The Official Fuji X10/X20/X30/XF1/XQ1 Thread


boat pano by petercastleton, on Flickr

Hi folks, just back from Thailand. Some you may remember my trepidation a few weeks back before I went about not taking the DSLR. Our trip meant touring Thailand a fair bit, moving on every couple of days and lugging our own kit sometimes and I knew the DSLR and several lenses would be a bit of a liability. Well my resolve held and I only took the X10. I can report this is a great travel camera. Discrete, easy to use and I found the viewfinder indispensible in strong light. I usually shoot RAW and apeture or shutter priority and I did shoot some RAW images but most of the time shot in jpeg and auto EXR. This allowed me to concentrate on getting the shot in busy or time limited locations and situations. Looking at the metadata for the EXR images I am reassured the camera is generally making good exposure decisions. I have grown familiar and fond of the solid feel of the camera in my hand. I even sniff it sometimes as its metal smell reminds my of old Dinky cars I had as a kid! The lens zoom has developed a little squeak as I think any lube will have evaporated in the extreme hot/humid/dry conditions out there(can it be lubed somehow?).

The IQ is generally good enough under low light conditions and very good under ideal bright light conditions. I'm not really a pixel peeper but would have to acknowledge the DSLR would have done better on a number of occasions, but for this trip the X10's simplicity outweighed any IQ issues in terms of gear to lug around. Here's a link to more Thai images on my Flickr account. Any comments or feedback welcome as ever:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petercastleton/sets/72157633263758836/
 
wibbly said:
Really nice Tom, number 1 is a cracker! (y)

You're obviously getting to grips with it well enough... I had one delivered today, initial impressions are it's very nice and very capable - I just need to learn to use it! It seems very different from a Canon DSLR :D
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I'm coming from a Canon DSLR myself and attest that it is quite different but it's also fun to re-learn with! :D I've been re-learning for about a week or so and there are still so many things I feel I should integrate into what I do when I use this little beauty. (I have an X20 and I heard it's not much different from the X10.)

Enjoy shooting with your new toy! :)
 
purplbutrfly said:
Enjoy shooting with your new toy! :)
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Thanks Chie (y)

Has anyone seen the Official Guide to the X10 from Fuji available for the iPad in the app Store? Just search for "X10 Guide EN"

I downloaded it last night and had a look through and it's a lot clearer than the official manual :LOL:
 
petercastleton said:
Hi folks, just back from Thailand. Some you may remember my trepidation a few weeks back before I went about not taking the DSLR. Our trip meant touring Thailand a fair bit, moving on every couple of days and lugging our own kit sometimes and I knew the DSLR and several lenses would be a bit of a liability. Well my resolve held and I only took the X10. I can report this is a great travel camera. Discrete, easy to use and I found the viewfinder indispensible in strong light. I usually shoot RAW and apeture or shutter priority and I did shoot some RAW images but most of the time shot in jpeg and auto EXR. This allowed me to concentrate on getting the shot in busy or time limited locations and situations. Looking at the metadata for the EXR images I am reassured the camera is generally making good exposure decisions. I have grown familiar and fond of the solid feel of the camera in my hand. I even sniff it sometimes as its metal smell reminds my of old Dinky cars I had as a kid! The lens zoom has developed a little squeak as I think any lube will have evaporated in the extreme hot/humid/dry conditions out there(can it be lubed somehow?).

The IQ is generally good enough under low light conditions and very good under ideal bright light conditions. I'm not really a pixel peeper but would have to acknowledge the DSLR would have done better on a number of occasions, but for this trip the X10's simplicity outweighed any IQ issues in terms of gear to lug around. Here's a link to more Thai images on my Flickr account. Any comments or feedback welcome as ever:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petercastleton/sets/72157633263758836/
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That certainly looked like a great holiday. Browsing through the pictures made me yearn. Who knows, perhaps in the near future...

Some interesting pictures from interesting angles (e.g. the waiting hall at the train station). Also, very nice colours; some of the temple shots are really pretty. I did notice, however, that some pictures are a little unsharp. You mentioned that most/all were taken in EXR-mode. I guess that could explain the bit of blur in some of them; EXR-mode isn't the best of choices when taking pictures street photography style, or when on the move. S-priority might have worked better.

Thanks for sharing those photos, Peter!
 
petercastleton.

Peter, that Flickr set is not to be sniffed at :LOL:, or as they say in my neck of the woods “thees sum bosters in that lot”. I loved the outboard motor shot and the first one of the boat with the rocks in the distance. I think the landscape orientation suits it the best, the colour is great, was it evening or morning? It looks like you had a good time, thanks for sharing.
I like looking at people’s holiday pictures; I always think it’s as if they are sharing out their feel good being.
I remember being at a friends house after he had returned from a winters Trans Siberian rail trip. “Would you like to see my slides Rhodese,” he asks “sure” says I, three hours and a bottle of Russian vodka later it all became too much, “time for bed “said Zebedee. (y)
Rhodese.
 
