Introduction

It's been a strong year for Fujifilm. They've launched a number of well-received higher-end shooters, including the HS20EXR and F600EXR long zooms, and especially the X100 premium compact. They've all had some pretty notable flaws, but each has earned a loyal fan base by following a different path than any of the bigger names in the industry.

The X10 is Fuji's latest attempt at the enthusiast photographer market. It's basically a pared-down version of the X100, offering similar styling and design as its elder sibling, but with a much more palatable price tag. Meant to compete directly with the Canon G12 and Nikon P7100 prosumer compacts, the X10 is a retro-fied, rangefinder-esque take on this niche genre.

Good looks don't matter if the X10 turns out to be a well-designed paperweight, but Fujifilm did a great job putting together a well-rounded, highly capable advanced compact camera. Read on to see how they did it.