Thursday, March 2, 2017

Fujifilm X100S in the test

The Fujifilm X100S with a price of 1,200 euros has a unique feature among the premium compact cameras with large image sensor and fixed focal length: the optical-electronic hybridsucher. In the Fujifilm X100S optical viewfinder, light frames, AF field, distance scale, shooting mode, exposure compensation and other information are displayed using LCD technology.


The AF is now hybrid


By lever, you can then switch to the electronic viewfinder, which solves 786666 RGB points - about 300,000 more than the Fujifilm X100 -. It shows the image including exposure simulation and white balance as it will look after shooting. With the Fujifilm X100S optical viewfinder, on the other hand, much more pictures per battery charge can be recorded, since this significantly reduces power consumption. The Fujifilm X100S is, of course, also a live view on the TFT monitor (153300 RGB pixel). An eye sensor can be activated, which automatically switches the display of the digital camera from monitor to viewfinder when the eye approaches the viewfinder.


Limited shutter speeds


A new feature of the Fujifilm X100S is the hybrid autofocus: Depending on the shooting situation and motif, it automatically switches between contrast and phase AF. The contrast AF works with 49 measurement points, either in multi-field or as single-field AF. The measuring field within the 7x7-point matrix can not only be shifted, but can also be varied in five sizes. For phase detection, an unspecified number of pixels on the sensor is converted.


Solid magnesium housing


The delay time of the Fujifilm X100S has been measured including the AF time with acceptable 0.39 / 0.52 s at 1000/30 lux, the continuous image speed with around 6 images (JPEGs) per second



Image quality at SLR level


Manual stepping makes a stepper motor noticeable. The manual focusing with the Fujifilm X100S is supported by two adjustment aids, which can be used alternatively. The peaking function highlights contrast edges when the focus is successful. The second possibility is the "digital cross-section": In a slightly darkened field in the center of the image, the focus of motifs is interrupted on the line, similar to the cross-sectional viewfinder of analog reflex cameras.


The Fujifilm X100S is equipped with integral and matrix measurement (256 fields) as well as spot measurement with 2% image coverage for the exposure measurement. The selection of exposure programs is limited to the automatic program (time wheel and iris ring on A position) with shift function, supplemented by time / aperture automatic and manual mode. Three individual memories allow personalization of the camera.


The combination of mechanical and electronic shutter leads to an unusual limitation of the shutter speeds at Fujifilm: 1 / 4,000 s is only possible with aperture 8 and smaller, with aperture 4 and 5.6 1 / 2,000 s available, with aperture 1 only /1.000 s. If necessary, a neutral density filter can be simulated, which reduces the exposure by 3 EV values.


The dynamic range is variable between 100, 200 and 400%, in order to adapt the camera to more or less contrasting subjects. If in doubt, the car setting is good. In addition to automatic step exposures, the camera also allows ISO, film simulation and dynamic range bracketing.


Films the Fujifilm X100S in Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) with max. 60 full images per second. Continuous AF in the filming is possible, but the autofocus did not always find its goal. If you are looking for the video mode in vain: Press the "Drive" key on the left of the monitor and select the last entry in the menu.


The Fujifilm X100S has a solid magnesium housing in the look of a classic viewfinder camera, in silver with black leather. The built-in Fujinon lens has a light intensity of 1: 2 and a focal length of 23 mm, which corresponds to a KB lens of 35 mm.


The shutter speed dial and aperture ring on the lens underline the retro look of the Fujifilm X100S, it would be nice, however, if you could adjust the iris not only in whole but also in half steps. The focus ring of the digital camera could also be a touch more grippy. Anyone who puts a system flash on the flash instead of the built-in flash can adjust the flash correction directly on the camera.


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The Quick menu of the Fujifilm X100S allows fast access to important functions. In addition, there are various direct access buttons, also in the form of the double-assigned directional buttons and a freely configurable function button. Only the combination of 4-way switch with integrated setting wheel proved to be a bit fiddly. Not infrequently you turn easily on the wheel, if you only want to press a direction key, then land in the wrong place in the menu. A second dial would not be wrong. What one suspects as such - on the left below the exposure correction disc - is not a dial but a rocker switch.


Test Conclusion


The Fujifilm X100S uses an X-Trans CMOS II with 16 megapixels of nominal resolution and special color filter mosaics, which makes a low-pass filter obsolete with a special filter arrangement. In addition to this, there is a further improved image processor (EXR II), which according to Fujifilm is designed to effectively prevent light scattering and diffraction diffraction.


In fact, the Fujifilm X100S is capable of nearly 2,000 LP / BH at ISO 200/400 and maintains a high level of 1600 LP / BH up to ISO 12,800. The dead-leaves curves (1041 to 855 between ISO 100 and 6400) are similarly high. The noise remains moderate up to higher ISO regions, the dynamics is high (between 9 and 10 stops) and falls only to ISO 1.600 to 8.3 screens. Up to ISO 800, Fuji provides an almost constant result, which is only moderately declining to ISO 1,600, despite slight weaknesses with very fine low-contrast structures. But, as good as the results are in the center of the image, they can not satisfy the edges of the image.


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If you have something for Leica retro look cameras, you will fall in love with the Fujifilm X100S right away. The camera also owes this sympathy to the hybrid viewfinder, which is practical and fun. Material selection and processing justify the higher price class. Small weaknesses in the operation (4-way switch with fiddly knurled wheel) are more to be understood as edge notation.


However, the camera leaves a ambiguous impression with the image quality: in the center of the image excellently with an above-average constancy to ISO 800, at the picture edges unfortunately much worse than expected, because the resolution of the lens in the corners drops too much


Fujifilm Finepix X100S

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