Product Summary

• Model name: Fujifilm X100S
• Release date:
• Focus Type: Autofocus / Manual
• Format : APS-C / Crop Sensor
• Purchase options: Adorama | B&H

Key features & specs

• APS-C 16 megapixels X-Trans CMOS II sensor
• EXR processor II
• 23 mm f/2 fixed focal length lens with all glass elements (8 elements arranged in 6 groups)
• Intelligent Hybrid AF system that is claimed to bring down the focusing lag down to 0.08 sec
• Continuous shooting speed of 6 fps, maximum continuous shooting of 31 frames
• Hybrid viewfinder allowing you to switch between Optical and Electronic Viewfinder by the flick of a switch
• Built-in ND filter allowing 3 stops of light block
• 9-blade aperture diaphragm
• 2.8” LCD non-articulating monitor with a resolution of 460,000 dots. 100% coverage
• records full HD movies at 60 fps / 30 fps
• ISO sensitivity from 200 to 6400 and can be further pushed to 12,800 and 25,600

Overview

The Fuji X100S is the successor to the extremely popular Fuji X100 an APS-C sensor based prosumer compact. The Fuji X100S is designed for serious photographers and those who either already have a DSLR, and want a smaller lighter body to lug around or for people who seriously love photography but hate the ideal of a bulky DSLR.

Official Video

The good

Optical viewfinder has a coverage of 90%. Switching to Electronic viewfinder you get a coverage of 100%. The location of the viewfinder switching button is right in front of the camera on the right of the lens barrel. Makes it a handy way to switch between the two viewfinder modes.

X100S has a very close focusing distance 0.21 meters which has developed considerably (by 50%) from the XP100 which was 0.40 meters. In the normal mode, which saves you from switching to macro, you can use your camera as it is and shoot great close up photographs.

The better picture quality in ambient light.

The camera has a fixed lens that is locked in position, no popping in or out, which saves further time.

The built in flash compensates for low light conditions without yelling as normal flashes do. Even when shot directly at the sun to illuminate faces the flash has a subtle way of retaining skin tones without unduly overexposing the shot. In one word the flash mixes well with the ambient light making it ideal for use in any lighting conditions. The flash does not have to pop-up, saving some extra seconds when you need it to fire.

Compared to the older X100 the new X100S has a slightly modified Focusing mode button. The AF-C mode has been pushed down and the AF-S has come up. Great for most, not great for rest.

The Bad

The camera is powered by the Li-ion battery NP-95 pack and gives only 330 shots per charge. If you’re an avid street photographer or love taking landscape photographs you will be presented with a situation where you will run out of charge more often than not. We suggest you carry an extra set of fully charged batteries.

Similar Products

The camera that the X100S is highly inspired from is the Leica M9. In fact at first looks you may be deceived until you notice the difference in the positioning of the buttons, the mode dial, the viewfinder, the focus-assist lamp etc. But where the M9 is a full frame advanced compact this sports only a 16 megapixels sensor. Additionally the M9 is built like a tank and in the own words of the company ‘Built for a life time”. Comparatively the X100S is slightly less well built. At the end of the day you won’t mind it unless you feel like driving a set of nails on a plank. Another camera you would wan to see is the Nikon Coolpix – A which has a similar APS-C 16 megapixels sensor.

Should I buy it?

The X100S is definitely a great buy for anybody who loves his photography and prefers a viewfinder instead of a LCD screen to compose. The camera is a lightweight alternative to carrying a DSLR, offering users all the manual controls that one may need in order to indulge in artistic photography, giving a close macro shooting range in normal mode and a great fast fixed lens of f/2. It is the ideal camera for carrying on a trip, taking to a party and for taking photos in the backyard. It is very small at 126.5 x 74.4 x 53.9 mm and weighs 445 grams with memory card and batteries making it easy to transport. The two things that will work against it are the price which is around $1300 and thus is the same as a prosumer DSLR with kit lens and the lack of a zoom feature which most consumers would have loved. If you already own a DSLR this could be a stand-by that you take with you at events where you don’t want to lug your heavy DSLR. Mind it at 450 grams this is not your average compact camera. Also if you’re a street photographer this could be your camera. Available at Adorama | B&H

Images by Fujifilm X100S on Flickr

Additional Images

Press release

The Hybrid viewfinder

How about two viewfinders in one? That’s what the hybrid viewfinder of X100S does. In a flick of a switch the viewfinder changes from optical to electronic and a coverage of 90% to 100%. The 0.48” LCD screen of the EVF has a resolution of 2,360,000 dots / inch and reproduces the image coming through the lens in vivid detail. Plus an array of customizable shooting information makes your photographing experience that much better.

