Tangents

review: Fuji X100 – photographing a wedding

June 13, 2011

review: using a Fuji X100 for wedding photography

Being impressed so far with the image quality from the Fuji X100 (B&H), based on my initial impression of the camera, I was tempted to put the camera to a real test. A test where we remove the luxury of using the camera just as a walk-about fun camera. Instead, I wanted to shoot an event where there are real expectations from the images. With that idea in mind, I asked around if any of my wedding photographer friends would consider using me as a freebie 2nd shooter, where I would use only the Fuji X100 as my camera.

My good friend, John Arcara, who is one of the outstanding wedding photographers in New Jersey, was kind enough to allow me to be Uncle Bob at a wedding he photographed this weekend. The couple, Megan and Joel, were quite cool with the idea as well.

It was surreal walking up to the wedding reception venue on Saturday with only this tiny camera in my hand. I normally shoot weddings with two Nikon D3 bodies (each with a zoom lens and a flash) slung over my shoulders. I usually look like the Photo Terminator as I determinately stagger forward with all that gear. But not this day. Just the Fuji X100 in hand.

I had the opportunity earlier this week to buy the brand-new Fuji EF-42 flashgun (Amazon), but I decided against it. My intention with this camera is that I have a light-weight high-quality machine to take photos wherever I find myself. Adding a flashgun to this would make it that little bit less portable, and then I might as well go all the way and take a Nikon D3 as my carry-around camera … which I’ve been doing until now.

So this is how I found myself second-shooting a wedding with only the Fuji X100. Not even a flash. Just a spare battery.

And the verdict? I’m still very much in love with this camera, but frustrated by some short-comings.

[update: on June 26, 2011, Fuji announced a major firmware update for the Fuji X100.
Some of the changes in ver 1.10 will affect some of my initial observations in this review, especially my criticism of how the X100 (under firmware 1.0) would retain the ISO setting per mode, instead of retaining an overall ISO setting. This has now been fixed! So please take note that some of the comments about the camera's menu and behavior might have been affected since the time of the original review's posting. Instead of continually updating the review with every firmware update in the future, I'm going to let this review stand as it originally appeared.]

With this review of the Fuji X100, I wanted to show as many images straight out of the camera (sooc) as possible. But I also did some minor edits (mostly just a slight adjustment of levels), on some of the out-of-camera JPGs. I also edited some of the RAW files to give me B&W images, or correct for unintentional over-exposure or WB problems. I will note with each image whether it is the sooc JPG, or is an edited JPG, or is a JPG generated from the RAW file.

Fuji X100 – a quick overview

A quick recap of the Fuji X100 (B&H) – it is a 12 megapixel auto-focus compact digital camera. It is styled along the lines of the old rangefinder cameras such as the Leica. Very stylish! Beautifully machined and manufactured. The control are silky smooth. It sports a 35mm-equivalent lens, with a wide f2 aperture.

A mere description of the camera doesn’t tell you exactly how it feels in your hands, nor does it prepare you for the surprise when you look through the viewfinder the first time. Pretty much every wedding guest and groomsman geeking out over the camera, had a wow! or holycrap! in response to seeing the viewfinder. Especially when the image flipped away from the back of the camera and appeared inside the bright viewfinder. But we’ll cover these details of the camera more thoroughly in a later review.

Most importantly, the image quality from this small camera is astonishing. The lens is crisp, even though it flares more easily than I am used to with my Nikon lenses. High-ISO noise is very well controlled. (More about this later on.) Fuji has a reputation for great skin tones from their cameras. (The Fuji S2 at one time was unbeatable!)

I shot RAW + JPG throughout the entire day, and the Fuji X100 takes about 5 seconds to move a large JPG and RAW file through the buffer. In this time, you can still shoot, but you can’t preview images or change menu settings. So with these image settings, I really had to time my shots.

But let’s look at a selection of images as the day unfolded …

I met up with Jon where he was photographing the bride’s preparation. I shot a few frames of Megan, trying to hang back as much as possible.

