The Fujifilm XF10 ($499.95) might not be the direct successor to the discontinued X70 in mannequin identify, however it actually is in spirit. Just like the X70, the XF10 is a pocket-friendly digicam with an APS-C picture sensor, the dimensions discovered in lots of SLRs and mirrorless cameras. Its picture high quality is superb, because of a pointy wide-angle lens and a class-leading picture sensor. However efficiency is a bit spotty, with focus slower than what we’re used to seeing in a contemporary digicam, and a picture processor that does not embrace a few of our favourite Fujifilm profiles.
Beautiful End
The XF10 is well one of many best-looking cameras on sale in the present day, no less than if you happen to purchase it within the gold end we obtained for evaluation. The physique is steel, with a end to match. Its contrasted by a brown leatherette, with a sample that jogs my memory of alligator leather-based. Fujfilm additionally markets the XF10 with a black end, which is not as head-turning, however stays elegant.
The digicam is eminently pocketable. It measures 2.5 by four.four by 1.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.9 ounces. A wrist strap is included, and it is a lot nicer than the run-of-the-mill straps included with most compact cameras. The strap is a quarter-inch vast, with delicate leatherette on the outside and black felt lining its inside.
The lens is an 18.5mm f/2.eight prime—there isn’t any zoom functionality. When paired with the 24MP APS-C picture sensor, it captures photographs with an angle of view just like that of a 28mm full-frame system. That is comparable with what many smartphones seize—though flagships have migrated to a barely wider design, within the 24mm vary, for probably the most half. The close-up focus is first rate—the lens can lock on as shut as Three.9 inches—it is not probably the most dramatic macro, however you may nonetheless lock in on the tiny particulars.
The 28mm discipline of view is a well-liked one for a lot of photographers—there is a motive smartphones use it. The XF10 is not the one fanatic digicam with it both. The Ricoh GR II makes use of an analogous lens, backed by a picture sensor that is the identical measurement, however not as dense with pixels at 16MP. The GR II remains to be obtainable, however is getting up there in age, as its sensor and lens date again to the primary APS-C GR, launched in 2013. Ricoh has a GR III coming in 2019, which ups the sensor to 24MP and consists of picture stabilization, a characteristic lacking within the XF10.
The physique is small, so there aren’t a slew of management buttons and dials, however there are sufficient. A handbook focus ring surrounds the lens, however it may be reprogrammed to scroll by means of movie simulation modes, set the white steadiness, modify ISO, or carry out a number of different sundry features.
There is a programmable Fn button on the highest, together with the Mode dial, twin management dials, and the On/Off button. The shutter is surrounded by the entrance dial, and it is one ergonomic side that I do not love. It is a little bit cramped on high, so the small diameter afforded to the dial does not make it fairly as snug to show because the bigger rear dial, which is assigned to shutter management or EV adjustment, relying in your taking pictures mode.
The Drive/Delete and Play buttons are positioned on the high heart, simply above the LCD. To the correct, nestled on the fringe of the rear thumb relaxation, is the Q button, which prompts an on-screen menu to shortly modify settings. Regardless of sporting a contact display screen, the Q menu is not navigable by way of contact. Above Q is an unlabeled black button, Fn2, which is as programmable as the highest Fn button.
The XF10 eschews the anticipated four-way management pad, changing it with a tiny joystick to slot in the confines of the small body. It is what you will use to navigate by means of the Q menu, whereas utilizing the rear dial to regulate settings in every pane. Under the joystick you will discover the Menu and Show/Again buttons. It is easy to customise the Q menu, Fn button, or rear joystick perform—simply maintain the management you need to change in for a pair seconds and a menu will pop up on the display screen, permitting you to change its perform.
There isn’t any EVF or scorching shoe, so you may’t even mount a set optical viewfinder. You are restricted to utilizing the Three-inch, 1,040k-dot LCD as your viewfinder. Fortunately it is a sharp, vivid display screen, with 11 ranges of brightness adjustment obtainable by way of the Q menu. And whereas menu navigation is not obtainable by way of contact, you may faucet to decide on the main target level or to focus and seize a picture, relying on which focus mode you are utilizing.
There are some extra contact management gestures obtainable whereas taking pictures. You may swipe all the way down to customise the perform of the entrance management ring, to the correct to regulate face detection settings, to the left to change to a sq. crop, and as much as activate Snap taking pictures.
That is Fujifilm’s tackle the Snap Focus perform obtainable within the Ricoh GR collection. It stops down the lens to f/eight and switches to a preset focus distance—6.5 ft (2 meters) and 26 ft (eight meters) can be found. I like having the perform obtainable, however discover that the implementation is not as slick as what the GR and GR II do—with these cameras, a fast, full press of the shutter units the lens to its Snap Focus place, making it potential to change between autofocus and the preset Snap distance with out having to regulate any kind of settings. With the XF10 you will have to resolve to make use of the Snap setting earlier than making a picture, taking away its actual profit—lag free, in-focus seize of probably the most fleeting of candid moments.
