Fujifilm XF1 f/1.8 premium compact announced

Posted on 17 Sep 2012 at 10:10, by Gareth Halfacree

Fujifilm has officially announced its XF1, a compact digital camera designed to sit towards the premium end of the market.

The latest entry in Fujifilm's flagship X-Series, the XF1 features a fast Fujinon f/1.8 wide-angle lens offering 4x optical zoom - the equivalent to 25mm-100mm focal length in 35mm terms - comprised of four aspherical glass lens elements and three extra-low dispersion lens elements. Combined with the company's latest High-Transmittance EBC (HT-EBC) coating and optical image stabilisation, Fujifilm is positioning the camera as being perfect for low-light shooting without flash. ISO sensitivity is rated at 100 to 12,800 in extended S mode.

Behind the new lens is a 12 megapixel 2/3in EXR-CMOS sensor along with the company's EXR image processor. The result, the company claims, is fast autofocus acquisition times of just 0.16 seconds and a minimum shot-to-shot time of just 0.8 seconds. High-speed processing is also available for burst-mode photography and HD video recording, with the camera able to zoom and take still photographs even during video recording.

The various functions of the camera are accessible through an on-screen customisable menu dial, which appears on the 3in 460k-dot LCD monitor on the rear of the camera. Additionally, three 'power' modes are available through turning the zoom ring: 'Travel Mode' which fully powers down the camera and retracts the lens to create as compact a unit as possible; 'Standby Mode' where the camera is in a power-saving mode with extended lens for rapid startup; and 'Shooting Mode' for active picture taking.

UK pricing for the camera, which is to launch in black, tan or red pseudo-leather finishes, is not yet available, with Fujifilm setting a US recommended retail price of $500 (around £308 excluding taxes) ahead of the camera's planned October launch.