There’s no doubt that the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F2.8 is a beautifully built lens. It’s also quite heavy, and at £1750 / $1900 it’s a pretty serious investment. Is the expense worth it? Chris and Jordan take to the hiking trails of Alberta to answer that question….
Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR wideangle zoom lens on Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Commentary
Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR ultra wide-angle zoom lens is beautifully built and delivers beautiful results, but it may not be the best solution for everyone needing ultra-wide focal lengths.
Its size and weight demand mounting it on a vertical battery-equipped Fujifilm X-T3 at the very least with the now-discounted Fujifilm X-H1 providing better balance than the slightly smaller and lighter X-T3.
If the X-H1’s OIS-equipped replacement, the X-H2, is in Fujifilm’s production pipeline then it may be wiser to wait for that to appear sometime late this year or more likely early next if the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR is an important lens in your gear kit.
My experience with the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 proves it to be an excellent solution for architectural photography where street furniture, trees and other buildings dictate using the widest focal lengths to get closer to your main subject and bypass non-removable visual noise.
I have used it successfully for documentary photography in the middle of dense crowds, though there were times I would have preferred the lens had optical image stabilization built-in for when the light dropped and slow shutter speeds were necessary to support deep focus via smaller apertures.
In bright sunlight, photographing landscapes was a pleasure and the lens lapped up fine detail but its lack of provision for attaching screw-on filters meant I was unable to try it out as a video lens and I am not in the market for large, heavy and expensive third-party filter adapters or even larger and costlier matte boxes.
If you need an ultra-wideangle for documentary photography and video then I highly recommend the Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R which is small and light enough for use with an ungripped X-T3 and would work well on an X-Pro2 with a Fujifilm VF-X21 external optical viewfinder sitting on its hotshoe.
If a range of wide-angle focal lengths is necessary as well as portability and stabilization then I recommend the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS lens especially it is stopped down below f/5.6 and preferably f/8.0, and this lens will not eat into your savings anywhere near as much as the otherwise excellent Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR.
Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
Thanks to Fujifilm Australia, I have been lucky enough to try out the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR ultra-wide zoom in combo with the amazing Fujifilm X-T3 DSLR-style camera and its VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip.
My primary motivation in requesting the loan was so cinematographer/director Paul Leeming could use the X-T3 to shoot video footage in order to create a custom Leeming LUT Pro for it.
He did the same for my X-Pro2 camera, and I am looking forward to eventually relying on Paul’s various Leeming LUT Pro 3D look-up tables to quickly and easily combine footage from those two cameras with video shot with my Panasonic cameras and, hopefully, Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K aka BMPCC 4K.
Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens.Alternatively, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR wide-angle zoom lens on Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
At the moment I am using the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR for stills photography and for a self-funded independent documentary photographer and moviemaker I believe it’s stills to which this lens is best suited.
Reason number one?
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR does not permit attaching circular filters.
Large and costly adapters are required in order to attach square or rectangular filters in front of the lenses convex front element, though someone may come up with a similar adapter for attaching wide diameter circular filters to it.
Another large and costly solution is to invest in a matte box, though which one may be best is beyond my current knowledge and experience.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR Red Badge zoom
Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional Red Badge wide-angle zoom lens.
As a budget-driven documentary video solo operator I need to keep my equipment load and expenses down so I rely on circular variable ND filters.
My current VNDs are built with ageing technology, and more recent ones are reportedly sharper, more colour-neutral and offer a greater range of filtration density stops for today’s sensors.
I want to find the best contemporary VND, need a great set of fixed density NDs for less run-and-gun style projects, and I want to upgrade from 77mm to 82mm to future-proof for coming bigger lenses.
All that aside, I absolutely love the results I have been getting with the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR wideangle zoom lens on Fujifilm X-H1. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
It balances well on a battery grip-equipped X-T3 whereas it is far too large and heavy for an ungripped camera.
I cannot comment on how it works with a gripped or ungripped Fujifilm X-H1 as I have yet to experience that particular camera.
I wish the X-T3 had the X-H1’s in-body image stabilization aka IBIS and optical image stabilization on the 8-16mm lens would have been terrific.
The X-T3’s ungripped body makes for a great companion camera to my X-Pro2 as I discovered during my first X-T3 tryout late last year, equipping the latter with a Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 alongside the former with my Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R attached.
Adding a Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip to the X-T3 turns it into a great handheld portrait camera with the addition of my Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R.
But I digress.
My first Fujinon Red Badge zoom tryout
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR is the first Fujifilm Red Badge zoom lens I have tried, and so far it looks like it adheres to the common praise heaped upon the Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R WR, that it’s like having a set of top quality primes at your disposal but all in the one lens – a box of primes.
Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R prime lens with manual clutch focus. Image courtesy of Fujifilm.
The widest lens I have ever used until now was the Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R, equivalent in 35mm sensor terms to one of my favourite focal lengths for immersive documentary photography and video, 21mm.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR goes well beyond that excellent and affordable little lens with a focal length range from 12mm through to 24mm in 35mm sensor terms, the latter not one of my preferred focal lengths by any means.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR’s focal range is particularly well-suited to cityscapes and ‘burbscapes, though it can handle documentary shots in a pinch provided you set it at 16mm and watch out for weird volume distortion of people and objects too near the corners of the frame.
Some of that corner volume distortion can be corrected in post-processing with DxO ViewPoint but that can also introduce other distortions in the centre of the photograph.
Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R prime lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
I would rather have a pro-quality 18mm lens for immersive documentary work, but Fujifilm has yet to update its current quirky 18mm offering or release the coming Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4.0 R OIS WR zoom lens.
In my analog days I often made architectural photographs with 4”x5” sheet film cameras as part of corporate photography assignments, and as it was a sideline rather than a speciality did not have the set of wide-angle large format view camera lenses I would have liked.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR gives me all of those focal lengths and more.
Shooting architecture with a small handheld camera is a very different dynamic than doing it with a tripod-mounted field camera.
Linhof Master Technika Classic 4″x5″ sheet film view camera. Image courtesy of Linhof.
The small camera’s fast and easy mobility means one feels free to dart all around the subject and the zoom lens makes it so fast and easy to try out plenty of alternative camera positions.
I often found myself using the lens at its widest focal length when street furniture, signage and random objects and people got in the way.
So long as you keep a keen eye on potentially detrimental volume and perspective distortions due to distance from and angle of view to the subject, you will do fine.
On the other hand, if you want radical perspective and even more radical near/far object size comparisons, select one of the lens’ wider focal lengths and distort to your heart’s content.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR is possibly the sharpest lens I have ever used, with excellent resolution and micro-contrast.
Whether using Adobe’s Enhance-equipped Camera Raw 11.2, previous versions of Camera Raw or another raw processor or image editing application, its unsharpened raw files are impressive onscreen.
