23-6-11

 I sold this camera. It's the third version of the X100 I've owned. The first one, the premier model, was so bad that it didn't take long for me to move it on. The second one I had for long enough that I pretty much wore it out. It's still working somewhere, I hope, but I don't know. This one I bought 2 years ago. 

I've used it sparingly and kept it in good shape. I don't abuse my cameras, but I don't treat them like precious objects either. I use them. That's why we have them, right? Still, I never gelled with it. I might have even liked the previous one more, though it also had short comings. 

The X100 cameras are known for having full manual controls at your fingertips in a compact size. They are also known for having a single, fixed, 35mm equivalent focal length. No zoom. No swapping lenses. Then Fuji puts a bunch of "film simulation" modes in the camera so your out of camera jpegs can look like old film photos. Thing is, if you shoot in RAW format, you can add all these afterwards with Photoshop presets (remember that photo from 2 days ago?), so I  never used them, these built in filters, since it limited what you could do with the photo afterwards. 

This camera; the focus was slow, the low light performance wasn't great. That lens performs exceptionally well in good light, but put it in low light and there's often hazing or light polution in your photos around light sources or in the shadow blacks. And it's exceptionally good at missing focus when you're trying to take a quick photo. Also, while the manual controls are nicely done, they aren't quick. The scrolling wheels on proper digital cameras sit nicely under your thumb and index finger. The aperture ring on this is relatively easy to flick, but the shutter speed dial on the top is a bit clumsy to quickly roll through, and truthfully, both aren't that great. 

So, despite it being in high demand, and mostly out of stock everywhere, I sold it, and because it's in high demand and out of stock most places, I sold it for more than I paid for it 2 years ago. It might be the first time I've made money on a used camera, and a used piece of technology. I don't miss it. I'll probably replace it with something half the price. The image quality will also be frustrating on the cheaper camera sometimes, but it will focus faster, be smaller, and have some zoom capabilities. I've found you'll get one or the other; so pick. You want a small, portable camera with the capability of taking decent, spontaneous photos? The Fuji was a bit big and slow for that. You want good quality photographs with decent low light performance and quick manual controls? The Fuji was a bit small and dumb for that. 

It's a decent little camera. I don't think I'll miss it.