Received my new Fuji XF10 in champagne gold last Friday in Canada. For some reason Canada receives their Fuji products earlier than the US which is not often the case. (we also received our new Fuji X-T100 earlier too) After owning a Sony A6000 for the past 4 years and recently being impressed by the controls/color of my wife's new Fuji X-T100, I wanted something smaller for an upcoming vacation.
Build quality
First thoughts are that the build quality is better than I was expecting with the top 3 dials being made of machined metal which makes the device feel more premium and aids with handling. The control dial around the lens also seems to be a light alloy and I originally thought it was plastic. The entire body itself also seems to be metal as well since it is cool to the touch. I asked Fuji if it was metal or plastic, and they said it was a 'composite'...whatever that means. The camera is light but dense at the same time. The only issue is when I push in the thumbrest fully, I hear a slight creaking noise. The brown alligator style 'leather' is smooth but has a decent grip and the brown 'leather'wrist strap is a nice touch. There is only one eyelet for mounting a strap. The thumb rest is a nice rubber material which helps tremendously with handling. I much prefer how this feels in hand since the front grip protrudes and is rounded compared to the X-T100 which is square with a small addon grip and doesn't have a rear rubber thumb rest. There aren't many buttons but the buttons don't feel has cheap or shallow as the XT-100 or rattle around. Overall, it feels like a premium point and shoot with attractive, yet understated styling.
Handling/Control
The front dial around the shutter is used to control AV/shutterspeed/navigate menu/browse pictures. It has a nice grip to it and distintive click without being too hard to rotate. I like the feeling of machined metal dials over plastic ones. The other control dial to the right is used for exposure compensation and works quite well since it won't accidentily be nudged since it is recessed from the rear. Both of these dials cannot be customized. The front control ring arond the len by default is mapped to the 'digital convertor function' (digital zoom) and can be mapped to other things such as ISO, WB, film simulations but that's it...can't map it to AV or shutter or anything else like Exp Comp. There is no record button to start recording video you and you have menu dive to drive mode, select movie, then press shutter to start recording...then remember to change it back to photo mode when done. (or you will record video when you wanted to take a picture)
There are only two customizable buttons which is a bit lacking. One of them by default is mapped to 'focus check' which zooms in on photos so you can confirm focus. This is a must have for me and I'd rather use the button than double tapping on the screen to zoom in, so essentially this one button is already used up. The other button I've mapped to "snap shot" which sets the camera focus to either 2M to infinity or 5M to infinity. You can also customize the 4 directions of the touchscreen for different commands due to the loss of a directional buttons. The directional flick has to be done quickly at the center of the screen and it has to be a short distance to register...can be fiddly for some users. The joystick is a welcome addition to quickly change focus point. It would have been nice if this could have the directions customized as well. I've extensively setup my Q menu to all my main functions such as ISO, shutter type, flash, wb, basically the things missing from back directional buttons. Seems to work pretty well. Just wish the Q menu was touch sensitive like the X-E3.
I appreciate the direct dials and controls for AV/TV/ISO and it makes shooting enjoyable like a DSLR. There is some menu diving in the Q menu but it's intuitive and similar to a less advanced "my menu" for Canon/Sony. It would be nice to have an actual "my menu" so that ANY menu function could be mapped as a favorite. I don't really miss the lack of back directional buttons and having a joystick to quickly move the AF point is great. They copied the XE-3 control scheme which isn't too shabby. There are also handy "autofocus/film simulation" touchscreen shortcut buttons which help with quickly changing commonly used function. It would be nice to be able to set your own touchscreen shortcut buttons. The menu structure is organized quite well and easy to navigate unlike Sony's infamous menus.
Having an 18mm 'wide angle' lens is similar to a phone camera and can lead to many pictures looking like a generic snapshot if not used properly. The bokeh is pretty decent at close macro distances and the dynamic range in good/low light far exceeds that of a phone. I do wish there was image stabilization for low light handheld shots but I've been able to get some decent shots at slower shutter speeds (1 second) if I hold the camera on top of something and take multiple shots.
