Recently, there was a post on a blog I read regarding GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), which is exactly what it sounds like, suffering an insatiable desire for gear. I do admit I suffer GAS from time to time (like 90% of the time actually), but the point here is not that people suffer from it. The issue lies in whether folks use gear (or lack of it) as a reason to not take the opportunity and do what they really want to do (in this case, make photographs).
A year ago, if this topic came up in conversation, I would have sworn to you that I would only need a single camera for my digital work. Anything beyond that was considered ludicrous. This is still true for portrait work. I do not see myself moving to another system anytime soon.
Street photography, however, is another story. When I first began, I was immediately drawn to the genre of street photography due to its convenience. Over the past year and a half, I continued to partake in this genre but not as often as when I started. At the time, I could not tell you why I was not doing it as frequently. It was only recently that I could really put my finger on it.
Technology has made photography much more accessible and attractive as a creative outlet, hobby or whatever you want to call it. The Internet laid out the pipelines necessary to get work out into the world with relative ease. Improvements in digital camera technology have made the DSLR a household item. Last week as I was strolling through Pike Place for photos, I saw a DSLR hanging off of someone every 30 seconds. Not even kidding. Yes, it is a huge tourist destination and yes, it is not a surprise to see people with cameras. But prosumer DSLRs for everyone? That I was not expecting to see. I had to walk away from that area. I felt like I could not breathe there. I was another photographer in an already saturated area. Although the growth of the photographic community is a plus, the downside to the digital revolution is the awareness of our subjects to us photographers. The second you raise your DSLR, people take notice and being noticed can spoil it when it comes to capturing street scenes.
DSLRs are bulky. Having a 3 to 5 pound camera hanging off your body while walking around for multiple hours takes its toll. You become fatigued. You lose your focus. You take less shots. You lose motivation. Pretty soon you find yourself on the next bus home. Constantly holding a DSLR in the "ready" position can be tough as well. For me, I ended up with hand cramps after a couple of hours on the street with my 5DII in my main hand. It never felt comfortable. Forget about leaving it hanging on a strap. You might as well get on that bus.
Despite my belief of gear not mattering, I was becoming a believer of gear making a difference in street photography. I began looking to what other street photographers have used in the past and checked out various street photography blogs. My requirements were fairly simple. I was interested in something compact for convenience and, more importantly, to help me blend into the scene. Overall speed was also a priority.
Enter the Fujifilm x100s.
This camera is fantastic for street photography. The small form factor (resembling 35mm film rangefinders) allowed me to become much less noticeable (although not invisible, sorry). As many reviewers of this camera have mentioned, this camera is dead silent. When I began first shooting with this camera, I was not exactly sure when the frame was being taken, which is problematic when trying to catch quick moments. However, once learned the timing, the silent operation became a blessing when trying to blend into the crowd.
Interestingly, subjects seemed to take me less seriously as a photographer with this camera. They would see my camera, think it was a simple point and shoot, and move on. The x100s is not for the faint of heart. You have to be active with this camera. You have to be courageous. The 23mm fixed lens (35mm full frame equivalent) forces the you to get close and immerse yourself into the scene. If you allow yourself to take the pictures, the camera will reward you. Given the size of this camera, the image quality is fantastic. When ignoring the size of the camera, the images are still fantastic. If an image from the x100s were placed next to an image from my full frame 5DII, I am willing to bet most folks would not be able see a difference. In addition to the excellent optics, the way in which the sensor renders tones and color is magical. Echoing what others have said, Fuji's extensive experience with color and tone from the film era is well represented by the brilliance of their X-Trans II CMOS sensor. When in the correct light, the straight-out-of-camera image from the x100s blows my 5DII out of the water. I cannot seem to put it into words. I am happy to shoot JPEG with this camera because the files need little to no adjustment. The images below were taken as JPEGs on the x100s.
The x100s does have some room for improvement. The autofocus is not the best, although from what I have read, it is a vast improvement over the previous model, the x100. After a couple of days of shooting, I found myself zone focusing on the street. The AF is simply not fast enough for on-the-fly snapshots.
The button layout on the back is messy. I have to put my thumb in a specific spot for it to be comfortable and not hit buttons on accident. On a similar note, the ergonomics of this camera is only okay. I wish there was a more defined spot for the thumb, more specifically a thumb grip on the right back side of the camera. The new XT-1 has this. I guess I cannot have everything (yet).
The battery life sucks. At first I had everything on (back display, AF, image review) and the battery would drop from full to zero in 1.5 to 2 hours. Once I turned off the back display for image preview and information as well as the autofocus, I was able to walk 3-4 hours on a single battery with extra juice to spare when I got home.
The menu system was not immediately intuitive for me. I found myself having to press multiple buttons and scrolling through multiple menus to engage the built-in 3 stop ND filter (I suppose this could be considered a "new user" issue and nothing more). Users have the option to program one item to the customizable "function" button, but I found myself changing the ISO more than anything so I left it as is (ISO is the default). I would wish for more customizable buttons, but that would kill the beauty of this camera, which is simplicity. When you want to take the x100s out, you don't need to think about which lens to bring or what bag to use. Just grab and go. Half the battle to great imagery is getting out the door. To me, my DSLR is like a fat cat sitting on my couch wanting to be fed. The x100s is an energetic dog wanting to go out for a walk. It evokes the spirit of photography. Cliche but true.
If folks reading this are up to speed on the Fuji X series camera releases, you are probably asking why I did not invest in the XT-1. Simply put, I wanted the leaf shutter lens and the 3 stop ND filter. That is a personal choice because I love to strobe (it does work with Paul C Buff Einstein and their set of triggers by the way). I already have an interchangeable lens system and I fell in love with the small form factor of the x100s. And with the rumored release of the XPro-2 with full frame, I might have a new replacement for my Canon 5DII on the way.
As for the title of this post and how this turned into a review, I was first inspired to write because of how wonderfully different this camera was, not because it was a new piece of gear. The x100s is a game changer and other photographers have taken notice. Fujifilm is leading a new charge and I believe it is in the right direction. They listen to their customers. Just look at their progression from the x100 to x100s for proof. What is the last thing Canon or Nikon did in their line ups? I think Canon released a white colored body or something silly like that. Nikon added an "S" and came out with DF (oh the DF...).
I love this thing.
Keep Shooting.
