This is a fantastic little retro style camera. The 35mm equivalent focal length of the f/2 lens is razor sharp and gives a wider documentary style view of the world. Perfect for close up portraits but versatile enough to capture beautiful landscapes. Of course there is no zoom lens but you can zoom with your feet (move closer or step back).

The 16mp sensor renders beautiful skin tones and produces accurate colours and tones for landscapes and general photography. You'll find that you'll hardly ever need to tweak these images. It's that good and you can shoot in Jpeg or RAW. The built in flash is quite powerful and works very well at night or as a fill in flash in bright daylight. The images hardly look like a flash has been used at all. If you want to use this more professionally then there is an optional extra flash with a tilt and swivel head for bouncing your flash (EF-42 flash).

The rear screen is excellent and you can be sure that what you see on the back is exactly what you have captured. It's quick to zoom the image in and out and to scan through everything you've taken. You can control the shutter speed and exposure compensation manually, with dials on the top and also the aperture using the aperture ring. I'll often set the shutter around 1/125th or 1/250th and the aperture to around f4 or f5.6 and let the Auto ISO settings take care of the rest.

This is the perfect documentary or wedding photography small fixed lens camera. It's also a great camera for street photography or to add a wow factor to your holiday snaps. This also has HD video if you find this useful. It can be slow to wake up when you first turn it on but it really is highly recommended. I'd have no quibbles about using this as part of my professional wedding kit or taking it to shoot a family party or a holiday.

this is the best street photography camera I have owned and wouldn't be without it I take it everywhere I go, it will fit in a large pocket and is very sturdy you wont regret buying one of these and it take great contrasty photos

Bought this used from amazon for about £500, so- saved a lot of money. Came in original box with all original accessories. Works like a charm.
I love that it has macro mode/panorama/double exposure/internal ND filter/RAW files etc. I was especially concerned about low light capabilities, but it IS good in low light. I got some nice and crisp shots in a dark restaurant with those bar lamps. Nikon sb700 and sb800 flashes are also working with this camera which is cool. Bought extra battery though, one battery just finishes too quickly- it lasts about half a day and I don't get how manufacturers could release it with such short battery life... Other than that I love it and it's always in my handbag.

Businesses sometimes ask themselves: "who is eating our lunch?"and here's the answer for Leica - Fujifilm.The X100s is everything that the X1 and X2 range from Leica should have been - and actually more.The build quality, handling and features of the X100s is extraordinary.

Right out of the box everything feels right.Discreet, unassuming packaging tells you that Fujifilm have spent their time on what matters - the item inside the box.The camera is solidly built but small, compact and quite rugged.Full marks too for supplying a comprehensive hard copy manual, rather than brief instructions and the rest on a CD.Small touches like a tool to help you load the fiddly camera strap rings are also appreciated.

The camera itself is chock full of features, but at the same time retains the feel of older, less complicated times when all you did was put the viewfinder to your eye, set the exposure and press the shutter.This gives you the best of both digitial and film photography in my opinion.The optical viewfinder is bright and easy to see through, diopter adjustments too are most welcome.And the digital viewfinder too works well and gives a useful alternative for composition and framing.

Performance so far seems excellent.The image quality, options for in-camera image manipulation and editing all seem well-thought out, and the fixed lens means you can concentrate on what's important - composing and enjoying picture making.

A brilliant piece of kit.Thought long and hard before such a purchase, but at the current Amazon price of a shade under £800 (as at November 2014), it's been a good decision so far.Much as I like Leica, when you look at something like the X100s you realise just what a strong product Fujifilm have come up with - recommended.

I am slightly in awe of this camera.

Like many, I got fed up lugging my DSLR around with me. I experimented with point-and-shoot, but I really, really wanted a viewfinder. I don't much like using the screens and, of course, they are less than usable in bright sunshine anyway. So that's why I stuck with DSLRs for so long. And, of course, sensor size on many point-and-shoots is pretty small, so cropping becomes an issue with quality disappearing rapidly.

