There are very few ‘vintage’ cameras that garner as much attention as the Fujifilm X100, it is a camera that when debuted in 2010 were so full of issues that it divided users, but yet has carved a niche and dedicated cult following.
In fact, the weirdest thing is that in 2022 there was this huge wave led by Tiktok that pushed the X100 to the front again, with ‘tiktokkers’ (hope this is the right term) gushing over how much they love the images from the X100. (read this article from Petapixel to understand)
Love it or hate it, the 13 years old Fujifilm X100 series is indeed cemented as a classic .
I am not a ‘tik-tok person’, but I was curious enough to go to my dry cabinet and picked up my copy of the X100, kept there all these years, and gave myself some time with it.
The internal battery has since gave way (so settings are not saved when I do a battery change), and a call to the local Fujifilm Service centre recently was that they refused to fix it, and so this is a camera that is simply eking out a day by day existence before its components fail, but yet it felt good to hold it in my hands again.
The X100 lives in a tough to survive in segment, look at the Ricoh GR series, Leica Q series, Sony RX1 series and of course the Zeiss ZX1 series – there have been very clear winners and ones that clearly did not survive the test of time (ok, dead on arrival).
And as we know, the X100 series, now in it’s 5th iteration has proved to be a massive hit with users, solidly putting Fujifilm onto the map as a camera manufacturer.
So many of us have full interchangeable lens systems for our more professional work so this is a camera that fits squarely into the want department, not the need one. So why do we keep coming back? In fact, I have owned every single iteration of the X100 series, sometimes in both colours.
In fact, the X100 series is hardly a need, but more of want, but why do people keep coming back?
The X100 soul
And I guess this is where maybe words like, ‘soul of photography’ can be used in an appropriate manner. Just like the Leica M series, with its rangefinder system which some swear by and yet some find unacceptable in a camera that easily costs more than USD8000 on average for the newer models.
In fact, I can imagine more than 12 years ago, the development team at Fujifilm probably asked themselves the question below, and in doing so, cracked the formula for a fixed lens camera design that will stand the test of time.
“What if we design a high end fixed lens camera, made a large aperture lens with film inspired output and put it into a rangefinder inspired body?”
The mindset
There’s a certain mindset that comes with using the X100 series cameras. You forgo certain capabilities and wants, for example, the want for telephoto or wide focal lengths. You probably will miss quite a few shots that you will never miss with a Sony and you actually learn to accept the camera for what it is, strengths and weaknesses.
My X100 is hardly close to a modern camera, it has a 12 megapixels sensor, while a GFX100 has 102 megapixels and a Samsung S22 Ultra mobile phone has 108 megapixels. To shift the AF point, I actually need to press the ‘AF’ button , then use the 4-way controller to place it where I want – actions unforgivable by users in current 2023.
But even so, I do enjoy using the Fujifilm X100. It is a camera I have to work with and there lies the beauty of it. The X100 is not a camera where I can spray and pray (it can’t anyway).
As a user of professional systems, it is liberating to use a X100 camera, like how a Leica Q /Q2 makes me feel. As an user coming from mobile phones or from entry level point and shoots, the X100 camera feels like an upgrade, one really can understand why either way you have a happy user.
I would find using a specs perfect camera boring, and that wouldn’t be a camera I want to be bringing along on my non-work days.
The image quality
Fujifilm X100 is “a digital camera that mimics film.”, is a key reason I heard why it is still so loved.
The images from the X100 are hardly clinically perfect. The lens flares, gives a glowing effect when shot at F2 close to MFD, has only decent dynamic range and on, but yet they are beautiful in their own characterful way.
I always believe this is what Fujifilm prides themselves on, with their many film simulations that forms the DNA of the brand. As the X-Trans sensors got upgraded across the decade, of course the way the images render on the X100 is very different from the much more saturated and contrasty drawing of the more modern Fujifilm sensors nowadays.
I guess, the resurgence in film photograpy simply propelled this phenomenon forward.
The design
Oh so sexy. Need I say anymore? It took Fujifilm 4 generations to add a tilt screen to the almost perfect design, probably with worry for marring the design.
Perfect because of its imperfections.
The X100 series is hardly perfect.
