I know a lot about phones. Quite a bit about computers. A crazy amount about melting cheese on things. Very little about cameras.
In fact, I pretty much assumed cameras were on the endangered species list, or that they were at least about to be fully absorbed into the list of smart phone features forever.
Turns out, I am indeed an ignorant, know-nothing bozo...
When I was asked to review the Fujifilm X-T100, I pointed out I'd be doing so as someone who's spent the last 10 years taking photos exclusively with his phone. This means, in basic terms, I was likely to be impressed with the pictures, but frustrated with the technology.
Whatever I was expecting when I opened the box, it wasn't something that looked like... well a camera. Even when I owned and used a digital camera, it didn't really look like a camera - it was a little box with a little screen on the back.
The Fujifilm X-T100 is a real, live camera - just like you see in the movies.
It's got all these cool buttons, knobs and windy things on the top. It comes with one of those big twist-around lenses and the body's made of that black grippy stuff like all cameras used to be. At first it was slightly intimidating, especially when it took me several attempts to snap the lens into place. That's right; I really wasn't joking about being a photographic philistine.
I soon found operating an actual camera is not a million miles away from using one on your phone, it's just that instead of swiping left or right on a screen, there's a physical dial or button to push for any of the functions you may require. In some cases, there's more than one way to do what you're trying to do. If you thought colour filters and effects were strictly a smart phone thing, think again. Black and white, sepia, over exposure - all easily accessible and quite customisable too. There's also a wide selection of replica film modes that simulate shooting with different types of film.
This is where I start to get a bit lost. What is "film?"
Back to more familiar territory; the touch screen. Although in most respects the X-T100 has the appearance of a traditional SLR camera, it does feature a 3-inch touch screen which is described as being able to tilt "3 different ways." This is technically true, I suppose. Certainly you can flip it right out on a side hinge in order to take selfies. It also tilts up and down a bit, presumably to give you a view of any shots you're trying to take from weird angles. In order to do this, there's a complicated, somewhat clunky set of frames and hinges behind the screen that I feel could easily get gummed up in any kind of dusty or dirty environment. This is a shame, because the camera as a whole feels uber sturdy and durable and to be perfectly blunt, bloody solid.
The touch screen works pretty well - certainly not as sensitive or as high-def as your fancy phone screen - but it has all the familiar pinch zoom, drag and swipe controls we're used to. This means you can replicate most of the functions all those physical buttons, knobs and switches do on the screen if you prefer.
Of course, the cool thing about the X-T100 is you don't have to use that screen at all. There's an old-school viewfinder too. (Well, feels old-school, but obviously it's fully electronic) You can choose to use either the screen, the viewfinder or both - the camera automatically senses when you put your eye up to the viewfinder and changes the display accordingly. This always worked flawlessly.
So you may be wondering... does this thing actually take decent pics?
Given it costs $1299 and you can't call, text, browse or post with it, it better take decent pics.
I'm being silly. I know that's only entry-level pricing for a proper camera, but from what I've seen so far, the options offered by the X-T100 deliver more than your average starter device. My fourteen year-old thinks it's the most authentic, retro and coolest thing she's ever seen - so I let her loose with it.
I've never been a fan of publishing dozens of photos to demonstrate a camera - especially when there are so many methods of editing them after you've taken them. But here are a few to show how easy the X-T100 is for a couple of novices to use...
See? Cat pics and selfies aren't just a phone thing. I won't tell you which ones I took and which ones she took, see if you can figure it out.
As great as this camera is, there are drawbacks. The video options are pretty terrible - no 4K here and average sound unless you plug in an external mic.
My biggest issue is connectivity; don't be fooled by the "Wireless Communication" option - that just means connecting the camera to your device via bluetooth, not straight to the web over WiFi. Even doing that is complicated and clumsy because it involves an app confusingly called, "Camera Remote" which often disconnected itself, if I could get it to connect at all.
In the end I've found it much easier to pop out the memory card and copy the contents directly onto my computer - something Fujifilm definitely needs to work on.
That said, if like my fourteen year-old monster, you've awoken a passion for photography, the X-T100 seems like a fairly priced first step into a world I don't fully understand. Apart from anything else, this camera really does look just like a camera.
Click here for more information on the Fujifilm X-T100
No comments:
Post a Comment