The Fujifilm FinePix X100 is no ordinary compact. Made for the high-end market, this retro-looking, magnesium alloy beast is built around a large 12.3-megapixel APS-C sized sensor and fixed 23mm F/2.0 lens (that's 35mm in equivalent terms). There's no zoom to be found here.

Great image quality; unique design; great build quality; ingenious viewfinder

Not the fastest AF; some macro focus issues; expensive; not for the mass market

The new Fujifilm FinePix X100 is put through a full review to find out how this camera performs in use.

Extremely quiet shutter; Very low noise at all ISO settings; Hybrid Optical / Electronic viewfinder - world's first; Excellent image quality and colour; Excellent build quality

Fixed focal length lens (35mm equivalent; Limited close-up focusing of 80cm (when using OVF; High price compared to competition

Fuji X100: Overview In the decade or so that digital cameras have been widely available, manufacturers have always looked to the design of classic cameras for inspiration. Olympus's recent PEN series harks back to the film models of the same name, while Leica's M range continues with a design long...

Not quite as flexible as a DSLR, nor as user friendly as a standard compact, the Finepix X100 is a bit of an anomaly in the digital camera market. It's lovingly designed, and its hybrid viewfinder may well prove to be a sneak-peek at the future of high-end snappers, not to mention the sheer quality...

Wonderfully retro, but with performance that's right up there with today's best

Back in September 2010 Fuji announced the X100, the first in a new line of retro-styled premium compacts. It featured a sharp 23mm prime, an APS-C sensor, and a very portable body, which made the camera a huge hit with enthusiasts who wanted to fit DSLR quality into an inside jacket pocket.

If, a few weeks back, you happened to see a British chap d'un certain age wandering around Lamma Island, Hong Kong, with a retro-looking camera round his neck and humming This Year's Love , it was yours truly.

Although production of Fujifilm's FinePix X100 was set back by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated north-eastern Japan, the factory in Sendai resumed production at the end of March and stocks were scheduled to arrive in Australia late in April.

This 12 megapixel APS-C format camera stands out for its striking retro style and construction quality. The heavy, brushed metal body is luxurious and the placement of the shutter speed dial on the body top and the aperture ring around the lens is classic camera ergonomics.

This camera not only feels right to anyone brought up on classic 35mm film cameras it also delivers the goods in excellent images with good colour, sharpness and dynamic range; The lens is outstanding and the viewfinder simply brilliant

The only thing that may hold the X100 back in the market place is the non-interchangeable lens; 23mm on an APS-C sensor is moderate wide-angle and won't be to everyone's liking, even if it is optically dazzling

This review of this Camera is currently available only as a low-resolution pdf version of the original magazine pages.