Fuji X100 - User Experience 6 - Operational Difficulties

After going through the good stuff, and there's a lot of it, there's also some menu and control craziness on the X100.

1. Auto ISO and ISO selection are on different menu pages.

2. Self-Timer is on a separate menu page to the other drive options.

3. If you set the camera to power save and let it turn off when not in use, when you press the shutter button to turn it on again it takes longer to get going than if you turn it off and just turn it on again!! Consequently I leave everything on all the time which runs down the battery quicker.

4. Adjustments that you make return to default settings when you switch it on again.

5. When you press the DISP BACK button to alter the screen display it only stays on for a second and then disappears, before you have time to do anything. Same with the macro function selecter.

6. The OK button is so small that unless you press it exactly in the middle it engages the other functions around it.

7. Most of the buttons are not particularly touch sensitive and need to pressed quite hard.

8. Theres a function changing wheel, which actually isn't a wheel, it just goes left and right and it feels fragile.

9. Theres also another wheel around the OK button, which is virtually impossible to use without other pages coming up.

Other people have other complaints, but these are the ones that directly affect the way I work. As you can see its quite a long list. Many can be fixed in firmware apart from the button designs. So its pretty much 10/10 for performance and results and 2/10 for menus and controls.

I am starting to put together some workarounds but these ill-thought out design issues turn what should be a great camera into a camera with great results but a lousy user interface. Virtually every review of the camera complains about these things, its not just me, and hopefully this will all get back to Fuji so that they can issue a major firmware update. There is a small one already, but it apparently doesn't do much. It also apparently has some bugs, so I'm not even bothering with it yet.

Two things occur to me. Firstly, as I was indicating with the piece on the video and panoramas yesterday, I think Fuji have tried to cram too much in. This should have been much more like the publicity, for want of a better term, a "Photographers camera" 

Secondly they might have been too eager to get it out on their deadline. It would certainly have benefitted from more testing and feedback.

There's no way you'll prise this away from me, but it is frustrating to use and I can see missed shots because of this lack of thought. If anyone is planning to use it for serious street photography, I'd recommend getting to know it thoroughly before going out as you could end up with it not responding in the way that you want. 

There was an awful lot of hype about just how good this camera was going to be and its frustrating that its being held back from its full potential by some pretty mediocre programming and design. All mostly fixable, but none the less annoying. If Fuji don't fix this and loose potential sales because of their somewhat slapdash job with the user interface then I will be very frustrated. This has the potential to be the start of a ground breaking and seriously impressive camera range, and I would be very interested in the follow-ups to this. If it turns out to be a one-hit wonder then Fuji have only themselves to blame. Cameras should be easier to use than this and most are. However all is not lost (yet).
SORT IT OUT!!

Fuji X100 - User Experience 5 - Lens and Sensor

In an earlier post I talked about leaving the X100 set at ISO 1600 by mistake. I've been looking at those shots today and a few things emerge.

Here's the out of camera jpg. This is the exif data.

As you can see ISO 1600. The shot was backlit. The following is the red rectangle blown up.

As you see even at ISO 1600 the image has retained good saturated "punchy" colour, there's no CA and fringing whatsoever against the sunlit water and there's virtually no luminance or colour noise. As I said before the picture is shot in good light which always makes high ISO shots look better, but if you look at similar examples from many current cameras, you'll see a much worse result.

(Just to say there's some pretty heavy jpg compression on these, hence the artefacts at the top of the picture)

This next shot is taken indoors at ISO 2500. Its not dark but its not particularly bright either.

Heres the picture.

Exif Data.

And the red rectangle blown up again.

As you see taken at 1/22 sec at f/2 hand-held.

One last example. Taken when it was really quite dark, by the light of one electric bulb the other side of the room. It doesn't look like it but it was really murky.

Taken at ISO 6400.

Exif data.

And the red rectangle blown up again.

Wheres the noise? Wheres the blurred detail? Wheres the lack of sharpness? Add in the fact that these were taken silently on a small light camera and it becomes clear what Fuji have achieved. All are out of camera jpgs with standard noise reduction applied.

No matter what "issues" I might have with the menus and controls I can always find a use for a camera that does this. Remarkable.

Fuji X100 - User Experience 4 - Video and Panorama

Two things the X100 does that I've rarely seen are video and the motion panorama.

First the good news - the video quality is rather good. Sharp and clear. No facility for extra microphone, but for 720p video its excellent. When I get more time I'll see what its really capable of.

Here's a sample on YouTube I shot this afternoon. Watch in HD for best results.

Secondly, the bad news. The motion Panorama function is pretty dire. It works like the Sony version, by sweeping the camera round. Two options are available, 120 and 180 degrees. 21MB and 31MB respectively. Its very glitchy, with lots of out of focus bits and some dodgy stitching. It could be me but its nowhere near as good as the Sony version.

However with all the Sony, Fuji and Samsung Panorama versions theres no real control over what you get. Shooting multi-images and using a good stitching programme gives much better results. 

However heres a couple of examples from the motion panorama function of the X100.