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thanks chaps, thoughts and comments appreciated. Some of the images are on the soft side and I know in some circumstances I should have taken control. The issue for me is often balancing enjoying a special time with documenting and getting the feel of it in a photograph without the camera getting between you (and others) and the experience. I definitely sacrificed some images and IQ in order to enjoy and experience what was a special time rather than lugging gear and constantly thinking about image exposure.
 
Help please?.............read in the thread somewhere regarding Program mode not working?.......not being able to change settings due to a setting somewhere? and that once this is changed it will work etc....................for the life of me I cant remember what it was and would like to explore this the weekend. Grateful for any help. Thanks.
 
simo said:
Help please?.............read in the thread somewhere regarding Program mode not working?.......not being able to change settings due to a setting somewhere? and that once this is changed it will work etc....................for the life of me I cant remember what it was and would like to explore this the weekend. Grateful for any help. Thanks.
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Think I have solved the issue now, to get the P mode to actually work you can't be in auto dynamic range OR auto ISO mode.
 
Yes the auto ISO thing catches me every time. Not quite sure why as I can't change the ISO in the middle of a film! But I think you can adjust things with P mode when auto-DR is on; that's a different area?

Also, I think P mode is a better "auto" than EXR mode, as it gives you more flexibility. But all AFAIK...
 
simo said:
Think I have solved the issue now, to get the P mode to actually work you can't be in auto dynamic range OR auto ISO mode.
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Thank you SO much! I'm a great believer in P mode (on my SLRs as well as my Fujis) but have recently found that it's been acting as plain auto with no shift facility. A quick peek at the relevant menu settings showed me that I'd set the DR to auto... on all 3 of the blighters! I'll stick with 200% set manually from now on and up it (or drop it) when necessary, I'd far rather have the creative control over shutter speed and/or aperture! I'd even resorted to A mode on the HS-30 while resigning myself to P being non-EXR auto on the little X compacts! (Hadn't quite got as far as consulting the manuals...)
 
As long as you're in M resolution (6 mp), then P mode gives more control and will pixel bin if you're using the auto-DR. AFAIK. I'm sure it says so in one of the earlier 209 pages! I'll also have a look in Alexander Knight's excellent book and come back if I find anything different. EXR mode turns off things you can control in P-mode...

He says P-mode "is the mode to use when you want to rely on the camera’s judgment about ex- posure, but still retain the ability to override that judgment to some extent, and to tweak many other settings to achieve the appearance you want for your images."

And later... "One way to look at Program mode is that it greatly expands the choices available through the Shooting menu. You will be able to make choices involving autofocus mode, picture quality, ISO sensitivity, film simulation, dynamic range, metering method, and others."

Later, independent of EXR mode, P-mode etc: "If Image Size is set to Medium or Small, then the EXR technology is available, and the camera can process images with low noise in low light or enhance the dynamic range using the special features of the EXR sensor."

I think the EXR thing is a camera function not a mode function, and EXR mode is badly named!

(Oh and whoever said that Program Shift doesn't work with Auto-DR is right, and I was wrong!)
 
One of the most useful controls on the camera IMHO is the exposure compensation dial. Knight says: "Exposure compensation is not available in a few shooting modes: Manual, EXR Auto, Auto, and the Fireworks setting of Scene Position mode."
 
DaveKing said:
Is there a patch that I can download to get Lightroom 3 to work with my X10?
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I've tried that myself: nothing that I have found got me anywhere near basic support for the X10's RAWs. Proper X10 RAW support is nigh non-existent, apart from SilkyPix. Only recently have Adobe and Apple released RAW support for the X20 (not X10!). LR 4.3/4.4 do support the X10 RAW format, but it's limited.

You could try alternative software, also with basic (meaning limited) support for the X10's RAW files: DarkTable (free of charge --unfortunately, only available on Linux (and Mac?)), Rawtherapee (free of charge --for Windows, Mac and Linux), or a recent version of LR (not free).

There's also the in-camera converter, which is often forgotten. The X10 sports a very handy (although somewhat limited in functionality) RAW converter. Definitely worth checking out!

After lots of trying, testing and frustration, I have settled for the following:
- M-size
- PASM
- DR400
- Auto ISO 1600
- RAW+JPG

That way, I can always reprocess a RAW file (in camera) if need be. I use DarkTable and/or Rawtherapee mostly to process my JPGs. The X10 JPGs seem to hold a lot of processing bandwidth, enough for (most) of my needs. But, like always, YMMV.
 