1/240 @ f2 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR with a preset I created for a warm B&W image.
Aperture Priority, with +1.66 exposure compensation for the bright background. I arrived at this with a few test shots.

Since John Arcara had things well in hand here, I decided to roam around and met up with the groom and groomsmen where they were busy getting ready. (As a second shooter I have the obligation to not duplicate what the main photographer is already covering.)

1/450 @ f2 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG, with small Levels adjustment.
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation

1/400 @ f2.8 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – JPG from the RAW file, to adjust for slight over-exposure
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation

1/250 @ f2.8 @ 400 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode

Catching the groom looking pensively out of the window, I shot a few frames and then asked him to look at the camera. Framing a portrait with a 35mm-equivalent lens is a challenge, since you can’t come in too close, or else you’ll get distortion. Now you have to look at your environment, and how to frame your subject within that environment.

I then snuck up back to the bride’s room upstairs, and found her with the bridesmaids. They were busy attaching .. a lucky coin (?) to the bride’s shoe.

1/140 @ f4 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG with a slight edit for over-exposure
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation

1/150 @ f4 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation

1/500 @ f4 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR
Manual exposure mode

The bride was looking out the window at where the groom and groomsmen were gathering, waiting for her and the bridesmaids to come down for The First Look. This is one of those found moments which I slightly adjusted by guiding her, asking her to look more to her right. Still a spontaneous moment, but with some direction from the photographer.

1/500 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR
Manual exposure mode

We were fortunate on this day in having overcast weather, but with bright light. Much easier than dealing with hard sun!

1/250 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG with a slight edit for over-exposure
Manual exposure mode.

1/500 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR
Manual exposure mode

This shot I unashamedly cribbed from John Arcara. He set the couple up, and I thought … hmm, this looks good! So I snagged the image as well. But on the way to that spot, I saw a clump of reeds that I thought might make an interesting photo. But instead of asking the couple to wade into the reeds, I stood in the reeds, trying to frame them with greenery …

1/550 @ f4 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG with a slight adjustment for exposure and color balance
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation

the most annoying quirk of the Fuji X100

At this point I should mention a quirk of the Fuji X100 that drove me to distraction:
it keeps the ISO setting of the mode you were shooting in before.

Let’s say you are shooting outside in Aperture Priority at 200 ISO, and getting good results – but then you want to frame your subjects against a bright sky. Instead of dialing in even more compensation, you decide to go to Manual Exposure mode … and you dial in the Aperture and Shutter speed you were happy with in Auto. However, let’s say earlier on you were shooting inside, and were at 1600 ISO … well, as you now switch your camera’s mode over from Auto to Manual, it will revert to the previous setting of 1600 ISO. Yes, it’s insane.

So you have to keep in mind that as you change your mode, you also have to change your ISO in tandem. This completely subverts the ease with which you can change modes on the Fuji X100.

In this way, I did lose one short sequence of images of the bride and groom, since the camera flipped from 200 ISO to 1600 ISO when I went to Manual Exposure mode.

I really hope this is something that Fuji will address with an update to the firmware.

But let’s continue with the day’s events … and the bridal party …

1/500 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR to correct for exposure, and to even the sloping horizon!
Manual exposure mode

Here’s the catch of shooting with just the one focal length. While John Arcara was shooting the happy cluster of people there on the dock with a telephoto zoom, I had to improvise my composition to accommodate the much wider field of view of the Fuji X100. The shot works, but if I had to photograph the bridal party with this lens, I’d have to position them somewhere else to get closer images.

I would so have loved to have had a Fuji X100 here with an 85mm f2 lens. That tighter perspective would’ve been a great complement to the 35mm-equivalent lens on the X100.

1/500 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR to correct for over-exposure.
Manual exposure mode

I was hanging over the edge of the dock to get this shot of the bridesmaids sitting there. My camera strap neatly wrapped around my wrist. No chances taken.

1/500 @ f4 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode.

While John continued to work with the couple, I decided to grab a few frames of the spirited bridesmaids.

