Fuji New to X10

muzee

Veteran
I just traded in a bunch of stuff I had lying around for a brand new (to me) X10. I'm hoping this would be a good carry about camera to compliment the K-01.

So what's the best way to use this new guy? Any set-up suggestions? Quirks to be aware of? I've read a lot about the EXR 6 mp inages Vs. full 12 mp ones. What's your thoughts?
 
I just traded in a bunch of stuff I had lying around for a brand new (to me) X10. I'm hoping this would be a good carry about camera to compliment the K-01. So what's the best way to use this new guy? Any set-up suggestions? Quirks to be aware of? I've read a lot about the EXR 6 mp inages Vs. full 12 mp ones. What's your thoughts?

Always shoot the highest resolution. The only exception I've ever made is with my Leica Q, where I sometimes shoot the 15 megapixel in-camera crop for convenience. But with 12 megapixels, it's a rare image you'd want in 6 megapixels. With a 4x zoom you have the perfect carry-around camera, just take the time to get familiar with how it handles each setting and situation. But in the long run, try to keep things simple by setting your best defaults, then making sure you can easily change aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc. without losing your attention on what you're looking at.
 
Always shoot the highest resolution. The only exception I've ever made is with my Leica Q, where I sometimes shoot the 15 megapixel in-camera crop for convenience. But with 12 megapixels, it's a rare image you'd want in 6 megapixels. With a 4x zoom you have the perfect carry-around camera, just take the time to get familiar with how it handles each setting and situation. But in the long run, try to keep things simple by setting your best defaults, then making sure you can easily change aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc. without losing your attention on what you're looking at.

In this case, I respectfully disagree with you to use the higest resolution in this situation. The X10 does an amazing job in EXR mode. The 6mp works for prinhting as well, if you don't go too big. As a general rule of thumb, I would use the 12mp setting for regular shooting that does not require wider dynamic range or does include skies (just shoot a sky with clouds in 12mp mode and one in exr-mode and you see what I mean). I was inclined to include low light (noise) but I am not sure if exr mode has some advantages too. If you can live with online publication of your photos exr-mode might even be your default setting.

Probably you should try for yourself what works and what does not work for your type of shooting.

Btw: I owned a x10 and although the x20 does an admirable job, the x10 in exr mode produced better results. I will check the archives for examples
 
Last edited:
In this case, I respectfully disagree with you to use the higest resolution in this situation. The X10 does an amazing job in EXR mode. The 6mp works for prinhting as well, if you don't go too big. As a general rule of thumb, I would use the 12mp setting for regular shooting that does not require wider dynamic range or does include skies (just shoot a sky with clouds in 12mp mode and one in exr-mode and you see what I mean). I was inclined to include low light (noise) but I am not sure if exr mode has some advantages too. If you can live with online publication of your photos exr-mode might even be your default setting.
Probably you should try for yourself what works and what does not work for your type of shooting.
Btw: I owned a x10 and although the x20 does an admirable job, the x10 in exr mode produced better results. I will check the archives for examples

I have to note at least one reason I disagree, and that is because I don't intend to waste a lot of time composing, as though everything were shot on a tripod. I get the basic sense of what I want, take bursts, maybe several bursts at different angles, then move on. And that means I'm likely to be cropping in post processing. I know a lot of guys who argue for more formal and time-consuming composition, but then, taking that kind of time to shoot at half-rez doesn't compute.
 
Isn't the point about 6mp is that it increases the dynamic range 400% and helps reduce blown highlights?
The recommendations I've read advise using 6mp for nearly everything as it suits the in camera processing better - Peter's point about the clouds is a good one
I've not noticed a huge difference between 6 & 12mp when it comes to cropping but then I don't shoot 12mp much.
I need to compare to verify this again
 
Isn't the point about 6mp is that it increases the dynamic range 400% and helps reduce blown highlights?
The recommendations I've read advise using 6mp for nearly everything as it suits the in camera processing better - Peter's point about the clouds is a good one
I've not noticed a huge difference between 6 & 12mp when it comes to cropping but then I don't shoot 12mp much. I need to compare to verify this again

Seems like a good idea under some circumstances, if it works most of the time. There are lots of schemes that bin pixels or something analogous to that, to get better results. Foveon(sp?) sensors do special things, if they provide enough performance and resolution etc. The Cortex app for iPhones does an incredible job at jacking up resolution and drastically lowering noise.

It's just that no matter what such scheme does some special trick, it always has gotchas and limitations that restrict it to a very narrow range of users. That's my impression anyway.
 
Seems like a good idea under some circumstances, if it works most of the time. There are lots of schemes that bin pixels or something analogous to that, to get better results. Foveon(sp?) sensors do special things, if they provide enough performance and resolution etc. The Cortex app for iPhones does an incredible job at jacking up resolution and drastically lowering noise.

It's just that no matter what such scheme does some special trick, it always has gotchas and limitations that restrict it to a very narrow range of users. That's my impression anyway.
With respect, you have referenced 3 other cameras/systems in your replies but not the Fuji X10 so it is not clear to me that you are considering the EXR mode at all.
 