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ChrisR said:
One of the most useful controls on the camera IMHO is the exposure compensation dial. Knight says: "Exposure compensation is not available in a few shooting modes: Manual, EXR Auto, Auto, and the Fireworks setting of Scene Position mode."
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Thanks for clarifying Chris. The X10 can be a confusing little blighter for those of us just starting digital photography, and in the first week of ownership, I thought I'd made a bad mistake buying the thing. I found Alexander White's book a godsend after the bewildering Fuji manual, which for me, is "all help short of actual aid''.

Owners of the same or similar marque love to line their cars up for a photo, but how do you take it without disappearing backwards into the next parish? Old hat for some I expect, but I've found another use for the X10's panoramic function:


DSCF3812 by wylyeangler, on Flickr

This was a small line-up of Morgans at the classic car show on the Bath and West Showground yesterday, and reminded me of an old telly advert asking, "Which is the grandmother?" - I forget the product: cat food, women's cosmetics (no connection), or something. More than half a century spans the years of production of the depicted vehicles, but which is the 'grandmother'? I could confuse you by stating that Morgan three-wheelers, first manufactured in 1909, went out of production 40+ years later, and that four-wheelers came into being, I think, in 1936; but you will not be fooled by the style of the number plates. I'm always intrigued by the quirky products of the Malvern factory.

Pete

PS Dave, as long as you have a 64-bit operating system, you can update to LR 3.6 which includes the X10. I have found it of no use at all so far.

PPS Sorry Dave, might have got that wrong - certainly I couldn't update with XP 32-bit, but could with W7 64-bit. Might be possible therefore with W7 32-bit, but not worth the effort, I reckon.
 
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The granny in that group is the 4 wheeler - the 2 three wheelers are both the latest model S&S enginned variety. Was 1/2 tempted by a Mog but practicality won through; a 2+2 wouldn't be enough to get the MiL in the back and the 3 wheelers are just way too expensive for what they are (IMO).
 
Nod said:
The granny in that group is the 4 wheeler - the 2 three wheelers are both the latest model S&S enginned variety. Was 1/2 tempted by a Mog but practicality won through; a 2+2 wouldn't be enough to get the MiL in the back and the 3 wheelers are just way too expensive for what they are (IMO).
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Of course, you're right! As the owner of the same Morgan for 48 years, I agree with all that. (Mind you, at over 400 BHP per tonne, those 3-wheelers are right hooligans' cars, and must be fun!)

Pete
 
Not had a go in one yet. The place that sells Royal Enfields here also sells Morgans so I see the things whenever I take my bike in for stuff. Much as the idea of a Mog of some sort appeals, as I said above, practicality isn't their strong suit, although I'm sure they're a hell of a lot of fun! Dad always wanted a 3-wheeler but sadly died shortly before they went back into production although I doubt he would have paid the £30,000 or so for one.
 
Nod said:
Not had a go in one yet... Much as the idea of a Mog of some sort appeals, as I said above, practicality isn't their strong suit, although I'm sure they're a hell of a lot of fun...
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I turned down the offer of a spin in one (soon after they appeared) on the basis that I don't like to get interested in what I can't afford! What we regard as 'practical' changes with age - for the first 8 years or so of ownership, the Plus Four was my daily transport, including commuting. Now it is a plaything, worked on for fun, and taken out in good weather.

Pete
 
My other half has just sold her 1979 4/4 4 seater Mog; it's been great fun, but we are moving soon and it will pay the stamp duty. It's value appreciated since she bought it, which was nice.
 
I think I'm going 'all Fuji' very soon. My X10 and X100 have made me want to swap my Nikon and Canon stuff for the X-E1.

I forgot how great it is to shoot in B&W straight off the camera. Nothing special below, just a snap really from last night but there's something about B&W on the camera that I love.

My 18 month old daughter, Summer (staying up too late):


Summer X10 B&W 2 by Phall82, on Flickr

I'm also testing if I can add a photo on here just using my Google tablet. Not tried it before.
 
souldeep said:
skillz :clap:

Missing you all!
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About time we heard from you & there's me thinking you were on a looooong holiday & would be back soon with lots of your X10 work ;)

Good to see you are back & look forward to seeing more of your shots unless you are buying the DSLR you talked about, or an X20 (newish thread now for it on TP) or are you waiting for the X30 :eek:
 
More apologies for absence here too - been a mad busy few months, only had a few mins here and there for forum and the X10 was collecting dust. However, did a workshop yesterday and used the X10 as well as the D700, so will be adding a few pics from that later in the week. Need to have a long old catch up on this thread (y)
 
Piscator Pete said:
I turned down the offer of a spin in one (soon after they appeared) on the basis that I don't like to get interested in what I can't afford! What we regard as 'practical' changes with age - for the first 8 years or so of ownership, the Plus Four was my daily transport, including commuting. Now it is a plaything, worked on for fun, and taken out in good weather.

