Fujifilm X70 Review

The Fujifilm X70 is a new compact camera with a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, and a wide-angle 28mm f/2.8 equivalent fixed focal length lens. The camera is noticeably more compact than the X100 series, and does away with the Hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder, instead relying on a 3inch tilting touch-screen on the back of the camera. The Fujifilm X70 is available in black or black and silver, priced at £549.

Fujifilm X70 Features

The 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor is a Fujifilm X-Trans II CMOS sensor, as found in the X100T, with an extended ISO range of ISO100 to ISO51200.

The lens is a new 18.5mm f/2.8 Fujinon Aspherical lens with a Super EBC coating, and is the equivalent of 28mm in 35mm terms, with an aperture ring and control ring surrounding the lens. The lens is very compact with a pancake design, making the camera compact enough to fit into pockets.

The camera has a shutter speed dial on top, plus an exposure compensation dial, and in combination with the aperture ring surrounding the lens, it is easy and quick to change manual settings. There is an Auto switch next to the shutter speed dial, which puts the camera into a completely automatic mode so that those that wish to use the camera as a point and shoot camera, can do so easily.

There is one command dial on the back, next to the thumb grip, and there is also a control ring around the lens in front of the aperture ring that can be customised.

The 3inch touch screen on the back tilts forwards 180 degrees to enable selfie and group shots, and the screen also tilts down slightly for overhead shots. The touchscreen can be used to set the focus point, taking photos, and in playback mode you can use pinch zoom. The playback and delete buttons are neatly contained around the frame of the screen.

The Q button gives quick access to a number of options on the rear screen, and these can be customised so that you don't need to enter the menus to change settings. The Fn button can be customised.

Wi-Fi is built in letting you remotely control the camera, add geotagging location information to photos, print to a Fujifilm Instax printer, and transfer images to a compatible smartphone. The software is available for both Android and iOS devices. 

A range of accessories are available for the X70, including a lens hood, black optical viewfinder (OVF with 21/28mm marked), 21mm wide-angle convertor, leather case, plus more, all made in matching colours.

Key Features

• 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor
• 18.5mm f/2.8, 28mm equivalent lens
• 3inch tilting touch screen, 1040k resolution
• EXR II Image Processor
• Phase detection focus – 0.08s
• ISO100 – ISO51200 extended
• 3D Tracking AF / Wide area / C-AF / Eye and Face Detection
• Manual aperture, focus, shutter, exposure dials
• 10cm macro focus
• 8fps continuous shooting
• Built in flash – GN5.5
• Built in Wi-Fi connectivity
• Digital Tele-convertor mode (28, 35, 50mm)
• 330 shot battery life (NP-95 battery)
• 112.5 x 64.4 x 44.4mm
• 340g (lighter than X20)

The Fujifilm X70 is one of the smallest cameras with an APS-C CMOS sensor, with the closest competitors including the Fujifilm X100T, Ricoh GR II and Nikon Coolpix A. Here we have a quick look at these cameras in detail, to see how they compare:

The Ricoh GR II and Nikon Coolpix A are some of the other more compact cameras with an APS-C CMOS sensor, with the Ricoh GR II the lightest, and slimmest. They all offer an f/2.8 28mm equivalent lens, apart from the Fujifilm X100T, which has an f/2.0 35mm equivalent lens, as well as a hybrid electronic viewfinder.

Like other Fujifilm cameras, there are a large number of film simulation modes available including Fujifilm Velvia, Astia, Provia, as well as Classic Chrome, and Monochrome film modes with colour filter simulation (Yellow, Green, Red and Sepia). 

Fujifilm X70 Handling

With a solid metal body, a metal top plate, and metal dials, the X70 feels extremely well built and the camera has a re-assuring weight for the size of the camera. 

There is a good rubber grip on the front of the camera, which is accompanied by a rubber grip on the rear for your thumb. If your hands are any bigger than mine (5 foot 11 tall man with, average sized hands), then you might find the placement of these a little tight, particularly on the rear of the camera where there isn't much room between the screen and the controls. The left button on the 4-way controller is quite close to the screen (when in its normal position) which may mean your thumb bumps into the screen. The same is found when using the AF-L/AE-L and DISP/Back buttons. 

This can make the camera feel a little uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time, although this will greatly depend on the size of your hands (and fingers) and how you hold and use the camera. The small size and ease of which the camera can be pocketed so that you can take it with you everywhere you go may quickly outweigh this negative. 

You can use the camera on automatic aperture and automatic shutter settings, with each dial featuring an A setting. The Q (Quick menu) button gives quick access to further settings, and the top exposure compensation dial makes it easy to dial in any needed compensation, although the proximity to the corner of the camera can make it possible to accidentally knock this from time to time, so it's worth checking the position before shooting. 

Viewing angles are excellent on the rear screen, which gives a clear display, with good colour and resolution. It's also viewable outdoors in bright light, although there is also an optional optical viewfinder available for the X70, the VF-X21 (£149) with 28mm and 21mm markings, which are designed to work with the optional wide-angle convertor (WCL-X70, £149). 

Despite the touch-screen on the back of the camera, you can't use it to scroll through the menu items, nor can you use it to select the Q (quick) menu items on the control panel, which is a shame, as this could speed up camera operation. This is only a minor issue, as the menus are clear and well laid out, with clearly separated photo and setup menus. 

Using the touch-screen in photo shooting mode, you can choose between it being set to take a photo, or the camera being set to use the touch-screen as the focus point - with a wide area of the screen selectable. Or you can turn it off altogether. In playback you can use the touchscreen to zoom in and out of photos (using pinch zoom), and scroll through photos.

Wi-Fi - Using Fujifilm's Remote Camera app available for iOS and Android devices, you can remotely control and shoot with the camera as well as start/stop video recording. You can select photos to transfer to the smartphone or tablet, or receive photos sent from the camera. In addition, you can use the app to add GPS / geotagging information to photos. The app is quite easy to use and has a good level of options when shooting remotely. It's also possible to send images to a Fujifilm Instax SP-1 printer, for instant photo printing.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 330 shots according to Fujifilm / CIPA test results, which is quite good for a compact camera with an APS-C sensor. You can also charge the camera with a MicroUSB cable, which should make it easy to find somewhere to charge the camera in an emergency.