Fujifilm X-A10 Review

May 25, 2017 | Amy Davies | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-A10 is a new interchangeable lens camera which sits at the budget end of Fujifilm’s X-range. The “A” in its name denotes that it’s in the beginner line-up, with it sitting below the X-A3. This camera is available as a cheaper version of the X-A3, and as such, the specifications aren’t quite as good. It features a 16.3 megapixel sensor, compared with the 24 megapixel device of the X-A3. It features the Fujifilm X mount, and is available to buy as part of a kit with the XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. This is a cheaper kit lens than the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens you can find with Fujifilm’s more advanced cameras, like the X-T2, but it’s the same one you can buy with the X-A3. Other features include a tilting screen, which, in another difference from the X-A3, is not touch-sensitive. There’s also no hotshoe for attaching external accessories, but there is an inbuilt flash. Inbuilt Wi-Fi, Full HD video recording, and manual and semi-automatic exposure modes round out the specifications for the X-A10. The Fujifilm X-A10 is available to buy for around £499 / $499, including the 16-50mm lens, making it around £50 cheaper than the X-A3.

Ease of Use

Outwardly, the Fujifilm X-A10 shares the same kind of look as other cameras in Fuji’s X-range of cameras. That means it has retro styling, especially if you go for the silver and black version we were provided for review. The feel is a little cheaper though, being a touch on the plasticky side, giving away that this is a model designed for entry-level users and is on the budget end of Fujifilm’s scale.

The body of the X-A10 is small, and we’ve been using it with the XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. The overall look is arguably a little unbalanced, especially when the zoom lens is zoomed to its full capacity. There’s no viewfinder on the top of the camera, which may have helped to create a better overall balanced look.

Fujifilm X-A10
Front of the Fujifilm X-A10

Unlike with the X-A3, Fuji’s other entry-level mirrorless camera, there’s no hotshoe on the top of this camera. That means if you like viewfinders, there’s no option to add an optional one. There’s also no way to add other accessories, such as a flash, highlighting the intended beginner audience for this camera.

On the top of the Fujifilm X-A10 is a mode dial which features the different exposure options available. This includes a range of automatic and scene options, as well as full manual and semi-automatic (aperture priority and shutter priority) modes for those who want to make more advanced changes.

Also on the top of the camera is the on/off switch, which surrounds the camera’s shutter release. There’s a reasonably large dial which controls different functions depending on what you’re doing with the camera. For example, if you’re in aperture priority, it alters exposure compensation, but if you’re in manual mode it adjusts shutter speed. It’s also used in playback to scroll through your images.

Fujifilm X-A10
Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10

A customisable small function button is found just in front of the dial. You can assign a variety of functions to this button, depending on what you see fit. By default, it controls ISO in shooting mode, and accesses the Wi-Fi settings in playback.

The Fujifilm X-A10’s inbuilt flash is housed on the top of the camera, with a switch at the side to raise it from the body of the camera. Because of its position, if you’re using the 16-50mm kit lens, especially with the lens hood, you might find that a shadow is cast on your images. You can help to reduce that image by zooming in to the subject, and removing the lens hood.

Flipping to the back of the Fujifilm X-A10 and you’ll find a tilting LCD screen. This can face all the way forwards, and pulls out from its hinges so you can have a clear view of the whole screen. It’s ideal for selfies, and the view flips over to be the right way up when facing forward. When you face the screen forward, face detection automatically switches on and the focusing will look for faces and eyes. Unlike with the X-A3, the screen is not touch-sensitive, which is a shame.

Fujifilm X-A10
Tilting LCD Screen

All of the X-A10’s buttons can be found on the right hand side of the camera, which makes it simple to change settings when holding the camera one-handed. There’s a small scrolling dial found just above the thumb rest, which like the larger dial on top of the camera changes function depending on what you’re doing. In aperture priority, it allows you to change the aperture.

Underneath this dial we have a fairly familiar set up. There’s a four way navigational pad, with each of the buttons having a specific function assigned to it. Down controls drive mode, left activates the self-timer, right controls white balance, while up is used to access changing the AF point. You’ll need to do this since there’s no touchscreen or joystick to give you direct control over AF point. In the middle of the four-way pad is a menu button, for accessing the camera’s main menu.

