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Fujifilm X100 Digital Camera Review

$1,199.95
By Kaitlyn Chantry July 01, 2011
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Speed

Speed and Timing

The drive motor in the X100 is surprisingly fast, allowing Fuji to pack in a number of added benefits, like bracketing and motion panorama.

The Fujifilm X100 offers two different burst options: 5fps and 3ps. In our testing, Fuji's estimate of the burst speed was very close. The burst is limited to 10 photos in JPEG, 8 RAW, or 8 RAW+JPEG. Decreasing the speed to 3fps does not increase this limit.

The camera also offers several bracketing options (exposure, ISO, film simulation, and dynamic range). However, only exposure and dynamic range bracketing make use of the camera's drive motor to take three quick shots in succession. Film simulation and ISO are digital adjustments made to a single exposure.

Shot to shot speed on the X100 is remarkably fast, beating out many cameras in this price range. Of course, the continuous shot is limited to a 10-shot burst, but the average of about 5fps promised by Fuji is just about dead-on. Even RAW photos can be captured at nearly 5fps.

The self-timer options are very limited: you can choose from just a 2-second and 10-second timer. There's no option for interval recording or for multiple exposures. Most annoyingly, if you choose a timer option, it only remains active for a single photograph. After each shot, you'll have to go back into the menus and set up the self-timer again.

Focus Speed

We found the autofocus to be terribly disappointing on the X100, with the camera struggling to find an accurate focus in anything but the brightest scenarios. In situations where virtually any camera had no trouble autofocusing, the X100 would either refuse to focus or get the focus wrong. When shooting in any dim indoor light, the AF assist lamp is virtually a necessity—and its disturbing brightness won't earn you any new friends.

There's also no face detection on the X100—a feature we take for granted on modern cameras. We wouldn't usually complain about this conspicuous absence, but with the Fuji's numerous autofocus woes, the camera could use all the help it can get.

Unfortunately, manual focus wasn't much better. You have to place your hand in a very precise position in order to not cover the lens while adjusting the focus ring. The focus ring is very precise, but sometimes requires you to spin it round and round before you're even in the right neighborhood for focus.

The easiest workaround is to set the camera to auto focus, achieve an approximate focus, then switch to manual focus for fine-tuning. Unfortunately, the focus mode switch is atrocious; the most commonly used mode (single autofocus) is in the middle and incredibly difficult to select. You can't really make the switch quickly and you certainly can't do it without looking at the switch.

A basic autofocus assist can be activated by pushing down on the command toggle. This switches to Live View and displays an enlarged portion of the screen.

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Vice President of Editorial Management, Kaitlyn oversees the editorial departments of Reviewed.com’s various sites. She has been writing about technology since the turn of the century. Outside of her Reviewed.com home, Kaitlyn is also a theatre director and avid gamer.
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