Visually superb, but not a big difference in the focal length and correction only in JPEGs.

The WCL-X100 extends the focal length of 23mm (35mm equivalent) to 19mm (28mm film camera equivalent). The converter can be used on both the X100 and X100s at, as both models have exactly the same objective. Fuji requires a very high price for this wide-angle converter and provides for a excellent workmanship and high-quality piece of glass and metal, which is perfectly matched to the X100 / X100s. Just like the camera, the converter also comes in a high quality black box with storage bag. So from this side you can really say "you get what you pay for". If you own the original lens shade, it can also be fitted with a handle on the converter (via an adapter as screwing with the built-in lens is not necessary with the converter).

If the converter attached, yet to be set in the menu, that it will be used. This must be done manually always, because the converter does not have electrical contacts has. If you forget to set the Wide Converter menu, no lens correction is performed in the camera. The difference between 35mm and 28mm is noticeable in a direct comparison but by no means great. You get a little more on's image, sometimes does not fit the whole building with the converter on it and without. But often arrived here also the converter does not, because the focal length difference simply is not as big. Whether it is worth the difference in the focal length, everyone must decide for themselves.

Visually there is nothing wrong, the converter supplies to the X100 / X100s rattenscharfe high-contrast images, which show no loss of quality. On the contrary, sometimes I even get the impression that the images are sharper at open aperture with converter.

The distortion and vignetting correction is automatic if the converter has been set in the menu. We had arrived at my biggest gripe: the correction is made exclusively for JPEG files, which I think is very unfortunate. I'm certainly not the only one who would never buy a 1000+ camera if he only could thus record JPEGs. In such a camera I shoot mostly in RAW. It may from time to time give an incorrect exposure, the white balance is not always true, you want even more saturated colors or even convert to black and white, etc. All these requirements can be met easily with RAW. The RAWs of the Fuji cameras have a very large scope for post and this one should be used without having to be satisfied with the uncorrected pretty violent distortions of the WCL-X100 converter. The distortion is relatively strong in RAW and can uncorrected very disturbing act (crooked walls / roofs / lines in architecture, distorted faces at people). In the center it is still fine, but the closer you get to the edges of the image, the more noticeable is the distortion.

This can be avoided by using the Fuji's proprietary software for processing. However, these returns exactly the same results as the JPEGs of the camera, which makes this option rather pointlessly. Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw unfortunately deliver no official profile for the converter (for the standard lens already) and I have, despite many trying not found a different profile that comes close to the excellent correction in the camera or the Fuji software. If you only shoot JPEG, does not exist this problem for you, of course.

Summary:

Pro:

- Super processed very high quality materials, fit visually and qualitatively perfect for camera
- Excellent optical quality, very sharp, high-contrast images
- Very good lens correction for JPEG files, barely discernible distortion

Contraindications:

- Not much difference in focal length between 28 and 35mm
- Makes the camera a good bit larger and heavier
- High price
- No lens correction in RAW (except for the Fuji software that delivers exactly the same results as the JPEG engine in the camera), distortion can be manually corrected hardly satisfactory