£300 compact.

[AESamuel]

Hey,

I'm currently using a fujifilm x10 which I really like but I would like something a bit more pocket-friendly and I have a budget of about £300.

I was thinking maybe the fujifilm XF-1 as it is virtually the same camera as the x10 but minus the viewfinder.

Before I jump the gun, are there any other compacts I should be looking at in that price range that will produce as good results as the xf1?

Cheers.

 

[Nod]

I have both the X-10 and the XF-1. If I was forced to get rid of one of them, it would be the X-10 that went. The XF-1 is marginally faster at the wide end (f/1.8 rather than f/2) but slower at the long end and is also slightly wider at 25mm than the X-10's 28mm (both in 35mm equivalent FLs). The VF on the X-10 is (IMO) nowhere near perfect - it doesn't show the exact framing or carry any exposure information, so I very rarely use it, adopting the arms' length pose that is now necessitated by mild long sightedness! The imminent X-20 will apparently have in-VF info and could be worth waiting for, although it's likely to be rather over your budget (at launch). Prices will drop and examples will appear in Fuji's refurb shop, I'm sure.

I originally went shopping for a small, one lens camera with either the X-10 or possibly a Nikon 1 series + one lens in mind but neither of those options fit in my shirt pocket - the XF-1 fits perfectly! As you're aware, they share guts and differ in few aspects, both giving very good results. Interestingly, I posted an example from each, taken in as close as possible the same conditions (ie within a minute of each other and of the same subject) in the X-10 thread and the general concensus seemed to be that the XF-1's result was marginally better, although both were very good.

The XF-1's also better looking IMO!!!