Fujifilm's new X-S1 takes a huge step back in terms of X-series body design, but almost makes up for it in specs.
The X-series features the rangefinder-like X100 with the dual optical/electronic viewfinder and big APS-C sensor, and the neat, retro-styled X-10. Aside from styling, it seems that the X cameras have little in common. Now things are even more confused.
The X-S1 has a big, SLR-like body with a huge 26x (24-624mm equivalent) zoom. It shoots RAW pictures, has a 1.44 million-dot viewfinder and 460,000-dot LCD, and uses chunky rubber-coated metal dials. But it also features the same small 12MP 2/3-inch (0.67 inches on the diagonal) CMOS sensor as the X10 compact camera.
This small sensor seems even odder as you read the rest of the specs. There's a super-short 0.01-second shutter lag, a decent maximum aperture (ƒ2.8 to ƒ5.6), 1080p video, 360-degree panorama mode, a tiltable LCD, 10fps shooting speed and a maximum ISO of 3,200 which can be stretched to ISO 12,800 if you shoot small JPGs.
All this for £700 ($1,100, but likely to be closer to $700) when it goes on sale in February.
I guess something had to give to keep the price down and the body small, and lord knows there are people out there who buy their cameras on zoom-length alone (often with good reason). But to really know whether "x" is just a letter to put in front of a camera name, or actually a real, coherent range of cameras, we'll have to wait for a bigger sample size.
Fujifilm X-S1 — Join the X family with a power of Super Zoom [Fujifilm]