Journey-Pleasant
The XF10 consists of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so you may join it to an Android or iOS system for distant management and picture switch. You will have to obtain the Fujifilm Digicam Distant app to get began, and undergo a painless setup course of. As soon as you’ve got received it going you may switch photos to your telephone simply, though you may need to inform your telephone to vary Wi-Fi networks to the one generated by the XF10 to make issues work. Transfers by way of Bluetooth, like what Nikon does with its SnapBridge Wi-Fi system, aren’t an possibility, however Bluetooth can add GPS knowledge to photographs and set the XF10’s clock, based mostly on info acquired out of your telephone’s GPS system.
The battery is rated for about 330 photographs by CIPA, which ought to get you thru the day with out an excessive amount of fear. Charging is offered by way of micro USB, so you may at all times high off the battery utilizing an exterior battery pack when out and out and about. There’s additionally a micro HDMI output port and an SD reminiscence card slot.
Ample Autofocus
The XF10 is not set to win any races. It is somewhat gradual to take a shot after powering on, taking a great Three.four seconds to focus and snap a photograph after urgent the On button. The autofocus system takes about zero.2-second to lock focus in vivid gentle, however slows to about zero.6-second in dim situations.
There are a number of totally different focus modes obtainable. By default the digicam selects the main target level mechanically, which works properly for many photographs. In the event you wish to folks, it is a good suggestion to show Face Detection on when utilizing the vast space. There are a number of totally different choices, together with the flexibility to detect both the left or proper eye of your topic, however I discovered leaving each Face and Eye Detection to Auto netted good outcomes.
You probably have hassle getting the XF10 to lock on to what you need it to, you may merely faucet the rear display screen and the digicam will concentrate on the area you select and hearth a shot. You may flip this habits off if you would like, although I discovered it helpful. I do want there was an choice to faucet to pick out the main target, and nonetheless use the bodily shutter to snap a shot. However if you’d like the XF10 to behave like that, it’s good to change the main target mode.
Altering focus is simple sufficient to do—leap into the Q menu and choose one of many different focus modes. Single Level and Zone can be found, providing a versatile spot in two sizes that may be moved across the body utilizing the rear stick or by tapping. In these modes you may select whether or not to focus and hearth when tapping the rear LCD (Shot), to focus solely (AF), or to easily transfer the main target level with out adjusting the lens (Space). The icon to vary these settings is on the highest proper nook of the LCD and is adjustable by way of contact.
There may be additionally an ALL setting obtainable within the focus mode choice financial institution of the Q menu. When that is turned on you may swap between the Single Level, Large, and Zone settings by urgent within the rear joystick and turning the rear command dial. If you end up altering the main target mode continuously it’s a useful gizmo.
Steady drive and AF-C can be found, however this isn’t a digicam for monitoring quick motion. The wide-angle discipline of view means you will not be snapping photographs of wildlife or sports activities, except you may rise up shut and private. Right here the burst taking pictures is healthier fitted to topics with extra side-to-side movement, because the digicam does not have to regulate its focus as a lot or as shortly as it might with topics shifting towards or away from the lens.
The XF10 didn’t do properly in our steady taking pictures take a look at, which stresses a digicam by firing on a carefully framed goal that strikes towards and away from the lens, netting principally misfocused photographs. I consider the pace of the lens motor performs an enormous half—you may see and really feel the lens shifting out and in when focusing in AF-C mode. In the event you’re keen on a small digicam that does a greater job with motion, take a look at the Sony RX100 VI, which sports activities a zoom lens and 24fps Uncooked seize with part detect focus monitoring.
The digicam shoots pretty shortly, at 6fps, however the taking pictures buffer is restricted if you happen to work in Uncooked format. It could actually solely sustain the tempo for 5 Uncooked or Uncooked+JPG photographs. In the event you shoot in JPG the buffer extends to 15 photographs, simply shy of three seconds of motion in a full burst. There may be additionally a 15fps seize mode, using the XF10’s video engine, however it limits decision to 8MP and is just good for one second of seize at a time. The digicam helps extracting particular person frames from these 1-second clips, however if you happen to offload your reminiscence card with out extracting frames first, you will discover them saved inside a 4K video file somewhat than as JPG photos.
Total, I discovered the XF10’s focus system and pace to be completely enough for the kind of photos most photographers will need to make with this digicam. Avenue scenes, environmental portraits, and macro photographs aren’t any drawback. Heck, you may sustain with sports activities motion from the stands. But when I used to be taking pictures basketball from the baseline I would seize a special digicam.