A Q button gives you quick access to a range of commonly used settings, saving you having to delve into the main menu. Here you’ll find options such as ISO, film simulation, image quality and more. You can customise this menu to add or remove functions as you see which, depending on what you use most or use least.

Fujifilm X-A10
The Fujifilm X-A10 In-hand

The final three buttons are a playback button, a video record button and a display button. On the side of the Fujifilm X-A10 are mini HDMI and micro USB ports. The battery is charged in-camera, via the micro USB cable which is supplied in the box. The battery and memory card slot are found in the bottom of the camera, guarded by a hinged door.

Inbuilt Wi-Fi is included for the Fujifilm X-A10, with a free companion app for Android and iOS. The camera connects very quickly with a phone, and the app is extremely easy and quick to use. You can transfer shots over to your phone for quick sharing online, as well as take control of some key functions - that could make it useful for group shots and so on.

Autofocusing speeds are quick when using the Fujifilm X-A10 in bright light. In lower light conditions, the camera takes a little longer to acquire focus, but it’s extremely rare for a false confirmation of focus to be displayed.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 8Mb.

As we’ve come to expect, images straight from the Fujifilm X-A10 are warm and nicely saturated, displaying a pleasing colour that is characteristic of Fuji cameras. The colours in raw format images are noticeably more muted, giving you the opportunity to edit them as you see fit.

There’s also a pleasing amount of detail visible, throughout the sensitivity range. If you examine images taken at ISO 3200 at 100%, it’s clear to see some image smoothing taking place. That effect is amplified when shooting at ISO 6400, but at these high speeds, the overall impression of detail when looking at normal printing and web sizes is very good.

Noise is also well controlled throughout the sensitivity range. In raw images taken at high sensitivity settings, you can see more noise, but there’s also more detail - this gives you good scope to apply your own noise reduction in post processing depending on the kind of balance you want to achieve.

There are high ISO settings of ISO 12800 and ISO 25600 in JPEG only, but it’s best to avoid these unless you’re desperate to get the shot and it’s very dark. In these images, detail is less pronounced, while noise is more problematic.

Most of the time all-purpose metering (known as Multi Photometry on Fujifilm cameras) does a good job of creating balanced exposures. On occasion however, when faced with high contrast situations, you might find that areas of the image are blown out - switching to spot metering can help with that.

Automatic white balance copes well with a variety of lighting conditions, producing images which are ever so slightly on the warm side under artificial lights. Although the effect may not be 100% faithful, it’s also arguably more pleasing than an overly cold image. Again, switching your white balance mode can help to produce a more accurate image if that’s what you would prefer.

The XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens is a good one to get you started with, and you can achieve some very nice results. If you’re interested in shallow depth of field effects, you may want to consider investing in a prime lens which offers a wider aperture, but the kit lens is a good walk around option.

Using the different film simulation modes is a good idea if you want to experiment with colour. The standard setting (Provia) is a good option for most subjects, while the Velvia setting works well when you want to boost saturation. The Classic Chrome option gives a lovely filmic feel, while the Black and White option is also going to be favoured by many. The good thing about these is that you can shoot in raw format, giving you the option to go back to a normal colour image should you need it.

Noise

There are 8 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm X-A10 for JPEGs and RAW files. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW files.

JPEG RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

 
iso100.jpg  
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

 
iso12800.jpg  
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

 
iso25600.jpg  

Flash

The flash settings on the Fujifilm X-A10 are Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction Auto, Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash and Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle

Flash Off - Wide Angle

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash On - Telephoto

Flash On - Telephoto

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots.

Flash On

flash_on.jpg
 

Flash Redeye Reduction

flash_redeye.jpg

Night

The Fujifilm X-A10's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual mode, and there's a Bulb mode which allows exposures up to 60 minutes long, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 30 seconds at ISO 200.

Night

night.jpg

Film Simulation

The Fujifilm X-A10 offers 6 different film simulation modes to help replicate the look of your favourite film stock from the past.

