When it comes to hot topic digital cameras, the Fuji X10 certainly qualifies. Pretty to look at, impressive on the spec sheet, and based off of an immensely popular model (the Fuji X100), the X10 has had a lot of photographers drooling, despite its still high price. Now, as the camera has started to ship, reviewers and photographers alike are getting their hands on the hot new Fuji.
The staff at Digital Photography Review, one of the Web's most respected digital camera review sites, has just gotten a X10 to test and now, after some deliberate playing around with it, have posted a hands-on preview. So, does the X10 live up to the hype?
For the most part, yes. Starting with the good, the lens is very bright: f2-f2.8, far faster than most dSLR kit zooms. In addition, the lens is linked to an optical viewfinder, giving traditionalists something to smile about. Another plus of the X10: the lens is manual zooming, which means that you manipulate it like a SLR lens. Why is this good? Simple: no lens zooming motor to break. In P&S cameras, the lens zoom motor is often the first thing to fail.
Another good point: lots of buttons. While this may be a bit of a put-off to beginners, for experienced shooters who like to control their settings on the camera rather than in the menus, all of the buttons mean one thing: no menu diving. By placing so many vital controls on the camera itself, Fuji has assured its users the ability to change settings on the fly and therefore not miss a picture.
More positives? You bet. The camera is extremely well build by any standards (not just that of the P&S model), being made of magnesium alloy. If one needs to dive into the menus, the structure has been improved from the often awkward X100. Another plus: the AF is very fast for a camera of this class.
Negatives? None really. The only nit pick (and this is really not a big deal if you are careful) is that it is possible to inadvertently turn off the camera when zooming the lens. My advice? Just remember where the power switch is and avoid it.
End result: the X10 looks to be quite the camera, that is if one cam stomach the still rather high $600 price tag. Want to buy? Well, there's good news: the camera is set to ship before Christmas, specifically in early November. Once the X10 ships, Cleveland-based Dodd Camera, with its many Cleveland metro area branch stores, will be the place to get it locally as Dodd carries Fuji.