With a big couple of weeks behind us in the mirrorless camera industry, it’s good to see some love for the APS-C sensor size in addition to full-frame. Fujifilm has just announced the intriguing successor to 2016’s well-received X-T2, sensibly called the X-T3! Click here to preorder the body only, or here to preorder the kit with the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS. The camera should arrive later this month.
First, the obligatory gear-drool…
Quick spec sheet
- 26.1 MP BSI CMOS APS-C sized sensor
- ISO range from 160–12800 (80–512000 extended)
- 425 hybrid AF points (100 more than the X-T2)
- 2.16 million phase detection pixels deliver 1.5x faster focusing speed than the X-T2
- Vastly improved eye-detection AF
- 11 fps shooting with mechanical shutter
- 30 fps shooting (with no blackout) when using electronic shutter & 1.25x crop
- 4K 60P 4:2:2 10 bit maximum output quality (amongst a host of other options)
- Video-specialized simulation mode ETERNA added
- Rolling shutter reduced to 11 milliseconds
- Creamy 100 fps viewfinder refresh rate
- Dual SD card slots, both UHS-II capable
We had feet on the ground at the launch event in New York City. Can’t wait to see it come in back home!
Super-sensor!
The X-T3 manages to match or exceed the capabilities of its bigger brother, the X-H1, in many areas (at least on paper). Though it still lags behind the flagship in several areas (notably IBIS), it’s nice to see that Fujifilm is pumping out the best tech it can rather than worrying about the organization of their model lines as a first priority. The most exciting development is probably the back-side-illuminated CMOS sensor. Some of the most impressive phone sensors have long incorporated BSI technology to dramatically improve low-light performance (cheaply, as they are tiny sensors) and multiple brands have started to incorporate it into their range-topping full-frame cameras, but this is only the second APS-C camera to feature a BSI CMOS sensor.
The short version of why BSI sensors work better: all wiring on the sensor is relocated behind the photosensitive portion, lessening the distance between “entry” of the sensor and actual capture as well as reducing interference.
As a member myself of the large segment of the population shooting on this size sensor, I can only think this bodes well for all of us!
Video monster
Some of the biggest improvements here over the X-T2 are in the area of video. In addition to the high bit-rate 4K 60P video and reduction of rolling shutter, the body of the camera itself (unique screen articulation and all) is better oriented to video shooting with mic and headphone sockets. Color-wise, F-Log will be available for internal capture upon release, with HLG (a.k.a. “HDR video”) to be incorporated by the end of the year via firmware update.
Are you eXcited yet? Come see the X-T3 in person!
Looks like Fuji’s brought another major player into the APS-C video market, and with no lack of attention to still features, at that! Check it out, in living (Fuji)color, at our Demo Days events this weekend in Colorado and next month in Sacramento (click here for details).
Our radical rep will ALSO be doing special in-store demos for us, bringing the 200mm f/2 with the new teleconvertor, the 18-55 MKX cinema lens, and the XF10 in addition to the X-T3. Just stop by the Mike’s Camera in Boulder on Monday, September 10th, from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, or Sacramento on Tuesday, September 18th, from 2:00–5:00 PM, and look for the crowd.
Click here to preorder the body only, or here to preorder the kit with the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS. The goods should start arriving in a couple weeks!
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