With its APS-C sensor, prime lens and plenty of manual control, Fujifilm’s latest pocket powerhouse make an impression in the enthusiast market. Find out our head of testing’s first impressions in her hands-on Fuji X70 review.
Despite their popularity, Fujifilm’s X100 series of compacts have always had a slight disadvantage of needing a very roomy pocket for portability, next to rival camera from the likes of Nikon and Ricoh.
With the X70, however, this is no longer the case, with the camera shoehorning the same 16.3Mp APS-C format X-Trans CMOS II sensor and EXR Processor II as the X100T into a smaller chassis.
Here, they are joined by an 18.5mm f/2.8 lens, which provides an effective focal length of 28mm, in contrast to the effective 35mm (equivalent) focal length found on the X100T.
And, for those occasions where 28mm doesn’t quite fit the scene, you can enable digital ‘teleconverter’ options that crop images to replicate 35mm and 50mm focal lengths, at the expense of sensor resolution.
There’s a ring around the optic for aperture adjustment, with markings in whole stops between a range of f/2.8 to f/16 and adjustment offered in 1/3EV stops. And, should you want the camera to determine aperture in program or shutter-priority modes, you can also set this ring to the automatic ‘A’ setting.
The top plate hosts a shutter-speed dial that offers speeds between 1sec to 1/4000sec, with Bulb, Time and Auto settings alongside.
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Unlike the X100T there’s no viewfinder built into the X70, although Fujifilm does provide a separate optical viewfinder; this slips into the camera’s hotshoe and indicates 21mm and 28mm focal lengths.
The rear 3in display, meanwhile, tilts through a 180degree angle to face the front and can be pulled downwards for easier viewing from below, with the further advantage of touch-sensitivity as an alternative to the physical controls.
One feature the model shares with the X100T is the hybrid (phase- and contrast-detect) AF system, with single point, Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, together with 3D Tracking and Eye-detection. Fujifilm claims the camera can autofocus in as little as 0.08 seconds, while 8fps burst shooting also on hand to better capture moving subjects.
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Fujifilm X70 hands-on review: Build and handling
The X70 is decidedly smaller than the X100T, measuring 112.5 x 64.4 x 44.4mm (4.4 x 2.5 x 1.7in) against the X100T’s 126.5 x 74.4 x 52.4mm (5.0 x 2.9 x2.1in) dimensions, and also more compact than the X30, whose body measures 118.7 x 71.6 x 60.3mm (4.7 x 2.8 x 2.4in).
Yet, the small controls don’t feel cramped (as can often be the case on such bodies) and the body also benefits from a sturdy build. The front of the camera sports a shallow rubber grip, which is partnered with small pad on the rear, and the combination allows for a secure hold.
The touch-sensitive display speeds things up when adjusting camera settings, while the ability to set focusing point by touch, as well as being able to swipe and zoom through images, also helps out when respectively shooting and reviewing images.
You don’t, however, need to use touch functionality and can turn this off if you prefer to use physical controls instead.
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The Fuji X70 and the Fuji X100T
The back of the camera sports four directional buttons around a central Menu/OK button. Between them, these access metering, focus and display settings, as well as the Quick Menu that hosts 16 commonly used options, and a button that’s customisable to the user choosing.
Just above the thumb rest there’s a jog-dial for the quick adjustment of settings, while a control ring joins the aperture ring around the optic. This control ring, which can be used to alternate between Film Simulation modes, sensitivity and white balance among other settings, has a pleasingly smooth action when turned.
Setting both the shutter speed dial and the aperture ring to their ‘A’ positions puts the camera in program mode, while setting just one to ‘A’ mode selects either shutter priority or aperture priority, depending on which ring you choose.
Naturally, leaving both on specific values places the camera into its manual-exposure mode.
Although I’ve yet to use the camera outdoors, and so cannot comment on the screen’s visibility in bright light, it provided a clear and detailed view of the scene when used indoors.
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Fujifilm X70 hands-on review: Performance
With the same sensor and processing engine as the X100T, we expect image quality to be similar to that camera, although the different lens will obviously have an effect too.
Still, this should mean that noise will be well controlled up to around ISO 3200, with plenty of detail visible in images captured at settings up to ISO 12,800, before noise and noise reduction overwhelm.
It’s encouraging to find the pre-production sample I used found focus promptly, particularly as it was largely used indoors in suboptimal lighting conditions, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the full production sample will perform across a broader range of conditions.
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Fujifilm X70 hands-on review: Early verdict
Despite their popularity, the relatively small sensors (2/3in) inside the X10, X20 and X30 were one reason people were discouraged from adopting these, so it’s great to find the X70 packing in a much larger sensor into a relatively compact body.
This increase in size, together with the sensor being familiar and well-regarded, should elevate image quality way past those of its double-digit forebears.
Of course, the X100T still holds the advantage of a built-in viewfinder, together with a classic, popular 35mm (equivalent) focal length, although with the benefit of a tilting touchscreen, the new model is likely to be faster to use in many situations.
The 28mm focal length, meanwhile, also means it’s likely to be used in a range of situations for which a 35mm-equivalent focal length many not be ideal.
Aside from the above, the enthusiast photographer is likely to warm to the camera’s many physical controls and the relatively wide f/2.8 aperture, the latter making it a fine parter for shallow depth of field and use in low light. It certainly looks like Fujifilm has another smasher on its hands.
For
Tried and tested sensor/processor combination; tillable touch-screen; classic exposure controls
Against
No built-in viewfinder (although optional unit available); prime (non-zooming) lens
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