But then I came across this. Same size sensor as the Nikon DX or APS-C. And a point-and-shoot with a viewfinder. Ah yes, the viewfinder - both OVF and EVF - i.e. both Optical and Electronic. Both configurable to show, for example, an artificial horizon, but the electronic one can also show a histogram. And flicking between the two is so easy - the switch that on old film cameras would have been for the self-timer here functions to flip between OVF and EVF. Easy-peasy.

Talking of old film cameras - yes, all the knobs and dials are here. Set the aperture ring to 'A', the shutter dial on top to 'A' and the ISO menu option to auto and you have a fully auto camera. Move the aperture ring off the 'A' and you have aperture priority. Set the shutter speed to whatever you want and the aperture ring back to 'A' and you have shutter priority. Take everything off 'A' and you have a fully manual set-up. Easy, obvious and beautifully engineered.

What about taking pics? So many times I have seen a picture and thought 'Oh, if only', knowing full well that dragging out the DSLR, setting it up and all, the shot would have long gone. With this, I just point the camera and take the pic. If you're into street photography, this is The Biz. I just set the shutter to 1/250 and leave everything else on auto.

The Fuji sensor is superb. Colours are better than any DSLR I have used. But, and this sounds a bit crazy, it also takes stunning B&W. Following on from Fuji film, there are a number of presets that allow you to set the camera up as though you are using B&W with a yellow filter, for example, increasing the contrast, making clouds stand out against blue sky, enhancing portraits, making things 'gritty'. And you can pre-program up to three setting so toggling between standard colour, enhanced colour and contrasty black and white is simply a matter of pressing a button and then selecting.

The lens is 23mm, so that's equivalent, roughly, to 35mm on a 'full-frame'. That is, of course, generally considered the ideal 'street' and photo-journalism size. No zoom - in fact, no removable lens at all. You can get a 50mm equivalent to screw on the front and also a wide-angle adapter too. But if you want a close up, you will, like the Spartan soldier who complained his sword was too short, just have to step closer to your subject (or enemy, in the case of the Spartan). Of course, given that the lens is fixed, you won't get any dust on the sensor.

All in all, this has breathed new life into my photography and I have no regrets at all about selling my DSLR. Mind you, saying that, I am very tempted by the 

Having done a lot of reading online whilst looking for a new camera, I was instantly drawn to the X100s for it's reputation for quality, portability, features and versatility - also it's styling. A particularly unusual review which caught my eye was[...] - well worth a read.

After receiving the X100s, I am even more impressed with the camera itself. Extremely versatile, the F2 35mm lens is ideal for portraits, travel, landscapes - just about anything. I took the camera with me on a trip to Barcelona - the results are on FlickR here - [...]

I purchased the camera with the Fuji Bespoke case, extra battery and lens hood - I haven't used the hood much yet, but can massively recommend the case. Not only for it's protection and comfort of carrying, but also for it's styling. The case has easily accessible panels for the SD card/battery and is super easy to put the camera in and out of speedily. It also came with a very nice leather strap for the camera.

You won't regret buying the X100s for a second.

I read all the glowing reviews and bought the X100s camera kit at the beginning of the year. I'm a professional photographer and this was going to fill a gap in my collection, giving me something small that I could always have with me, and that produced pro quality pictures.

Amazon warned that I would have to wait several weeks because they were out of stock, and other sellers were saying the same. So I was really pleased when the camera arrived in just a few days.

It was as lovely to look at as I expected, and I was delighted with the quality of the pictures it took. All the reviews that say you can stick with Jpegs and forget Raw are true; the camera's ability to process Jpegs is remarkable and I would shoot in Raw only for paying jobs.

But after a month I noticed a discolouration of the lens, like a blue oil mark. It didn't seem to affect the image quality but I was concerned about it nevertheless, and rang Amazon. They were very happy to replace the camera, and a couple of days later a new one arrived.

I set the new camera up as before. I put on the clear glass protection filter, as before. I installed the firmware update, as before. And straight after that the camera died. I tried all the usual things: turning it off and on, removing and replacing the battery, trying a different battery. But nothing. So I contacted Amazon and they agreed to send me another camera.