My favorite digital camera - still. Built like a tank with a superb, fast lens.
Re. M (6MP) vs. L. (12MP) there's a tiny advantage in resolution when you shoot 12MP (HR) images but you constantly need an eye or two on the highlights if you've set the DR to 100% in order to keep the ISO as low as possible. Shooting 12MP in RAW and developing in Lightroom doesn't give you a real advantage in the resolution department (compared to jpg), can bring up some artifacts (esp. w/ diagonal lines) but LR can rescue some of the highlights if necessary. I always shoot jpg+RAW and L(12MP) DR100 or 200% most of the time and have done huge B&W prints from some of those files.
If you're OK with 6MP set the image size to M, DR (and ISO) to Auto and let the EXR processor take care of the rest. Just be aware that the EXR mode on the dial is jpg only, no RAW!, but you can use any other mode (PASM) to shoot RAW and program the two custom modes on the dial with your most used settings.
 
Last edited:
Isn't the point about 6mp is that it increases the dynamic range 400% and helps reduce blown highlights?
The recommendations I've read advise using 6mp for nearly everything as it suits the in camera processing better - Peter's point about the clouds is a good one
I've not noticed a huge difference between 6 & 12mp when it comes to cropping but then I don't shoot 12mp much.
I need to compare to verify this again

Yes, the difference is between 4000x3000 pixels vs 2816x2112. The latter is often sufficient. I've made 50-40cm prints and no one noticed. It is truly incredible what you can get out of such a small sensor camera. The EXR based cameras are one of the few small sensor cameras (I don't dare to say only) that get the dynamic range required to shoot skies, clouds, and land.
 
I've always been a high resolution seeker so it took me a couple of years with the X10 to fully appreciate the benefits of using the EXR settings at lower resolution.
I still use the camera as the colours are perhaps even better than the original X100 ( which I also still use ) and for people shots and fill in flash it's hard to beat.
It's worth pointing out that 12mps on an EXR sensor offers less resolution than 12mps on a Bayer sensor because of the pixel arrangement so the difference between 6 and 12 is often hard to spot.

FWIW , I tried the X20 with the X Trans sensor but hated it - got rid within 2 weeks.
 
Last edited:
i dont understand a lot of the comments in this thread re blown highlights necessitating use of exr/6mp mode for best results. are you all saying blown highlights is a problem unique to or more extreme with this camera than its competitors? because if so, i have not found that to be the case (except in velvia mode, where clipping is well known to be pronounced with all fuji cameras). so if the camera is not unique in this regard, shooting it to avoid clipped highlights is a matter of proper metering, just like on any other camera. one of the pluses of fuji cameras is the manual controls, like the exposure compensation dial, and if used properly in conjunction with the histogram, should alleviate the clipping problem. to be clear, i am not weighing in on anyones personal choice to use exr or whatever mode they want. rather, again assuming this camera does not itself have a unique clipping issue, i simply want to point out the typical way photographers deal with this common issue.
 
Yes, the difference is between 4000x3000 pixels vs 2816x2112. The latter is often sufficient. I've made 50-40cm prints and no one noticed. It is truly incredible what you can get out of such a small sensor camera. The EXR based cameras are one of the few small sensor cameras (I don't dare to say only) that get the dynamic range required to shoot skies, clouds, and land.

i agree, the X10 is quite remarkable.
 
i dont understand a lot of the comments in this thread re blown highlights necessitating use of exr/6mp mode for best results. are you all saying blown highlights is a problem unique to or more extreme with this camera than its competitors? because if so, i have not found that to be the case (except in velvia mode, where clipping is well known to be pronounced with all fuji cameras). so if the camera is not unique in this regard, shooting it to avoid clipped highlights is a matter of proper metering, just like on any other camera. one of the pluses of fuji cameras is the manual controls, like the exposure compensation dial, and if used properly in conjunction with the histogram, should alleviate the clipping problem. to be clear, i am not weighing in on anyones personal choice to use exr or whatever mode they want. rather, again assuming this camera does not itself have a unique clipping issue, i simply want to point out the typical way photographers deal with this common issue.

EXR mode essentially combines 2 images into 1 image. Hence the resulting 6MP. While it is possible to underexpose and push the shadows, this increases noise. If I recall correctly, there was a trick to use EXR-mode and lower ISO values. It has been some time ago, so I don't know the specifics anymore, however I extensively tested with skies, clouds and land with all kind of settings and postprocessing and the EXR clearly performed better. And that's what I remembered. ;-) I don't have the files anymore to check my statements, let alone prove my point.

Rico Pfirstinger wrote a whole piece about EXR-settings, if I recall correctly.
 
i have had the x10 since it came out. when shooting normal isos up to even 800 i have no problem with noise from lightening shadows. again, this issue is common to all but the most sophisticated digital cameras. and again, anyones shooting preference is their own. but for those like me, and for those interested in more manual control, there is no IQ reason i have seen in many years with the x10 not to hone ones metering/shooting skills.
 
Back
Top