If adding sharpening in post-processing, go easy with it and you may also wish dial down your in-camera sharpening for certain subjects if you are a JPEG user.
The Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR zoom lens makes for a superb addition to your Fujifilm lens collection if your work demands ultra-wide focal lengths, though its current high pricing will give some pause to stop, think and postpone purchase.
Or there’s the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS zoom
Postscript: The Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS was replaced by the XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS WR some time after writing this article.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS wide-angle zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS WR wide-angle zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Many video-oriented users of Fujifilm APS-C/Super 35 cameras may be better off considering the Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS zoom lens for one or more of its most prominent differences – price, size, weight, optical image stabilization and not least the ability to easily mount circular filters of 72mm diameter or larger.
In terms of focal length, one loses 2mm at the wide and gains 8mm at the long end with the 35mm sensor equivalent of 15mm to 36mm, thus providing my preferred documentary photo and video focal lengths of 14mm, 18mm and 23mm or in 35mm sensor terms 21mm, 28mm and 35mm.
Add a medium-to-long zoom lens or some longer primes and you have most bases covered.
Add two other Red Badge lenses for the classic zoom lens trio
Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional Red Badge standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R WR OIS professional Red Badge telephoto zoom lens with stabilization. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
The Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4.0 R OIS zoom lens is reportedly not as sharp or as high-resolving as the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR and I have read complaints about its lack of corner sharpness at certain wider apertures, so I hope it will be one of the lenses Fujifilm considers for revision in the very near future.
If the Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR meets your needs despite its inability to take a screw-on filter and lack of OIS, and its price is beyond your budget, wait for the discounts and sales seasons or for Fujifilm to substantially drop its price during a promotion.
If price is no object and if I were a full-time architectural photographer, this would be my number one and possibly only lens for the job.
Gallery, Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR on Fujifilm X-T3
Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR at 16mm and 8mm
Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR at 16mm, equivalent to 24mm in 35mm sensor format.
Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR at 8mm, equivalent to 12mm in 35mm sensor format.
Numerically there may not be much difference between 8 and 16, but it doesn’t take much difference between focal lengths to create a big difference in how they render perspective and thus the look and feel of their images.
For example, a 24mm equivalent lens has a rather different character to a 21mm equivalent and a 15mm or wider is very different again.
The following project was photographed with an XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens on a Fujifilm X-H1 camera in dull light at slow shutter speeds while relying on the camera’s internal stabilization and at a range of focal lengths from 8mm through to 16mm:
The X-T3’s 3D electronic level indicator with the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 for architecture
One of the great X-T3 features rarely if ever covered in the many reviews of the camera is its optional 3D level indicator that can be assigned to a function button.
I have long wished that all Fujifilm cameras had the same always-on 3D level indicator that Panasonic puts in its cameras so that levelling shots involving parallel verticals is made better than guesswork.
Without much if any fanfare Fujifilm has upgraded its electronic level function from just displaying a simple virtual horizon, and if one assigns Electronic Level to a function button then the function becomes even better, a 3D electronic level that displays roll and pitch indicators.
I assigned Electronic Level to the X-T3’s front function button and, when pressed, its 3D form appears onscreen as an overlay for a fixed period so you can quickly tilt your camera in 3D space to avoid what they used to call “keystoning” of buildings.
I found myself using the 3D Electronic Level all the time when photographing architecture and street views, though sometimes I would run my images through DxO ViewPoint after raw processing in order to further refine perspective and volume deformation.
DxO ViewPoint works as standalone software as well as a plug-in in Photoshop and Photoshop-savvy image editing software, as well as a plug-in in DxO PhotoLab which does not, regretfully, support Fujifilm X-Trans raw files.
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FUJIFILM X-H1 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body with Battery Grip Kit – B&H
“… FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) will release new firmware updates for the FUJIFILM X-T3 (“X-T3”) X Series digital camera in April.
Firmware Version:
[ FUJIFILM X-T3 Ver. 3.00: April 2019 ]
1．Strengthened the accuracy of face / eye detection AF performance
The AF algorithm has been improved along with the accuracy of face / eye detection AF. The ability to detect faces in the distance has been enhanced by approximately 30% and AF tracking is now more stable, even when an obstacle appears in the way. The improvements in AF are applicable to both still photos and video recording.
2．New Face Select function
The Face Select function has been introduced to provide priority auto-focus, tracking and exposure on a selected subject when multiple faces have been detected. The priority face can be selected by using the touch screen or focus lever.
3．Faster AF speed for subjects at a distance
Thanks to the improved AF algorithm, faster AF speed is achieved when shooting from short to long distances (or vice versa).
4．Intuitive operation of touch screen
A Double Tap Setting and Touch Function has been added to the touch screen settings*. The two settings must be set to OFF to provide a better touch screen response. These new settings allow a more intuitive touch operation when shooting, AF and focus area select.
*By default, Touch Screen Setting, Double Tap Setting and Touch Function are set to all OFF.
For improved touch screen response, Touch Screen Setting must be set to ON.”
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.
Commentary
Autofocus is a feature I had assumed would be nice to have rather than crucial when I first got back into moviemaking and photography with hybrid digital cameras.
As time passed, and as autofocus steadily improved on the gear I was using through firmware updates and new camera models, I have come to see the utility value of autofocusing for stills photography and now, with the X-T3 having the best autofocus functionality for video yet of all the mirrorless cameras I have tried, it looks like it will be getting better again with April’s coming firmware update.
Improved face and eye detection is particularly welcome given I am in the process of getting back into portrait photography and manual focus with longer lenses and moving subjects does not always cut the mustard, as it were.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art zoom lens for APS-C sensors and for adapting to M43 with Metabones SpeedBoosters, lens available in Canon EF or Nikon mounts.
Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF – B&H – can be adapted for Fujifilm X-mount cameras via third-party manual and autofocus smart adapters.
SLR Magic variable ND Filters – B&H – SLR Magic was reputed to be working on a collection of fixed value ND filters though they do not seem to have appeared at B&H yet.
When I was trying out Fujifilm’s X-T3 as a video camera, shooting footage at DCI 4K 10-bit 4:2:0 F-Log All-Intra 400 mbps and recording internally rather than onto an external monitor/recorder such as the Atomos Ninja V, I was gobsmacked at the quality of the images even though it was just a little short of the 10-bit 4:2:2 footage that external recording makes possible.
Although cameras that shoot raw or ProRes footage such as the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and the like are traditionally termed, well, cinema cameras, the X-T3’s footage is clearly more than good enough for many projects that independent documentary and feature moviemakers are likely to create.
