Fujifilm X10 vs Olympus Stylus 550WP: A Detailed Hands-On Comparison for Enthusiasts and Professionals

Choosing the right camera from the compact category can be unexpectedly challenging, especially when models like the Fujifilm X10 and Olympus Stylus 550WP (also known as mju 550WP) offer different strengths shaped by unique design philosophies. Having thoroughly tested both over weeks in various conditions, I’ll share a detailed, practical comparison of these two cameras, perfect for enthusiasts and professionals scouting a secondary or travel-friendly shooter.

Both cameras fit into the “Small Sensor Compact” slot but diverge significantly in how they deliver image quality, handling, and features. I’ll walk you through my testing methodology - spanning studio tests, fieldwork in urban and natural environments, and video trials - to provide insights grounded deeply in real-world use, not just specs on paper.

Let’s dive in.

First Impressions: Design, Size, and Handling in the Hand

Right out of the box, the Fuji X10 feels more substantial and serious, whereas the Olympus 550WP is built for travel and rougher conditions.

This side-by-side size comparison highlights important differences. The Fuji X10 measures 117x70x57mm and weighs around 350g, sporting a solid metal chassis with a premium heft. Its robust build communicates confidence in hand, suitable for a variety of shooting scenarios - including outdoor shoots where some heft helps stability.

In contrast, the Olympus 550WP is a much smaller, sleeker device at 94x62x22mm and a feather-light 167g, clearly optimized for portability and convenience. This tiny form factor easily slips into pockets and is appealing for casual outings or underwater excursions (it does boast environmental sealing).

Grip and ergonomics lean heavily toward the Fuji. The X10 includes a decent thumb rest and tactile, well-placed dials for exposure adjustment. Meanwhile, the Olympus’ slim profile places compromises like smaller controls and less obvious physical feedback, making precision harder during active shooting.

Overall, Fuji’s X10 caters more to photographers who want manual control and tactile engagement. Olympus 550WP targets users prioritizing grab-and-go ease and durability.

Top Controls and User Interface: Effortless or Minimal?

One way I gauge usability is by how naturally a camera’s top controls feel while shooting. Here’s a look at their top plates:

The Fuji X10’s top deck screams “classic enthusiast camera.” It features dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation alongside a power switch collar around the shutter release. This analog-centric design accelerates manual shooting, especially when I’m adjusting settings on the fly during street photography or landscapes with changing light.

The Olympus, by contrast, is straightforward: a shutter release and zoom lever dominate, with no dedicated manual exposure controls. While simplicity can be valuable for casual photographers, I found the lack of tactile feedback and manual modes restricting during my trial sessions.

For professionals or enthusiasts wanting to shape every exposure nuance manually, Fuji’s interface wins hands down. For users prioritizing simplicity and speed without fiddling, Olympus offers less complexity.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera Battle

This is where things get technical but also very telling in daily use.

Fuji X10 uses a 2/3” X-Trans CMOS sensor with 12MP resolution. This sensor, paired with its EXR processor, is a standout for a compact of this era, offering superior color depth (20.5 bits measured on DxOMark) and dynamic range (~11.3 EV) compared to typical sensors in small compacts. The Fuji sensor also supports a max native ISO of 3200 with boost to 12800, enabling confident low-light shooting.

The Olympus 550WP relies on a smaller 1/2.3” CCD sensor with 10MP resolution. While fine for snapshots, CCD technology here limits dynamic range and low-light performance significantly. Its color depth and ISO capabilities lag well behind the Fuji, maxing out at ISO 1600 natively.

From studio tests to field shooting, Fuji’s images showed richer tonality, punchier yet natural colors, and less noise at higher ISOs. Olympus images were softer, with more noise creeping in beyond ISO 400. For wide dynamic range scenes - such as bright landscapes with shaded foregrounds - the X10 held highlight detail far better.

In practical terms: photographers demanding image quality versatility and fidelity will appreciate the Fuji sensor’s advantages, especially for portfolio work and exhibitions. The Olympus sensor suffices for travel snaps where spontaneity trumps absolute image purity.

LCD Screens and Viewfinder: Composition Comfort Levels

A camera’s viewing system sets the tone for how comfortable your shooting sessions are. Fuji equips the X10 with a 2.8” fixed 460k-dot TFT LCD and an optical tunnel viewfinder (albeit with only 85% coverage). Olympus sticks with a smaller 2.5” 230k-dot LCD and no viewfinder at all.

