As someone who has never used a Fuji camera before, I thought it would be fun to share my perspective on the new Fuji X100T. So here are my thoughts and honest first-time impressions on this camera that’s new to me.
It might seem strange for someone with a Sony A7r and a 5Dmkii to go out and buy a small fixed-lens APS-C camera like this. I’m not one of those photographers who thinks one brand is better than another; rather, I will buy a camera that does what I need for the style I’m looking for. This Fuji X100T seems perfect for carrying around with me and taking photos of daily life.
My Canon is too big, and my Sony seems like Fisher Price built it, as it’s completely falling apart after only a year of significant traveling and carrying with me everywhere. So I needed a camera to fill that void, and guess what? No other camera is better for this than the Fuji X100T. Except maybe the Panasonic LX100, but I’m not interested in a Zoom m43 system; I forgot I said that.
Fuji X100T First Impressions
Not having any experience with Fuji before, I was surprised at how quickly I could navigate this camera and adjust all the settings. It’s all just right there and incredibly intuitive. This was a relief as camera manufacturers rarely get the UI right. Maybe it’s a Japanese thing, but up until a few years ago, navigating through any camera’s UI was painful.
The FujiX100T is very simple, and the customization options are amazing, which is better than expected. I had fun sitting there for 45 minutes the first night I got it, adjusting all the settings to suit my shooting needs, taking away worthless features like video of the main function buttons, and adding back on useful ones like ND filters and Flash controls.
Fuji X100T Image Quality
So far, I love the look of this camera. I haven’t had much time with it yet, but it gives me that Zeiss feel I get with my Zeiss lenses on my Sony A7r.
Plus, Fuji is probably the best company for making color profiles. They have spent years making the film look awesome, and we have several amazing film simulators, which I will post later.
It’s just so easy to take nice photos with this camera. Shots that would seem boring on my Canon or Sony just come to life with this camera. I can’t explain it. Maybe I have a new motivation because I have a new camera, but I don’t know. The color and contrast are so rich, and the bokeh is smooth. If I had to guess, I would say the lens and camera profiles are doing this for us.
The Looks And The Great Gear
My favorite part of this camera is how much you can customize it with accessories. It’s like Leica in that respect, but at a millionth of the cost. And the camera looks beautiful.
The FujiX100T is in black next to the FujiX100s in silver and a Sony A7r.
It was hard deciding whether I should go all black or silver. I know the silver looks classier and more expensive; it’s the ‘nicer looking’ of the two. Side by side, it is. But something about me was that I liked black more. It’s weird, I know the silver is prettier but I like the black so that’s what I went with.
Hopefully, the black will be more low-profile and turn fewer heads. I get enough people bugging me when I carry my giant white Canon lenses with comments like, “Gee, that’s a nice camera you got there.” With the silver Fuji, I’m sure it would be something like, “Gee, that reminds me of my dad’s old camera.” Hopefully, going black will alleviate some of this. Plus, that’s the camera Batman would use. So there you go.
The Shooting Experience
You have to use it to appreciate it. You might think using an optical viewfinder is outdated, and you’ll never hold it up to your face to shoot photos since you have an LCD screen. But this isn’t the case. It’s so fun using the optical viewfinder; the technology inside is far beyond anything anyone else uses. It’s this incredible fusion of classic photography mixed with cutting-edge technology.
Focus Speed
The Sony A7r’s focus speed is the fastest I’ve ever shot with. Yes, the Sony A7r is fast, but not in low light like the Fuji X100T. It’s also significantly snappier in every way than the Fuji X100s, especially regarding focus.
Depth of Field & Bokeh
Yes, the Bokeh is amazing—so creamy. It feels like you’re shooting a full frame. The fall-off is beautiful, giving it that amazing 3D feel.
Film Simulators
The film simulators are my favorite part.
I don’t think you even need to shoot RAW with this camera. You have several profiles to pick from. Just go for it. The camera is great with exposure; all you’ll need in a post is a little contrast.
I’ll have more samples after a full day with the camera. So bear with me.
Film Simulator Samples
These were taken in RAW, and the profiles were added to Lightroom. No contract or other post-processing was added.
VELVIA
ASTIA
PROVIA
Classic Chrome
Camera Pro Negative Std
Camera Pro Negative Hi
Monochrome +R
High-Speed Flash Sync With The Fuji X100T
Another cool feature I love about this camera is the ability to shoot with a high-speed sync flash fill. Because it’s a leaf shutter built into the lens, you end up with an insanely fast flash sync. This means you can turn your shutter to 1/10,000sec, completely dimming your background and allowing you to use your flash as a fill.
The formula for this shot was 1/1000 shutter, f2, ND-On, Flash -2/3, ISO auto. Works great.
You can see more photos I’ve taken using the flash here.
Fuji X100T First Impressions – Conclusions
I haven’t spent too much time with the camera yet, but I’m already enjoying taking it everywhere. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a camera so far, and it beats the hell out of an iPhone. And yes, I do love my A7r, which is awesome, but there are also many things I hate about the A7r. I haven’t found any hate yet in this Fuji.
Other Resources You Should Check Out
I’ve been keeping a list of all the gear and gadgets I use the most. You can see them here:
Best SD Memory Cards For The FujiX100T
Must-Have Accessories For The FujiX100T
This blog should get interesting over the next month or two as I uncover this camera’s secret nuances. So stay with me!
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Fujifilm X100T Sample Photos
An extremely rare sunset in West Hollywood. Taken from behind a tinted window.
ISO 200, f/16, 0.5sec
