My first impression of Fujfilm APSC cameras being truly pocketable (no, not cargo pants pocketable which is cheating) actually started with the Fujifilm X70 a few years ago.
Yeap, thats 18 months old Kei getting to know the X70 for scale 😂. Back then in early 2015, cramming an APSC-sized sensor into a body this small with built-in flash, tilt and touch screen capabilities proved the X70 to be a hit akin to the Ricoh GR.
3 years on, with no news of a X80, I had moved on and assumed nothing would ever come close to the X70 again in terms of APSC sized compactness… until the day I was handed this baby from Fujifilm Asia Pacific.
Introducing the Fujifilm XF10 with a 28mm F2.8 equiv lens.
To set the record straight, the XF10 is even smaller than the X70 with both sporting an APSC-sized sensor but the XF10’s a Bayer sensor vs X70’s X-Trans II sensor.
Both present similar 28mm F2.8 equivalent lenses but the XF10’s is updated to be even more compact and yes, much faster in performance down to even tracking moving subjects.
And so here my sharing of this petite wonder starts.
The XF10.
By now you would have noticed this is a Champagne Gold / Brown leatherette version and general reactions will probably be:
1. OMG?! Where can I get one of this beautiful camera?
Ans: Yes, similar to the X-T100, the Champagne gold shade seems to be a common staple now.
2. OMG?! Is there a black version?
Ans: yes of course 🙂
First thoughts was the designers have managed sort of a daring redesign, bringing to reality the idea of minimalism into the XF10. One notices that first off the bat, there is no hot-shoe, but the camera comes with a built in flash like the X100 series and X70.
Buttons are now mostly on the right side to enable one hand operation (the XF10’s really compact) One gets 3 dials as seen. One for PASM and direct access to some of the most commonly used SR+ (Fujifilm’s AUTO mode) modes including in-camera panorama. I am mostly a Aperture priority shooter and as such have set the middle dial to adjust Aperture and the rightmost dial to adjust Exposure compensation and that’s frankly all I need for general shooting.
The ON/OFF switch is now recessed and has a firm press to it. And together with the well-machined dials with rimmed sides, the buttons & dials are excellent to handle.
The XF10 is really light but its not flimsy. Its pretty solidly made for a camera and in my handling of it, it’s obviously not going to survive a fall from the second storey (well, my iPhone X won’t either) but it definitely tough enough for everyday’s challenges.
Turn it over and one sees a back dominated by the LCD screen (its touch AF, touch focus enabled) accompanied with that’s necessarily important – the Menu, DISP/Back, Play, Trash/Drive buttons together with the 5-way control knob that allows one instant access to changing focal points instantaneously if one prefers to not use the touch screen.
Yes, you should have noticed by now the D-pad is gone, and to be honest – it was something that disturbed me at the beginning when setting up the camera. However, when I started shooting, it was nothing that I missed much as some of the D-pad functions have also been shifted over the touch-LCD, for example the left D-pad button to access film simulations is now a soft-copy button on the screen hence there’s minimal loss of functionality and access.
The much loved Q (Quick) access button is still present, together with a customisable button on top to a function one desires.
(Disclaimer: I was testing the XF10 with very pre-production firmware and as such I am unable to share the functions one may map to this Custom button)
The XF10 otherwise does come with most if not all of the standards even for its diminutive size.
Specs.
For the spec readers, here a quick summary to brighten up your day (may be updated later)
- 24.2 megapixels APSC Bayer sensor
- 18.5mm F2.8 lens (28mm equivalent)
- Minimum focusing distance: 10cm (this is super nice if you never realised it)
- 112.5mm x 64.4mm x 41.0, at 278.9g with battery inside.
(well, you need to know a GFX50S batt weighs in at 114g already in comparison) - Digital teleconverters to 35mm and 50mm (or 1.25x and 1.8x). (i never ever recommend using this)
- 11 film simulations and 19 types of advanced filters.
- A 91-point hybrid autofocus system, 6 fps burst shooting and 4K/15p video capture
- SQUARE MODE with single flick to switch to 1: 1 format (yes, for the INSTAGRAM users)
Handling.
