Fujifilm X-S10 Review

Fuji X-S10 First Impressions Review

Thanks to Beau Photo and Fujifilm Canada for lending me the Fujifilm X-S10 for a day of testing. It gave me a chance to take it for a spin for some street photography in Vancouver.

As a stills shooter, I will only briefly get into the video side of things and primarily compare it to the Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X-T4 which I have reviewed as well.

Reflected light hits the Marine Building in the downtown core of Vancouver, Canada. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-S10 — Downtown, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-S10, XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR @ f/6.4, 49mm

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-S10 was introduced in the fall of 2020 and the big news revolved around the fact that the X-S10 has IBIS, 5-Axis in-body image stabilization, and a fully articulating screen. At first glance, it would appear the camera is targeted at a video-centric audience.

Compared to the Fujifilm X-T30 and Fujifilm X-T4 the other first observation was Fujifilm’s departure from using a dedicated shutter speed dial and ISO dials with the introduction of two unmarked customizable dials on top of the camera, along with a PSAM dial.

The Fujifilm X-S10 is currently listed at $999.00.

Fujifilm X-S10 shown with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR

Handling and Specs

I was testing the Fujifilm X-S10 with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR and it was an enormous change from the Fujifilm GFX 100S I had tested in the days prior.

I know this comparison may be irrelevant as they are completely different tools but it felt like a relief handling the X-S10, at 14.6 oz / 415 g, and I was glad to revisit the XF 16-80mm f/4 again. More about the XF 16-80mm is below.

The camera immediately felt like a mini Fujifilm X-T4 with its grip and fully articulating screen. The unmarked dials look sleek and are of good quality. The grip is deep but not that tall, meaning it felt natural to just have two fingers resting on it. There is room for three fingers but only just.

A scooter parked in the West End of Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-S10 — West End, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-S10, XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR @ f/5.6, 18mm

The 2.36m dot OLED EVF with 0.62x magnification worked fine for me and is an appropriate choice in this price category. It is good to know the Fujifilm X-S10 has the latest 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 image processor, meaning you have the fastest processor currently available and access to the latest Classic Neg. film simulation, a new favorite of mine.

Videographers, Youtubers, and vloggers will praise the 3" 1.04m dot vari-angle touchscreen. The Fujifilm X-S10 shoots 4K video at 30 fps. and full HD at 240 fps.

From a design point of view, I am not in awe of the Fujifilm X-S10. It looks and is functional but at the same time feels like a camera which in ways should have been bigger.

I realize this is highly subjective and so please take my comments with a grain of salt. On the other hand, I do not dislike it either.

Fujifilm X-S10 In Action

It was a wonderful day for street photography with sunshine reflecting from the tall buildings in the downtown core of Vancouver. I have said it before and will repeat it again. The IBIS is truly wonderful giving you a steady viewfinder, especially when shooting at longer focal lengths.

I shot aperture priority, and auto-ISO, and for quite a few captures I set my minimum allowed shutter speed to 1/40th of a second knowing the IBIS would take care of camera shake.

This, of course, does not work for street photography where you want to freeze the action but as seen in the frames shown below it can help to give you pretty cool results with blurred-out objects moving through the frame or for panned photos.

If you look closely 1/40s was not quite fast enough to keep the first shot steady.

I came upon a group practicing break dancing on the rink at Robson Square. The combination of the Fujifilm X-S10 and XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR did a good job of tracking the action. I shot a few frames at 8 fps. but mostly tried to time my shots in single-shot mode.

The three shots below are at 1/1000s, ISO 160, f/4mm 24mm, 1/2000s, ISO 160, f/4, 57mm, and 1/1000, ISO 160, f/4, 80mm.

Fujifilm X-S1 vs. X-E4

You often see Fujifilm photographers in one of two camps. They either prefer the rangefinder styling in cameras such as the X-Pro and X-E series or they lean towards the SLR-styled options such as the Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm X-T4, and Fujifilm X-S10.

The Fujifilm X-E4 and X-S10 for the most part share very similar specs and are only separated by $150.00 with the X-S10 being the more expensive camera.

The most important spec difference is the IBIS in the Fujifilm X-S10 and for many, this will be the deal-breaker. If you plan to shoot video, IBIS is crucial in getting stabilized footage.

