Fuji Debuts Four New Cameras, Including First Weather Resistant Superzoom
The black version of the X100s wasn’t the only camera Fuji decided to announce ahead of CES. Four other cameras are making their official appearance today: three superzooms, one of which is the world’s first weather sealed bridge camera, and a new rugged compact.
Fuji FinePix S1
The main attraction of the bunch is the FinePix S1, a new high-end superzoom that claims the title of “world’s first weather resistant super zoom bridge camera.” No specific numbers are given, but the S1 is said to be resistant (not proof) against rain and dust, making it more versatile than your typical superzoom.
Spec-wise, the camera features a 16.4MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, a bright 50x 24-1200mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 lens (expandable to 100x using Fuji’s 2x Intelligent Digital Zoom), a 3-inch Vari-Angle 920K-dot LCD, a 0.2-inch 920K-dot EVF, 5-axis image stabilization, 0.14 second AF, a Time-Lapse mode and built-in WiFi for image sharing and remote shooting via the Fujifilm Camera Remote app.
Fuji FinePix S9200 and S9400W
The next step down from the S1 are the S9400W and S9200, which are the exact same camera with and without WiFi, respectively. That’s why we’re not counting these as two different cameras.
Both cameras pack a 16.2MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 50x 24-1200mm f/2.9-6.5 (also expandable using Fuji’s Intelligent Digital Zoom), 200K-dot EVF, speedy start-up time, .03 second autofocus with .05 seconds between shots, 10fps burst mode, 5-axis image stabilization in movie mode and, in the case of the S9400W, built-in WiFi and all the benefits that go along with it.
Fuji FinePix S8600
The third new release from Fuji is the more compact FinePix S8600, which trades some specs for a lower price tag. The main selling point of the camera is the size, which, thanks to a new type of three-step collapsible lens, is pretty small for a 36x optical zoom camera.
Like the other cameras, the S8600 sports 16 megapixels, only in this case the 1/2.3-inch sensor is a CCD. Other specs include a 36x 24-900mm f/2.9-6.9 lens, a 3-inch 460K-dot LCD, sensor shift image stabilization, up to 720p/30fps HD video recording, and the convenience (at least that’s the positive way of looking at it) of running off of three AAs instead of a rechargeable Li-ion battery (250 shots per set).
Fuji FinePix XP70
Last but not least is the XP70, the newest ‘rugged’ model compact from Fujifilm. Some of the ‘rugged’ specs have been improved from the previous model. The camera can now go as far as 33ft underwater while still surviving drops from as far as 5ft up, temperatures as low as 14°F and whatever dust you throw at it.
Other specs include a (you guessed it) 16.4MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 5x 28-140mm lens, 1080p Full HD video capture and built-in WiFi that can be used to transfer image and video files.
And we’ve come to the end of this announcement fest. All of the above-mentioned cameras will arrive in stores in March, with the S1, S9200, S9400W, S8600 and XP70 already available for pre-order for $500, $350, $330, $230 and $230, respectively.
We don’t typically review superzooms, but drop us a line in the comments if you’re interested in us taking the S1 for a spin, and don’t hesitate to let us know what you think about any of the cameras in the comments down below.
