exciting new cameras for photographers

This photo was taken at a recent workshop where I was one of the instructors. I used the new Fuji X10 camera (B&H) and when I zoomed in to check the image sharpness on the camera’s display, I was a little surprised at just how good it looked. Crisp! There wasn’t anything immediately obvious there that would reveal the photo wasn’t taken with A Big Camera.

This article was originally going to be a review of the Fuji X10 camera (B&H).  However, with my workload, compiling material for a comparative review between the Fuji X10 and several other Point & Shoot cameras, took longer than I intended.  And now we’re at a point where there’s a range of other truly impressive cameras to about to hit the market. With such a fast-paced release of new tantalizing cameras, it felt to me like a single review might’ve become a little redundant a few month later.

Of course, various cameras are aimed at different sectors of the market, so they are not all equal. But if we have a look at the results from this small-sensor Point & Shoot camera, then it’s a real surprise how good the image quality is … and then we have to wonder what the cameras coming up in the next year or so, will deliver.

2012 is looking to be like a Big Year for camera enthusiasts photographers:

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras look like they might become all the rage in the next year or so, with the Canon G1 X (B&H) and the Fuji X-Pro-1 (B&H) about to become available.  Sony already has two great cameras in the Sony NEX-5N (B&H) and Sony NEX-7 (B&H), and there’s a bunch of other cameras on the market. The Fuji X-Pro 1 looks especially good, if we can go by the image quality of the Fuji X100.

Nikon is releasing two cameras with incredible spec – the Nikon D800 (B&H) and the Nikon D4 (B&H)  - and we’re just waiting for them to hit the streets properly and be readily available. Canon announced the Canon EOS-1D X towards the end of 2011, and the Canon 5D Mark III (B&H) will be available later on in the year.

With all that, it feels like the possibilities in photography have expanded even further. (And it’s not like our current cameras are suddenly not capable anymore.)  With image quality so good that a point and shoot camera can make you sit up and take notice, the limitation really is our imagination. Even more so now than ever before.

Fuji Finepix X10 review

I had the following four cameras available for review, and I got to play with them a bit:
Fuji X10 (B&H) – $600
Canon Powershot G12 (B&H) – $380
Nikon Coolpix P-7100 (B&H) – $420
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (B&H) – $340

My intention was to do a comparative review, with images taken out on the street in Manhattan, of a variety of subjects.
In the end, it wasn’t just the image quality that counted for me, but also:
- handling and controls
- each camera had a different personality … a different feel.

They vary greatly in price and features, and ultimately, image quality.

They all have 10 megapixel sensors, except the Fuji X10 at 12 megapixels.

The image quality of each camera was distinctly different. For me, the Fuji X10 had the best image quality of the four cameras. The way the noise-reduction was handled in-camera, gave the images less of that “artificial” look that you get from digital point and shoots.

The Panasonic LX-5 and Canon G12 would be the runners-up in my opinion. But the Nikon P-7100 sadly fell behind. Disappointing.

Handling – the Canon G12 had the best laid out controls. No need to dive into the menu or press multiple buttons to change settings. They were all on hand. The Nikon P-7100 was nearly as good – a sexy looking camera with all the controls intuitively available.  The Panasonic LX5 had much more sparse controls, and for me, this was limiting. I need the buttons and controls.

The Fuji X10 here was an odd camera.  There were some things I really liked .. but then this was off-set by having to dive into the menu for some settings. On the G12, the ISO can be changed on the top deck. With the Fuji X10, you have to assign the function button for that, and then change the ISO in the menu. Like the Fuji X100, there is some quirky design philosophy behind all this.

Where the Fuji X10 stood out – you had to manually zoom the lens! It felt like you were holding an actual camera and controlling the focal length by manually rotating the lens. Beautiful.  So much easier than a rocker switch you have to look for, and then having to zoom back when you accidentally zoom too much.  I really liked this.

The Canon G12 and Nikon P-7100 have a zoom lens each that has an f2.8 to f5.6 aperture range.  Compare that to the Fuji X10′s f2 to f2.8 and you have a camera that you can shoot in lower light with … nevermind that the Fuji X10 gave the least amount of high-ISO noise.

All four cameras have image stabilization via optical means.

They all offer video at 720p resolution, except the Fuji X10 that offers a full 1080p video capability.

A 100% crop of the in-camera JPG … 400 ISO

In reducing the noise, the image became slightly softer.
Inevitably we deal with that trade-off every time.

A street performer late at night in Times Square

1/100 @ f2.5 @ 800 ISO

The 100% crop of the image, showing the surprising lack of noise in the shadow areas.

None of the other three cameras could match this.

Finally, in considering all this, I just liked the Fuji X10 so much, that this isn’t so much a comparative review between four point and shoots, but a kind-of review of the Fuji X10. It’s more spendy than the other three cameras, but the image quality is better, and it just has more … and don’t hate me for bringing in a description so vague … but it just has more personality. It’s a likable solid little camera.

- equipment reviews 

- Fuji X100 camera review – photo shoot with a model
- Fuji X100 review – photographing a wedding

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Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

If you need more direct help or instruction on flash photography,
I do present workshops & seminars and also offer individual tutoring sessions.

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by
using these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies. Thank you!