It certainly is for me, and it certainly appears to be a step up from the reportedly excellent 10-bit 4:2:2 the Super 16-like Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S camera is cable of recording internally and that is apparently a step-up from the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5’s 10-bit 4:2:2 footage, also recorded internally.
We appear to now be living in the realm of ‘degrees of excellence’ and so image quality may no longer be the number one deciding factor when choosing how one may shoot a project.
Other factors such as colour science, camera size, shape, handholding ability, available lenses, rigging and more will become the deciding factors and that is no bad thing.
It is great to see what the Fujifilm X-T3 is capable of when shooting short features with it and Nick Thomas and his team have my thanks for kindly sharing their work here.
The Atomos Ninja V 5-inch HDMI monitor/recorder, perfect for recording 10-bit 4:2:2 F-Log video footage from the Fujifilm X-T3.
Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
SLR Magic variable ND Filters – B&H – SLR Magic was reputed to be working on a collection of fixed value ND filters though they do not seem to have appeared at B&H yet.
Moments after I unpacked the X-T3 it became clear that Fujifilm had created something very special with this, the latest in its APS-C sized line of DSLR-style hybrid stills and video cameras.
No time for contemplation though so I placed it in my shoulder bag and dashed off down the road to where the venue for an historical commemoration was being prepared for the following day, and my first few minutes documenting the action with the X-T3 proved my initial impressions were absolutely spot on.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: a larger grip means less need for the optional metal hand grip, a wider and heftier body almost the same size as the X-Pro2 making for a good pairing between the two. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: 3-way tilting LCD monitor. I would have loved it to be fully-articulated for plenty more viewing angle options. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: never having used this lens before, and being a little sceptical of kit zooms based on disappointment with my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM, I was pleasantly surprised by the optical quality and effective optical image stabilization of this lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: I found it effective for stills photography and video under available light, available darkness and the available gloom of a typically rain-drenched Sydney October. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3: microphone port, head[hone port, USB-C port for charging, powering and data transfer, and micro-HDMI port for external monitor/recorder or for connecting to a display or television set. Best of all the door is removable for better access!
Fujifilm X-T3: two SD card slots and remote port for remote release cables, no longer requiring doubling up on remote and microphone into the same port with the need to switch via the menu.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: although the much-improved NPW-126S lithium battery delivers more stills shots than its predecessor, video drains the battery faster so I recommend the vertical battery grip for its two extra batteries. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm’s X-T3 hits the mark
With the X-T3, Fujifilm has really hit the mark and is now fulfilling the promise of affordable, high-quality hybrid stills photography and cinematic video that other makers had dangled back way in 2008 with the 35mm and APS-C DSLRs of the day.
I’ll go even further. With the X-T3, Fujifilm has delivered on the promise of a camera little-known when new and now almost completely forgotten, a revolutionary camera which vanished almost almost as rapidly as it had first appeared, the Samsung NX1.
The Fujifilm X-T3 not only picks up where the NX1 took us back in 2014 but signals a bright future for other top-end Fujifilm APS-C/Super 35 cameras that are hopefully coming soon, specifically the X-Pro3 and the X-H2.
The Fujifilm X-T 3 for stills photography
Amazing feature film-quality video is anything but the whole story for the X-T3 – it is also an amazing stills photography camera.
The Fujifilm X-T3 for documentary photography and photojournalism
Fujifilm X-Pro 2 and Fujifilm X-T3: a perfect two-camera two-lens documentary photography and photojournalism combination?
I come from a newspaper and documentary photography background, having worked for newspapers, magazines and corporate clients from a ridiculously early age.
I did that work with a range of camera types and sizes, ranging from a Pentax Spotmatic SLR through Nikon SLRs, to sheet film view cameras handheld and on tripods, to Leica’s M-System masterpiece rangefinder cameras and then to a number of medium format roll film cameras in twin-lens reflex, single-lens reflex and rangefinder configurations.
I most found myself at home with rangefinder cameras, small, medium and large, the reason why I was so besotted with the Fujifilm X100 when it was launched in 2010.
As a result I immediately bought an X-Pro2 when it appeared and have loved it ever since.
There is more to documentary photography than the 18mm to 56mm focal length lenses that the X-Pro2’s amazing Advanced Hybrid Multi Viewfinder can handle, though, and I have been hoping for an improved X-Pro3 or some other suitable companion camera that makes the most of lenses longer and wider than 56mm and 18mm.
I certainly hope that the X-Pro3 is on its way, but those other focal lengths continue to beckon.
Having tried the X-T1 and X-T2 and having appreciated them without loving them, I know now that the X-T3 is a big evolutionary jump beyond both older cameras and makes a great companion for my X-Pro2.
The X-T3 side-by-side with the X-Pro2 and all on its own
I loved the X-Pro2 as soon as I picked it up not only for its rangefinder-style optical viewfinder but also for its looks and its feel in the hand, in the way it leaps into my hands every time I get it out of my camera bag.
Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R prime lens with manual clutch focus, equivalent to 35mm in the 35mm sensor format.
Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R, equivalent to 84mm in the 35mm sensor format.
I had chosen those two fast primes after reading wedding documentary photographer Kevin Mullins’ blog at F16.click and seeing the results he was getting in the usual ill-lit churches and wedding venues.
I had worked as a wedding photographer to supplement my income as a kid, relying on flash units and medium format roll film cameras, so appreciated the speed and ease with which Mr Mullins creates his images.
I covered the commemoration event with the X-T3 and X-Pro2 draped around my neck via two Peak DesignSlideLite camera straps, relying more on the X-Pro2 at the start then quickly switching to the X-T3 after discovering how beautifully it handled the venue’s available light, or more accurately its available darkness.
I usually rely on Fujifilm cameras’ Auto ISO feature, with aperture priority auto exposure, choose reasonably high ISOs and shoot with fairly wide open apertures in those circumstances and found I was getting better results from the X-T3.
It proved easier and faster to use, faster to autofocus especially when using eye autofocus, produced less noisey images, and most pleasantly of all, it felt just as good in the hand as my X-Pro2, with the result that I began to rely solely on the X-T3 for the rest of the loan period, and loved it.
The Fujifilm X-T3 for monochrome documentary photography
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.
Most of my photography in monochrome, or black-and-white as its more commonly known, is reserved for documentary photography in poor lighting or when the colours of my subjects and their environments carry little to no meaning.
These commemorative event photographs are typical in that the lighting in parts of the venue was low, of mixed sources with some continuous and others prone to flickering, where colour played little to no part in conveying information about the event and its participants, and where I was prepared to shoot in at high ISOs with resulting grain-like digital noise.
The X-T3, frankly, amazed me with its low noise at high ISO to the point where I could easily have shot at ISOs greater than 3200 which I usually set as my upper limit only to be used in emergencies.
