Fujifilm Finepix X10

EXR DR is only usable for M sized images at ISO 100 + DR 200 or ISO 100-320 + DR 400, aka ISO value lower than DR value!

This is important becayse Fujifilm's unique EXR sensor produces Raw files that are not handled particularly well either by the bundled Silkypix software or by any third party raw conversion platforms that we've tried.

Find out if it can deliver the goods in our in-depth Fujifilm FinePix X10 review, complete with full-size sample JPEG and raw images, videos and more... The Fujifilm Finepix X10 is an advanced compact camera that offers a retro design, 12 megapixel 2/3-inch EXR CMOS sensor, a 4x, 28-112mm, f/2.0-2.8 zoom lens with a manual zoom ring, optical viewfinder, 1080p movie recording, 7fps burst shooting and a 2.8-inch LCD monitor with a resolution of 460,000 dots.

The lens is of very high quality, it surpasses most other compact cameras including the Pentax Q 02 Zoom Lens by boasting a fast aperture of f/2 to f/2.8 and a very useful zoom range equivalent to 28-112mm in the old days.

While F2.8 on the X10's lens is clearly not equivalent to F2.8 on a full-frame camera in depth-of-field terms, when set to an equivalent focal length equivalent and maximum aperture the X10 can deliver a very similar background blur to an APS-C DSLR with kit zoom.

Con: Zooming is a two handed operation one to hold the camera and the other to zoom.

But here is what you can expect from the X10: Very good sharpness even in the corners at 28mm, low barrel distortion (although the camera is probably correcting), very respectable 8 x10 prints, noise that is both low and well handled, very good image quality at ISO 400 and usable image quality at ISO 800.

the expanded dynamic range and low light modes are nice to have.

The output is distinctly low resolution, with image quality that is better suited for viewing on the web, rather than printing or pixel peeping.

Other key features of the Fujifilm X10 include an ISO range of 100-12800, full range of manual controls, Fujifilm’s EXR shooting modes, optical image stabilisation, raw image capture, a hot-shoe, an integrated manual pop-up flash, film simulation modes, 360° motion panoramas, 1cm macro mode and an electronic level gauge.

december 14th update: a few impressions after working with the RAW files in Lightroom: my main desire was to try to tame high iso noise in lightroom.

At ISO 3200 the image has become noticeably softer, but the X10 can still produce usable images which is hugely impressive for a camera of this size.

Then it is a simple matter to fine tune the focus (if needed) with the focus wheel (using the focus wheel automatically shifts the display to magnified, to make manual focusing easier).

With the mode dial set to Movie mode, you can select a resolution option, enable/disable continuous AF and face detection, set white balance and choose a film simulation mode (these last two options are sticky between stills and video mode).

Elsewhere on the body you’ll find buttons that offer direct access to the most commonly used stings such as AF mode (Single, Continuous, Manual), Metering mode (Multi, Spot or Average), AF point control (only accessible when the camera is set to AF-S), White Balance, Drive mode, Flash control, Self-timer, Raw image capture and Macro mode.