Fujifilm X-S10 & XF 10–24 f4 Mark II Review: The Best Entry Level Hybrid Camera?
Updated: Aug 20, 2021
The Fujifilm X-S10 is as great as the Fujifilm X-T4 but without the heavy price tag. For people who want to get into photography or videography but don’t want to spend a lot of money, this might just be the camera for you.
It has the same build quality as other high-end Fujifilm cameras but as it’s a much more budget-friendly camera, the materials aren’t exactly the same as the X-T4. That being said, it’s a very handsome looking camera.
The X-S10 is a small camera which means users with big hands will tend to find their little finger looking for something to hold on to. However, the X-S10’s grip has enough depth that could compensate for the camera’s petite size.
The X-S10 contains a 26.1 APS-C BSI CMOS X-Trans 4 Sensor, which is usually found in its bigger siblings like the X-T4. The X-S10 also has 5-Axis In-Body Image Stabilisation, which is impressive for a budget camera to have.
The X-S10’s display is capable of rotating and swivelling, so taking selfies and shooting videos with yourself as a subject is definitely easier.
The X-S10’s video quality amazes with its 4k recordings at 30fps internally with 8-bit 4:2:0, but at high bitrates. You can’t record externally with the X-S10, but you can use film simulations like Eterna, which is still a great deal.
The X-S10 can also shoot slow-motion at 1080p 240fps, although, shooting slow-motion recording at 120fps is ideal and most people wouldn’t use the maximum 240fps in 1080p.
Gone are the dated camera controls that recent Fujifilm camera users love to hate. Its controls have been brought back into modernity with a new design so that inexperienced photographers will feel comfortable with the camera’s simple controls.
In terms of memory card slots, unfortunately, the X-S10 has only 1 SD card slot. Though not a deal-breaker, a second memory card slot would be a great addition so that users wouldn’t have to switch memory cards frequently.
There is no dedicated headphone jack on the X-S10, just like XT-4. Users would be forced to purchase USB Type-C adapters to work around this fact. Adding the dedicated headphone jack back in would be one less headache to users, especially when they’re on a budget.
We also tried out the new XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR lens which contains 14 elements and 10 groups, four aspherical elements, four ED elements and a 72mm filter thread. It has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Weather Resistance (WR).
The lens weighs 385g, which is very lightweight. It’s sharp and the aperture ring is nicer. However, because of the F4 aspect of the lens, users might have to adjust the ISO higher in low light situations to work around it.
While there could be better lenses out there, the XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR lens is arguably one of the better options when on a tight budget, especially if you want a wide-angle zoom lens.
With all these qualities in mind, this lens is a fun one to have for many kinds of shoots. It can safely be said that this is a big step-up to its original version.
The X-S10 is highly recommended for newcomers who are trying out photography or videography for the first time, vloggers, people who frequently post in Instagram, content creators for Youtube or Facebook without having to fork out too much money.
Considering the US$1000 or S$1499 price tag, we think this camera is an absolute steal.
Content by Bobby Tonelli