Fujifilm X100T Field Test

Within an hour or two of unpacking my first digital camera way back in 1996 (a Nikon Coolpix 100 demo unit), I was already dreaming about a compact fixed-lens digital camera for enthusiast photographers with real, direct exposure and focus controls. Sadly, a combination of bad luck and laziness had prevented me from shooting with any Fujifilm X-series models before now, so I jumped at the opportunity to try out the new X100T and see if my almost two-decade longing could be satisfied.

Design & Handling. As I unboxed the Fujifilm X100T, I had a few immediate impressions. It is indeed a great-looking camera. It’s just a tad bigger than I was hoping, but it’s also lighter than I expected, a good thing in a camera that I intended to use as a carry-everywhere quality snapshooter. The camera body itself, as well as the control dials and buttons, generally have a high quality feel, but I was disappointed in the somewhat flimsy, light feel of the rear command dial, which is too easy to turn.

Performance. I found the Fujifilm X100T to be a fairly good performer overall, with a couple of modest exceptions. Once I had it on and activated, it responded essentially instantly to any control inputs, but it was sometimes just a bit slow to wake from sleep. It’s a small issue, and in my outings with the X100T I didn’t miss any shots because of it, but I think if I owned one, this might rear up and bite me every now and then.

As I mentioned in part 1 of this report, my first time out with the Fujifilm X100T was to shoot the Thanksgiving Day parade, and my next two shoots after that were also outdoors during daylight. I shot most of my images on these walks using the camera’s Single AF (AF-S) autofocus setting, and it worked very well for me, focusing quickly and decisively. On one walk, I suddenly noticed a construction crew just as they were fastening cables to a crane hook, and I was able to focus and shoot in a second or less; the camera’s AF system was easily quick enough for this kind of street shooting. On later outings, I tried the X100T’s AF system on nighttime subjects in the East Village neighborhood, and here again the camera focused well on the high-contrast subjects I was shooting using the AF-S mode. With some later indoor shots in restaurants, the X100T’s AF-S system was somewhat slower but still worked reasonably well, focusing accurately in about a second or a little less.