1/200 @ f5.6 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG adjusted with Levels for slight over-exposure
Manual exposure mode.

1/500 @ f5.0 @ 320 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode.

The sequence here of the bridesmaids is my favorite series of shots of the day. The bridesmaids had oodles of personality! I also love the skin tones and how the colors pop in this straight out of camera JPG.

1/250 @ f4 @ 320 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode

how the auto-focus of the Fuji X100 performed

The auto-focus capability of the Fuji X100 is … adequate. I’d love it to have been faster to grab focus. But then, my expectations might be too high. I am used to the Ferrari of cameras – the Nikon D3.

Perhaps it is inexperience with this new camera, combined with not allowing that extra bit of time for the camera to properly grab focus, but I lost a number of frames during the day when the camera would grab the background. This was especially pronounced when the background was brighter than the subjects. Similarly, I found that when I work fairly close to my subject, the camera has more of a tendency to grab the background. Here I think a more subdued and deliberate technique would help overcome this. I do think that this is partially due to me not having adapted my technique yet to this camera. It needs a slightly more thoughtful approach than the Nikon D3 allows.

What also didn’t help, was the camera taking so long to process the JPG+RAW files, leaving you unable to check focus accuracy immediately.

1/180 @ f2 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture Priority, with +1.00 exposure compensation, to compensate for the strong light outside.

This flowergirl was quite shy, and I wanted to get a few images of her. This is where the Fuji X100 helped I think, in that it is such a small non-intimidating camera. The quiet operation also helps. You can barely hear the shutter even with the camera held to your eye. It is super-quiet.

On this topic, numerous guests asked me about the X100, asking me if it is a Leica or if it is a film camera. It definitely intrigued them. I happily showed the camera off, and everyone who held the camera, and held it up to their eye, were amazed.

Another thing I found – with the Nikon D3 cameras and the big lenses, people react to me as if I am the wedding photographer. They will often stop what they are doing, and smile for the camera. But on this day, armed only with this small camera, I was able to freely roam amongst the guests, and it was far easier for me to get truly candid shots, even with me having to work in closer proximity to people.

1/480 @ f8 @ 200 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture priority mode, with exposure compensation set to +0.33

What impressed me here, is how well the Fuji X100 sensor handled the strong contrast. It kept the details in the high-lights but still show the detail in the shadows.

1/250 @ f2.8 @ 400 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode – the only in-camera defense against such strong backlighting!

both images: 1/250 @ f2.8 @ 400 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode

I liked the idea of the first shot, getting a view of the groom’s parents and the guests, over the shoulders of the groomsmen. In working further with the idea, I wanted to shoot between them, framing the groom’s parents with the groomsmen on either side like this. But I had forgotten all about parallax error. While the Fuji X100′s optical viewfinder will adjust the framing to compensate for parallax error as you focus closer, it doesn’t quite show how objects in the foreground shift in position. Since the viewfinder and lens of the Fuji X100 aren’t on the same axis, you can get this kind of problem. For this, the best solution would’ve been to use the electronic viewfinder which would’ve given me the accurate angle of view. I just need to anticipate this in future. Lesson learnt.

1/250 @ f4 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Manual exposure mode – cranking the ISO higher to get more depth-of-field.

1/500 @ f4 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR to correct for over-exposure.
Manual exposure mode

1/80 @ f4 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG adjusted with Levels for slight over-exposure
Aperture Priority mode; zero exposure compensation

the macro mode of the Fuji X100

The Fuji X100 doesn’t focus particularly close. At around 2 feet away from your subject, you have to switch to Macro mode. You do this via the menu and a selection button on the back of the camera, and switching the manual focus. The camera goes to the electronic viewfinder display, giving you a real view of how sharp your focus is.

It is a round-about way to work, and feels clumsy. The results are very good though.

Then I noticed that if I have strong back-lighting in macro mode, I get a beautiful glowing haze to the images. Quite romantic! I loved it, and played around with this idea, while photographing the details in the reception room.

