Fujifilm X-S10 vs Nikon Z fc — Which Is Better?

The Fujifilm X-S10 and the Nikon Z fc are both APS-C mirrorless cameras, but each locks you into a different native lens system. The X-S10, announced in 2020, uses the Fujifilm X mount, while the 2021 Z fc uses the Nikon Z mount. Neither body accepts the other brand's lenses directly, so the lens system matters as much as any body difference.

The X-S10 is the stronger choice for heavy cropping and for action work. Its 26 megapixels give you more pixels than the Z fc's 21 when you need to trim a distant subject, and its 20 fps maximum burst outpaces the Z fc's 11 fps for short bursts of motion. Its 425 autofocus points, against 209, give more positions for placing your focus point.

The bigger working difference is in-body stabilisation, which the X-S10 has and the Z fc does not. That lets you shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds on the Fujifilm, useful for indoor stills or evening street scenes. Several other optics specifications match: both use CMOS sensors in the APS-C format, an electronic viewfinder with 2,360,000 dots and a 1/4000 second maximum shutter.

The X-S10 gives you much more room for slow-motion editing. Its maximum video frame rate of 240 fps exceeds the Z fc's 120 fps, so a splash or a golf swing stretches further when you slow it down on the timeline. Both cameras cap out at 4K maximum resolution, and each records MPEG-4 or MOV files with a built-in timelapse mode for condensing a sunset or drifting clouds.

The X-S10 is more convenient for fill light, while the Z fc is more convenient for wireless transfer. The Fujifilm includes a built-in flash for lifting shadows on a backlit portrait without carrying a flash unit, and the Nikon omits one. The reverse split applies to Wi-Fi, which the Z fc offers for sending images straight to a phone; the X-S10 relies on Bluetooth alone, with both supporting an external flash.

Both rear displays serve waist-level and selfie shooting: each is a 3-inch touch screen with 1,040,000 dots that flips out. Neither camera is weather sealed and neither has GPS, so geotagging a travel set requires a phone or an accessory on both.

The X-S10 carries the longer rated battery life, at 325 shots against 260 for the Z fc under their test conditions. Storage is a similarity: each camera takes a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card at UHS-I speed, with no second slot on either. Both support USB charging, so either can top up from a power bank between locations.