The digital camera industry is as fast paced as any other digital manufacturing industry. We are now on the 10th iteration of the iPhone, after its debut in 2007; similarly since the Nex-7 in 2011 we have gone moved through the A6k and A7 series several times over, with no indication that the A9 or A7RIII will be their definitive/iconic models in the same way that the Nikon F3 was more or less The Nikon from 1980 to 2001.
It’s strange that I should be inspired to write a review about the Ricoh GXR; a digital camera. I made film my primary medium several years ago. In this time I’ve acquired a slew of beautiful, rare, and interesting film cameras, all worthy of a 35mmc write-up. So why dedicate my time to writing about some obscure digital compact the world already seems to have forgotten? More than any other reason, I have an affinity for unique cameras. The Ricoh GXR is certainly a unique camera, but is it a good camera?
The Fuji X100f is the fourth iteration in the series. I had the original X100, but since then we’ve seen the a number of changes and additions to the design, first through an ‘s’ model, a ‘t’ model and now the ‘f’. The series of cameras has been consistently and quite strongly representative of Fuji’s reputation for listening to their users, I just can’t help wondering if they have listened a bit too much…
I’ve used dozens of compacts, including most of the cult favorites like the Ricoh GR’s, they all had some glaring issue I couldn’t overlook. I’ve long wanted a digital compact I could always keep with me, in the Jeep, a coat pocket or even as a backup, that could offer me good quality results without too many sacrifices. My hope when I got my hands on the Leica D-Lux (typ 109) was that it would be a winner. But I had my doubts.
I know this is a review of a Fuji X70, a digital camera! But bear with me. My approach is by no small part based on my experience with film and analog cameras.