1/320 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture Priority, with +1.00 exposure compensation

1/350 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation

1/170 @ f5.6 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation

1/300 @ f2 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – sooc JPG, with Levels adjustment to bring the exposure up
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation

high-ISO image quality of the Fuji X100

Now since I didn’t have a flash with me, my first reaction was to take the ISO as high as I could … and I checked my camera preview how good the noise looked, and it looked impressively good even at 6400 ISO. So this is where I was for the rest of the evening!

Here is a test shot of John, shot at 6400 ISO …

But instead of just taking my word for it, here is the straight-out-of-camera full-resolution 6400 ISO JPG. (right-click and save-as if you want to have a look. It is nearly 5Mb in size though.)

You will notice that there is some loss of detail with the aggressive noise-reduction implemented by the camera. To my eye though, this is truly exceptional quality for 6400 ISO.

This camera easily handles 1600 ISO. In the same way, you can happily go to 3200 ISO … and if need be, go to 6400 ISO. Truly remarkable, especially for an APS-C sized sensor!

With the reception starting as the light outside was fading, I could shoot with just the available light initially.

1/160 @ f2 @ 6400 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file adjusted for WB. The AWB image is on the left.
Manual exposure mode.

1/125 @ f2 @ 6400 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file adjusted for WB.
Manual exposure mode.

From here on it became ever more difficult since the light levels became even lower, and people were dancing. Not a slow-shutter speed situation if you want images that should be crisp enough to use. The Fuji X100 was also struggling with focus in the low light … but then, nearly all cameras would’ve had a hard time here.

Since I didn’t have a flash with me, I resorted to using John’s video light. Holding the light aloft in my left hand, I was able to continue working at this high ISO. A higher and more consistent success rate would’ve meant a flash though.

1/125 @ f2 @ 6400 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file adjusted for WB.
Manual exposure mode.

Final summary: Fuji X100

There is reason why this camera is getting so much attention and all the buzz surround it. It has the sleek retro styling that appeals to the eye … and to top it all, the image quality is remarkable. The outward handling of the camera is excellent as well. It truly is an aficionado’s camera.

Where the Fuji X100 stumbles, is with the less-than-intuitive menu controls. And for heaven’s sake Fuji, fix the ISO / exposure mode thing!

If I have to sum the Fuji X100 up, it would be as a flawed modern classic. It is an exceptional camera hampered by some software design flaws. Hopefully most of these will be sorted out with future firmware updates.

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54 Comments »

Ciao Neil,
sei un grande fotografo anche con questa macchina fotografica.
Anche mia zia che vive nel New Jersey ti conosce e dice che sei il migliore!
Una domanda…perche’ non hai portato con te un flash?
Hai volutamente lavorato cosi per testate le potenzialita’ della Fujifilm x100?
E’ possibile applicare ad essa un flash dedicato?
Buon lavoro e buona giornata.
Edy Trigona Genova Italia

Comment by edy — June 13, 2011 @ 4:06 am
The skin tones are indeed amazing, very detailed and interesting review of a great camera!
Edy Trigona Genova Italia, it’s a discourtesy to write in other language than English, as Neil use it. Google Translate. And if you read the post (not only looking to the pictures), the answers are there: you can attach a dedicated flash (“Adding a flashgun to this would make it that little bit less portable”), and Neil worked so deliberately, to test the potential of Fujifilm x100-it’s a review, isn’t it? All the best!

Comment by fotografii aniversari — June 13, 2011 @ 4:56 am
Yes, now you know why i have a little camera, always in my ThinkTank side by side to my Oly E camera. My beloved E-P1 has one real advantage over the Fuji: You can attach other lenses….. My Panaleica Summilux 25 mm f1.4 ( equals 50 mm f1.4 on FF) is pure fun and even the Zuiko Makro 50 mm f2 ( equals 100 mm f2 on FF ) is spectecular. But the Fuji seems to be a hit ! Its high ISO capability is what i want ….

