Fujifilm X compact camera review

The Fujifilm X line of premium cameras has a number of replacements at once. Olympus has always been attentive to the wishes of photographers and tried to accommodate them as much as possible. The optics themselves, which are beautiful in pattern, very clear and devoid of noticeable flaws, remain the same. The unique Hybrid Viewfinder has also undergone an upgrade to make it easier to focus in manual mode.

Fujifilm X100T

Fujifilm X100T

16.3 Megapixel 35mm 1x 3″ 55 000 Dollars.

Fujifilm X series of premium cameras. First up is the flagship compact X100T, the successor to the X100S. The previous model was created in the process of fine-tuning the very first camera in the series. This new model is also the product of evolutionary improvement. The developers have always paid close attention to what photographers want and tried to accommodate it to the maximum extent possible.

The best of its predecessor. Clearly, it’s all about design. The metal body and key controls mirroring those of analog cameras, decorative panels with leather trim, and the hybrid multi viewfinder that projects a wealth of information into the eyepiece and switches easily between “real” image and digital – these are all key features of the series. The camera not only adopts the design of film cameras, but also makes good use of their specific constructional features and reproduces their driving style and ergonomics. While the X100T is clearly a digital camera, the possibilities offered by electronics are not limited by the design. For example, in the latest version of the camera, a mechanical shutter with its own click wheel has been supplemented by an electronic shutter. There was simply not enough room on the selector for an extended range, since the minimum shutter speed is now 1/32,000 s! There is one detail though: the flash can not synchronize with an electronic or hybrid electronic-mechanical shutter. But the restriction on the apertures available when choosing a shutter speed is irrelevant here they, as before, must be taken into account only when shooting with a mechanical shutter . In this case, you can use the built-in plug-in three-stage neutral gray filter. An aperture ring in the “old fashioned” way on the lens, now allowing intermediate selections between the marks. Thus, without using additional controls, the photographer can set the aperture size with an accuracy of up to 1/3 of EV.

The optics themselves, with their beautiful fine pattern, very clear and devoid of any noticeable weaknesses, remain the same. This is a focal length 23mm prime lens with a maximum aperture of f/2. The pictures are captured with the proprietary 16-megapixel APS-C-format X-Trans image sensor, whose special color filter structure eliminates the need for a low-pass filter that reduces detail. As with the latest versions of the “system” cameras Fujifilm X, the sensor not only provides a high level of image processing, but is also responsible for quick and sharp focus thanks to additional phase AF cells. Hybrid system reduces the focus lag to 0.08 seconds. Among other things, thanks to it the developers were able to implement a special mode of manual focus assist, imitating the work of Doden wedges. Two adjacent enlarged sections of the image are displayed with a shift – if no focus is found on the selected subject, or sharp – if the subject is in focus. The degree of shift corresponds to the degree of defocus.

The unique hybrid viewfinder has also undergone an upgrade to make it easier to focus in manual mode. Thanks to a special design, also loosely based on film cameras, the optical viewfinder eyepiece can project a correction and focus frame whose size and position change depending on the focus distance, a variety of information, or just the entire image of the electronic viewfinder. A blackout curtain is used to switch between analog and digital images. X100T introduces an additional checkbox to partially block light entering the viewfinder. It’s small and located in the lower right corner of the eyepiece. With it, an enlarged portion of the scene area corresponding to the selected focus point is superimposed on the “live” image. Raises and lowers flag by turning the lever on the front panel, which resembles the cocking key of a film camera timer.

The previous model already had an excellent video mode. Now the functionality has been expanded by placing a connector for an external microphone in the interface compartment, and the ability to control exposure when recording 1080@60p clips has been expanded.

Specifications:

Fujifilm X30

Fujifilm X30

12 megapixel 28-112 mm 4×3″ 24,900 Dollars.

The X30 is the next generation of small, high-end cameras in Fujifilm’s X series. Same recipe that worked for the X100T: take the good of the old and add the best of the new.

