The 'X' Factor

The elves have been working the midnight shift at Fuji.

 In the last there years Fuji has come out with

• Fuji X100
• Fuji X10
• Fuji X1-Pro
• Fuji XE

and the new X100s will be released in Australia any day now.

Now Fuji's not alone in producing a  bagful of new camera models; most of the other big manufacturers  have been taking the same midnight pills. What makes Fuji different is that they were coming up with innovative new concepts and designs in each of the X series.

The X100 and X-Pro 1's ability to shoot in low light is, in my humble opinion, unsurpassed in compact cameras. In fact, it beats most DSLRs as well. There is almost no noise at all, even shooting at 1600 and 2000 ISO.

 In low-light performance the X100 and X1-Pro perform better than Leica. Now that's a big call I know but I've field tested them alongside the Leica ME type 220. In average sunlight the results were comparable but the moment the sun dipped below the horizon it was like chalk and cheese. The Leica could not match it with the Fuji X100.

At the same time that Fuji was bringing out new cameras the Fuji lens department was rattling out a dozen new lenses. I'm always wary of any company that produces so many new lenses so quickly. How good was the research? How much field testing was being carried out?

The lenses are understated but their performance is exemplary with sharpness, detail and good tonal range. The level of detail using the X Pro-1 and Fuji lenses is as good as or better than most DSLR's on the market. Indeed, the devil is in the detail!

Learn how to conduct accurate lens sharpness tests at home in Advanced Digital Photography with Dale Neill at UWA Extension. (Take advantage of a discount in this course by using the code ENTHUSE when you enrol.)

Ferrari of Compacts - the new X100S

Over fifty years I've purchased about 40 cameras for professional use and pleasure. All forty were capable of producing sharp, high quality images. If they couldn't do that I wouldn't have bought them in the first place!

However, about six of those cameras were special, especially camera numero uno  - my Hanimex X35 I bought in 1959. Then there was the Nikon F2 Photomomic, the Yashica 124G black box, The Nikon F100, my tank the Pentax 67, the Nikon D700 and now the Fujifilm X100. I'm not sure whether I fell in love with them or they fell in  love with me. It doesn't matter. But these cameras fire me full of passion for photography.

These cameras felt like an extension of myself as a photographer. Those special cameras had intuitive logic in their design (easy to learn to use and operate), they felt good in your hand and they never let you down.

Author and long-time student Helen Bareham in FACEZ studio. Both X100 officinados!






















Fujifilm's X100 slips comfortably into my list of top cameras I have ever owned. When i first used teh X100 I was delighhted with it and predicted it would become a cult camera. Its one camear I would never ever sell.

However, the X100 is neither perfect or faultless, a bit like the owner! There were some initial problems with over expsore at small apertures (now solved) and lack of RAW conversion software but the superior image quality more than compenasted for that. Its retro design, high-efficiency functionality and magnificent performance at high ISO make it a leader in compact cameras.


Fujifilm are shortly to release the replacement for the X100 - the X100S. The exterior will look much the same but inside there's a new sensor - the Fujifilm-designed 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Fuji make the best sensors available - particularly in relation to the reproduction of skin tones.

There's a new engine under the bonnet - the EXR Processor II image processor. I've heard on the grapevine that shutter lag has been reduced to a Billy the Kid gunslinger time of 0.08 sec. You can read an expanded review of the new Fujifilm X100S at  www.dpreview.com 

If you want to learn about cameras, photography and how to use light creatively join me in one of my structured, sequential UWA workshops in 2013.

• Beginners
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Creative Flash
• Portraits - Memories Forever

About Dale Neill

Advanced use of Fujifilm X10

If you are interested in RAW, dynamic range and optimizing the performance of your Fuji X10 click here.

