Fujifilm X-S1 Digital Camera Review

Dynamic Range

The bigger the sensor, the better the dynamic range performance. Though the X-S1 has a big chip by point-and-shoot standards, it's still a fraction of the size of a DSLR sensor, so it's unreasonably to expect comparable performance.

That said, Fuji's EXR sensors are known for handling the d-range well. With noise reduction turned down, the X-S1 can cover about 5.5 stops—short of what DSLRs and system cameras can do, but quite good compared to most superzooms. It's even more adept with the d-range compensation cranked up, especially in the D-Range Priority EXR processing mode.

In real world terms, this basically means that it won't totally wash out the sky if you're shooting a shady area on a sunny day. Check out our sample photos for some examples. More on how we test dynamic range.