Fujifilm XQ2 review

The Fujifilm XQ2 may look like a run-of-the-mill compact camera but it shouldn't be underestimated. The two most significant specifications to influence image quality are sensor size and lens aperture, and the XQ2 ups the ante on both fronts.

The sensor measures 2/3in from corner to corner, with double the surface area of the usual 1/2.3in sensors. Meanwhile, the f/1.8 lens is four times brighter than a typical f/3.3 lens. That means eight times the light gathering ability of a conventional compact camera.

The caveat is that the XQ2's aperture quickly narrows as it zooms in. f/1.8 at 25mm is fantastic but f/3.6 at 35mm and f/4.9 at 100mm are less remarkable. Various other premium compacts maintain a wider aperture throughout their zoom range, such as the Canon G7 X with its f/1.8-2.8 lens – and it has an even bigger 1in sensor too. Then again, the G7 X is bulkier and pricier, so the XQ2 strikes an appealing balance.

The design is simple and smart but not quite as satisfying as the Fujifilm XF1 that came before it. The XF1 had similar specifications but included a mechanical lens ring to adjust the zoom, which doubled as a power switch when the lens was retracted into the camera body. The XQ2 uses a more conventional power button and zoom lever. There is a lens ring that can be assigned to zoom or various other functions, but it's not as responsive as a direct mechanical control. Elsewhere there's a mode dial, rear wheel and basic collection of buttons. Pressing E-Fn reassigns six other buttons to various functions. These can be customised from a choice of 14 options including ISO speed, autofocus area and drive mode. Overall, these controls work well enough but they don't have the same tactile efficiency of pricier premium compacts.

Wi-Fi is built in, and the accompanying iOS and Android apps support wireless transfers managed either on the camera or the connected device. There's an option to use a smartphone's GPS radio to geotag photos but it's more hassle than it's worth. There's no option to take pictures remotely. We initially struggled to get the camera to talk to our Android smartphone, but eventually realised that we needed the Fujifilm Camera Application app rather than the Fujifilm Camera Remote. The latter includes remote control functions but isn't compatible with the XQ2.

Fujifilm makes some grand claims about the XQ2's autofocus speed, with phase detection points built into the sensor to deliver autofocus in just 0.06 seconds. In our tests it typically took between 0.3 and 0.4 seconds between pressing the shutter button and capturing a photo – not as dramatic as the claims but still an excellent result. Shot-to-shot times were 0.6 seconds for JPEGs and 0.5 seconds for RAW. Continuous JPEG shooting was at an impressive 10.8fps for 11 frames, slowing to 3.6fps. RAW capture was at 8.9fps for eight frames, slowing to 1.8fps. These are all superb results, and contribute the general impression of an upmarket camera.

Fujifilm cameras tend to fall short for video quality, and the XQ2 is no exception. The specs look promising, with 1080p capture at 30 and 60fps in AVC format. However, footage suffered from noise and blocky details. Autofocus was skittish and the autofocus motor disrupted the soundtrack.

IMAGE QUALITY

The XQ2 put in a considerably more accomplished performance in our photo quality tests. Shots taken in automatic mode were expertly exposed and we were impressed to see the camera raising the shutter speed for moving subjects. It's also possible to customise the Auto ISO function to set a maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed. Detail levels were good rather than great, with a slightly vague appearance to dense textures such as foliage. The 12-megapixel resolution is modest by today's standards but unless you're printing A4 or larger prints or like to crop photos heavily it's hard to imagine this being an issue in practice. We noticed a halo-like glow around highlights, but again, it was subtle enough not to be a significant problem.

Noise levels are the toughest challenge for any compact camera. The XQ2's f/1.8 lens really paid off in wide-angle shots but noise shot up as we zoomed in. Then again, armed with this knowledge it was possible to take excellent photos in low light by repositioning ourselves rather than relying on the zoom function.

^ Expertly balanced colours here, but close scrutiny reveals that fine details are a little vague at the long end of the zoom. (1/850s, f/6.4, ISO 200, 100mm equivalent)

^ This shot in the middle of the zoom range is a little sharper. (1/58s, f/4.7, ISO 100, 61mm equivalent)

^ Focus is sharp into the corners of this wide-angle shot, and there's no sign of chromatic aberrations. (1/800s, f/5.6, ISO 200, 25mm equivalent)

^ The bright f/1.8 lens means the camera can still shoot at ISO 100 for optimal results in low light. There's a slight blooming around highlights, though. (1/40s, f/1.8, ISO 100, 25mm equivalent)

^ Shooting at the wide-angle end of the zoom produces superb results in low light. (1/30s, f/1.8, ISO 320, 25mm equivalent)

^ Stepping back and zooming in means the aperture shrinks and the ISO speed shoots up, generating a significant amount of noise. (1/30s, f/4.9, ISO 2000, 91mm equivalent)

^ The relatively large sensor helps in low light but results at ISO 3200 don't stand up to scrutiny. (1/27s, f/3.4, ISO 3200, 34mm equivalent)

CONCLUSION

The XQ2 adds up to a great package, and although spending £120 more on the Canon G7 X gives a jump in quality, we suspect many people will prefer to save their pennies and go for something truly pocket sized. However, it's worth noting that image quality hasn't progressed significantly since the Fujifilm XQ1 and Fujifilm XF1, which are available at knock-down prices. We'd also seriously consider the Panasonic LX7, which costs around £280 and is still an excellent choice despite its age. The XQ2 is slimmer and lighter, though, and its built-in Wi-Fi is another advantage over the LX7. It's an excellent choice. If none of these meet your needs, or you need more advice, then check out our reguarly updated Best Cameras and Buying Guide.