Fujifilm X-S1 hands-on pictures

The Fujifilm X-S1 is one of Fujifilm’s flagship X series cameras, and we got to spend some time with the giant superzoom / DSLR hybrid.

by David Pierce

Jan 11, 2012, 8:38 PM UTC

X-S1

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The cameras of CES 2012

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David Pierce is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.

Though it might be forgotten in the wake of Fujifilm's announcement of the X-Pro1, there was another X series camera released at CES: we got to play with the new X-S1 superzoom at Fujfilm's booth, and though it's not exactly clear where the camera fits or who might buy it, it's a pretty nice shooter. It's not nearly as retro or attractive as the other X series models (the X100, X10, and now X-Pro1), with a lot more plastic and rubber on the body — that's done in the name of ruggedization, reps said, since one of the target markets for the shooter is nature photographers.

It looks just like a traditional DSLR, only with fewer controls and no way to remove the gigantic lens. It’s really heavy, but at least there’s a good reason for it: the lens offers 26x optical zoom, from 24-624mm. There’s also an impressive Macro mode, which meant that as we were shooting things could be anywhere from a centimeter to a dozen yards away, and still be captured easily. It’s impressively fast, and the viewfinder is excellent — it’s a similar hybrid to the one found on the X100, with a proximity sensor that knows when your eye is on it and turns on or off accordingly. The biggest drawback, other than its size, remains the price: $799.95 is a serious expenditure for any camera without interchangeable lenses. You’ll be able to check it out for yourself at the end of January, and see if this superzoom / DSLR hybrid is worth the expense.