Japanese camera and imaging company Fujifilm went all out at
this year’s CES in Las Vegas by announcing four new cameras and a new lens for
its SLR range. The new products include two new waterproof cameras, a new bridge
camera and a capable point and shoot model.
Leading the announcements is the Finepix S8600. The camera
is available in Black, White or Red and features a three-step collapsible 36x
Fujinon zoom lens (25-900mm in 35mm equivalent). It also comes with the company’s
lens shift Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) that helps reduce blur as well as
Fujifilm’s Intelligent Digital Zoom technology to enhance the zoom up to 72x.
Moreover, the S8600 has a fast autofocus (startup time of
1.7 seconds and shooting interval of 1.3 seconds). It also has a Scene
Recognition Auto mode that allows the camera to automatically adjust settings
based on the detected conditions.
The Fujifilm Finepix S8600 is capable of capturing 720p
videos at 30 frames per second in cinematic widescreen 16:9 format. It also
provides users with several creative effects and provides advanced camera users
with full manual control with P, S and M shooting modes.
At the back of the camera rests the 3-inch LCD monitor with
460k dots. The S8600 is powered by three AA alkaline batteries which can last
for about 250 shots.
Another bridge camera that was introduced during the event
is the weather resistant FinePix S1.
The FinePix S1 has a weather resistant lens and body with 70
sealed areas. It features a wide 50x optical zoom lens range (24-1200mm in 35mm
equivalent) and an additional Super Macro mode that provides flexibility to
users in terms of shooting styles. The lens is composed of 13 elements in 11 groups
and achieves high quality images thanks to reduced aberration.
Moreover, the lens’s multi-layer Super EBC coating technology helps reduce
ghosting and flare even in photos shot in non-optimal conditions. The S1 also
comes with a newly developed noise reduction system combined with the camera’s
1/ 2.3-inch 16.4MP backlit CMOS sensor. The new multi-CPU design of the S1 also
improves the AF speed, startup time and shooting interval.
In terms of video capture, the S1 is capable of full HD
video recording thanks to its newly developed optical and electronic 5-axis
Image Stabilization. Fujifilm has also added a Movie Trimming and Movie Join
feature to enable in-camera editing.
Lastly, The FinePix S1 features Wi-Fi connectivity. And with
the use of the Fujifilm Camera Remote app, users can use their smart devices as
remote shutter for the camera.
Other notable features of the S1 include a 920k-dot EVF,
Focus Peak Highlight function that emphasizes the subject outline and other
high contrast areas, RAW mode, custom settings aside from the usual P,A,S and M
functions, multiple aspect ratios setting, 10 artistic effects and Motion
Panorama 360 mode to name a few.
Also on Fujifilm’s menu this week is the FinePix XP70 point
and shoot camera. The XP70 is a weatherproof device able to withstand water up
to 10 meters, is shockproof up to 1.5 meters, dustproof and is freezeproof up
to -10 degrees Celsius.
It features a double click mechanism to protect its internals
from accidental opening. Just like the S1, it also has Wi-Fi connectivity for
easy image sharing via its built-in Smartphone Send function.
The XP70 has a 1/ 2.3-inch 16.4MP CMOS sensor, a 5x optical
zoom lens that includes a 28mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle setting. The zoom
range can be doubled using Fujifilm’s Intelligent Digital Zoom technology. The
camera is also capable of capturing full HD movies at 380 frames per second.
And just like the two cameras mentioned above, the XP70
comes with a number of advanced filter functions as well as some other nifty
features including Scene Recognition feature and multi-frame processing for
capturing images through HDR mode.
The LCD display at the back of the camera also features an
anti-reflective coating so users can easily view or compose images in different
weather conditions.
Last on the camera announcements is the Fujifilm X100S.
This
retro-looking camera is equipped with a 23mm F2 Fujinon fixed single focal length
lens coupled with a 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor as well as a Hybrid
viewfinder that allows users to switch between an EVF and a traditional optical
viewfinder.
