Cologne, Germany – Fujifilm used this week’s Photokina here to
unveil a retro-looking high resolution addition to its FinePix digital camera
line.
The FinePix X100, which is scheduled to hit the market next March
at an expected retail of around $1,000, features a 12.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS
sensor (similar to those used in most consumer d-SLRs), a Fujinon 23mm f/2
fixed focal length lens and a new Hybrid Viewfinder.
Fuji said the camera will target professional photographers and
advanced enthusiasts who want a compact camera that will deliver “exceptional
quality” images.
The company said it opted for a fixed focal length lens to avoid
making any picture quality tradeoffs that are often necessary when
incorporating zoom lenses.
The camera also includes an EXR processor, which when combined
with the APS-C CMOS sensor enables high-speed AF performance, Fujifilm said.
The Hybrid Viewfinder combines a window-type “bright frame”
optical viewfinder such as those used on film cameras, with an electronic
system incorporated in mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras.
Using a prism for the 1,440,000-dot LCD panel image on the viewing
screen in the reverse-Galilean optical finder, the Hybrid Viewfinder can show
both the shooting frame and a variety of shooting data, Fujifilm said.
Alternatively, it can be used a high-quality electronic viewfinder, switching
between optical and electronic modes with one touch control.
Fujifilm noted that for many serious photographers, a viewfinder
is preferred to the main LCD monitor for composing shots.
