Mastering the Fuji X100 Paperback – March 2, 2012

I'll begin this review by stating upfront that this is a great camera manual. It's well written, thoughtfully laid out and has just the right amount of graphics to make its points. Even better, Mastering doesn't pander to beginning photogs; it assumes that anyone shelling out $1,300 for a camera knows his or her way around shutter speeds and apertures. It doesn't spend wasted time explaining photography basics. For me, that's a huge plus.Before I go into detail, let me mention my own experiences. I've been taking photographs since the mid 1960s when I was very young. In time I graduated from a Pentax K100 to an old Contax, then to rangefinders: a Leica IIIC, then a couple IIIFs, then proudly to the pricier IIIG. I graduated from the pre-1950s Leicas in time to Leica Ms (four or five M3s, and later an M6), as well as a couple Nikons, two Canon DLSRs and a Hasselblad, all with the usual variety of lens. I did the darkroom route early on, owned my own darkroom equipment and actively printed large-scale photos. I've been in shows, galleries and have pieces in museums and private collections in both the US and Europe. About 10 years ago I shifted abruptly into digital photography and began learning Photoshop and a half dozen plug-ins. So I've taken a few photos, and generally know my way around a camera. Last, as a disclaimer, I don't know Diechtierow, and have no affiliation with Fuji or the publisher.Now, back to Mastering the Fuji X100... Diechtierow, the author, owns and shoots an X100. He's clearly an enthusiast, and writes with passion. He sprinkles the book with tips that he learned the hard way, and doesn't hesitate to be critical when the camera's functions don't meet his expectations. In other words, although he loves the camera, he's not a Fuji apologist. That too wins points from me. I don't need a manual from a fan boy.Mastering starts off with basic setup tips, then moves into a section-by-section discussion about the LCD monitor and the hybrid viewfinder; exposures; focusing with the X100; ISO, sensitivity and noise; IQ; white balance; correct jpeg settings; dynamic range; series, bracketing, panoramas, movies; macro photography; flash and use of the ND filter, fn button and quick start mode. The book concludes with a very brief discussion about accessories.Part of my enthusiasm about Mastering is that it intelligently deals with both the X100's basics as well as the not-so-easily discovered nuances. The book shines, particularly in comparison to Fuji's owner's manual, which is astonishingly basic. In comparison, Mastering is clear as a bell, thoughtfully organized and the useful reference it claims to be. To my great surprise as an X100 owner, I learned a few tricks. Nice! By the time I was halfway through the book, I'd concluded the short money I'd spent was already a great investment.Some of the better sections? Diechtierow provides definitive Shooting and Setup Menus. What a pleasure after trying to dig through Fuji's version. Diechtierow discusses the use of histograms and Fuji's exposure dial and what to watch for. His discussion of Fuji's less than impressive manual focus option is one of the best I've seen. There's a useful section on focusing in the dark. Diechtierow is particularly adept at comparing the pros and cons of RAW versus JPEG shooting. He even provides, somewhat to my amusement, a "profile for a RAW shooter"--settings to maximize IQ for those shooting RAW, something I hadn't considered. I quickly changed my shooting profile, as this was a persuasive section (and I exclusively shot RAW with the X100).There's an excellent section on dynamic range (DR). He's careful in this lengthy chapter to differentiate RAW from JPEGs, ISO speed and "exposing to the right" using histograms. Of particular use are his comparative photographs at DR100, DR200 and DR400. The photos pop out the differences in dark and light areas when different DRs are dialed in. There's a thorough discussion of the pros and cons for each of these settings. I found myself nodding in approval.As noted, Diechtierow also describes proper techniques for macro photography. There's also a thorough discussion of flash, which includes automatic, forced, suppressed and slow syncro flash. There are comparative photos of various subjects taken with and without flash. He also discusses Fuji's EF-20 and EF-42 flashes; I own the latter, and had to agree that the EF-42 is a beast that quickly unbalances the X100 if not used carefully.I'll skim over many of the details in the book--he provides more than enough. Suffice it to say that I found nothing missing, and that the information provided is logically organized--exactly what I'd expect for a reference book.Regardless of my general praise, I encountered a few irritations. The index is woefully inadequate. I'm an index guy--it's the first place I turn when I want to know what page to find something. As thorough as the overall book is, the index works as its opposite--a hurriedly put together section that could be tremendously improved. I suspect an editor and not Diechtierow put the index together. As the author of several books, I know that the index is always compiled only after a book is formatted for printing. Nevertheless, Diechtierow should have raised hell over this issue.I also found many of the photos poorly printed. In some sections Diechtierow provides three side-by-side photos, intending to show differences in, for instance, noise or DR. Unfortunately, in many instances, the three photos print almost identically. To Diechtierow's credit though he provides a webpage that has a far better example of many of these photographs. Does that work? Sure, but the book quality should have covered that, and I should not be forced to close the book and go on-line for better illustrations.But these are minor quibbles. Overall I'm pleased to add this to my photographic library. It works as a good resource; the price is great; and the information thorough and varied enough to satisfy photographers from neophytes to those who are highly experienced.Dec 2013 Edit: For almost a year the Fuji X100 has been superseded by Fuji's X100S. Regardless, the X100 remains an outstanding camera (I recently acquired an X100S, and intend to keep my original X100.) Please note that my review of "Mastering the Fuji X100" was written before Fuji released several software updates, which are not reflected in Michael's book. Anyone who owns an X100 should visit Fuji's website and download the latest revisions. In many instances, they make the old X100 equivalent to the X100S, particularly in focusing speed and general accuracy. Of course there are numerous improvements in the S-version, and software updates by themselves in the old X100 cannot turn it into an S.

