To put things in perspective, my first DSLR was a Nikon D90 and then I picked up the Fujifilm X100S and then now the Fujifilm X70. As you might guess with my gear, I'm an amateur/casual photographer and I do small projects on the side if the opportunity arises. Also, I got the X70 on February 2 and haven't really had the chance to really use the camera under different scenarios. Now that you have a better idea where my thoughts are coming from, let's move on.
I'd like to avoid talking specs so for now so I will cover my initial impressions on these areas:
- Image quality
- Ergonomics
- Handling
- Handy Features
- Gripes
The X70 is an amazing compact camera and it delivers amazing image quality just like any from Fuji X's line up. So if you've had an older Fuji X camera, the image quality from this X70 is not very far from what you might know. And to be more specific, the images from the X70 for me is just as good as what you get from the X100 line. Coming from the X100S, it seems to me that the image quality for high ISO was improved on the X70, particularly ISO 6400. I don't have the X100T but I would hazard a guess that the X100T and X70 can churn out the same image quality. I've yet to compare RAW files from my X100S and X70 since I will need to update Lightroom to do some pixel peeping on this matter, so hold on to that.
Ergonomics
Ergonomically, the X70 is smaller than the X100S. If you've used a point and shoot camera, then the form factor might be familiar for you.
I was lucky to pick up the camera during the Photoworld Manila 2016 event because it came with a freebies like the Fuji half leather case accessory called the BLC-X70. The case made the camera thicker and heavier which works well for my hand size. Without the case, the X70 felt too small for my hands and made me worried that I might drop it while using it.
Do note that it is pretty heavy for it's size, plus the weight of the Fuji BLX-X70. Although it is about 100g lighter than the X100S, but it feels heavy for it's size.
Handling
As far as using the camera goes, the X70 does not have a view finder so all of the shooting has to be done with the LCD. The LCD is a touchscreen and you can use it to focus and take a photo just by touching the screen once. This is new to me, but a friend said that some camera phones do that too. With one hand and I can reach the center of the screen with my thumb to take a photo with the touchscreen, but I can only manage this with the BLC-X70 with the extra grip it provides.
The touchscreen also implements some familiar gestures while viewing photos. Gestures like pinch to zoom, double tapping to zoom in and out, and swiping left to right to view other photos work really well without lags. Now swiping from one photo to another might be slower once you've got more photos on cam and I've yet to find out.
The buttons on the back are easy to press with my thumb except for the left D-pad button which was closest to the screen. The screen is raised by about 5mm, I found myself hitting the right bezel of the screen a lot and I had to adjust my thumb to press the left D-pad button. Do note that the D-pad buttons are consistent with the X100T but I prefer the the rotating dial of the X100S. On the top, I find it really difficult to hit the record button.
Despite being a small camera, I really appreciate how Fuji made all the key settings readily available with dials and buttons. The key settings for me are aperture, shutter speed and ISO. So on the X70, the aperture ring is on the lens and the shutter speed dial is on the top side of the camera just like the X100 series. Then you can assign the focus ring on the lens to adjust the ISO among other things.
Manual focusing is a little more challenging on the X70. I like using the digital split image option for manual focus assist and unlike the X100S, the gray center area doesn't zoom in on the X70. Also, the focus ring on the X70 needs more rotations to get from one focus range to another unlike the X100S. Hopefully this is something that can be tweaked via firmware update.
Autofocusing is amazing just like the X100S, a bit slower on spec compared to the X100S and X100T but I can't realistically tell the difference as of the moment. If you have any of the two X100 cameras, you should feel right at home with the autofocus performance of the X70.
Handy Features
If you are coming from an SLR (digital or film), you might say that camera manufacturers are adding to many non-essential novel features on a camera. But then again, there are some features that can really help you shoot something in a pinch. The X70 has 3 features that you might not use all the time but can come in handy.
The first of which is the tilting LCD screen which you can use to take a photo at unusual angles. The LCD can also be configured to face the subject to take self portraits. Some even use is as a makeshift stand to prop-up the camera.
The second is WiFi that enables you to use your smart phone to focus, adjust minor controls and take photos remotely. This image feed I get on my mobile with this feature is a little laggy, but it works and I can see how this feature can be really useful when taking candid photographs. The WiFi on the X70 also allows photo transfers to a smart device to make it easier to upload to social networks or print photos using the Fuji Instax Printer.
The third and last is video recording. I don't typically use cameras as my primary device to record videos, but it is nice to have in case you really need to take a video. You can record 1080p or 720p videos at different frame rates between 60fps to 24fps. I haven't tinkered with the video mode at all yet so hold on to that too.
Gripes
As good as the camera is, you may have noticed some negative points that I already mentioned. Other than those, I find that the touchscreen is under utilized, because it can't be used to adjust the setting when you press the Q button. Instead of intuitively touching the settings on the screen like film simulation, you'd still use the D-pad to get to it and the command control dial to modify it. Keep in mind that this is the first touchscreen on an X series camera and fortunately I think this can be fixed with a firmware update. Thankfully Fuji seem to be good with firmware updates.
Then we have that "digital tele-converter" that is another way to say digital zoom. I wish they could make this feature work while using RAW files and not have to down sample the RAW file in the process. Currently, the digital tele-converter only works on JPEG and I say this again: this can be improved with a firmware update.
Also, I wish they included an external charger with the camera even if you can charge the batteries on cam. It would have allowed us to keep using the X70 with an extra battery while charging the main battery on the external charger instead of not having the chance to use the X70 at all because it's the only way to charge the batteries out of the box.
Wrap-up
Overall, I am really enjoying the camera for the short time I've used it so far. It is like the X100S/T without the viewfinder, but has a touchscreen LCD. The touchscreen's focus and shoot with one touch is amazing to me and I can easily transfer photos and control the camera remotely via WiFi. I love the image quality from the Fuji X sensors and the Fuji film simulation options on my X100S and you get those with the X70 too. And if you really need to check the specs, you can check them out here.
P.S.: The photo I used came from the Fujifilm site, so all credit for the image goes to them.
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