What I mean is, it is small, very well built, and takes extremely good pictures with a sensor which is big enough to take prints at large sizes and provide some DOF control (though really shallow DOF can only be achieved on close focusing/ very wide apertures on a 'wide-normal' lens such as the one on this), and a lens which is very sharp across different apertures (more later); it is very versatile, and looks sexy. you won't want to leave this at home to give your shoulders some respite like I know you do with your DSLR (I own a D600 which is hardly the heaviest DSLR out there; and a 24-70, f2.8 and a couple of primes; but I find carrying such a kit a pain for just casual walkabouts around town).
Did I actually say 'versatile' to describe a fixed lens camera? Yes. This is why: With a Fuji x100s, you don't waste time thinking about which prime to pull out of the bag (you in fact now don't even carry a bag, remember?), you just shoot. If you were used to zoom lenses, now you don't have to spend much time thinking about what focal length to compose at - again you just shoot - or you walk back and forth. the X100s also has quite an adept macro end performance - may not have the magnification and good working distance of dedicated high-focal length macro lenses, but again, versatility is the key here. Besides, most fixed aperture good quality zooms are very heavy and you wouldn't even be carrying your camera to half the places would you find yourself carrying the x100s.
Specific Observations -I will concentrate mostly on issues you may have on your mind reading other reviews.
Autofocus - I had no problems with it - it is very effective and pleasant to use. The D600 equipped with the 24-70 f2.8 (and I use only the central AF-point) is probably as fast as autofocus gets, south of the high-end pro bodies. The fuji x100s obviously doesn't reach such rarified speeds, but you wouldn't notice any difference in normal shooting conditions - unless your normal shooting conditions involve shooting pictures of a plain wall at night without lights on.
Bottom line is: if you are worried about AF performance. Don't. It is fantastic; and the AF is VERY accurate, even more so than any DSLR I've used. I don't want to compare the speed with other systems like the Ollie 4/3 cameras like the EP-5 and the OM-D series because (a) I don't own those cameras ; and (b) its not about split second differences; its about whether the AF is fast enough for wide range of normal uses (Yes!) and deadly accurate (Heck yes!).
I generally use the AF-S (single point auto-focus). the AF-C mode is not that useful since the AF tracks when you are NOT half-pressing the shutter (which is kind of counter-intuitive for DSLR users) and locks when you do - which means it is useless for shooting moving objects in burst mode (which is mostly when we need continuous auto-focus). If you need to get one shot of a moving object - you follow it WITHOUT pressing the shutter and then press completely at the decisive moment. It usually gets the focus right - but puts a huge onus on choosing the right moment. Also you can use only the central AF point in this mode. I agree the AF-C mode is not very useful.
Manual focus - I've heard many complaints about the x100 manual focus. I never owned one so can't comment on that. But in case you are worried about any such problem on the X100s - don't. Manual focus is a real pleasure. It is not a mechanical MF system like in DSLRs so it requires more turns (though it covers focal distance quite fast between 1.5m and infinity), but this is actually a big advantage for macro work and precise focusing (which is precisely the only time you should be using manual focus in an AF camera!). Further, there are two amazing focus confirmation methods (the digital split view which gives you a B&W patch in the center a little like a rangefinder focusing patch; and a focus highlight which make the focused areas sparkle like vampires in bad teen literature) - these tools make manual focusing much easier and more pleasurable than in modern DSLR systems (where there is no split prisms, and you have to trust the focus confirmation dot, which is not always accurate).
Conclusion: MF is perfect and tailor-made for uses which generally require precise MF - like macros and precise focusing for still-lifes/ portraits. My gripe, manual override should have been always-enabled, so that you could auto-focus till the closest point and then fine tune by MF is necessary. It is still possible (and the way I use it) but you have to remember to flick the focus-mode selector at the side from AF to MF after auto-focusing, and being such a small camera, I tend to fumble a bit and dig my fingers into my cheeks doing so! As you can imagine - really small gripe!
