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All posts tagged "finepix"


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Fujifilm Announces Nineteen Cameras For CES 2012

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 10:00 AM

Are you paying attention? Because I'm not. Today Fujifilm announced nineteen (19) cameras. (well, eighteen plus bringing an existing one to the USA). Count that. Nineteen. Is anyone hearing anything over the noise?

I'll start off with the highlight, and that is the X-S1, which is a high-end bridge camera. Fujifilm's really taken to the X moniker lately. The camera features an optically stabilised 26x 24-624mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 lens (which is pretty fast), a 2/3" 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor (which I hope will not have the X10's issues), HVGA 3" LCD with a SVGA resolution EVF (1.44m dots), fast frame rate at 7 FPS at the full 12 megapixel resolution, and 1080p video at 30 FPS. Ships in late January for US$800(!).

Fuji X-S1 US Launch - Engadget

For the rest, I'm going to use a bullet-point list to quickly show the specs; else we'll all be here till the end of the day!

Read more...


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Fujifilm Announces the Finepix X10

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:01 AM

http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4373

Fujifilm has unveiled the Finepix X10, a sort of a companion to the X100, at least in terms of marketing. The camera is not so much a cheaper X100, than it is a premium point-and-shoot, dallying with the likes of the Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1. The 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor is a 2/3" one, which means it is about a millimetre longer on each side compared to the 1/1.7" sensors found in other premium compact cameras. A small bonus, but not by much. Using a much smaller sensor however, allows the X10 to have a pretty fast zoom lens; it is an optically stabilised 4x 28-112mm equivalent f/2.0-2.8 lens. Like the X100, the X10 has a magnesium alloy body with a number of knobs and dials. However, the X10 loses the X100's unique hybrid viewfinder, settling for a standard optical tunnel instead. It comes with a 2.8" HVGA LCD, and has 1080p videos at 30 FPS. Fujifilm has not disclosed the price, but the camera will ship in November.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Fujifilm Releases Finepix F600 EXR

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.photographyblog.com/news...nepix_f600_exr/

Fujifilm has released two new cameras, one of which is barely a year old. Digital cameras are sure a commodity nowadays, aren't they? The Fujifilm F600 EXR replaces the F550 EXR, I'm struggling to see what is different, but the basics are the same: 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, a 15x 24-360mm equivalent f/3.5-5.3 lens, 3" HVGA LCD, 1080p videos at 30FPS, and a GPS module. The additions seem mostly on the software side; a GPS point-of-interest database, and a new panorama mode like Sony's Sweep Panorama feature. There is also a new feature that detects motion and increases ISO to prevent blurry images, something Panasonic had as early as 2007 with their iA mode. Hi Fujifilm, welcome to four years ago. Ships in October for US$350.


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fujifilm FinePix X100 Reviewed by Digital Photography Review

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmx100/

"The large-sensor, fixed-lens compact isn’t a new idea, of course, and both Sigma’s DP series and the Leica X1 have already visited this territory... So the big question is whether Fujifilm has managed to refine the concept, and produce a camera that’s as compelling to shoot with as its specifications (and looks) suggest."

Here is a very detailed review of the Finepix X100, and it caught a few interesting issues that I did not encounter during my brief time with it. In fact, a few is an understatement: This is the first review I have seen that has an appendix dedicated solely to the bugs and quirks in a camera. Despite the brilliant image quality, I am not sure if I can live with that many flaws. The really odd one is that the camera remembers ISO for each different program mode. So if you were shooting in P at ISO 800 and decide to go to A and shoot at ISO 100, going back to P will have the ISO set at 800. Amazing oversight, if you ask me, as this is the kind of "feature" I do not want in my cameras! Hopefully Fujifilm fixes this, because the images produced are very good indeed.


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Digital Camera Resource Page Reviews the Fujifilm Finepix X100

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:30 PM

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/f...pix_x100-review

"In a world of me-too compact cameras, Fuji has come up with something decidedly different. Their long-awaited FinePix X100 is a rangefinder-style, fixed lens camera with an APS-C sensor and unique hybrid viewfinder. They're not the first manufacturer to do the fixed lens / big sensor combo (Sigma's been at it for several years), but the FinePix X100 is a lot more professional in terms of design, features, and performance."

