Fuji X10 to be released in November. Fuji posts full samples.

October 9, 2011 Fuji, News 27

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The Fuji X10 is getting ready to be released in November and Fuji recently posted full size samples on their web site HERE. When this was announced I shrugged it off as a small sensor X100 wannabe even though it has a 2/3 size sensor. After testing and shooting with the Pentax Q, I realized that smaller sensors these days are getting better and better and actually give decent performance, and knowing how much I enjoyed the X100, with its fantastic Fuji color and body style I started to become intrigued more and more by this X10.

The samples from Fuji seem to be 90% close ups, (which can give the impression of better performance). Upon inspection of the files I do see the usual noise and “look” of a small sensor. BUT the color appears gorgeous and Fuji like. I still say, and have said since the Fuji S2 years ago that Fuji has the most gorgeous color of any digital camera maker, and their film is the best film for color. Period. I love Fuji.

I will review this camera as soon as I can get a hold of one. Fuji is Shipping the camera in November at a price of $599. Half the cost of the X100.

Speaking of the X100, I will be doing a new writeup of the X100 soon with new images and thoughts almost 6 months after originally acquiring one. Look for that soon as well as a 1st look at the Sony NEX-7 coming as soon as next week ๐Ÿ™‚

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27 Comments

  3. I’m looking to get a small camera for street photography. I’ll take it with me every day on my work commute across Sydney Harbour and around the city. I’ve been using my phone recently as I always have it with me (Samsung Galaxy s2).
    https://plus.google.com/photos/115142345191467560549/albums/5663117088863818993

    I have come to the conclusion the best camera for street really is the one you have on you all the time. If this sensor holds up in testing and can get any sort of DOF/Quality I think it sounds like this could be the camera I am looking for especially at this ridiculously low cost. I’m going to be checking back to see what you think of it Steve. I had a Leica x1 in mind but the slow shutter lag was a deal breaker for me and an m8 + lens is still a bit away. Keep up the good work Steve.

  4. Thanks Steve, can’t wait for your X10 review! Please compare DOF and low light performance to the D-Lux 5 if you can. Keep up the good work!

  5. OK I understand now. It just sounded strange when you really raved about the camera, that you were keeping it beyond testing/review, and then seemingly sold it a few weeks later. It wasn’t clear back then that you had more than one. Thanks for clarifying, as my initial perspective didn’t sit well with me.

  11. Hope they would at least put some spot in the middle of the OVF so we can use central point

    • Unfortunately parallax would still be a problem. But you would still have your arms and the display when focus is critical. These small Ovf’s are better than nothing but if you rely on it for Subject focus selection OR for anything other than loose framing, you will be disappointed. evf’s are infinitely more usable in normal light, though clearly not perfect either (blasphemy, I know).
      I bet most users will quickly learn to stick with the display most of the time, and will still rave about this if AF is fast enough.

      • :

        Film rangefinder.
        You must surely have shot with film rangefinders.
        Parallax will be easy enough to figure on X10.

        :

        Focusing through X10 glass aspherical & dach prism zoom OVF:
        I had a plastic tunnel on my Canon S70 & Ricoh GX8.
        I nailed focus every time.
        After a little use focusing though X10 OVF will be easy.
        (also as a poster above mentioned modern CDAF is rather sophisticated)

        :

        Photojournalism, Reportage & Street
        X10 almost ideal
        due to
        1. Look through OVF, turn cam on & manually move lens, shoot all in almost one motion. (no waiting for evf to turn on & no evf lag especially in lower light)
        2. Hardware face detection.
        3. Fast AF (reportedly).
        4. Metal build.

  12. I like everything about this camera except for the sensor size. I wish they have used a 1″ sensor as Nikon did.

    • :

      Hi

      1″ sensor would be soooo nice.
      Lens size would been like Digilux2 to get f2-2.8.
      I think then we would say why didn’t they just make it interchangeable, doesnt make sense having 1″ sensor with fixed lens.

      Pocketability, fast lens, aesthetics, 2/3″ seems ideal.
      X10 is like the best of classic 2/3″ bridges Digilux 2, Minolta A2, Oly C8080, Sony F717
      in a pocketable.

  13. well one black and white shots confirm my suspicion; that the Nikon J1/V1 has worse resolving power and base noise despite a bigger sensor to this Fuji 2/3″. Don’t believe me, check http://www.dcresource.com/ plathora of full res samples. Fuji has got a winner, and Nikon? Where did they get such a rotten sensor, its like every penny went to fast AF, which while laudable doesn’t make up for the IQ. The X10 doesn’t blow me away, its one step below old m43, but it’s about the full package i guess, and that is pretty impressive.

