FUJIFILM XF1

FUJIFILM XF1

• SPECIFICATIONS

Rs 33,989

www.fujifilm.in

Dimensions (WxHxD): 108 x 62 x 33 mm;   

Weight: 255g;   

Sensor size: 2/3-inch;

Resolution: 12 MP;   

Focal length:25-100 mm;   

Optical zoom: 4x;   

Aperture: f/1.8-f/4.9;

Shutter: 30-1/4000 sec;   

ISO: 100-12800; 

Display:3-inch, 460K dots;   

File format: JPEG and RAW;   

Video:1920x1080 @30fps.

The leatherette-clad Fujifi lm XF1’s
boxy design is reminiscent of
a retro camera. Its entire shell
is crafted from aluminium, and the
silver top panel, base and lens housing
lend good contrast. The top panel
houses the mode dial, shutter release,
a tiny customisable Fn button and
pop-up type fl ash that releases with
a gentle slide of the lever below it.
Fujifi lm has devised the lens barrel to
sink inside the shell. If you carefully notice
the top panel, you’ll fi nd the zoom lever
and the on/off button missing. The zoom
is completely manual and you get good
fl exibility to frame scenes/subjects as
there’s no question of zoom steps. The
lens extends from 25 to 100mm, which
translates to a mediocre 4x optical zoom.
However, the bright f/1.8 aperture at the
wide end and optical image stabilisation
are nice to have in low-light surroundings.
The 12 megapixel sensor is of the
2/3-inch type, which is about 50 percent
larger than the standard 1/2.3-inch type.
The large sensor goes a long way in
capturing less noisy images at higher ISO
speeds. Also, the shallow depth of fi eld or
background blur is much pronounced.
The rear of the camera is dominated
by a fairly large 3-inch display that has a
resolution of 460K dots—looks good, but
for a premium camera it’s fair to expect
at least a 920K dot screen. The control
panel includes two dials—a clickable
horizontal one at the top and the other
around the 5-way D-pad. The D-pad
off ers quick access to EV, fl ash, self-timer
and Macro. Around the D-pad are buttons
for video recording, E-Fn, Display/Back
and Playback.
Besides the Auto, Scene and PASM
modes, the XF1 off ers two customisable
modes, Advanced Filter and EXR auto
modes. The EXR auto mode is similar
to smart auto. In addition to recognising
the type of scene and subjects, you can
prioritise on the dynamic range and keep
the noise level low. Also, like program
mode, you have complete control over
white balance, metering, focus mode and
fl ash intensity.
The user interface of the XF1 is very
intuitive. We liked the provision of the
E-Fn button that extends the function of
the D-pad and the two buttons (playback
and video recording) above it. It brings
up an overlay of alternative functions
mapped to the D-pad and the buttons
around it.
The XF1 is an incredible low light
performer. The large f/1.8 aperture and
optical image stabilisation allows for
shooting in very low light without having
to use fl ash and boosting the ISO too
much. The noise is handled extremely
well up to ISO 800, beyond which it’s
noticeable. The reproduction of colours
and details is excellent and compression
artefacts are negligible. Shooting is most
enjoyable at 25 mm, f/1.8 where the
background blur is most pronounced,
especially for portraits and close ups.
At such a high price, it’s fair to expect
premium features such as a 920K dot
screen and GPS. The XF1 is worthy of
consideration as an alternative to a DSLR
(provided you don’t intend to invest in
additional lenses) or as a secondary
enthusiast-class digital camera in

addition to a DSLR.