DCResource has got their Fujifilm X100 review out, the conclusion is not too far from my own impressions on the camera (read my hands-on for a detailed breakdown on the issues I had with the user interface). The photo quality is more impressive than I expected. I wonder if Nikon's D300 follow-up is going to be as good? Read the review to find out more, and check out the high ISO samples: They are very good for a camera using an APS-C sensor!


Friday, March 11, 2011

Fujifilm Finepix X100 Hands-on

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:00 AM

Introduction

The Fujifilm Finepix X100 has generated a lot of hype and interest ever since it was first announced at Photokina 2010. In case you missed the hype, the X100 is a retro-styled camera featuring direct controls via knobs for aperture, shutter and exposure compensation. Its main claim to fame is its hybrid viewfinder: Based on a standard rangefinder, which in simplest terms has two viewfinders to focus, one viewfinder is replaced with an EVF which can either be used on its own, or project an overlay over the remaining optical viewfinder. Other highlights include a fine Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens (equivalent to 35mm), and Fuji's latest 12 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. Recently the camera just went on sale in Singapore, and it was launched at the IT Show 2011. I was there, and managed to spend some time with it. What do I think? Read on!

Read more...


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Fujifilm Formally Announces Finepix X100

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1102/1...x100updated.asp

So here it is. Formal announcement and all. When? March 2011. How much? US$1,200 or ­€1,000. Don't give me that look, it's way cheaper than any Leica, and likely to be better as well.

In case you forget what this was, we have covered the camera before.


Friday, February 4, 2011

Fujifilm Finepix S2800HD Reviewed by PhotographyBLOG

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.photographyblog.com/revi...s2800hd_review/

"The Fujifilm FinePix S2800HD (also called the S2900HD) is a new super-zoom digital compact camera that looks and feels like a DSLR. Featuring an 18x zoom lens with a 28-504mm focal range, 14 megapixels and a 3 inch LCD screen, the Fujifilm S2800HD offers full manual photographic control for the more experienced user and an Automatic Scene Recognition mode for beginners. The Fujifilm Finepix S2800HD can also shoot 720p HD video and comes complete with a mini HDMI Port for quick and easy connection to a HDTV."

Fujifilm kicked off a series of cheap ultrazooms several years back, and they're still at it. The S2800HD may not be anything like the Lumix FZ series, but they are cheap, and might be the camera for those who just want something with great telephoto reach cheap. In fact, the price is its greatest advantage; those with a higher budget might want to look elsewhere.


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

More Updates on the Fujifilm Finepix X100; Anyone Gone Mad Yet?

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:00 PM

http://photorumors.com/2011/01/25/f...-photo-samples/

So yea, is anyone still up for more X100 updates? Photorumors has a nice compilation, including samples, and a preview from DPReview. Go check it out if you are interested in this camera. Me, I personally would prefer a different lens...


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Fujifilm Barfs Out Sixteen Cameras, Part I

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:39 AM

Fujifilm has decided the best way to hog the CES limelight is to spew out so many cameras that the press and bloggers are forced to cover them somehow. Well, I am going to cut down on the space given to them by a bit. I'll start Part I with the headliners: These three cameras use the same 16 megapixel (sigh) EXR sensor of 1/2" size. So it's smaller than the ground-breaking 1/1.7" sensor in the F10 and packs 2.66 more pixels. So much for whatever advantages Fujifilm held in the past; they're well and truly gone now.

First up is the HS20EXR, which succeeds the HS10, with the same 30x f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens going from 24mm to 720mm equivalent. The nice thing is that the zoom ring is manual, which allows for quick changes of the focal length. Other features include sensor-shift image stabilisation, a tiltable 3" HVGA LCD and 200k dot EVF, 1080P video at 30 FPS with high speed capability at lower resolutions, a hot shoe, the ability to shoot at 8FPS at 16 megapixels and 11FPS at 8 megapixel, and SDXC support. Continuing from a long tradition of Fujfilm bridge cameras is the ability to use four AA batteries to power the camera. Coming to you in March for about US$500.

