I’ve been shooting Fuji since I sold my Micro 4/3 bodies and lenses and bought a brand new Fujifilm X-E1 with an 18-55 kit. Since then there have been a series of Fuji interchangeable bodies bought and sold along with a growing collection of Fujinon and adapted lenses. All this time I never owned any of the X100 series of cameras. It was time to address this deficiency.
After researching the different models and determining a price point I thought I could get away with, I settled on a VERY used X100S purchased through Amazon for around $400. When it arrived and I pulled it out of the shipping box, even old and all scratched up, it was a beauty.
Travel Buddy
This little X100S is, for me, my little travel buddy. It lives in my messenger bag traveling with me between work and home. It then moves into my coat pocket when I go out in the evenings or weekends. I never owned a 35mm equivalent lens before and am pleasantly surprised by its versatility. I am finding it a camera for all places and all occasions.
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| X100S Go Kit |
Pictured above:
Filter Stack: All filters are 52mm originally purchased to use with the Fujinon 35/F1.4. To use them with the X100S I use a 49-52mm step up ring.
Image Quality
Mostly, I am pleased with the image quality. Here are a few pictures I took with the X100S during the past couple of weekends:
Final Verdict
In hindsite, I wish the button layout and functions of the X100S more closely mirrored the X-E1 and up. I am getting used to it, but often when changing settings or focus points, I still have to stop and think and override my muscle memory. The X100T addresses this as its control layout takes its cue from the X series interchangeable bodies. However, for total ease of control, I should have bought the X100F to seamlessly move between it and my nearly identical, but larger, XPro2… But that is an obsession for another day.
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| My XPro2 wanted a little brother. I was happy to adopt. |
In 2018, I have no regrets getting ye olde X100S. It may not be the fastest system with all the bells and whistles, but its build and image quality holds up well today. It is small enough to go places and good enough to get the job done and is a bargain on the used market.