How Would You Change the Fujifilm FinePix X100?

by Eric Kim on May 29, 2011

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 has definitely got to be one of the most hyped-up cameras for street photography? What could we complain on? It has an optical viewfinder, has the looks of a retro rangefinder, and is pretty solid on price. From recent reviews there has been disappointments in terms of the auto-focusing speed, the manual focusing, as well as some small quirks here and there.

If you guys were able to design the second version, how would you change the Fujifilm FinePix X100? Leave a comment below and tell us what you would do!

Also below are some of our Fujifilm FinePix X100 Reviews:

http://www.pbase.com/lesjohnstone Les

Make an all black one

Make the manual focus need less turns of the focus ring – The auto focus is fine, its very fast

Add an electronic remote socket like the 4 pin mini jack type.
- http://www.erickimphotography.com Eric Kim
  
  Great input Les! Hopefully the folks at Fujifilm are listening
http://meesotography.wordpress.com Steve

Here’s an idea… drop the price for s poor folk
- http://martoscbox.wordpress.com/ [Gm]
  
  +1 for Steve’s idea …
  - http://www.mikecrippen.co.uk Mike C
    
    Make that +2
    - Laurie
      
      +3
http://meesotography.wordpress.com Steve

*us
Jon Savage

I’d fix the firmware. Which is doable in the X100V1. There was not enough attention paid to firmware.

As for the X100V2..
The only real beef I have with the X100′s hardware is that the +/- EV knob needs to be a bit more positive. It seems to wander a bit in my bag.

Please also give me a camera that can either accept filters/hoods out of the box without having to buy a $150 adapter ring+hood from Fuji or provide same with it (I know this can be resolved with an after market 49mm FF adapter currently- I have one of those but at this price point I expect better).

All of that being said the current X100 is my constant companion and I really, really enjoy using it.

Apply the same quality of design to the *back* of the camera as to the front please. Some reviewers have noted and I agree that the back of the camera was a “B Team” effort as apposed to the rest of it which is “A team” all the way.
http://www.gregorytran.com gregory tran

1. a real manual focus lens (not the fly by wire)…

2. better battery life – or maybe some mode where i can keep the camera on and it won’t drain battery, and won’t need to start back up if it auto-turns off… like my dslr…

i don’t mind if the optical viewfinder gives me no lines and no info, if it didn’t take battery… i’ll drain the whole battery in hours even if i just take 10 photos…

3. 1-touch macro mode… having to push the flower, then click right, then click ok, etc… should be an option that lets you push one button and you’re in macro mode

4. programmable raw button… seriously no one ever uses those for the intended purpose…

5. higher shutter speed option for auto-iso… why not let me go faster than 1/125?

all this being said i love my x100 and i carry it everywhere… along w a spare battery
http://www.simonjohnsonphotography.com Simon

Hi everyone,

I personally would love a ‘all Black Edition’ (I would be so surprised if that is not already a reality).

The manual focus defiantly should be addressed in the next version.

Finally better high ISO, not that the current ISO is lacking, there is sways room for improvement in iso rendition and sensitivity.
http://www.shinkadesign.com/ Kyle Batson

I agree largely with gregory tran. Real manual focus is my number one issue with the camera. If they could combine that with some form of peaking, that would make it a fantastic upgrade.
http://www.vanearlphotography.com Nathan Williams

1. Give the lens a focus nob so you could feel where the lens was at.
2. Less “spins” to focus the lens.
3. Reduce the amount of menu items.
http://www.pbase.com/lesjohnstone Les

Yeah i agree regarding the minimum shutter for auto ISO, it needs to be higher say 1/500 ideal for street photography, no idea why they made it 1/125 Firmware upgrade could fix that.

Maybe a single button for switching in the ND filter.

The menu button needs to be bigger, when holding it to my eye it someimes takes me 4 attemps to pres it the right way to make it work!
http://isoterica.tumblr.com/tagged/street Isoterica

Good to hear the responses on this article. Maybe I will wait a bit longer [have to!] before I get one— like after they implement all these suggestions! Love the banner at the top Eric it’s a nice highlight to the page.
Knapweed

I would like a faster, more positive feel to manual focus, a bigger menu/OK button and the addition of f22 for extra landscape DOF.

