Fujifilm is currently the biggest champion of retro design in the camera space, and the newly announced Fujifilm X-E1 indicates there's no end in sight. In many ways, this new edition is just a smaller version of the so-called poor man's Leica, a.k.a X Pro-1 .

The Fuji X-Pro1 was a hit. But at $1700 for the body alone, it was (and still is) bonkers expensive. The new X-E1 is Fuji's reaction to that. With a pared down body and new kit lens, Fuji could maintain its enthusiast appeal - and attract a broader market.

With the same "spectacular" image quality and "dazzling" rangefinder style as the Fujifilm X-Pro1 (Est. $1,000) , but in a smaller, less pricey package, the Fujifilm X-E1 impresses experts and owners. However, with sluggish autofocus and flawed video quality, it's not for everyone.

Splendid image quality; Compact body with great retro style; Packed with professional-grade features

Slower autofocus than rivals; Unimpressive video; Partially plastic body isn't weather-sealed

Despite all the advances in digital technology, photographers are a nostalgic lot. For evidence, look no further than the cultish popularity of some recent, retro-style digital sharpshooters such as the , which looks like a miniature version of an old SLR camera, and the , which resembles a Leica...

A long waiting Pro-quality mirrorless camera for me. It is light and solid built. I can carry to everywhere I go without a big camera bag but it can deliver high quality photos similar to a DSLR (APC sensor not full frame).

Light; solid built; DSLR image quality

a little slower focusing speed than DSLR

The Fuji X-E1 may be the baby brother to Fuji's flagship X-Pro1, but in many ways is its equal. Most importantly, the two cameras share the same impressive 16.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, which produces image quality superior to most APS-C-sensor-based digital SLRs, but in arguably more...

Significantly less expensive than Fuji's flagship CSC, but with many of the same features, Really excellent image quality overall, JPEGs are very clean, with very conservative sharpening; (Who needs RAWs?

Limited selection of X-mount lenses; Needs bigger handgrip for extensive use; Mushy shutter button feel; Mediocre autofocus and shot-to-shot speeds; Wakes slowly from sleep mode; ISO; Film Simulation; and Dynamic Range bracketing disable RAW recording; Auto white balance too red indoors,

The FujiFilm X-E1 is their newest X-mount ILC camera, featuring the same APS-C sized 16-Megapixel X-Trans CMOS image sensor that was initially released in their flagship X-Pro 1 camera. The X-E1 was not designed like most consumer digicams, but more like a true rangefinder camera.

Plenty of dials for fast control when shooting; Incredibly quality throughout the entire standard ISO range; 10 available X-mount lenses and an adapter for M-mount lenses; Excellent Low-Light performance; Large; bright and vivid LCD screen; OLED viewfinder is a pleasure; showing all of your shooting...

Shooting performance lacks a little when compared to the performance of the rest of the camera; No Auto or Scene shooting modes; No dedicated video recording button; Lofty Price Tag; Choppy video playback with low quality audio

The Fujifilm X-E1 is a new compact system camera featuring a retro design that bears more than a passing resemblance to its big brother, the X-Pro1. At the heart of the X-E1 is the same 16.3 megapixel APS-C sized "X-Trans" CMOS sensor, which has a colour filter array that mimics film grain and no...

On first glance, the Fujifilm X-E1 looks right out of the eighties when cameras were compact affairs with faux leather bodies and grips, and dozens of dials and buttons that one could fiddle around with to ensure that one got the perfect shot and did not waste the valuable film.

When Fujifilm launched the X-Pro1 in Australia a year ago it emphasised that it was a "first camera option", meaning it wasn't intended to merely supplement a D-SLR, but to replace it completely. The price tag – similar to that of a higher-end D-SLR – helped underline the X-Pro1's frontline status.