Handling the XF10 was straightforward and Fujifilm has been excellent in making user friendly cameras. The diminutive size (that’s an iPhone 8+ as comparison below) made this a camera one which very few onlookers were wary off and one-hand operation was easy with the dials and most of the buttons within reach with one hand.
The well machined rimmed edges and the small thumb rest also adds positively to the handling experiences, giving a good old steady grip on the camera. I would love to have a tilt screen but I guess that would have added significantly to the thickness of the camera.
Firmware wise, any Fujifilm user will be happy to know that the menus are mostly the same and carried over from the other models in the family and its no big problem getting in straight to shooting.
Before we get to the sample photos, please allow me to share my standard disclaimer.
1. The XF10 was loaned from Fujifilm for 1 week and was returned at the end of the review period. I did not receive any payment in any form for this review.
2. This XF10 in the review is a pre-production model and hence the final production model will only perform better, in fact it was so pre-production it came to me with firmware separately to be installed before use.
3. All images are from in-camera JPEG and have been edited to my preferences in LR. There is no raw support yet for XF10 files in LR CC as of today.
4. I shoot my own product photos as I don’t believe in that any self-respecting reviewer cannot find time to produce his or her own shots of the product. Shooting product photos also allows one to study the camera more.
Here we go…
Dino
Ladders
Parts of a whole
Hai-yah!
Living
Just 20m more !
Hidden Kitty
Hear me roar!
Chilling
Appetizer
Main dish
Dessert? 😱
Yes, I can do wides too with decent dynamic range.
Gotcha!
Where I was born.
|Big Ass|
since from when did we stop looking at each other?
Yes, we are almost done.
The beauty of light in life.
Conclusion.
Lest we get the wrong idea, I’m not gonna make the call to ‘buy‘ or ‘not buy‘ the XF10. I had the XF10 with me for a week and I love the compactness of it and the potential of the image quality it can deliver. In a way the only competitor to the XF10 I can think of is itself with the GR II and X70 closest to it being APSC sized sensor based cameras.
That said, its kinda difficult to make a camera thats poor performing or soul-less nowadays unless a brand really works hard the wrong way and the XF10 does delivers what it was designed to do; as a street / everyday moments all in one compact camera thats easy to operate and never making it an issue for the owner.
The XF10 is a lovely camera as it is, a simple minimalist beauty that does what it should to satisfy yet barely leaving a dent on the pocket at around 30% of the price of a X-T2 body. I see this as a nice alternative to those who wants a smaller daily camera companion.
Its definitely a big step up from the tinny-whiney phone sensors for sure and will serve the user well with lots to spare for the enthusiast or the professional who wants an additional compact companion.
Thank you for reading.
KeithWee | Photography 
Hi there, congrats on the hands on review. Can you tell me if the digital converter 35mm is available in raw? thks
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Hi there, the digital converters only produces a JPEG image, and not RAW. The XF10 I am holding now is not running final production firmware to be fair but past experiences with digital teleconverters have never provided raw files.
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Thns on the info. Im hoping for the final firmware with this feature. Let’s see
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HI Keith
Thank you for your review once again very informative, in fact I have you to thank very much because I purchased the X A-5 after I read your review of it. This camera seems lovely I might even be tempted to buy one,I love Fuji stiff the colours are superb. Thank you for your sample photos of your family they are delightful. Have a good day!
Cheers Michael
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Thank you for the kind words Michael 🙂 have a good day too
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Probably one of the very first detailed, real world reviews of the XF10! Thanks!!
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Thank you 🙂
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Thanks for your review, tempted to buy one.
May I ask for the battery, does it use the same on as XT2? I own a XT2, and prefer could share battery…
Thanks!
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Hi there, the XF10 uses the smaller size NPW95 to account for its smaller body size. That’s the same batt as the X100S
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Thanks for the review! Camera looks nice and enticing. Do you know if the video function has digital stabilization?
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Hi David, yeap of course. I do see an option for Digital Image Stabilisation under the Movie settings in the menu.
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that’s awesome, thanks! I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these 🙂 nice photos!
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Thank you 🙂
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That’s awesome! Seems It should make for a pretty capable camera and daily carry everywhere. Great photos, it would be sweet if you could post more taken with the XF10 on Instagram . Thank you! Have a great day
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Dear Keith,
Greetings! Do you know if the Wide Conversion Lens WCL-X70 can be attached on the XF10?