Regards
Klaus

Comment by Klaus — June 13, 2011 @ 6:22 am
Klaus … I was soooo close to pulling the trigger on the Olympus E-P2 Pen camera, and then Sony brought out the Sony NEX-5 with its superior image quality. And while hovering over this … Fuji announced the X100. So I decided to wait.

But these are great times for photographers … the cameras just keep getting better and better.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 13, 2011 @ 8:12 am
Very nice shots. I was thinking about getting one for myself but I’m not so sure if I’ll get frustrated by its limitations. BTW, what’s your lens for walking around with the D3? I find the 24-70 too bulky and was thinking of adding a 24-120mm F4 VR or a DX body (D7000) with the new Sigma 17-50mm OS.

Do you carry it (D3) in a bag or by itself?

Comment by Alfredo — June 13, 2011 @ 9:10 am
Alfredo …. indeed, my walk-around camera is (or used to be) a Nikon D3 with the 24-70. Unbeatable quality, but it is a beast to sling around. I don’t usually carry it around in a shoulder bag. Just the open camera.

With the Fuji X100 … as my new take-everywhere camera, I will just have to accept that it is 35mm-equivalent only.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 13, 2011 @ 9:53 am
What a great, informative review! Looks like an exceptional camera for its class. I was thinking about picking one up, but I would probably get frustrated with the fixed lens. Still, I know plenty of people who would not have a problem with this. Besides, I’ve gotten used to the weight of the D3s and a long lens as my “snapshot” camera and I’m not even a photographer! Without all that weight around my neck and a backpack full of Nikon glass to carry around I don’t know what I’d do!

Do you have any observations about the battery life with this Fuji? Please let us know what you think about its performance with the new flash as well.

Comment by Jazz Guy — June 13, 2011 @ 11:32 am
I had two spare batteries. I shot about 800 (RAW+JPG) frames with it on 1.5 batteries. So two batteries would’ve lasted me until the end of the night.

I don’t usually switch my camera off while I am working. So the camera would’ve been on most of the time.

So the battery life is okay. Nothing to complain about there. For a day-out type photography, one battery will suffice.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 13, 2011 @ 11:57 am
no black thingy for john?? boooooo john……….but at least he disnt using tupperware

Comment by mike — June 13, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
Neil

This post just reinforces the old saying that it is the photographer and not the camera that makes the photograph, your work is stunning, as usual. Thanks for the review. The Little Fuji looks like the perfect take everywhere camera.

BTW, I moved from the S2 and S3 into the nikon camp and had to work at achieving the beautiful skin tones the Fuji SLRs would deliver SOOC.

Cheers

William Cowan

Comment by William Cowan — June 13, 2011 @ 6:48 pm
William .. thank you for the compliment!

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 13, 2011 @ 6:58 pm
Having seen you use the camera at After Dark in Cincinnati, I have to tell you that I’m impressed with these results! The camera is so compact that it seems like the photos wouldn’t have such detail. For those of you that haven’t seen the camera, it’s so small compared to a D3 (or even my cropped sensor Nikon). Maybe you could take a photo of this little guy next to your D3! :)Thanks for posting so many pictures, Neil, and the specifics about each one as well.

Comment by Mary-Claire — June 13, 2011 @ 7:06 pm
Nice review and wonderful pictures from it :) I now have no doubt that is pressed in an emergency it sure would work as a second camera :) Did you feel like Henri Cartier Bresson? :)

Comment by Arnold Gallardo — June 13, 2011 @ 8:09 pm
Arnold … I did feel kinda special.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 13, 2011 @ 10:13 pm
nice shooting in the nice wedding. the atmosphere of the wedding feel so happy and humorous. Really a nice report with a nice camera

Comment by edhy — June 14, 2011 @ 4:07 am
I’m finding the exposure compensation wheel easy to bump. The detents are way too weak, please fix on the follow up model Fuji as just taking it out of camera bag you can change the setting. Agree IQ is outstanding, good job on this. Slow handling compared to my D3, but that is to be expected. This is a great review – exactly how I feel about it. I think I will keep it despite the quirks and flaws, it’s just that good.