The third camera arrived in a couple of days. I set this one up as before. And it worked. But when I took it out on a sunny afternoon the focussing was totally and very worryingly unreliable. For example, I set up my subject about 12 feet away, focussed on them, and the camera focussed on the background. I double checked the settings and it was clear that the camera was at fault. Appalled, I returned the camera and this time asked for a refund. Amazon agreed.

The service from Amazon has been outstanding; I couldn't have asked for more from them. But I don't understand how I could receive three cameras that were all faulty, each in their own special way. I think it's a truly great camera when it works, and there's part of me that regrets returning the first one which was taking great pictures - but I just don't think a £1k camera should have what appeared to be a damaged lens coating.

The interesting thing is that a friend has since bought the same camera from the London Camera Exchange (at the Photography Show in Birmingham) and he rang me because he was having problems with it. He asked me to test it and I found that it was setting the exposure incorrectly. London Camera Exchange took it back and my friend asked for a refund.

Since then, this same friend has told me of three friends of his who have had problems with the X100s. For one, the control dial on the back of the camera fell off; the shop he bought it from sent his camera back to Fuji, and when it came back the battery cover promptly fell off. For the other, there were issues with the exposure. And the third complained of a range of problems.

The X100s is a great camera when it works. I also have £100 of accessories that have limited use without it (lens filter, spare batteries and chargers, a screen protector, a Rapid SnapR strap); so one day I may have another go at getting one. But I worry that Fuji may have hurried production of this batch of cameras when they found they couldn't keep pace with demand and have skimped on quality control. The reviews have been deservedly great and everyone wanted to have one, and Fuji perhaps couldn't keep up.

Delighted with the quality, functionality and features of the Fuji X100S. It outperforms my DSLR in every department, and is a joy to use. I love its retro looks and its brilliant viewfinder. Far too many otherwise excellent compact cameras are seriously let down by having no optical viewfinder, which is essential in bright sunlight and in being able to hold the camera steady when shooting. If your looking for the best compact currently available, then this is definitely the camera for you. Fuji have done a great job with the X100S I recommend it without reservation. A+++++

Like many long-time 35mm users I switched to digital some years ago.I missed the simple functionality of 35mm SLRs.You knew what ISO you were using and if you wanted more there were push processing options available at the expense of grain like golf balls. Going back a long way, Kodak 2475 recording film set the standard in available light photography (in black and white of course).The best colour equivalent was High Speed Etkachrome with its base 160 ASA that could be pushed to 320 ASA but not much more.Later the much-loved Fuji Velvia reversal film came along rated at 50 and 100 ASA with deep, saturated colours but oh so slow.

Most film SLRs let you know what aperture and shutter speed you were using. In those early days, focusing was manual but we also had better eyesight as we were younger and relatively dark focusing screens equipped with microprisms and occasionally split image screens were not a problem.Indeed there was no other way.Fixed focus lenses delivered sharp results, and often had fast apertures. Sometimes as fast as f1.2 for the standard 50mm lens, f1.4 and f 1.8 being relatively common. Early coatings did leave a bit to be desired.

Progressively most of these things disappeared as the world went digital.True, the ISO capabilities increased and soon we had cameras that would handle 6400 ASA and more.But often at the expense of image quality especially in cameras with small sensors.It was still necessary to use low ASA numbers to get the best quality from these cameras.Often they had immensely complex menu structures and incomprehensible instruction manuals.It was easier to leave the camera asset to automatic and let it work out which combination of ISO, aperture and shutter speed to use.Autofocus zoom lenses became the norm.Some of these had exceptional zoom ranges but they were inevitably a compromise and were generally much slower and less sharp than fixed focal length lenses.Pop-up flashes became standard.

So the bottom line is as a former 35mm user, I have grown to love the X100s. It looks and behaves like an old 35mm rangefinder camera. Some say it is a bit like a Leica. This is not entirely correct as it is both smaller and much lighter than for example an old M3 but there are some similarities. Many people, on seeing the camera, ask me if it is film camera.It is small, light and discreet to use.

