Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsAlmost a home-run, poor Fujifilm decision-making hampers X100F
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2018
It bothers me to rate this fine camera only 3 stars; however, it equally frustrates me that Fujifilm, a photography-centric company going back to the mid-1930's, saw fit to hobble its usability in a most fundamental way. The following critique may not apply to your usage style; however, it does mine as it does many photographers with vastly more talent and skill than I have.
The X100F I am using has been updated to Fujifilm's current firwmare version 2.10.
In short, Fujifilm removed the basic capability to conveniently and easily view and navigate shooting and preset menus on the rear LCD, in my case forcing me to view and change menu items by having the camera raised to my eye - menus appear in the viewfinder only. Ready access to the rear LCD for menuing is a most basic capability of the cheapest and most capable cameras out there, and this one is nowhere near cheap. It is worth noting that there are particular modes which will get menu items on the rear LCD but these are limiting. Read on.
There are four basic viewing/shooting presets. These are accessed sequentially through a button on the rear of the camera, and they determine how the viewfinder and rear LCD interact with each other during the picture taking and review process. These are: (rear) LCD Only, Eye Sensor, Viewfinder Only, Viewfinder Only + Eye Sensor.
LCD Only disables viewfinder electronics, forcing everything to the rear screen, essentially mimicking Smartphone-style camera shooting. In this mode one can navigate and use all menus and review photos. All features/functions are accessible on the rear LCD via physical camera controls.
Eye Sensor will toggle viewfinder electronics or any menu items (in the viewfinder) with the rear LCD. What determines the toggled state is whether a sensor proximal to the viewfinder detects something blocking it (it doesn't care if it's your eye, camera bag or body if using a neck strap. If the sensor is blocked the VF is used, if unblocked the rear LCD fires. In this mode all menus and features are accessible via both VF and rear LCD (dependent on sensor state).
Viewfinder Only keeps all VF electronics and menu items there. The rear LCD is used only for picture review. Repeat, the rear LCD is used ONLY for picture review.
Viewfinder Only + Eye Sensor does NOT toggle state with the rear LCD. It's purpose is to fire up the VF if the sensor detects something covering it (supposedly your eye but need not be,) and then to power down the VF when it it does not detect coverage. In this mode the rear LCD can be used ONLY for picture review.
At this point one can see that menu items are only accessibly on the rear LCD in two out of the four viewing modes, so if the desire to see menu items on the rear LCD is of importance to you (as it is to me), you are immediately shut out of two of the four modes you have paid to enjoy. In my case I enjoy using the VF for all framing and real-time photo decisions while using the rear LCD exclusively for picture review, preparatory menu settings and general perusing.
The above shooting style, which I suspect is very common, is currently NOT possible. The closest one can get to it is through Eye Sensor mode which has the camera making toggling decisions based on sensor state. This is not an option for me because the way I use the camera will have the sensor frequently and incorrectly tripping operating states and, further, I don't necessarily want a Live View picture image burning on the rear LCD when my eye is not at the VF.
LCD Only is of course not an option for those who wish to use the VF. In my case all shooting mode options have been removed based on my desired criteria.
And therein lies my message. For this kind of money, please be clear on how you photographically operate before spending it. I originally assumed this camera would operate on a basic level as all others. Over time I've tried to adjust but I'm not compatible with the way the camera is forcing me to adapt. As a consequence the enjoyment of this otherwise awesome piece of electronics is greatly diminished. I will be selling it.
Many, including me, have written to Fujifilm requesting this very issue be addressed in a firmware update - should be simple enough - but Fujifilm does not listen. Perhaps they find this oversight of the X100F to be a charming quirk. I assure you it isn't.
I went from Nikon DSLRs to Fujifilm mirrorless. In 2019 Nikon will be releasing their more capable mirrorless lineup. I suspect I will be returning to the mothership.
