Fuji X100S High ISO performance

[Puma Cat]

I just picked up a Fuji X100S rental today at BorrowLenses.com as I'm going to write a review of it for The Online Photographer.

Just dinkin' around with it getting it all set up properly, and took this ISO 1600 shot of my stereo. Nothing special about this shot at all, just getting a sense of what it can do indoors in low light.

Overall, the high ISO performance is impressive. Excellent and accurate color rendition, only a small amount of luminance noise that is easily managed in Lightroom 5.2, and good detail remaining even after the luminance and chroma noise attenuation. Most notable is that one can shoot at this ISO and perform noise reduction, and still have the detail hold up in a very natural-looking way, rather than the waxy or plasticy look that noise reduction often produces.



The bottom line is that the high ISO performance of digital cameras today is really getting very good. This image looks better than ISO 400 or 800 performance of just a few years ago.

[Alberto]

Who can look at that delicious setup and think camera .

Seriously, what a great setup.

Now, about the camera.

I don't have the x100s, but I have the original x100 and I enjoyed it so much that I sold my Leica M8. Of course a big part of that was that going around with $5-10K worth of camera and lenses meant that the Leica stayed home a lot, while I have no qualms about going around with a $1K camera.

I've been tempted to get the X100s and the high-ISO improvements are impressive - at least one f-stop it looks like.

Bottom line, great camera. I'll probably keep the x100 until the next-next generation comes in.

Alberto

[Puma Cat]

Thank you, Alberto. It is a nice setup, to be sure...no complaints on my end.

And yes, the new X100S looks impressive. It has the same X-Trans sensor at the Fuji X-Pro1.

[Puma Cat]

My standard "Famous Whiskies and Great Cameras" table top shot...

[AudioNut]

Stephen Puma Cat . . . You are one heck of a photographer and the tools you use to take your pictures ain't half bad either.

Do you think that the 100s would be a worthwhile addition to a basic fuji arsenal?

And, do you think a non-interchangable lens, single focal length, but relatively expensive, camera realistic for non professional/amateur photog. use?

.

[Puma Cat]

Hi Julian,
I think it's a great camera for street photography, much like a Leica with a 35mm lens. 35mm is a fairly useful focal length, and the camera is fairly small and compact.

[Puma Cat]

The X100S by X-Pro1

[jaxwired]

Whenever I see your system I'm always stunned how great the maple cabinets on your dyns look. I usually don't like maple as a finish but there's something about the contrast with the grey front baffle and the high quality of that veneer that I just love. They look gorgeous!

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by jaxwired

Whenever I see your system I'm always stunned how great the maple cabinets on your dyns look. I usually don't like maple as a finish but there's something about the contrast with the grey front baffle and the high quality of that veneer that I just love. They look gorgeous!

Hi Jax,

Funny you say that, because before I bought the Contours, I was more of a cherry or rosewood fan with respect to speaker cabinets. But, I also was so impressed with the maple on the Contours, that I decided to go with a maple and black and white theme throughout my small "living space" (hence the maple-like birch coffee table). I now really love the maple, and agree the speakers are very, very attractive. I have yet to be able to find a true maple coffee table that meets my requirements for color, style (Scandanavian or Danish) in the right shade of maple (I'd like to get rid of the Ikea one you see in the photo).

Another story, I have a friend in who has an absolutely beautifully designed custom home furnished in exquisite taste. All the shades are light with maple furniture and floors. He specifically mentioned that he wouldn't be able to put his Quads in his living room, but he would be able to put the Contours in the living room and still have a beautiful space (photo by Fuji X-Pro1, of course!)

[jaxwired]

Beautiful living space. I'm jealous of your friend. My two boys have been very rough on all our furniture and there's no point in buying new stuff until they're older. My wife has promised that someday we will live in a high rise apartment in a large metropolitan city like I've always dreamed about. Then I will get to have that sophisticated Danish modern space I want.