The Fujifilm X-S1 is a high-end bridge camera aimed at the gap between superzooms and DSLRs. The idea here is to combine reach and all-in-one convenience with natural handling and superior image quality. Fujifilm seems to be marketing the camera toward enthusiast nature photographers, but like any superzoom, there's broad appeal to be found if the design is executed well.Basically, the X-S1 is a mash up of the HS20EXR superzoom and last year's X10 premium compact. It's built around the same oversized, 12-megapixel, 2/3-inch EXR CMOS sensor as the X10, but stuffed into a full-sized body with a huge 26x zoom lens strapped to the front.We'd already put together a hands-on preview of the X-S1 from CES 2012, but we've just finished up a few weeks of proper testing. The design and user experience are plainly awesome, but the image quality falls short of what we'd hoped to see from at $800 camera. Read on to see where it shines, where it struggles, and whether it might be worth your money anyway.Once upon a time, superzooms were built to bridge the gap between pocket shooters and DSLRs, as a happy medium in terms of price, performance, and target audience. That's still the point to a certain degree, but changes in the industry have blurred the lines. Entry-level DSLRs are as cheap as some premium superzooms. The advent of mirrorless compact system cameras altered notions about size, price, and image quality. And for casual shooting, smartphones have already begun to replace low-zoom pocket cameras.The industry's old, rigid design conventions don't apply anymore, so it's time to reconsider the point of superzoom cameras. They don't just need to occupy the middle ground between small, low-quality cameras and big, high-quality cameras.Fujifilm's X-S1 is the first camera we've seen that tries to break away from the stale formula. It's same size and price as a mid-level DSLR, but it packs a massive 26x, 24-624mm equivalent optical zoom lens. The sensor 2/3-inch is much smaller than a DSLR's, but still about 50% larger than the chips found in most point-and-shoots and superzooms (bigger sensors usually mean better noise and dynamic-range performance).As an $800 fixed-lens camera, it's a niche product. The target audience has to be enthusiast photographers who will pay a premium for an all-in-one DSLR alternative that's somehow better than the superzooms that are already out there. The X-S1 could fill that gap (as narrow as it might be), but it needs to really stand out.The X-S1's build quality, handling, and user experience are the best that we've seen in a superzoom, period. It's bulky compared to, say, the Panasonic FZ150, but the extra real estate makes the X-S1 easier to grip and more comfortable to operate. The twist-barrel zoom mechanism is a thing of beauty, and the electronic viewfinder is the best we've seen outside of the Sony SLT series. It's basically like using an honest-to-goodness DSLR that happens to have an enormous focal range.It's too bad that the X-S1's image quality just isn't as strong as it should be for the price. The lens is the root of the problem; it's just not sharp enough for this sensor. It's soft at most settings, particularly at the telephoto end; ditto for chromatic aberration. It holds its own in terms of noise performance and color, and it handles the dynamic range better than any superzoom we've seen. Low-light performance is very solid, too. Sure, none of its results are downright bad, but for this money, it should take better photos than any other bridge model, and it doesn't. (And for those keeping track, yes, it creates white orbs like the X10 did.)Don't lose sight of the fact that there are plenty of great qualities about the X-S1. We had a great time shooting with it, and its final score is very respectable. Most of our beefs with the image quality will only show up at bigger viewing sizes; if you're not a pixel peeper, you might not care. The wonderful handling and user experience might help you to forget those quirks.So who should buy the X-S1? Well, it certainly isn't the first superzoom that we recommend. The Panasonic FZ150 and Canon SX40 HS can accomplish most of the same things as the X-S1, but they pack a bigger bang for the buck and better image quality. If you're stepping up to a serious camera and feel tempted by the X-S1's DSLR-esque features, we'd steer you toward an actual DSLR like the Nikon D5100 (or if you want the zoom, one of the aforementioned superzooms).The X-S1 is really best-suited for Fujifilm enthusiasts (you guys will love it) and early adopters who want a superzoom with a DSLR feel. It's a very good camera, not a great one, but we definitely see value in Fujifilm trying to create a more serious bridge model than anyone else has over the past few years.

タグ: fujifilm-(business-operation), digital-camera, review