Fujifilm unveils faster, smarter X-T3
Fujifilm has announced the X-T3, the successor to the company's most popular mirrorless camera to date, the X-T2.
While the new model looks almost identical to the two-year-old X-T2, the physical similarities hide a host of major improvements inside including a completely redesigned 26.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, new quad-core X-Processor 4, dramatically faster AF and blackout-free continuous shooting. The XT-3 can also shoot 4K/60p video, recording 10-bit 4.2.0 files to an internal SD card, or larger 10-bit 4.2.2 files to an external recorder via HDMI.
On the back of the camera, the X-T3’s electronic viewfinder is sharper, brighter and clearer, thanks to a 3.69-million-dot OLED. The rear LCD resolution is unchanged at 1.04 million-dots but you can now do more with the touchscreen now including tap-to-focus and pinch-to-zoom when you're reviewing your images. Like the XT-2, the monitor tilts three ways – up, down, and to the right.
Fujifilm says the combination of the backside-illuminated X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and the quad-core X-Processor 4 means the X-T3 can refocus and meter 1.5 times more often than the X-T2 and X-H1.
AF performance is considerably better with 2.16 million phase detection pixels now spread over 100% of the sensor. In single-point focusing you can choose from 425 selectable points or, if you prefer, 117. Either way, the entire sensor is used for phase-detect focusing. Low light focusing has been improved too and the X-T3 can now focus in dimmer conditions, -3EV compared to -1EV on the X-T2. Fujifilm says the camera refocuses and meters 1.5 times more often than the X-T2 and X-H1. Face and eye detection are now noticeably better at tracking people when they are moving quickly. Face- and eye-detect AF are available during video recording.
The camera can shoot continuously at 11fps using the mechanical shutter or you can ramp that up to 20fps with electronic shutter and no viewfinder blackout, or 30fps if you're happy to drop the resolution to 16.6 megapixels.
The X-T3 will be available in Australia in black or silver from the end of September with a recommended retail price of $2499 (body only).