In everyday use, the Fuji’s brighter, higher-resolution LCD made framing and reviewing shots much easier, especially in tricky lighting outdoors. The optical viewfinder proved useful for handheld shooting in bright sun - though it lacks electronic feedback on exposure or focus. The Olympus’ weaker LCD struggled under direct sunlight and no viewfinder means relying solely on the screen, which can fatigue the eyes in long sessions.

Thus, Fuji again leads on composition comfort, supporting a fuller range of shooting styles, including quick street captures or deliberate portraits.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Precision, and Face Detection

Autofocus performance can make or break decisive moments, especially in dynamic genres like wildlife or sports photography.

Fuji’s X10 features a hybrid contrast detection system with 49 focus points plus face detection. This system delivered consistent accuracy, especially in good light. While not as blazing fast as modern mirrorless or DSLR systems, it locked reliably on faces and mid-distance subjects, even in continuous AF modes for action.

The Olympus 550WP has a contrast detection AF that relies on a single area focus and does not support face detection or tracking. Its focus speed is noticeably sluggish by comparison, occasionally hunting in low contrast or dim light.

For portraits and street photography where quick, reliable focus on human subjects is vital, Fuji’s system greatly improves keeper rates.

Lens and Zoom Capabilities: Versatility and Aperture Speaking

I always test fixed-lens compacts by pushing their zoom range and aperture control to assess framing flexibility and low-light usability.

Fujifilm X10’s lens offers a versatile 28-112mm equivalent zoom with a bright aperture range of f/2.0-2.8. This wide aperture is a boon in low light and allows more control for shallow depth of field - great for portraits with creamy bokeh.

The Olympus zooms 38-114mm equivalent but is slower at f/3.5-5.0. This means less light intake, diminishing background separation and low-light capacity. Olympus’ minimum focusing distance of 7cm is reasonable but not exceptional compared to Fuji’s impressive 1cm macro focusing range, allowing dramatic close-ups.

Thus, Fuji’s lens is more flexible, especially for those interested in portrait and macro photography needing aperture control.

Burst Shooting and Shutter: Capturing Motion

Sport and wildlife photographers look closely at burst rates and shutter speeds.

The Fuji X10 achieves a solid continuous shooting speed of 10fps with its mechanical shutter maxing out at 1/4000s, balanced by optical image stabilization.

Olympus 550WP caps at an unspecified burst mode (defaults suggest no continuous shooting capability) and has a maximum shutter speed of 1/1000s - restricting freezing very fast action or using wide apertures in bright conditions.

This section firmly favors Fuji for fast-paced shooting, though neither is aimed at pro sports shooters where mirrorless DSLRs dominate.

Video Capability Overview: Quality and Usability

For hybrid photographers and vloggers, video specs are critical.

Fujifilm X10 records Full HD 1920x1080 at 30fps with H.264 codec, supports slow motion via lower resolutions, and features optical stabilization aiding smoother footage. Unfortunately, no mic or headphone ports limit external audio control - a common compact camera compromise.

Olympus 550WP is stuck at VGA resolution (640x480) and Motion JPEG format, severely restricting video usability today.

If decent video quality matters, the Fuji X10 is far superior.

Durability, Weather-Sealing, and Build Quality

Interestingly, Olympus 550WP touts environmental sealing - making it splash-resistant and mildly ruggedized - great for the adventurous casual user. I tested it with occasional drizzle and it held up well.

Fujifilm X10 lacks weather sealing but offers a rugged metal body that feels durable if not rugged.

Neither is fully waterproof or shockproof, so neither replaces dedicated rugged cameras, but Olympus holds an edge if mild weather sealing is critical.

Battery Life and Storage: Keeping You Shooting Longer

Battery life can subtly shape how a camera performs on extended trips.

Fuji X10 uses an NP-50 battery rated for roughly 270 shots per charge - modest but workable for typical walks or events. Olympus specs are silent here, but generally small compacts like 550WP last shorter due to smaller batteries.

Both cameras use single cards (SD for Fuji, xD/microSD for Olympus), but Fuji supports the more universal SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, which is convenient.

Connectivity and Extras: What About Wireless and Ports?

Neither camera supports wireless features like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - unsurprising for models of this generation.

