Fujifilm X10 Review

General Image Quality

The tests on this page of image quality were performed at 12 MP resolution with a focal length of 12mm (48mm equivalent on 24x36 / as marked on the lens) at ISO 200. The camera firmware was at version 1.02 in all tests.

RAW vs. JPG

The image quality of the Fujifilm X10 is impressive considering the small sensor, as this image of our test scene confirms.  The original was shot as a RAF RAW file and converted to TIF with the SilyPix RAW converter which is included with the camera. We boosted contrast one step in the raw converter and then opened the picture in Photoshop CS5, where we added some more contrast and smart sharpened the image (amount 100%, radius 0.7 pixels).

We found the overall image quality very good to excellent given the small sensor.

Click on the image for the full size image (7.9 MB)
Av exposure mode F5.6, ISO 200

The same image but as a JPG straight from the camera, with JPG quality set to F(ine) and all other settings at their default values:

Click on the image for the full size original (5.1 MB)

The result directly out of the camera is excellent, although we prefer the additional contrast achieved via RAW development. However, since it is somewhat cumbersome to first have to process the image in SilkyPix RAW converter and then import it to Photoshop (Photoshop's RAW converter does not support the X10 at this time) we recommend to experiment with the settings in the camera and shoot JPG for all shots except those few that are worth the extra work in post processing. The X10 has a number of settings, including film emulation, so it should be possible to achieve the desired look straight from the camera.

We did eek out a tiny bit more sharpness of the RAW development as thus camparison of 100% crops below shows. The difference is so small, however, that we used JPGs straight from the camera for the remainder of the tests.

X10 Compared to APS-C Bayer Sensor (Pentax K-7)

Below we compare the Fujifilm X10 to the Pentax K-7, which has an APS-C sized 14.6 MP sensor (16x24mm). Both images were shot at F5.6, ISO 200, and at equivalent focal lengths. Both received the same amount of sharpening in Photoshop.

These images were shot at the same date and time, in other words under identical light. It is quite evident that the K-7 has more resolution and significantly so. The compariosn illustrates that the X10, despite having a 12MP sensor, doesn't quite have the resolution one would expect from a 12MP sensor. There are at least two reaons for this: the small sensor size and Fuji's special pattern of light sensors on the chip, which sacrifices some resolving power in order to gain some flexibility regarding dynamic range.