“The film and images were shot during non-critical phase of flight, or from observer seat as non-operating flight crew.”
My first impression of the S-X10 was how nice and secure the grip felt in my hand, and how lightweight and small it is but still feels extremely rigid and robust. The size of the camera is something that is really important for me as a travel vlogger as it gives me the ability to create great content on-the-go. The X-S10 appearance doesn’t bring much attention, and I mean that in a good way, because it is not as intimidating as a big and bulky DSLR, so I don’t hesitate to bring the camera with me wherever I am in any situation, above or below the clouds. It’s also a great advantage that it can fit easily in a small bag which is great for a traveler like myself who likes to pack light.
Post production is a big part of what is consuming my time as a content creator, so what I really like about shooting with X-S10 is that you have the option to tweak the look straight in the camera to get an instant good result without needing to do any color balance adjustment in post-production. I’m a big fan of Fujifilm’s color reproduction and film simulations, and my favourite is the “Classic Chrome” simulation that I’ve been using for most of my video clips and still images. This effect gives the image a low-saturated look and I think it does really well reproducing skin-tones well.
What is also really helpful is the built-in stabilization in the camera body, and specifically for video, there is a digital stabilization in addition to the optical one. This works really well when you’re filming and walking, or flying an airplane, without using a gimbal to keep things steady when recording handheld. There’s also a helpful “boost” mode to use for still photography when you want that extra stability and don’t have access (or are just too lazy) to use a tripod.
For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed taking pictures as a hobby. Photography has been my own creative outlet, and I feel like it is much like writing a journal, but for people who are more visually creative. I’m sure a lot of other hobbyist photographers as well as professional photographers can relate with me when I say that the golden hour is by far my favorite time of the day to shoot. It’s that period of daytime shortly after sunrise and before sunset, when the colors are softer and has that warm glow. Most of the times I’m fortunate enough to get to spend these magical hours 11 kilometers up in the air, over the clouds, cruising at 800 km/h with the best views one can get from the flight deck. With my X-S10 I’m able to capture those moments and share it with my online-based community who shares the same interests as I do for photography and aviation.
For me, the strongest force driving me to share my content on various social media platforms has been the need to connect with others. Being engaged in an online community and receiving positive feedback provides me with a sense of belonging. The content that I share tends to varies quite a lot, sometimes I really appreciate sharing a deeper level of storytelling that will perhaps teach something useful and brings value to others, and other times I feel like sharing lighter and more entertaining content. I think the route to having a successful online-community lies in the mix of the two. But what I’m absolutely sure of is that people connect with content that is visually appealing, and therefore I think it’s important to have a camera that live up to your own expectations and have features that can help you create beautiful content.
For me as a travel vlogger and content creator, it’s important to have a camera that enable me to do just that. What I really like about the X-S10 is the big touchscreen, and that you’re able to flip the display forward is a key factor for me. What is also very helpful when vlogging, and when filming yourself talking into the camera, is the autofocus tracking and face/eye detection for both still image and video. This enables me to focus more on the composition and framing of the shot instead of worrying about having the further objects in the background being in focus instead of the intended objective or person. With the autofocus tracking it’s also easier to capture those precious moments when there’s no time available for manual focus adjustment. It’s also a big-time saver as I don’t have to do retakes of unintentional dull and fuzzy video clips, and instead rely on the camera’s autofocus system that it will help me getting sharp and visually appealing results straight from the camera. Together with the autofocus system and the fully articulating screen, I think the X-S10 is the ideal vlogging camera.