POLL: One more Leica X1/Fuji X100 Pic, just for fun!

61 Comments

1. It’s funny how every person sees things differently. People see, prefer and react to colours differently. Photography can be such a subjective art.
   As a guitarist, I know the difference in sound and feel between the classic Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul. They are both truly great versatile guitars. Each has their advantage. It does not make one better than the other.

   BTW, I like the second pic better but the greens were a bit too saturated for my taste.

2. I must add that I much prefer number one. The colors in number two give me an uneasy feeling of artificial color.

3. Interesting. I knew right away that the top one was the X1. The reason is that in my outdoor landscape photos with the X1 the really bright highlights in the sky have a lot of magenta in them. On shots of a cloudy but bright day, if I bring the exposure down in Lightroom, the sky highlights, (and bright snow) turn magenta. I was wondering if others were having this (problem). The only way I have found to correct it is to export it to Photoshop and select the color range and adjust the color.

4. Wow, I was wrong on both polls! I thought I really knew my X1. My greens always have that lime green quality in the bottom photo. Even though the I dislike the artificial colors of the bottom photo, it is a sharper and clearer photo, to my eyes. Well done Fuji. I can’t wait to get mine in the mail.

5. Yes, two or two for me xD

6. They do seem pretty similar. The resolution of #1 appears slightly better, and the colors seem a little more “natural”. But neither camera is going to make Texas scrub look like a holiday in Paris. (Although I think the new Sony compacts offer that feature.)

   To be fair, though, even my EPL-2 takes good pictures in outdoors daylight. The Leica and the Fuji are almost exactly the same camera: Great pictures in a compact package. If you compare them to $1200 worth of Nikon gear, the Nikon d3100 (with fast glass), for example, might be harder to carry around, but will take almost the same picture. Maybe better.

   You will have to shoot raw with a d3100 to get more detail, but you can certainly get that much detail, or more. I would love an X100 (or an X1 for that matter), but I am not sure this test shows off either camera to their best advantage.

   You really want to show these guys off? Sneak them into Tiffany’s and take pictures of the jewlrey when no one is looking. Try THAT with a big box Nikon.

7. Everyone seems to be talking about colors. For me the first thing I noticed was the telephone poles. That to me is my biggest concern here. If the telephone poles were straight, than the first image is a better image. They appear very distorted in the second picture (if they were in fact straight). I also prefer the colors of the first image, although colors can easily be adjusted.

   People keep saying the x100 has warmer colors than the x1. I have never shot an x1 but in my experience the x100 actually has colors that are too cool. I am pretty certain the second image here is the fuji and that worries me a little bit if there is that much distortion in the lens (again, assuming those poles should be straight). I have taken many pictures with the x100 off my balcony and you can see that it distorts the angle of the buildings in all of them.

   I own the fuji x100 and hope the top image is the x100… however, I am all but certain the second image is the fuji.

   • I don’t think it is distortion. Look at the black inverted “V” piece of debris on the ground. In the first image it is a quarter of the distance from the bottom and right edge but in the second image it is almost at the bottom edge and centered.

     So he shot the two photos from different locations with different focus points (the second photo is centered well to the right of the first). It also looks like the camera was slightly tilted to the right in the second photo. I think this is accounting for the tilt in the poles.

8. Hi,

   [I own an X1 since a year ago.]
   I think Steve is having some fun at our costs… :). Let’s have some fun.
   If we think that Steve wouldn’t give such a clear hint as showing through his shadow which camera he’s using, we would say that 2 is the X1. But analyzing this one closer, we identify vigneting and a kind of a “noise pattern” in the sky. In hundreds of shots that I have with my X1 I never noticed any vigneting. And noise patterns with this light neither. See the shot below, somewhere in Ireland. No vigneting and no noise patern, even if shot at 800 ISO.
   On the other side I don’t recognize the color of the sky in 1 as I see it from my X1 pictures… On the other side the wires on the 1st picture show a very good line resolution that I recognize from my X1 pictures…
   Summarizing, I can’t assign 100% sure to neither of the pictures, but I like most the 1st one. Hope it’s the X1… 🙂

   Regards,
   Antonio.

   PS. Can you recognize in the picture below the “3D quality” mentioned somewhere in these foruns? 🙂

   [img]http://myprivatelight.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83426a37853ef0154327e010a970c-pi[/img]

9. Steve, which one was more accurate to the colors you actually saw there?

10. The first photo looks like the X1 to me. It does have a bit of that Leica look to it. The 2nd one looks a bit brash. I think the x100 is a brash camera. I have a thing about Fuji cameras since owning a couple of finepix cams in the early days of digital. I really don’t find Fuji’s signature very pleasant at all. But then I might be totally wrong, in which case I’ll shut up.

11. This one is EASY. Top is X100 as Steve’s red neck strap sticks out in the shadows. Also comparing two images, you will see that bottom X1 got a lot of noise in the skies….lower resolution and less dynamic range.

    Sky is also a dead give away as Leica glass tends to have more contrast. Personally the top image is sharper, and more accurate with less noise.

