52 24 August 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Testbench SECOND-HAND BARGAINS
WHILE it’s possible to engage in street
photography with almost any kind of camera,
most experienced practitioners favour small,
discreet bodies with fast prime lenses in the
35-50mm range. Pre-digital, photographers
generally preferred rangefinder cameras for
the job, and these days a small mirrorless
model will do nicely. However if you can live
with a fixed lens, the Fujifilm X100S is an
excellent choice for exploring this genre.
As the second model in Fujifilm’s line of
rangefinder-like APS-C compacts, the
X100S is a classically styled camera with
traditional analogue controls for shutter
speed, aperture and exposure compensation,
which make it extremely engaging to shoot
with. Its old-fashioned good looks mean that
out on the street, your subjects will often
assume you’re using a film camera, and
perhaps be more relaxed as a result. For
photographers who value a stealthier look, a
black version was produced, but it’s hard to
find second-hand.
Its striking looks, however, belie the X100S’s
considerable photographic abilities. Its
16-million-pixel sensor provides a standard
sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400, and
uses Fujifilm’s signature X-Trans design that
eliminates the need for a resolution-sapping
optical low-pass filter. In concert with the
23mm f/2 lens (equivalent to a 35mm optic
on full frame), it delivers fine image quality
even in low-light conditions. If you wish, you
can even shoot at 6fps to help capture the
perfect moment.However it’s the unique hybrid viewfinder
that really stands out. This allows you to switch
between a direct-vision optical viewfinder and
a 2.36-million-dot electronic display, simply by
flicking a switch on the camera’s front. What’s
more, the EVF can be used to superimpose a
whole range of shooting information on the
optical finder. The only other place you’ll find
this is on Fujifilm’s X-Pro mirrorless cameras.
It’s the real-time experience of using an optical
finder, and the fact that you can see what’s
happening slightly beyond the image area to
anticipate how the scene might develop, that
endears the X100 range to a lot of street
shooters. Of course you can use the LCD on
the back for composition too, but it’s fixed, low
resolution and not touch sensitive.
Another standout attraction of the X100
series has always been the out-of-camera
JPEG quality. The X100S benefits from
Fujifilm’s peerless colour reproduction, via
its Film Simulation modes based on classic
emulsions. For monochrome lovers, a range of
modes simulate black & white film used with
different colour filters, all previewed live in the
EVF. In-camera raw conversion is available for
experimenting with your shots after the event.
So what are the drawbacks? Like all X100
models, autofocus isn’t particularly quick, and
while face detection is on board, you won’t get
modern innovations such as eye-tracking
continuous AF. The controls aren’t quite as slick
as later X100 generations, either, with an
aperture ring that clicks in whole-stop
increments, and slightly awkward focus-areaselection. As usual for a camera of this vintage
there’s no built-in Wi-Fi; for that, you need one
of the later models.The generation game
Fujifilm’s X100 series is one of the few digital
camera lines that will be counted as outright
classics in future. The original X100, released
in 2011, initiated a change in the company’s
direction from making mass-market
compacts to producing cameras for serious
photographers. It laid down the template for
using an APS-C sensor together with a 23mm
f/2 lens in a rangefinder-like body, but unlike its
successors, it employed a conventional Bayer
sensor with 12MP resolution. However an
underpowered processor means it’s painfully
slow by modern standards, and arguably now
better seen as a collector’s piece.
In 2013 the X100S added a new 16MP
X-Trans sensor and X-Processor Pro,
considerably improving the camera’s
performance. It also tweaked the button layout
to make certain functions easier to use. Less
than two years later, the X100T used the
same sensor and processor but gained
much-improved controls and an updated
viewfinder, making for a more satisfying user
experience. Readily available in both silver and
black, expect to pay £500-600 for a good
used example. The current model is the 2017
X100F, which benefits from a 24MP sensor,
faster processor, beefier battery and AF-point
joystick. It’ll set you back around £1,200 new,
or £900 in like-new used condition.Street
Fujifilm X100S
ALL PRICES WERE TAKEN FROM W W W.MPB.COM AT THE TIME OF WRITING
£444
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