Most working photographers usually are looking for other cameras aside from their professional everyday ‘workhorse’ camera. We usually need these little toys to play with, far away from our big, black, and scary cameras. Whenever we’re going for pleasure instead of business, we throw these ‘play’ cameras in the bag.

I’ve owned some Canon IXUS in the past, some lomo film cameras, a Panasonic GF-1, and the latest is the Canon S95. I thought I could settle quite a while with the S95, it’s a great little camera, great look, superb quality images, even with high ISOs. It also shoots HD, at the size of a credit card.

A Panasonic GF-1 turned out to be disasterous for me. I’ve bought it because of the micro four-thirds craze (and it has interchangeable lenses!). I did not like it. It is slow, clumpsy, with mediocre images with awful color tint all over. I cannot stand the color. And it’s huge! With that 14-42mm long barrel it’s just too ugly to carry around. I ended up leaving it in my hotel room for my iPhone.

Then people started to talk about the Fuji FinePix X100.

Then people started to talk about the Fuji FinePix X100. They say it produces amazing images, great dynamic range, low noise, and not to mention it has the cool retro look. I was intrigued, but I was traumatized about even looking at another ‘medium’ sized camera (not a DSLR, not a pocket point and shoot) since the Panasonic.

But I get it anyways, with the promise of great color (very important for me) after I look around the raw files on the internet. Henry brought it for me when we met in Frankfurt, Germany, since on my advanced departure the camera was not in stock.

I’ve been in love since.

It has that subtle, realistic, somehow very lightly muted color. No striking punches there. The Nikon professionals DSLRs have it. The X100 has it. I love it. It requires no more retouching in my taste.

The dynamic range is awesome. The best I’ve seen from a non DSLR. Dare I say that it’s better than most professional cameras?

Also, this has been my first rangefinder camera. Some people argue that most rangefinders are ‘poor man’s Leica’, but I want to argue that the X100 is another camera by itself. I need no more stinkin’ Leica. At least for now 🙂

And the looks, oh man, I look good wearing this thing! People are also more unguarded when you approach them with this ‘not DSLR’ camera, which is the case why the photojournalism legends got those amazing moments moving around with their Leicas.

But the three most lovable things for me about this camera are the features people usually avoid when they look for a camera. It is slow (you only got, like, one chance if you’re looking for moments), it only has one fixed lens (a 35mm wide), and it has no crazy bokeh (well, it can, but only on the very close macro range).

Every beginners with a pocket camera always ask me how to get that 3Bs (Belakang Blur-Blur). People (and clients) decide on how beautiful an image based on this 3Bs.

Why do you love the fact that it is slow? Because in an age where I got spoiled by my 11 fps camera, finding that decisive moment is not that hard anymore. Spray and pray they say. You spray your camera, and you pray you nailed it. Not the case with this one. I need to calculate, predict, and be ready when it happens. One shot. Shooting with this thing has rejuvenate if not sharpen my senses again.

Why do you love the fact that it only has one lens? Because it forces me to think. Where should I stand? Where should I kneel? When should I get closer? How can I frame this? I love that feeling of dependability, of being powerless to your 35mm. You are stuck with it. This is no DSLR where you could get 17-200 anytime you want. Sissy. Real men like our forefathers of journalism shoot with nothing else but 35 and 50. Again, this dependability has sharpen my eye and my head and my vision.

Why do you love the fact that it has no crazy bokeh? Because lately, bokeh it what people look for in photography. (For those not holding a camera, bokeh is that lovely blurry background behind your sharp object) Every beginners with a pocket camera always ask me how to get that 3Bs (Belakang Blur-Blur). People (and clients) decide on how beautiful an image based on this 3Bs. If the image got it, it’s good. If it’s not, it’s a ‘stale’ image. Newsflash: 3Bs is not that hard. Get a $100 50mm f1.8 and you’re all set.

I am not trying to be holier-than-thou to this 3Bs thing. Sure I also use it all time too in my work, but we need to use it to complement, to help our image, not as a deciding factor whether our image is good or not. Everything else in your image are also important. Anyone with a fat bank account can go buy an f 1.2, but not everyone can shoot a great image.

These absence of 3Bs forces me not to rely on it, like I have so many times. Again, I love this fact. It makes me ‘pure’ again to go after that holy trinity in an image: exposure, composition, and moment. Not just the nice blurry background.

Photography at its simplest: One shot, one focal length, no blurry distractions.

Final word, the camera made me see again. I definetely could see myself taking a three day soul-satisfiying photo-trip to Jogja or Dieng only carrying this thing. To keep my edge. Photography at its simplest: One shot, one focal length, no blurry distractions. I almost vowed not to retouch (at least the color) on the images I shot with this thing.

Some examples from my X100 debut in Europe just now:

None of the pictures are retouched. Isn’t that just awesome? Look at those colours and dynamic range. Click any of the images to go to my new 500px gallery.

Also, I think, this is the most powerful thing you could be doing when you are learning photography. Sure the 12mm ultra wide look gorgeous, the fast shutter sounds cool, and you look ‘pro’ with all those bokeh. But like it’s been said to death mate, it’s the guy behind the thingie that counts.

Now, is there any couple around that would let me to shoot their wedding with the X100 only?

Apparently there is!

Read my next post.

fuji review x100