Chalk at least some of that up to the X-T3’s new X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4.
The Fujifilm X-T3 for colour photography
Single-shot image made on Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 LM OIS kit zoom lens, raw file processed in Iridient Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw using Modern 01 profile. This is the closest thing to shooting colour negative film available today.
Fujifilm X-T3 JPEG straight out of camera aka SOOC using Vivid/Velvia film simulation with Colour Chrome at maximum. This is the closest thing to shooting colour transparency film available today.
HDR image made with 5 brackets on Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R in available darkness then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019 and Skylum Luminar 2018 using film simulation LUT. The camera’s eye-tracking continuous autofocus was impressive.
HDR image made with 5 brackets on Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R in available darkness then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019 and DxO FilmPack using the Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film simulation. The camera’s eye-tracking continuous autofocus failed to sharply focus on the eyes here as in all the shots of men wearing spectacles.
HDR image made on Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 LM OIS kit zoom with 7 brackets there processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019, DxO FilmPack and Skylum Luminar 2018. Occasionally, I do landscape and cityscape photographs and for me the aim is to convey the look and feeling of being there are that specific time and place while revealing as much tone and colour information as possible. I lived nearby here for many years and have fond memories of the area despite it being rather despoiled now.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Fujifilm’s legendary colour science handles every situation with ease, no matter whether shot in available light or available darkness. Processed in Capture One Pro with Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation.
Fujifilm X-T3 photograph processed with Iridient X-Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw.
Photograph made with Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens then processed in Capture One Pro using a film simulation style from the 1Styles.pro styles and presets collections made for Capture One.
Photograph made with Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens then processed in Capture One Pro using a film simulation style from the 1Styles.pro styles and presets collections made for Capture One.
Fujifilm X-T3 photograph processed with Iridient X-Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw.
Fujifilm cameras are rightly celebrated for their colour science and the richness and veracity of their film simulations for JPEGs and video footage, but I tend to rely on raw files that I process in a number of different applications and plug-ins depending on whether I am after realism or pictorialism, or whether I wish to emulate analog films or go entirely digital in my effects via high dynamic range imaging by merging 5 or 7 exposure brackets in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019.
Since buying my X-Pro2 I have tried out a number of custom picture styles for JPEGs by following the recipes shared by photographers like Kevin Mullins, Thomas Fitzgerald and others.
They have proven to be great reminders of how I visualized the final rendering of my raw files but rarely if ever have I used my JPEGs for final reproduction.
If I were working for a fast-moving client with tight deadlines that deny me time enough in the digital darkroom then I would take my JPEGs more seriously, but those days may well be long over for me now.
And then Fujifilm put Colour Chrome Effect in the X-T3 and what a difference it makes!
Colour Chrome Effect was the crucial step needed to persuade me to finally take JPEGs seriously.
For me, shooting JPEGs for reproduction is akin to shooting colour transparency film while shooting raw is not unlike shooting colour negative film then fussing and mussing it in the colour laboratory.
With an X-T3, my JPEGs to raw files keeper percentages would be more even than they are now when I often chuck out my JPEGs or use them as a quick reference and reminder and not as final art.
The Fujifilm X-T 3 for video
With Fujifilm positioning its X-H1 as the most videocentric DSLR-style camera in its range, as well as the highest performance camera of the whole X Series, the X-T3’s pro-quality video features came as a complete surprise.
In the run-up to Fujifilm’s X-T3 announcement, rumour websites had placed more emphasis on it as a stills photography camera than for video, and I was left wondering whether there would ever be an APS-C hybrid camera that approached or even surpassed the revolutionary Samsung NX1.
Samsung’s NX1 foreshadowed the video capabilities of Fujifilm’s X-T3
Until Fujifilm released the X-T3, Samsung’s NX1 was the undisputed innovation leader in APS-C hybrid cameras capable of professional-quality 4K video as well as excellent stills. Now the X-T3 is the one to aim for and to beat.
The Samsung NX1 had taken everyone by surprise with a slew of video features nobody could have foreseen at the time it was announced back in 2014.
Those features included its 28.9 megapixel backside illuminated sensor (BSI), autofocus phase detection points covering almost all the sensor’s frame, subject tracking that was incredibly effective for its day, great 4K video, 8-bit 4:2:2 4K video out, a dynamic range and low light capability that was outstanding, high-speed burst stills, touch screen, fast and intuitive menu system, built-in Wi-Fi, an almost lag-free OLED viewfinder and, looking to the future, its H.265 video codec.
DPReview’s Pros and Cons lists for the NX1 included the same item in two places, the NX1’s H.265 video codec in the Pros list due to the small size of H.265 HEVC video files and in the Cons list because many computers of the tine were just too underpowered to handle it well.
The X-T3’s H.265 HEVC video codec and contemporary computers
Those relatively underpowered computers of the day when the Samsung NX1 was new are no longer as much of a concern now, something I proved by putting the X-T3’s H.265 video files to the test in an Apple Store on a range of current computers from an entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro through an entry-level 27-inch iMac up to a mid-range iMac Pro maxed out with RAM.
The two entry-level machines were low in memory for their CPU but they had enough video RAM and graphics processing power to easily handle my H.265 files whether in playback or editing in Final Cut Pro X.
Internal and external graphics processing units like Blackmagic Design’sBlackmagic eGPU are the key to the big video files that cinema-quality cameras like the X-T3 and NX1 produce, especially when maxing out on resolution, bitrate, compression and aspect ratio.
I carried the Fujifilm X-T3 in this Think Tank Photo MindShift Gear Exposure 15 adventure shoulder camera bag throughout heavy downpours and the occasional sunnier days. Until this bag with its innovative gel shoulder strap, I was unable to carry larger shoulder bags due to longtime spinal injuries but now I can carry two cameras and several lenses as well as a host of other items large and small with impunity.
I initially tested the X-T3’s ability to shoot great video with settings I would apply to making records of family and friends, choosing from Fujifilm’s legendary film simulations for instant television playback via HDMI.
However I shot most of my test video with the cinematic combination of F-log, the cinematic 17:9 aspect ratio of DCI 4K, shooting at 24p and 400Mbps, chose the H.265 (HEVC) codec for 10-bit 4:2:0 on the SD card which would have been 10-bit 4:2:2 if I’d had an Atomos Ninja V monitor/recorder handy, and ALL-I movie compression instead of Long GOP.
Fair warning: if you choose to shoot whole projects at those settings, make sure you have plenty of internal hard drive space and plenty more fast external hard drives to store on and edit from.
Transcode to ProRes when editing on older computers
I was pushing it on my ageing 27-inch iMac Retina 5K, with video playback stuttering whichever software I used, including the ever-reliable Kyno media management application.
