Review Date: December 3, 2012
Category: Point-and-Shoot to Serious Amateur
Photoxels Gold Award – Point-and-Shoot Camera
IMAGE QUALITY
The Fujifilm XF1 is targeted to serious photographers desiring a premium compact digital camera with point-and-shoot ease of use that delivers very good image quality. It features 12MP resolution (on an 2/3-inch EXR CMOS image sensor). We find the overall image quality of the Fujifilm XF1 to be excellent at ISO 100 with low noise and excellent image detail. Image quality is very good up to ISO 400. Noise starts to be visible at ISO 800 and is usable up to ISO 1600. At higher ISOs, images suffer from noise and loss of detail.
| Fujifnon 25-100mm 4x Optical Zoom |
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| Wide-angle 6.4mm (25mm, 35mm equivalent) |
Telephoto 25.6mm (100mm, 35mm equivalent) |
In the above pictures, we show the coverage for 25mm and 100mm (35mm equivalent).
The Fujifilm XF1 has full exposure flexibility with PASM modes and Program Shift. Auto Bracketing of up to 3 pictures (+/- 1/3 EV to +/- 1EV) is possible. A Histogram can be displayed in both Live and Playback modes.
TIP: Program Shift is available only when DR is not set to AUTO and ISO is not set to AUTO.
The XF1’s lens allows you to focus as close as 3cm (1.1 in.) at wide-angle macro and 50cm (1.6 ft.) at Tele macro. AF locks precisely and fast.
The AF Area covers 7 x 7 areas and do not go to the edges of the screen.
There are three metering modes: Multi (Multi-Pattern), Average (Center Weighted Average) and Spot.
| Auto White Balance Indoors | |
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| AWB | Custom WB |
As the above two pictures show, the Auto White Balance (AWB) is not quite accurate indoors under artificial lighting [I have two energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs on the ceiling]. The Fujifilm XF1 allows WB to be easily set manually and this brings out the real colors. AWB works very well in natural light.
| ISO Comparisons | |
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| ISO 100 | |
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| ISO 200 | ISO 400 |
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| ISO 800 | ISO 1600 |
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| ISO 3200 | ISO 6400 |
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| ISO 12800 | |
You can set the ISO on the Fujifilm XF1 from 100 to 3200, plus the ability to have extended output sensitivity equivalent ISO 6400 and 12800. You can set AUTO ISO mode to limit to AUTO (400) / AUTO (800) / AUTO (1600) / AUTO (3200). What is missing is the ability to specify when (i.e. at which slow shutter speed) the camera should start using a higher ISO. The 100% crops above (area delimited by the white square) demonstrate that noise at ISO 100 is under control. Noise starts to be visible at ISO 800 but is still very usable up to ISO 1600. At higher ISOs, the presence of noise is visible at full image size and with visible loss of detail.
CA is visible in high contrast shots. In the above photo, the top right area delimited by the red square, and reproduced at 100% crop at bottom left, shows purple fringing.
Our Long Shutter Speed test is a torture test for digital cameras. Here we test whether (and how well) a camera can lock focus, provide accurate WB and obtain a correct exposure in extreme low light situations. The Fujifilm XF1 passes this test very well.
The Fujifilm XF1 allows the use of a long shutter speed of 30 sec. in M mode. This allows us to take some nice Night Shots. For this shot, it locks focus with the help of the AF-assist Illuminator. I use trial and error to obtain correct exposure in Manual mode, eventually setting on 30 sec. at F1.8 as the best exposure.
Overall, the Fujifilm XF1 has excellent image quality at ISO 100 and very good image quality up to ISO 400. Its bright lens, optical image stabilization, 4x optical zoom and many practical auto and manual modes make it easy for the XF1 to give great results as a P&S as well as a more serious digital camera.
View the Fujifilm XF1 Photo Gallery [In the Photo Gallery, click on the picture of the camera to return here.]
Next: Fujifilm XF1 Handling & Feel
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