Fujifilm announces X100 wide angle converter

Fuji
Fuji has announced a converter for its popular X100 premium compact camera

Fujifilm has announced a new wide conversion lens for its X100 premium compact camera.

The converter attaches directly to the camera and increases the field of view from a 23mm (35mm in 35mm equivalent terms) to a 19mm (28mm in 35mm terms) optic.

It has been specially designed to preserve the X100 lens' optical quality, with Fujifilm promising that it is capable of delivering comparable image quality even at f/2, the widest aperture setting available.

Manufactured in Japan, the WCL-X100 comprises of four premium glass elements in three groups, designed to keep aberration to a minimum and also including Fujinon's unique Super EBC coating.

Upgrade

To use the lens converter, owners of X100 cameras need to update the Firmware to version 1.3.0 or later, which allows the option to be selected by the Fn or RAW button. The X100 includes options to apply image processing to shots taken with the converter to reduce image distortion, ensure balanced illumination and reduce chromatic aberration.

When using the WCL-X100, full functionality of the X100 remains, including the autofocusing speed and 10cm macro distance. Also compatible with the hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder, the converter is manufactured from the same materials, textures and colours as the X100.

The converter will be available in black and silver, while a WCL-X100 price is looking likely to be around £249 (around $400) with an August on-sale date.

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.