Provia / Standard

Velvia / Vivid

FilmSimulation1-StandardProvia.JPG FilmSimulation2-Velvia.jpg
   

Astia / Soft

Classic Chrome

FilmSimulation3-Astia.jpg FilmSimulation4-ClassicChrome.jpg

B&W

Sepia

FilmSimulation5-BlackWhite.jpg FilmSimulation6-Sepia.jpg

Advanced Filters

The Fujifilm X-A10 offers 10 different filter effects which can be previewed on the LCD screen.

Toy Camera

Miniature

AdvancedMode1-ToyCamera.jpg AdvancedMode2-Miniature.jpg
   

Pop Color

High-Key

AdvancedMode3-PopColor.jpg AdvancedMode4-HighKey.jpg
   

Low-Key

Dynamic Tone

AdvancedMode5-LowKey.jpg AdvancedMode6-Dynamic.jpg
   

Fish-eye

Soft

AdvancedMode7-FishEye.jpg AdvancedMode8-Soft.jpg
   

Cross Screen

Partial Color (Green)

AdvancedMode9-CrossScreem.jpg AdvancedMode10-SelectiveColorGreen.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Fujifilm X-A10 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Fujifilm Finepix X-A10 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Fujifilm RAW (RAF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 18 second movie is 85.7Mb in size.

Product Images

Fujifilm X-A10

Front of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Side of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Side of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10 / Image Displayed

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10 / Turned On

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10 / Main Menu

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10 / Quick Menu

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Rear of the Fujifilm X-A10 / Quick Menu

 

Fujifilm X-A10

Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Top of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Bottom of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Side of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Side of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Front of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Front of the Fujifilm X-A10

 
Fujifilm X-A10

Memory Card Slot / Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-A10 is a good option for those who are interested in the Fuji ecosystem but are either beginners, or don’t have the budget for some of the more higher-end X-series cameras. 

Although a more basic offering, it’s got enough advanced features to make it a good camera to learn with. This includes a range of manual and semi-automatic modes, as well as the ability to shoot in raw format. That said, there’s also enough features missing to frustrate the more advanced user - such as the lack of a viewfinder. 

It’s also a shame that the screen isn’t touch-sensitive, to allow you to quickly change the autofocus point. While it’s great that you can tilt it for selfies, changing the AF point is a little more laborious than we’d like. 

Image quality is great, with the large APS-C sized sensor doing a good job of producing warm, vibrant and well-detailed lenses. The 16-50mm kit lens is a good lens to get started with, covering a decent range of focal lengths. You may find you want to upgrade to a better lens at some point, with a good range of options available for the Fuji X mount now. 

Inbuilt Wi-Fi is a pretty standard feature, but it is implemented well here, with an easy-to-use companion app. Full HD video recording is starting to become old hat compared with 4K video recording, but, for someone who just takes the occasional movie, the provision is more than enough. 

The X-A10 is Fuji’s cheapest X series camera, currently retailing for around £499 with the 16-50mm kit lens. While that’s not super cheap for a compact system camera, it is a good price for a Fujifilm, and gets you in the ecosystem at a reasonable price point. That said, for less than £50 more, you could buy the X-A3, which comes with a higher resolution sensor, a touch-sensitive screen and a hotshoe for adding accessories. 

Overall, the Fujifilm X-A10 is a great little camera for those just starting out, but you can perhaps get more value for money by plumping for the slightly more expensive X-A3, or indeed, something from a different brand altogether. 

4 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 4
Value for money 3.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Fujifilm X-A10.

Canon EOS M10

The Canon EOS M10 is an entry-level compact system camera that offers 18 megapixels, 1080p high-definition videos, simple controls and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M10 include a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, ISO range of 100-25,600, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and a built-in flash. Is Canon's new mirrorless model perfectly suited to its beginner target audience? Read our Canon EOS M10 review to find out...

Fujifilm X-A3

The Fujifilm X-A3 is the most affordable Fujifilm compact system camera in their extensive range, but is it any good? Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-A3 review now to find out...

Olympus E-PL8

The Olympus E-PL8 is a new entry-level compact system camera. The EPL8 boasts a 3 inch 180-degree tilting LCD display, full 1080p HD movies, and an extensive range of creative filters. Read our in-depth Olympus E-PL8 review to find out if it's worth the $649 / £499 asking price...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80 is a new mid-range compact system camera. With a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor with no optical low pass filter, new dual 5-axis image stabilization, built-in electronic viewfinder, 3 inch tilting LCD touchscreen, 4K video and photo modes, and integrated wi-fi connectivity, can the Panasonic GX80 live up to its early promise? Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80 review complete with sample images, test shots, videos and more to find out...

