The Fujifilm XF10 was announced in 2018 and received mixed reviews ever since. I was a previous owner of the Fujifilm X70 so I have experienced with fixed lens premium compacts and also currently own the Canon G7X mark II.
Why a point and shoot camera?
I've always felt that point and shoot cameras are the best for travel and street photography due to the size and compact nature. I wanted to try the XF10 on a cruise to the Bahamas to put it through a full week of shooting. The only other camera I brought was the Fujifilm XS10 with the Fuji 18-135mm lens.
My intent for the XF10 was to make it my general purpose camera to have with me at all times. I wanted to push the limits of the camera from low light indoor situations as well as bright outdoor street situations. Ultimately I want to see if this could replace my Canon G7X mark II since I really want to be a prime lens shooter.
Spoiler Alert: It did replace my Canon G7X mark II because I broke it.
I find zooming to be distraction and I really want to move away from that for general photography. For specific intent I'll use a zoom to get the flexibility but for general purpose I really want the limitation to get better results.
Here are some photos to review.
How it performed
In short, I think the XF10 is a good camera and you will enjoy the final results. There are some things that are lacking but if you can work around the quirks it this a camera that will be great at its intent.
In the hand
The build quality is pretty good. Although its light weight and made mostly of plastic it doesn't feel cheap to me. It also has a good grip and ergonomics. I like the choice of a PASM dial and two control dials. They are placed just right for your hand and you can get to your chosen mode quickly. Sadly, there is no tilt screen but that's the sacrifice to make it truly pocketable in comparison to its spiritual older brother, the Fujifilm X70.
Image Quality
I have other 24mp Fuji cameras but this is the only one without an X Trans sensor. However, there are no sacrifices because of it. And if you shoot RAW and edit your photos the lack of X trans is not a factor.
You don't have multiple custom modes like other Fuji camera but you can make changes to the film simulations and other changes to make your own recipe while shooting.
The ISO performance is good all the way to 6400. Although there may be grain at high ISOs its not distracting. Being a modern APS-C compact you have some bandwidth to work with.
Autofocus
If you're here you've probably heard this before and want someone out there to say the autofocus is not that bad. Well...its kinda...okay.
I really put this camera to the test in many situations. Its not a great autofocusing camera but it can be good enough with the right approach. The real issue is that although it can be accurate its not confident. It will pulse before locking focus. You most definitely need to slow down and let the camera get familiar with the scene.
Single Autofocus
Works well with relatively small focus points. Find your contrasty area and you will be fine. It does hunt but its accurate. You will have to slow down to let the camera lock in so you have to be patient. I think this makes you think about your composition before shooting.
Continuous Autofocus
In my experience its not up to par for anything but the brightest lighting conditions. I did use it but seldom did I feel it was necessary for my needs. When I did it was okay but was in dark conditions. I would imagine in bright conditions it would fair better. It just hunts too much and doesn't lock on enough for me. With all that said, it was accurate while using but you just not confident.
Snapshot Mode
The Fujifilm XF10 has a Snapshot mode which puts the camera in two different zone focusing distances and bypasses all autofocus and manual adjustments. It will feel like shooting with a smartphone.
In bright conditions outdoors conditions this is useful as the wide angle plus the respective 2m and 5m and broad apertures of F5.6 and F8 respectively, puts most things in focus. A street shooters dream.
Manual Focus
I'm working on my manual focus skills but luckily the XF10 has focus peaking to assist. The focus ring is focus by wire so its a bit laggy and small since its such a compact camera. If you take your time you can get used to it. Patience is key and let the software catch up to your movement. Don't make changes too suddenly and everything will work out.
My pro tip:
I started making my own zones for outdoor and indoor situations.
When outdoors in good light I set the aperture to F8 and set the focal distance between 7 to 10 feet to infinity.
When indoors in low light I set the aperture to F2.8-4 and the focal distance depending on how close the subject is. This is can help alleviate the lackluster autofocus as well as make you a better photographer.
I really enjoyed this method when I was shooting in really dark situations like the clubs or karoake. I would just find the light, the subject, and focus on a specific area.
Final Verdict
Its a keeper and is really a great addition to my camera kit. I'm a fan of compact cameras but with smartphones taking market share the segment is losing its favor. However, a large sensor compact is a perfect paring in my opinion. Shoot better quality and transfer to your phone.
Sadly, the options are limited these days so although there are some quirks to this camera it represents a great value. You get an APSC camera in your pocket.
Things I like about the Fujifilm XF10
28mm equivalent focal length
F2.8 aperture
large sensor
pocketable size
lens doesn't protrude when on
charges via USB
Film simulations
Decent build quality
Good grip
Things I don't like about the Fujifilm XF10
sluggish autofocus
no tilt screen
no custom modes
Fujifilm XF10 Overview and Final Thoughts
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