3 Forgotten Fujifilm Cameras Worth Remembering
With so many exciting cameras released over the last couple of years, it’s easy to forget some of the lesser-successful models from the early days of the X-series. With each new announcement, it seems that Fujifilm has hit-after-hit, and it can seem unthinkable that some of their cameras have been sales disappointments. The latest releases have features and advancements that may make older cameras seem obsolete, but they’re not. And why are they not obsolete? It’s because Fujifilm has infused each generation with its own unique charm. If you especially like that charm, the camera can never be obsolete because you need that camera in order to experience it. These three forgotten Fujifilm cameras are full of charm, and are worth remembering.
Fujifilm XF1
If you’re looking for a compact digicam that fuses vintage charm with capable image quality, the Fujifilm XF1 is an excellent choice. Announced in September of 2012, it put the X-series into your pocket. It featured a 12-megapixel 2/3-inch EXR-CMOS sensor (not X-Trans), which was larger than many compact sensors at that time, and a very useful 25-100mm f/1.8-4.9 zoom lens. The XF1 invited photographers to carry something small while still achieving good image quality.
Two things ultimately made the XF1 flop, and hence forgotten. First, it required a somewhat awkward twist of the lens to power on. Second, it was released at a time when pocket digicams were going out of style, particular thanks to advancements in cellphone cameras. Fujifilm never made a followup. Thanks to a resurgence in digicam popularity, cameras like the XF1 are cool again. In fact, this camera is recently seen in Ballad of a Small Player on Netflix. While the XF1 is a compact digicam, the character is very much Fujifilm—yet it has a unique quality that I haven’t found on any other X-series model. If you want a stylish pocketable camera that delivers enjoyable images with personality, the XF1 is definitely worth considering.
Above: Fujifilm XF1 photographs using the Golden Negative Recipe and Provia/STD Recipe
Fujifilm XQ1
Another pocketable X-series camera similar to the XF1 is the Fujifilm XQ1. Announced one year later in 2013, it has a 12mp 2/3-inch X-Trans II sensor. It also has a 25-100mm f/1.8-4.9 zoom lens. In a lot of ways, the XQ1 is the same as the XF1, but it is notably updated and improved, and feels more refined. The XQ1 was a bigger success than the XF1, but it also came during a time of market declines for its class. One-and-a-half years later Fujifilm released a nearly identical successor: the XQ2. After that, the line was discontinued. If Fujifilm has ever considered resuscitating this series, now would be a great time—people would buy it up in droves.
Above: Fujifilm XQ1 photographs using the Astia Recipe, Lomography Color 100 Recipe, and Cross Process Recipe
Fujifilm X-M1
For an interchangeable-lens APS-C model, the Fujifilm X-M1 deserves a look. Announced in June of 2013, it has a 16mp X-Trans I sensor combined with the X-Processor 2, but scaled back as an entry-level model—yet with some advancements like tilting LCD and WiFi. It was a unique model in the X-series, but sales were sluggish, and it was soon discontinued and forgotten.
If not for the X-M5 released last year, which has been quite popular, the X-M1 might still remain largely lost to time. Nobody expected this camera to ever have a successor—it was a shock! It goes to show that 1) timing is everything and 2) any camera line can be revived at any moment. The X-M1 is still surprisingly decent in 2025 considering it was a low-budget model when it came out more than 12 years ago. I can certainly understand while some still use the X-M1 all these years later.
Above: Fujifilm X-M1 photographs captured using the Vivid Color Recipe, Reminiscent Print Recipe, and Monochrome Recipe
