Why I love the Fujifilm X-S10 for street photography – a review

I've been buying cameras for over 30 years but most recently, and for the longest time, my go-to camera was a Fujifilm X100T. It was - and still is - a wonderful piece of kit.

After the first Covid lockdown I started to get into street photography a bit more seriously. By this I mean I was actively trying to get better, going out shooting as much as I could, reading a broad range of photography books, spending (too much) time gawping at Instagram feeds, and watching photography YouTubers like Roman Fox and Eren Sarigul. All this gave me the urge to buy a new body and a prime lens or two. I focused on Fujifilm bodies since I loved my X100T and I found the cameras from the major manufacturers lacked something. Fuji sparks something in me!

At the time the main choices were the X-Pro 3 (weird), X-H1 (big), X-T4 (pricey) and the X-T30 (small). The X-T4 seemed like the natural choice as it had the classic retro vibe of my X100T, but it was expensive and I guess part of me wasn't sure it was worth shelling out two grand since at this point I was a pretty mediocre shooter.

As I was deliberating, I read about a new "vlogger" camera just announced by Fujifilm, the X-S10. My initial reaction was negative, since it was pretty fugly compared the to X-T and X-100 lines, and why would I want a PASM dial, I literally love Fujifilm because they don't have a PASM dial!

Then, after I actually read the reviews and looked at the details of the camera, I was blown away! It was, for all intents and purposes, an X-T4 but for two thirds of the price and in a much smaller form factor.

Haters are gonna point out the lack of weather resistance but (at the time) I couldn't have cared less - you think I'm going out shooting in the rain? People do that?! It also didn't have the full IBIS, but it still had IBIS!

I didn't think twice. I placed an order.

First impressions

I struggled with it at first, gotta say. It wasn't a looker and that irked me. I'd been spoilt by the design perfection of the X100T and this felt like a photographic carbuncle. A PASM atrocity.

It also felt too small.

I don't have plates of meat for hands, but they're not dainty either. I'd ordered the camera with the XF 16-80 WR lens, as well as a 23mm F2 WR, and the zoom lens felt massive (clearly I hadn't seen the XF 16-55mm at this point, but it is a chunker, no doubt). Clutching the grip, my fingers would feel tight against the lens and it wasn't comfortable.

Turns out you just have to get used to these things.

It wasn't actually too small, I just didn't really get on with the zoom. It was too big and F4 was too slow, so I sold it and bought the OG 35mm f1.4 prime. And that's when the camera came alive for me.

X-S10 + Primes = 😍

The 35mm f1.4 blew my mind. Its autofocus is slow, and it grinds noisily. The images can be soft around the edges. I miss shots all the time with it, but I couldn't care less because it's small, light and I've taken my best pictures with it.

I went to Paris in 2023 with the 35mm f1.4 and the 23mm f2 and it was such a perfect combo for shooting street. I really don't like having to change lenses (I think I'm paranoid about trashing the sensor, which is irrational I know), but it was fine. They're some of the best pictures I've ever taken.

I sold my soul to Sigma for the zoom

I've long had dreams of being a Fujifilm ambassador, but I'm going to end that career option right now by expressing my absolute love of the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8. It looks gorgeous, it's light and the images are crisp.

The only downside is the lack of an aperture ring, which is something I love on the Fuji lenses. That said, you soon forget about this and changing the aperture using the front dial becomes second nature. In fact, it's arguably more efficient. It just doesn't look as cool, I know. But the X-S10 isn't cool is it? Not yet.

I took the Sigma zoom to Barcelona last year and I used it for well over 50% of my photos. Zooms really come into their own when travelling, especially such pocketable and portable ones as this. The f2.8 is wonderful, especially at the longer focal lengths. You might think it would be a little slow at night, but the X-S10 IBIS more than compensates for that in my experience.

Ergonomics

This is the killer factor. I love the way the camera feels in the hand. The grip is perfect. You can carry it around in one hand and balance it on your fingers (use a wrist strap, please) so you're not having to constantly grip it like you do with the X100 or X-T bodies.

The exposure compensation dial is perfectly positioned and is very easy to turn (perhaps a little too easy, when you're not used to it), unlike the X100 and X-T which are solid and too stiff for me. I tend to use exposure comp a lot.

There are plenty of configurable buttons. I've programmed them for easily changing the photometry as well as the AF mode. Every Fuji shooter will have their own preferences, no doubt.

When I'm out shooting on the street, I try not to faff too much with the settings so I tend to leave the camera on aperture priority most of the time, using auto ISO with a minimum shutter speed. I'm really only changing the aperture, the exposure comp and the focus mode, and the buttons and dials allow me to do this quickly, even when wearing gloves (a common occurrence in Edinburgh!)

One gripe people will have is the lack of a AF mode switch, but I actually prefer going to my Q menu and changing this rather than having to carefully move a dedicated switch into the right position like on my X100V. After a while it becomes second nature, and you could program a button to do this is if you like.

Lasting impressions

Now that the X100V hype has peaked I can see this camera increasing in popularity. Maybe not TikTok famous since it's not a compact, but it will have a cult following no doubt.

I love geeking out over new gear as much as anyone, so I'm always looking at new cameras, but nothing yet has made me want to switch.

I tried the X-T5 thanks to the Fuji loan but (a) the pictures didn't look any better to my X-S10 despite being higher res, and (b) it's VERY hard to go back to the shallow grip once you've got used to a chunkier one. It was unjustifiable.

I held the X-H2 in the Fujifilm store. It's mahoooosive. Not for me. Not on the streets anyway.

I've even looked at Nikon's Fujifilm-inspired Z fc which looks great and has with all that full-frame goodness, but I don't want to start from scratch with a new system. Maybe one day.

I'm sure at some point I'll want to upgrade, maybe if I get into shooting in the rain (nope), but it would probably take a significant improvement (or a camera fail) for me to change.

The X-S10 is just so versatile! If I get into video, I can use the X-S10. If I get into street portraits or even studio portraits, I could use the X-S10. If I get into vlogging (god help you all) I could use the X-S10.

It's versatile, light, fast and ergonomically almost perfect. What's not to love?