Fujifilm X100s Review

Conclusion

The Fujifilm X100s a relatively compact APS-C camera in a nice retro design. It has an excellent viewfinder that even can be switched between optical and electronic modes. Even in the optical mode all essential shooting information is presented thanks to an LCD overlay. The viewfinder alone may be what justifies purchasing this camera over the alternatives.

The many buttons and dials make it easy to change settings in the field. At the same time, these many buttons and dials may seem intimidating to users looking to acquire their first digital camera and we see the X100s appealing to the experienced photographer rather than to beginners. While the retro-style shutter speed dial and aperture ring give the camera a classy look, we found that as implemented on the X100s they also make the camera a bit more slow and cumbersone to use than a design with an exposure mode dial and two command dials like found on the Fujifilm X20.

Both command dials are of a dubious design. The topmost one is not a wheel but a less convenient, combined toggle and push button, and the lower one is a combined wheel and four-way controller which makes it all to easy to accidentally enter the menu system while shooting. Without noticing the camera could end up in macro mode and you get blurry photos because the AF still indicates correct focus even for distant subjects! The X20 got it right, We would like to see Fujifilm upgrade the dials to the design of the X20.

Autofocus speed is just average and autofocus hunts some despite the phase detect areas on the sensor. Accuracy is a bit of a hit and miss when the subject is more than 10+ meters away.

The lens is a fast F2.0, 23 mm fixed focal length lens (35 mm eqv. in full frame). This is a good focal length for reportage and street shooting, but with just this one focal length available (and a 28 mm (eqv.) add-on lens converter) the X100s doesn't match the versality of a super zoom or an interchangeable lens camera.

The image quality is excellent in most situations, close to that of a Pentax K-5 IIs. In some situations, though, the images tend to get flat and with limited dynamic range.

The X100s is improved over the X100, but it still has a few quirks. A key improvement is the built-in ND filter which allows for using large apertures with fast shutter speeds. On the annoying side is that some settings do not persist through a power down, that the way to set the shutter speeds changes at 1/4 s, and that the shutter speeds in autoexposure modes do not go all the way down to 30 seconds.

Responsiveness is fast enough for most shooting and the image buffer is large enough for short bursts at 6 fps in JPG mode.

The movie quality is very good but there is no manual control available during recording.

At almost US $1,300 we find the X100s overpriced, so unless compactness and retro design are key factors in a purchase decision, a better value would be a DSLR with a prime lens. As an example, the Pentax K-30 with a Pentax DA 21mm F3.2 lens can be had for $100 les than the X100s, and that kit can later be upgraded with zoom lenses and more prime lenses should the one fixed focal length prove too constraining.

Or save more than half the money and get the Fujifilm X20, which we have reviewd here!

Pros

• Hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder with exposure and focus area overlay
• High-quality lens, fast, sharp and hardly any optical flaws
• Excellent build quality
• Excellent image quality at low ISOs
• Responsive in most shooting modes (unless you're bracketing)
• Great manual focusing aids (focus peaking and split image)
• Fast maximum shutter speed and flash sync
• Hot shoe for external flash
• Exposure compensation dial
• Many buttons and dials allowing convenient access to most settings
• Built-in ND filter

Cons

• Image quality less than what is achievable from an APS-C sensor
• No shake reduction
• Slow and somewhat inaccurate autofocus
• LCD smallish and of low resolution by today's standards
• Shutter speeds can't go lower that 1/4 s in autoexposure modes
• Quirky control dials
• Some settings (self timer for example) do not "stick" but reset when the camera goes in sleep mode
• No dedicated button for quick video recording
• No manual video controls and just one format, full HD
• High-contrast scenes fool the exposure meter
• Small image buffer limits usefulness of continuous shooting
• Some settings burried deeply in the menu
• Relatively short battery life
• Firmware bugs
• Grip feels unsecure
• Price

Rating

Our main gripe is the price, we find the X100s isn't the best value all things considered.

Buy Now (USA)

As of June, 2013, the X100s is readily available and sells at B&H Photo for $1,299.