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  1. those of us older photo bugs would love a “professional” VIEWFINDER HYBRID “LIGHT WEIGHT” DIGITAL to easily carry around like the X100. a short “sharp” zoom of 28 to 90mm would be great, with an F2 all the way through.
    weather seal would be a seller if we can afford it. PLEASE HURRY !

  2. How on earth can people take orders for pre-release when the weight still hasn’t been announced?!! Ok I’m being pedantic maybe, but what’s the big secret? Is it not finished yet? Or has nobody weighed it?

    I am very tempted to pre-order – been hanging back over spending my little savings pot on my ideal camera to keep for some time. But am still hesitant. If the lens and picture quality isn’t as good as we all hope, I would rather get an E-PL2 or E-P2 and put up with menus.

  3. I haven’t read all these replies but are people honestly going to buy something that has not been tested or kicked about yet?

    It won’t make your photos better so no need to rush in like lemmings.

    I may buy one to be my digital camera for when I decide to use digital – but not until at least someone I trust has kicked it about for a couple of months.

    • Based on the specs and the press bumf I believe it will make my photos *slightly* better, but more importantly, a LOT more fun 🙂

      People like me are rushing in to buy it so that I can tell people like you whether it’s good or not. Fair deal no?

  4. The X100 was apparently available for pre-order at BH Photo & Video a few hours ago… and subsequently no longer available a few minutes later. Seems like the demand for this camera is real! I hope people are prepared to wait for a few months if they decide to only order after reviews come out…

  5. I am so eager for the reviews to come in (especially Steve’s)!! I am definitely going to wait till then before making any decision on this beauty!

  8. Call me crazy, but I just preordered it. I simply have to try this baby. Reading tests is fun, but can not replace hands on experience. And besides, Adorama’s return policy is such that the risk is limited, in case it’s a lemon.

  9. Id love to order it, but i think i will wait after few good reviews before i make my mind. Im sure here in Europe will be around 1000 euros which is just about the same as a second hand X1 and thats a problem for me. X1 is proven to deliver the IQ and lack of VF is not a deal breaker here. We’ll see. We are all waiting for you Steve! Make some phone calls 🙂

  10. I’d have no problem ordering one right now if the price wasn’t ridiculously steep…and I actually had $1200 to spare.

    • Really? My opinion is the price is just right and if this camera lives up to the hype it will be a GREAT price. A NEX-5 kit is $650-ish so for double we get a nice RF looking/feeling body with a supposedly superb prime lens, a hybrid VF and almost all of the features we are looking for in a camera like this. If the sensor is anything like previous Fuji SLR’s we are in for a treat because I always got the best color from Fuji DSLR’s. I can not wait to review this camera!

      • Comparing the X100 to a NEX5 is like comparing a manual Humvee to an automatic Prius. They’re both cars, but they’re entirely different beasts with polar-opposite control ideologies 🙂

        The lens the X100 needs to beat is undoubtedly the Panny 20mm f/1.7. There is no other lens so close to it in terms of DOF capabilities, form factor and speed. The big question is, can the X100 fully utilise the advantages of a larger sensor, or will it ignore them like the NX10 did?

        I believe Fuji will give us something spectacular, after all they’re able to tailor the lens-sensor combo to the point where the large (27mm diameter!) rear lens element is only 5.6mm away from the sensor. =O

        • Not necessarily. The X100 will run in fully auto, just like a NEX so it is not an all manual Humvee. All I was stating was that you have these little cameras out that are more like toys (that I really enjoy BTW) and they sell for $600+. Yet we have a very nice looking camera from fuji that l=is making everyone drool and there are those upset at the $1200 price. If it is as good as it seems then $1200 is a great price. Just right. I would also guess that the lens on the Fuji will easily meet or exceed the 20 1.7 in performance but time will tell. We will all either be disappointed or this camera will be sold out for months. Lol.

          • I forgot to mention that I was referring to the X100’s plethora of mechanical control dials vs the NEX’s touch-wait-touch-wait-touch-screen 🙂

            I know I’m not alone when I say that the X100 seems like a camera made specifically for me – when it was announced I just had to have it.