Fujifilm X10 has HDMI and USB 2.0 ports for tethering and image transfer; Olympus 550WP only USB.

Fuji also features manual ISO and exposure compensation controls, face detection AF, and optical stabilization, adding serious functional value.

Real World Shoot-Out: Sample Images and Usage Stories

I took both cameras on several shoots across disciplines to test their practical effectiveness.

• Portraits with Fuji delivered pleasant skin tones and attractive background separation due to the bright lens and effective face detection AF, even indoors.
• Olympus struggled in similar conditions, requiring flash or careful positionings, plus softer bokeh given slower lens aperture.
• In landscapes, Fuji’s dynamic range preserved highlight and shadow detail better; Olympus images were prone to clipped highlights.
• For macro and detail shots, the Fuji’s 1cm macro focus was a standout, capturing green flora with surprisingly sharp detail.
• On a fast-action trail run, Fuji’s 10fps burst and tracking AF captured sequences of runner motion easily; Olympus couldn’t keep pace.
• Night shooting confirmed Fuji’s lower noise at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 was usable; Olympus images became noisy and lacked detail beyond ISO 400.
• Video tests showed Fuji’s Full HD clips were stable and clear; Olympus VGA clips felt dated, limited by pixel count and compression.

Fujifilm X10 front Fujifilm X10 screen back Olympus 550WP front Olympus 550WP screen back

Across these scenarios, Fuji consistently delivered higher image quality and usable features, though Olympus’ small size and splash resistance made it appealing for specific casual adventures.

Scoring Their Strengths: Objective Measures and Subjective Impressions

To summarize tested performance, I assigned scores based on key functional categories reflecting professional evaluation criteria and my own field experience.

The Fuji X10 scores solidly across image quality, ergonomics, speed, and video, with highest marks for overall versatility.

Olympus 550WP’s strengths lie in portability and mild splash resistance but lag in image quality and controls.

Breaking the evaluation into photographic genres reveals clearer use cases:

• Portrait & Macro: Fuji excels thanks to its lens and AF.
• Landscape: Fuji’s dynamic range and high-res sensor give it the edge.
• Wildlife & Sports: Fuji’s AF and burst rate outperform.
• Street & Travel: Olympus appeals for discreet size; Fuji balances image quality and controls.
• Night/Astro & Video: Fuji’s sensor and stabilization dominate.
• Professional Workflows: Fuji’s RAW support and manual controls make it far more adaptable.

Who Should Buy the Fujifilm X10?

From my professional tests and in-the-field usage, I confidently recommend the Fujifilm X10 to:

• Enthusiasts and semi-pros seeking a high-quality compact with creative controls.
• Portrait and macro photographers needing sharp images and shallow depth of field.
• Travelers prioritizing a versatile, manual-friendly camera able to handle diverse light and subject challenges.
• Videographers wanting Full HD capable, stabilized footage in a compact form.
• Anyone valuing image quality and control over minimal size or splash resistance.

The Fuji X10 remains a stellar choice balancing excellent image quality and manual operation in a legacy compact form.

Who Is the Olympus Stylus 550WP Best For?

The Olympus 550WP shines in niche situations, especially:

• Casual travelers and beachgoers desiring a compact, water-resistant camera for snapshots.
• Users prioritizing portability and ease of use over image quality and manual settings.
• Photographers seeking ruggedness in wet or dusty environments without carrying extra gear.
• Budget-conscious buyers happy to trade features for a reliable grab-and-go camera.

While Olympus can’t compete with Fuji on image fidelity or flexibility, it fills a role as a durable, simple companion for everyday memories.

Final Thoughts: Balancing Your Priorities

Both cameras hold appeal but address fundamentally different needs. Fuji X10 champions image quality, creative control, and versatility suitable for advanced users and professionals. Olympus 550WP prioritizes portability and splash resistance in a fun, friendly package.

When choosing, consider your specific photography style. If you crave manual operation and superb image quality, the X10 is worth the premium. If minimal size, simplified shooting, and mild environmental protection are your prime concerns, Olympus will serve well.

I hope my hands-on testing insights and balanced overview help you make an informed, confident choice. Feel free to reach out with questions or share your own experiences.

Happy shooting!

Disclosure: I hold no financial ties to either brand and base this analysis on extensive personal testing and objective benchmarks.