Next up are two nearly identical compacts: F500EXR and F550EXR. Both feature a 24mm to 360mm equivalent zoom lens at f/3.5-5.3, manual controls, a 3" HVGA LCD, 1080p videos, continuous shooting of 6FPS at 8 megapixels and 12FPS at 4 megapixels (woot, D2H resolution), SDXC support, and a gimmicky in-camera method of stacking exposures to decrease depth-of-field or increase exposure times. Now, people normally stack photos to increase, not decrease depth of field, but if it sells cameras, who am I to nitpick? The F550EXR also adds GPS and RAW format support. The F500EXR will cost about US$330, while the F550EXR will cost about US$350. Both will ship in March. Photos of the pair (and the HS20EXR's back) after the break.

Fujifilm HS20EXR

Fujifilm F500EXR/F550EXR

Read more...


Fujifilm Barfs Out Sixteen Cameras, Part II

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:35 AM

Here comes the rest of the interesting cameras. First up is the cheap superzooms.

The Finepix S2950, S3200, and S4000 are all pretty similar cameras. All feature the same 14 megapixel CCD, sensor-shift image stabilisation, full manual controls, 3" LCD screens with 200k dot EVFs, 720p videos, and AA batteries for the power source. The main difference is in the lens; the S2950 has a 18x 28-504mm equivalent f/3.1-5.6 lens, the S3200 has a 24x 24-576mm equivalent f/3.1-5.9 lens (and adds face recognition), and the S4000 has a 30x 24-720mm equivalent f/3.1-5.9 lens, and has a 3" HVGA LCD instead of a QVGA screen. The prices are about US$230, US$250 and US$280 respectively, and availability is slated in March.

Fujifilm Finepix S2950/S3200/S4000

Next up is Fujifilm's rugged entries: the Finepix XP20 and XP30. Again, both are similar cameras, with 14 megapixel CCDs, 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-4.9 zoom lenses, sensor-shift image stabilisation, 2.7" QVGA LCDs, bodies that are waterproof to 16.5 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, and the ability to survive -10 C temperatures. The XP30 also adds a GPS. The former will cost about US$200, the latter US$240, and again, are expected in March. Photo of the XP30 after the break.

Fujifilme Finepix XP20/XP30

Read more...


Fujifilm Barfs Out Sixteen Cameras, Part III

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:30 AM

Finally, here is the budget-ier and truly budget among Fujifilm's spew of releases.

Starting off here are Fujifilm's Finepix T200 and T300, which are essentially compact superzooms. Both feature 14 megapixel CCDs, 10x 28-280mm equivalent f/3.4-5.6 zoom lenses, sensor-shift image stabilisation, and 720p videos. The T200 has a 2.7" LCD screen, comes in gunmetal grey (tasty!), for about US$180, while the T300 has a 3" LCD screen, comes in black, for about US$200. The former will ship in March, while the latter will ship in April.

Fujifilm Finepix T200/T300

Next up is another update to Fujifilm's Z slider series, the Finepix Z90 compact. It's mostly an incremental update, with a 14 megapixel CCD, a 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-4.9 zoom lens, 3" touchscreen LCD, and 720p videos. Available in Januarary for about US$170. Photo of the Z90 after the break.

Fujifilm Finepix Z90

Finally, we have FIVE budget cameras ranging from US$90 to US$160. I know at the very budget end, every dollar counts, but is segmenting the market so finely going to help anyone? Why not just have two cameras, a slightly more advanced model, and a really basic model, and be done with it? Confusing the consumer at this level is just not a good idea.

Anyway, the models here are the lithium-ion battery powered Finepix JV200, JX300, and J350, and the AA powered, AV200 and AX300. They're all pretty much variations on 14 megapixel CCD sensors (save for the J350 with 16 megapixels, which makes me wonder why), with either a 3x or 5x zoom lens of either 28-140mm equivalent or 36-108mm equivalent. Photos of all five cameras at the link.

Fujifilm Finepix JV200/JX300/J350/AV200/AX300

Read more...


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Fujifilm Starts Hyping the Finepix X100 by Releasing "Details".

