative. Production plans are not finalized."<br>

http://www.fujifilm.com/photokina2010/pdf/catalogue/finepix_x100_catalog.pdf</p>

<p>MSRP is U.S. $1750.00. :-(<br>

I really like the concept though and the size is approximately 5"x3"x2 1/8". :-)</p>

Ha! It will take years to drop to nearly quarter of the price; Fuji can keep its camera until then.