Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Update on the Fuji X100S

I ordered the Fuji X100S from Abe's of Maine on their Black Friday sale.  I did have to go through the attempt to upsell, but in the end, after a couple of calls, they did put the order through.  I was still in suspense because I didn't know if they would try something else, but I did get a tracking number, and finally I got the package today.  And here it is:



There was no seal on the box, so I thought maybe it was a returned unit.  However, the shutter count showed 0 shots.

The serial number had a letter "M" in the third digit, which appears to confirm that it is from Asia or Australia (US units have "A" or "B" in the third digit).  There was also no warranty card in the box.  So, just as Abe's had said, it appears to be a gray market import.

The serial number began with 43, which I read means it was manufactured in 2014, 3rd quarter.  The firmware version was 1.20.  This firmware appears to have been installed at the factory because the package included a copy of the pamphlet explaining the features of the new firmware.

I checked for the sticky aperture blade issue, and so far I can take shots at any aperture with no problems.

I will be posting a quick review after trying it out.  I will be evaluating from the perspective of taking candid photos.  As best as I can, I will also compare it to the Sony RX1.  I sold mine a long time ago (as part of cutting down on photography gear) but I'll post my impressions for what they're worth.
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. TeaDadDecember 17, 2014 at 1:32 PM

    I can't wait to hear your views on the X100s! I have wanted to buy this camera for a while but have never felt able to properly justify it. It is very temptingly priced, especially compared to the RX1 and also now as a secondhand buy given the X100T.
    I'm particularly keen to hear your view on the focus performance, which I guess will be in between the RX1 and a dSLR, and would love to know how it handles kid candids.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 360 RumorsDecember 17, 2014 at 2:53 PM

      Hey there old friend! Good to hear from you. Yes I will definitely include an assessment of the X100s' AF ability for candid shots.

      Best regards,
      Mic

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2015 at 10:57 PM

    I am very interested in the comparison between the x100s and rx1. At the moment I have an X100 and I'm thinking of going to full frame. As high ISO with lesser noise is what I need more and more these days ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 360 RumorsJanuary 4, 2015 at 9:33 PM

      Hi there! I'm working on the X100S review and am hoping to get it done this week. Meanwhile here are some differences between them:

      - The RX1 has better colors (IMO), 1 stop shallower DOF, gorgeous bokeh (may be the best I've ever had, even counting the Sigma 50 1.4), better sharpness (especially at close range). The higher bit depth gives you beautiful black and white images as well. In terms of high ISO performance, the X100S looks like it has much more aggressive noise reduction, so the RX1 noise is comparable to the X100S, but the RX1 is much more detailed. The X100S ISO also appears to be inflated (I will pin this down in my post). I also prefer the RX1's controls (including a better aperture ring). The RX1 build quality is also in an entirely different league.

      However, the X100S has slightly faster autofocus and a better implementation of manual focus (the distance doesn't reset, for one thing). The X100S is also thinner and lighter. The X100S also comes with a viewfinder, whereas the RX1 has a great EVF (and can be used as a waist level finder) but it costs extra $$$.

      Perhaps at CES Sony will announce the RX2 ;)

      Best regards,
      Mic

      Delete

Thanks for your comment. It will be published as soon as we get a chance to review it, sorry for that, but we get lots of spam with malicious links.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)