Pete
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I was very good this morning. Drove past the garage wot flogs 'em and there was the demonstrator just sitting there waiting for me to have a play! Unfortunately, I was on my way somewhere and didn't have time to stop in either direction. It would have been a pure tyre kicking exercise anyway (and I would be up front with them about the fact!) but the boss there does owe me a favour so might let me have a brief spin! Maybe after my first golf lesson next week... (Will take the X-10 just in case, will stop for a look if it's sunny anyway...)
 
Hmm, my wife has just taken early retirement from the NHS and has a nice fat lump sum coming any day now. I did show here a picture of a nice Plus 8 and mentioned it would be a good investment. I got a funny look:|, so I guess that was a no......

Allan
 
Can anyone help please.

Ive just discovered that with the focus selector in either AF-C or MF the camera behaves exactly as it does in AF-S. Its as though the switch is having no effect.

Is it possible Ive set something in Menu that may affect the operation? Or is this a job for the Fuji service centre.

Regards
Neil.
 
ManVan said:
Can anyone help please.

Ive just discovered that with the focus selector in either AF-C or MF the camera behaves exactly as it does in AF-S. Its as though the switch is having no effect.

Is it possible Ive set something in Menu that may affect the operation? Or is this a job for the Fuji service centre.

Regards
Neil.
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my advice is to do a complete reset and see if it is still a problem
 
petercastleton said:
my advice is to do a complete reset and see if it is still a problem
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Thanks. Gave that a go this morning but still the same.

Had a chat with Fuji service centre and they also talked me through a reset. Reset didn't work and Fuji were unable to replicate the fault on their X10 so my X10 will be in the post tomorrow for Fuji to fix.

They will apparently offer a cost estimate before they undertake any work - just hoping its not beyond economical repair.
 
Piscator Pete said:
Thanks for clarifying Chris. The X10 can be a confusing little blighter for those of us just starting digital photography, and in the first week of ownership, I thought I'd made a bad mistake buying the thing. I found Alexander White's book a godsend after the bewildering Fuji manual, which for me, is "all help short of actual aid''.

Owners of the same or similar marque love to line their cars up for a photo, but how do you take it without disappearing backwards into the next parish? Old hat for some I expect, but I've found another use for the X10's panoramic function:


DSCF3812 by wylyeangler, on Flickr

This was a small line-up of Morgans at the classic car show on the Bath and West Showground yesterday, and reminded me of an old telly advert asking, "Which is the grandmother?" - I forget the product: cat food, women's cosmetics (no connection), or something. More than half a century spans the years of production of the depicted vehicles, but which is the 'grandmother'? I could confuse you by stating that Morgan three-wheelers, first manufactured in 1909, went out of production 40+ years later, and that four-wheelers came into being, I think, in 1936; but you will not be fooled by the style of the number plates. I'm always intrigued by the quirky products of the Malvern factory.

Pete

PS Dave, as long as you have a 64-bit operating system, you can update to LR 3.6 which includes the X10. I have found it of no use at all so far.

PPS Sorry Dave, might have got that wrong - certainly I couldn't update with XP 32-bit, but could with W7 64-bit. Might be possible therefore with W7 32-bit, but not worth the effort, I reckon.
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Thanks for the advice. I downloaded LR 3.6 and it works great
 
old and new :)

DSCF2012small.jpg
 
Went up to The Point near Greenwich Park last night to watch the sunset. Got this first shot as I approached, there were a couple of people enjoying the view:


The Point Sunset by nigelwilliams2001, on Flickr

I experimented with the Sunset mode this time, seems to work very nicely and increases the dynamic range, so no need for post processing. This is 3 shots I stitched together in PS Elements 11:


The Point Panorama 25th April by nigelwilliams2001, on Flickr
 
As promised, some photos from the workshop I did on Monday with Damien Lovegrove, avid Fuji user - he spent the day using the X-pro1 system.

I have converted all these to mono because, hands up, was having awful trouble with the highlights and too busy doing stuff with the big camera to fiddle around too much but now I can see it working [using flash], would be happy to play further . Anyway, all shot in manual mode

First 2 with Off camera flash -


DSCF2936 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr


DSCF2901 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr

This one was using a speedlight sitting on top of the X10 - a canon one :eek: Apparently nikon flashes can also be used - though no TTL with either of course


workshop044 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr

and some natural light


workshop032 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr


workshop031 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr


workshop025 by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr

More from the day are on my blog, though of course they are mainly nikon pics ;)
 
Yv said:
As promised, some photos from the workshop I did on Monday with Damien Lovegrove, avid Fuji user - he spent the day using the X-pro1 system.

I have converted all these to mono because, hands up, was having awful trouble with the highlights and too busy doing stuff with the big camera to fiddle around too much but now I can see it working [using flash], would be happy to play further . Anyway, all shot in manual mode
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Yvonne, these are all lovely, I reckon you'd be pleased with them from any camera!
 
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