I bought an x100 when they first came out. I sold it shortly thereafter because its complexity completely flummoxed me (I've been shooting fully manual cameras for 40+ years.). Too many menus, buttons everywhere. YIKES!!!!!!!! Whatever happened to setting the ISO, aperture and shutter speed and shooting? The Fuji made me want to gouge my eyes out, always mistakenly hitting some button that did something that turned the camera into an unworkable beast. I hated it.I've recently picked up another, a black limited edition at a ridiculous price, and made the decision to really learn the full functions of the camera. I bought a copy of Michael Diechtierow's MASTERING THE FUJI X100. Wow. What a difference it makes to actually understand and use all the features. Second time around is a charm.I recommend without hesitation Diechtierow's book. Clearly written and full of page after page of insight into how to maximize the camera for your specific purpose. it's way beyond a simple manual style recititation of buttons and functions; it's rather a well thought through master class that teaches the purpose and utility of the various functions and recommends specific functions for specific uses.I doubt you'll ever REALLY know the capabilities of the X100 unless you read this book.

Recently I purchased the Fuji X100. This is my first experience with this type of camera. I currently own a Cannon and Nikon DSLR and have had good learning experiences watching the Magic Lantern DVDs. For me personally, reviewing the DVD and then reading the manual and or specific camera book is how I learn. Learning the functionality and how to use this camera is a whole new experience. I purchased this book with much trepidation. I had serious doubts that I would be able to read the book and come away with a clear understanding of the camera. I'm pleased to say that wasn't the case. Michael Diechtierow's writing is clear and concise. This is a complicated camera, but the book breaks down the features and capabilities with tips and tricks that are easy to understand. I highly recommend it.

Really the best resource for a newbie to the Fuji X100. I have the original version of the camera, so this book relates well. If you have the S100s or t, there might be a few things that are not accurate. Still, it manages to cover in just the right amount of detail, all of the systems, functions, and subsystems on the camera. Concepts that are more difficult to understand, like dynamic range, are made clear in this book (the manual sucks). The author truly knows this camera. If you own an x100, just buy this book. You won't regret it.

This book is for the new x100 owner who needs a little hand holding with this quirky camera. It goes through all the controls and tell you what they are. Unfortunately this book offers very little new information you cannot get from the manual or the x100 forums. The photos in the book are of marginal quality and a real disappointment. The writing seems somewhat rushed and disjointed. If you are looking for a guide to the menus and how to turn them on and off, this is the book for you. If you desire a mastery of the Fuji x100, look elsewhere.

This book doesn't really give you much more than the manual, and really just goes through the menus step by step. The author seems to gloss over the finer points. As a couple of examples, I was disappointed by the flash section, which I thought was lacking in information, and also the metering section (talking about multi mode) "...nobody except the engineers at Fuji really knows what the camera measures at this setting ..."Anyway, if you want a basic guide, get this, but it won't help you with "Mastering the X100" very much!Cheers

The author approaches this subject from a user's bias. This a refreshing point of view, rather than the professional author who is full of jargon and out to impress his peers.The author takes it that you wouldn't spend that much on a camera and not know what you had bought. He gets right into the subject matter and relates useful information from the start. I learned from the author's experience and I have been an amateur photographer for many decades.The book is easy to read and doesn't waste space repeating what is in the user manual. This book is well done and easily worth the money.

excellent book, you will learn a lot about how a digital camera *really* works / processes images.. this fellow really knows what he is talking about. i do own an x100 but this book has value well beyond that camera.

Love this book. Easy to read, very well laid out, detailed in a smart way. Forget the instruction book, this is the creative enjoyable way to 'bond' with this great camera.

Wonderful,easy to read much better than tiny print camera instruction book!! :-)

The Fuji X100 is a beautiful and brilliant camera, capable of taking striking images of the highest quality. It's not the most intuitive beast though and getting the best from it takes effort and understanding. This incredibly detailed guide book will help you get to grips with your camera and push you to use features you didn't know existed in situations you might never have thought of shooting in.A word of warning, though - the X100 has undergone several firmware updates since this book was published, some of them very substantial. Some of the book's advice is no longer applicable as a result, and some of the challenges it talks about are smaller issues than they were at launch. It's still a valuable companion for any X100 owner, though.