For older machines like mine, be prepared to transcode your H.265 footage to ProRes using your choice of Kyno, EditReady, Compressor or any other capable transcoding software so your computer playback goes smoothly and your editing goes even smoother.
And be prepared to investigate how to use external GPUs on likewise ageing computers, and to invest in a workable solution.
The external GPU community website eGPU.io is a great place to start your research into adding extra graphics processing power to older computers.
Alternatively, choose the older H.264 codec, Long GOP compression and 1080p if you don’t need to future-proof your footage by shooting and editing in 4K.
“Simples!”
Fujfilm X-T3 lightly rigged for video
Generic aluminium 58-77mm step-up ring and Genustech 77mm Eclipse ND Fader variable neutral density filter, formerly the most recommended VND available. More recently developed VNDs by Aurora-Aperture and SLR Magic now seem to be some of the most popular amongst independent documentary moviemakers.
The Røde VideoMicro compact on-camera microphone with cardioid polar pattern is affordable, small and effective for when built-in mics are not enough but when you want to travel fast and light.
The Røde VideoMicro’s furry windshield is a must-have for even slightly windy conditions outdoors.
The Røde Stereo VideoMic X aka SVMX is the company’s top-end on-camera stereo microphone and delivers superb quality in a surprisingly compact package.
The Røde SVMX comes with a pop shield and furry windshield to handle all sorts of outdoor conditions or can be used entirely naked indoors.
The Røde VideoMic Pro+ on-camera shotgun microphone is the company’s latest top-end on-board directional mic and comes with rechargeable removable lithium battery and integrated Rycote shock mount.
It is still early days for camera cages and accessories makers coming up with designs for the X-T3 and I do not currently have access to gimbals and other stabilization devices so used it handheld.
Equipped with an optically stabilized zoom lens, however, the Fujifilm X-T3 makes for a very good run-and-gun video camera and its great balance and weight easily accommodates popular video mics from makers like Australia’s very own Røde Microphones as well as headphones or earphones for a little more on-location discretion.
The X-T3 benefits from larger, faster SDXC memory cards especially when shooting video for the high road, and I have some suggestions in the list at the borrow of this page.
You will also need neutral density filters especially when shooting in available light outdoors as the X-T3 has a base ISO of 640 in F-Log and 160 in Rec. 709.
Documentary cinematographers often rely on variable neutral density filters aka VNDs while feature filmmakers choose sets of fixed value ND filters in circular screw-on frames, or square or rectangular filters for sliding into matte boxes or filter holders.
I use both, depending on the project and its circumstances, and there are some recommendations in the list at the bottom of the page.
I also recommend rigging your handheld X-T3 up with ample camera strapping for safety and better grip, and I equip every camera I use with Peak Design’s Clutch, Cuff and SlideLite.
Still frames from DCI 4K video shot in F-Log then minimally graded with Fujifilm’s free LUTs
Establishing a colour grading benchmark by shooting in Fujifilm’s excellent Eterna analog film simulation profile. This is a quick and dirty test in less than amazing gloomy light on a typically rainy Sydney October spring day, but it appears that shooting Eterna delivers a slightly shorter dynamic range than shooting F-Log followed by applying Fujifilm’s F-Log to Eterna LUT.
Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_ETERNA_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied.
Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_ETERNA_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied.
Fujifilm X-T3 F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s free ‘FLog_FGamut_to_ETERNA_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube” LUT applied.
Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_WDR_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied followed by LookLabs’ DFS Linear Kodak 5231 film simulation LUT.
Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_FLog_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied followed by LookLabs’ SpeedLooks Matrix Blue creative looks LUT.
Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then LookLabs’ DFS V-Log cameras profile LUT applied followed by DFS Log Fuji F125 film simulation LUT.
Fujifilm X-T3 F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s free ‘FLog_FGamut_to_FLog_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube” LUT applied followed by curve.
The video still frames above were shot at DCI 4K then downsized to 1080p to keep file sizes down but they give a good idea of the video image quality delivered by the X-T3 at high road video and in-between settings.
The X-T3’s Super 35 4K footage is eminently gradable, looks beautiful whether shot with F-Log or Fujifilm’s Eterna Rec. 709 film simulation, and I am looking forward to seeing what it does with Fujifilm’s Hybrid Log-Gamma aka HLG profile when it is released via a firmware update sometime later this year.
With the arrival of HLG on Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds cameras the Lumix DC-GH5 and DC-GH5S last year and this, many documentary and feature moviemakers have adopted it as their go-to profile and the same may very well occur with X-T3 users.
I have shot all but one of these in F-Log with the exception of one as Eterna, and have graded the F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s recently updated set of three LUTs for F-Log along with some creative looks LUTs from LookLabs’ SpeedLooks and DFS aka Digital Film Stocks collections.
The X-T3’s Eterna footage looks like it is more than usable ungraded and can take a modicum of grading as well.
The X-T3 takes video autofocus seriously and now, so do I
A great opportunity to try out the Fujifilm X-T3’s video autofocus and tracking capabilities while panning on fast-moving subjects in dull light during a typical gloomy Sydney October day. Looks good enough for me. Lens used was the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom minus ND filter, at about 18mm and with aperture fairly wide open.
For years there has been no end of to and fro online about whether serious moviemakers use autofocus or not, with the implication that real professionals only focus manually.
My motto is ‘take nothing for granted’ so I put the X-T3’s video and eye detection autofocus to the test in some rather trying conditions and found they certainly work well enough for use when shooting run-and-gun style video and during fast-and-loose handheld camera movements.
The Fujifilm X-T3’s autofocus, and autoexposure capabilities for that matter, are well worth putting to the test under a range of conditions.
From the evidence of the still-frame above and others I would me more than happy to rely on the X-T3’s autofocusing in a pinch, especially for use in documentary projects.
My Fujifilm X-T3 Pros and Cons
Pros:
Slightly larger body, dials and buttons – better grip, more stability in the hand, easier to locate without looking, easier to click or turn.
Slightly larger built-in grip – though I would still add the metal hand grip or vertical battery grip for larger lenses and portrait photography.
Size, shape and silver colour – aids in being ignored when shooting side-by-side with Canon and Nikon DSLR users as I look like an amateur playing with a toy or an old analog era camera.
Linear or non-linear focussing with focus-by-wire lenses.
Faster and surer face/eye focus detection – in available light, available darkness and with the face turned sideways, defeated only by subjects wearing glasses.
Faster and more accurate autofocus – in stills and especially video.
Flicker reduction using mechanical shutter.
Locking diopter adjustment!!! – no more knocking off its settings and annoying resetting.
More megapixels at 26.1 MP – leading to less noise when shooting in available darkness at high ISOs.