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Hi ! Erm nope lol. The XF10 doesn’t even come with filter threads 😅
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I know you said it was a pre production so im assuming it isnt the final firmware you got to play with. But how did it perform? AF speed, navigating through menus, was it fluid and smooth? or did you come across any lag? Would you say it performs at a similar level to say an X100S or newer? If you are allowed to speak about it 😀 thanks!
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Hi, performance was actually surprisingly smooth (zero lags and I never encountered any crashes/hangs shooting close to a thousand shots) the AF is actually more confident than the X100S for sure, especially in the tracking part.
The X100 series has the best sensors Fujifilm can offer but sometimes I can’t help but feel the use of the same glass element since 2011 prevents the X100 series from achieving its peak performance.
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Beautiful bright Bayer samples
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Thank u
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Dear Keith, I’m a Sigma’s foveon fan , but a big sensor in this body…and price,I think it’s a good combination. This will be a best seller in the range. I’m considering buy one. I cannot see if the lens have a cap. Is there a cap or some kind a protection of the lens? Thanks in advance. Kind regards
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Hi there, the XF10 does come with a lens cap which one can keep attached to the body with a provided string too. One thing that I do find lacking is that there’s no filter threads on the front element so it’s not possible to fix any protective filters too.
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How was the performance in low light condition? Do you think it can compete at the same level than the Ricoh GRII?
Thanks! Amazing review.
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Hi Mark, I had the GR and GR II for s while and absolutely love the black and whites from it (to me that’s still one of the reasons why the GR is a classic) but coming to AF performance yes the XF10 is much faster and tracks way better than the GRII (note the II was simply the I rebadged with wireless capability)
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Nice and very informative review.
with regards to the build quality, what is the body made of? is it metal like the x70 or like the plastics that the fuji entry level cameras have?
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Hi, thank you. The build quality (in my opinion) is of course not as robust as the higher tier alloy bodied models. The attention to details & machining is very well done and the XF10 comes in a mostly plastic body more alike to the X-A5 level. There is however little flex and it’s a sturdy little thing.
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Hi Keith,
Are the 3 control dials and mode dial made out of metal or plastic?
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Hi Jeff, I can’t really remember as I’ve returned the review set as stated but using the camera wise felt like how the X-T100 would have felt in terms of build. Definitely not the league of the X-Pro2 but more of the GR’s in comparison.
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Hi Keith, thanks for the review. It looks like there is only one strap lug and it’s on the right side? So no way of using a neck strap? Also can this camer shoot with LCD turned off? This is something many X70 owners and reviewers noted was not possible but hoped for in a firmware update. Thanks again.
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Hi there. Yup , u r right. There’s only one eyelet provided for the strap and in this way a wrist strap mostly. I’ve seen those neck straps with only one eyelet point too so it’s still possible to use a neck strap. For shooting with LCD off my apologies I can’t confirm that as I’ve returned the camera , if I get the chance to confirm again I’ll definitely reply back. Thank you
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Hi. Thanks for the feedback. You’re reviews are great.
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beautiful review!
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Thank you Gerald 🙂
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Very nice review! 🙂 Does this camera have a tripod socket?
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Hi Colin, it does have a standard 1/4 inch tripod socket. 🙂 thank u for clarifying
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Thanks!
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Do you have any lowlight samples? I love the GRs but they has poor performance on low light.
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Hi, let me check again and if I’ve I’ll post 🙂 low light the XF10 does hunt , and like all cameras – performance is affected. What I feel is it does perform better than the GR in this respect even though it’s a much cheaper camera. Tech advances , whether we like it or not.
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Thanks for your review. How does the image quality / colors compare to the X70? Does the Bayer look different than the X-TRANS? Thanks!
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Hi Dave, there are indeed subtle differences. Applying the film simulations to Bayer still does give one Fujifilm’s strength of its beautiful JPEGs however I personally find the skin tones slightly diff between Bayer and XTrans even with the same film sim.
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great review!!! sample shots look fantastic
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Thank you for the kind words 🙂
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Hi there, thank you for the review. Do you recall whether there was a built-in intervalometer?