Comment by Jay — June 14, 2011 @ 4:50 am
My biggest complaint about the controls would be that the ISO setting doesn’t have a unique button for it, but that you have to configure the Fn button to be able to access the ISO outside of the menu. That’s just crazy.

Shutter speed / Aperture / ISO … these three controls should be immediately accessible on every camera. All the time.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 14, 2011 @ 11:15 am
Hi Neil.

Like the saying goes it`s not the camera it`s the photographer. And man you are you really are. YOU ROCK MAN

Comment by Victor from MALTA — June 14, 2011 @ 3:54 pm
Neil, What autofocus mode do you use? Do you select the focus point, or do you just use the center point and recompose?

Comment by Len Spoden — June 14, 2011 @ 7:14 pm
Len, I used SIngle AF mode throughout the day, except for the shots where people were walking towards and in the church. Then I used AF-C.

I mostly use center-focus and recompose, but from experience with this camera so far (which I’ll touch on with a subsequent review), is that you will get focus errors if you focus and recompose with off-center subjects.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 14, 2011 @ 7:48 pm
Neil,

Wonderful captures! It is a pleasure to see you working to the X100′s strengths , rather than whining about it shortcomings! As an experienced wedding photographer, it’s interesting to see how you were compensating for difficult lighting situations. I did notice that you fairly often made slight adjustments for overexposure in PP. Certainly that is not a criticism of these excellent results, but indicates that the X100 tends to overexpose compared to your Nikon gear. With digitals tendency to burn out highlights, would it not be better to slightly underexpose and bring back up in PP? I have noticed that correct exposure with the X100 can be difficult to nail with a strong backlight source. Within a single day shoot you have managed to become pretty effective with this beautiful camera! Thanks for the fine review!

Lincoln

Comment by Lincoln — June 15, 2011 @ 7:10 am
Lincoln, you really should not read anything into it that I pulled down exposure a touch on some images. The reason is that I most often dialed in (+) compensation for the exposure in anticipation of how the camera would render a scene with bright tones.

You could just as well ascribe this to my inexperience with the camera, and also to me having to work faster than a landscape photographer might.

When I’m shooting with my Nikon D3 bodies, I nearly always shoot in Manual Exposure mode so that my exposures for sequences are consistent. Consistency in exposure makes my post-processing faster, even if I have to pull exposure up or down a touch for a specific sequence.

It is how I work. I expose for my subject / scene like I think looks great .. and then in post, I adjust it to where I *then* feel it should be.

So really dont read anything into the adjustments of the JPGs .. the exposure adjustments were in the order of 1/3rd stop anyway, Mild adjustments that even a JPG can handle.

If anything this all points to the great dynamic range of the Fuji X100. Check the photo of the flower girls and their parents walking towards the ceremony … that’s impressive dynamic range there!

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 15, 2011 @ 11:10 am
Neil,

something else that may be interesting to try with the X100 is daylight flash. From what I have read, it looks like the X100 can flash sync up to 1/2000s (my understanding is that it uses a leaf shutter). You should be able to create some interesting effects, just using manual flash with your existing Nikon and Canon hotshoe flashes, and using high shutter speeds to overpower the sun. I would love to see the results!

Comment by Geoff — June 15, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
I see John is wearing a plain black uncollared t-shirt. Is this acceptable now a days for a wedding photographer to wear to an event?

Comment by Bill — June 16, 2011 @ 7:57 pm
Are you asking or criticizing? : )

If I remember correctly, John was wearing a black golf shirt. So it does have a narrow collar.

And yes, it is quite acceptable. Especially since this wasn’t a black tie affair. It’s a wedding on the shore, and the couple is pretty laid back anyway.

As you can see, I wore a dark purple shirt. No tie. No jacket. It is summer. I’m not cold.