12. I like the blue in the first one better. And I like the green and everything else in the second one better. I hope the 2nd one is the X100, because I’ll buy it and colors are always a matter of PP.

13. 1: X1
    2: X100

14. I prefer the first for the atmosphere. But for showing how nice the weather was (on a holiday), I would use the second (or make the sky like the second).

15. Just as an aside – someone is giving away an X100 – http://photorumors.com/2011/05/23/fujifilm-finepix-x100-giveaway

16. As another pointed out, the bottom one clearly shows Steve holding the camera to his eye, unless it’s a double bluff! Anyway, these two shots have one fundamental difference to me, in that they are not taken from the same angle. The lower one Steve is standing taller than the top one. This is evident in the height of the water tower in the background but more critically that the light coloured tall grasses in the middle thus have a darker background because of the different angle of view ging them a more 3D appearance. Thus the top looks better and IMO is the X1. To be fairer both cameras should have to mounted on a tripod. For the record I have an X100. Really looking forward to the full comparison, just for fun though, life’s too short to get to hot and bothered. Keep up the great work Steve, you rock!

17. Actually this is driving me nuts! I want to say the bottom one is the X1.

18. “I like the top one with colors better. I do like the blue sky in the second one though.”
    I have to agree with Elaine here. So close though. A lot more yellow in the sand of the second one.

19. No doubt, 1st Leica.

20. Hey, why are those cameras not melted together. I like the color of the sky on number 2 the most and the ground on number 1 the most 🙂

21. Nr 2 is a Fuji sky, similar blue as Oly has.

22. Both from Leica X1 and shots at f/5.6 not f/8….i think

23. Ah ah this time is more easy to know which camera images came from. I prefered the image on the top due to his natural rendering, the image in the bottom seem like the one came after some Photoshop PP who is more pleasing to seeing but it’s not natural at all.

24. At first glance i like the top image better, to ME i like that greysh sky. The second one is perfect, it just looks too digital for me. I don’t even like color. So i couldn’t really tell about the how realistic each of them look. I own an x1 and i hope, the top one is from the x1, but in all honesty, the bottom images resembles more what i get rom my x1, specially that digital sky. It’s great fun that you are posting this Steve. Thanks for the hard word.

    Ps: if we could merge the sky from the top image, and the ground from the second one, it would make for my favorite lmage. But maybe that’s how M9 was created by doctor Frankenstein, hahahaha!!!

25. Steve, I voted for the 3rd option just because I think the questions were irrelevant to what people expect here at this difficult time of uncertainty and dismay. See how in the comments everyone is still trying to guess which picture was taken by which camera. I will follow the popular trend and try to guess, too.

    I think this one is pretty easy (my standard disclaimer stays the same: I may be totally wrong, so don’t call me a fool if I am). The top one is X100, the bottom is X1. My reasoning is: 1) the X100 gives warmer colours out of camera; 2) the X1’s OOC colours are unrealistic, especially the green, as stated above by David Hunter; 3) the X1 resolves detail better, especially at the edges of the frame, which can be easily seen in the electric wires in the top right corner of the picture; and 4) your little ‘shadow trick’ ain’t workin’ here, as I remember you preferring to shoot the X1 with an external viewfinder attached (besides, I don’t think you’d give away the answer that easy).

    Cheers,
    Greg

    • Hey Greg,

      I think this result blows the X1 has better edge detail argument out of the water. The edges are mush in the X1 image. Total mush.

      I’ve also noticed in most of my daylight RAW images that the X1 is quite a bit warmer. The Fuji is more neutral which by default gives it more punch.

      Best,
      Chad

      • Hey Chad,

        Well, my disclaimer came in handy this time. I was wrong with my choice. Anyway, who cares about the OOC performance? RAW is the way to go (for me at least). The X1 produces great B&W output but still I prefer RAW shooting and in critical situations use CaptureOne or RPP for great results. LR still sucks in my opinion.

        Chad, with all due respect, I think you’re somewhat biased towards the X1. I don’t know why… Both cameras are great and, as Steve said in his last review, it was a draw. I like that conclusion. And I agree with his findings in regards to image IQ and convenience. I am of the same opinion. I don’t think the X100 outperforms the X1 in the image IQ category. My own experience tells me that, Steve’s review tells me that and even your earlier review tells me the same…

        But again, the difference is very marginal and both cameras are great performers. As you know, my wife and I chose the X100 over the X1 but that choice was based mostly on usability factor. Leica should have included a viewfinder in the first place. Like Steve said, I would surely stick with the X1 if it had an EVF. But it didn’t, so we had to let it go when the Fuji became available.

        When the X2 comes around the situation may change, as I am pretty sure it will be a better camera than the X100. If it won’t be so, I think Dr. Kaufmann will have to do some serious restaffing in his company. But again, if Leica’s next offering will be overpriced (which is very possible), the Fuji may very well stay in our possession.

        Cheers,
        Greg

26. I see some magenta in the first one. I don’t particularly like that.

    I’d rather work with the second one.

