Introduction

_[Editor's Note: This is a first impressions review. For a comprehensive, hands-on analysis complete with test results, scores, and comparisons, check out our full X10 review

Fujifilm has had a heck of a year, releasing a handful of well-received superzooms (the HS20EXR and F550EXR/F600EXR) and a headline-grabbing prosumer compact, the X100. None of these have been perfect—actually, most of them have had serious flaws—but they've all earned a loyal following by doing things a little bit differently than any of the industry's heavy hitters.

They promised us more X-series cameras in the vein of the X100, and they delivered the X10, an advanced compact in the style and price range of enthusiast darlings like the Canon G12 and Nikon P7100. It's basically a pared-down version of the X100, with a smaller sensor and more conventional viewfinder. But at half the cost (and what Fujifilm promises to be a more reliable supply chain), it's poised to make a dent in the high-end point-and-shoot market, filling a gap for a charming, old-school, fixed-lens rangefinder-esque shooter that none of photography's big names have yet attempted to fill—if it lives up to its photographic potential, that is.

We had the chance to play around with the X10 for a few minutes at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York this week, so read on to see our first impressions.