An SLR Sensor in Your Pocket
The XF10’s large characteristic is its picture sensor, an APS-C chip with 24MP of decision. It is the identical measurement and pixel density that you’re going to discover in interchangeable lens cameras just like the Nikon D5600 and Sony a6000. The sensor is a typical Bayer design, which is a little bit of a shock—Fujifilm sometimes makes use of its proprietary X-Trans shade know-how, however not right here. The sensible result’s that a few of Fujfilm’s JPG shade profiles, obtainable in X-Trans cameras, aren’t obtainable. You aren’t getting the Acros black-and-white look, as an example, nor movie grain. You do get Provia, Velvia, Basic Chrome, and common black-and-white appears to be like, the latter with a simulated shade filter possibility, any of which will be utilized to stills or video.
I used Imatest to verify the standard of the lens and sensor. At f/2.eight the lens resolves 2,763 strains on a center-weighted sharpness take a look at. It is a superb end result for a 24MP digicam, and backbone is robust from heart to edge. The lens is even higher at f/four (2,968 strains) and f/5.6 (2,938 strains). It begins to drop at f/eight (2,859 strains), however continues to ship sharp photographs at f/11 (2,703 strains). You can too shoot at f/16, however the decision drops a bit (2,314 strains) on the minimal f/16 setting.
Picture noise is properly managed. The XF10 retains it below 1.5 p.c by means of ISO 6400, and exhibits about 1.7 p.c at ISO 12800—the highest setting at which each Uncooked and JPG seize can be found. A detailed take a look at photos from our take a look at scene exhibits wonderful high quality by means of ISO 1600 when taking pictures in JPG format. At ISO 3200 and 6400 there may be some very slight smudging of superb element. The blur will increase at ISO 12800, and is extra of a priority on the high ISO 25600 and 51200 settings.
Uncooked seize tops out at ISO 12800. When pushing the digicam that far you will discover some grain, however element remains to be fairly good. Uncooked output exhibits very robust element and never numerous noise by means of ISO 1600. I do not thoughts a grainy look, and am pleased with the outcomes I noticed from the XF10 when taking pictures Uncooked photographs at ISO 3200 and above.
Video typically looks like an afterthought with Fujifilm cameras. The shortage of a File button actually places the XF10 in that bucket. To change to video you want change the Drive mode to Film, which is not conducive to capturing fast, candid video clips. Regardless of having a really customizable interface, you may’t set the Fn button on high to start out and cease movies.
You may shoot in 4K, however solely at 15fps, which is not helpful except you need a uneven, silent film look. For easy video you might be restricted to 720p or 1080p at your selection of 23.98, 24, 50, or 59.94fps settings—30fps is notably absent, which is usually a concern when recording video in questionable gentle, because the digicam might want to use a shorter shutter pace to document at 60fps than for 30fps.
The 1080p high quality is common, however by no means excellent. Particulars are a bit delicate, and there isn’t any kind of optical stabilization included, so handheld footage is a little bit shaky. The main focus system can detract from video as properly. Every little thing is okay if the digicam does not detect an out-of-focus scene, but when it does there’s a little bit of wobble because the digicam adjusts the lens to match topic motion. AF-C is the one autofocus mode obtainable for video. There’s a 2.5mm enter for an exterior microphone, however no shoe or different technique to mount one on the digicam. You will want so as to add a bracket or one other contraption to mount a microphone.
The Fashionable Pocket Digicam
The Fujifilm XF10 is an interesting digicam to the correct sort of photographer. In the event you had beforehand been a buyer of the Ricoh GR collection, or a fan of Fujifilm’s personal X70, you will perceive its enchantment instantly. It packs SLR picture high quality into a really pocket-friendly kind issue, and boasts a particularly sharp wide-angle lens.
It does sacrifice some versatility to get there. The 28mm-equivalent lens is an efficient match for landscapes, each pure and concrete, structure, and household snapshots, however it will not substitute a devoted telezoom or macro. Likewise, this is not a digicam that will probably be of curiosity to anybody whose first precedence is video.
However as a high-quality pocket digicam it succeeds. Its picture high quality actually exceeds that of the Ricoh GR II, which earned Editors’ Alternative marks once we reviewed it in 2015. Whereas the XF10 does not match the GR II’s wonderful ergonomic design, it ticks different packing containers, most significantly the 28mm angle of view.
Our favourite digicam of this sort is one other from Fujifilm, the X100F. It is considerably dearer, $1,300 versus $500, however incorporates a lens which is a cease brighter, a superb hybrid optical/digital viewfinder, and improved dealing with. However its 35mm angle of view could not enchantment to followers of the 28mm look, and whilst you can add a wide-angle conversion lens to the X100F, it provides each price and bulk to the digicam.
The XF10 stands by itself as a beautiful—particularly if you happen to go for the gold end—and pocket-friendly shooter. It prices lower than the Ricoh GR II (now promoting for round $600 after a number of years in the marketplace), and affords a considerably denser sensor. I feel it is likely to be value it for followers of the GR collection to attend till subsequent 12 months to see if the GR III lives as much as its predecessors in picture high quality and dealing with, however for photographers not dialed into the GR’s ergonomics, the XF10 will scratch most of the identical itches.