Fujifilm's latest X-series release debuts in the burgeoning enthusiast compact market. It looks to set itself apart not only with an impressive 2/3in EXR sensor and maximum aperture of f/1.8, but also through distinct retro styling and manual zoom lens.

Fantastic design; f/1.8 lens at wide angle of the focal range; manual functionality and Raw capture

Manual zoom implementation has a lot of travel so may not fair well after lots of heavy usage; premium price tag; slow performance at high ISO settings

The Fuji XF1 is a premium digital camera in a compact body which houses the world's smallest mechnical zoom paired with Fuji's unique 12 megapixels EXR-CMOS sensor. Packed with features including full manual controls, manual focus and custom white-balance, the XF1 makes these more accessible than...

Ultra-Bright F/1.8 Ultra-Wide Optical Zoom; Very low image noise; Stellar dynamic-range; Unique mechanical zoom lens slides into camera body; Excellent resistance to chromatic aberrations; Good center-sharpness; Very reliable metering; Very quick and accurate autofocus; Instant shutter-lag; Good

Excessively strong noise-reduction; High edge-softness; High optical distortion; LCD not; Incorrect framing shown for RAW files; Average shot-to-shot speed; 2s Filming delay; Poor tripod mount placement; Short battery-life

Fuji's X-series is many things, but there's one thing it definitely isn't: well-defined. At the start of this year, it encompassed a large-sensor, fixed-lens, rangefinder-style curiosity ( the X100 ); a large advanced compact with a bigger-than-usual sensor ( the X10 ); a high-end superzoom ( the...

Eye-catching design and innovative control scheme; Relatively powerful internals sourced from the X10; Very wide maximum aperture at wide angle

Lightweight to the point of feeling almost cheap

FujiFilm continues to add powerful models to their X-series of FinePix cameras, with their latest addition being the new XF1. This unit builds off of their X10, and shares the same improved 2/3" EXR CMOS image sensor, which provides beautiful photos and excellent low-light performance.

Fuji's X range of cameras has proven incredibly popular over the past couple of years. Now the company seems keen on expanding that popularity into the mass market of consumers, with a new range of cameras designed to appeal to a wider audience.

T he enthusiast compact camera segment has seen a lot of action. It started with pocketable cameras featuring a slightly larger sensor than the standard 1/2.3-inch type along with fully manual controls and support for RAW (for instance, the Canon PowerShot S100).

Fujifilm made something of a splash when it launched into the expert compact camera market with the imposing X10. But with a new set of more style-conscious and pocket-friendly expert compacts like the Canon S110 and Sony...

Clickable thumb-wheel; customisable interface; Compact mechanical zoom lens with manual control ring; Excellent responsiveness; Image quality / Quality optics and electronics / RAW mode; Full HD video with decent stereo sound

Grip could be better (no handle; EXR functions only available in auto modes; Build quality doesn't live up to the sleek design; Aliasing in videos; moiré on some patterned detail in photos

Fuji's X range of cameras has proven incredibly popular over the past couple of years. Now the company seems keen on expanding that popularity into the mass market of consumers, with a new range of cameras designed to appeal to a wider audience.

Design; Large sensor; Raw format shooting

Not a touchscreen; Awkward lens mechanism

The Fujifilm XF1 was announced in September 2012 and is a pocket-size premium digital camera. It is available in brown, black and red for £365.00.

Well-built body; Lots of buttons to make it quick and easy to change camera settings; Image quality is good; Lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.8; Good value for money; Advanced filter mode allows for unique picture taking; Takes excellent panorama pictures

Screen resolution a little low; 10 fps high-speed shooting is only available at a reduced image size; No hotshoe socket; Switch on method and manual zoom won't be too everyone's liking

The XF1 combines stylish retro design and advanced shooting features to good effect.

Fantastic design; Fast f/1.8 maximum aperture at 25mm; Full manual controls & Raw capture

Quite a bit of play in zoom at 100mm; Worries over long-term durability of zoom; Slow performance at high ISO settings