Fujifilm Makes ‘Development Announcement’

September 20, 2010: Just prior to the opening of Photokina 201, Fujifilm has announced the development of a new compact digital camera with a 12-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor.
The new FinePix X100, which is scheduled for release early next year, features a non-interchangeable f/2 lens with focal length equivalent to 23mm in 35mm format. Styled to emulate a traditional rangefinder camera, the X100 combines compact convenience and user-friendly operation. The upper control panel and bottom surface have been cast from magnesium alloy (semi-solid metal casting) to provide high rigidity. High-quality leather accents provide a premium finish.

Product images released by Fujifilm showing front, back and top views of the new camera. (Source: Fujifilm.)
The traditionally-styled ‘manual’ dials are fabricated from metal. They allow users to confirm the position of the settings without turning on the power. The X100 also features a new Hybrid Viewfinder that combines a window-type ‘bright frame’ reverse-Galilean optical viewfinder with an electronic viewfinder system based on a 1,440,000 dot LCD panel. This combination can display both the shooting frame and a variety of shooting data as well as supporting playback of images and video clips.

The diagram above shows how the new Hybrid Viewfinder provides the benefits of optical and electronic systems. (Source: Fujifilm.)

Fujifilm has provided the following information about the new finder:
1. The reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5x magnification features all-glass elements made from high-refractive index glass and demonstrates low chromatic aberration and distortion.

2. In optical viewfinder mode, the brightness of both the “bright frame” and text data is automatically adjusted according to the brightness of scene area, ensuring that shooting information is always easily and clearly viewable.

3. Displayed shooting data is constantly updated according to changes in shutter speed, exposure, sensitivity and other settings.

4. In electronic viewfinder mode, the photographer can preview the picture or playback the result with the “through the sensor” image review. Available with one-touch switching ease, this capability enables the user to preview and confirm exposure settings, depth-of-field effects, white balance, and macro shots.
The sensor in the FinePix X100 has been ‘internally optimised and developed exclusively for this model’. The angle-of-incidence of the microlenses covering each photosite has been enlarged to maximise light-capturing ability. This optimisation extends to the perimeter of the sensor for a sharper image with excellent clarity. The diagram below illustrates this concept.

A new EXR Processor enables the camera to achieve the highest definition, sensitivity and wide dynamic range image quality of any digital camera produced by Fujifilm. The camera’s graphical interface (style and rendering of the LCD information) has been upgraded in the newly developed LSI to enhance the user experience and to improve the clarity of the information presented.
The FinePix X100 is aimed at professional photographers or keen enthusiasts looking for high-quality pictures from a compact camera. It is designed to appeal to the millions of DSLR users who need a slim back-up camera for high quality in-fill shots when the use of a bigger SLR system is either inconvenient or impractical. For more information, visit http://finepix.com/x100/en/top.html.