Product Listing

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 - A Modern-Day Classic

By Alvin Soon - 4 Apr 2011
Launch SRP: S$1699

Pricing & Availability

Pricing & Availability

Fujifilm X100 ownership comes with a hefty price tag; in the US its official price is US$1,199.95, while in Singapore it's S$1,699. What other comparable cameras in terms of size and performance can you get around that price range?

  Fujifilm X100 Olympus E-P2 Samsung NX11 Sony NEX-5 Panasonic GF-2
Sensor Size 23.6 x 15.8mm 17.3 x 13mm 23.6 x 15.8mm 23.6 x 15.8mm 17.3 x 13mm
Lens (35mm equivalent) 35mm f/2 34mm f/2.8 kit lens

27–82mm f/3.5-5.6 & 30mm f/2.8 kit lenses

24mm f/2.8 kit lens 28mm f/2.5 kit lens
Interchangeable Lens Mount No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dimensions 126.5 x 74.4 x 53.9mm 120.5 x 70 x 35mm 123 x 87 x 39.8mm 110.8 x 58.8 x 38.2mm 112.8 x 67.8 x 32.8mm
Weight (excluding lens) 445g 335g 353g 287g 265g
Price (with aforementioned kit lens) S$1,699 S$1,698 S$1,149 S$1,199 S$1,099

Granted, the X100 is a unique camera and the chart isn't a clean 1:1 comparison. But if you look at the mirrorless interchangeable lens category you might find something that comes close to the X100.

The Sony NEX-5 has a comparable sensor size and is smaller and lighter, but has no E-mount lens as fast as f/2 today. The Samsung NX11 also has an APS-C sensor, and they have a 45mm (35mm equivalent) f/2 lens. The Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic GF-2 have smaller-sized sensors but Panasonic has a 40mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.7 Micro Four Thirds lens, which is faster than the X100, and can be purchased separately.

And all the Micro Four Thirds cameras will allow you to swap lenses, unlike the X100 which has a fixed lens.

For comparisons' sake, let's take a look at what the same money can get you in today's DSLR market.

  Fujifilm X100 Nikon D90 Canon 600D Leica M9
Sensor Size 23.6 x 15.8mm 23.6 x 15.8mm 23.6 x 15.8mm 23.9 x 35.8mm
Interchangeable Lens Mount No Yes Yes Yes
Dimensions 126.5 x 74.4 x 53.9mm 132 x 103 x 77mm 133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7mm 139 x 37 x 80mm
Weight (excluding lens) 445g 620g 515g 585g
Price $1,699 $1,588 (with 18-105mm kit lens) $1,749 (with 18-135mm kit lens)  $11,388

For roughly the same price, you can get a very decent DSLR camera, which offers more flexibility and expandability. The kit lenses included won't get you the same results as the X100's 35mm f/2 lens, but you can get similar lenses for varying prices. Just for fun, we've included the the Leica M9, the only other digital rangefinder camera you can find, which comes with a larger sensor and far larger price tag as well. Next to the Leica M9, the X100 is the most affordable digital rangefinder you can buy. 

Even though we can't make straight comparisons with the X100 and other cameras, a quick glance at the charts should help you understand why we say the Fujifilm X100 is pricey.

 

Availability

At the time of writing this review, Fujifilm had halted production of the X100, but it has since resumed.

On March 8th, Fujifilm announced a shortage of the X100 cameras due to higher-than-expected demand. Fujifilm Singapore managed to bring in a limited number of X100s for its launch during the IT Show, approximately 70-80 units. By 10th March, the first day of the show, we heard that they were nearly sold out, and it's likely they were all sold before the IT Show ended.

On March 11th, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, and the nearest major city to the earthquake was Sendai. We learned from Adorama that Fujifilm's Taiwa-Cho factory, located 20 miles from Sendai and responsible for producing the X100, was damaged in the quake. On March 14th, Fujifilm officially announced that the factory had been "temporarily shut down due to safety concerns."

The latest update from Fujifilm on March 30th says that production has been resumed, and it looks like sales might resume in April.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
9.0
  • Performance 10
  • Design 9.5
  • Features 9
  • User-Friendliness 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Exceptional design
Large, clear optical viewfinder
Quick f/2 lens provides speed and background blur
Very low noise in high ISO images
The Bad
High price
Slow AF system
Slow manual focus ring
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.