While you can flip the screen 180 degrees for vlogging on the Fujifilm X-E4, the implementation of the fully articulating screen on the Fujifilm X-S10 is geared toward video shooters more so.

The Fujifilm X-E4 is slightly lighter, by 3.5 oz. / 100 g, and more compact. Battery life is also better. You should get around 460 frames on the X-E4 vs. 325 on the Fujifilm X-S10 according to specs. I suspect many will pick the X-E4 for the elegant design and while my heart says X-E4 my sense of logic says X-S10.

If interested, you can read my full X-E4 review here:

Fujifilm X-E4 - Review

A woman walk toward the entrance of the Vancouver Public Library. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-S10 — Downtown, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-S10, XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR @ f/6.4, 70mm

Fujifilm X-S10 vs. X-T4

At $1,699.00, the Fujifilm X-T4 is a significant step up compared to $999.00 for the Fujifilm X-S10 and while the two share many specs there are a few items that set the X-T4 apart and make it a choice more suitable for a working photographer over the X-S10.

The fully articulating LCD on the Fujifilm X-S10 shown with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR — The fully articulating screen on the Fujifilm X-S10 shown with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR

The build quality is a few notches above for the Fujifilm X-T4 and it features dual card slots which gives you a data safety net while shooting a gig. The Fujifilm X-T4 uses the new NP-W235 battery, good for 600 shots according to the specs and the camera is also weather-resistant.

The Fujifilm X-T4 features a 3.69m dot EVF with 0.75x magnification over the 2.36m dot 0.62x magnification for the X-S10. The LCD is also of a higher resolution at 1.62m dots vs. 1.04m for the X-S10.

If you are a working pro or an enthusiast demanding more from your gear, my recommendation is to leap for the Fujifilm X-T4.

If, however, you are looking for a great travel camera and have set a budget of around $1,000.00, there is little to complain about when it comes to the Fujifilm X-S10.

The two cameras share the same sensor and processing engine and it is great to have both options. The X-S10 may also serve well as a capable backup camera for the X-T4 for event shooters or for a video gig.

If interested, you can read my full Fujifilm X-T4 review here:

Fujifilm X-T4 Review

The Fujifilm X-S10 shown with articulating LCD hidden — To protect the LCD you can completely hide it on the X-S10

Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR on the X-S10

My test camera came with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR and I am glad it did as it gave me a second chance to try this lens out. I reviewed it about a year ago with my Fujifilm X-Pro2 so it was nice to try it also with the X-Trans IV sensor featured in the X-S10.

With the OIS in the lens and IBIS in the camera, you could only blame the photographer for shaken footage after too much coffee. Kidding aside it made for an exceptionally stabilized viewfinder.

The copy of the lens I tested a year ago was somewhat tight in the zoom mechanism. This copy did not have this issue and was very smooth.

I have a full review of the XF 16-80mm here if you are interested:

Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR - Review

Robson Square, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-S10, XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR @ f/8, 80mm

Fujifilm X-S10 Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-S10 is a solid mid-range option in the Fujifilm X Series featuring the latest sensor and image processor. Add to this IBIS for stills or video in a very compact and lightweight package. Further to this, you have a decent size grip which is great for working with larger lenses.

If you plan to pair the Fujifilm X-S10 with prime lenses the IBIS will open new territory as most XF prime lenses do not have stabilization. I for one would enjoy this, especially with my XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.

As mentioned above my only reservation with the Fujifilm X-S10 should be careful consideration as to whether the X-S10 is the right camera if you intend to use it for professional work. In such a case, the Fujifilm X-T4 may be the better option if your budget allows it.

This should, however, not take away from the fact that the Fujifilm X-S10 in its own right is a solid performer, at a much lower price point.

Pros

Light and portable but packs a lot of punch under the hood
IBIS, built-in image stabilization
4K video at 30 fps and full HD at 240 fps
Vari-Angle Touchscreen

Cons

Hard to really find cons as the X-S10 represents good value for money spent

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so, at no additional cost, by using the affiliate link below. A small commission goes to us and helps us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.

Check the current price at B&H Photo

Fujifilm X-S10 - B&H Photo

Thank you for being supportive.

Fujifilm X-S10 Sample Images

Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Capture One and I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos, namely Classic Neg. and Acros.

Please click to view larger photos.