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:58 AM

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digit...100-Revealed/p1

"In a statement Fujifilm also confirmed the X100 will feature three focusing options, which can be selected via a switch on the left-hand side of the camera's body. "With manual focus selected, focusing is achieved using the focus ring around the lens barrel. A distance indication bar enables you to pre-focus if required, or you can simply use the electronic viewfinder to focus accurately." "

The hype machine slowly starts for the X100 (just before the holidays), and it is sure to ratchet up in the next two months to PMA. The real important "details" that we all want to know are still price and availability: When and how much, Fuji?


Monday, November 15, 2010

Fujifilm Finepix F300EXR Reviewed by Digital Camera Resource Page

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 02:30 PM

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/f..._f300exr-review

"The FinePix F300EXR is the latest in Fuji's series of compact, high sensitivity cameras. Over the years, the camera's have stayed the same size, with the lenses getting considerably longer with each revision. Just a few years ago, the FinePix F60fd had a 3X zoom lens -- we're up to 15X now on the F300EXR. The lens isn't what makes the camera unique, though. Rather, it's the SuperCCD EXR sensor that sits behind it. This sensor can take pictures with high resolution, wide dynamic range, or high sensitivity / low noise (though not all at the same time)."

Fujfilm's SuperCCD sensors have evolved and changed a lot over the years, but the ones in the the F30/F31 Finepixes gave many a compact camera a good beating when it came to high ISO results. Unfortunately it seems that the competition has caught up, mostly in the form of that Sony 10 megapixel sensor that's been popping in a lot of compacts. It's a bit sad, really, as Fujifilm had a lot of promise from their sensor technology. Even the new hybrid AF system does not warrant much excitement. Head over to the link for the sordid details, including a match-up with the Canon S95.


Monday, October 25, 2010

Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Reviewed by PhotographyBLOG

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 02:30 PM

http://www.photographyblog.com/revi...l_3d_w3_review/

"As it’s name suggests, the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 camera can shoot high-resolution 3D photos and movies in 3D HD at 720p. You can then view the 3D images on the 3.5 inch LCD screen without the need to wear any special 3D glasses. The Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 uses two lenses and two 10 megapixel sensors to achieve a stereoscopic 3D effect, simultaneously taking and layering together two 2D images into a single 3D composite."

Well, looks like Fujifilm wants to get in on the 3D bandwagon early, but right now 3D is one of those technologies that is tottering on the brink of acceptance. For still photos, it's also a bit hard to share content, since I suspect most photos are shared online nowadays, and not many people are going to have the capability to view 3D photos. At least with movies it is less of a communal activity. The camera's output is fine, but for the price, you can get something as good for less. Anyone interested in something like this?


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Fujifilm Finepix X100 Hands On

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:30 AM

http://www.photographyblog.com/news...hands-on_photos

PhotographyBLOG has scored some photos of the X100 mockup at Photokina to give you an idea of the size. It's certainly not the smallest camera, and I had some people telling me they were hoping for something in the region of the Panasonic LX cameras. As expected, it's not tiny. Still, it's small enough, and I'm looking forward to see how that hybrid viewfinder's implementation is.


Monday, September 20, 2010

Fujifilm Announces Development of Finepix X100; Makes Many Photographers Excited.

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 05:38 AM

http://theonlinephotographer.typepa...tiful-fuji.html

"This is certainly the most enjoyable camera news I've gotten in a long while. Fujifilm has made a "development announcement" at Photokina for a camera to be called the X100: a high-quality, fixed-lens, 12-MP, viewfinder-window compact digital camera with an APS-C sensor. The lens is a 23mm ƒ/2 Fujinon...exactly equivalent, in 35mm terms, to a 35mm ƒ/2."

Fujifilm has made a development announcement (ie the product is not ready but we went you to know it exists and is coming) on the Finepix X100, one of the more interesting announcements at this year's Photokina. It is a camera with styling and operations like the old rangefinders, but is not quite a rangefinder; there is no rangefinder mechanism in this camera. Instead, the prism transmits an image from a LCD, which makes this a hybrid optical electronic viewfinder system. It solves the main issue I have with rangefinders (the parallex errors), since you can switch to a purely electronic view to see the image as it is on the sensor, and keeps the main advantage of rangefinders (the very bright view). In optical viewfinder mode, the LCD overlays information like camera settings. It's a pretty neat system! Other highlights include a 12 megapixel APS-C EXR sensor, which is the first large Fujifilm sensor since the Fuji S5pro from four years ago, a 35mm f/2 equivalent lens (unfortunately, not my favourite focal length), full manual controls via dedicated dials, a built-in 3 stop ND filter, and a 2.8" HVGA screen. And yes, it autofocuses. No word on price yet, but don't expect it to be cheap, given the main competition is a Leica X1. The Online Photographer has a nice writeup on the camera as well as the hybrid mechanism, so hit the link to find out more!


