The move comes nine months after Fuji announced the X-E1, the firm’s second CSC – featuring a smaller body than the flagship X-Pro1 and a built-in flash to attract a broader audience.

At the time, Katsuya Makioka, operations manager at Fujifilm Japan, said Fuji wanted the X-E1 to ‘expand the market’ as the X-Pro1 was aimed at ‘very high-end photo enthusiasts and professional users’.

The new 16-million-pixel X-M1 features the same APS-C X-Trans CMOS imaging sensor as the X-E1 but lacks its OLED EVF.

The X-M1 is aimed at ‘not only photo enthusiasts but also to a broader scope of users’, according to Fuji.

It boasts a 3in, 920-000-dot resolution, tilting LCD screen, compared to a fixed 2.8in (460,000 dots) display on the X-E1.

Weighing 330g, the X-M1 is 20g lighter than the X-E1, and slightly smaller overall measuring 116.9×66.5x39mm.

The X-M1 also adds wireless image transfer to smartphones and tablets, plus art filters.

The camera is due out in July, initially as a £679.99 kit that includes a new XC16-50mm [24-76mm equivalent] f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens, also announced today.

Fuji UK expects the X-M1 to be available body-only in the autumn, priced £599.99.

The 16-50mm lens costs £359.99.

The firm has also today confirmed August availability for its long-awaited 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens, first announced last year.

Designed to be used with the X-Pro1, X-M1 or X-E1, the 78g optic is designed to produce the 35mm viewing angle equivalent of a 41mm lens.

The seven-blade newcomer incorporates a focusing ring and is built using seven elements in five groups, including an aspherical element.

In macro mode the closest focusing distance is 34cm, according to Fuji.

Out in a choice of silver or black colours, it will cost £379.99.

The 27mm lens does not feature an aperture ring. Fuji says this is to keep it compact and lightweight.

However, X-Pro1 and X-E1 users will be able to update their camera firmware to enable aperture adjustment via the camera command dial, through a firmware update available from today.

Photographers will also need to run this update when using the new XC16-50mm zoom.

A further update for the X-Pro1 and X-E1, available from 23 July, will add a focus peak highlight function (as featured on the X100S and X20 compacts) to aid accuracy when manual focusing.

Next month’s update is also designed to speed up the AF for both cameras when using XF lenses.