Classic looks, high price

There are point-and-shoot cameras and then, there are really expensive point-and-shoot cameras. The Fujifilm X10 falls in the latter category, but has some really interesting features.

Design and Build Quality
Boasting a retro design, the X10 is made of metal and dressed in leather all over with a black finish. The handgrip helps handle the camera with ease. Considering its width and weight, this camera cannot be carried in a trouser pocket. The face of the camera is quite minimal in terms of basic features, such as the zoom lens — it only has a 4x lens. It also includes an optical viewfinder, AF assist and a toggle switch to focus. There are eight buttons located at the back, apart from the buttons for the four-way navigational pad. There are two scroll wheels to navigate through the settings and a spring-loaded toggle switch for flash. The other design feature at the back is the optical viewfinder, which has a soft plastic finish.

Features
The camera is packed with a number of features. The main one being the retro styling. But, there is nothing retro about the technology used in this optical viewfinder as a range finder has been added to it. The camera features a 12.0 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor with the sensor size measuring at 2/3-inch. This sensor size is larger than standard compact camera sensors, but smaller than a standard DSLR camera. Due to its 12 MP sensor, images can be printed on large format papers. The camera features a 4x optical zoom lens that ranges from 28mm wide angle to 112mm telephoto.

The ISO sensitivity of this point-and-shoot ranges from 100-3200. The widest aperture found in it is F/2.0 which allows more light to enter the lens. Low-light performance should be a bit better than standard point-and-shoot cameras. Videos can be recorded at a maximum resolution of 1080p with stereo sound. The camera also has the ability to capture images while video recording, which is becoming a common feature in cameras, nowadays.

Performance
The Fujifilm is no run-of-the-mill point-and-shoot camera. The camera, when turned clockwise, would lead one to expect that it would be powered on instantly, unfortunately this is not the case. The time it takes to start varies, at times it taking close to five seconds. This is a major setback for those wanting to capture images quickly while travelling or for any other reasons.

While looking through the viewfinder, the images appear bright and colours appear natural. However, what we did not like is the fact that the composition of the image is off. We faced no problems, while handling the camera as the textured surface helps to a very large extent. So does the fact that the camera has a small handgrip in the front. Clicking pictures with a single hand is possible, though it is a bit on the heavier side.

What we like
* Classic retro design
* Customisable features

What we don't
* Low focus point
* Not easy to handle

Verdict
The Fujifilm X10 is available in India for R39,999 and is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras. It has customisable features and offers great image quality. The focus points of the optical viewfinder are not good. One would need to play around with the camera. Lastly, this camera is not as easy to use and it would take some time to get familiar with it.