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TIPA Camera Test Online: Fujifilm X10
By TIPA
Cameras
20 December 2011 12:00
The Fujifilm X10 is a compact camera with a large image sensor (2/3 inch), a 4x zoom lens and an elegant retro design. Manual settings allow a user chosen configuration of the camera and image parameters. The X10 records Full HD video, too.
Comments on Handling
The camera offers a 4x lens system and a manual system to change focal length. The zoom lens-ring is also used as On/Off switch: The photographer has to turn the zoom ring to unlock the lens and to start the camera simultaneously. This is a very handy feature. The manual zooming allows a more precise and fast adjustment of the focal length compared to servo zooms of other compact cameras.
The X10 allows a lot of manual settings and therefore has a lot of buttons and dials to setup all parameters. The mode dial is located on the top and will switch between standard exposure modes an, scene modes and the EXR mode which allows the user to enhance dynamic range or ISO speed with reduced noise effects. Directly beside the mode dial the photographer finds a dial to change automatic exposure settings by +/- 3 EV-stops. This allows a very fast correction of the image.
Another very handy function button is the “RAW” button on the back (lower right). This allows the user to change very quickly between JPEG and RAW mode without navigating the menu. To change image parameters the X10 has two dials - the first is located on the back and accessible by the thumb of the right hand, while the second dial surrounds the 4 way cursor field and is also handled with the right thumb.
The camera has an additional switch on its front-side. The photographer can toggle between three AF modes: Single AF, continuous AF and manual focusing. The camera uses the small parameter dial (around the 4 way cursor field) for changing the focus setting in manual mode. A real lens ring would be more comfortable.
The X10 film simulations which mimic the behaviour in colour and contrast of analog films like Fujifilm Provia, Velvia, Astia and BW film with yellow or orange filters are also available in video mode.
Test shots
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The X10 showed nearly perfect skin tones and a minor shift of red colours (t-shirt) into the orange colour area (higher yellow rate).
Click image to enlarge.
The standard test box showed a good sharpness performance and realistic colours. Some chromatic aberration effects are noticeable on contrast lines in the large Siemens star.
Comments on Image Quality
Colour:
The Fujifilm X10 reproduced the GretagMacbeth chart with a saturation of 102 percent and therefore a very realistic colour rendering. Skintones are very fine, only some vivid red nuances show a shift into the more orange coloured area. The automatic white balance system worked very well and showed only a little shift into the cooler colour areas.
Sharpness:
The camera gained good results in our resolution tests. The ISO 12233 chart was reproduced with 2515 lines per picture height which is an average result for a 12 MP cameras. The X10 boosts sharpness by an intense filtering, the overshot factor is 16.3 percent which means that you will notice some double contours on contrast lines (see Siemens star in the box test-shot). You will also notice some minor chromatic aberration effects in image corners, while these effects are on a very low level in the image center. Nevertheless the X10 produces nice and crisp looking images.
De-mosaicing and sharpness filter might be the reason for a very special problem: When shooting images with small bright lights (candles, reflections on metal elements, headlights of cars at night) the camera sometimes shows a very uncommon blooming effect. The lights will appear as bright white, circular white dots. This effect can’t be seen in our standard test image. In this case bright lights on the metal sphere in the center are correctly shaped as a rectangular reflection of the lighting system, but only with a sharper edge than in images taken with other digital cameras. Fujifilm told us that they are working on a firmware update to reduce the “white dot” problem.
Noise:
Concerning colour noise the camera showed an excellence performance for a compact camera. The “Pixel noise” graphs are nearly exactly on the same position and the run of the curves is nearly identically. So the colour noise artifacts are nearly not noticeable even in images taken with ISO 3200 speed. That’s a very good result. The luminance noise is on an average level for a compact camera with 12 MP sensor. It starts with y-factor = 0.8 in ISO 100 mode and will nearly keep this level up to ISO speed 1600. Therefore you will notice some noise in all images taken with ISO 1600 or higher. Nevertheless this noise looks a bit like analog film grain and isn’t really annoying, but does reduce sharpness and resolution a bit.
Dynamic range results are extremely impressive for a compact camera. The X10 showed a maximum of 11.2 f-stops which is perfect result for a camera in this price class.
Opinion
Pros:
+ stylish retro design
+ large sensor compared to other compact cameras
+ compact camera with robust body; body with high quality finish
+ nice colors, especially skin tones
+ large optical viewfinder (compared to other digital compact cameras like Canon G12 or Nikon P7100)
+ a lot of handy dials, function buttons etc.
Cons:
- “wide dot/spot” problem on bright lights/reflections
- missing focus lens ring
- large optical viewfinder, but only 85 % coverage
To download the PDF specifications sheet for the Fujifilm X10, click HERE.
About TIPA
The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) is a non-profit oranisation made up of a worldwide family of independent photo & imaging magazines with the most expert editors.
TIPA uses BetterNet GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany to perform routine digital camera tests based on an independent and objective testing method. The TIPA sponsored tests range from small compact cameras to popular DSLRs and even up to high-tech medium format models.
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