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Fujifilm

Sometimes you come across a camera that's as much a work of art as the pictures it produces, as is the case with the Fujifilm X10.

Fujifilm X10

Fujifilm X10 review: Fujifilm X10

Fujifilm X10 review



Colours, in all instances, were realistic. With a choice of simulated film types you can make subtle improvements to your shots, boosting colours in landscapes by picking Velvia or opting for Astia for smoother portraits. A particularly neat touch is the film bracketing mode, which supplements the regular exposure bracketing to shoot your subject using all three film types so you can choose later which you prefer. Beyond this are four black and white modes, which simulate filters to accentuate particular tones. They will be welcomed by more accomplished photographers who prefer to achieve the results they're after in-camera rather than in post-production.
In the image below, we have shot the same scene twice -- once using the standard Provia film simulation, which appears on the right half of the frame, and again using the more vivid Velvia film simulation on the left. As you can see when enlarged to full size (click it to load the full image), the Velvia gives the scene a considerable punch, particularly on the forest floor and tree trunks, where the fallen leaves have a richer tone and the bark is more colourful.

The lens makes great use of the available light, with a maximum aperture of f/2.0 to f/2.8, the latter of which is particularly impressive at 112mm. Combined, these let you choose very precisely which slice of your image you want to keep in focus at any zoom level.

Turning to our indoor still-life shot, we set up a collection of objects with different surface textures and colours and shot them three times: under studio lighting, ambient light and with the onboard flash. As with all cameras, it performed best under studio lighting, with realistic colours and very fine detail, right into the corners of the images.
The difference between this and the flash was extremely slight, however. Although the flash bleached out a little of the detail in flat surfaces directly facing the camera, it actually enhanced the natural grain in wooden objects and preserved the colours that we had seen under studio lighting.
When we resorted to using only the ambient light available at the time of shooting, the results were warmer than reality, with a slight amber cast. This was quickly fixed by fractionally dialling down the colour temperature to introduce a small amount of blue into the image.
Combined, these three tests capped an impressive set of results overall for the X10, whose output is certainly a match for its good looks.

Video performance
The X10 puts in a great performance on the video front. As we found when taking pictures, colours were realistic and detail finely rendered. The option to simulate a film style applies here too, along with sepia and the four black and white modes. Without a wind noise reduction option though, the soundtrack was sometimes distracting.
There's no powered zoom, so if you want to change the focal length you'll need a steady hand when turning the barrel. That's not a problem, but we were surprised that we could still hear noise on the soundtrack as we zoomed in and out.
It coped extremely well with changing light levels, compensating smoothly as the sun passed directly through the lens on a smooth sweep of our surroundings and still keeping colours bright and true.


Conclusion
The X10 exceeded our expectations. Taking the time to learn how its advanced features work and weaning yourself off auto mode pays serious dividends, making the X10 both satisfying and fun to use. Where looks are concerned, it's a camera you'll be proud to be seen with. The output is sharp, bright and something you'll want to share with friends.
Shop around and you can pick one up for £430. That's certainly not cheap -- it's close to what you'd pay for an entry-level dSLR. But remind yourself that this is a camera you'll use -- and enjoy -- for years. It's built to last and isn't a disposable point-and-shoot from which you'll upgrade in 18 to 36 months.
We could see a camera like this keeping us happy for the rest of the decade, by which point it will have proved itself very good value indeed.