Image Quality
I'm a new convert to Fujifilm's color science after using my wife's X-T100. I'm a jpeg shooter. Skin tones are much more natural compared to the yellow/greenish tones of my Sony A6000. I mainly shoot velvia and image quality looks comparable to the X-T100 with 15-45mm kit lens which uses the same 24MP non X-trans bayer sensor. It's a very natural, yet vibrant color without being too oversaturated. I don't believe these sensors use an AA filter and their jpeg sharpening is very boosted since files are full of detail with occasional sharpening artifacts if you pixel peep. I mainly shoot wide open at F2.8 and havn't had any complaints with sharpness in the center of the frame for pictures of my daughter or snaps on the street. I don't take pictures of bookcases and stare at the corners. Iso 3200 and 6400 is quite clean a maybe half a stop better than my A6000. I've set my Auto ISO to be 200-6400 with a minimum shutter of 1/100. Auto white balance seems pretty good in tungsten lighting and images are not too yellow. I tried iso 12800, and I would only use that for emergencies or small prints. A little too much color shift and noise reduction. Jpeg shadows can be brightened quite well in Adobe Lightroom and I tend to underexpose by 1/3 stop since the camera overexposed.
1080P video at 60FPS is decent but not as good as my Sony A6000 in terms of clarity, autofocus, or exposure. The autofocus sometimes gets lost and exposure gets brighter/darker during video recording. There is only digital stabilization (no optical stabilization) Forget about 4K as it is only 15FPS and more used for photo focus/quick burst modes. It's too bad there is no selfie screen as this camera would be good for vloggers but then again, there is a mic jack but no place to mount a mic.
Performance/autofocus
In good light, autofocus is mostly snappy. Very similar to the Fuji X-T100. Not a fast as my Sony A6000. Occasionally, it will get confused, say the item is in focus, then let you take a shot where the item is completely out of focus. There are options to change the release priority to either 'release' or 'focus'. By default it is set to 'release' which will allow you take a shot while 'focus' will only let you take a shot if it is in focus. I would rather let the camera let me take a shoot and hope it is in focus rather than not get a shot at all. The entire lens (same lens as the Fuji X70) moves in and out during focusing and you can hear the motor slightly. Not as loud as the Canon 50mm 1.8 nifty fifty but you get the picture. I use 'high performance' mode to help with camera startup times but it doesn't help autofocus.
In low light is where the camera struggles. If the AF illuminator light turns on and the subject is close, it will find focus quite fast. But if the AF light is not used and the subject is far, it will hunt and hunt but not find focus. It this case it feels like a point and shoot from the year 2000 (Canon A70). You will have to use manual focus here which can be tough in low light. I do not use AF-C mode since it cannot track may moving daughter indoors with 2 lights on. I mainly use center spot autofocus with face detection on.
When reviewing pictures or using the touch screen, there is a split second lag. Eg. Switching between pictures, flick touch screen response. At first I thought the lack of image stabilization would be a big issue but so far it isn't too bad since I set my iso to 200-6400 with a minmium shutter speed of 1/120 and the lens is a wider angle with F2.8. The auto modes are weird since they choose slower shutter speeds such as 1/28 on both the XF10 and XT100.
The leaf shutter is great to have since it's quite quiet compared to the mechanical shutter of the Fuji X-T100 or Sony A6000. It's also nice to be have a flash sync speed above 1/160 for outdoor situations. There are some limitations to the leaf shutter though. The max shutter speed at F2.8 is 1/1000, at F4 is 1/2000, F7 is 1/2500, F8 is 1/3200, F8 1/4000. Specs say the max shutter speed is 1/4000 which is true but not at F2.8 and it has to be at F8 which is a bit misleading. If you shoot above 1/4000 to 1/16000, it can use the electronic shutter at F2.8 if 'mechanical + electronic' shutter mode is used. You could also just use electronic shutter and shoot from 0 to 1/16000 at F2.8 but the readout is very slow and will lead to rolling shutter/tearing if there is any motion including someone walking or just moving their arms/legs/head. It's quite bad so I don't use electronic shutter unless it is a static scene and I need the fast shutter speed wide open.
