Fujifilm is using Photokina 2012 to expand its X series of digital cameras, and to make the lineup available to a lot more people. The company's latest announcement is the XF1, a high-end point-and-shoot that adopts a retro style similar to the X100 or X10 but at a much friendlier $499.99 price.

Like Sony's RX100, the XF1 fights above its weight class: it has a fairly large 12-megapixel, two-thirds-inch sensor, an f/1.8-4.9 lens with 4x manual zoom beginning at 25mm equivalent, ISO range up to ISO 12,800, and DSLR-like shooting speeds. It can shoot 1080p video, and has a new scene recognition feature that adapts to what you're shooting. The XF1 is also designed to operate like a DSLR, though the screen-focused controls make it more akin to shooting with a mirrorless camera.

Aside from the raw power, the XF1 keeps the Fujifilm aesthetic alive, with the same synthetic leather and metallic look we're used to — and red and tan color options help it stand out a little more from the usual black and silver. The camera will be available next month, and we'll try to track it down this week at Photokina.