A compact classic: My time with the Fujifilm XF10
After my brief detour with the Ricoh GR IIIx, I found myself falling into another corner of online camera hype: the Fujifilm XF10.
If the Ricoh is hyped, the XF10 is practically mythologized in certain circles. On YouTube, Reddit, old blog posts, and even Flickr comments you see the same story repeated again and again: “the secret Fuji gem”, “the forgotten Fuji compact”, “the perfect pocket camera”, and so on. And because it is a Fujifilm camera with film simulations, it seemed like a promising alternative to the Ricoh experiment I had just abandoned.
So I thought: Why not? One more attempt at a tiny everyday camera that could perhaps sit between the iPhone and my X100VI.
On paper, the XF10 looks great. It is very small, similar to the size of the Ricoh GR IIIx, and could easily fit into my pocket. It has a Fuji sensor, Fuji colors, Fuji JPEG profiles, and the promise of that familiar “Fuji look” straight out of camera. Like the Ricoh, it does not offer a dedicated grain simulation option, but it does provide the iconic Fujifilm film simulations I love so much.
But once the XF10 arrived and I started using it, my impression became more nuanced.
The camera is not as fast as the newest Fujifilm bodies, of course, but it is still quick enough to function very well as a point-and-shoot. Startup, autofocus, and general responsiveness are perfectly adequate for everyday use, and the camera handles spontaneous moments far better than its age would suggest.
When it comes to image quality, the XF10 genuinely shines. This is where Fujifilm’s heritage becomes obvious. The built-in film simulations Provia, Velvia, Astia, Pro Neg Hi, Pro Neg Std, the monochrome modes, all show how much know-how Fuji has carried over from its analog film era. The JPEGs look authentic, rich, and pleasing. They have that unmistakable Fuji character that feels both nostalgic and refined. And just like the Ricoh and the X100VI, the XF10 produces excellent straight-out-of-camera images, which suits me perfectly since I almost never edit my photos. It is not only a matter of saving time; I also find unedited images more authentic.
The only catch for me personally appeared when I compared the XF10 side by side with my X100VI. The newer sensor and newer film simulation engine in the X100VI simply allow for more nuance. The tonal depth is greater, the microcontrast feels more organic, and the overall rendering aligns more closely with my own taste. This is not a flaw of the XF10. It is simply a matter of technological generation and personal preference.
So while the XF10 can absolutely produce images with a beautiful, authentic and uniquely individual film look, my own eye is just more drawn to what the X100VI delivers.
After a few days of trying and testing, I realized that the XF10 was not going to become my always-with-me camera. Like the Ricoh, it solved the portability problem, but at the cost of an aesthetic that I personally prefer.
So I returned it.
Comparison: Fujifilm XF10 vs Fujifilm X100VI
As I have done in my post on the Ricoh GR IIIx and the iPhone No Fusion app, here are some side-by-side comparison shots between the Fujifilm XF10 (left) and the Fujifilm X100VI (right). Note that I did not carry my X100VI with when I shot with the XF10. However, I tried to shoot similar scenes under similar lighting conditions to give you an idea of how the two cameras compare. All images are straight out of camera (sooc) JPEGs without any post-processing.
Conclusion
In the end, the XF10 is a very capable little camera with its own distinct character. It produces beautiful, film-like JPEGs, handles well, and carries Fujifilm’s heritage in a uniquely compact form. It simply did not align with my personal taste the way the X100VI does. I do wish Fujifilm would release a successor that keeps this compact form factor while bringing in all the modern features of the X100VI. If this will ever happen, who knows. However, in the meantime, I am content with my X100VI as my main camera and my iPhone as my everyday snapshot tool.
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