Photo answers review
Photo answers rating 
Features & build
To give it a 60s retro look, the X10 has been kitted out with a rather stylish synthetic leather finish on its aluminium body. Not only does this make for a nice-looking camera but it gives the X10 a great non-slip grip, too. Plenty of consideration has been put into this camera, from its felt-lined lens cap to its perfectly weighted dials and there’s even a satisfying ‘pop’ on the pop-up flash. Buttons are within easy reach of the thumb and just where you’d expect to find them, while its low-key black design makes it perfect for reportage-style photography.
The X10 has a versatile 28-112mm lens (film equivalent), which packs in 11 glass lens elements in nine groups. The lens has a fast maximum aperture of f/2-2.8 controlled by a seven-blade diaphragm, and its zoom ring neatly doubles up as an on/off switch.
To compose photos you’re given the option of using either the optical viewfinder with 85% coverage or Live View on the rear 2.8in 460k dot LCD screen.
For those who prefer the optical route, a dioptre adjusts to your eyesight and the viewfinder, while not actually looking through the lens, will adjust as you zoom to give as close a representation to the lens’s view as it can. As the X10 is fitted with a hotshoe as well as a pop-up flash there’s a range of lighting options, too.
Instead of the APS-C sized chip found in the X100, the X10 has a more compact 2/3in version, which in turn means it’s smaller and lighter than its cousin. The 12Mp EXR CMOS sensor itself has a bespoke pixel array which, combined with the EXR processor, allows the sensor to automatically choose High Resolution, Dynamic Range or High Sensitivity/Low Noise capabilities when in EXR mode, with the aim of giving the best-possible image quality, depending on the subject.
The power of the X10’s EXR processor doesn’t stop there; you can get 7fps for seven shots before the buffer slows, or if you reduce image size to Medium you can rattle off up to 11fps. The sensor also allows you to crank up the ISO from 100 to 5000, expandable to 6400 on Medium and 12,800 on Small image sizes.
The X10 is able to shoot in both Jpeg and RAW mode on top of which it also offers 1080p full HD video with stereo sound and 30fps, an improvement on the 720p @ 24 frames of the X100.
Performance & handling
The aluminium-alloy body has given this small camera a professional, high-quality feel. On the back its button arrangement is really intuitive and uncluttered, allowing quick access to most of the functions you’d need on the fly. And for the ones that aren’t featured there’s an easy-to-use menu system, navigable using the D-pad on the back and the scroll dial surrounding it. The RAW button on the back allows RAW shooting on the spur of the moment without having to dig through the menu system.
Look to the top-plate and everything appears in the right place, creating a really instinctive feel to using the camera. There’s even a customisable Function button, ideal for frequently-used settings. Also on the top-plate is the Mode dial and an Exposure Compensation dial, allowing complete control over exposure with minimal movement of your thumb. The dial wheel on the back controls aperture and shutter speed and in Manual mode you can press the wheel in to switch between the two.
The front of the camera has a wonderfully weighted lens that clicks on and off when you turn it past its widest setting with a very satisfying click. Close by you’ll find the focus mode switch allowing quick access to either Manual, Single or Continuous focusing.
Performance-wise the X10 was a pleasure to use; for the most part it was fast and responsive. The image quality, considering the small size of the sensor, was outstanding. It coped especially well with high-contrast scenes, thanks
to its EXR sensor and processor.
A few points did let the X10 down, however. The autofocus struggled to lock-on occasionally and the manual option was a bit laborious to use, requiring too many rotations to change from maximum to minimum focus distance. Plus, while the X100 included both an optical and an electronic viewfinder the X10 only has the latter – it’s not a huge problem in itself, but the inherent parallax error made it difficult to compose close ups, what you see not being exactly what you shoot.
On the X10’s LCD screen, the shooting data was displayed along the base of the screen obscuring the bottom of the frame when composing and making it hard to line things up with the bottom edge. But these are minor gripes of a camera that otherwise performed well.
Value & verdict
This is an attractive camera with an ergonomic and intuitive design. The EXR sensor performed admirably but at £499 it sits near the top of the price range in its sensor size category. While image quality was good you have to keep in mind that you could get a D-SLR and kit lens for less, offering even better quality and more creative options. Or if you want to cut down on size and weight from a D-SLR you could opt for a CSC such as Panasonic’s Lumix G3, again offering the versatility of interchangeable lenses.
It’s a question of individual requirements. If image quality is ultimately what you’re after there are cameras that offer better results for a lower price.
So why would you choose the X10? Well, the strength of this camera lies in its retro design and user experience – it works well and oozes class, and that makes it perfect for those who love the 60s rangefinder aesthetic.
ALL ABOUT THE EXR SUNSOR
Fujifilm has taken the normal Bayer pixel array shown on the left and rotated it by 450, then the red and blue filters have been grouped into pairs. This array allows for the EXR processor to re-assign pixels to different functions based on the scene. Select the EXR mode on the Mode dial and the camera will choose between three modes based on the lighting of the scene. As well as the regular 12Mp High Resolution (HR)mode, there’s a 6Mp Dynamic Range (DR) mode, where each pixel colour pair works together, one capturing at high sensitivity and one at low sensitivity, and combining them to avoid blown-out highlights and dark shadow. Finally, there’s a 6Mp High Sensitivity/Low Noise (SN) mode where pairs are grouped into one large pixel to reduce Noise in low-light.
AT A GLANCE
Street price: £499
Resolution: 12Mp (4000x3000)
Lens: Fujinon 4x optical lens
Metering: TTL 256-zone, multi-spot average
Shooting modes: Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, Manual, EXR, Panoramic, movie and 19 scene modes
Shutter range: 30sec to 1/4000
Write times: RAW 2.3sec, Jpeg (fine) 1.8secs
ISO range: 100-5000, expandable to 12,800
HD video: Full 1080p HD (30fps)
Monitor: 2.8in, 460k dot
Hotshoe: Yes
File formats: RAW + JPEG (Fine or Normal)
Storage media: SD/SDHC/SDXC
Weight: 350g (incl battery & memory card)
Dimensions: 117x70x57mm
Visit: www.fujifilm.co.uk
AS FEATURED IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF DIGITAL PHOTO