From Olympus' inspired "Pen" series to Ricoh's GR Digital range, more and more photographic manufacturers are catching onto the fact that - for the keen amateur at least - SLR's are just too bulky and compacts don't quite cut the mustard.

The latest result of the revelation is this little beauty, the "FinePix X100". While the uninspired titling leaves a little to be desired, the super-high grade camera is in fact the result of months of research into what makes the perfect professional compact.

With picture quality the priority, Fuji have built the X100 around a lens of the highest calibre, combining it with a 12.3 mega-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor (for sharper image clarity), a hybrid viewfinder - which allows users to slip seamlessly between optical and analogue modes - and a pretty sexy chassis, resulting in a camera we'd be happy to call our own.

The Fuji FinePix X100 will be available from early next year. Visit www.fujifilm.com for more.