The Original Fuji X100

It was 2010 when I saw the promotional video of the Fujifilm Finepix X100… it was love at first sight !

I had to have this camera, and as soon as I got the chance I signed up to get one of the very first.
The camera cost about €1400 at the time, not cheap for a camera with a fixed lens.
But the X100 breathed nostalgia, and reminded me of the rangefinders from the 35mm film era like the Olympus Trip, Yashica Electro, Canon Canonet and many others.
When I finally got the camera in 2011, and had photographed with it a few times, the prevailing feeling was disappointment.
The camera was not what I expected, it had a confusing menu and was painfully slow.
My main camera then was the Pentax K-20, and the X100 couldn’t compete with that, the Pentax was faster, had interchangeable lenses, etc etc. I was blind for the fact that they where completely different cameras and not comparable, and I forgot the reason why I really bought the X100 in the First place. As a result I couldn’t find any pleasure in shooting with it.

For years the camera was only used sporadically.
This actually changed when I bought a used X-E 1 at one point, purely to use with vintage manual lenses.
I rediscovered the sense of photography, slowing down and taking time for the shot, setting aperture, shutter and focusing, all the manual way, and really having fun again.
The X100 came out of the closet to experiment with it, and for a short time it was used as a “Noir” camera – I also rediscovered the aperture and shutter dial, and then came the click.
Finally I saw the real reason again why I bought the X100, it was the feel of an old 35mm film rangefinder, only it had a sensor and no film.

Now it is no longer in the closet.
It’s not my main camera, but it now occupies a very special place in my photography life.
I’l try to explain :
When I go to an air show, or photograph birds, do macro photography, I will take the right equipment with me, such as long telephoto lenses, or macro rings etc. – bags full of gear.
You will recognize such a person immediately from a mile, a photographer !
Or he just thinks he is 🙂
35mm rangefinders were used by the common man, on vacation, during party’s or weddings, on the beach, in the restaurant, in the zoo…everywhere !
Just having fun and taking pictures, and actually you didn’t notice someone like that, he blended into the event.
Get it ?
And that’s where the camera shines.
It’s the perfect street camera, at party’s and weddings … anywhere you want to capture people in a natural way and shoot unobtrusively. It is also the camera to just throw in your bag and go on the road, without a specific goal in mind, without thinking whether you have the right lens with you.
Just to take a snap when the opportunity arises and just having fun.

And that’s exactly what I have with it now : fun !
So can I recommend it now ?
yes, completely, I think it’s a must have !
maybe also the newer X100 models ?
not shure …
although the simplicity and the original 12 megapixel sensor really contributes to this special feeling, I don’t think any other camera has this.

12 megapixels you say ?
Yes, 12 mp is more than enough,
just don’t count on cropping … much,
and use your feet to “zoom in”.

The X100, the camera where it all started with.

My old X100 with red shutter release button, black thumb-rest, lens hood, totally worn out ever-ready case and paracord wrist strap – at the back of the camera I have a flip-X-bac, it protects the back LCD and ads an angle viewfinder – very handy !

Links:

• Kuva Järvinen – The original Fujifilm X100 Promotional Video – K.J. Channel
• WayBack Machine – Web Archive – The original X100 website – thanks for the header.
• FlipBac – Shoot from the hip – local camera store
• Black Thumbrest, Red Shutter Release Button and Filter/Hood – I got mine from eBay
• Ona X100 (leather) Ever Ready Case – local camera store
• Paracord Wrist Strap – Home Made “Mad Max Bushcraft” Style