I can see why Fuji included both things, because everybody else does. But does a "Photographers camera" really need them? As I said the video is good but I could have lived without it. I certainly can live without the Panorama and doubt whether I'll ever use it again.

Finally after another days work with the camera I'm getting more familiar with it. There are a few "frustrations" appearing and I'll get round to these soon.

Fuji X100 - User Experience 3 - ISO Comparison

Click through to flickr for a larger version.

This is a comparison test of ISO 200-12800 shot at f/8 on the X100. This is truly impressive and I've never seen results this good from any APS-C sensor. Even ISO 12800 is usable. Its remarkable and if, as I believe, Fuji make their own sensors, I'm sure other companies are on the phone asking them to make one for their cameras. Whats surprising is the images are still sharp with great colour even at the high ISO's.

Below is a 100% blowup from ISO 6400.

An f/2 lens and ISO 6400 gives amazing low light capability. If it did nothing else the camera would be remarkable for this alone. It does however get somewhat ignored in all the fuss about the viewfinder. In fairness the Leica X1 was very good also, but not this good and it only went up to ISO 3200 and had an f/2.8 lens. So welcome to the new discrete low light champion. Yes a D3S is better, but hardly silent or unobtrusive.

Fuji X100 - User Experience 2 - First Impressions

Rather than write a review with the benefit of hindsight, this is going to be a user experience with me coming to grips with what is a unique camera. Not a DSLR, Not a Rangefinder, Not a compact, Not a CSC but something that can be said to have elements of them all. After only a day its apparent that the X100 isn't like anything I've ever used before, and consequently I feel like a novice with it. At the moment it feels like its controlling me and its proving difficult to get it to do what I want. Part of that is down to some extraordinary technology involving the viewfinder and partly down to a somewhat "unusual" way of changing settings dictated by Fuji's engineers. We'll see how I get on.

Lets get the looks out of the way first. Yes its VERY sexy. With the lens hood and leather case it takes camera retro chic to new levels. It feels great. In complete contrast to whatever I had my hands on at the Focus on Imaging show. 

In terms of size here it is next to a Leica M9, Olympus E-P1 and Sony NEX-5.

Though it looks a similar size to the M9 its substantially lighter than the Leica. Heavier than the Sony and about the same as the Olympus plus lens. The E-P1 finally has a rival in the camera beauty contest. To me the Olympus just shades it, as I'm not a great fan of black skins on cameras. However you won't be disappointed by the X100, though my initial feelings about it being a bit "fragile" here and there haven't been entirely dispelled. However everything has obviously been put together to a very high standard.

As I said I'm not in the position yet to come up with any kind of definitive verdict on how it works in practice as I'm very much feeling my way with it. I'm in touch with others who have used it and they are giving me some useful tips on how to get the best out of it. However in the spirit of all this, some initial impressions.

OPTICAL VIEWFINDER.

This is MUCH better than I was expecting. Its bright, clear and BIG. Every other camera manufacturer should take one of these apart and copy it immediately. It makes composition a pleasure and couldn't be more different than struggling with a rear screen in sunlight. The frame lines are clear and the superimposed display is incredible. Absolutely the best camera viewfinder I've ever used and Fuji deserve all the credit they are getting for it. The EVF is actually quite decent but the OVF is the cameras signature feature and rightly so.

HIGH ISO PERFORMANCE

Again this is stunning. The following fishing images were taken, by mistake, on ISO 1600 and they are incredible. They look like ISO 400 on most cameras. Very clean and noise free. I'm going to be doing some more tests today, but this looks really good.

COLOUR

Beautiful. Realistic, which means saturated. I've never understood why people object to saturated colour. Thats what the world is like. Colour IS vivid, it does jump out at you, and to my mind deserves to be recorded as such. The Velvia simulation for jpgs. is gorgeous and all of these samples are taken with it.

OTHER STUFF

Metering seems pretty spot on. AF is faster than I was expecting from the reviews. It certainly compares very favourably with the Leica X1, its obvious competitor.

IMAGE QUALITY

The bottom line and nothing to complain about here. It reminds me of the results I get with m4/3 and a Leica / Zeiss lens, and thats a real compliment. Very sharp. 12MP images yes, but capable of being interpolated with no problem. Certainly better dynamic range than m4/3. Sharper than Samsung NX or Sony NEX. No its not as good as a Leica M9, but sharper than my Sony a850 and most other DSLR's I've used. The lens is a little soft at f/2 but stop it down and its really good. Fuji have certainly delivered here.

MACRO MODE

A bit fiddly as you have to do some button pushing to get close focus. Not as bad as I thought, but not ideal. It also switches to the EVF as the OVF can't handle it. Nice results though.

SILENT SHUTTER

Stealth mode!! Very useful in many situations, and not just to avoid detection!! Below is my one pretty poor attempt at street (or garden centre) photography, which as I'm sure you are aware is not something I'm good at. However the couple were right next to me and completely unaware that I had taken their picture.

MENUS AND SETTINGS

I'm in no position to comment on this yet as I'm still trying to work them out!! If there is a serious achilles heel in this camera, this is probably it. Certainly the reviews I've read seem to indicate that there are "difficulties" ahead.

