Fujifilm XF10 vs Leica TL2

The Fujifilm XF10 and the Leica TL2 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in July 2018 and July 2017. The XF10 is a fixed lens compact, while the TL2 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Fujifilm has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Leica provides 24.1 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Fujifilm XF10		Leica TL2
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
28mm f/2.8-16		Leica T mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24.1 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/15p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 200-12,800 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-50,000
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.7" LCD – 1230k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
6 shutter flaps per second		7 shutter flaps per second
330 shots per battery charge		250 shots per battery charge
113 x 64 x 41 mm, 279 g		134 x 69 x 33 mm, 399 g

Check XF10 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Fujifilm XF10 and the Leica TL2? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Fujifilm XF10 and the Leica TL2. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The XF10 can be obtained in two different colors (black, gold), while the TL2 is also available in two color-versions, but different ones (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Leica TL2 is notably larger (28 percent) than the Fujifilm XF10. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the XF10 nor the TL2 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the XF10 has a lens built in, whereas the TL2 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the XF10 gets 330 shots out of its Fujifilm NP-95 battery, while the TL2 can take 250 images on a single charge of its Leica BP-DC13 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	499	ebay.com
2.		Leica TL2	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	399 g	250	n	Jul 2017	1,950	ebay.com
3.		Canon G9 X Mark II	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	206 g	235	n	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
4.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	117 mm	67 mm	40 mm	339 g	410	n	Aug 2016	399	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-A7	119 mm	68 mm	41 mm	320 g	440	n	Sep 2019	499	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-E3	121 mm	74 mm	43 mm	337 g	350	n	Sep 2017	899	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	118 mm	83 mm	41 mm	383 g	350	n	Jan 2017	899	ebay.com
10.		Fujifilm X-T100	121 mm	83 mm	47 mm	448 g	430	n	May 2018	599	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X70	113 mm	64 mm	44 mm	340 g	330	n	Jan 2016	799	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X100F	127 mm	75 mm	52 mm	469 g	390	n	Jan 2017	1,299	ebay.com
13.		Leica CL	131 mm	78 mm	45 mm	403 g	220	n	Nov 2017	2,795	ebay.com
14.		Leica TL	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	384 g	400	n	Nov 2016	1,695	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic ZS70	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic ZS80	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	449	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The XF10 was launched at a lower price than the TL2, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the TL2 is 1 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24.1MP, the TL2 offers a higher resolution than the XF10 (24MP), but the TL2 nevertheless has the same individual pixel size (pixel pitch of 3.92μm) as the XF10 due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the XF10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year) than the TL2, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the TL2 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The XF10 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Fujifilm XF10 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Leica TL2 are ISO 100 to ISO 50000 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
2.		Leica TL2	APS-C	24.1	6014	4014	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1753	82
3.		Canon G9 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.9	12.5	522	65
4.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
5.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.1	1664	81
7.		Fujifilm X-A7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1955	84
8.		Fujifilm X-E3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1764	82
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
10.		Fujifilm X-T100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1829	83
11.		Fujifilm X70	APS-C	16.0	4896	3264	1080/60p	23.7	13.0	1608	80
12.		Fujifilm X100F	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
13.		Leica CL	APS-C	24.1	6014	4014	4K/30p	24.0	13.3	1788	82
14.		Leica TL	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.9	13.2	1690	81
15.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
16.		Panasonic ZS70	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
17.		Panasonic ZS80	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the TL2 provides a faster frame rate than the XF10. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Fujifilm is limited to 4K/15p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The XF10 and the TL2 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. That said, the TL2 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the Visoflex (Typ 020). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Fujifilm XF10 and Leica TL2 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
2.		Leica TL2	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon G9 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	8.2/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
5.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Fujifilm X-A7	none	n	3.5 / 2760	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
8.		Fujifilm X-E3	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
10.		Fujifilm X-T100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
11.		Fujifilm X70	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
12.		Fujifilm X100F	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
13.		Leica CL	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
14.		Leica TL	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic ZS70	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Panasonic ZS80	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The XF10 has one, while the TL2 does not. While the built-in flash of the XF10 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the XF10 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Fujifilm XF10 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the XF10 and the TL2 write their files to SDXC cards. The TL2 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the XF10 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Fujifilm XF10 and Leica TL2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Leica TL2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon G9 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Fujifilm X-A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Fujifilm X-E3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Fujifilm X-T100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Fujifilm X70	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Fujifilm X100F	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Leica CL	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
14.		Leica TL	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
16.		Panasonic ZS70	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
17.		Panasonic ZS80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the XF10 has a microphone port, which is missing on the TL2. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Both the XF10 and the TL2 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Fujifilm and Leica. Further information on the features and operation of the XF10 and TL2 can be found, respectively, in the Fujifilm XF10 Manual (free pdf) or the online Leica TL2 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Fujifilm XF10 better than the Leica TL2 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Fujifilm XF10:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the TL2 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (113x64mm vs 134x69mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the TL2).
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (330 versus 250) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year after the TL2).

Advantages of the Leica TL2:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/30p versus 4K/15p).
• More framing options: Can be equipped with a hotshoe-mounted accessory-viewfinder.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.7" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1230k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (7 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale value.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in July 2017).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the XF10 comes out slightly ahead of the TL2 (13 : 12 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Fujifilm XF10 and the Leica TL2 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Prime Lens Compact Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the XF10 and the TL2 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	499	ebay.com
2.		Leica TL2	3.5/5	..	3/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2017	1,950	ebay.com
3.		Canon G9 X Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529	ebay.com
4.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	..	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2016	399	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-A7	3/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	3.5/5	Sep 2019	499	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-E3	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	899	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	5/5	+ +	5/5	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	899	ebay.com
10.		Fujifilm X-T100	4/5	+	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2018	599	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X70	4.5/5	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	799	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X100F	5/5	+	3.9/5	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	1,299	ebay.com
13.		Leica CL	..	..	4.2/5	..	..	4/5	Nov 2017	2,795	ebay.com
14.		Leica TL	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Nov 2016	1,695	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic ZS70	..	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic ZS80	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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