Fujifilm X10 Review

One could suspect Fuji of being a French company rather than a Japanese company. Fuji really are employing  'vive la difference' in their design of high end compacts. In the past two years they have surged ahead with a stable of high quality, uniquely designed compact cameras - the 'X' series:

• X100
• X10
• X1-pro (and 11 lenses)
• X-E1 (with interchangeable lenses)

The X10 is the 'baby' of the 'X' series. Its the smallest, lightest and most compact, weighing in at just 350g including the battery. But Baby X packs a punch and is a veritable pocket rocket. The X10isn't  not perfect (I'm still searching for that camera!) but its very, very good.
Fuji know how to build solid cameras. The magnesium alloy body feels good in your hands and impresses with its retro design.

The X10 goes against the trends of some other high end compacts by keeping many of the main controls on the outside of the camera body, reducing key strokes to a minimum.

The on-off switch is unique and a mystery for the first-time user. Rotating the 28-122mm zoom lens also switches the X10 on. Even the operation of the zoom reflects extremely high quality build and a far smoother and more precise in operation than many medium to high level zooms on DSLRs. The whole feel and operation is one of professional quality.

The X10 has a top mounted flash bracket, master control switch and a very handy exposure control dial running across the top. I like cameras that can modify exposure in a one-step operation. The X 10 does this and earns extra brownie points.

The function (Fn) button is programmed to bring up ISO on the screen so changing ISO is simple requiring just 2 keystrokes.

A coveniently located and precise thumbsweel on the back allows lightning fast changes of aperture and shutter speed in M, A and S modes.

The master control allows you to store and call up your custom settings in one keystroke. That better than almost all DSLRs,

Turn the Master control to ADV and you immediately access one of the best features on the X10 - the Panorama function.



You can choose between a 120, 180 and 360 degree panaorama which stitches all the shots together seamlessly with just one press of the button. The main danger here is using 360 degrees, getting dizzy and falling off a cliff! You have the options of doinga L-R or a R-L pano. It even has an aviation-type artificial horizon to keep your image on the straight and level.



The X10 has the capability of shooting both RAW and JPEG and is simple to switch onto auto-bracket allowing enthusiasts to capture imnages for HDR processing. I'm a fan of auto-bracketing and am impressed where the feature is built into compacts. Its particularly advantageous when shooting children, animals or any fast moving subject where exposure is a little unpredictable.



The Fujinon f2.8 lens is very sharp with precise auto-focus and a brilliant macro switch for flower and inset shots. Although the 2/3" sensor is smaller than its brothers in the X range its still marginally bigger than its competitors the Nikon P7700 and the Canon Powershot G15.

The X10 has another quite stunning feature called 'best frame capture' where it will shoot 10 frames in approx 2 secs. The downside here is that you have to wait about 15-20 secs for the images to be processed and stored. This feature would be ideal

 for capturing the finish of a race or a sportsperson in action.


Ther are few negatives with the X10. Under cerain conditions the start up time is hesitant and a litte slow. I think Fuji could be more heplful in providing access to RAW processing software. Fortunately, these are relatively minor items and can be recified with firmware upgrades and DNG converters.






Overall, Fuifilm's X10 is an ideal choice for the photography enthusiast who wants a a small, professional-build camera with a swag of interesting, useful features. Its small size and low weight make it an easy choice to take everywhere you go -  you certainly won't come back from your next trip away with a pain in your neck.

X10 in Low Light

Most modern compact cameras perform reasonably well until they are used in low light conditions. However, when ISO reaches 800, 1600 or higher the inevitable 'noise' rears its ugly head. Here's where Fuji seems to have come up with a solution, and, asa result, created a significant advantage over its competitors. All Fuji X cameras show little noise in low light, even the baby X10. This has real advantages to the photographer because, by using higher ISO, the photographer can achieve higher shutter speeds and therefore sharper images.

Sydney: Fuji X10 1/5 sec @ f4 1000 ISO

Fuji X-Pro1 Camera Reviews

If you want a spread of views on the X-Pro1 look at these:
http://reviews.1001noisycameras.com/tag/fuji-x-pro1/

My Best Little Portrait Camera?

http://www.prophotonut.com/2011/07/16/fujifilm-x100-settings-and-review/