Photography News Issue 50

Camera test 38

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

FujifilmX-E3 The launch of the X-E3 rounds off a busy 2017 for Fujifilm and this latest model offers an impressive specification and shares key headline features with the rest of the X-series family

Specs

Price £849 body only, £1149 with XF23mm f/2, £1249 with 18-55mm f/2.8-4 Sensor X-Trans CMOS III 24.3-megapixels Sensor format APS-C, 23.5x15.6mm, 6000x4000 pixels ISO range 200-12,800 expansion to ISO 100- 51,200 Shutter range Mechanical shutter 15min to 1/4000sec inmanual (T setting) or shutter priority; electronic shutter 15min to 1/32,000sec inmanual (T setting). Bulb up to 60min with mechanical shutter. Flash sync 1/180sec Drivemodes Up to 14fps electronic shutter only, 8fps mechanical shutter Metering system 256-zone, multi-mode, spot, average, centre-weighted Exposuremodes PASM, Advanced SR Auto Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps, AEB 2/3/5/7/9 frames in 0.3EV, +/-3EV steps Monitor 3in touchscreen, 1040k dots. Shoot modes are touch AF, focus area, off Viewfinder 2360k dot EV, shows 100% view Focusing Single, continuous, manual Focus points 91 points in 13x7 grid, 325 (in 13x25 grid) selectable in single AF point mode. Single point AF, zone AF 3x3, 5x5, 7x7. Wide/Tracking AF (up to 18 area), All mode. Face and eye detect Video 4K 3840x2160, Full HD Connectivity Bluetooth, Wifi, USB 2.0micro, HDMI type D Other key features Film Simulationmodes (15 options), grain effect, advanced filters (toy camera, miniature and so on), on- board Raw conversion, geo-tagging, multi-exposure Storagemedia 1x SD Dimensions (wxhxd) 121.3x73.9x42.7mm Weight 337g body with battery Contact Fujifilm.eu

Words and images byWill Cheung

Looking at the Fujifilm X-series line- up, the perception might be that the X-E3 is a pared down version of the top-end X-Pro2 in the same way that the X-T20 is like a junior X-T2. There is some truth to this but the reality is that all four cameras have their own unique salient points and different characters too. Of course, there are familial similarities – in looks, handling, and most notably in performance – becausetheyallsharethesamehighly regarded Fujifilm 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor, working in conjunction with the X-Pro image processor. Leaving the sensor aside for now, the X-E3 is an EVF/monitor rangefinder-style camera with a fixed 3in touchscreen and a compact body, priced at £849 body only. Two with-lens options are also offered: with the XF23mm f/2 for £1149 and £1249 with the XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 standard zoom. Fujifilm makes a lot of the X-E3’s sizeanditistruethatitissignificantly smaller than the X-Pro2/X-T2 and, with the 23mm f/2, makes for a neat package. I also tried it with the 18mm f/2 (among other lenses) and that combination was really compact. The camera’s layout is clean with plenty of direct access buttons. The top-plate is typically Fujifilm with a couple of large dials, a shutter speed/mode dial and an exposure compensation dial. There is also an AUTO setting. This is the perfect setting for the inexperienced user. It sets auto ISO, touchscreen release, a 7x7 AF focusing grid and JPEG only shooting, among other items. Take it off the A setting and you have full user control. While the top-plate has a familiar look, have a look at the back-plate and see how long it takes until you spot the big change. Gone is the four-way The Fn, AE-L and AF-L buttons have 36 choices each, so there is considerable potential for user customisation

AF mode, but you can then scroll straight through to the zone (3x3, 5x5, 7x7 points) options and into Wide/ Tracking without having to go into the menu. This is a neat, really useful feature and I used it lots. In terms of AF zones, 91 in a 13x7 grid is offered or in a single AF zone there is the option of 325 points in a 13x25 grid – the amount of the frame covered by the 91 or 325 AF points is the same and all that alters is the point density. In Zone AF and Wide/ Tracking settings there is the 91 points option only. The X-E3’s autofocus skills rate highly, in particular its single shot mode, with the camera locking on quickly and quietly. I used a selection of lenses – the 23mm f/2, 18mm f/2, 18-55mm f/2.8-4, 10-24mm f/4 and 55-200mm f/4-5.6. Continuous AF could be very good or less certain depending on the situation. Oncoming fast-moving traffic on the local motorway on a bright day was handled competently and shooting at 8fps accurate AF tracking with a 55-200mm zoom was pretty good; on the other hand, a toddler who has just discovered his legs, in a brightly lit living room, was handled less well with continuous AF and even with the 23mm there were focus failures. The touchscreen comes into play with theAF system in live viewmode

controller and instead is a thumb lever – this is used for moving the AF point around the screen as well as for navigating and selectingmenu items. Youalsohave the touchscreen that, in a way, is a substitute for the four- way controller. In playback there is the usual swipe and pinch finger strokes to navigate through pictures or to zoom into images but in normal shooting you can use it to set ISO, change film simulation mode or turn on Bluetooth by swiping, up, down, left or right. I only had two active – up for ISO and down for white-balance and that was mostly because I didn’t feel my memory would cope with more. Each swipe direction has 32 options, including off. By the way the Fn, AE-L and AF-L buttons have 36 choices each, so there is considerable potential for user customisation The long and the short of it is that I didn’t miss the four-way controller at all and much preferred having the thumb lever to move the AF point around. It is quicker and also meant that I didn’t have to change my right- hand grip to use it. Pushing down on the thumb lever takes you into the focus zone size change mode. On the X-E3 (and the latest firmware on other X-series cameras), if you set ‘All’ in the AF mode menu, you can with one push choose one of six sizes in single zone

Above The X-E3 has the top-plate profile and left-sided viewfinder eyepiece of a classic rangefinder camera (like the X-Pro2) rather than the more DSLR look of the X-T2/X-T20. It is being sold in lens kits, either with the 23mm f/2 or the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 standard zoom. Below Gone is the four pad control cluster and instead you get a focus lever and touchscreen custom functions. It is a very good swap.

Powered by