The Fujifilm Natura S (2004) is a compact 35mm camera designed explicitly for available-light photography, developed alongside Fujifilm's Natura 1600 film to create a system: a very fast ultra-wide lens paired with very fast film that together eliminate the need for flash in virtually all indoor situations. The Super EBC Fujinon 24mm f/1.9 lens is the defining component — at 24mm equivalent on 35mm full-frame and with a maximum aperture of f/1.9, it collects dramatically more light than any contemporary compact camera lens (which typically offered 35mm f/2.8 at best) while delivering an angle of view that keeps interiors and social scenes in frame.
Reference
Find film for your Fujifilm Natura S
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 (marketed as Superia 400 in some regions) is an ISO 400 C-41 consumer color negative film in 135 format, one of Fujifilm's most popular consumer films. It delivers warm, vibrant colors with moderate grain and remains in production in some markets.
**Lens cleanliness** — the 24mm f/1.9 is the entire point of this camera; inspect for haze, fungus, and coating damage. Even slight haze reduces the flare resistance provided by the Super EBC coating.
**AF module** — active AF systems can fail; test focus across several distances, including close and infinity.
**Shutter blades** — oily blades are common on leaf shutters; check for slow response at small apertures.
**Price verification** — Natura S bodies command high prices on the global used market (¥80,000–150,000+ in Japan, $600–1800 elsewhere); verify authenticity and confirm it is the "S" variant (24/1.9) not a Natura (28/2.8 or other focal length).
**Battery contacts** — CR2 contacts can corrode; inspect the battery compartment for green or white deposits.
There are no common substitutes: the Natura S's combination of 24mm and f/1.9 is unique in 35mm compact history.
About this camera
A Japan-only premium compact built around a 24mm f/1.9 lens — designed to shoot available-light scenes on Natura 1600 film without a flash, delivering images impossible with any other compact camera of its era.
Key Specs
Frequently asked questions
What film does the Fujifilm Natura S use?
The Fujifilm Natura S shoots 35mm film.
What battery does the Fujifilm Natura S take?
The Fujifilm Natura S uses a CR2 x 1 battery.
What lens mount does the Fujifilm Natura S have?
The Fujifilm Natura S uses the fixed mount.
What shutter speeds does the Fujifilm Natura S offer?
The Fujifilm Natura S's shutter speeds range from 4s to 1/500s.
What light meter does the Fujifilm Natura S use?
The Fujifilm Natura S meters with ttl-multi-segment.
Super EBC Fujinon 24mm f/1.9, 6 elements / 5 groups
Years
2004–2010
Shutter
~4s – 1/500s, electronic leaf
Meter
TTL multi-segment, EV 1.5–17
Modes
Program / Aperture-priority
AF
Active AF with assist beam
Flash
Built-in (defeatable)
Weight
~195 g
Battery
1× CR2 lithium
History
Fujifilm developed the Natura S in response to market research showing that Japanese consumers — particularly women in their 20s–30s, the primary film compact buyers in early-2000s Japan — disliked flash photography in social settings. The harsh, flat light of on-camera flash was unflattering; the goal was a camera that could render candlelit restaurants, izakayas, and home interiors naturalistically.
The solution required two simultaneous innovations: a very fast film (Natura 1600, a T-grain colour negative film with excellent shadow detail at EI 1600) and a very fast lens at a wide enough angle to be useful indoors (24mm f/1.9). The combination of ISO 1600 film and f/1.9 aperture gave the Natura S approximately 5 stops more light-gathering capability than a contemporary compact shooting ISO 200 film at f/4 — the difference between needing flash and not.
The Natura S was sold exclusively in Japan. Fujifilm did not export it, apparently judging that the Natura 1600 film pairing was essential to its value proposition and that export markets might not understand the system concept. This Japan-only status, combined with the camera's genuine photographic capabilities, has made it one of the most sought-after compact cameras on the global used market, with prices that frequently exceed ¥100,000.
The camera was discontinued around 2010 as digital cameras with increasingly capable high-ISO sensors made the Natura 1600 / Natura S proposition less distinctive. Production of Natura 1600 film ceased in 2013.
Why It Matters
The Natura S is one of the most technically capable 35mm compact cameras ever made in a single critical dimension: low-light photography without flash. No other 35mm compact combined a lens faster than f/2 with a focal length as wide as 24mm. The closest rivals — the Rollei 35 RF (40/2.8), Contax T3 (35/2.8), Minox GT-E (35/2.8) — were either slower, longer, or both.
The 24mm focal length is also distinctive: most premium compacts of the era offered 35mm or 38mm. At 24mm, the Natura S captures wider environmental context in a frame — particularly valuable for interior social photography where the extra width includes the space and ambience of a scene rather than just its subjects.
Today the Natura S is a cult camera among collectors and film photographers who want the most capable available-light compact ever produced in 35mm.
Lenses & Accessories
Lens is fixed (Super EBC Fujinon 24mm f/1.9). No interchangeable lens option. Accessories: wrist strap; leather case (original Fujifilm accessory case, now rare). Film: any ISO 25–3200 DX cassette; the camera was optimised for Natura 1600 (discontinued) — current Kodak Ultramax 400 or Kodak Portra 800 are the highest-speed easily available alternatives; Cinestill 800T is another option for the fast-film intent.
Sample Photographers / Notable Use
The Natura S became widely used by Japanese documentary and street photographers who wanted a pocket camera capable of genuine available-light photography.
Photography bloggers and reviewers in Japan (Provoke-school descendants, Tokyo street photographers) documented the camera's ability to render bar interiors and night streets with natural colour and shadow detail on Natura 1600.
After digital displaced film compacts, the Natura S gained a second life as the premium fast-compact choice among analogue film enthusiasts, with prices rising sharply from the mid-2010s onward.
Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
