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Fuji X10
#26

My sense is that you already sold yourself Shaun. If I was buying a fixed lens camera right now, I would be seriously considering it (meaning: I would consider others, but this would be my first pick). I think that this is a nice camera to have when you do not wish to lug a lot of gear. It is versatile, build with a photographer in mind and the image quality is probably great. Having a good optical viewfinder is a real selling point in this camera category, although I dropped my opposition to EVFs now that they are very good. It would be nice, if the info was displayed in the viewfinder. But than you would start getting into the X100 price category I suppose.

Please see my photos at http://mullerpavel.smugmug.com (fewer, better image quality, not updated lately)
or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavel_photophile2008/ (all photos)
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#27

Yes, and I do agree Pavel. Yes, am probably "there" already Smile but was merely responding to Julian's observations and placing in a UK context rather than adding to cart just yet! Big Grin

All my stuff is here: www.doverow.com
(Just click on the TOP RIGHT buttons to take you to my Image Galleries or Music Rooms!)
My band TRASHVILLE, in which I'm lead guitarist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mU6qaNx08
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#28

Alright, so 4 days have elapsed, is the package at your door yet?? Big Grin Big Grin
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#29

Ah sorry Julian, haven't been "in" for a few days. Actually, I'm in one of my flat spots as regards snapping and music, and find my motivation to do either very low at the mo. Assuming this will pass, which can then generate kit-acquisition momentum.

All my stuff is here: www.doverow.com
(Just click on the TOP RIGHT buttons to take you to my Image Galleries or Music Rooms!)
My band TRASHVILLE, in which I'm lead guitarist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mU6qaNx08
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#30

shuttertalk Wrote:They also talk about the lens, which is optically stabilised, and having metal cams which give an ultra-smooth zooming feel.
Fuji X10 and X100 are fantastic concepts. Just crying out for Revision Two. I've seen lots of lukewarm response to the X10's lens stabilization performance, which is hard to swallow on a small sensor camera, since these cameras benefit so greatly from being shot at base ISO. Here's one of the reports I'm referring to:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1773207@N23...192499689/

Still, manual zoom on a compact is just about irresistible.
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#31

there is now a great number of alternatives for a serious photographer wishing to have a smallish camera and lenses. some are fixed, some lenses are interchangeable. The lens sets are slowly getting more complete and so for somebody wishing for an ultrawide prime, wide prime, a standard prime and a moderate telephoto as options there now several options and more seem to be coming. Perhaps in 5 years or so when I may go for one of these wonders the dust will settle and it will be clearer which way to go. For now, I will lug Nikon DSLR and a clutch of lenses

Please see my photos at http://mullerpavel.smugmug.com (fewer, better image quality, not updated lately)
or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavel_photophile2008/ (all photos)
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#32

blue:

Have to agree with you about anticipating Rev 2 of these cameras - particularly the X100 redux - but even the Rev 1 models are still very exciting. I find it very encouraging that Fuji seems to be *listening* to the photo enthusiasts and designing accordingly. Better still, they are *leading* and breaking new ground with concepts like the hybrid viewfinder. Exciting times.
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#33

Pavel Wrote:there is now a great number of alternatives for a serious photographer wishing to have a smallish camera and lenses. some are fixed, some lenses are interchangeable. The lens sets are slowly getting more complete and so for somebody wishing for an ultrawide prime, wide prime, a standard prime and a moderate telephoto as options there now several options and more seem to be coming. Perhaps in 5 years or so when I may go for one of these wonders the dust will settle and it will be clearer which way to go. For now, I will lug Nikon DSLR and a clutch of lenses
Pavel: I agree that the ideal lenses for use on all of these marvels is a small set of primes. As I currently really only shoot with a 28mm and a 50mm, that works for me. Currently, the mirrorless products can't really go head-to-head with DSLRs functionally. In 5 years, the differences may not be so obvious.
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#34

I went instore for a play yesterday and I must say I'm impressed at the handling and build quality, and the feel of it in the hands. It's very nice.

I think there are some things to get used to though - just from my short time of fiddling:
- there's no information whatsoever displayed in the viewfinder: I guess a DSLR really spoils you with all the settings and focus confirmation points easily viewable. With the X10 you will need to rely on the rear LCD for confirmation of settings.