Monday, September 6, 2010

Fujifilm Finepix HS10 Reviewed by Digital Camera Resource Page

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/f...pix_hs10-review

"The Fuji FinePix HS10 ($499) is an SLR-style super zoom camera with a whopping 30X lens, a back-illuminated, high speed CMOS sensor, large articulating LCD display, full manual controls, and Full HD video recording -- to name but a few features. As of this writing, it's tied with the Olympus SP-800UZ for the "biggest lens" award (though the Olympus has a more telephoto-slanted 28 - 840 mm zoom range), but knowing camera manufacturers, that's bound to change soon."

Fujifilm, as one of the few camera manufacturers who do not have their own DSLR (their last attempt, the S5 Pro, use the D200 as its base), is one of the few who still makes a full featured bridge camera; large cameras (this is almost the size of a small DSLR) with full manual controls and the tactile controls to go with it; in this case, a rear command dial and a mechanical zoom ring. With DSLRs becoming cheaper and cheaper, bridge cameras are disappearing. The HS10 makes quite a few concessions to keep the price down: Its body is plastic, and lacks the solidness of the previous generations; the AF is not as fast, and startup times are slow. That said, there are some pretty good images to be had out of its 10 megapixel sensor if you choose to shoot RAW: Read the review to find out!


Friday, August 6, 2010

Fujifilm's Hybrid AF Explained

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 04:30 PM

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1008/1...5fujifilmpd.asp

"With the announcement of the Fujifilm F300 EXR and Z800 EXR coming on a day that also saw four other cameras being launched, it would be easy to overlook their most radical feature. Because, with the latest version of its EXR sensor, Fujifilm has achieved something that's been hoped for but not previously brought to market - through-the-lens phase detection autofocus on a compact camera. The company is claiming the system enables focus times as fast as 0.158 sec. We got some more details of the system from Hitoshi Yamashita, manager of the company's Technical Support Group."

Fujifilm has always been pushing things a bit differently with their digital cameras, and this year they're trying to do something new with compact camera autofocus. DPReview.com has a good article explaining how the new Hybrid AF system from Fujifilm works. As I've mentioned before, I suspected the imaging sensor was doubling up as the phase detect sensor, and the article more or less confirms it. For how it roughly works, hit the read link and find out!


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Fujifilm Announces Five Cameras

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 01:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/21/...xr-z800exr-z80/

"What you just heard was the sound of five new FinePix cameras popping out of Fujifilm's doors. Yippie! If all goes well, we'll be seeing these SDHC-loving / xD-hating babies from late August. Let's start working through the list: the 12 megapixel, 720p-video (24fps) F300EXR boasts auto-focus speeds that are "as good as" DSLRs, all thanks to the camera's hybrid auto-focus system -- a combination of Contrast AF (as used on most compacts) and Phase Detection AF (as found on most DSLRs)"

Fujifilm has launched a number of cameras, and the two most interesting are the F300EXR (pictured above) and the Z800EXR. Both use Fujifilm's 12 megapixel EXR sensor, and both pack a hybird AF system that somehow manages to pack a phase detect AF sensor (usually a separate module in DSLRs) onto the imaging sensor. I'm not sure how that is done, but it could be the imaging sensor being used to read specific peaks and valleys of incoming light.

While both the F300EXR and Z800EXR share similar electronics, both have differing form factors; the F300EXR is a bigger camera that falls in the "travel zoom" category, packing a 24-360mm equivalent lens, compared to the folded optics 35-175mm equivalent lens in the much slimmer Z800EXR. The Z800EXR also packs a 3.5" touchscreen. Both cameras do 720p video at 24FPS. I'm looking forward to see how both cameras turn out, especially with the EXR sensor and the hybrid AF system.

Read more...


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