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Hi Nimi, yup. There’s a built in intervalometer for the XF10.
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Is there any chance to get a Lens Hood on, and/or Filter Thread?
nice review, thanks. 🙂
Marc
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Hi Marc, thank you for dropping by. There’s no filter threads on the XF10’s front element so I don think getting a filter or hood on is possible. I used the camera with the lens cap for protection.
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Hi, I discovered this filter adapter which is mounted with a 3M adhesive tape: http://jjc.cc/index.php/Product/product_info/id/2224. It’s on Aliexpress for 15$.
Do you think this is any good? I’m also looking for a camera and guess the XF10 with this upgrade would be a really good deal.
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Hi, trust the Chinese to come up with something haha. If it’s JJC I’m pretty sure the quality will be quite decent as I also use their hoods for the X100F, thanks for sharing the link and I think it should be pretty decent.
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I went down to the Fuji store at suntec to have a feel of it. Really ergonomic like the ricoh gr which I had. At $800, it’s a really good price too. The only thing I’m concerned about is the sensor. Fuji is famous for their x-trans. Do you think the generic one the xf10 has is up to par?
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Hi ! So far to me for most people it’s comparable with the film simulations applied 🙂 of course if one is really looking at absolutes like dynamic range etc I’m sure the XTrans sensors have an advantage
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Is it possible to set the camera to start up in 35 or 50mm zoom?
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hi, I don’t think so, had thought of searching for the manual online to check then realised its not uploaded too. However, if I am not wrong this can be mapped to a Fn button so getting over to the fl you wish should still be easy.
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Hi！ Thanks for your review! was googleing xf10 and luckliy find this blog. Nice picture and nice camera ! Can’t wait to get one. Although the back one is currently out of stork here. Now I aml struggling which color to buy.
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Hi there , thank u for dropping by. I’m actually a all-black Camera type of person 😂 but the recent champagne gold shades do look pretty good.
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Would you say it is better than Ricoh GR II in terms of image quality and ISO performance?
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Hi there. Yes.
However the black and white images from the GR still has a feel to it that the XF10 can’t match.
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Quite clear! Thanks a lot Keith, very helpful ^^
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Thanks for providing such a good real world review! I’m hoping to get one very soon! I sold my X70 some time ago… and have regretted it ever since. Lol. So this looks perfect for my use, as being small and discreet coupled with superb image quality are my two main wants from a camera- anything else is a bonus. Thanks again, and nice pics!
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Thank you Sam 🙂 it’s always a huge pity Fujifilm never continued the X70 series’s
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This is by far the best review of this camera! The X100 series was known for delivering great results when using the internal flash.How was the XF10’s performance in this area? Thanks for the excellent article!
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Hi , thank you for the kind words 🙂 one surprise is the XF10 has a stronger flash than the X100F’s (5.26m vs 4.6m at ISO100) and yeap , on paper it should be as such a more versatile flash to use.
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Great review! Do you recall if the digital teleconverter modes can be used when in video mode?
Thanks!
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Hi Brian, I’m pretty sure they don’t work with video. The digital teleconverter modes only work with JPEG and its a digital crop.
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Oh well, I was hoping it might function like the Ex-Tele mode on my Panasonic cameras. Thanks for the quick reply though! 🙂
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Hi Keith, just curious, do you experiencing any focus issue on your XF10?
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hi there, maybe you like to elaborate? As in you are referring to ? (lens hunts or doesn’t work can be very different things)
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Yes, it focus hunts. Sometimes hit and miss when taking pictures. I really wish there’s an update firmware from Fuji.
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I have owned and used various Fuji cameras over the years including the X10, X100, and X100s. I may be the odd man out, but I never liked much of anything about the Xtrans sensor. My X10 with Bayer sensor actually produced more of what I was looking for even with the smaller 2/3 rd size sensor. I did have to do a little post clean up with the X10, but the resulting photos always came out much better all around. So glad that Fuji has come out with this little XF10 jewel with the APS-C size Bayer sensor. I would even consider trading up my good ole Fuji X10 for the new Fuji XF10.
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Nice to hear this from you 🙂 thanks for sharing
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