LCD, viewfinder and video
Unlike the Leica X2, which is another stylish fixed-focal-length compact, the Fuji X100S offers video capture. Movie files can be recorded in 1920×1080-pixel full HD at 60fps, while the X100 offers 720p HD capture only. Photographers benefit from video capture because, as a consequence, the camera offers live view – although, of course, it can be switched off if desired. With live view activated, however, I found I was using the rear screen just as much as the viewfinder when composing images, and the compact size of the X100S makes it comfortable to hold away from the body. With its modest 2.8in display and 460,000-dot resolution, the LCD screen remains the same as that on the X100.
Fuji’s unique hybrid viewfinder, used again in the X100S, offers both optical (OVF) and electronic (EVF) views. The EVF has been improved to the 2.36-million-dot display used in the X-E1. The benefits offered by this display include exposure preview and manual focus assist modes (see Features in use). However, the ‘reverse Galilean’ optical finder has a display that is noticeably brighter, and using it instead of the EVF or rear LCD conserves battery life – up to twice the number of shots, with 600 possible compared to a 300-shot life when using the electronic displays. It is, however, less clear what is going to be in the final image as the illuminated ‘bright frame’ shows the frameline, which shifts in the finder when pressing the shutter and covers approximately 90% of the final image. The OVF is not available when the macro AF mode is selected. All in all, I regularly switched between each viewing option, enjoying them all.
