The issue with "orbs" has been well-publicised for a while now, and although they don't affect every shot by any means, it's annoying when you get them. More inexplicable was Fuji's decision to launch the XS1 when they knew their sensor had this issue.
However, it looks like Fuji have finally acknowledged that they have a hardware issue that can only be resolved with a new sensor - see the information linked below:
Link to DP Review site re Fuji press statement
I haven't seen too many orbs with my camera, but as the weather has got better, they're becoming more prevalent. A quick snap on the dog walk yesterday gave me quite a crop:
Bottom line for me is that until this issue gets fixed, I can't use the camera for some of the circumstances that I had planned for it - not least an upcoming family holiday to sunnier climes where the combination of reflections from strong sunlight, plus likelihood of orbs when shooting waves, means I can't rely on the X10 to produce the goods until the new sensor is available. The GF-1 is back out of the camera bag and I'm reminding myself what a nice camera it is....
Hopefully in a few weeks we'll hear more about the sensor replacement programme, but in the meantime I'm lumbered with a camera that has a major flaw affecting the occasions when I wish to use it, whose secondhand value has now plummeted until a proper fix is available. Hmmmmm.