Overall
I think for the price of $650CAN, Fuji made an excellent handling and fun to use camera due to the 3 control dials, autofocus joystick, 2 custom buttons, and customizable touchscreen. Having a ASPC size sensor in a point and shoot body allows you to bring higher quality images with you without the bulk. Compared to the SOny RX100 series (1 inch sensor), this is a bargain for what you get. If autofocus could be improved, selfie screen could be implemented, and actual 4K was 24/30fps, it would make this camera even better. This will be my new vacation camera. We will see how it fare and I think will do well. This camera reminds me of my former powerhouse in a small package, the Canon S95. I would give this camera a solid 8/10.
Pros
+ Fuji color, multiple film simulations
+ Dynamic range of APSC sensor
+ clean high iso up to 6400
+ very sharp image quality even taken at F2.8 in the center
+ solid build quality; metal? body and control dials
+ high resolution touch screen
+ excellent controls: 3 control dials, 2 custom buttons
+ direct AF control joystick
+ fun to use; feels like a camera made by camera people, not electronic engineers
+ small size/discrete
+ easy to navigate menus
+ fun shooting experience
+ decent autofocus in bright light
+ excellent shaped front and rear grip
+ quiet leaf shutter & electronic shutter
+ competitive pricing compared to Sony RX100 series
+ digital teleconverter (digital zoom) isn't too bad when sparingly used
Cons
- no selfie screen (many users use this feature especially vloggers; helps with creative composition)
- no view finder (if the Sony RX100 can do it at a smaller size, why can't fuji? I think it is the pricepoint)
- lens cap slows down shooting experience; no place to put UV filter due to lack of threads
- slow autofocus in low light and AF-C/movie
- not the best 1080P image quality, exposure changes
- 4K is only 15FPS
- no image stabilization on lens
- older X70 lens
- 18mm might be too wide for some users
- F2.8 isn't the fastest lens...could be a F2.0
- nowhere to mount mic (no hotshoe)
- leaf shutter max shutter speed at F2.8 is 1/1000. Have to go to F8 to get 1/4000
- electronic shutter has rolling shutter/artifacts due to slow sensor read out. Don't use for anything moving including people.
- touchscreen only used for shooting, reviewing pictures, and setting autofocus....can't be used for menu's or Q menu (like the X-E3)
- no record video button (have to go to drive mode, then choose movie mode, then press shutter)
- usb charging in camera takes 4 hours for a full charge from empty....much slower than my XT-100
- some odd firmware bugs (see below)
Here's some feedback for future firmware improvements on the New Fuji XF10 that Ive passed onto Fuji support:
1. Only one phone can paired wirelessly. To pair another phone, you have to delete your pairing for one phne and then re-register your pairing on the other phone. This process has to be repeated with you want to connect to another phone. This is needlessly complicated and annoying when either my wife or myself want to manually transfer photos from the camera wirelessly to either one of our phones. My Sony A6000 allows numerous phones to be paired at a time and has one touch NFC.
2. Phone will randomly disconnect itself during wireless transfer of photos. This might have to do with power save mode being set to 2minutes or 5 minutes. When transferring photos, the camera should not go to wirelesss power save mode. I don`t think this occurs when powersave mode is turned off.
3. "SR+" automatic mode and other 'automatic modes' under ADV, SP eg. Rich and Fine should have a minimum shutter of 1/60. Too many shots are taken slower shutter speeds such as 1/25 which lead to motion blur. Beginners don't have steady hands and if you give your camera to someone else, they often just press the shutter all in one motion which leads to blurry photos. I use Av mode with 200-6400 iso with a forced shutter of either 1/60 or 1/120. My Sony A6000 defaults to 1/60 for all auto modes and turns up ISO to compensate. The high iso performance of the X-T100 so I believe it should do the same rather than trying to follow the lens over focus length rule. The kit lense doesn't have image stabilization so we want a higher shutter speed indoors to prevent blur. This is especially noticeable when using "rich and fine" mode which will choose a shutter speed such as 1/28 which is quite slow for indoor food photography. Closeup shots magnify camera shake. Perhaps being able to recognize the user customiczable ISO AuTO settings in the 'automatic' modes similar to the manual modes would help Eg. Auto ISO range 200-6400 witha minimum shutter of 1/60 or 1/100
5. When reviewing photos, if you switch to the menu or shoot mode and go back, it always defaults back to last photo taken. It would be nice to have an option to stay at the last photo that was viewed. This gets annoying when deleting photos and then you lose your spot since it goes to the last photo. My Sony A6000 has an option to toggle between last photo taken and last photo viewed.
6. "Sports" auto mode, should automatically set focusing to AF-C and then switch it back to whatever mode you were using when done. Instead it stays at whatever focusing mode you are using which is most likely AF-S. You have to manually change it. This can cause missed shots if you just turn it to sport mode and expect it to work.
7. The flash disables itself when drive mode is set to 3FPS or 6FPS. Even if you pop the flash up, it will not fire and these modes and is disabled without warning. You have to by in single shot mode for the flash to fire. My Sony A6000 will let the flash fire at faster drive modes, it will just slow the recycle time down while the flash recharges. You shouldn't have to switch out of modes to turn on the flash. This can cause some missed shots and confusion.
8. The digital teleconverter disables itself when drive mode is set to 3FPS or 6FPS. Single shot has to be used. I don't think this is resource invensive and could work under 3FPS or 6FPS. At first, I didn't know why the digital convertor wasn't work since there were no error messages.
9. Quickly switching between photos in view mode has a split second of pixelization as the photo loads and lag. Using a Sandisk Extreme Pro SD card.
10. It is indoors in lower light, that it fail and hunts and takes a while longer in AF-S mode. The lens motor moves in and out as it focus, and you can hear the motor. If anyone has had a Canon 50mm 1.8 nifty fifty, they will know what I mean. Isn't nearly has loud but you can hear it. The autofocus is also very similar to that lens. It hunts, and sometimes will say item is in focus when it isn't (80% of time), or will take a while and eventually find focus. Compared to the Sony A6000 it is much slower and a little bit slower than Fuji XT-100. High performance mode is on, in AF-S mode, and tried center medium zone, and center spot. Same performance. When the AF light is triggered (very dark room), it can find focus quite well and at reasonable speed. I would say in low light the AF is similar to the first generations of mirrorless cameras like the Sony 5N or point and shoot camera. Eg. Canon A510.
I havn't tested AF-C too much on the XF10 since my XT100 was pretty bad in continuous autofocus. Took a few videos of my daughter indoors and it seemed ok. Not as good as Sony for sure.
11. There should have been a record button on the camera itself to immediately take video. Instead users have to first go to drive mode, and then navigate to movie, and then press the shutter button to start recording video. When done, the camera has to be changed back to photo drive mode. This can cause some missed photos and video opportunities due to too many steps. Perhaps a workaround is to allow users to map a "record video" button to be mapped to one of the function buttons, so it can record video instantly (like the XT100) whichout switching out of photo modes into video mode first?
12. It would be handy if the Q menu was touch enabled to take full advantage of touch screen. Even allowing users to navigate the menus via touch screen would be nice. Eg. Canon M50
13. When in delete mode, having an option to delete "all frames" is quite dangerous and can cause a loss of all images with an accidental press. When deleting, there is the option to delete "frames, selected frames, all frames". You can easily click this when deleting a single picture. The option to delete all frames should be under the menu near "format" memory card. It shouldn't be so easily accessible.
14. The joystick should be customizable for those users who prefer to the touchscreen to allow them to choose focus point. You could have up, down, left, right, and click in, to have 5 extra customisable buttons in addition to the touchscreen's customizational directions.
15. The default "focus check" is assigned to one of the custom buttons by default. It works well when in "viewing pictures" mode to check focus but when in "taking photos mode", the button doesnt' do anything at all. It doesn't zoom to check focus when 'taking pictures'. It's a waste of a button. It would be handy of the joystick click in button could be assigned to "focus check" when reviewing photos so you don't lose a button.
16. 'Sound and flash' and 'shutter type' should be assignable to a button/touch screen swipe.
17. More touchscreen button shortcuts should be assignable and customizable since they are quite handy. Currently there are only two: autofocus and film simulation. Panasonic and Canon seem to do well in this area.
