X Series · 2011
Fujifilm FinePix X100
The camera that started everything, faults included.
Short answer
The original FinePix X100 launched in 2011 with a 12.3MP APS-C EXR sensor, a fixed 23mm f/2 lens and the first hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder. It was slow and awkward to use, and it created the entire X series.
Fujifilm was a film company with no serious digital camera line. The X100 was a gamble: a fixed-lens compact with a rangefinder body, an optical viewfinder with an electronic overlay, and a price that put it against DSLRs. It sold out immediately.
Key specs
- Sensor
- 12.3 MP EXR CMOS
- Processor
- EXR Processor
- In-body stabilisation
- No
- Viewfinder
- Hybrid optical (0.50×) / electronic
- Video
- 720/24p
- Weight
- 445 g
- Launch price
- $1,199
Specifications
- Released
- March 2011
- Sensor
- APS-C · 23.6 × 15.8 mm
- ISO range
- ISO 200–6400
- Burst
- 5 fps
- Screen
- 2.8-inch fixed LCD, 460K dots
- Lens mount
- Fixed 23mm f/2 lens (35mm equivalent)
- Card slots
- 1× SD
- Dimensions
- 126.5 × 74.4 × 53.9 mm
Dimensions
- 126.5 mm wide
- 74.4 mm tall
- 53.9 mm deep
Body drawn to scale from the dimensions Fujifilm publishes. Depth is listed, not drawn.
The hybrid viewfinder
The X100 introduced a viewfinder that is still unique: a real optical window with a switchable electronic display, and information projected into the optical view. Every X100 and X-Pro since has inherited it.
For photographers coming from film rangefinders, seeing outside the frame lines while composing was the argument that sold the camera.
The flaws, honestly
Autofocus was slow and hunted. Manual focus by wire was almost unusable. The menu system was famously confusing, and the write speed made you wait after every burst.
Firmware improved some of it, but the X100S in 2013 is where the design actually became a working camera. Buy the original as a collectible or a curiosity, not as a tool.
What is good
- The first hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder Leaf shutter with flash sync at any speed Historically significant and increasingly collectible Distinctive 12MP rendering
What is not
- Slow, unreliable autofocus Confusing menu system Only 720p video and a low-resolution screen
Verdict
The original X100 is a collector’s camera in 2026. If you want to shoot rather than admire, the X100S costs about the same and works properly.
Film simulations on this camera
10 film simulations
Common questions
Is the original X100 worth buying?
As a piece of camera history, yes. As a camera to use daily, the X100S is better in every way for similar money.
Does it have X-Trans?
No. The original used an EXR CMOS sensor. X-Trans arrived with the X-Pro1 in 2012.
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Last updated August 20, 2026