The closest focusing distance of the camera in normal mode is 0.21 meters which is decent enough for some close-up shots and get interesting bokeh, without ever having to switch to macro mode. However if you do decide to shift to macro mode you can get a close focusing distance of 10 cm.

Sensor performance comparable to full-frame output 
The X100S features FUJIFILM’s newly-developed 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor with a unique, highly randomised, colour filter arrangement. The benefit of the new array is the elimination of the need for an optical low-pass filter; these are used in conventional sensors to reduce false colour and moiré effects but they also reduce image resolution. The removal of the optical low-pass filter allows the X-Trans CMOS II sensor to maximise the light it receives directly, enabling users to capture much finer detail and optimise resolution levels.

The X100S uses a Lens Modulation Optimiser to reduce optical effects such as lens diffraction, which occurs when light passes through a lens. Even when stopped down to f/16, the X100S retains sharpness and texture in the smallest details, demonstrating the extent of the sensor and lens combination’s capabilities, perfectly.

The excellent sensitivity of the X-Trans CMOS II sensor is coupled with the new EXR Processor II’s advanced signal processing capacity, which can reduce noise by more than  30% (*2) compared to its predecessor.  Even when shooting in low-light, at a high ISO setting, the FUJIFILM X100S will produce crisp images with minimal grain.

The World’s fastest Auto Focus and High-speed EXR Processing 
With built-in Phase Detection, the X100S offers the world’s fastest AF speed of just 0.08 seconds(*1).  The Intelligent Hybrid AF can switch to Contrast AF, dependent on the demands of the subject or scene, to ensure that the camera always auto-focuses quickly and with precision.

The EXR Processor II delivers processing speeds twice that of FUJIFILM’s previous generation processor (*6).  The fast responses result in an impressive start-up time of approx. 0.5 seconds (*4), and a shooting interval of 0.5 seconds. In addition the X100S delivers a burst shooting rate of up to6 frames per second (max. 29 frames) at the full resolution of 16.3 megapixels and the shutter time lag is a mere 0.01 seconds.

Enhanced manual focus performance with the world’s first (*5) ‘Digital Split Image’ display 
Making use of the built-in phase detection pixels for AF action, the X100S is the world’s first (*5) camera to offer a “Digital Split Image” feature, which displays dual images on the left and right to be lined up for manual focusing.  This enables accurate focusing especially when working with an open aperture or macro shooting.

In addition, the X100S offers a handy Focus Peak Highlight function, which highlights high contrast areas of your subject.  It provides the photographer with a guide, even in situations where it is difficult to calculate focusing accuracy, allowing users to enjoy manual focusing comfortably, however challenging the conditions.

Premium Hybrid Viewfinder for easy image composition
Offering users freedom when composing photos and adaptability for a range of shooting conditions, the X100S’s Hybrid Viewfinder combines both an Optical and an Electronic Viewfinder.

The electronic viewfinder uses a 100% coverage, extra high resolution, 2,360K-dot High Definition LCD panel.  It shows depth-of-field during macro shooting, as well as white balance settings, allowing users to accurately compose their shot while continuously looking through the viewfinder.

The premium quality optical viewfinder offers an easy-to-see magnification of 0.5 at a 23mm focal length and a horizontal apparent field of view of 26 degrees.  The all-glass construction uses high-refractive index glass to minimise chromatic aberrations and distortion.

While in the optical viewfinder mode, users can make adjustments to shutter speed, aperture, ISO and other settings without having to take their eye off the viewfinder.  The shooting frame (Bright Frame) and text brightness automatically adjust according to the ambient light available, to ensure that the information on the display is easy to see at all times.

The system features an OVF Power Save mode, which activates the power-saving function in the optical viewfinder mode to double the maximum number of images per full charge from 300 (*7) in normal operation.

With FUJINON’s proprietary coating, the viewfinder cleverly resists fingerprints and can easily be wiped clean, so that users can enjoy the optical viewfinder’s clear display without compromise.

FUJINON 23mm f/2 lens offering premium image quality in a compact body 
Specifically designed for this model, the FUJINON 23mm f/2 Single Focal Length Lens has a fixed angle of incidence of light into the lens, which facilitates optimum optical design. Taking full advantage of this, the X100S demonstrates advanced levels of image clarity, not only in the centre of the image, but also through to the edges of the photo. The versatile focal length of 35mm (*8) delivers an angle of view ideal for a diverse range of subjects and scenes.

The lens consists of 8 elements in 6 groups, and includes a high-performance double-sided aspherical element and highly-refractive converging glass elements, which deliver a high level of detailed performance with minimal aberration, excellent sharpness and beautiful colour reproduction.  Moreover, FUJINON’s proprietary HT-EBC coating is applied to effectively control image flares and ghosting.