Sony A5100

The Sony A5100 is an exciting new mid-range compact system camera. The Sony A5100 certainly packs quite a punch, featuring a 24 megapixel APS-C sensor, Fast Hybrid AF system, 1080p HD movies with XAVC S support, 3 inch tilting touch-screen, 6fps burst shooting, built-in wif-fi/NFC connectivity, and a pop-up flash. Read our in-depth Sony A5100 review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files and movies...

Specifications

Number of effective pixels 16.3 million pixels
Image sensor 23.6mm x 15.6mm (APS-C) CMOS with primary color filter
Sensor Cleaning system
Ultra Sonic Vibration
Storage media SD Card (-2G) / SDHC Card (-32G) / SDXC Card (-256G) UHS-I*1
File format
Still image
JPEG (Exif Ver 2.3)*2 / RAW (RAF format) / RAW+JPEG (Design rule for Camera File system compliant / DPOF-compatible)
Movie
Movie File Format: MOV
Movie Video Compression: H.264
Audio: Linear PCM Stereo
Number of recorded pixels L: (3:2) 4896x3264 / (16:9) 4896x2760 / (1:1) 3264×3264
M: (3:2) 3456x2304 / (16:9) 3456x1944 / (1:1) 2304×2304
S: (3:2) 2496x1664 / (16:9) 2496x1408 / (1:1) 1664×1664
<Motion Panorama>
180°: Vertical: 2160 x 9600 / Horizontal: 9600 x 1440
120°: Vertical: 2160 x 6400 / Horizontal: 6400 x 1440
Lens mount FUJIFILM X mount
Sensitivity Standard Output Sensitivity : AUTO1 / AUTO2 / AUTO3(up to ISO6400) / ISO200 to 6400(1/3 step)
Extended output sensitivity : ISO100 / 12800 / 25600
Exposure control TTL 256-zone metering, Multi / Spot / Average
Exposure mode P(Program AE) / A(Aperture Priority AE) / S(Shutter Speed Priority AE) / M(Manual Exposure)
Exposure compensation -3.0EV - +3.0EV, 1/3EV step
(movie recording : -2.0EV - +2.0EV)
Image Stabilizer Supported with OIS type lens
Face detection Yes
Eye detection Yes
Shutter type Focal Plane Shutter
Shutter speed
Mechanical Shutter
4 sec. to 1/4000 sec.(P mode), 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.(All modes)
Bulb mode(up to 60 min), TIME : 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.
Electronic Shutter*3
1 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(P / A / S / M modes)
Bulb mode : 1 sec. fixed, TIME : 1 sec to 1/32000 sec.
Mechanical + Electronic Shutter
4 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(P mode), 30 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(All modes)
Bulb mode(up to 60 min), TIME : 30 sec. to 1/32000 sec.
Synchronized shutter speed for flash
1/180 sec. or slower
Continuous shooting Approx. 6.0 fps (JPEG : max. approx. 20 frames)
Approx. 3.0 fps (JPEG : up to the capacity of the card)
  • * Recordable frame number may vary depending on the type of memory card used.
  • * The frame rate varies with shooting condition and the number of images recorded.
Auto bracketing AE Bracketing (±1/3EV, ±2/3EV, ±1EV)
Film Simulation Bracketing (Any 3 types of film simulation selectable)
Dynamic Range Bracketing (100% · 200% · 400%)
ISO sensitivity Bracketing (±1/3EV, ±2/3EV, ±1EV)
White Balance Bracketing (±1, ±2, ±3)
Focus
Mode
Manual Focus/ Multi AF / Area AF / Continuous AF / Tracking AF
Type
TTL contrast AF, AF assist illuminator available
AF frame selection
Area AF (49 areas with 7 x 7), Changeable AF frame size
White balance Automatic Scene recognition / Custom / Color temperature selection (2500K-10000K) / Preset: Fine,Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White),Incandescent light, Underwater
Self-timer 2sec. / 10sec. / Smile / Buddy (LV.1 - LV.3) / Group (1-4 subjects)
Flash Manual pop-up flash (Super Intelligent Flash)
Guide number : Approx 5 (ISO100・m) / Approx 7 (ISO200・m)
Flash modes
Red-eye removal OFF