- the zoom ring is a little small, especially for hands used to manhandling large zoom lenses... probably will just take some getting used to.

- the menu button and ring controls were a little fiddly - it's easy to press the wrong one and navigation was a bit hit and miss. again, i'm sure it'll get easier the more familiar you get with the camera.


Apart from that I really liked a couple of aspects - the nice compact size, solid heft and while being small it felt more like using a rangefinder rather than a dinky compact. Image quality and exposure looked nice onscreen. The viewfinder is very large and bright and quite pleasant to look through, even with my glasses on. You do see a bit of the lens in the bottom right corner though but it's no biggie.


I also saw the X-S1 in the window but didn't bother the salesman to try it out. Maybe I should have... Big Grin
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#35

Hey all, after much deliberation I finally put my money where my mouth is and bought a Fuji X10! It's in transit from overseas so I'll probably get it on Monday. I know there was talk about Fuji replacing the sensor etc. but I don't think I can wait as I bought it to bring it on a trip to Fiji in June instead of lugging a SLR around the tropics.

I'll update everyone with my impressions once it arrives.

*does a little jig*
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#36

Review! Review! Review!
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#37

Congratulations! I'm also looking forward to your thoughts on this camera.

matthewpiers.com • @matthewpiers | robertsonphoto.blogspot.com | @thewsreviews • thewsreviews.com
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#38

It arrived this morning - I placed the order on Wednesday night and got a confirmation call on Thursday, and it arrived first thing today (Monday) from HK. Colour me impressed! Big Grin

The battery is being charged as we speak - as soon as that's done, I'll take it for a spin outside...
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#39

Woo-hoo!

matthewpiers.com • @matthewpiers | robertsonphoto.blogspot.com | @thewsreviews • thewsreviews.com
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#40

Just some quick thoughts - I took it out at lunchtime today for a quick play, before the winter cold and rain drove me back inside, shivering, again. I haven't had a chance to read the manual yet or dive into all the menus, so I've been auto everything (or rather EXR mode which is their super-auto mind-reading mode).

The construction is really nice - feels solid in the hand, metal and textured plastic all round - even the lens cap is metallic, and there aren't any squeaks or rattles. The zoom ring twists really smoothly and the twist-on mechanism is a really nice touch. The mechanical zooming action is just superb coming from a DSLR - focal length selection is just a breeze and makes it so much more intuitive to use than the zoom levers or buttons.

I'm still getting used to holding a little compact - and my right hand longs for a chunkier grip - but the left hand holding the zoom ring adds a bit of stabilisation. There are plenty of external buttons and dials - one for exposure compensation is a nice touch, plus a shift wheel at the back to change settings.

The Optical Viewfinder is large and bright - again very nice for someone used to a DSLR, and very welcome for a compact camera. But as Pavel says, there is no information whatsoever - it's just a window. This also means that you can't tell what the AF has locked on to - so unless your subject is dead centre, or you're shooting landscapes, you might need to check the LCD once in a while. One big drawback, which I knew about from trying it out in the camera shop, is the parallax error. Not only is the viewfinder coverage around 85%, it is not centered at certain focal lengths. So you could be pointing it dead on at something, but in the resulting image it's slightly to the right. Nevertheless, I'm still coming to terms as to whether I use the LCD or viewfinder, but I think it will be useful on sunny days outside when the LCD is all washed out.

Colour and image quality is typical Fuji - very pleasantly saturated pics straight out of the camera, and everything appears tack sharp. I was shooting some indoor shots without flash last night and things were starting to get grainy and blotchy around ISO 800 as expected but still pleasant and usable.

I haven't had time to delve into all the various modes and settings yet but I thought the EXR mode was pretty cool. Basically it attempts to detect what situation you're in and uses the appropriate mode. I've read that this is the super-auto mode, a.k.a. turn this on before you hand it to the wife mode. So today when I was walking around outside, it was able to turn on Landscape mode when I was shooting scenery. Try to focus on a close up object and it flips into Macro mode. Try to track a moving object (I tried with a train, and also a boat) and it turns to Moving Object mode. Pretty impressive...