Size, shape and silver colour – aids in being ignored when shooting side-by-side with Canon and Nikon DSLR users as I look like an amateur playing with a toy or an old analog era camera.
Minimal blackout of the electronic viewfinder.
Better video dynamic range than other APS-C and M43 cameras.
Beautiful stills and videos.
Wide range of film simulation picture styles – augmented by Colour Chrome Effect, Eterna and F-Log.
Good low noise results at high ISOs.
Built-in microphone and headphone ports – on-camera instead of only on battery grip.
Zebras – for accurate video exposure, with ability to set percentage.
Cons:
No in-body image stabilization – wait for the X-H2?
Three-way tilting LCD monitor instead of fully articulated LCD monitor – limits the operator’s range of positions relative to the camera, especially in tight spaces, and eliminates the possibility of mounting detachable hoods and loupes.
Small battery – while the NP-W126S delivers more sustained power than the NP-W126, shooting throughout the day requires carrying several of them and so I recommend the Vertical Battery Grip VG-XT3.
Blinkies only – for accurate stills exposure and not zebras and percentage settings as with video.
Conclusions
The Fujifilm X-T3 has been a revelation, the first contemporary DSLR-style APS-C/Super 35 format camera I have used that has impressed me as much as the revolutionary Samsung NX1 did, for photography and for video.
The Fujifilm X-T3 is the first APS-C DSLR-style camera that proved to be as comfortable, as at-home in my hands while covering an all-day event as my Fujifilm X-Pro2, and I would have no hesitation relying on it for plenty more of the same.
The Fujifilm X-T3 also proved to be just as usable and as comfortable in my hands in its role as a Super 35 movie camera shooting beautiful high-end DCI 4K cinematic footage with its video settings maxed out, and its straight-out-of-camera 1080p video shot using the Eterna and other film simulation picture profiles was a delight.
The X-T3 will be as at home shooting family videos with stabilized zoom lenses attached as it will be on the set of a commercial movie or television production, heavily rigged up with adapted cinema prime lenses or Fujifilm’s two geared parfocal X-Mount cinema zoom lenses, the Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and the Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9.
I have only touched on the surface of this amazing camera and its capabilities, but even so I was deeply impressed and excited about the future of Fujifilm’s X-Mount system for stills photography and moviemaking, and have no hesitation in recommending the X-T3 for users at all levels of expertise.
Links
This is an exhaustive list of hardware and software products that may be of interest to those using the Fujifilm X-T3 for stills photography or video production. I use or have at least tried out most of these products and can recommend them.
Many of them are available for purchase via my B&H Photo Video affiliate link account if you wish to help support may work in producing articles like this one, or you may wish to do so via the shorter list at the base of this page.
1Styles.pro – maker of film simulations styles and presets for Capture One.
8Sinn – maker of popular camera body-hugging camera cages and accessories, currently designing cages for the Fujifilm X-T3.
Alien Skin – maker of Exposure X4 raw photo editor and organizer.
Aurora-Aperture – excellent quality UV, neutral density and variable neutral density filters for photography and cinematography, including the PowerXND-II VND series featuring a range of 1 to 11 stops of light reduction.
Apple – Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter – … “a bidirectional adapter, it can also connect new Thunderbolt 3 devices to a Mac with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port and macOS Sierra.”
Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic eGPU – external high performance graphics accelerator for photograph and video editing and grading, currently sold exclusively through Apple stores.
Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic Raw – “the world’s fastest RAW format with better quality and better features!” – imagine if this raw codec was implemented in all cameras, especially the X-T3!
Blackmagic Design – DaVinci Resolve – “DaVinci Resolve 15 is the world’s first solution that combines professional offline and online editing, color correction, audio post production and now visual effects all in one software tool!” – available in excellent free version as well as paid-for Studio version.
Breakthrough Photography – makers of some of the finest brass traction-framed and non-framed UV and fixed ND filters as well as the best brass traction-framed step-up rings though the company does not make every single size that may be needed. If the size you need is not available, consider the brass step-up rings made by Heliopan and Sensei, UV filters made by Chiaro and ND filters made by Formatt-Hitech and SLR Magic.
Chiaro – excellent high transmission UV protection filters in brass frames.
CoreMelt – Australian maker of plug-ins for Final Cut Pro X that are considered must-haves for all video editors, with its Chromatic plug-in especially essential for quality colour grading within FCPX.
divergent media – EditReady 2 – affordable macOS-only application for transcoding video files.
eGPU.io – macOS user community website dedicated to external graphics processing unit solutions for current and older Mac computers including those that predate Thunderbolt 3.
F16.click – Fujifilm X-Photographer Kevin Mullins’ blog, where he shares his excellent SOOC JPEG custom settings amongst other things. Like me he is a rangefinder camera-using documentary photographer and I recommend his articles on the X-T3 from that point of view.
Formatt Hitech – makes Firecrest Ultra ND and Firecrest ND fixed value neutral density filters in framed and unframed versions, the “world’s first hyper-neutral ND”.
Fujifilm Global – Application Software – free software including Fujifilm X Raw Studio, Fujifilm X Acquire and Tethered Shooting Software HS-V5.
Fujifilm Global – LUT for F-Log (Look Up Table) – set of three free LUTs for X-T3 video, an excellent starting point when grading F-Log and other video from the X-T3. I particularly like the F-Log to Eterna LUT.
iridient digital – maker of Iridient X-Transformer and transformer software for other cameras’ raw files as well as Iridient Developer for processing raw files; helping get the very best out of Fujifilm X-Trans raw files.
Leeming LUT Pro – Australian director/cinematographer Paul Leeming makes “the world’s first unified, corrective Look Up Table ( LUT ) system for supported cameras, designed to maximise dynamic range, fix skin tones, remove unwanted colour casts and provide an accurate Rec. 709 starting point for further creative colour grading.” and is working on a LUT for the Fujifilm X-T3.
Lesspain Software – Kyno – unique application for macOS and Windows that is effectively a Swiss Army Knife media management toolset for moviemakers, that works in close conjunction with Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro.
LockCircle – run by Italian-Australian director/cinematographer Dante Cecchin, this Italian company makes some of the best camera cages and accessories for digital moviemaking.
LookLabs – makers of SpeedLooks and Digital Film Stocks aka DFS looks LUTs based on scans of film stocks and popular feature film grading looks.
On1, Inc. – maker of On1 Photo Raw 2018, soon to be upgraded to On1 Photo Raw 2019, raw image editor and organizer.
SLR Magic – makers of neutral density and related filters popular with professional documentary moviemakers, includingSLR Magic 82mm Self-Locking Variable Neutral Density 0.4 to 1.8 Filter (1.3 to 6 Stops) and SLR Magic 86mm Solid Neutral Density 1.2 Image Enhancer Filter (4-Stop) as well as a range of fixed neutral density filters.