I have it now in many circumstances with people and street scenes in low light levels and in bright sunshine as well as for more technical work.It does take a while to get used to the fact that it has a fixed focal length lens. In many cases this is an advantage. It forces you to compose photographs more carefully and the composition aids in the various viewfinders are also extremely useful.

A lot has been said about the viewfinders of the camera. Overall there is no doubt they are very good indeed. One disadvantage of the fact that the camera has so many manual controls is that it is easy to forget to reset some of these controls. The viewfinder will tell you how the camera is set but there is so much information is easy to overlook something. For example if you accidentally leave the camera on manual focus will be an indication to this effect but it’s very easy to miss.

Why would you use manual focus? There are cases where the autofocus is not perfect. It is quick and most of the time it works very well. However in low light levels it is not always spot-on and in those cases it can be useful to use the various manual focusing options. The camera will tell you when it is having difficulties. Sometimes it is also not very good at focusing on infinity. In these cases the manual options are best. There are three of these, which are all brought up using the various viewfinders. There is a normal version, a split image version and finally a phase contrast version which is the one I prefer. Once you are used to it, manual focusing is fast and very precise.

The F2.0 lens is outstanding and seems well balanced to the sensor. You can read about the lens performance in detail in other reviews.Wide open it is slightly soft but not so much that you would notice. There is a small amount of flare when shooting directly into the light. But most of the time the lens produces great, clear and highly saturated images.

Most of the time I use the camera on automatic and dial in exposure compensation as needed. Sometimes I switch from matrix to spot metering which is quick and easy to do. You can set the automatic parameters in terms of ISO levels and shutter speed range, which is very helpful. The camera is virtually free from noise up to ISO 6400. I have never used a camera with such good low light capabilities. Because the leaf shutter is so quiet and has hardly any moving parts relative to conventional camera it is also possible to hand hold the X-100 S down to sometimes one quarter of a second. This really extends the lowlight capabilities of the camera. It really is possible to take handheld pictures of stars.At the other extreme the leaf shutters allows flash synch up to its top speed of 1/4000 sec.Not something I use every day but useful to know it is there.

There are built-in filters including a very useful neutral density filter. This is a little bit fiddly to set manually but can be set using the function key. There are also a number of other filters which I have yet to explore fully.

On the view menu you can set the camera to take single shots, multishots, and to do bracketing of exposure, bracketing of dynamic range, and three different colour settings,as well as taking panoramas and to take a video as well. You can also use the internal filters and manipulate the image in terms of hardness, softness etc in many ways that I have yet to explore, all without adding any accessories to the camera.Such capabilities with 35mm either demanded a host of add-ons or complicated processing or (in the case of the film speeds and other digital options available) were simply impossible.

There are many other options available some of which I have yet to explore. I have also had not yet taken any RAW files, the JPEGs are so good.

As provided, the camera does not connect wirelessly to anything and this does make it a bit slow to process images. However the quality of the images are worth the extra time.

There is very little I don’t like about the camera. It is possible to add a lens hood and filter, but in order to do this you have to unscrew the front retaining ring on the lens reverse in the filter and then add the attachments on the back of that. If you do this then the camera will not fit in the standard leather case which, although an extra, suits the camera well.

There is also an issue that if you have a filter on the camera and you set the macro function the front lens element of the camera will touch the filter and if you’re not careful you can break the whole lens. This does seem to me to be rather fundamental design problem. Otherwise I like the camera very much indeed and there is so much right about it that it deserves its five-star rating.

A real revelation. First camera for years that makes me want to carry it around. It feels like a proper camera with lovely and effective controls which make key things available easily without diving into menus. Ignore those that say the knobs are easily knocked accidentally - thats just not true. Easy to operate but secure from knocks. Quality is superb from the half frame sensor and very much up to DSLR equivalents like the Nikon DX series or Canon versions. The 35mm equivalent lens is spot on for street and general photography. Be interesting to see if Fuji get round to a similarly compact full frame version - now that would be something! But in the meantime the Fuji is the go to carry around camera and is also in the bag for assignments along with the Nikon D600.