FujifilmX-s1
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Fujifilm to fix 'blooming issue' on X10 and X-S1 cameras
Have shots of bright highlights from your retro X10 or X-S1 been subject to a white disc or blooming effect? A quick perusal of enthusiast photography website DPReview reveals you're not alone, with Fujifilm now acknowledging the issue and promising two fixes. The first phase takes the form of updated firmware, already out for the X10 and coming March 21st for the XS-1, which recognizes problematic bloom-inducing scenarios and compensates by increasing ISO in EXR mode to diminish it. That'll pacify owners until late May, when the company says a redesigned sensor for the duo of digital shooters will become available. It's unclear if the company will reach out to owners of both cams about the retrofit, or if only those who inquire will be privy to the updated hardware. As to why the cameras even shipped this way, the company says its engineers concluded both were working within "prescribed tolerances." Either way, owners should call their local authorized Fujifilm service center for more details.Update: Thanks all who let us know the X10 received its firmware fix already -- we just amended the post.
Fujifilm brings DSLR-like X-S1 camera to the US for $799
Look familiar? That's Fujifilm's latest X-series camera, the X-S1, which launched as the XS-1 in the UK for £699 ($1090) in November. Now the company has moved the dash one character to the left and priced the DSLR-like superzoom at $799.95, with a late-January ship date. We were expecting something slightly different after images of a rumored X cam appeared earlier this week, but this is all we're getting at the high-end -- for now, at least. The X-S1 includes a fixed 26x manual zoom lens with a range of 24-624mm and a variable maximum aperture of f/2.8-5.6, with a 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor behind -- the same size found on the rangefinder-like X10. The lens is quite versatile, allowing you to capture subjects both far away and incredibly close -- it can focus on objects as near as 1 centimeter from the lens in Super Macro Mode. On the rear, you'll find both a 1.4-million-dot, 0.47-inch EVF and a 3-inch 460k-dot tilting LCD -- a heads-up sensor automatically switches to the EVF as you get near.Sports shooters will appreciate the seven-frames-per-second high-speed mode at full resolution, or 10 fps at six megapixels. And as you'll expect with any high-end cam, there's 1080/30p video capture on board with stereo sound and H.264 encoding, along with RAW stills and full manual control, with a dedicated mode dial up top. Unfortunately, due to the camera's smaller image sensor, ISO sensitivity isn't on-par with larger DSLRs -- the native range extends from ISO 100 to 3,200, though you can jump up to ISO 12,800 when shooting "small" resolution JPEGs (which you aren't likely to do). We're holding out hope that Fuji's rumored cam will make a surprise appearance at the company's CES press conference, but for now, this will have to do. Full details are in the PR just past the break.
Fujifilm's XS-1 bridge camera: 26x zoom, EXR sensor, £699 in the UK (video)
Fujifilm claims it's 'reinvented' the bridge camera with the latest in its X line of premium snappers. The XS-1 is affixed to a Fujinon lens that opens up to f/2.8 and stretches all the way from 24mm to 624mm (in 35mm parlance) in an effort "cater perfectly for every photographic need" and prevent you from ever longing for the flexibility of a DSLR. It even sports a Super Macro Mode for focusing down to a rather intimate single centimeter. Behind the lens sits the same 12-megapixel EXR CMOS found in the X10, which means you get an undersized 2/3-inch sensor instead of the superior APS-C format found in the X100 and many DSLRs. Read on for more specs in the press release plus a short promo clip, and expect to see this hit British shelves in February for £699 ($1090).