To be honest, even though I was certainly struggling to get the camera to behave, I did enjoy it. This is by no means a beginners camera and it assumes you know what you want to do. It also assumes you have some photographic knowledge and experience, and is pitched some way above point and shoot. I applaud that, even though I feel there may be some frustrations ahead. The problems I encountered up to now I will put down to unfamiliarity at the moment and I'll try to discover if its me or the design thats the problem.

However, I can't remember having so much fun with a camera for years and I can't wait to get out with it again.

Fuji X100 - User Experience 1 - Day One

Well DHL finally found me to deliver my Fuji X100. I managed an outing with it.

Very quick impressions.

Its complicated!
OVF is great to use.
Colour is fabulous. Love the Velvia simulation.
Image quality excellent. Like putting a Leica lens on m4/3.
A few too many, "If you do this, you can't do this" scenarios. (Or user error, I'm not sure)
Well built. I think the one I saw at the Focus On Imaging show, was either battered or a prototype. This is a different thing altogether.
Did I say its complicated!
High ISO truly remarkable.
Not for beginners.
Handles really well.
Most fun I've had with a camera for years.
Maybe too many options, I personally would have liked it simpler.

Its complicated!

Battery grip for GH2 - Not!

I've just got the ownuser battery grip for Panasonic G series. Just got being the operative words since it took 23 days to arrive from Hong Kong to the UK!!

Since I don't have any of the cameras it fits legitimately (more later!) I tried it on on my GF1. It works perfectly, though looks a little odd, because the tripod thread is in a different position. It therefore looks a little off centre. However it does work, powering the camera and giving a vertical grip. So if you're in the market for a battery grip for your GF1, there's one available.

It is very light, and adds virtually no weight to the camera, but as has been mentioned before, it does have a serious flaw. There's no way to lock it to the camera, so it does move from side to side even when screwed in tight. Very irritating, still straightening it up gives you something to do between taking pictures!

Now for the interesting part. Using it on a GH2. Its not meant for the GH2 and you definitely can't use it to power the camera, as the "dummy" battery which fits in the battery compartment is the wrong size. (too big) However, and I say however with all the usual warnings about health and safety, you can get it to operate a vertical grip for the GH2. By putting in a GH1/G2/GF1 etc. battery and connecting it to the remote/mic socket, the vertical shutter button then works for AF and firing. Both batteries are the same voltage, but I can't guarentee it won't fry your camera eventually if you try it. I'm prepared to take the risk, others may not be. Plus if anyone thinks I'm doing something hazardous here, please let me know!

Firstly the grip does fit the camera, though the tripod thread not being in exactly the right place, it is a few mm's slightly further back than it should be, though this isn't a problem. This is the reason for me buying it, just to give a better "feel" to the camera. I've always had problems with the GH's in terms of holding and using them and I wanted to see if this grip improved things. I was planning to get it & if it fitted, this is how I wanted to use it. Its not perfect because its not designed for the camera, but it does achieve my aim, which is to make the GH2 a better handling camera for me. It adds very little weight, though I find the camera feels less flimsy with it on particularly when using lenses like the 14mm and 20mm pancakes. I've actually already butchered mine, cutting off the dummy battery completely, so it looks better. 

As I said its far from perfect but it mostly fulfills its purpose for me. I'd absolutely love a custom made one from Panasonic, and there were rumours, but these don't seem to have materisalised. However in the absence of that, I'll carry on with this. The vertical shutter button is a bonus, I had no idea whether that would work. Obviously no extra power for the camera, but there is a handy little compartment for storing a spare battery!!

For some its obviously a pointless exercise, but my favourite camera outfit ever was a Pentax MZ-5, battery grip and 43mm f/1.9 lens. I've always wanted to see if I could get a digital equivalent of that, and in terms of weight and size, the GH2, this grip and 20mm lens is the closest I've ever come. I've just been out to use it to take some pictures and I loved the feel of it. It doesn't exactly mould to your fingers perfectly but its close enough & I loved using the vertical shutter. Its beautifully positioned. So a sort of successful outcome. 

Incidentally, if you're interested in it for the cameras its designed for, I think it would work very well, if you can put up with it moving from side to side occasionally. It did seem with two batteries to slightly speed up the AF on my GF1, but don't take that too seriously as I only tried it briefly.

 



 

Sony a850 battery grip

I bought a battery grip for the a850 on ebay. Its not something I'll use a lot, so I got a 3rd. party one made in China. It cost £43:00. The official Sony one is £200 more. Battery grips are very expensive accessories, and some of them can cost 1/3 price of the camera. I've often used alternatives to the manufacturers own make and always found them fine. This one for the Sony is well made, and will come in handy from time to time. Incidentally, the camera looks a monster with it fitted, but its a lot lighter than it looks. We're not talking GF2 weight here, but for a fully kitted out DSLR plus fast zoom lens, this isn't that bad.

Some shots taken with it fitted. It is nice for the vertical shots, and I've always liked Sony's position of the vertical release shutter.

Images - David and Ann