Fujifilm’s XF1 marries manual controls with a retro shell

In a perfect world, we’d all have cameras like the new XF1 from Fujifilm. Launching in October for US$500, these 12MP shooters clad in fake red, black or tan should reach that retro itch we’ve been dying to scratch.

Is there anything here to warrant a purchase though? We’ve got a high-definition FUJINON 25mm wide angle F1.8 lens, macro shots as close as 3cm, a brand-new menu dial to quickly access the manual settings and the EXR CMOS sensor that promises “fast auto-focus”. Maybe it’s the new shooting modes that’ll endear the camera to the high-end point-and-shoot market. Travel mode with retracted lens, Standby mode for power-saving and Shooting mode.

What we like is how the XF1 turns on. Just twist the lens to activate it. There are also full manual settings and physical buttons for most functions, giving it that down-to-earth feel that the usually cheap digicams are missing.

Need more stats? The full rundown of the camera is here. Come October, we can all grab the XF1.