    The old 1/1.6 12mp sensor on the F200 EXR had incredible resolution for a point and click, outdoors easily beating the S95 and its irk. But Fujis more recent 1/2.0″ sensors have all been rotten apples.

    • Right on about the full package, I’m expecting the x10 to offer IQ as good as any other in the class but tucked up in a very usable body – judging by the x100 it will no doubt be a little quirky, but I hope fuji get it spot on this time with no dreaded sticking aperture blades stuff up like with the x100.

  14. As with all point and shoots and their smallish sensors, the shallow dof is only acquired when shooting from a really close distance. It reminds me more of the digilux5 than an X1 or X100.

  15. I could live with the smaller sensor, and the size factor/zoom range would be great for a variety of casual uses, as is the nice hands on controls and good looks. Big issue I can’t see looking past (excuse the pun) is that the OVF doesn’t show any shooting info, nor even a focus point, in addition to being only 80% coverage.

    Its nice to see OVF’s on new cameras (or even good quality EVF’s) but when its not possible to judge whats in focus or where the AF point even lays, its going to be sort of useless for anything other than a rough guess at framing.

    X100 and its parallax issues proved a bit tough as is, even with the new F/W and the compensated AF point overlay. How you could really shoot using just the OVF on the X10 and have any idea what or where the camera focused I don’t know.

    As such it seems to defeat one of the potential cool factors of the camera right out of the gate.

    • I’ve seen a posting from the Fujiguys (on Youtube) with regard to the OVF and focus: “there will be a red No information is displayed in the OVF however. There is a little light on the right size that blinks when AF is not achieved and solid with AF is found.” I think there may also be an accompanying ‘beep’.

      As we know already, there won’t be any framing lines, let alone an overlay of information on the OVF, but this focus light along with the zoom link to the OVF is still tempting me if the IQ is similar to, or better than, the Canon G9/11 etc etc..

      Cheers everyone,
      Chris.

      • Apologies,

        Please let me correct my rushed response to jeff, above, and clarify Fujiguys’ Youtube quote regarding focus:

        “the optical viewfinder is linked๏ปฟ to the cameras zoom. In fact, both the lens and viewfinder contains aspherical lens and high quality glass. No information is displayed in the OVF however. There is a little light on the right side that blinks when AF is not achieved and solid when AF is found.”

        Cheers,
        ChrisNeb.

        • The little lights is all well and good Chris, and Leica and Canon have done similar on the X1 and G10/11/12 bodies for years. However, having a green light, just like an audible ‘beep’ merely tells you that the camera has focused on something, but what ? Thats the question.

          Lets say you’ve got a subject 7 feet from you and a background 20 feet pass that. Subject is even pretty much centered in the frame. You half press the shutter, you hear a ‘bee’, you see a green light, but when you go to review the shot, you learn that the camera actually grabbed the background to focus on.

          You don’t know where exactly the AF point is, and even if you do, you don’t know that the camera focused on what you thought it was going to focus on.

          You basically would have to use the LCD to see what your focusing on, and to confirm focus before taking a shot. The OVF ends up being just a coarse tool for judging framing, and with only 80% coverage.

          Now granted with the smaller sensor you may have enough DoF that for many shots at the wider end it doesn’t matter, but I still see it proving to be a bit a not very effective feature as its not going to give you accurate framing, nor tell you anything about the focus point, or where the camera actually focused.

          Better than nothing sure, but like the G series Canon’s, how useful is such a OVF that can’t really tell you anything ?

          • Hi Jeff,

            I don’t think I’d disagree with your point at all. The OVF : zoom link would seem to be useful but there’s no escaping the fact that the OVF focus function is basic. The camera does have a 49-point matrix but each point is, of course, only visible via the LCD. As you won’t see it through the OVF then, yes, you’d need to confirm everything on the LCD.

            I have to admit that I’ve never owned a small point and shoot camera – I still use my manual SLRs and the DSLR (for working) – but the convenience and compact nature of the X10 for holidays and when I’m out and about just seems to appeal somehow.

            Like everyone else, I’m looking forward to a solid user review from people such as Steve H (and having a play with a copy myself) before I get carried away!

            Cheers,
            Chris.

          • Point and shoot AF these days is quite sophisticated. My Canon S90 hardly ever blows the focus. A light is really all you need.

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