Fujifilm's new retro cameras pack smarter viewfinders and more controls
Those hints of significant upgrades to Fujifilm's retro-styled X100 and X-T1 cameras? Yeah, they're real. The company has just unveiled the X100T and X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition, both refinements of familiar formulas. The X100T gets the biggest update of the bunch. It still has a 16.3-megapixel X-Trans II CMOS sensor and that signature, super-bright 23mm f/2 lens, but should give you much more control over your output. The centerpiece is an improved hybrid viewfinder that lets you focus as if you're using an old-school rangefinder, hopefully giving you a well-composed photo on the first try. New focus peaking, split-image and filter simulation modes should also give you a better sense of how a shot will turn out before you press the shutter.
And don't worry if you're still fond of tactile controls -- Fujifilm has given those an upgrade, too. Both the exposure compensation dial and lens aperture ring offer finer-grained control with a firmer grip, and you'll find both a new command dial (in place of the lever) and a four-way controller. Seven programmable function buttons should fill in any gaps if there's a toggle you absolutely need on a moment's notice. Even the body itself has received a subtle refresh with magnesium on both the top and bottom. If all these nip-and-tuck refreshes are what you're looking for, you can pick up the X100T for $1,300 when it ships in mid-November.
The X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition won't be quite as dramatic a revamp when it arrives in late November, but it may be worth checking out if you've been holding off on the existing model. While its namesake color scheme is the most obvious change, the new camera also has a more natural-looking electronic viewfinder that lets you disable preview effects. It has a faster electronic shutter (1/32,000th of a second), too, and will avoid invoking the noisier mechanical shutter if you're trying to stay quiet. The X-T1 GSE will cost $1,500 if you're looking for the body alone, while a kit with a multi-purpose 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens will set you back $1,900.