Anyway, those are my quick thoughts so far after a quick play. All in all, a very impressive camera - beautiful ergonomics, pleasing images, and main quirk (also one of it's main features) needing getting used to is the viewfinder.
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#41

Some photos from my walk today. These are straight out of the camera, no processing - just resized from 12mp to 2mp to fit in the gallery.

http://www.shuttertalk.com/gallery/thumb...?album=159

(By the way, that was a really quick and easy way to upload 11 photos - if you haven't tried out the new gallery recently, do check it out).
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#42

Thanks for the info, Jules. When I tested the X10 in-store, I also was concerned about the lack of feedback in the viewfinder. I will be interested in how that works for you in real life. That's my only real concern about this camera.
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#43

It's not so much the 'finder info that would bother me, as I can get by with a general meter-reading..and I remember that the way to check a Fuji's ISO was to glance at the ripped-off bit of film-box I'd shoved in the plate-thingy; the parallax issue would give me the most frustration to begin with.
I saw one of these again yesterday in Bath...I have to say it looks the part too; thanks for the advance-guard Jules.

As a(not totally hijacking) aside, there was a MF Holga in the same shop, secondhand...and a 1930 Leica. At £135, the Holga cost more than the Leica. Bit too dear for a bandwagon methinks.

All my stuff is here: www.doverow.com
(Just click on the TOP RIGHT buttons to take you to my Image Galleries or Music Rooms!)
My band TRASHVILLE, in which I'm lead guitarist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6mU6qaNx08
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#44

Dpreview have gotten their hands on a X10 from Fuji with the new sensor that fixes the white orb issue:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/04/26/...orb-update

Their tests show that the new sensor actually does fix the issue.

Now it remains to be seen how the actual replacement program goes, and also how to tell if you're buying a unit with a new sensor or not.
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#45

(Apr 24, 2012, 08:20)Toad Wrote:  Thanks for the info, Jules. When I tested the X10 in-store, I also was concerned about the lack of feedback in the viewfinder. I will be interested in how that works for you in real life. That's my only real concern about this camera.

I've had a few more days and outings to play with the camera and I'm really in love. I find that I'm currently doing a 50/50 split between the viewfinder and the LCD screen for shooting. Some thoughts:

1. For landscapes and objects in the mid/far distance I find I can use the viewfinder without problems. This is perfect for walk around shooting use.
2. For close portraits or something that requires careful composition I tend to use the LCD as parallax makes the viewfinder more of an estimate rather than an accurate framing tool
3. I found a couple of occasions where close objects were in the viewfinder but actually cropped out of the resulting image. I need to test a bit more why/when this occurs (I would have thought that 85% coverage would mean that you would only gain more of the scene rather than lose parts of it)
4. The lack of feedback/display just needs some getting used to. You can't tell what is in focus, but the AF is surprisingly accurate that it's not something you need to worry about too much.

Anyway, I'll report back with more thoughts later. Let me know if you have any more questions...
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#46

Ok I found my first Orb! It's pretty big actually... but that's the only one I've found so far.

   

That's Oscar by the way... he's 2 now! Big Grin
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#47

Hmm. Pretty in this shot maybe, but I see why people are bugged. Is Fuji going to fix yours?
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#48

I haven't checked... I'll wait until after my trip in June before I look into it otherwise I might be stuck without a camera. Big Grin
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#49

Looks like dpreview have finally finished with their review of the X10. I think they were midway through their review when the whole debacle about the white orbs came to light, and the retested everything with the new sensor when it was released.

All in all, very positive - great comments in the conclusion.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilm-x10/19
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#50

I played with the camera. Nice and sexy and can perform well, but the lens obscures a big chunk of the view in optical viewfinder (for me it is a big deal - how do you compose? Distracting too). These days there are many competent mirrorless cameras. Using them with a single lens in place gets you much of the same experience (some may match the image quality) and yet you still have an option of changing lenses. Poor performance of standard RAW converters would certainly affect workflow, even if in camera raw conversion is good. Not a camera I would pick, despite a great deal of sex appeal.

Please see my photos at http://mullerpavel.smugmug.com (fewer, better image quality, not updated lately)
or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavel_photophile2008/ (all photos)
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