            Olympus and Panasonic re-opened the doors to compact prime photography for many people, and the attention the X100 is getting suggests quite a substantial “backorder” status!

  11. How bad can the camera be? Sometimes I really don’t understand the logic of some people. Here is a chance to get in on something good from the ground. How much of a chance are you taking? Tell me what camera made in the last two years really takes horrible pictures? My 8 year old coolpics 5700 takes great pictures. Wait for a review for what?

    The Fuji presentation is great, it’s less than half the cost of a Leica x1, with more features. Look how many people still swear by the x1 with its high cost (2x) and other limitations –
    “The autofocus is slow, but that doesn’t bother me”, “For the type of photography I do, the x1 serves me fine” – PLEASE!!! STOP IT!!!

    Some people really make no sense. I’m sure the x100 will do not better or worse than the competition….Wait for a review if you want, I pre-ordered.

    • John,

      I totally agree with you. Besides kidding in my previous post, i preordered 1 and will consider preordering another 1 by tomorrow, i have a gut feeling this will be the camera to have at least for now or this year IMO… How bad can it really be? Like you, i am not waiting for any review on this one for sure. I am confident it will be good if not great judging from what i have read so far on the development of the camera.

      • Thanks Kelvin, good to know I’m not alone in my thinking.

        One more argument for those who say that the x100 is close to the size of an M9 and should not be compared to the Leica x1. OK – I would tend to agree with that one. In which case I’d say, a fixed lens, manual focus capable camera at 1/8th the cost of an M9 is very appealing. Not many of us can afford an M9 let alone w/ multiple lens…At their costs, I suspect many M8/M9 owners only have one lens anyway (not sure, just guessing). The Fuji is appealing in that respect, even if its not apple to apple with the x1. Perhaps it should not be compared to either Leica.

        What is appealing for me about the x100 is the built-in optical viewfinder…forget about the hybrid part of it. Just having an integrated viewfinder, giving the photographer an engaging experience with his/her composition, is a huge plus.

        • The hybrid viewfinder is neat, but what I’m looking most forward to is the manual aperture ring, shutter speed and exposure bias dials. They’re not new by any means, but I’ve so longed for them after months of putting up with the E-PL1’s menu system

          • Oh – totally agree!

            I had an EP-2 and sold it. Electronic menu systems are difficult to deal with, IMO. I’ll be happy when I have access to manual controls while keeping my eye glued on the subject through the viewfinder 🙂

        • John, everything about the x100 is appealing to me. Its a different beast by itself, i would not compare it to the X1, never really liked it and can’t justify it for all sorts of reasons including price. My M8.2 and a slew of Summarit lenses except for the 35mm is more than enough for the kind of photography i do, not to mention 3 Nikon DSLR’s, GF1, EP2, DLux 4, 2 LC1’s, 2 L1’s, Digilux 2 and 3.

          The X100 to me is one i think i would really enjoy using as much as what i already have if not more, my reason for considering having 2, just in case i wear one out. I suspect the X100 will take very good shots not that i care too much as i would not be looking to compare it shot by shot to anything else. The look of the camera is awesome, the features are impressive, it’s got that very cool nostalgic look and i like that. Priced very well i think for what it is… Look at the dials! The lens cap is not plastic, the optional lens hood is very nice, both metal, i think the designers have put a lot into it, doubt very much if they would disappoint… I’d be crazy if didn’t buy this camera…

          As for the M9, i can’t justify that either, i am very happy with my M8.2. I don’t have too much time right now to go out and shoot for the contest in order to win the M9, that i hope someone who really likes photography as much as i do wins it and experiences a Leica M. I am waiting for my X100 period. Let me know when you get yours, like to know your thoughts on it. Be happy to share mine.

  12. I’m so happy with my Oly E-P2 + 2.8/17. Don’t need a X100 at all. And when I’d like to have a rangefinder camera, I pick up my delicious M8.

