Don't rule out the eye level electronic VF models. EVFs are pretty good these days and OVFs are pretty rare.
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 10:57 AM, Christine Aguila <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks, Steve, very helpful. I've always been intrigued by this version and > the X100. I need to check it out at a camera store. I shall put that on the > TO DO list. Good to know about the optical VF and the lens quality on the > X10. If I were to invest in a *serious compact, * I'd want an excellent > optical viewfinder because I'm steadier and more comfortable when the camera > is left-of-nose rather than center-of-nose--when doing surface photography > that is; when I'm splashing around in water with the Optio WG II, > center-of-nose is just fine :-). > > Big thanks, Steve. Cheers, Christine > > > > > On Oct 14, 2012, at 7:38 AM, Steven Desjardins <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Since Christine asked, here are a few words about the X10. Nicely >> built with a decent control layout. I would have put some things in >> different places, but it's easy to get used to it. It's more >> naturally used as an LCD-VF camera. The optical VF is not great and >> only gives about 80% coverage, but it's a godsend in the bright >> daylight conditions when the LCD is hard to use. No information in >> the OVF; it's a simple (zooming) sighting tool although you can pick >> up the AF confirm beep easily enough. The lens is beautiful piece of >> optics: 28-112, f2-2.8 sharp and well designed for a digital sensor. >> Of course, the smaller 2/3 sensor makes the compact size of such a >> lens possible. AF is OK but this is not a football camera. The new >> "orb-free" sensor is very, very nice, although in all ways inferior to >> having a top end end APS-C sensor like the K5. This is not a >> criticism, just some perspective since so many folks on the PDML will >> have a K5 IQ as a standard. It gives nice detail at 12 MP and can >> switch to a 6 MP mode that will oversample the pixels to compensate >> for low light and DR issues. >> >> A real question is size. It's small and nice in the hand but at best >> coat-pockeatble. In that sense, it gets real competition from mu43 >> cameras like the Olympus E-PM1/2 with a sensor twice as large. (I >> have an E-PM1 I picked up for $180; I love refurbished stuff.) The >> newer 16 mp mu43 sensors in the E-PM2 seriously competes with the >> entry level APS-C DSLRs in terms of IQ. An equivalent zoom would be >> huge on the Oly, but with the smaller primes it's the same size as the >> x-10. Of course, there are lots of compacts out there if you want a >> snap shooter (XZ-1, LX-7) and the RX100 gives great IQ albeit with >> reportedly stone-age handling. Of course, the Q is out there really >> cheap right now with that tiny body and sensor. Nice in decent light. >> >> On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 7:46 AM, Derby Chang <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Doug, >>> >>> Everything Bob says about the X100, I'd confirm. It certainly is a quirky >>> machine. I'd also add, if you were buying second hand, make sure it is one >>> of the later versions (serial number starting with "2"). >>> >>> I bought one of the early ones. Fine for a few months, then I got the >>> dreaded sticky aperture problem (the leaf shutter not stopping down when >>> shooting lower that full open). Luckily I had my fellow ebayer's purchase >>> receipt, so in it went to Fuji Australia >>> >>> It came back with the lens assembly replaced, but the sensor had gone wonky >>> - every shot had a magenta cast. The RAW files are such that it could be >>> corrected in LR, but life's too short. So back for a second time. >>> >>> It came back with the sensor adjusted, but then the OVF was completely >>> psycho - looked like a Peter Fonda movie. After some calls, they took it >>> back again, and I got a brand new, in the box, unit in return. Been happy >>> ever since. >>> >>> Why perservere? The sensor and lens combination are amazing. So much dynamic >>> range and beautiful high ISO. One of the nice features is the auto-DR. In >>> bright light, it will select a high ISO and deliberately underexpose to keep >>> the highlights. The high ISO brings up the shadows, and to no real detriment >>> to noise. Freaked me out the first time I used it, but the results speak for >>> themselves. >>> >>> Other things I love about it... >>> >>> * Silent >>> * Live histogram, even with the optical viewfinder >>> * Aperture, shutter speed and exposure comp right where they should be. But >>> Bob is right, the dials, especially the exposure comp are a bit easy to >>> nudge accidentally. I have to say, the new X100 has the dial a little >>> tighter. I still check it once in a while. >>> * Fantastic with the wide-angle converter (making it an equivalent 28mm >>> fov). >>> >>> If I had to grab one camera if someone gave me 5 min to pack for a world >>> trip, that's the one I'd take. >>> >>> >>>> I'm still intrigued by this camera, because to my eye, it fits well with >>>> much of what I do and would make a good walking around camera. >>>> >>>> Bob W? Cotty? Anyone else? I've read that it's frustrating. Is it more >>>> trouble than its worth? >>>> >>>> Thanks. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> [email protected] >>> http://members.iinet.net.au/~derbyc >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> [email protected] >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>> follow the directions. >> >> >> >> -- >> Steve Desjardins >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. >> > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- Steve Desjardins -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