In fact even comparing modern variants, my Ricoh GR III focuses more reliably than the X100V, which has hardly been firmware updated by Fujifilm functionality wise while the Q2 and GR III has really leap-frogged ahead with firmware updates. (yeap, Kaizen is probably dying or dead).
But my argument is, sometimes cameras become cult classics not because they were perfect performers to begin with, they are exactly classics because their uniqueness and idiocracies made us feel something when using them to photograph moments of our lives, and the X100 is indeed one such camera.
After I posted some photos some time ago, I received a very good offer for my X100. Thinking through, I decided to keep it and it is now back in my dry cabinet waiting for our next outing.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimers.
- All the images shared here were photographed by me and edited in LR Classic CC to my preferences.
- The Fujifilm X100 is a personal copy, gifted to me by a good friend for a photoshoot I did for him.
KeithWee | Photography 
Oh no Keith, you are going to cause the prices to go up ever further! Nice writeup.
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Hahaha oh no, thank you for the kind words. These are electronics end of the day and I feel, never a great idea to want to keep them as collector items
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Hi Keith, well written article again. Indeed, it is seldom the most technically advanced camera that stirs our hearts.
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thank you for popping by. 🙂 Yeap, I subscribe to the there is a camera for work and of course, a camera for everyday life philosophy.
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Exactly how I feel about my Fuji X30!!!
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Yeap, I started with the X20 too!
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Hi Keith and greetings from Perth Western Australia.
Found your page looking for reviews of the Leica Q2 , which I’m considering as my next camera purchase.
But have throughly enjoyed reading through the rest of page….still going.
Like you I have owned a few camera , but these days use mostly my Fuji X100F and a XT2.
Best wishes for 2023 and keep reviewing and…err…photoing
Enjoy your coffee 😁
Regards Dave
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Hi Dave! Greetings from Singapore here. Take care and thank you for spending the time here too!
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Thank you for this Keith.
I have recently acquired a Olympus E-P1 with the 17mm 2.8 prime lens. This lens on a Micro 4/3 sensor is the equivalent of a 23mm on a crop sensor.
The tonal range and quality of the photos are beautiful. I shoot RAW and JPG. I edit the RAW in Dark Table and apply film presets from t3mujinpack.
Great fun
I am mainly a Fujifilm shooter though haha.
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Hi! Wow, this got me excited ! The EP1 and 17/2.8 was my very first mirrorless camera and back then (even now) it is a camera of beauty.
Very glad to hear you found one set 😀
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Me again, I have just signed up as a member of your site.
My god you have a beautiful site and so many interesting articles.
Time to pour a glass of wine and start reading.
Again thanks so much for all this.
cheers from the west coast of Canada.
GM
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Thank you for the very kind words too 🙂 I guess this site is the result of a hobby that spiraled out of control and met with an extraordinary amount of kindness from the brands and readers 🙂
Your comment made my day too 🙂
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“After I posted some photos some time ago, I received a very good offer for my X100. Thinking through, I decided to keep it and it is now back in my dry cabinet waiting for our next outing.”
Ha, probably a good thing, Fujifilm ambassador Jonas Rask once said in an interview that he had met many people who had regretted selling their Fujifilm X-100, x-100s, x-100t, x-100f etc
I have the x100t and I simply love it and will not sell it. My main set-up is the Fujifilm x-T2 combined with various Asahi Takumar lenses mainly the 28mm f3.5 & the 35mm f3.5 and the 50mm f1.4 which all give a painterly look to my photos.
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Heh, thank you for reading. The X100 is still with me today , the LCD has died but I am still using it as an OVF-only camera and taking it for a spin now and then.
Jonas is one of the very few I respect a lot within the Fujifilm community , not just for his beautiful photos but also the way he writes and I am glad to be reminded of his words.
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Found this post by random and decided to dig my OG X100 from the storage. It still works perfectly and takes beautiful photos. Focus is pretty terrible in low light though.
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Glad to read that you have given it a second life 🙂 At this point of writing , sadly my set has died, sigh, quite sad.
Being a Fujifilm well I think the focusing is well… always a work in progress too.
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I never enjoyed a fuji camera since. Their change of sensor completely ruined my experience.
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Wow that’s quite a statement. I do agree that sensor updates over the years of course did bring around changes to image output but to say it ruined the whole experience it’s quite drastic imho
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