Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 produces images of outstanding quality. It recorded noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100 all the way up to 3200, with a little noise at ISO 6400 and more visible noise and slight colour desaturation at the fastest setting of ISO 12800, an amazing performance for a camera with an APS-C sensor. The RAW files were also excellent, with usable images throughout the entire range of ISO 200-6400.

The Fujifilm FinePix X100's 23mm lens handled chromatic aberrations brilliantly, with very limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations and at the edges of the frame. The built-in flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds being long enough for most after-dark shots, and the Bulb mode allowing much longer exposures if required.

Macro performance is pretty good for this type of camera, allowing you to focus as close as 10cms away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting.

The Dynamic Range settings subtly improve detail in the shadows and highlights, while the Film Simulation modes hark back to a bygone era. Motion panoramas are the icing on the proverbial cake, although they didn't work very well in mixed lighting conditions or with moving subjects in the frame.

Noise

There are 8 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm FinePix X100 for JPEGs, and 6 for RAW files. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW files.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft and ideally benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Fujifilm Finepix X100's 23mm fixed lens provides a focal length of 35mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

35mm

File Quality

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

12M Fine (5.15Mb) (100% Crop)	12M Normal (3.91Mb) (100% Crop)
12M RAW (19.0Mb) (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 handled chromatic aberrations very well during the review, with llittle evidence of purple fringing that was only present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the example below.

Example 1 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 10cms away from the camera. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot	100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Fujifilm FinePix X100 are Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction Auto, Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash and Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (34mm)	Forced Flash - Wide Angle (34mm)

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Forced Flash setting or the Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash option caused any red-eye.

Forced Flash	Forced Flash (100% Crop)
Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash	Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash (100% Crop)

Night Shot

The Fujifilm FinePix X100's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual mode, and there's a Bulb mode which allows exposures up to 60 minutes long, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 30 seconds at ISO 200. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.

Night Shot	Night Shot (100% Crop)

Dynamic Range

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 has three dynamic range settings - 100% (on by default), 200%, and 400% - and an Auto setting if you want to let the camera take control. These settings gradually increase the amount of detail visible in the shadow and highlight areas, with the side-effect of more noise appearing in the image. Note that you can't actually turn this feature off.

100%	200%
400%

Film Simulation

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 offers 8 different film simulation modes to help repliatce the look of your favourite film stock from the past.

Provia / Standard	Velvia / Vivid
Astia / Soft	Monochrome
Monochrome + Yellow Filter	Monochrome + Red Filter
Monochrome + Green Filter	Sepia

Panoramas

Just like Sony's Cybershot range, the Fujifilm Finepix X100 can even create motion panoramas, either 120 or 180 degrees in length. Exposure is set on the first frame, which caused real problems for our indoor shot where different light sources caused large areas of vertical banding. The X100 performed much better outdoors, although watch out for moving subjects in the frame as the X100 won't compensate for this.

120 Degrees

Download the full-size image

180 Degrees

Download the full-size image

Mixed Lighting

Download the full-size image

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Fujifilm FinePix X100 camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Fujifilm RAW (RAF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera /Turned On

Isometric View

Isometric View

Rear of the Camera

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

Rear of the Camera / Info Screen

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

Optical Viewfinder Display

Top of the Camera

Bottom of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Memory Card Slot

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 is one of the most surprising, appealing and well-realised cameras of recent times, offering a compelling mix of intuitive handling, impeccable image quality, and a truly innovative viewfinder. That's not to say that you should all rush out and buy one - by its very nature a retro-styled, film-inspired 35mm fixed lens camera with a leaning towards street photography will limit the X100's natural audience, along with the rather eye-watering price-tag, slightly sluggish auto-focusing, slow write speeds and merely average video mode. But if you're still reading this far, you'll be pleased to know that the Fujifilm Finepix X100 really does live up to its pre-launch hype.

The X100 delivers all of the goods and more in terms of its overall handling and image quality. Fujifilm have married the best of the past, in the multitude of external controls, leaf-shutter, optical viewfinder and stunning appearance, with some cutting-edge features, most notably the hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder, which really is a revelation to use. The ability to frame your subject in not one, not two, but three different ways, each of which offers certain benefits and all housed within a compact body, makes the X100 incredibly versatile, although we suspect that most owners will exclusively enjoy using the bright optical viewfinder and its unique information overlay.

All of the nice handling touches and cutting-edge technologies in the world wouldn't matter if the X100 didn't deliver the goods in terms of image quality, but thankfully the X100 scores a bullseye in terms of the photos that it produces. Noise is noticeable only by its almost complete absence throughout the ISO range of 100-12,800, while the Dynamic Range function helps to boost contrast and detail. The 23mm lens is sharp from the center to the edges, while the F/2 maximum aperture makes it easy to creatively throw the background out of focus. The X100 is right up there with the best APS-C sensor cameras on the market.

The only major fly in the ointment is the sky-high price-tag. £999 / $1299 is straying well into prosumer DSLR territory, so you really need to ask yourself if the X100 suits your particular needs, or if a DSLR or compact system camera with their interchangeable lenses would be a safer bet. On the other hand, for those of you who have been wishing that one of the camera manufacturers would deliver a compact, quiet and intuitive camera that takes great pictures, that price tag probably looks like something of a snip (or at least just about bearable). So despite the high cost of admission, the Fujifilm Finepix X100 joins the handful of cameras that have won our coveted Essential! award.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 from around the web.

Specifications

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