I also agree it would be a great idea to make the RAW button programmable like the fn button.

None of the above spoils it for me, however. The camera is still a delight to use and produces images nobody would be ashamed of. Try using one without grinning…
http://www.arovingvision.com Kit Taylor

I’ve had mine for two weeks now. Most of what I would like to see changed could be accomplished through firmware. The only one that would require a physical redeisgn would be a dedicatd ISO dial , although I’m not sure where they could put it.

As for firmware changes, fixing the jumpiness of the manual focus — a smoother transition from large to small changes — would be at the top of my list. Also more options for changing ISO, including switching to/from auto-ISO. And fix the DOF scale — they are using DOF calculations for a 35mm lens, not a 23mm.

There is so much, even including a lot of the firmware, that has been well thought-out on this camera. The way the AFL, ‘Command-Control’ button, and MF can be used to get, check and fine-tune focus is excellent, but took some experience with the camera to appreciate.

And there are some nice little touches, like a one button push to disable all sounds, flash and the focus-assist light for instant ‘stealth’ mode — great for ‘cafe candids’ or other quite places (like cathedrals): http://www.flickr.com/photos/arovingvision/5747053516/in/photostream
francis

hi all,
I have an hour playing with this new toy last weekend. Well, to my surprise, I really couldn’t rate it as good as other people said. I think many of us has high expectations from fuji and it turns out to be big gaps. Let me praise the goodies, APS-size sensor is great, fuji asph lens is very great, the retro look is great.. Well that’s about it. Now, what bugs me a lot is, AF performance not as good, metering very inconsistent, operation speed kind a slow. Although not a lot of negatives, but AF & metering is very crucial function. So, it really turns me off after 30mins playing with it. You may wonder, how about the VF? I say the VF is very impressive, it may get too fancy to some people. I really think fuji has put too much effort r&d in the VF, but at the end, it doesn’t make you better photo. To me, this is a pretty disappointment, together with its price tag.. I definitely will not recommend to my friends. Hold it for a day surely will draw some attention from friends and girls.. but this is not what we primarily aimed for.. (* absolutely my personal view, no offense to all x100 owners)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allangascon/ Allan Gascon

I would make the focus ring like a real manual focus ring and not the electronic one which is too slow. I usually hit my AFL/AEL button to nail it on spot but that takes away the feeling of a manual focus. I also like to have a better indication in the viewfinder that your subject is in focus when using the OVF.
http://abwatson.com A.B Watson

I’ve been using the x100 ever since the first shipment came to New Zealand. And I have to say there are only two major things that need to be looked at.

1 – Faster manual focus
2 – The ability to use the manual focus without having to switch the camera to the optical viewfinder (like a leica camera) traditional viewfinder have two images you align to tell you your image is in focus the x100 dosen’t do that, all it does it tell you the distance.

That’s it aside from that the camera is pretty dame on the money, that why its so popular. But really I never use the optical viewfinder. If I’m going to do that I might as well just buy a SLR
http://twitter.com/DigMo David (DigMo!)

I love it, although I have found that some of my photos have been a little soft but I am actually thinking my Canon’s were doing a lot more work that I was. I personally think I have learned more about photography since using this camera than I have from experience or a book. I think the advanced controls of my EOS system has left me a little sloppy. Anyway, here are some of my test shots and some panoramas. http://www.flixelpix.com/featured/fuji-finepix-x100-sample-shots/
Major Saint

I don’t have the X100 – yet! However, having missed sorely my rangefinder since I went digital, I would want proper manual focus – which a lot of folks mention – but for one reason: so that I could stick it on hyperfocal distance and get the best out of that lens. Am I the only dinosaur that misses this and a fixed lens? As the previous reviewer states, electronics can make us sloppy – this is, or should be – pure photography like it was meant to be. Oh, and include the lens hood/filter holder in the base price!
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