Big test
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CLASSIC NEG
sample, which I thought looked wonderful when I unboxed it. While I am not doubting the coating’s toughness, it did pick up finger grease readily, which gave the camera a used look after a while, but then that's cool. In terms of body design, my personal highlight was the handgrip. The very pronounced ridge for the right thumb and the contoured grip on the front allowed a very secure grip while carrying the camera in one hand, ready to shoot. An optional grip is available. At the other end of the scale was the exposure compensation dial and, even while on C where compensation setting is transferred to an input dial, I found I managed to move the dial off that click-stopped setting. There is the option of locking exposure compensation in the camera’s Lock menu item, but I prefer the option of locking the actual compensation dial, not the feature which is so important. I think if I owned an X-Pro3, I might apply a small piece of black gaffer tape to stop the dial shifting. The camera’s sensor and processor is the same duo found in the X-T3 and X-T30, so you get a 26.1-megapixel
have the camera’s settings showing when the camera’s on, or remaining frames/ battery condition when it is switched off. Or you can have the camera’s Film Simulation mode on show (and this is on show even when the camera’s switched off) so this is reminiscent of the memory slot on the back of film cameras. The X-Pro3’s hidden/sub-monitor is the camera’s big talking point and it’s probably not going to give the camera a mass appeal, but there are plenty more highlights of what is a seriously well- endowed machine. The X-Pro3 is available in three finishes. There’s a standard black and two Duratect-coated titanium exterior versions – black and silver – which sell at a £180 premium. Titanium is used for the X-Pro3’s top and bottom plates and the Duratect coating gives a finish that is super tough and resistant to heavy handling. The titanium/ Duratect combination gives a finish tougher than stainless steel and, with 70 environmental seals (which the standard black version shares), the camera’s credentials for ruggedness are impressive. I tested a Duratect black finish
PROVIA/STANDARD
PERFORMANCE: EXPOSURE LATITUDE
To test the exposure latitude of the X-Pro3’s Raws, exposure brackets of +/-3EVwere taken and the results exposure corrected in Lightroom. This scene was shot with the 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 and the correct exposure was metered at 1/350sec at f/5.6, ISO 200. Typically, overexposure was less impressive compared with underexposure and, while a +3EV shot could be recovered reasonably well, highlights still looked washed out with a slightly veiled appearance. More potential is provided by the
VELVIA/VIVID
correct and saturated result. There was a gain in digital noise with the -3EV, but it wasn’t much and the -2EV and -1EV shots recovered perfectly well. The X-Pro3’s Raws have a good exposure latitude and a decent degree of recoverability, which is useful for when you or the camera don't get it quite right.
+2EV shot, although some extra correction was needed to get the correct colour balance, while no such issues surfaced with the +1EV shot, which recovered well enough tomatch the correctly exposed shot. Getting a quality image fromunderexposed Raws was easier, certainly in terms of getting a good, tonally
+1EV
-2EV
-1EV
-3EV
0
+3EV
+2EV
ABOVE Fujifilm’s Film Simulation family continues to grow. In the X-Pro3 we see Classic Neg for the first time, shown here with Velvia and Provia. Classic Neg gives a lovely desaturated look that will really suit some subjects, like this scene shot at the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge. The shots were produced using the camera's Film Simulation bracket feature and the exposure was 1/140sec at f/4.5, ISO 400
Issue 72 | Photography News 57
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