Digital Cameras Guide
Image Performance I - One Bright Lens
Image Performance I - One Bright Lens
The Fujifilm X10 currently has the largest sensor among compact cameras, larger than its closest rival the Canon PowerShot S100 (see chart below). Generally speaking, the larger the sensor size, the better the image quality, and in this regard the X10 certainly doesn't disappoint.
You'll certainly enjoy the images you get out of the X10, especially with its bright f/2 (W)-f/2.8(T) lens, which will give you the beautiful background blur you usually won't get with compact cameras. Most compact cameras today will offer at least 5x optical zoom though, so you might find the X10's 4x optical zoom wanting. But to put that into perspective, most entry-level DSLR cameras come with an 18-55mm kit lens, which is roughly 27-80mm in 35mm equivalent. The X10's focal length is the 35mm equivalent of 28-112mm, so it actually gets you a further zoom than the kit lens.
| Fujifilm X10 | Canon S100 | Olympus XZ-1 | Samsung EX-1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optical Zoom | 4x | 5x | 4x | 3x |
| Focal Length (35mm equivalent) | 28-112mm | 24-120mm | 28-112mm | 24-72mm |
| Aperture | f/2(W)-f/2.8(T) | f/2(W)- f/5.9(T) | f/1.8(W)-f/2.5(T) | f/1.8(W)-f/2.4(T) |
Shooting with the X10's Bright Lens
The Fujifilm X10 comes with a 'bright' or 'fast' lens, which refers to its wide aperture. A wide aperture simply means that the camera lens can be opened wide. It's often called a bright or fast lens because the wider a lens can open, the more light it can capture. Thus it can shoot at a faster shutter speed, needing less time to capture the same scene, as compared to a camera with a smaller aperture opening, which needs to leave the shutter open for longer because it lets less light in.
It means that you'll get a better chance of getting a steady shot in low light as compared to cameras with slower lenses, as you'll reduce the chance of camera shake from holding the camera for too long. It also means that you'll get a pleasing background blur effect when you shoot at the widest aperture settings (the lower the number, the wider the aperture, i.e. f/2 is wider than f/8).
The X10's background blur won't compare to the background blur you'll get from a full-frame DSLR camera, but it's pleasing nonetheless, and a great option to have with a compact camera. See for yourself.