I don’t own a suit. I haven’t for years. No interest in owning one. I do have a few really nice trendy jackets though, if I do need to dress more formally.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 16, 2011 @ 8:13 pm
Well done! Great capturing, some images are stunning. It seem Fuji X100 will change definition of wedding photography, those bulky cameras have now gone! Want to buy this camera. 1080p video & 10X optical zoom would have been good if included, just my wish.

Thanks for this review and pictures, looking forward to see more work by you using this Fuji X100.

Kaushik

Comment by Kaushik — June 17, 2011 @ 1:47 pm
Superb synopsis and amazingly excellent even at 6400. The price though does seem steep though Fuji must be very pleased that the exceitement for this camera is so high.

Intersting comparison between it and the Leica X1 at Akelstudio though that Leica is more expensive again.

Comment by Paul Hodgson — June 18, 2011 @ 6:26 am
Awesome review, Neil. Makes me wanna buy one. It’s Fuji with the 6400 ISO and the small body that makes me want it. I’m still using my S5 you know. Haha…
The 6400 ISO seems to be much better than S5′s 3200.

Don’t you just love the high dynamic range? That family with the flower girls is a great example.

And the sooc skin tone, awesome. It’s funny that a lot of blogs you see nowadays, especially from female photographers (no offense), processed their images to look like these images you have here.

How big are the RAW and jpeg files, Neil?
S5′s RAW files are a whopping 24MB. :(

Comment by Leo Dj — June 19, 2011 @ 1:37 pm
The Fuji X100 raw files are around 20Mb each. Substantial, but not anything that would break a hard drive’s back. I don’t think the Fuji X100 is a camera anyone would do high-volume shooting with.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 19, 2011 @ 1:43 pm
[...] Neil van Niekerk shoots a wedding with the X100 [...]

Pingback by Fujifilm FinePix X100: Where the Hell Did THIS Come From? | Enticing the Light — June 19, 2011 @ 9:55 pm
Excellent photos there! Like the angle of your photos taken. The output photo from the Fujifilm is extraordinary!

Comment by Fj-x100 — June 20, 2011 @ 1:55 am
In comparison, how large are the D3 or D3s RAW files? I’m not sure which one you use.

Comment by Leo Dj — June 20, 2011 @ 4:02 pm
Leo … the Nikon D3 raw files are around 12 Mb each

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 21, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
Good post. Very much the same thoughts I have with my X100. Except I hadn’t noticed the ISO problem with the shooting modes as I use A-mode 99% of the time. But I got a question too, where did you get your spare battery and is it original or 3rd party?

I’ve gotten used to my Nikon D700′s endless battery (about 2k photos on one charge) so… :)

Comment by Harri Rauhanummi — June 22, 2011 @ 9:48 am
Harri .. I borrowed a battery from my friend – the magnanimous Ryan Kaplan – who also has the Fuji X100.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 25, 2011 @ 11:17 pm
I have now amended my text to acknowledge the firmware updates for the Fuji X100.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — June 26, 2011 @ 11:15 pm
Neil – I echo your experiences entirely. Focus is iffy, but once you know it’s OK. See http://www.speedlighter.ca/2011/07/02/when-you-get-a-new-camera/ for my first full day’s experiences. I’ll go on shooting weddings with my 1D4 and 1Ds3 for now – but I am loving the little Fuji.

Comment by Michael Willems — July 2, 2011 @ 12:37 am
I just started playing with one of these a couple of weeks ago. This review has got me VERY excited about the idea of using it at my next wedding! You created some stunning images with a very discreet camera :)

Comment by Matthew Evans — July 7, 2011 @ 4:46 pm
A big thank you for your outstanding real-world review. Great photos on top.
I’m glad to read that the ISO quirks are mostly gone with the new firmware and excited that my X100 will soon arrive.

