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I will start right off who this camera is not for. If you are looking for an all-around camera, this is not it (Get a GH1 or GH2). If you try to use it as an all around camera you will hate it. If you don't have a good fast camera already then this camera is probably not for you. If you are trying to take pictures of moving objects, this camera is probably not for you. This camera takes a fair amount of time to set up a shot so any fast moving subject will be very difficult to capture properly. This camera is in no way a beginners camera. If you are looking to just point and shoot, then you will need to look elsewhere.
If you like to take your time to frame and set the exposure on your camera then this might be the camera for you. If you want a small portable camera, with exceptional picture quality, great noise qualities, and a built in view finder, then this is most likely the camera for you. If you want an exceptionally quite camera, this one is amazing. There really is no other digital camera like it.
This camera reminds me mostly of shooting my Leica M8 and that is a good thing. If you think of the X100 as an automatic manual focus you can get some really nice shots.
I initially bought the X100 to shoot outdoor portraits and it does that very well. Better than any other camera around right now. That was the initial reason I decided to keep the X100. When I first shot with it I really did not like the handling and was thinking of returning it. My big mistake was trying to use this as an all around camera when it is not.
However, I just spent a week shooting the camera in Berlin and I really enjoyed using it. My kit was a GH1, GH2, and X100. I left all of my Nikons at home as they are too big and heavy. With interchangeable lenses and fast handling the GH cameras can cover almost every conceivable shooting situation. With a fixed lens and slow handling the X100 is limited in what it can cover. However, it makes you slow down and really set up the shot the way you want it. The DSLRS and M4/3 are so fast that it is easy to reel off a number of good shots. The X100 makes you savor each shot. Because of that I really enjoyed shooting it. Just as a comparison I shot 750 (2 battery charges) with the X100. And 1300 frames with the GH2. I had 465 X100 (62%) and 829 GH2 (64%) shots that I liked. I got 132 X100 (18%) and 205 GH2(16%) shots that I really liked. And I got 4 X100 (.5%) and 9 GH2 (.7%) that were my favorite of the trip. As you can see the statistics are very comparable. Use a tool in the way it was designed and you should be able to get consistent results.
The X100 fits very nicely in the Lowa Rezo 60 bag that I loop through my belt. It will also fit in a jacket pocket. I don't like carrying the weight around my I neck so I do not use a neck strap. Instead I purchased a very cheap wrist strap and use that to keep the camera secure.
The way I have the camera setup is as follows:
Quick Startup On
OVF power save Off
Display Option EVF and Back screen
Fn Button 3 Stop ND Filter
Auto ISO 3200 / 1/30
The reason I have the camera setup like this is as follows. I switch the camera off to save power when not in use. The quick startup allows for a .7 start. I use the EVF most of the time so I don't need the OVF power save on. Also, the OVF power save option does some weird things so I don't use it. I use the EVF and back display to switch depending on how I want to frame the shot either back screen or EVF. The camera switches between the two based on whether you put your eye up to the viewfinder or not. The 1/1000 max shutter speed is very limiting at f2 so the ND filter gives a 1/8000 equivalent and is built right in but is activated in the menus. I use it very regularly so I have it set to the fn key. I have the ISO set to auto because it is a pain to get to. The camera does a very good job of keeping ISO down until the shutter speed starts to drop below 1/30. The IQ is very good at ISO3200.
Here are a couple of techniques for using the X100. Both utilize EVF.
1) Set your camera to manual focus and spot focusing. Put the focus square on the subject. Press the focus/exposure lock button to focus the camera. Move the center to where you want to meter and press the shutter release half way to set exposure. Now frame for the picture and shoot.
2) Set you camera to auto focus S. Put the focus square on the subject. Press the shutter release half way to set focus and exposure. Frame the picture and press the shutter release the rest of the way to shoot.
On the down side the menus and buttons need some work but they can be fixed with a firmware update. An example of the poor menus deals with ISO. Setting the ISO is on the shooting menu. Setting up the Auto ISO and switching it on and off is on the setup menu. What is labeled as a RAW button would have been much more useful as an ISO button. I have not tried the video as it is a pain to get to buried in the menus and not as a distinct button.
One of the big selling items is the Hybrid Optical/EVF systems. I did not purchase this camera because of this. However, I leave the camera in EVF most of the time. The EVF shows you what the sensor sees and thus allows for accurate framing. The OVF is a guestimate and at close distances is not a very good guess. Therefore, the Hybrid system is overhyped. If Fuji had just put in a EVF I would have been happy. For those who must be able to see outside the frame and who are not bothered by a poorly framed photo then the OVF is a choice. The other issue with OVF deals with focus. The X100 is a spot focus camera. You can move the spot but it still focuses on one spot. That spot does not necessarily line up with what you see in the OVF. Therefore, you can get some out of focus shots when you think you have everything lined up.
A lot has been made of the X100 price tag. One thing to note is there have been some people paying 2x the price on ebay. There is no real competitor to the X100 as it is unique. However, the Leica X1 with OVF and Ricoh GXR with 24mm and OVF are close. The X1 with OVF costs 2x as much. The GXR with 28mm and OVF costs about the a couple of hundred dollars more but is a little pieced together, still has no EVF option and is not on par with the X100 build quality. Also, cameras invariably come down in price so you can expect for the X100 to come down some.
On the whole the camera is very rewarding to use and takes some fantastic photographs. But you are going to have to work for it. Maybe that is why you take more ownership in your photos Because of the high ISO capabilities and extreme quite abilities, this is a great museum camera. For a fixed lens camera, the 35mm equivalent is a good compromise walk around focal length around. Not too wide that you can't use it for portraits and not so narrow that you have to back up to get in wide items.
Pros:
Unique
Great Build Quality
Amazing Photos weak AA filter
Great High ISO on par with D7000 or K5
Deafeningly Quiet
Light
Small (Fits in a jacket pocket)
Great Satisfaction in Shooting Great Pictures
Cons:
Slow
Horrible Menus which you are forced to use because of the lack of dedicated buttons or quick menu system.
Manual Focus Almost Worthless
Back Rotating Knob Button Annoying and Frustrating to use
RAW button is a waste and would have been much better as a ISO or fn button
Overall this is a very satisfying and rewarding camera which makes great pictures. The camera is 4 stars because of the poor menu system and controls. However, the intangible reward you get from using this satisfying camera make it greater than the whole and give an extra .5 point for total of 4.5 stars.
Update July 9
I have been shooting with this camera for a little over 2 months now. It is definitely an amazing camera. The firmware update made the camera more useable and the optical view finder is now actually usable. There still needs to be further improvement but it was a definitive move in the right direction.
Something else I have discovered is the Auto White Balance is amazing. It is by far the best in the world. I was shooting at night with all sorts of crazy lights, incandescent, sodium vapor, moon, etc. The auto white balance pulled off the shot. Amazing. During the day the white balance is equally terrific. Additionally, while the autofocus was slow, ISO 1600 and F2 allowed me to catch night shots of slowly moving objects and keep up the shutter speed at 1/30. The results were fantastic. The camera would not always lock focus but it allowed me to take the picture and more often than not the picture was in focus.
Still not a beginners camera nor an all around camera, this camera has some amazing capabilities that no other camera can match.
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