Fujifilm announces $799 X-S1 X Series camera, 18 others for 2012

Ahead of CES next week, Fujifilm has announced its 19-model lineup of cameras for 2012.

by David Pierce

Jan 5, 2012, 5:01 AM UTC

Fuji X-S1 and camera line

Part Of

The cameras of CES 2012

see all updates

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.

Ahead of the rush of CES, Fujifilm has just revealed its entire lineup of cameras for 2012 — 19 of them, to be exact. At the head of the class is the X-S1, a new addition to the X series of high-end cameras. The X-S1’s specs mix the X10 and the X100, including a 12-megapixel 2/3-inch sensor, EXR processor, a 3-inch LCD, and an electronic viewfinder. It also has a 26x zoom lens that goes from 24-624mm, with aperture of f/2.8-f/5.6. The giant zoom lens is fixed, and its sheer size likely necessitated Fujifilm’s use of a DSLR-like body, which is much larger than either the X10 or the X100. The X-S1 will shoot 1080p video at 30 frames per second, can shoot seven still frames per second at full resolution, and has just 1/10-second shutter lag. It’s a hybrid between a superzoom and a DSLR, and is priced like one too: it’ll cost $799.95 when it’s released at the end of January.

Fujifilm refreshed nearly every other model in its line as well, from superzooms to rugged cameras. Across the board, from the $499.99 FinePix HS30EXR to the $89.95 FinePix AX550, Fujifilm’s cameras got processor and video recording upgrades, plus a variety of other improvements. One thing Fujfilm didn’t do was add a DSLR to its lineup, though when asked about it a rep told us to “watch over the next few days.”

Here’s the full list of new models:

FinePix HS30EXR / HS25EXR: 16-megapixel 1/2-inch sensor, 30x manual zoom, 1080p video recording, an EVF, and an articulating LCD. Available in late March for $499.95 and $399.95, respectively.
FinePix F770EXR / F750EXR / F660EXR: 16-megapixel 1/2-inch sensor, 20x zoom (15x on the F660EXR), and GPS (except for the F660EXR), plus 1080p video recording, and a 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD. Available in March for $379.95, $349.95, and $279.95, respectively.
FinePix S4500 / S4200 / SL300: 14-megapixel CCD sensor, 30x zoom (24x on the S4200), 720p video recording, and sensor shift image stabilization. The S4500 and S4200 will be available in February for $259.95 and $229.95, respectively, and the SL300 (which adds dual zoom controls and a lithium-ion battery) will be out in March for $299.95.
FinePix XP150 / XP100 / XP50: Lots of rugged features, plus a 14-megapixel CMOS sensor, improved speed and build quality, and a 2.7-inch anti-reflective LCD. All will be out in March for $279.95, $249.95, and $199.95, respectively.
FinePix T400 / T350: 16-megapixel CCD sensor (14-megapixel on the T350), 10x zoom, 3-inch LCD, and improved start-up and shoot time. Available in March for $179.95 and $159.95, respectively.
FinePix JZ250 / JZ100: 16-megapixel CCD sensor (14-megapixel on the JZ100), 3-inch LCD, 720p video recording, and improved speeds across the board. Available in March for $149.95 and $129.95, respectively.
FinePix JX580 / JX500 / AX550: Low-end cameras with 16-megapixel CCD sensors (14-megapixel on the JX500), 5x zoom, 720p video shooting, and some new in-camera editing functions. The JX580 and JX500 will be available in February for $119.95 and $99.95, respectively, and the AX500 will come out in March for $89.95.