Fuji X20 review

With the X20, Fuji continues its dominance in the corner of the market reserved for high-end compact cameras with superb image quality that exude retro cool. The fact is, no other manufacturer manages to mix those two qualities together quite so well as Fuji, and for that, the company should be applauded.

As a premium compact, the Fuji X20 is a delight to use and will be surely appreciated by those looking for a great backup model for their DSLR or CSC. If you already own a Fuji X10, there's not quite enough here to warrant an upgrade just yet, though there are obvious advantages to this over the previous version of the camera.

We liked

There are many things to like about the Fuji X20. Those with a penchant for the retro will find obvious charm here, while the number of direct access dials and buttons are a welcome factor for the more experienced photographer. Image quality is great too, which is of course an obvious plus point.

We disliked

As with the Fuji X10, there's not too much to dislike about the Fuji X20. However, it would be nice if Fuji could include a touchscreen on its premium compacts to elevate them even further and make it easy to make changes to certain settings, such as autofocus point. It's also a shame that advanced filters can't be shot in raw format mode.

Final verdict

As it stands, the Fuji X20 is one of the most expensive premium compacts currently available on the market, selling for more than the Canon G15, Panasonic LX7 and Olympus XZ-2, at £499.99/US$599.95/AU$652. It's also more expensive than the Sony RX100, which features a larger, one-inch sensor.

While it does perform extremely well, we're not sure it's worth the extra premium that it is currently demanding, so it may be worth waiting until the price drops a little before investing.

That said, if you're a particular fan of Fuji, and its excellent design credentials, this is a sure fire winner.