Fujifilm X-S1 Digital Camera Review

Color

Color performance in the X-S1 is pretty accurate, though there's a definite coolness to the profile. The most true-to-life color mode is the Standard/Provia setting. We measured a minimum color error of 3.36 (under 3 is considered great, under 3.5 is still quite good) and 105% saturation, which falls within an acceptable range. More on how we test color.

Most shades are close to the ideal hues, but blues are exaggerated (particularly light blue) and yellows are subdued. Color is a very subjective thing, so some users might really like these tones compared to the super-vibrant colors that cameras from major manufacturers produce.

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

The X-S1 reproduces the least-accurate colors of our comparison group, but each one earns a decent overall score. Like we said, color is highly subjective.

Color Modes

As usual with Fujifilm cameras, the color modes on the X-S1 are known as Film Simulation modes, harkening back to some of Fuji's most popular film brands.

We tested the three available full-color color modes: Provia (standard), Velvia (vivid), and Astia (soft). Standard is the most accurate, followed closely by Astia, which cooled off the colors even more. Velvia isn't accurate at all; nearly all of the shades are wildly exaggerated, but it's a cool look.

The other color modes are B&W (black and white), three Monochrome modes (each with a different filter), and Sepia.

White Balance

We don't weigh white balance (WB) performance for fixed-lens cameras in our overall scores (yet), but we did put the X-S1 through the same tests that we use on DSLRs and system cameras.

Inidividual results were hit or miss, but on the whole, the WB performance is respectable. As poorly as auto white balance handles warm, indoor lighting (check out some of our sample photos), it's excellent in daylight and under cooler lights. With a custom white balance, colors are more accurate under artificial lighting, though there's not much of an improvement in daylight (pure white is actually worse, while light shades of gray are better).

Aside from auto and custom modes, six WB presets are available: Fine (sunlight), Shade, three Fluorescent settings, and Incandescent. The X-S1 also supports direct color temperature entry, as well as fine adjustments to any preset or custom WB.