Fujifilm FinePix X100 review

With the replacement for the FinePix S5 Pro DSLR never materialising, it looked like Fujifilm was focusing its digital expertise on the compact camera mass market. This all changed with the announcement of the FinePix X100 compact camera back in September last year at the Photokina international trade show; with a host of features and controls to appeal to the professional and high-end enthusiast that haven't been seen together on a compact camera before. Generating masses of interest at the time of launch, it's been six months of waiting to get our hands on a final production sample. Has the wait for the FinePix X100 been worth it?

Fujifilm FinePix X100 review - Features

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 sports a resolution of 12.3MP but unlike the majority of compacts available, which have sensors roughly the size of your small fingernail, the FinePix X100 features a much larger APS-C sized sensor - just like you'd expect to find in most DSLRs.

While this is not a revolutionary move in a compact camera as Sigma was the first to incorporate an APS-C sensor into their DP1 compact camera, it's only one of a handful of compacts to feature a chip this size. And the advantages are obvious - though other compact cameras may share a similar or larger resolution to the X100, the bigger physical size of the X100 chip means that the Photodiodes (or pixels) can be larger, improving their light gathering capabilities with a stronger signal-to-noise ratio for reduced noise, better colour reproduction and a broader dynamic range.

The ISO range runs from 200-6400 at full resolution and can be expanded to 100-12,800 if you're not wishing to shoot Raw. This extra flexibility is thanks in part to a new generation EXR Processor that features dual CPUs, the EXR Core and a Reconfigurable Processor for improved high resolution, high sensitivity, low noise and wide dynamic range capabilities.

In an effort to keep size down and maximise quality Fujifilm has opted for a fixed focal length lens for the FinePix X100. The ultra fast f/2 23mm Fujinon prime offers a 35mm focal length that offers a moderate wide-angle coverage suitable for a range of shooting situations, though some may feel restricted by this. Having a fixed lens has allowed Fujifilm to engineer the sensor specifically with this lens in mind, optimising its light-gathering capabilities for improved sharpness and reduced vignetting in the edges of the frame.

One of the most impressive elements of the Fujfilm FinePix X100 is the ‘Hybrid Viewfinder' which is both optical and electronic (EVF). It's a very clever piece of design, allowing you to compose with either a 90% coverage Reverse Galilean optical viewfinder with overlaid customisable electronic shooting information, or instantly swap to the 1.44m-dot Electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage should you prefer. Shots taken when using the optical finder can be instantly fed back to you via the EVF, meaning you don't have to lower the camera from your eye.

At the rear of the FinePix X100 is a 2.8in, 460k-dot LCD screen - perhaps any larger and it would have compromised the overall size and design of the camera.

Autofocus is done via contrast-detection, using 25 points when using the optical viewfinder or an automated multi-zone system utilises all 49 AF points. There's also the option to flick between single and continuous focus, as well as manual focus, too.

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 also uses a lens-internal shutter which means that the built-in flash can be synced at any shutter speed you desire (not the 1/250th or 1/200th sec that's the norm on DSLRs with focal plane shutters) allowing you to use fill-in flash easily in bright sunlight. There are also two dedicated external flashguns available for the X100 (and soon to launch FinePix HS20) in the shape of the EF-42 and EF-20.

There are some other nice touches with the X100 like the built-in selectable ND filter, allowing you shoot at 3 stops slower than normal to help you achieve movement in your shots. So if you were shooting at 1/60th sec without the ND activated, for example, you'd be shooting at 1/8th sec with. It's worth also noting that, because of the type of shutter used, some fast shutter speeds may not be available when the lens is set to a wide aperture - at f/5.6 and below 1/2000th sec or faster isn't possible, while f/4 and below a shutter speed of 1/4000th sec is out of the equation. This is only an issue in bright sunlight and the built-in ND filter can play its part in reducing the shutter speed and still allow you to shoot wide-open should you wish.

If you'd like to shoot a panoramic image with the Fujfilm FinePix X100 there's a motion panorama mode. Unlike the majority of systems that produce low-resolution files, due to video capture being used, the Fujfilm Finepix X100 takes a series of still images in quick succession (similar to the process used on Sony's NEX-5). A 120° horizontal pano produces a 7.3MP file and a larger 180° sweep is also possible, with both settings providing the option to shoot both vertically or horizontally