Thanks! Philippe

Comment by Philippe Wiget — July 9, 2011 @ 8:19 am
I had introduced myself to you at the above wedding. I had shared with you my lack of flash knowledge and you directed me to your tangents. Ever since, my husband and I have been hooked. I have learned so much from you and can’t wait to use my new found knowledge on a wedding we have Saturday:) we had to laugh because as we were scrolling through your camera review we came across the picture of us at the end!! Thanks so much for sharing so much great information! So glad I met you:)

Comment by Kim Angelo — July 21, 2011 @ 10:49 pm
Hi there Kim! I was actually wondering whether you’d stumble upon this page (and your photo). Pleasure to have met you and your husband.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — July 23, 2011 @ 1:08 am
Hi Neil,

good reading and thanks for test driving a camera many of us are looking seriously at. I had it in my head that it would be excellent for street photography. You seem to indicate that in changing/fading light is struggles to AF. With the excellent VF, could you see manual focus being easy enough?

Thanks again, D.

Comment by David Wegwart — July 31, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
Manual focus is far too laborious on this camera.

Re focusing in low light, it’s not so much that the AF of the Fuji X100 hunts, but rather that the AF latches onto something other than your subject.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — July 31, 2011 @ 12:37 pm
[...] I have seen photographers shoot weddings with point and shoot cameras like the Fuji X100 (ahem Neil van Niekerk). I’ve seen some pretty amazing macro photography with the Olympus [...]

Pingback by person + money + camera ? photographer. « kimbultsma's blog — August 16, 2011 @ 1:07 am
[...] http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/06/13/review-fuji-x100-photographing-a-wedding/ [...]

Pingback by My Fujifilm X100 Review « Stanford's Blog — August 30, 2011 @ 11:53 am
How do you think the X100 will compare quality wise to the New X10 coming out ?

Comment by Lou Recine — October 31, 2011 @ 9:57 pm
The Fuji X10 has a smaller sensor, and that always counts against image quality. But it has a (fast) zoom lens.

I believe the two cameras will largely appeal to two different markets … with some Fuji fans even getting both since both these cameras fill a different niche.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — November 1, 2011 @ 4:34 am
great review, and know i’m confusing about how i must pick.. betwen olympus EPM 1 with two lenses or this fuji x100. what i really like the most is that EVF on fuji.
why those m4/3 doesn’t have it.. by the way, is the new firmware is now installed on new fuji x100 production? or we have to update it manually? sorry for my english. :)

Comment by patria wijaya — January 8, 2012 @ 3:17 pm
Patria … I have no idea what software version they are shipping the camera at this point. Best would be to check on your camera, and compare to Fuji’s site.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 9, 2012 @ 12:44 pm
Thanks for the interesting article. X100 really is an interesting camera, and as a user of Konica Hexar, I appreciate the design concept.

However, is there an advantage to second shoot with X100 rather than a full frame dSLR with a 35mm f/1.4 or f/2.0 lens? I’m sure you won’t be as exhausted with one little camera, but is it worth the added frustration?

Comment by Ryuji — February 6, 2012 @ 4:33 am
There’s no advantage compared to using a D-SLR like a Nikon D3s. I did this for the fun of it and for the challenge.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — February 6, 2012 @ 4:42 am
Hi Neil,

Just thought I’d let you know that your write up was a big factor in my requesting (and getting!) a Fuji X100 for my birthday courtesy of an indulgent wife :-)
The pictures you’ve posted are exceptional, and I’ve been enjoying the camera immensely these past few weeks.
Nice to have when you don’t want to lug tons of gear around.

-Avesh.

Comment by Avesh — February 7, 2012 @ 2:46 am
Great photos. It must have been strange to carry such a light weight camera around. I love this camera but most of the time it seems somewhat cumbersome, perhaps because I’m still getting used to the camera and Fuji itself (as I usually shoot with Canon). The lens is pin sharp just as you have shown in your pics! Nice work, great review! Certainly wont be shooting weddings with it any time soon though ;)

Comment by Jade — June 18, 2012 @ 1:09 am
Thanks for this article…the x100, paired with an x1 have been the only cameras I use at weddings…I think that if you have a dedicated style, they can perform perfectly, and all your gear fit in a messenger bag…unafraid of trying different things, that must be the key, and be confident on how you want to shoot!

Comment by wedding photographer italy — July 13, 2012 @ 6:15 pm