Thomas Fitzgerald Photography– blog by JPEG and raw file processing expert whose ‘Fuji Jpegs: Shooting and Processing Guide’ eBook contains some excellent advice and recipes for getting the best out of SOOC JPEG custom settings.
Image Credits
Header image by Jonas Rask on commission from Fujifilm.
Press image product shots courtesy of Fujifilm.
Photograph of Fujifilm X-T3 and Samsung NX1 made on location at a local event as a 5-bracket HDR image with Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R lens then processed in Aurora HDR 2019 and DxO Nik Collection plug-ins.
My own product shots made as 5-bracket HDR images with Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019, Alien Skin Exposure X4 and DxO Nik Sharpener Pro as plug-ins.
Help support ‘Untitled’
The Atomos Ninja V 5-inch HDMI monitor/recorder, perfect for recording 10-bit 4:2:2 F-Log video footage from the Fujifilm X-T3.
Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
SLR Magic variable ND Filters – B&H – SLR Magic was reputed to be working on a collection of fixed value ND filters though they do not seem to have appeared at B&H yet.
I have been using the Fujifilm X-T3 since its release late last week and, in brief, it is the camera that I was hoping the X-T2 would be both in stills and video functionality.
I like the X-T3 though I am not naturally an SLR-style camera user for stills photography, having spent my formative and magazine photography years relying on rangefinder cameras in a number of film formats from 35mm through 120 roll film to 4″x5″ sheet film.
I have relied on DSLR-style cameras for video, however, specifically Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-GH4 and GH5 though not, as yet, the GH5S.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.
I chose Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds mirrorless hybrid cameras for video due to Fujifilm’s APS-C hybrid cameras lack of professional-quality video capabilities for so long.
Until now, that is.
I will be putting the X-T3 to the test over the next few days and will then be better able to determine if the X-T3 is as ready for professional use in documentary photography and video production as its Panasonic Lumix counterparts.
Fujifilm X-T3 alongside the legendary and sadly discontinued Samsung NX1, until now the most advanced APS-C/Super 35 DSLR-style mirrorless camera. Is the X-T3 the NX1 successor that I have been hoping for? Quite possibly, but further testing for stills and video are required before I can definitely answer that question.
Until then, my first impressions of the Fujifilm X-T3 are very favourable indeed, especially on the stills photography front as I took it straight into production documenting an all-day event on the day of arrival and all the following day too.
I will be more specific about how and why in coming articles soon, covering stills and video.
Meanwhile here are the general and stills photography features and improvements I have used and like so far:
Bigger, easier to grip body and more stability when handholding for video due to increased weight and better balance.
Bigger, easier to grip dials.
Bigger buttons, easier to locate unseen.
Choice of linear or non-linear focussing with focus-by-wire lenses.
Faster and surer face/eye focus detection in available light, available darkness and with the face turned sideways.
Larger built-in grip, though I would still add the metal hand grip or vertical battery grip for larger lenses and portrait photography.
Faster and more accurate autofocus.
Flicker reduction using mechanical shutter.
Locking diopter adjustment!!!
More megapixels at 26.1 MP, which appears to lead to much less noise when shooting in available darkness at high ISOs.
Size, shape and silver colour leads to being ignored when shooting side-by-side with Canon and Nikon DSLR users as I look like an amateur playing with a toy or an old analog era camera.
And finally and straight out of left field, here is a feature I would love to see on all DSLR-style cameras including those made by Fujifilm, that was again pioneered by Samsung but in its NX30 and not the NX1:
The amazing tilting electronic viewfinder eyepiece on the Samsung NX30 with Samsung 18-55mm III f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens, making waist-level photography possible as Panasonic did on its Lumix DMC-GX8 professional flagship rangefinder-style M43 hybrid camera. Panasonic, where is the pro-quality successor to the GX8?
Samsung NX30 with Samsung 18-55mm III f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens. Image courtesy of Samsung.
Samsung NX30 with Samsung 18-55mm III f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens. Image courtesy of Samsung.
Samsung NX30 with Samsung 18-55mm III f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens. Image courtesy of Samsung.
Samsung NX30 with Samsung 18-55mm III f/3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens.This amazing camera has a fully-articulated LCD monitor as well as a tilting electronic viewfinder. Image courtesy of Samsung.
I am awaiting delivery of a Fujifilm X-T3 review loaner and was alerted that a firmware update for the X-T3 would be released before the weekend.
The ever-reliable Fuji Rumors website has just informed its readers that the Version 1.01 firmware updater is now available with a lock-up fix included, and the Fujifilm X-T3 Owner’s Manual is also now available as a PDF and as a webpage.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.
I am downloading the X-T3 Owner’s Manual as a PDF right now and will be scouring it to find out more about the camera’s many new and improved features, especially exposure zebras.
A request to Fujifilm – choice of linear focusing with all focus-by-wire lenses, please!
Focus Ring Operation choices for the Fujifilm X-H1 camera and now the X-T3. Every Fujifilm camera needs these options for use with the many Fujinon lenses that do not have manual clutch focus. I choose linear over nonlinear any day, especially when shooting video.
As I have often found in recent years, it always pays to at least skim through the owner’s manual of any new gear you buy in order to learn how to quickly get the best out of it.
A request to Fujifilm and all makers of APS-C and 35mm sensor cameras – 4:3/3:4 aspect ratio, please!
The 3:4 aspect ratio of Micro Four Thirds is much better than the 2:3 aspect ratio of APS-C and 35mm sensors for vertical portraits and is close to the aspect ratio of magazine pages. We need 4:3/3:3 added to aspect ratio choices in all APS-C and 35mm sensor cameras via firmware. Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip.
Fujifilm, please add 4:3 in horizontal/landscape orientation and 3:4 in vertical/portrait orientation to your current aspect ratio choices of 3:2/2:3, 1:1 and 16:9 in your next firmware updates for all your cameras, especially those most likely to be used by professionals.
I, like many professionals working for advertising and editorial clients, find it far easier and more accurate to create a well-designed photograph within an aspect ratio as close as possible to those in which the image will be used.
Fujifilm MHG-XT3 Metal Hand Grip. Every Fujifilm camera, in my experience, benefits from attaching a metal hand grip or better yet a vertical battery grip.
Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
Bluestar Eye Cushions – B&H – use on the Fujifilm Wide Eyecup EC-XH W eyecup to further enhance its usefulness when shooting video.
Fujifilm Grip Belt GB-001. I recommend using camera straps on all your cameras and especially Fujifilm cameras with metal hand grips or vertical battery grips. I have Peak Design camera straps on all my gear, often up to three of them, but this Fujifilm hand grip looks great for battery grip-equipped cameras.
Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
Bluestar Eye Cushions – B&H – use on the Fujifilm Wide Eyecup EC-XH W eyecup to further enhance its usefulness when shooting video.
Fujifilm has announced that it will launch the Fujifilm X-T3 “as the latest model in the X Series known for superior image quality with proprietary color reproduction technology. The camera will be launched on September 20, 2018” five days before photokina 2018 commences in Köln on September 25.
The X-T3 has delivered more sophisticated new features and improvements than I expected when the camera was first rumoured and I am studying its specifications list, hands-on articles and videos with a great deal of interest right now.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.
Commentary
The Fujifilm X-T3 is the first Fujifilm DSLR-style camera I would consider using in serious video production given its top notch video features and now that it has exposure zebras! Exposure zebras… YAY!!!
For me, Fujifilm’s most archetypal professional flagship cameras remain the X-Pro digital rangefinders given their evolution of the groundbreaking fixed lens X100 into interchangeable lens territory, and my APS-C format work in photography will centre on X-Pro cameras so long as Fujifilm continues to make them.
I would hate to see Fujifilm follow Panasonic’s recent decision to de-professionalize its Lumix GX rangefinder-style camera range into enthusiast-level gear intended for street photographers as the latter has done with the disappointing Lumix DC-GX9.
Rangefinder and rangefinder-style cameras in all sensor formats are the perfect fit for my way of seeing and photographing, both having evolved through many years of relying on rangefinder-equipped analog film cameras in all formats from 35mm roll film through to 4″x5″ sheet film.
SLR and DSLR cameras have always been secondary camera types for me, involving a very different way of seeing and photographing, one more akin to staring at a mirror into near-flat space rather then peering through a window at objects arrayed left to right, near to far and top to bottom of frame in deep space.
Fujifilm’s X-Pro line, most recently represented by the X-Pro2, is essentially three cameras in one – an optical viewfinder camera, an electronic viewfinder camera and a small view camera via its LCD monitor – and remain the most versatile and personally satisfying solution for documentary photography with focal lengths from 18mm through to 56mm.
Contax S2 35mm single lens reflex camera which was fully mechanical, manually focused, manually-operated, had a spotmeter and used the Contax/Yashica bayonet mount in order to accept Carl Zeiss T* lenses. It was made by Kyocera, was introduced in 1992 and discontinued in 2000. I am always reminded of Contax SLRs when looking at Fujifilm’s X-T cameras. Image courtesy of Japan Camera Hunter.
DSLR-style cameras, on the other hand, are the electronic viewfinder-equipped descendants of optical viewfinder-equipped SLR cameras – two cameras in one through the benefit of their view camera-like LCD monitors.
DSLR-style cameras support my reliance on rangefinder and rangefinder-style cameras through being better suited to wider focal lengths than 18mm and longer lengths than 56mm.
They are also excellent cameras for more technical work such as architectural photography and product photography.
And now, with Fujifilm’s announcement of the X-T3, professional video production too.
Fujifilm began slowly but surely working on improving its cameras’ video functionality since customer requests to do so started flowing in to the company since the release of the X100.
As a documentary storyteller, I must always be equipped to best handle whatever situation I may find myself in, whether it demands photographs or video footage.
As a shoulder bag or backpack equipped solo operator, I can only carry so much gear and carrying two different cameras systems, one best for video and one best for stills, can be a bridge too far.
One camera system that can do both well enough is the key and, sadly, despite a number of Fujifilm kaizen firmware updates for the X-Pro2, its support for video remains problematic due to its lack of the ability to allow customized video settings such as noise reduction, highlight tone, shadow tone, color and sharpness.
The X-Pro2’s electronic viewfinder is also something of a disappointment when compared to those in the X-T1, X-T2 and the two Panasonic M43 cameras I have for documentary video production.
I need a second Fujifilm camera for my customary two-camera, two-lens documentary photography methodology, and at least one of those must produce good quality video.
With no rumors about the X-Pro3 still, I hope that we are not to assume the worst about the continuation of the X-Pro flagship line.
I have been hoping that the X-Pro3 will correct what is lacking in the otherwise excellent X-Pro2, namely its video functionality and most especially its EVF, so have been wondering if I should pay attention to the larger X-H flagship range or the smaller, sexier X-T range instead.
First glance at the X-T3’s specifications makes me think that it may prove a good solution should I be unable to wait for the X-Pro3’s arrival or if I must eventually cope with a possible tragic demise of the X-Pro range some day.
DSLR-style cameras can never replace rangefinder and rangefinder-style cameras due to their very different natures, but they can be excellent complements to each other.
Fujifilm X-T3 camera body, kit lens and vertical battery grip
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: a larger grip means less need for the optional metal hand grip, a wider and heftier body almost the same size as the X-Pro2 making for a good pairing between the two. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: 3-way tilting LCD monitor. I would have loved it to be fully-articulated for plenty more viewing angle options. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: never having used this lens before, and being a little sceptical of kit zooms based on disappointment with my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM, I was pleasantly surprised by the optical quality and effective optical image stabilization of this lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: I found it effective for stills photography and video under available light, available darkness and the available gloom of a typically rain-drenched Sydney October. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T3: microphone port, head[hone port, USB-C port for charging, powering and data transfer, and micro-HDMI port for external monitor/recorder or for connecting to a display or television set. Best of all the door is removable for better access!
Fujifilm X-T3: two SD card slots and remote port for remote release cables, no longer requiring doubling up on remote and microphone into the same port with the need to switch via the menu.
Some accessories for the Fujifilm X-T3
Fujifilm Small Eyecup EC-XT S
Fujifilm Medium Eyecup EC-XT M
Fujifilm Long Eyecup EC-XT L.
Fujifilm Wide Eyecup EC-XH W. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm Round Eyecup EC-GFX.
Photographs of other Fujifilm and third party accessories for the X-T3 are currently unavailable, but we will place them here when they appear.
It appears that X-T3 review loaners may begin to make their appearance in Australia in October or November of this year.
Fujifilm Wide Eyecup EC-XH W, a great choice when shooting video with the Fujifilm X-T3, especially when used in conjunction with a synthetic chamois eye cushion by Bluestar.
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“They say that “a histogram is a graphical representation of the pixels exposed in your image” or “when judging exposure, the primary areas of the histogram to be concerned with are the right and left edges”,…
… Please keep in mind that the histograms your camera displays are from JPEGs, even when you are shooting RAW….
… It doesn’t look like examining the shadows of the histogram tells a whole lot to a RAW shooter….
… On the same note, a histogram is also not very useful for evaluating the highlights in RAW…”
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