Fujifilm Finepix X100

Prosumer hardware in hipster packaging. Built-in flash, but the blazing-fast 35-mm-equivalent f/2 lens and maximum ISO of 12,800 mean you won't need it much

One lens only. Water-resistant? This camera isn't even rated for use in humidity over 80 percent. Sorry, Florida

Hybrid viewfinder is everything it’s cracked up to be ; Sturdy chassis, vintage look ; Yields impressive images

Steep learning curve ; Pricey ; Slow AF ; Complicated handling, unfamiliar physical and in-camera UI

While the FinePix X100 takes some bold and appreciated steps forward for digital photography, don’t confuse it as a user-friendly device.

Excellent sensor offering superb image quality even at high ISO settings ; High quality lens with excellent cross-frame sharpness, and minimal distortion and chromatic aberration (although see Cons below) ; Exceptional build quality - extremely solid,...

Camera locks-up certain key functions for several seconds while writing to card (including ISO) ; Requires fastest possible SD cards to give tolerable write speeds when shooting raw ; Several key features buried deep in the menus (Auto ISO...

The X100 combines excellent image quality, solid build and a superb viewfinder with somewhat sluggish and quirky operation. It's been much-improved by multiple firmware updates since its initial incarnation, and despite its flaws is now a very likeable...

Fujifilm’s aim was to “make a camera that gets back to the basics: the joy of photos.” The FinePix X100 may actually accomplish this lofty goal. With manual control versatility, an APS-C CMOS sensor, a clever hybrid viewfinder, and elegant retro body...

Beautiful and sturdy build ; Excellent hybrid viewfinder ; High image quality from sensor and lens

Very poor multi-selector ; Confused interface and sluggish performance ; Expensive

Unfortunately, and even inexplicably, the X100 suffers from some very annoying flaws, no doubt exacerbated by the X100′s potential and its pricetag. For a camera that costs $1199, the X100′s horrible multi-selector is just inexcusable, making...

Simply beautiful and solid as hell ; Hybrid rangefinder is incredibly cool ; Good image quality and low light performance

Operation often frustrating ; Manual focusing is plain awful ; Slow and occasionally troublesome autofocus

I don’t want to make this into a litany of complaints. But I am disappointed in this camera. Could it ever have lived up to my expectations? I certainly think so — but even with the updated firmware there is still a huge amount of improvement needed...