27. I like to say the top one might be leica, as it seems to have lesser noise in the sky. Also the aberration is more in the bottom one, and I assume leica would not compromise on the lens for the size. But the color in 2nd image seems more natural (PP conversion logic). If the top one is X100, it would indeed be a very good camera.

28. I like the top one (#1) more
    I also think that’s the file out of the leica X1
    Thanks for the post Steve
    am

29. No1 is the x1 but iprefer no2 for that pict. Better Color. For portrait i prefer thé x1

30. I’m a bit more confident with this one. #2 X100.

31. Kind of gave away the camera by the photo — you should have used the rear screen on the X100 and then we couldn’t tell! I recon the top one is the X1… 😉

32. Cheating here: well the shadow has the answer maybe? #2 looks like taken with a viewfinder, so I say x1 is the top one!

33. I haven’t voted here because I like them both for different reasons. The top photo is more realistic and I would rather have the camera that took it. The second photo is more beautiful and, as just a pure image, I like it more. I am fairly certain that the bottom photo is the X1. The reason why is that the X1 renders greens more artificially. The brush has that lemon-lime green that is the same green that is in all my X1 photos. As much as I like this green, it was not the color that was before me in the middle of summer. The greens, in real life, were much darker, like the photo above. So as far as rendering color goes, if the top photo is the X100, I prefer it.

34. Hey !
    Just have a look at Steve’s shadow is photo #2…
    Doesn’t it look like a man holding a Fuji X100 OVF over his right eye ?…
    Hum…. too easy…
    😉

    • Or is that the X100 neck strap we see in image #1???

      🙂

      Who knows on this one. I liked the first comparo better.

      • I agree a 100%. The camera strap gave it away. The second one has a 3d look, but not the first

        • And another 3D look goes to the X100!!! That’s two for two. People keep saying the X1 has more 3D pop and then pick the X100 photo 😉

    • Great catch!

    • Steve is crafty enough to set up a pseudo shadow. ” just sayin “

    • Brilliant!!! I think you are right. Otherwise, with these “crap” images, as Steve puts it, it was like trying to figure out who has the prettier pig at the State Fair.

35. I think the second one is the X100.
    the blue sky and vignetting are typical from my experience.

36. I’ve seen many posts with such X1 / X100 comparisons.
    Photos taken with X100 always looked more “color saturated”. I mean : blue sky a little “over blue” and green trees a little “too-flashy-greeny”. So, I think the X1 is #1. Which I like best.
    Not because I think it’s the photo taken with the X1. But because I like the color rendering.
    Hope I’m not wrong… or everyone will think I’m stupid.
    😉

    Please Steve, continue posting such photo comparisons polls !
    So funny ! Think the results will be even funnier.
    ‘ Like it.
    🙂

37. #2 looks like it is resolving detail better to my eyes. But this could be factor of the framing. (Wish they were identical.) I’ve never shot the X1 but from some of the pics I’ve seen online I would guess that #1 is the X1 and #2 is the Fuji. I could easily have this reversed though.

    I don’t have a horse in this race. But frankly you can tweak colors very quickly in post to give your images the look you want so the real test should be about how the images are rendered…not the colors.

    Sometimes I see the 3Dness the Leica fans laud, but only after it is pointed out to me. 😉 I don’t see that in these images though.

38. The sharpness between the two shots is almost night and day. Image #2 is far sharper near to far than #1. The edges on the bottom and sides and corners are mush in #1 compared to #2. The colors I would assume are more accurate on #2 vs #1…though that is a little harder since I wasn’t there. #1 almost looks like a filter was used (nd perhaps?) affecting the image….both color and quality

39. I prefer the #2

40. I like the top one with colors better. I do like the blue sky in the second one though.

41. Top image is the X1. The colors seem more realistic.

    • Sky here in Switzerland looks more like #2… 😉

      • what there’s also vignetting?

        • Hehe. I meant only the color. Haven’ t seen any vignetting in the sky here recently… 😉
          But your right: vignetting at f8?!?

42. why are they 2 different focal distances? is the bottom one m9?

    • Have you read the article? It’s the X1 and the X100: two fixed lens camera’s with different focal lengths…

      • think before you speak. they are both 35mm equivalents.

        • You guys are both making my head hurt 🙂

          I did notice that Steve stepped up a few feet and centered to the right in shot number two, which does change the perspective (and focus point) considerably. But yes, both cameras have approximately the same FOV.

43. I like number one better. Pretty sure it’s the X1. This time it’s easy to tell the difference.
    Thanks for the comparison, I have been waiting for someone to do this.
    Cheers!
    Tim

44. Same here, poll doesn’t function (firefox 4), i vote for #1 because it looks more 3D 🙂
    Althou, i mostly shoot RAW, and i cant be sure which one of the cameras would i like better,
    Can you PLEASE compare their RAW output with same processing? i’m intrigued if that so called 3d effect is due to lens/sensor or processing.
    Thank you!

45. Poll doesn’t work, Steve. I like #1 better.

46. 2nd is fuji, look at the shadow! 😀 I think Fuji rendering more “digital” than Leica…

Comments are closed.