Auto/Forced Flash/Suppressed Flash/Slow Synchro/Rear-curtain Synchro/Commander
Red-eye removal ON
Red-eye Reduction Auto/Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash/Suppressed Flash/ Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro/Red-eye Reduction & Rear-curtain Synchro/Commander
  • * Red-eye removal is active when Face Detection is set to ON.
Hot shoe No
LCD monitor 3.0-inch, aspect ratio 3:2, approx. 1,040K-dot Tilt-type, TFT color LCD monitor (approx. 100% coverage)
Movie recording Full HD 1920 x 1080 30p / 25p / 24p, Continuous recording : up to approx. 14 min.
HD 1280 x 720 60p / 50p / 24p, Continuous recording : up to approx. 27 min.
  • * Use a card with SD Speed Class with class 10 or higher
Mode dial Advanced SR AUTO / P / S / A / M / C(Custom) / Night / Sports / Landscape / Portrait Enhancer / SP(Scene Position) / Adv.
Film Simulation mode 6 type (PROVIA/STANDARD, Velvia/VIVID, ASTIA/SOFT, CLASSIC CHROME, MONOCHROME, SEPIA)
Dynamic range setting AUTO, 100%, 200%, 400%
ISO restriction (DR100%: No limit, DR200%: ISO400 or more, DR400%: ISO800 or more)
Advanced filter Toy camera, Miniature, Pop color, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Fish-eye, Soft focus, Cross screen, Partial color (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)
Touch screen No
Other photography functions Advanced SR AUTO, Eye detection AF, Face Detection, Interval timer shooting, Auto Red-eye Removal, Select custom setting, Motion panorama, Color space, Setting (Color, Sharpness, D-range, Gradation), Film Simulation, Advanced Filter, Framing guideline, Frame No. memory, Histogram display, Preview depth of focus, Focus check, Focus Peak Highlight, Multiple exposure, Fn button setting, ISO AUTO control, Interlock spot AE & Focus area, Edit/Save quick menu, Preview exp./WB in manual mode, Shutter Type
Playback functions RAW conversion, Image rotate, Auto image rotate, Face Detection, Red-eye reduction, Photobook assist, Erase selected frames, Multi-frame playback (with micro thumbnail), Slide show, Protect, Crop, Resize, Panorama, Favorites
Wireless transmitter
Standard
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (standard wireless protocol)
Access mode
Infrastructure
Wireless functions Geotagging setup, Image transfer (Individual image/Selected multiple images), View & Obtain Images, PC Autosave, instax Printer Print
Other functions 35 Languages, Date/Time, Time difference, Sound & Flash OFF, Quick start Mode, High Performance, Preview exp. in Manual mode, LCD Brightness, LCD Color, Preview Pic. Effect, DISP. Custom Setting
Terminal
Video output
-
Digital interface
USB 2.0 High-Speed / micro USB terminal
* connectable with Remote Release RR-90 (sold separately)
HDMI output
HDMI Micro connector (Type D)
Power supply NP-W126S Li-ion battery (included)
Dimensions 116.9(W) mm x 67.4 (H) mm x 40.4(D) mm / 4.6 in.(W) x 2.7 in. (H) x 1.6 in. (D)
(Minimum depth: 32.1 mm/ 1.3 in.)
Weight Approx. 331g / 11.7 oz. (including battery and memory card)
Approx. 282g / 9.9 oz. (excluding accessories, battery and memory card)
Operating Temperature 0 - 40°C / 32 - 104°F
Operating Humidity 10 - 80% (no condensation)
Battery life for still images*4 Approx. 410 frames (with XF35mmF1.4 R lens)
Starting up period Approx. 0.7 sec., when High Performance mode set to ON
Approx. 1.3 sec., when High Performance mode set to OFF
  • * Fujifilm research
Accessories included Li-ion battery NP-W126S
AC power adapter AC-5VF
Plug Adapter
USB cable
Shoulder strap
Body cap
Owner's manual

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