    The only really exciting feature of the X100 is its hybrid viewfinder. I’d LOVE to see this also for a (D)SLR. In my opinion, the future of viewfinders is not the EVIL, but the optical finder with electronic support. Wouldn’t it be GREAT to have the live histogramm in the optical finder of an (D)SLR? How to? Take the info of an advanced RGB sensor, like to 2K one in the D7000, and display it into the prism. One might also think about a more advanced version of Nikon’s Vari-Brite screens…

  13. Just preordered 4. It will be an awesome camera i predict, i will keep 1 or maybe 2 and sell the others at a premium if it lives up to the hype. If it turns out to be crap, I’ll send them all to Steve for some contest signed 🙂

  14. I preordered this as soon as it went up, and look forward to comparing it to my E-PL1 + 20/1.7 🙂

    Similar to my E-PL1 vs NX10 review, I’ll be taking both cameras on a photography trip and will do a write-up where there is a definitive conclusion. There are too many similarities to justify holding onto both at once!

  15. I preordered..mostly as a placeholder while I decide.. the x1 still hasn’t fully grabbed me (ovf parallax, slow read write, slow af, leica foot dragging on firmware update, difficult to hand hold at lower speeds)..

    I’m tentative in my excitement, and I’ll be deciding if I’m selling the x1 in the next few weeks.. it’s had a fair shot, Leica is dropping the ball. If the x100 ships before leica manage a firmware upgrade, it’s major egg on their face (since you know, the x11 went from concept to product in less time)

    we already see the af is way aster, it has a built in hybrid vf, faster lens.. the big two questions are

    how is sharpness?
    how is high iso?

  16. This might be the camera I have been waiting for, however if I can hold it, feel its realness, see the
    test results, and a green light goes on inside me, I would buy it. Until then, its still a dream.

  17. IMO, there’s not a lot of risk involved in pre-ordering the camera from Adorama. First of all, like Steve said, your CC won’t be charged until it ships. Most important, Adorama has an awesome return policy. No RMA needed. No questions asked. If the camera ends up being a total piece of junk, just return it. You have to pay for the return shipping, but that’s it. I’ve bought from Adorama several several times before, and the customer service there is pretty awesome.

    However, UPS delivery is another matter …

  19. =/ Can’t agree more from the above comments. I’d like to test it out myself or at least by Steve 😉 before making it a final decision. Great looking camera though =D

    Thanks Steve!~

  20. Ive been saving for a new camera or lens, but wouldnt pay that much for a new product with no prior history without seeing some test and holding it in my hands, or buying from a store with a great return policy.

    For Canadians, you can also preorder for that price from Vistek.

  21. I would love to buy this camera, if it has a 35 mm f=2 lenses. 35 mm in dx format is equivalent of 50 mm in 35mm camera, and – to be honest – 35mm lens if the minimal lens lenght to give not so bad bokeh.
    people are 35mm or 50mm. I am 50mm man, and I will wait for x100 in 50mm version.

    with greets,
    I.

  22. A sick world it is! Are you mad buying a ‘ghost camera’? A hype created by a smart marketing mechanism. Pre-ordering is just another trick to keep attention on their product. Very clever 🙂 But for me noway. Patience my friends, wait for the reviews.

  23. I presume the Fuji will surpass a lot of cameras in the market today thanks to its knowledge of color and optics. Truly a classic camera even before its release! This price is still a bit high for a fixed lens camera for the average people — though you won’t ever need another camera if it delivers… By the way, if anyone has a little influence on Nikon, would you please, tell them to finally make a Nikon FM-3 Digital or something like that? I would sell my car for one..

    • Agreed upon the digital FM-3 (or is it DM-3?). This is my dream-list: P-A-S-M modes, 100% viewfinder, full lenses compatibility, no scene modes, no video, no artsy post processing… Oops, sorry, off topic.
      I think I can give up on mechanical times, anyway… 🙂

  24. I will order one after ir read your review !!!! Rush Rush Rush !! i will be in Manhattan on March !!

    Greg

  25. Looks like the $ offer at Adorama is the best price then. At least it’s a sign in that it won’t be a 3,000$ camera as some have feared.

    I’m confident this camera will grow a lot of lust for Leica M.

  26. I agree. I would love one, but I don’t know enough about it. It’s a sweet looking camera. Steve, when are you going to be able to play with one?

  27. I’d be hesitant to spend that much on camera nobody has seen a test shot of yet… but it sure looks like a cool viewfinder camera indeed.

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