Take Fujifilm’s most successful camera line, the X-T1, X-T2 and X-T3, which remained intact in form and function for 6 years now, and annoy all Fujifilm X-T line lovers, by changing it.
Why do I say this?
Well, because if Fujifilm was to cancel the X-H line (as rumored by our forum member Jason here), this is what would happen, in an attempt to merge both lines into one.
Fujifilm would need an X-T4 with bigger grip (as the leaked specs would suggest), for better handling and operation with long lenses. So the sleek design of the current X-T line would have to make space to a more bulky grip.
And then there are the dials. Fujifilm X-T shooters love dials, so forget about the top LCD screen, but keep the exposure compensation dial.
The result?
A hybid camera, that would make both unhappy, X-T and X-H lovers.
Seen from this perspective, Fujifilm needs both camera lines, as this gives them design freedom.
X-LR is a Lightroom plug-in that reads Fujifilm’s Film Simulation from your RAW file and automatically applies corresponding profile when you import your images to Lightroom.
One big issue it fixed is that Adobe quietly introduced new film simulation profiles with a v2 suffix for the X-T3 and now the X-T30. This release addresses that change and supports any new Fuji cameras for which Adobe introduce v2 profiles.
It has other improvements too:
Supports Adobe’s v2 profiles for X-T3 and X-T30 cameras
Support for X-H1 Eterna film simulation
Extracts maker notes as custom fields
Can run a preset if the camera detected faces
Read ratings and film simulations from JPEG-only shots
Expert Mode
Incremental Lightroom slider values
Ranges of values – eg FacesDetected tag greater than 1 can apply a portrait preset
Notice how that they mostly focus on shooting experience, rather than pixel peeping. And honestly that’s kind of refreshing, as we usually are bombarded with charts, crops and comparisons when a new camera comes out.
Seen from this perspective, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 already achieved what it’s ment for: focus on feel and experience, rather than technical specs.
In case of Gordon (Cameralabs), he says the hidden screen helped him to review images and access menus way less than he normally does. He says:
Previously I always preferred the X-T series over the X-Pro series. But with the X-Pro3 I was surprised just how refreshing and enjoyable I found the experience, how little I worried about settings or features and how much I’d like to shoot with it again.
The Features
With that said, of course the reviewers also go over the new features of this camera.
For example, Gordon from Cameralabs shows samples of the new HDR plus mode, a feature that Gordon says “makes a really good job”. Press the shutter once, and the camera takes three images and combines them into one HDR image (see images below). It works used handheld.
Oh… and Gordon LOVES the new Classic Negative film simulation.
Now let’s cross fingers that all the X-Pro3 firmware goodness on the X-T3, X-T30 and GFX100.
As you know, the optical viewfinder on the “old” X-Pro2 had a build-in 0.36x and 0.60x magnification modes. So, when you use let’s say a 35mm lens, in order for your frame not be too small in the viewfinder, you could switch to the 0.60x magnification.
This is no longer possible with X-Pro3, as it has a fixed OVF magnification of 0.52x.
However, Gordon says that the overall much bigger optical viewfinder on the X-Pro3 helps to compensate for the lack of 0.60x magnification.
For your convenience, down below I have extracted and overlayed both viewfinder frames at 23 and 35 so you get a clear idea how big the difference really is.
With all that said, check out the Fujifilm X-Pro3 review roundup below.
In his original post, we critiqued the fact that he used the slower focusing XF 35mm f/1.4 lens.
So, Hidema listened, and, as spotted by our friends at CanonWatch, they now shared a follow up video, re-testing the eye AF.
But…
Hidema writes he used “all camera default settings, except eye-AF on“.
This would mean that high performance mode (or boost mode) was OFF, hence the slower autofocus.
Today I talked to Hidema, and he was not sure about boost mode. So he contacted the Fujifilm employee, who helped him to perform this test, and apparently he has been told that boost mode was ON.
For your convenience, I have extracted practical screenshots of the results fo the 6 different tests as well as the average results and the time the cameras needed to reacquire focus after the subject returned into the frame.
OVERALL RESULTS
Sony – 95.27%
Nikon – 87.66%
Canon – 87.00%
Fujifilm – 70.72%
For the full results one by one, check out the screenshots and the video below.
The Fujifilm X-T2 is now marked as discontinued at BHphoto here and also at Adorama.
You can still find it in other stores, for example the silver version is still available at Focuscamera, but the inevitable is happening: as the X-T2 is no longer in production, the stock is now clearing out.
So we have to say goodby, to one of Fujifilm’s most legendary and important digital cameras, the Fujifilm X-T2.
Some of you might remember, how the New York Times reported here that Fujifilm sold only 700,000 cameras in the first 2 years of its existence.
X100, X-Pro1, X-E1, X10 and other cameras could never really go mainstream.
However, things changed starting from January 2014, with the Fujifilm X-T1. It was a big hit, and the Fujifilm X-T2 even topped its sales, becoming Fuji’s most successful X series camera ever.
The X-T line is what keeps the X series alive, and currently the Fujifilm X-T3 is going even better than any of its predecessors.
This is the last weekend of Fujifilm X/GFX deals. They end tomorrow.
I remind you that you can combine the official Fujifilm deals with the extra 15% discount offered by AmazonUS via Prime Card Deals on the following Fujifilm products:
Fujifilm X-T3 – save $395 ($200 official deals + 15% back)
Fujifilm X100F – save $365 ($200 official deals + 15% back)