Fujifilm X-S10 Mirrorless Digital Camera XF18-55mm Lens Kit – Black

This camera has been hyped as one of the best specced camera in this price range for 2020. Expectations were high, and I really hoped Fuji would fulfill them. First, the unboxing was a little lackluster. The camera does not come with a battery charger, so you would have the tether your camera to the power cable to charge the battery. The camera did feel high quality and good on the hands. Even the plastic parts did feel premium and I would expect it to be fairly durable. Second, the battery life was pretty usable for 3-6 hours of shooting, give or take depending on your settings. This is acceptable but could be better. A second battery would cost you another 100 Canadian, which seems a bit expensive if you wanted to shoot all day without worrying about the battery. The camera itself, I have no complaints about. The photos came out sharp and even the JPEG straight out the camera had amazing colors. The fuji colors we’re not exaggerated, they are very very good. IBIS seemed to work decently, as I was able to stop down the 1/10 of a second SS in low light and still get a fairly clear picture. But, trying to get the raws into lightroom was a pain, you’d have to convert the raw file to something lightroom understands. Alternatively, you could get capture one express for free, but IMO it’s not as good as Lightroom. Finally, the dealbreaker for me, was that you could not get USB tethered shooting as of Dec 2020. This was necessary as I wanted to connect my gimbal and do some video work as well. I spoke to a Fuji rep and they confirmed it was coming sometime next year. Because of that, I had to return the camera. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the camera performance and the image quality, but it does have it’s negatives as well.

 I won’t make this a rant on how incomprehensible Amazon’s packaging processes are. But if Amazon is willing to put air-filled packing bags to keep a pair of $20 generic earbuds safe during transport, shouldn’t they -at the very least- give the same consideration and level of attention to the safekeeping of a $2000+ piece of technology?

Anyhow, to the awesomeness that is the Fujifilm X-S10. She’s absolutely gorgeous!

Oddly enough, I’m upgrading from the X-T200, which is technically in the same generation. However, the X-S10 boasts a great many features and innovations found in Fujifilm’s recent flagship models. So after a lot of research, I thought the pros outweighed the cons. It honestly was an easy decision to make and pick this bad boy up!

– In-Body Image Stabilization
– Improved power usage and battery life
– Higher resolution and sharper image capture
– More video format and fps options
– Much improved 4K recording time
– Greater user personalization options
– More customizable buttons and dials
– Deeper feature set and included filters
– User-friendly menu with simple and intuitive navigation

And that’s just to name a few. Even having the battery/SD card compartment shifted into the substantial integrated grip is a plus to me!

Now there is one major flaw that really stands out – the screen. The size is noticeably smaller than the X-T200 (3″ in the X-S10 vs 3.5″ in the X-T200), and the screen resolution also took a hit. What is great though, is that the screen goes into a power saving mode – the screen dims considerably, and the image displayed is at a much reduced framerate.

So all things considered, I think this was a great upgrade for me. Mind you, I also checked out the competitors’ offerings, but at this price point, no other brand comes close.

It’s only been a day so I haven’t gotten a chance to really play with this. I still have to really put the X-S10 through its paces and see if any issues arise that could be related to the abysmal Amazon packaging. But so far it’s looking like Fujifilm did a fantastic job safeguarding their product, and I can enjoy my new camera with little worry. Happy shopping!

I am a Fuji enthusiast who owns a X-T3 that followed a X-T1 & X-T2, in addition to a large collection of Nikon SLR bodies and one D700. So my venture into smaller bodies is not new. I really wanted to try this one without too much expectations though – I am 6 feet tall with large hands.
After quickly unpacking that camera – there is not much in the package either, I was positively surprised by the grip that fits my hand very well and gave me a great feeling of safety, which I have never had with my X-T3 for which I had to buy a battery pack and a Meike extended grip. So, good positive vibes from the beginning. I also quickly loved the PASM that works like a classic one and provide 4 custom settings which I find a terrific idea. I do not do video yet, so what comes next is for still photography.
Now for the pros:
– Small, light body with great grip. Feels sturdy in hand. Ideal to travel and won’t require a large bag.
– PASM is great, especially for those used to DSLR bodies. 4 Custom settings are fantastic.
– Image quality matches the X-T3 and probably the X-T4 (which I won’t buy anymore)
– IBIS is terrific
– Full flipping LCD allows storing that camera in a busy bag and protect the LCD.
– Touch screen works great and deactivates when you look through the EVF.
– Q menu and ISO buttons can be easily reached while looking into the EVF.
– Joystick is in a good position.
– ON/OFF switch is great. It won’t be easily switched on while in your bag like with the X-T3
– Good feel of the dials
– Flip screen is great for Video
– Autofocus works great but continuous tracking and eye detection are still a work in progress. That said eye detection seems to work better than on my X-T3 despite the most recent upgrade.
– Can use same batteries with X-T3 and X-S10
– Will be there when I attempt some video and vlogging.

For the Cons:
– I understand that this camera is not WR, however I would not bet my life on the doors and latches which feels really flimsy. Obviously do not bring that body in an Amazonian or Himalayan trip where humidity and shocks are not your friends.
– Only one Function Button may be a limitation for some. You can customize the Q menu though.
– Menu and Display buttons are too flushed to get a good feel while not looking at them. I found the AF-ON weird and do not use it.
– Small flash and lens hood is a no-go.
– You can charge the camera with the USB cable, but you cannot transfer pics to a desktop or laptop with it. That surprised me because even cell phone can do this. I do not configure wi-fi or Bluetooth because of the power consumption and the configuration I would need on the desktop. Furthermore, regularly extracting the SD card means working the battery door which feels quite flimsy to me.
– You cannot invert the role of the front and rear dials. I do not like the real dial for Exposure Compensation only. I use that function all the time on my X-T3 which uses the front dial, and my thumb does not feel in the right place to use it on the S10.

The Not a Big Deal issues:
– The EVF is small, but usable.
– I thought a flipping screen would be an advantage but I think the X-T3 screen motion while more limited, makes more sense for still photography.
– The room for your fingers gets tied with the 55-200mm
– Left top dial has limited to none configuration.
– Battery life is not extraordinary. I got between 300 to 350 shots per charge estimated.
– Price is a little high for a non WR body

All that to say that I love the small format and the capabilities, and will keep that camera as my casual, family and short travel tool. I am sure that Fuji will address some of the issues in future upgrades.
I do not intend to buy a X-T4 because this body and my X-T3 are a good combo for more serious photography, video and travel.
I think Fuji did a good move with this body as it is a perfect companion for the rest of the catalog.