CAMERAS
88 MARCH2020|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE385
FORALLTHEdifferent DSLR and miiirrorless
cameras on the market, very fewmannnageto
excel at everything. Stunning still shooots,
top-quality video and high-end usabilllity are
easy to find individually,but all three rarely
come in asingle package.
The X-T3, however,shows that Fujjjifilm has
pulled off this feat. It has alarge APSSS-C sensor
shooting 26.1-megapixel stills, 4K videeeo
recording with 10-bit, 60fps and LOGGGshooting
support, and more dials than the floooorofa
Rolex factory,all forahighlyappealinnngprice.
SWITCH HUNT
The arsenal of controls might even looook
intimidating at first, but they’re what make
the X-T3 so eminently usable.You gettt
dedicated dials forISO,shutter speedddand
exposure compensation on the topooofthe
camera, then two more dials on the fffrrrooonnnttt
and rear right-hand shoulders of the camera
as well. X-series lenses have adedicated
fly-by-wire aperture ring as well, so between
all those dials and apair of Function buttons,
you can really set up the X-T3 to shoot
however you want.
Although it’s not as beginner-friendly as
intentionally simplified cameras such as
the Canon EOS M200, it’s ahaven for
photographers who want to fine-tune their
own exposures. Both drive mode and
metering mode are controlled by extra
physical switches around the topdials,
which again aids experienced users.
The body of the camera itself weighs in at
539g including abattery and amemorycard,
and it feels supremely solid. The topplateof
the camera is metal, which helps, but the
switches and dials click solidly,which adds
to the feeling of sturdiness. The body is
weather-sealed, and all in all the X-T3 feels
like acamera capable of going the distance.
Our solitary gripe is the screen. It tilts anddd
pivots, which is great, but only feels as
robust as the rest of the camera when it’sss
closed. Opened up,it’s quiteflimsy.
We can forgive that, however,
because the screen itself is one of
the finest on any camera. This 3in,
1.04-million-pixel displayisbright, clear
and vibrant, making framing and image
review simple and pleasant. Indeed, it’s
only outdone by theX-T3’s 0.5in OLED
viewfinder.3.69million pixels make it
incredibly fine-grained and therefore
easy to judge focus. We used the X-T3
with both its kit lens, the XF 18-55mm
F2.8-4 RLMOIS, and with Fujifilm’s XF
FUJIFILM X-T3
★★★★★
£1,459•From http://www.aaamazon.co.uk
VERDICT
The X-T3’s wide range of features
and agreeable price make it great forrr
photographers and videographers alike
90mm F2, which has very tight depth of field,
and really appreciated the accuracy with
which we were able to focusmanually.
The only notably missing feature is in-body
ssstttaaabbbiiillliiisssaaatttiiiooonnn,sssoooyyyooouuu’llllllnnneeeeeedddtttooossspppeeennndddaaallliiittttttllleee
more on lenses with stabilisation built in.
At least you have plenty of lenses to choose
from, with Fujifilm’s X-mount range spanning
cheap telephotos to professional-standard kit.
SHARP OBJECTS
On the subject of pro features, open the
memory card door and you’ll find apair of
slots, capable of taking two cards working
either simply as overflow,orasamirrored
pair,backing up your work as you go.
That’s another fine touch, but not nearly
as fine as the photos this camera takes.
The kit lens is sharp and produces good
contrast, and ISO performance is excellent.
TwoISO 1600 images were basically
indistinguishable from each other,noise-wise,
and then ISOs 1600 and 3200 were difficultto
tell apart. Beyond ISO 6400 there’s amarked
drop in colour fidelity,but it’s impressive that
an APS-C camera at this price produces
usable images with ISO cranked up this high.
Even better is the range of video modes.
The X-T3 canshoot 4K footageatupto60fps
in 10-bit, and arecent firmware updateadded
HDR support and dual film simulation. That
mmmeeeaaannnsssyyyooouuucccaaannnrrreeecccooorrrddd 444 KKKLLLOOOGGGfffooooootttaaagggeeewwwiiittthhh
LUT applied on an external monitor,making
this aviableoption forfilmmakers.
Quality is superb,but it’s this ability to
shoot in F-log –Fujifilm’s own LOG mode –
that makes the difference,asitwillallow
you to getthe most out of colour grading.
Ahigh-speed 1080p mode is also available,
forshooting at up to 120fps.
All the basics are covered, too. Thereare
3.5mm jacks forheadphones and amic, as
well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi foreaseofimage
transfer and remotephotography.
XFACTOR
There are an absolutethimbleful of
drawbacks, chiefamong which is battery life.
With aCIPArating of under 400 images,
and avideo recording time of just 40
minutes in 4K, at least one spare battery is a
must. Auseful-looking add-on is the X-T3’s
battery grip,a£300 addition that allows
you to use the X-T3 with threebatteries
iiinstttalllllled at once.Alternatively,you can
supplyyypower via the USB-C port.
Picking out downsides beyond that is
tricky. Forstills photographers, bigger
sensors are available forroughly the
same outlayelsewhere,but even so,
with superb ISO performance,build
quality and handling –particularly for
experienced photographers –the X-T3 is
excellent. The obvious front-runners in
the DSLR race offer farbiggerlens
libraries, but even so there’s enough
available forthe X-mount that most
photographers will be perfectly happy.
This is simply aterrific camera,
particularly if you’re ajack of all trades.
