Leaf River Digital Game Camera

The digital camera and viewer are second to none. It is better than what is available to me in my science department. As to its limits, I can dimly make out fuzzy bacterial cells on a professionally prepared bacterial microscope slide - as one would expect for 400x without phase contrast or an oil immersion lense. The image quality for eukaryotic cells is crystal clear and outstanding. The batteries fit in the battery compartment just fine and the electric plug also works just fine. The light on the tetraview cannot penetrate a leaf but I have worked with professional scopes whose lighting is powerful enough to penetrate a leaf without further sectioning to make it thinner. Overall, it seems to be a very good product that is professional grade in most of its components and optics. The digital components are outstanding. The light is sufficient, but I think some professional scopes have a more powerful light. Some of the parts, such as the little metal arm that holds a slide in place, seem a little bit more flimsy than a professional scope. I would still rate this scope very highly and it certainly exceeded my expectations.

Set my camera on tripod and took pictures of the kids just running around in a leaf pile.

I love the camera for the few times I have used it so far.. Got a good case, but am afraid of the leaf lens protector as well as anything that can happen to electronics. Since it is a contract with Canon directly I am comfortable with the purchase .

A little confused with switched outlets, unless you set the leaf.

My last two Canon Power Shot cameras developed bent leaf style lens protectors from putting the camera into my pocket when traveling. I was able to continue using them only by using a very thin guitar or mandolin pick to carefully raise the bent leaf. Telling me to not put the camera in my pocket was not an acceptable answer for me. I really wanted the Canon G7X mk II for it's fast lens and other features but another bent lens leaf, on a $700 camera was not going to happen. Then a great salesman at Houston's Camera Exchange told me about a push on lens cover that was supposed to fit the camera perfectly. I checked it out and voila! It fits snugly and stays on. Good product.

The Fotodiox Mamiya 7 lens adapter is very nicely made and works great. It permits transfer of lens information to the camera by turning the camera on after setting the lens to f8 and holding down the fn button. The adapter only locks the Mamiya lens leaf shutter in the open position -- by turning the blue ring to the right after starting/waking the camera -- but unfortunately does not offer the ability to use the len's leaf shutter. I'm thrilled to be able to use the spectacular and lightweight Mamiya 7 lenses with the Fuji -- the quality and resolution of the combination is extraordinary.

This camera handles anything I need it to do. Low light capabilities are amazing and the leaf shutter and built in ND filter provide great opportunities for shooting in mid-day sun. This is my everyday and everywhere camera.

As far as studio cameras go, this camera is in a totally different league. Picture quality is outstanding. That is what it is designed for, and that is what it does better than other cameras I have used - from picture quality and ease of handling. I have (and have used) Leaf backs for Hasselblad-V and Leaf Afi (Rolleiflex HY6) cameras and Hasselblad H4d-60. I have not used the current generation Phase One cameras and backs so I cannot compare it to them. I generally use it in live view composing and focusing looking through the back. Pretty much the way I shot studio work back in the 60's with 4x5 and 8x10. I wish the LCD on the back titled (although you can always tether it for viewing and capturing - I generally don't bother). Live view goes thru batteries quickly, so have 3 or 4 and keep one on the charger. For long sessions I use the AC power supply from the H4D-60. I have used almost all of their lenses and have no complaints. (I did have an iris problem on a 100mm lens I originally bought used, and it required a whole shutter replacement -$1800, but it is now basically a new lens). The autofocus is slow and deliberate - it is not suited for action shooting unless your focus point is in the center of the frame. I use it with the focus assigned to a back button so I can focus and compose separately. In the studio I generally use live view and focus manually. It is NOT a camera that can do anything (why would you want to use this for video?) - but it does take pictures of a quality that is stunning. (I bough mine used from a landscape photographer who was moving on to other things).

I have owned dozens of cameras and believe this camera to be the cream of the crop. The leaf shutter is great and perhaps doesn't get as much attention as it should. The viewfinder is large and bright, and I appreciate Fuji's option to make the camera settings in the viewfinder larger. Image quality is very good too. I have and have had other Fujifilm cameras and the dials are a little stiffer to turn on the X100, which is nice as they don't get turned accidentally. Changing lenses in the field is usually a pain and it is nice to be free of that with the X100, though I have found there are times I would like to go wider and may be the wide lens adapter for that. I have programmed 4-stop built in ND filter to a button and like this feature also. The camera is well constructed and a joy to use and look at.

I'm new to the game, but this camera rocks.