Latest photography news FujifilmX-T10 Following in the X-T1’s popular footsteps is the X-T10.Will Cheung gets his hands on it
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Pentax flagship
We got our hands on a pre-production K-3 II. The camera feels solid and navigating around is easy with the bright, fixed monitor and plenty of controls to minimise diving into the clear menu. Once camera set-up is complete you don’t have to go into it often either. Push the INFO button and at a glance 18 common features appear; these can be set with the four-way button cluster. There are physical buttons for Raw or JPEG shooting, metering pattern and ISO changing. Pentax kept with the option of its own Raw format (PEF) and the open standard Adobe DNG. The K-3 II has two SD slots with options of how images are stored. AF speed is swift and responsive, and the AF button means changing mode or sensor can be done with the camera up to the eye. We’ll test the K-3 II when the sample arrives, but it’s promising. The K-3 II is available from the end of May at £770 body only and £850 with the 18-55mm WR zoom.
Pentax announced the K-3 II as its flagship APS-C format DSLR. With the acclaim being enjoyed by the medium-format 645Z and a full-frame DSLR due later in the year, the brand is certainly on an upward curve. The K-3 II has a 24.3-megapixel CMOS sensor with no low-pass filter to maximise the camera’s ability to capture detail. There’s an anti-alias filter simulator in the menu in case. The camera uses the PRIME III imaging engine, as does the 645Z, and is known for giving low noise at high ISO settings – the K-3 II tops out at ISO 51,200. With 92 seals around the camera’s magnesium body and stainless steel chassis, the K-3 II is weather resistant. It has exciting practical features like an improved shake reduction system and a Pixel Shift Resolution Shift System, which captures four images with the sensor moved one pixel between each shot before combining the files to produce a higher quality file.
The smaller body could have resulted in some design compromises but the X-T10’s control layout is sensible and all key controls are there. The only thing missing is a dedicated ISO dial but that aspect can be dedicated to one of the seven function controls. The choice of features that can be assigned to these buttons is excellent. Having spent a short while with the X-T10, I’ve no fully formed views yet, especially as we couldn’t check image quality, but the X-Trans sensor is a proven performer so there should be no issues there. The Fujifilm X-T10’s price has been confirmed at £499 body only. It’s £599 with the XC16-50mm and £799 with the XF18- 55mm zoom. The new £699 XF90mm f/2 R LM WR telephoto claims to have fast AF, give beautiful bokeh and focuses to 60cm.
Words by Will Cheung
The X-T10 is significantly smaller than the X-T1 but it’s still not that compact. Fitted with a standard zoom, it’d squeeze into a large jacket pocket. The good news is that the smaller body doesn’t compromise features and the X-T10 is bristling with great stuff. The AF system was responsive and swift even in low light. Our X-T10 sample was tried alongside an X-T1 with v3 firmware and the X-T10 snapped into focus in a way the older camera didn’t. X-T1 owners can enjoy the same AF systemwhen firmware v4 is released later in June (see page 8). Viewing options are provided by the articulating monitor and an EVF with claimed minimal lag so no smearing during panning. The EVF image is smaller but noticeably brighter than the X-T1’s.
π To find out more about the K-3 II, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk.
π To find out more about the X-T10, go to www.fujifilm.eu/uk/.
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Issue 20 | Photography News
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