USER REVI EW | FUJ I F I LM X-T3
change the colours of the menus for easier viewing at night, and you can alter the size of the icons on the EVF for easier viewing. Battery life is rated at 390 shots per charge, which is decent for a mirrorless camera but you will need spares for a full day’s shooting. The new USB-C socket means you can charge the camera up easily from a laptop. If you are used to the handling of any of Fujifilm’s recent cameras then getting to grips with the new X-T3 will take no time at all. The body has a new four-piece design but the camera is the same size and has the same controls Fujifilm users have become used to. If you have a background in old- school film SLRs then you’ll have no issues either, thanks to a traditional layout with obvious, knurled control rings for ISO and shutter speed. Even users of modern DSLRs with swoopy plastic bodies will have little trouble adapting to the retro-style controls, as the Fuji can be customised to work like a Nikon or Canon with two control wheels changing major settings. If you don’t like Fujifilm’s use of a ring on the lens to change aperture, you can customise it. It remains a cool-looking retro cam that is simple to get to grips with and use quickly and efficiently. Add on the new and slightly larger battery grip and it feels far better balanced with larger lenses. It’s a shame there is no dedicated AF-ON button on the back for back-button focusing, though – something that many professionals have used for years. So much for the impressive spec, but after two days of using the camera around a stately home then at the Goodwood Revival motor racing meeting, I can say the camera really delivers. Of course, the motorcycle and car racing action is a real test of any camera, and the new AF worked very well. Fujifilm says it focuses 1.5 times faster than the X-T2 and in use, it certainly locked on well to static
“IT REMAINS A COOL-LOOKING RETRO CAM THAT IS SIMPLE TO GET TO GRIPS WITH”
manual focus, Fuji has introduced a Digital Microprism focusing aid, which is designed to simulate the view through a film SLR finder. This might sound like it’s purely a retro design bit of fun, but is actually supposed to be a useful way of using manual focus accurately. Some people might find it genuinely helpful, but it wasn’t particularly useful for the shooting on the test. Of course the proof of a camera is in the final images and the X-T3 really does pack a punch that’s shockingly good for a camera with an APS-C sensor. At our test, the Raw software was not available – although it was due to be launched on the same day the cameras hit the shops. We could only inspect JPEGs, which we used in the default in-camera modes. The files were detailed and sharp, with bold and saturated colours even in standard setting. Skin tones are pleasing and natural, an essential part of the mix for portrait, social and wedding shooters. The noise is very well controlled, too, even pushing the ISO up the scale to 6400 and above – realistically the maximum most pros would ever need. You can blow up the images significantly and there is not a huge difference between the files and those from the most expensive and latest full-frame cameras. The files are punchy, have lots of dynamic range with easily recoverable shadow detail – and that’s in JPEG. When the Raws are readable, that will only increase.
ABOVE Even with JPEGs, images were impressively saturated and bold, with great detail and sharpness.
subjects, even in dark conditions such as in pit garages. It’s claimed to focus in light levels as low as -3EV and there’s no reason to doubt this. TOP PERFORMANCE When shooting racing cars at speed it occasionally hunted a little upon first half-pressing the shutter, but then quickly acquired focus, locked on and tracked well. The AF is adjustable for tracking speed and sensitivity, with different pre-sets for different types of action, or you can custom set your own. These make a big difference to how the AF performs and once you get to know the camera, you’ll soon learn which work best for different situations. Overall the AF is excellent, with fantastic all-round performance for the vast majority of shooting. There is improved face and eye detection that’s quick and precise, offering an ideal way to use fast portrait lenses wide open even when the subject looks away then looks back. Many professionals are wary of any aids like this but once you get used to them, they are real time savers. For slower shooting when using
BELOW Shooting objects at speed is no problem for the X-T3, with the focus locking on and tracking well.
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MECHANICAL SHUTTER
66 DEF I N I T ION | OCTOBER 20 1 8
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