Based on the proprietary X-Trans II sensor, smaller than an inch sensor but larger than a 1/1.7-inch format. Among other things, it lacks the low-pass filter, and a color filter, different in structure from the traditional Bayer matrix, fights moiré instead. The repetition rate of the color cell pattern in it is four times less, which eliminates the appearance of characteristic color patterns in areas with high-frequency texture and the forests on diagonal lines in the images. With a nominal resolution of 12 megapixels it offers a significantly higher level of detail than a conventional 1/1.7″ sensor with exactly the same number of light-sensitive cells. The only drawback is that the data from X-Trans sensors is not always correctly interpreted when recording video, which can lead to color distortions in clips. For the photographer, however, the higher effective light sensitivity of the sensor will be of interest when shooting photos in low light conditions. In addition, among the usual photodetectors on the substrate are paired phase difference sensors, making the Fujifilm X compacts one of the few owners of hybrid autofocus.

The zoom is small and not the widest angle, but it’s as good as the competition in both quality and aperture. It has one unique feature – a fully manual zoom lens. To zoom, turn the wheel on the lens barrel. If you want, you can reproduce the effects of dynamic blur when zooming in and out of pictures with this camera without any problems. Maximum open aperture, unfortunately, can only be used at shutter speeds longer than 1/1000s. No built-in ND filter. With the optional adapter you can screw an external filter with a diameter of 52 mm onto the lens, but it’s not quite the same. And that’s where it loses out to a number of competitors. They did not equip this camera with the electronic shutter of the X100T.

The X30, like the X100T, finally improved the screen to “industry” standard. The display has a diagonal of 3 inches and shows 920 thousand dots. But more important and interesting is replacing the poor optical viewfinder with a high-quality electronic viewfinder with 2.3 million dots.

Continuous mode captures 12 full shots per second, though with autofocus blocked – no improvement there. Video recording has been elevated, with the X30 offering finer exposure control and the use of an external microphone. A new accessory, the wired remote shutter release, can also be plugged into the audio input jack. But it’s much more convenient to control the shooting with your smartphone, thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi interface.

Specifications:

Fujifilm XQ1

Fujifilm XQ1

12 mP 25-100 mm 4x 3″ 14,600 Dollars.

The XQ1 should, logically, compete with cameras like the Canon PowerShot S120, Nikon Coolpix P340 and Panasonic Lumix LF1. But in practice it has an important feature that sets it apart from the crowd: its design outshines all its rivals. Fujifilm’s bet was a win-win. Taking its quite capable and technological predecessor X30 as its foundation, the developers have reduced it to a miniature body in the inimitable style of the X series. As a result, the camera touches two chords in the photographer’s soul: desire for classic aesthetic photographic equipment and practical desire to have a functional shooting tool.

2/3-inch X-Trans CMOS sensor complemented here by a fast 25-100mm lens with f/1.8 aperture at the short end. Relative aperture decreases in teleposition, but not more than with competitive cameras. Thanks to the alignment of the sensor, the optics and the EXR Processor II, pictures taken with this camera are characterized by high detail, excellent microdetail with no moiré, and a minimal level of optical distortion. Hybrid autofocus completes the list of features for this stylish babe.

The developers have taught the device to record Full HD videos at 60 frames per second and added wireless data transfer and Wi-Fi control module to the slim body.

Functionally, the XQ1 doesn’t differ much from the older models. Manual and semi-automatic exposure control modes, fine-tuning of the automatic sensitivity setting and correction of white balance on two axes, custom modes with preservation of selected options, dynamic range expansion mode with adjustable effect level, film simulation modes, adjustable “noise reduction”, multiple exposure function, built-in RAW converter – it’s hard to think of something that cannot be found in this camera enthusiastic amateur photographer. The only thing that could mar the camera’s operation is the small number of external controls that provide direct and quick access to settings. But the XQ1 is designed to overcome the natural limitations of its slim body. E-FN button on top panel to enable second level function of all other buttons. This doubles the amount of work they do. Naturally, their functionality can be customized in the menu to your liking.

Specifications: