Anyone moved from M4/3 to Fujifilm X series?

Pannylumixfan wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm considering selling my Panasonic G9 and GX9 (and several lenses) and buying an X-S10 and the Fujifilm 16-80 f4 initially, perhaps followed by a longer zoom. One advantage of the X-S10 over the G9 is its significantly smaller size and lower weight, although that may be countered by Fujifilm's larger and heavier lenses (for FF equivalent). This might be a major factor as I have arthritis which is becoming more of an issue for my photography.

I've read several expert reviews and comparisons but would very much appreciate feedback from real world users of Fujifilm X series cameras (especially the X-S10) who have also used M4/3 (especially the G9 and GX9).

In particular I'd appreciate comments about OOC jpegs, image stabilisation, ISO performance and handling (the grip on the X-S10 looks very comfortable and similar to the one on my G9).

Thank you.

Best wishes,

Brian

Ex G9 owner and current X-S10 owner here. Personally I don't miss the G9 at all, I much prefer the X-S10 for my needs, it's smaller, lighter and less fussy, and the grip is equally comfortable for me. The G9 is an excellent camera, no question, I just prefer the X-S10 for a variety of reasons. In terms of IQ the X-S10 is definitely a step up, better dynamic range, better at high ISO's, better tonality and colour, and the film sims are very enjoyable. I also have the 16-80mm which is an excellent lens, much nicer than the Panasonic 12-60mm I formerly had with the G9, but also larger and heavier.

The 16-80mm is probably the most controversial lens in the Fuji line-up, and almost certainly the most misunderstood IMHO. It's 5x zoom which comes with some minimal compromises, the most oft cited that it's a 'bit soft' at the long end and the edges are bit weak at the wide end. Personally, what others complain about has never been an issue to me, it's really over-stated IMHO. I can get excellent results throughout the range with it, it's very sharp, has excellent OIS, has the best bokeh of any lens of its type that I've seen, focuses very closely, focuses quickly and has excellent colour and contrast. I have zero complaints about the lens, and plenty of people off this forum say very much the same. Some people may have bought weaker copies, which can happen with any lens, mine is excellent.

Now, having said all that, to answer your question, would I advise moving from m4/3's based on your criteria? That's a 'no' for me, if you're looking for smaller and lighter you're not going to get that from Fuji compared to m4/3's, especially at the telephoto end. Trading up to a smaller camera but larger lenses doesn't make logical sense to me. You'd be better off getting a smaller m4/3's camera and keeping your smaller and lighter lenses. There is also the issue of the aspect ratio, I prefer the 4/3's aspect ratio and that's the thing I miss the most shooting Fuji, I almost always have to crop my images, not a big deal with 26mp but it's worth noting. The IBIS on the G9 is definitely significantly superior to that on the X-S10, probably a couple of stops better in my experience. It's ok on the X-S10, just not m4/3's level, which may matter to you.

So in summary, stick with m4/3's, I personally couldn't recommend Fuji if size and weight are your main rational, m4/3's is definitely the champ for that. You only have to compare the size and weight of the cheap (but excellent) 40-150mm or 14-150mm Olympus zooms with their Fuji counterparts to see the difference, it's significant.