Sharpness
between f2.8 and f11 it is superb; f2 is perfectly usable regardless of what CNET tells you (the largest apertures are always slightly softer but there is very little noticeable loss of sharpness at f2 on the x100s) and above f11 there may be some diffraction induced softness (this is the usual range for APS-C sized sensors); but f11 will give you enough depth of field for most purposes with a 35mm equivalent lens. Don't worry about sharpness; it is superb (owning to removal of the anti-aliasing filter we are told, but those are for nerds - the results are all I know personally).
Files
The image files are just superb - the jpegs look great enough right out of camera for casual use; and the raw files yield superb images with my workflow (Lightroom 4.x, PS6 and Nik Software Collection).
This is the reason you will want to buy a Fuji. I read about it but didn't believe it. But when I saw the pictures - yes, even the out-of-camera jpegs, I was a happy soul. There is just something pleasing about them.
I like the jpeg picture settings - they are not generic and soulless 'vivid" "standard" "Potrait" etc., but very unique looks, wherein saturation, contrast etc obviously vary, but the result is a cohesive artistic whole and not just a result of tweaked settings. Yes they are named after popular films and that's a bit of a gimmick really (it really doesn't look the same - which is why I am still shooting film - an actual film look is just different!) but these are still very well done, IMHO. Just don't expect the results to look like actual Velvia or Astia slides seen through a slide projector (they different, not qualitatively worse)!
Low-light performance
The high ISO images leave any other APS-C sized sensor I've used in the dust (I've owned the D90 and D7000 and have used my Dad's Canon 550d). Granted, these are not the latest APS-C DSLRs but the x100s' high ISO performance matches even those from my D600 so I guess it probably outshines even modern APS-C sensors. I am quite confident the pictures will have way less noise than any micro 4/3 camera can produce - just on account of the size of the sensor and the qualities of the EXMOR processor. So would you rather have a slightly faster low light AF or ultimate pictures which have much less noise?
My philosophy with high ISO performance is that you don't judge results by peeping at pixels of photos of diverging lines for noise (like review sites do). It is more useful to see how much detail one can preserve once one applies proper noise correction software such as Define2 or even the built in LR or Capture NX noise tool. With the Fuji, I can preserve as much detail as with my larger sensor-ed D600 and that makes this is a real winner for me. I can happily shoot at ISO 3200 and get usable files (hint: you get much better files shooting handheld at ISO 3200 and shutter speed of 1/40 then with ISO 1600 and shutter speed of 1/20). 6400 is quite usuable for casual uses though I am not sure about prints (I'd be amazed if ISO 6400 yielded good prints in any camera).
All in all, best high-ISO performance one can expect not counting full frame sensors.
Viewfinder
I love this to bits. Both the optical and electronic viewfinder systems have their advantages and with this camera (and the x-pro1) you never wish you had one or the other! The OVF is very usable especially with parallax correction and tons of useful information which is overlaid - I find especially the histogram, the focus distance scale, and image plane level indicators very useful. the histogram especially is extremely useful to figure out whether highlights and shadows will be preserved and the focus distance scale is extremely useful to confirm whether the AF has fixed on the correct object. A common question regarding the x100s and the Fuji X system, as also my concern before actually trying the x100s, was dependable focusing with the OVF (without which the OVF feature is just useless), but owning to the focus confirmation signal (the focus box outline highlights in green) which is mostly accurate unless you TRYING to fool it (i tried and, alas, succeeded), and more importantly, the focal distance scale (which is more foolproof), focusing with the OVF is absolutely usable.
I use the optical viewfinder more during harsh light or while shooting into the light- the nature of electronic viewfinders is such that contrasts are too high to make out details in either the darker or very light areas in these conditions. On the other hand, in low lighting, the electronic viewfinder can be quite useful to avoid squinting at dimly lit objects. Also the ease at which one can literally "switch" between the two (just flick of a lever) makes this work as even better than the sum of the parts as you can use both types of viewfinders to confirm the exposure and compositional aspects of the shot. Of course, for macros, you can use only the EVF which is sensible since the parallax error would be too high to handle for the OVF and you need the EVF to confirm the focus since the distance scale is undependable for such precise requirements (where we are talking about fractions of millimeters when focusing for macros).
