Review based on a production Fujifilm X20 running firmware 1.01
The enthusiast compact sector has undergone a distinct revival in recent years, with every major manufacturer now producing a model or two that offers full manual control and Raw recording, aimed as a second camera for enthusiasts who usually carry an SLR. In general these have split into two camps - small, slimline 'shirt pocket' cameras designed for portability, and larger models with more external controls, flash hot shoes, and large aperture zoom lenses. The X20 is Fujifilm's latest offering in the latter class.
At first glance, the X20 looks just like its predecessor (the X10), although it's now available in a very pretty silver-and-black finish, alongside the conventional all-black. But inside it offers a couple of very significant differences. The first is a brand-new sensor, a 2/3" type 'X-Trans CMOS' design that uses the same novel color filter array as Fujifilm's recent APS-C cameras. This sensor also has phase detect autofocus built right into it - not new to Fuji cameras, but a change from the X10. The second big change is an updated 'Advanced Optical Viewfinder' that includes a detailed information overlay, showing key exposure data and focus confirmation. This isn't the same as the hybrid viewfinder found in the company's X100/X100S and X-Pro1 models - there's no electronic viewfinder - but it's never been done before on a compact camera.
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The X20 is available in silver/black and all-black bodies |
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Aside from this, the X20 retains most of the same features that made the X10 so appealing. It uses the same fast zoom lens, with a 28-112mm equivalent angle of view and F2.0-2.8 maximum aperture, which is operated by a mechanically-coupled zoom ring that also retracts the lens and turns the camera on and off. It has plenty of external controls, including an exposure compensation dial and two rear dials, and a hot shoe for external flash. One feature notable by its absence is a direct movie record button - the X20 is clearly designed for still photography first, and video second.
We'll cover all of those - and more - throughout this review. The X20 has some tough competitors, such as the Canon PowerShot G15, Nikon Coolpix P7700, Olympus XZ-2 iHS, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, Pentax MX-1, and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. Read on to see how the Fujifilm X20 performed in our tests.
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2013 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
Fujifilm X20 12 MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Silver) | $599.00 |
Fujifilm X20 12 MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Silver) | $599.00 |
Fujifilm X20 12 MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Black) | $599.00 |
Fujifilm X10 12 MP EXR CMOS Digital Camera with f2.0-f2.8 4x Optical Zoom Lens and 2.8-Inch LCD | $339.00 |
Fujifilm FinePix F770EXR 16 MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom (Red) | $151.77 |
Fujifilm X100S 16 MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Silver) | Too low to display |
Fujifilm X20 (Silver) + Metal Adapter Tube and Lens Hood + Filters + LowePro Bag + 16GB Deluxe Kit | $599.00 |
Fujifilm FinePix HS20 16 MP Digital Camera with EXR BSI CMOS High Speed Sensor and Fujinon 30x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens | $376.41 |
Fujifilm F800EXR 16MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch TFT LCD, Black | $196.99 |
FujiFilm LHF-X20 Lens Hood 3pc Replacement Kit (Black) + Wide Angle & Telephoto Lens Set + Battery + Charger + Giottos Blower + Nikon Lens Cleaning System + Cleaning Kit | $99.00 |
Fujifilm X20 12 Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Silver) Bundle with 32GB SD Memory Card + Vivitar Replacement Battery for Fuji NP-50 + Deluxe SLR Soft Camera Case + Accessories | $619.00 |
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