The Fujifilm X100VI is a fantastic camera, but the point-and-shoot series I want to make a comeback is the Fujifilm X10 for this one key feature

The Fujifilm X100VI has become an iconic camera – but if there’s one compact camera that I want to see Fujifilm revive from the dead, it's the X100 series long-lost sibling: The Fujifilm X10.

The Fujifilm X10 launched the same year as the original X100, back in 2011. The series had two successors, the Fujifilm X20 and the X30, but the two-digit compact camera series was eventually discontinued in 2016.

The Fujifilm X10 series wasn’t as high-end as the X100, so perhaps it’s a bit odd for a professional photographer to ask for its revival. But the X10 series had one key thing that the X100 series does not: optical zoom.

The Fujifilm X10 sported a 12MP sensor, but the 2/3-inch size was quite a bit smaller than the X100. But while smaller sensors have several disadvantages, they have a key advantage, particularly when trying to make a pocketable camera: Zoom is much more feasible. The Fujifilm X30 had a 4x, 28-112mm equivalent f/2.0-2.8 lens.

If there’s something missing in Fujifilm’s compact camera lineup between the X100VI and X Half, it’s zoom. Neither the high-end X100VI nor the X Half has optical zoom. Yes, there’s digital zoom on the X100VI, but that’s not the same. You have to get a conversion lens if you want to alter the fixed focal length on the X100VI without cropping.

I would love to see a compact camera sandwiched somewhere between the X Half and the X100VI that’s still retro and small, but has a bit of zoom. The ability to zoom adds a lot of versatility. Beyond the obvious ability to get in close, a longer lens is more flattering for portraits. A number of popular compact cameras like the Canon G7X Mark III and the Leica D-Lux 8 are popular in part because they have a zoom lens paired with a sensor that’s not giant, but that’s at least larger than most smartphones.

Of course, I would want the price to reflect the camera’s smaller sensor – and that could be the biggest hurdle to creating a successful X10-esque camera today. In the US at least, trends and tariffs make the X Half feel a bit overpriced at list price (but not at the current holiday discount).

The X100VI – and its big sibling, the GFX100RF – are fantastic for getting a large sensor and a bright aperture in a highly portable camera. But I think there’s still a market for compact cameras that may not be as high-end, but have a versatile zoom lens.

The Fujifilm X10 series died with the X30 as point-and-shoot cameras fell out of favor thanks to smartphones, and keeping the X100 series over the X10 series alive was the right move. But, now that point-and-shoot cameras are back in a big way, I can’t help but wish there were more options that had Fujifilm’s retro look with a versatile zoom lens.

You may also like

Browse the best compact cameras or the best retro cameras.