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At the time, there was solid reasons why we all forgot about the Fujifilm XF1. Back in 2013 when the site first reviewed the camera, our reviewer stated that he was so happy with the JPEGs that he didn’t even bother to shoot RAWs. Unfortunately at the time, everyone still wanted to see RAW images. Indeed, none of us believed that small-sensor cameras could make JPEGs that we’d be happy with. To be fair, we all edited our full-frame and even X Pro 1 photos still too. The Fujifilm XF1, for as gorgeous as it was and still is, was a camera that we all forgot about. But looking back, it was an ergonomic wonder in many ways.
“Simple clean lines without simply being a box with a lens, the leatherette is a great touch for looks as well as function,” is what we stated in our review. “Instead of a slick metallic body that sweaty palms are sure to lose grip on, this camera will stay snug in any hands holding it for any amount of time. It is also just large enough to be comfortable for larger hands to hold and use, while small enough to be manageable for anyone like myself with mini-mitts for hands.” Beyond that, it had a lot of other really cool things like rotating the lens barrel to power the camera on in addition to film simulations despite not having an X Trans sensor. For many years, Fujifilm stated that the secret to their image quality was the X Trans sensor. As time went on, that proved to not be the case as the GFX series of cameras don’t use X Trans layouts.
But with the XF1, Fujifilm went the reverse in size. You could apply film simulations to the image, but Fujifilm never said that it was as good as their other cameras. On top of that, the Fujifilm XF1 competed with the other cameras in the lineup like the X100 series.
However, it was also quite capable. ” I loved pocketing this camera and taking it everywhere with me because I was never concerned it would not lock and get me the shot,” we said in our review. “I found its usage at night to be more simple and straightforward than its way bigger brother the X-E1 because of its capabilities with low-light focusing.” Indeed, it outdid a higher end camera in some ways.
Alright — for the time this camera wasn’t really all that great. And if you were trying to compare it to cameras today, you could say the same thing. But you could also say that this camera has a ton more soul than pretty much anything else on the market right now that’s current. There’s still a camp of photographers out there who don’t want to use the LCD screen — and this isn’t for them. It’s for those of us who tend to think younger and more expressive. LCD screens are such a big part of everything we do — and the one on a camera like this seems like a bit of a relief from staring at your phone or a computer all day. What’s more, the image quality isn’t so perfect due to a lack of in-camera post-processing beyond the basics.
Would I buy one today? Honestly, I probably would — especially for what they’re going for. To reiterate what I’ve been saying for years now, the camera industry needs to start making cameras in the same way that watches did so for enthusiasts. This is a passionate hobby — and it should be treated as such in an era where mental health is such an important thing.
