Fujifilm X-T3 Review: The APS-C Champion!

We at GMax Studios, have been Fujifilm users for a pretty long time, from using their analog cameras and their films to their mirrorless cameras like the X-E1 and the X-100 series. Fujifilm were one of the first companies to introduce mirrorless cameras and slowly the traction caught on and Sony and Panasonic made up for the lost miles. But now, Fujifilm is back with a bang with its new mirrorless camera, with its predecessor: Fujifilm X-T3.

Also read: Fujifilm X-T3 price in India reduced

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global


Body

  • The Fujifilm’s magnesium alloy body makes it a very rugged and solid camera to feel and hold.

  • It has got dials on top for the ISO exposure compensation and shutter speed, it is also sealed against dust and moisture which makes you very confident while using it extreme conditions.

  • Almost all the dials and the buttons at the back of the camera are user customizable making using this camera truly a joy.

  • You can even customise the touch screen patterns on the X-T3 by assigning the pattern that is; left, right, up and down.

  • It also has two UHS two slots.

  • Inside this camera it has a 26 megapixel X-Trans CMOS sensor, but thanks to the X-Processor 4 you can hardly feel any lag while taking pictures

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios


The Fuji Colours

There is total of nine colour profiles in-built in the Fujifilm X-T3:

  • PROVIA/STANDARD

  • Velvia/VIVID

  • ASTIA/SOFT

  • CLASSIC CHROME

  • PRO Neg.Hi

  • PRO Neg.Std

  • ACROSS (+YE/R/G FILTER)

  • ETERNA

  • MONOCHROME

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

What made Fujifilm great in the days of analog photography was their colours and it did some phenomenal work with their film. In fact, it was impossible to think of film photography without thinking of Fujifilm and when they came out with their mirrorless cameras they were able to replicate the same colour using the colour profiles in their mirrorless cameras. The Fujifilm X-T3 has a total of 16 film simulation modes including our personal favourites which are classic chrome and across in fact we will go as far as to say that the Fujifilm X-T3 is one of those cameras that make everything look good and we really don't feel like touching the JPEGs at all the images coming out of the Fujifilm X-T3 are extremely sharp thanks to the superb optics of the Fujinon lenses. This is one camera where even the kit lens shines.

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

ISO

The Fujifilm X-T3 has an ISO range of 160 to 12,800 and in the H-mode while taking photographs, you can go as high as 51,200. As far as noise is concerned, while we were shooting with it we did not see any noise up to 4000 ISO. In fact, the colour noise at ISO 4000 is practically zero.

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

Focus Points

This camera has a total of 425 Hybrid autofocus points which cover almost the entire frame. It also has face-detect and eye-detect which work pretty well. In fact, it is the only camera which allows you to choose whether you want to focus on the right eye or the left eye which makes it pretty unique, in our opinion. The face and eye detect also worked under streetlights which was personally quite surprising to us.


AF-C

When you're taking pictures with the Fujifilm X-T3 you can control the autofocus speed by using the various AF-C custom settings built into the camera. The setting include; tracking sensitivity speed tracking sensitivity, and zone area switching depending upon the subject that you are shooting.

In video mode, you can control the tracking sensitivity and the AF speed as well, if you are focusing manually. The Fujifilm X-T3 has a digital micro prism as well as a digital split image. As far as the burst mode is concerned, the X-T3 gives you extra 3 frames at a frame rate of 11 frames per second by using the mechanical shutter and gives you a speed of 30 frames a second if you are using the electronic shutter the 30 frames-per-second comes with a price though, and that is a 1.25X crop.

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

Source: Fujifilm Global

Video

This camera is capable of shooting 10-bit 4K up to 60 fps in 4:2:0 internally, using the HEVC codec. If that is not enough, you can shoot 10-bit 4:2:2 4K up to 60 frames per second using a compatible external recorder.

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

We know we have said this before, but the Fujifilm colours are absolutely fantastic. This is evident not only by taking photographs but shooting video as well. While they have especially made Eterna films simulation for getting the film look while shooting video, it is the classic chrome that is our personal favourite and which we feel that does not require any calibrating at all. While there are quite a few cameras on the market that do a great job with autofocus while taking photographs but while shooting video, not so much. This is where the Fujifilm X-T3 really shines.

Lens Compatibility

It is also possible to mount the Fujinon cine lenses onto this camera for some really serious video work and if all this was not enough you can shoot F log at a base ISO of 640.

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

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Connectivity

As far as connectivity is concerned, there is an app for that. Using the Fujifilm camera mode you can connect the camera directly to the smartphone and control it as well as transfer photographs directly to be shared online.

Cons

So while we have absolutely loved using this camera so far there are few things that we don't like about it.

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

  • The first being a simple design flaw. So taking the mode dial here for example, at one end you have the video mode and at the other end you have your panorama mode. Considering that most of the people would be using either shooting the movie mode or photography mode (S mode) either these modes should have been next to each other or they should have been at the extreme ends.

  • Secondly, the battery life could really be improved. We know that this camera has got a new processor which is faster and the kind of data that it is processing is really a lot but then one can definitely hope.

  • Thirdly, we really feel that this camera would have truly been complete had the screen flipped out totally to face the shooter while shooting that is a complete flip out screen but that is not the case it flips out it tilts it flips in this strange funny manner but it does not flip out completely to face the shooter as if you were taking a selfie.

Source: GMax Studios

Source: GMax Studios

  • Last but not least, the lack of inbuilt image stabilisation that is one thing that we really missed in this camera wise shooting handheld.

The Fujifilm X-T3 is a truly spectacular camera not just for the price it comes at not just for the features that it offers but also for the colours and for the fact that it truly truly inspires you to shoot more pictures and that quality very few cameras have.
So this is what we really think about the new Fujifilm X-T3. Its small, robust, reliable and an extreme beast in a small size that it comes in.

Here are a few pictures as a result from the Fujifilm X-T3.

If you haven’t watched our latest comprehensive review on the Fujifilm X-T3, please watch it below and also do not forget to visit our YouTube channel and subscribe, if you haven’t already.

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