Is the x20 still viable?

So I dropped my little Canon. I have the X70 on my list for a few months from now, but in the mean time, I was thinking about picking up a USED X20. I always liked the model but missed it when it was new.

So here is the question; If I can find a good clean X20 for under $200 USD is it worth it and still a viable option? BTW, I like the X30 but I find it too big for my purposes.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Been thinking about getting a X20 too. I do have the X10 and love it. the only reason i would buy the x20 is for the info over lay in the ovf. wouldn't buy the x70 because no ovf or evf. Most likely i'll end up with the x30. Just wish it had a bigger 1" sensor then it would be the perfect camera for my needs.

At half of what new X30's are selling for with the Fujifilm discounts now in effect, a really first-rate 20 for $200 or less is a great buy. Most of us 10/20/30 guys have found that against the 100's (or the new X70), you give away a little IQ with the smaller sensor, but seemingly gain a little back with that terrific 28-105 zoom, it's THAT good. Plus at f2-2.8, it's very fast relative to a lot of compacts which can keep you hand-holding at lower ISO's.

I love these little monsters, so I may not be the best person for an opinion . . . . . .

Speedex Folder said:

At half of what new X30's are selling for with the Fujifilm discounts now in effect, a really first-rate 20 for $200 or less is a great buy. Most of us 10/20/30 guys have found that against the 100's (or the new X70), you give away a little IQ with the smaller sensor, but seemingly gain a little back with that terrific 28-105 zoom, it's THAT good. Plus at f2-2.8, it's very fast relative to a lot of compacts which can keep you hand-holding at lower ISO's.

I love these little monsters, so I may not be the best person for an opinion . . . . . .

Click to expand...

Me too. Great lens and I'm glad I have that same lens on my X30. I owned an X10 when they first came out and loved it, but the X30 is the X20 all fixed up. Very little about the basic images is that much better than the X20 could deliver, from what I have seen.

Get a second battery for your X20. My X30 EVF is worlds better than the OVF on the X10, but that's just me.

Oh yes, the lens, it's that good:




X10 (despite what you've heard, NOT a Selfie . . . ) Lot of lens for a 'compact' !

Pretty clear shot Speedex. Lots of details in the hair. That is were things usually turn to mush in a lesser camera.

It is viable in the sense that it will take very good photographs - with a bit of assistance from you, that is. But the X30, with its massively more useful viewfinder and (if my observations are correct) slightly better image quality, is so much nicer to use that, even at a cheap price, I can't believe that getting a X20 is the sensible choice.

I have to agree. I was very happy with my X20 and had no intention of upgrading to the X30...until just out of curiosity I tried one in my local shop! The rest is history...

The IQ should be the same, but I also think the X30 is just a touch better...why I don't know.

It's only very marginally larger, but I find it more comfortable to use, plus that EVF is a dream (all in my subjective opinion of course) flip screen, Classic Chrome and and much more. Has to be one of the best deals out there right now.

The manual zoom is a unique experience on a compact, and is really worth it. It sis very bright, f 2.8 at the long end, and very sharp fromm corner to corner.

Only con with X10/X20 (fixed in X30) is the tiny battery: buy at least one spare, two if you intend to shoot a lot. The Fuji OEM batteries are not expensive.

Here are two samples of what the X10 can deliver.




snapshot handheld portrait in ambien winter light




Thanks to its outstanding bright and sharp lens and excellent JPEG engine, the X10 can deliver very nice landscapes, with a dynamic range close to what DSLR with kit lens delivered 10 years ago (my 6MP Pentax Ist-DS with 18-55 for instance). Of course it cannot compete with modern APSC DSLR.



--
Tatouzou,

The X30 fixed, if you will, three concerns from the 10 and 20:

1) Despite the considerable engineering FUJIFLM expended on the OVF, at the end of the day, as much as I really wanted to like it, it's just not the same view as an old rangefinder, nor quite in the ballpark with the X100 or X-Pro. I was prepared for the parallax from previous rangefinders (and it's just not much of a concern most of the time), but it's just too small for me. I defaulted to shooting from the rear LCD which I hate.

Importing the big-screen EVF from the XT's was a genius stroke, and fabulous to use. It even does the XT trick of rotating the screen readouts when you flip it up on one side for vertical composition.

2) They dumped those matchbook-sized batteries. Despite every energy-saving strategy I could use, I never ever left the house with out two spares and a hot one in the camera. 30's use the same as the X100 and XS-1, and two is all you'll ever need.

3) IF you prefer to use the lenshood / filter adapter, the EVF once and for all eliminates this thing horning into the OVF view. I always prefer to use a hood and a clear protector (I use the bespoke Fuji EBC), and now it's no longer an issue.

I still keep my X10, and the evolution of the 30 over its' two forbears may or may not sit everybody, as the 30 is a bit 'thicker', if you will. All three are serious little cameras that punch above their weight, and judging by how many new compacts are metal-bodied, seem to have extended some influence. When my 10 came out, it was hard to not buy a plastic compact.