Other benefits of this lens are the beautiful, soft, round-shaped Bokeh that is produced from the 9 blade lens diaphragm. In addition the lens allows you to get as close as 10cm from your subject in macro mode for stunning close-up shots. And its built-in 3-stop ND filter enables blurring of the background in portraits, or applies a gorgeous creamy look to flowing water even in a bright setting.

Elegant design and sophisticated functionality
The front of the X100S proudly bares the letter “S” as confirmation of its extensive evolution from the FUJIFILM X100. Down to the tiniest detail, the premium build and feel of the X100 is continued in the X100S. FUJIFILM’s top quality Japanese engineering is evident from the high precision components used and the perfectly optimised body.

The X100S’s top and base parts are made of magnesium alloy to achieve a lightweight, resilient, yet delicate design. A specially-formulated coating is applied to give its surface a steel look for an added premium feel.  All the dials and rings have been milled from solid metal, with attention paid to the finer details such as finger grips and enhanced operability. The exterior is finished with synthetic leather, which is durable and resilient to the environment yet reproduces the texture of real leather, while still offering the practical benefits of additional grip and comfort.

The layout of the dials and rings allow users to operate the aperture ring on the lens with their left hand, and the shutter speed dial and exposure compensation dial on the top panel with their right hand, meaning all the settings can be adjusted comfortably without having to take your eye off the viewfinder. And to make you feel even more at home, you can even customise your shutter sound by choosing between the four different sounds available:  Lens Shutter, Focal Plane Shutter, Mirror Up and Silent Shutter.

The menu system has been also updated to incorporate a Q “Quick” button which allows you to quickly call up frequently-used menu items such as ISO setting and Film Simulation modes. In addition, the Fn (Function) button allows users to assign functions frequently used while shooting, for convenient use at the touch of a button.

Artistic photography
The X100S features FUJIFILM’s proprietary ‘Film Simulation Modes’. Users can choose from ten simulation options which replicate the results achieved by FUJIFILM colour reversal films (Velvia / PROVIA / ASTIA), professional colour negative films (PRO Neg. Std / PRO Neg. Hi), monochrome filters (MONOCHROME, Ye filter, R filter and G filter) and SEPIA.

Also available on the X100S is the Advanced Filter function; users can choose from 8 different artistic effects which can be previewed on the LCD screen:
Pop Colour – great for boosting contrast and colour saturation
Toy Camera – create shaded borders as if you were taking a photo on a toy camera
Miniature – adds top and bottom blur for a diorama or miniature effect
Dynamic Tone – create a fantasy effect by dynamically-modulated tonal reproduction
Partial Colour – highlights one colour and leaves the rest of the image in black and white (choose from red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple)
High Key – enhances brightness and reduces contrast to lighten tonal reproduction
Low Key – create uniformly dark tones with few areas of emphasised highlights.
Soft Focus – blurs the focus of the image edges to create a softer effect

In addition a Multiple Exposure function enables users to combine two separate images together for special creative effects. And for greater artistic freedom, the aspect ratio can be selected from 3:2, 16:9, and 1:1 (square) to accommodate a wide range of photographic styles.

Full HD Video Shooting
The X100S can shoot at 60fps during Full HD video recording (1920 x 1080) for very smooth video capture. Plus shooting at the high bit-rate of 36Mbps will result in reduced noise and enhanced image quality that reveals every detail, from individual leaves in the trees, to subtle changes in facial expression. During video recording, users have access to many of the additional modes available in still image capture. Film Simulation modes can be used, White Balance settings can be adjusted, you can even make the most of the fast lens to produce beautiful bokeh and also operate the Intelligent Hybrid AF for high-speed and high-precision focusing.

Premium Accessories available for the FUJIFILM X100S

• Wide conversion lens WCL-X100 – designed specifically for X100 and X100S, shortens the lens’ focal length from 35mm (*8) to 28mm (*8).  It offers a broader field of view while maintaining the powerful performance equivalent to that of the main body’s lens

• Premium Leather case LC-X100S – Users can remove / insert a memory card and battery without having to take this case off.  This is a practical ‘Quick Shot’ case, made of premium genuine leather
• Shoe Mount Flash – Three types of Fujifilm external flashes are available, capable of the proprietary high-precision TTL auto flash control:  EF-20 and EF-X20 with the guide number 20, and EF-42 with the guide number 42
• External stereo microphone MIC-ST1 – For recording real sound with impact to go with premium-quality images and full-HD movie

Fujifilm X100S Specifications

More Info on Fujifilm

Purchase options

Fujifilm X100S available at Adorama | B&H