Value & Verdict

Value

With an original March 2011 launch price of £1000 the Fujifilm FinePix X100 was by no means cheap – although compared to its closest rival at the time, the Leica X1, it still looked like excellent value. Fast forward to November 2012 and the X100 can now be picked up online for around £615, which makes it a much more attractive proposition.

Compared against its newer X-series siblings, the X-Pro1 and X-E1, and the Finepix X100 still looks like pretty good value. Put simply, £650 will barely buy you half
of an X-Pro1 body, while the newer X-E1is still commanding body-only prices
of around £730, or body plus kit lens prices closer to £1150. There are, of course, a number of technological and practical sacrifices to be made, but the savings are pretty big nonetheless.

Verdict

With the Fujifilm FinePix X100 it’s quite clear that Fujifilm has pulled out all the stops when it comes to this camera. The look and feel of the camera is superb – as soon as you pick up the X100, it’s obvious that you’re dealing with a quality photographic tool. The stripped-down controls make the X100 easy and quick to use, while the unique Hybrid Viewfinder works a treat, though the AF can be a touch slow. All of this is backed up by fantastic images straight out of the camera, delivering some of the best results yet from an APS-C sized sensor. It’s not for everyone however, and those looking for a creative compact-sized camera may find it hard to justify over a Compact System Camera, but once you pick up the X100 and see the results, you’ll want one.