Let's start with an brief origin story...
I'll keep this focused on the Fujifilm era, which has been a ridiculously fun time. I haven't had a compact camera in a while. There are reasons. Notable ones like smaller sensor size, cell phone could be good enough, my existing X Series system is compact-ish, and usually a funky form factor. I know there are APS-C and Full Frame compacts these days. The X100T has been on my radar for a while, but something even more compact with similar innards would be even better. Oh, the Fuji X-Pro2 finally gets announced along with the X-E2S... oh, and what's that little camera?
Enter the Fuji X70.
Being an early adopter for new cameras isn't really my thing. This camera was screaming "I AM THE ONE" from the first sight though. It's like a little EVF-less X-E2/X-T10 with fixed focal length lens on the X70. It's 28mm. That's my comfortable wide angle. However, a new case has been made for 24mm ever since I started using the XF 16mm lens.
The image quality looks the same as all my other Fuji X images. It has the same X-Trans II sensor that is in my X-T1. The 18.5mm lens seems good to me. I'm assuming Fuji designed it to perform as good as an XF lens. Getting the leaf shutter in the X70 didn't play a big deciding factor. It was actually one feature I overlooked in the tech specs until I received it. I absolutely love the quietness after each picture is taken. It brings back my days shooting with the X100 a couple years ago.
I'm actually comfortable shooting with the screen. I wouldn't dare attach a viewfinder accessory to my X70. That is a form factor some folks like, but it isn't something I like to use digitally. To me, it would only be for looks. Not something that is of functional use. This screen is ridiculously challenging to see in the bright outdoors. Not impossible, just an extra effort required to see things.
Customizing buttons around the camera is neat. I have things set identical to my X-T1 buttons. The record button is disabled. That's a challenging button to hit to begin with -- no way it gets accidentally pressed. I guess that's good and bad. It would've been my ISO button, but that was assigned to the Fn/Wi-Fi button.
So I took my X70 for a little spin around the area. Just an outdoorsy setting to get acquainted...
I'll finish up Part 2 soon. It will mostly be about using the X70 in San Francisco for a whole weekend. This Getting Acquainted thing will be 2 parts since I feel rather comfortable with it now, but I'll still post about the X70 for various situations and events. :)
