Fujifilm has announced the price and specs for its new X100T

How do you upgrade a camera that everyone already loves when you don’t really have much new technology to stuff inside? With Fujifilm’s x100t, the latest iteration of the classic-styled fixed-lens shooter, the answer is to buff out some minor flaws, add maybe a feature or two, and of course, a whole new letter: “t.” Without a new sensor, engine, lens, or body to show off, the x100t is largely the same 16 megapixel APS-C sensor camera, with its wonderful 23mm f/2 prime lens found in the x100 and x100s. If you were hoping for some sort of evolution in performance or image quality, this is not the upgrade you are looking for. Instead, the x100t contains some subtle cosmetic re-tooling, a few control tweaks, and new addition to the hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder.

The X100 kickstarted Fujifilm’s renaissance as a purveyor of high-quality, photographer-friendly cameras with its classic control scheme, unique hybrid viewfinder, and compact rangefinder-style build. Fujifilm refined the formula and performance with the X100S almost two years ago, and now the company’s back with the X100T, a further evolution of the design. The biggest change by far is the new viewfinder, which expands on the concept of the hybrid optical and electronic unit found in previous models. It can sometimes be hard to tell precisely what you’re focused on when using the optical finder on the X100 and X100S, so Fujifilm is solving the problem by making its cameras work more like a traditional rangefinder than ever. An electronic overlay in the optical view can display a zoomed-in image of the focus point, and the X100T also adjusts for parallax in real time, both of which mean you should have a much better idea of what photo the camera will capture. There isn’t really anything else like this on the market — assuming it performs as claimed, the viewfinder will offer the comfort and response of optical alongside the accuracy and versatility of electronic. Other changes aren’t quite as drastic. The X100T still features a 23mm f/2 lens paired to a 16-megapixel APS-C X-Trans II sensor, though the body has undergone a few tweaks: the aperture ring now covers 1/3 stops, the exposure compensation dial goes up to +3 and -3, there’s Wi-Fi support for the first time on an X100, and the screen has been upgraded to a 3-inch 1.04-million-dot panel. The X100T also features the Classic Chrome film simulation mode that first appeared last month on the X30 compact camera. It’ll be available in silver and black variants next month for $1299.95.