The FinePix X100 may look retro, but its sensor technology and hybrid rangefinder system are definitely modern.
It was designed for professional photographers who need a lightweight but high-quality camera, and the priority when designing it was picture quality. The X100 has a 12.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, an EXR processor and a specially tailored lens.
The prime, fixed 23mm f/2 Fujinon aspherical lens is unique for compact cameras on the market this year in that it doesn't tout its superzoom capabilities. Instead, it advertises extreme depth-of-field and the ability to take macro shoots as close as 10 centimeters.
The hybrid viewfinder on the X100 combines the window-type optical viewfinder found in medium-format cameras with the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in fixed single lens or mirrorless digital cameras. Users can move between the two modes with a switch, which is reportedly similar to timer switches found on old film cameras.
What's the benefit of the hybrid rangefinder system? The electronic viewfinder makes it easier to view shots post-capturing and to read capture details; the optical viewfinder, however, offers users a more accurate projection of the shot's composition.
When using the optical viewfinder, the brightness of the frame and the current setting's text is automatically adjusted to the brightness of the scene so that shooting information can also be read at all times. In electronic viewfinder mode, the photographer can preview the picture or play back the result with the "through the sensor" image review.
Other X100 features include 720 HD video recording, 6400 ISO film speed, 5fps continuous shooting and a 2.8-inch LCD screen.