Layout and usability
Every camera system is different. Coming from another system (like me), there are some menus and layouts to get used to, but nothing I find too counter-intuitive or frustrating. I think the Q button system which lets one access the common camera settings instantly, including some saved shooting settings, is a very useful tool. Most of the buttons which you need to reach when the camera is held to your eye are sensibly laid out such the OVF/EVF flick, the control toggle, the focus point selector and flash etc (though understand that there are constraints given the camera size -for example, the exposure mode is one of the buttons on the left side of the camera's back and as such difficult to get to because that's usually where one's nose is, when the camera is held to one's eye). Camera ergonomics I believe increase with size and heft upto a certain point - I find my D600 and F100 easier to handle due to their bulk and contoured body; with the x100s the small size and svelte styling causes some fumbling on my part; however my wrists (and shoulders) don't pain anymore after a long day of shooting so win some, lose some. Also note that, while smaller than full frame DSLRs or modern SLRs, it is actually of comparable size or larger than most of its actual competition like the RX1 and RX100, Pen cameras, OM-D cameras or GX-1/GX-7 type cameras. It is also only slightly smaller than my film Olympus OM-4T. Its probably just that I am ham fisted..
I have ordered one of those leather half-cases with extra padding on the grip area - hopefully that will make the camera easier to hold....lets see.
I love the fact that it has proper dials for shutter and Exposure compensation, and that you change aperture with a ring in the lens - to be honest, changing aperture this way is necessarily a two handed operation unlike in a modern DSLR/SLR like the D600 or F100 where you can hold the camera and flick the aperture dial with a single hand, but its a compromise I am willing to make for the vintage feel it gives. I also like that it doesn't have a PASM dial with lots of scene modes or art filters - In fact it doesn't have a PASM dial, period. One selects shutter priority by putting the aperture ring on Auto; aperture priority by placing the shutter dial on Auto and Program Auto mode by putting both on auto - just like an old time RF. The lack of quick access to scene modes and art filters may put off some casual shooters but this camera I think is consciously designed for a more advance users who are aware of how to set up their cameras for different lighting challenges and uses such as "night portrait" "landscape", "parties" "silhouettes" etc by themselves and prefer to apply filters in post processing. I should add that there are some art filters available (the usual toy camera, soft focus etc)- but these are hidden away in the shooting options and don't take up a dial on the top of the camera (unless you want to dedicate the Fn button to that. you don't really - use to it adjust the ISO).
Conclusions:
All in all, I am very happy with my purchase. Money well spent. I will be using my D600 for specific projects such as planned landscape outings and portrait shoots and the Fuji for most everything else. Depending on Fuji's roadmap, I am seriously considering switching to the X-system as well when they bring out their next X-pro body.
Recommended for:
Enthusiast to professional photographers who would like a high quality camera as a constant companion.
Not for:
Inexperienced casual shooters looking for a camera for snapshots. The controls and IQ are designed with at least a slightly knowledgeable user in mind. A beginner can definitely use it but there is a slightly steeper learning curve. There are better choices for snapshots, holiday pictures etc, some of which even provide comparable (though not equal) picture quality. I think the NEX or 4/3 system cameras or even the superzoom cameras serve better for such users, and provide a more gradual learning curve.
Scores (these are extremely subjective based on my own experience and not based on clinical test)
Build quality, look and feel - 9 (only gripes: strap feels cheap, lens cap falls off easily)
Picture quality (sharpness, noise, color rendition etc)
JPEG - 9.5
RAW - 9
Focusing
AF - 8 (points deducted only for not so useful AF-C)
MF - 8.5
Viewfinder - 10 (amazing technological achievement)
Ergonomics and layout - 7 (apart from points made above; would have preferred a dedicated ISO and AF-on button)
UI and shooting options - 8.5 (if you don't need scene modes or art filters)
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