PC heads out to buy an HDTV, comes back with a camera

[Puma Cat]

Been thinking lately of getting one of the newer HDTVs that are LED backlit; so I head out to Costco with tape measure in hand to see if I can get the one I wanted actually into the car; it was going to be tight, but didn't look like it would fit, so decided to put that off to another time. While I was browsing around though, my eye caught the new Fujifilm X10 digital camera. I've been a fan of Fujifilm digital cameras since I got my litte wundercamera, the famous F31fd....still the low light king amongst point and shoots.

When the X100 debuted last year, I was really smitten with it's looks, and even more so with it when I played with a friends Special Edition black one yesterday. Absolutely gorgeous rangefinder-style digital camera. While it has a superb lens, it's a fixed lens, and limited to a 35 mm equivalent focal length. While many fine photographs have been taken with a Leica and a 35 mm lens, I wanted something with some variation on focal length, and wasn't ready to pop for the new Fujifilm X Pro-1, which costs about $2400, but does support interchangeable lenses.

After doing some online reading about it on DPReview and Luminous Landscape on my iPhone while at Costco, I decided to pop for the little Fujifilm X10. $549 and included a lens hood, 8 gig card and extra battery.

Then zipped over to one of the few remaining decent camera stores in the Bay Area, Looking Glass, and bought a Fujifilm hard leather case for it. This is a really nice hard shell leather case with velvet lining, just camera cases of old.

This really is quite a lovely camera that harkens back to the rangefinder film cameras of years gone past. It's absolutely beautifully made with an all-metal and substantial-feeling body, an optical viewfinder that really works, real knob controls on the top and back for shooting modes, exposure compensation, and even knob and wheel adjustments on the body for adjusting shutter speed and aperture on the camera body when shooting in manual; this is one sweet little camera! The camera turns on in an interesting way, you move the lens zoom adjustment ring from off position to the desired focal length. This camera is cool because the zoom function is on the lens, just like the zoom on a full SLR-lens, and makes for very intuitive operation, much better than a zoom button near the shutter button. Really fast autofocus, a 12 Mpixel 2/3" Fuji EXR sensor (much larger than sensors in point-and-shoots) that can shoot at both 6 and 12 megapixels, and delightful shutter button with virtually no lag. It even has a classic threading in the button for a cable shutter release...cool, man. Lots of different shooting modes, including those you can customize for yourself. Comes with metal lens cap that goes on like those old lens caps from Leica IIIs...way cool. The build quality and function of this camera just exudes class...

And of course, that great Fujifilm performance at available and low light. What's not to like?

Here are some pix:

Nice, attractive box and packaging


Camera off and closed with it's metal lens cap in place


Lens cap off, and camera off...note position of zoom ring on the lens


Camera on and lens racked out to 50mm....


Back of the camera showing controls and buttons.


This camera has a superb, crisp and sharp Fujinon lens, with excellent lens speed; f/2.0 at full wide, and f/2.8 at 112mm!

This will be a great "interim" body; much more functional and versatile than my much-loved little Fuji F31fd point-and-shoot, but not the bear that the Canon 1D MKII is to lug around (along with all it's lenses!)

Will post some pics from the camera in the next day or so, but I'm looking forward to getting to know this bad boy over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

[TommyC]

Awesome choice. Being a Fuji fan myself, this is the camera I'll get right now if my F200EXR stops working. I had a chance to play with the X10. It felt very nice and the built quality was very good for a compact camera.

Enjoy!

Btw, the X-E1 is coming out in a week. It's a lower model to the X-Pro 1. No OVF, has onboard flash, and faster AF. It should be ~1K body only. The X Pro-1 is also being discounted.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by TommyC

Awesome choice. Being a Fuji fan myself, this is the camera I'll get right now if my F200EXR stops working. I had a chance to play with the X10. It felt very nice and the built quality was very good for a compact camera.

Enjoy!

Yes, Tommy, I am very impressed with the build quality of this nice little camera. It comes with a nice range of accessories, too, like a real speedlight, a lens hood, and the nice hard-shell leather case. It's a delight to hold and use and the autofocus and shutter is way fast, much faster than my 'lil F31fd.

I'll keep you posted of my impressions and some pix!

[Puma Cat]

On my home, thought I would stop and take some pics at the Japanese Garden, but they were closed; still got some pics though it was overcast:









The Michell Gyro at ISO1600, available late evening light (no flash)...


Still life of my wall, available light, no flash ISO400

[dhizzle]

I love the retro rangefinder looks of this camera. Are there any other makers doing similar retro style cameras, besides Fujifilm?

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by dhizzle

I love the retro rangefinder looks of this camera. Are there any other makers doing similar retro style cameras, besides Fujifilm?

[chessman]

Stephen, I have been looking to upgrade my old Fuji "pro-sumer" and that ringing endorsement may have just sealed the deal. Thanks!

[dhizzle]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

The Leica's are beautiful cameras but I was hoping for something a little easier on the wallet.

[TommyC]

Stephen, that ISO1600 shot is very impressive. Compact camera has come a long way.

dhizzle... try Olympus, they have some retro looking m4/3 camera system. Or if you can wait, the upcoming Fujifilm X-E1 is easier on the wallet.

[Jerome W]

Stephen,

Congrats on your new camera. Love the look.
The interior pics are impressive. The colors are very natural. Did you photoshop them ?

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