Starting with the X-Pro 1, Fujifilm has clearly established that what looks good, clicks good too. Unfortunately, both X-Pro 1 and the subsequent X-E1 had price tags that made users shy away from them. And there’s a very simple explanation for that – at that price point, users are most likely to opt for conventional DSLRs with a wider lens ecosystem, rather than a compact-system-camera (CSC) with less number of lenses in its inventory. And even though the X-Pro 1 and X-E1 carry APS-C sized sensors, and offered performance as good as any DSLR, the idea of CSCs hasn’t still sunk in much.

Now, Fujifilm has a new CSC, the X-M1, which retains more or less the same retro-style-but-modern-imaging character of its older and more expensive siblings, it also packs wireless technology, to keep up with times. And the price tag pitches it right next to some of the entry level DSLRs available in India. So does it make a compelling case for itself, over conventional DSLRs? We find out.

Design and build

The X-M1 carries forward the same design philosophy – synthetic leather panelling on a metal body, styled in resemblance of the rangefinder cameras of yesteryears. While we have always admired the looks of the X-series cameras, we are now getting a bit bored. Yes, it’s good to carry forward the retro-styling, because the cameras can pull them off, but for how long? Maybe Fujifilm should think of new style cues before it reaches that stage where “everything they make look alike.”

That said, the X-M1’s body is quite compact. The body width is 1.3 inches at the slimmest point and 1.5 inches at the thickest. It’s quite light too, at just 330 grams of body-only weight. And even if you do add the stock 16-50mm lens the weight doesn’t go up much. The controls are very well placed, and are very premium in terms of build quality. However, we did feel the need for a slightly thicker hand-grip. Also, there’s no physical control for turning off Auto Focus, and the stock 16-50 lens also doesn’t have the button.

You don’t get a viewfinder on the X-M1, but you do get a brilliantly lit 3.0-inch, 920K-dot tilt-type TFT LCD monitor. The display is very bright and rich in contrast, but is not touch sensitive. This may be a major turn-off point for customers, as some DSLRs and CSCs offer touchscreens even at this price range.

Specs and performance

The X-M1 makes use of the X-mount to make use of interchangeable lenses. It also features a 16.3-MP APS-C CMOS sensor, which uses the same X-Trans technology as found in Fujifilm's more expensive cameras, such as the X-Pro 1 and X-E1. The sensor uses a vast ISO range, from 100 to 25,600, and is also capable of shooting full HD videos in 1080p at 30 frames per second.

The X-M1 uses a TTL contrast AF, and an onboard AF assist illuminator to use in dim lighting conditions. Although the AF areas and frame sizes are selectable the AF itself isn’t as fast as it should be. Given the time between the X-M1’s release and its predecessors, we really thought Fuji would’ve worked a bit more on making the AF system faster. Without a touch-screen to select the AF points, focusing is sometimes a bit of a pain.

That said, the image quality is simply wonderful. The X-M1 captures images that reproduce colours perfectly, without under or over compensating any colour tones. On automatic or scene recognition modes, the camera is quick to adjust all the vitals to get the correct exposure and colour balance. What’s really commendable is the fact that on images with ISO as high as 3200, the noise levels were very much under control, something that we have found the Sony NEX series to be lacking in.

Although the X-M1 offers a hot-shoe slot for an external flash, the internal pop-up flash is quite clever. The flash uses technology to regulate its firing intensity, and on automatic modes we hardly faced any cases of highlight blowouts or whites being washed out.

The EXR Processor II, though fast in terms of startup times, does slow down after burst shots, and takes long to get ready for a shot after processing a burst.

Verdict

The X-M1 has a slightly sluggish AF, takes a bit long to process burst shots and misses a few essential control buttons such as AF/MF control. But it makes up for all that with image quality that is just brilliant. The low-light performance too, is simply amazing. The fact that the camera is WiFi enabled also lets the user upload and share images via an app. But the problem that really bogs down the X-M1 is that Fujifilm has a limited range of lens for the X-mount. Yes, you can always buy a mount adapter to use third-party lenses, but then it would be much easier to have an entry-level DSLR.

Rs 47,999 (Body + XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS lens)

Love – Brilliant image quality, good low-light performance

Hate – Sluggish AF, no EVF and touchscreen

sabyasachi.b@thehindu.co.in

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