[shuttertalk]

Fuji looks to be building on the X factor, following up the X100 and X10, with a new compact superzoom, the X-S1. They dub it a "bridge" camera, and again is aiming towards the premium end of the market. What is different is that it sports a SLR shaped body, with a manual zooming lens with a whopping 24-624mm range (26x), and the same sensor that the X10 uses.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2011/11/24/fujifilmxs1

For me, I'm a bit less enraptured by this one - it looks very much like the S-series compact superzooms that it is famous for producing, albeit with a manual zooming lens. And while it uses an 0.47 inch EVF with a 460K pixel count, I doubt that it will be in the same league as the acclaimed Sony OLED EVFs.

Thoughts?

[NT73]

This optical range is boosted further by Fujifilm’s Intelligent Digital Zoom capability, which effectively doubles the focal range without the drop in picture quality normally associated with digital zoom functions. As a result, the X-S1 offers users an incredible 52x zoom range of 24-1248mm (35mm equivalent).

+ super macro - focus- down to 1 cm

Its too big though

[Pavel]

NT, isn't digital zoom the same think as cropping? If it is, I am not sure i would pay camera maker a dime for that.

[shuttertalk]

NT, isn't digital zoom the same think as cropping? If it is, I am not sure i would pay camera maker a dime for that.

I'm assuming they're doing something with their XR sensor array arrangement and interpolation, in conjunction with cropping to "make up" the additional pixels.

Like you, I'm skeptical of the claims...

[Toad]

I *believe* that the XR sensor trades resolution against noise - so in this way it replicates Pavel's experiment in the other thread. I don't think it is a straight crop, although at low ISO settings, it would amount to the same. This only really is of any interest at high ISOs. Using this "digital zoom" definitely results in less resolution, but possibly much lower noise.

[shuttertalk]

Hey all I was mistaken with the EVF pixel count - it actually has a 1.44 million pixel count, which means that it is probably a 800x600 display. In comparison the Sony A77 features a 2.4 million pixel count (1024 x 768). Here's hoping it's a good one...

[Zig]

Is it just me, or is there a really ditsy sense of humour at work in Fuji's naming policy?

I've mentioned before their naming of the "X" series, which most surely had the coincidental effect of twatting the heaving flanks of Leica with the equivalent of a high-ampage cattle-prod...
...and consequently, their naming of such an oddly downbeat unit as this as the "S-1"..?...it must surely have the office wags in the Fuji marketing division cackling away like drains and photocopying each others' backsides.

[NT73]

NT, isn't digital zoom the same think as cropping? If it is, I am not sure i would pay camera maker a dime for that.

I haven't a clue Pavel. I was just sticking a bit from the revue, but I think they have two kinds of digital zoom. One definitely crops and loses resolution, somewhere in the formula but the other kind is different. (Or is it?) :/
I have two digi zooms on the panny LS5, although I am loathe to use them. You know I stick with what I am used to mainly, which is AV and a bit of -EV if it's sunny.

Just having a quick look as the panny is next to me on the pc. There is I.R i.resolution (set low) - i.zoom (set off) - Digital Zoom (set off) - Step zoom (set off) - Plus my normal zoom, manually controlled. If I had to test everything on the camera, I would be still testing and not taking photo's.

I am not going to make photography an income based job, so I can safely leave the really classy stuff and 'L' glass to the ones who are. I just try to emulate as best as I can, with what I have. I may get the Tamron 18-275 PZD though, as the 70-300 stops being much good after 200mm anyway. (Of course I may have clattered it a few times, which won't help)

[Zig]

None of you have mentioned depth of field: IS this a feature of digital zooming...or has the word "zoom" become synonymous with "crop"? )Am assuming also there is a misnomer in the supposed equivalencies when using a "full frame" lens on an APS-C body, so that DoF doesn't actually alter other than by dint of how far away the lens is from the focal plane..?)
That X-S1 does seem to have the potential to fire a sizeable projectile, I admit.

[shuttertalk]

That X-S1 does seem to have the potential to fire a sizeable projectile, I admit.

Note that the maximum aperture on the tele end is f/5.6 - at 624mm equivalent, that's pretty impressive!

[shuttertalk]

Hands on photos of the X-S1 from photography blog:
http://www.photographyblog.com/news/fuji...on_photos/

That zoom lens is a monster!