
Fujifilm X-T2 review: for the love of photography - Tomte
http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/13/13268150/fujifilm-x-t2-review-mirrorless-camera-price-features
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rplst8
I up-voted this because I think the Fujifilm X series cameras need more love
than they currently get.

I have an X-E2 and I love it, but I'm very curious to see if they release an
X-E3 and what features of the X-T2 and X-Pro2 it will incorporate.

The whole X series is a pretty great system IMO. The designs are simple,
bodies offer fully manual control, the lenses are extremely high quality, and
certain models of lenses are much smaller than DSLR counterparts (18mm, 27mm,
35 f/2).

If you like classic manual cameras, especially rangefinder style ones, you'll
like the X-E1/2 and the X-Pro1/2\. The X-T2 however, is sort of an "SLR"
format camera with the viewfinder in the center, which I'm not big on. One of
the major advantages of mirrorless cameras (for me) is that you are able to
put the viewfinder on the side and keep the camera's screen from smashing your
nose when you shoot.

If you are into photography and haven't considered the Fujifilm offerings, I
highly recommend that you do.

P.S. Fujifilm's engineers are continuously updating and refining the firmware
from user feedback. With the 4.x release of the firmware for my X-E2, it add a
boatload of features and really made it into the camera of my dreams. The 16MP
sensor is getting a little bit dated, but that is going to happen with any
camera. Plus, their X-Trans technology offers some advantages over traditional
Bayer array sensors.

~~~
meowzero
X-T2 is still a mirrorless camera. I think you meant that for rangefinder-
inspired cameras like the X-E2, the viewfinder is on the side.

Also, even with that design, your nose can still smash into the screen if
you're left eye dominant. I personally just use the back screen to shoot, not
the viewfinder. Technically I guess I'm not taking advantage of the X-T2's
beautiful viewfinder.

But I do agree with your suggestion of Fuji's cameras. With the old-school
dials, it helped me to understand how to use the camera manually.

~~~
ghostly_s
If you're happy shooting with the screen, Olympus and Sony have more pocket-
able options with similar quality.

~~~
meowzero
True, but they're not "pro" enough. I do need the dual memory cards, the
vertical grip, the speed, etc. I also use the viewfinder on sunny days because
the screen is tough to see in the sun. But shooting from the hip using the
screen is a main advantage of mirrorless cameras, especially since the X-T1/2
has tilt screens.

~~~
rplst8
Not sure why your being down voted (if this was a serious comment). The "pro"
DSLRs do have speed advantages, both in FPS, and in auto-focus tracking etc.
Dual memory cards are also important if you are working paid gigs and want a
smaller chance of corrupted image files. When you use flash cards as much as
the pros do, they can, and do wear out.

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gerhardi
As a amateur photographer, I have always been attracted to the Fuji X-series
products. Currently I'm packing Nikon FX system but before my current camera
body I had X100s which I carried with me on many trips and really loved the
results and the joy of photographing with it. The fixed focal length was non-
issue 95% of the time. Now having returned to the Nikon system, I can totally
get results that are what I'm expecting but it doesn't feel the same! Maybe
one more generation and I'll sell my FX gear and move to the Fuji camp.

With X-series Fuji provides the proven UX to handling the exposure settings,
compact sizing and excellent image quality. Secretly I'm still hoping for a
compact Nikon mirrorless FX body with Df / Fuji X / traditional exposure
settings. Let's see!

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leephillips
One thing I like very much about the Fuji X100T is the leaf shutter. I wish
they had incorporated leaf shutters into the lenses of their interchangeable-
lens models!

~~~
Lio
I agree, if you like clever flash photography it really is a game changer.

The only down side to the leaf shutter for me is that you loose rear curtain
sync (as there is no curtain to sync with).

I was never really sure if there was an alternative way for Fujifilm to
simulate the same effect on the X100 but given their wonderful commitment to
updating firmware on even the old cameras, if they could do it I think they
would have added it already.

~~~
klodolph
"Rear curtain sync" just means that it fires the flash at the last moment the
shutter is open before it closes. It is absolutely possible with a leaf
shutter.

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jotjotzzz8
I own and love the Fuji X100 (older version). Loved the pictures it took and
brought it during many vacations. I also own the Sony A6000, and have used
manual old lenses -- and the pictures I took with it are amazing as well.
However, the last couple of vacations, I am now leaning more towards just
using the phone I have at all times. My iPhone! I think this is the
predicament of all SLRs. As smartphones improve their cameras, most will be
transitioning to using those instead.

~~~
pkulak
My phone takes great shots... at 28mm. That's about my most-hated focal
length. Not wide enough to really be interesting and not nearly long enough to
take a photo of a single human being, animal, object, etc.

When I bring my camera with me, I like always having a second wide-angle
camera in my pocket though! I feel like one of those wedding photographers
with two bodies hanging off them at all times. :D

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ru55e1
I have the original X100 and I'm not entirely happy with it because of the
slow and sometimes inaccurate AF, and I prefer the DSLR-style dials to the
older-style controls. Great raw files with excellent latitude, though!

I'll probably upgrade to the Olympus PEN-F, keeping the Fooj for a certain
style of portrait shots.

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wepple
Camera releases are one of the most vivid examples of "these are my distinct,
specific requirements; therefore this product will surely fail instantly."

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imaginenore
I'm a semi-pro photographer, do commercial work from time to time, get flown
to shoot weddings across the globe.

$1600 is a ridiculous amount of money for this camera, considering the
competition.

$1600-1700 buys you a used Sony A7s, the king of low light photography and
video (if you don't count the new prototype from Canon), and it's full frame,
unlike X-T2.

$1650 buys you a used Canon 5D mark III, which is also full frame, and is a
great photo camera, which can also shoot RAW video with custom firmware.

~~~
pizlonator
It depends on what is important to you. I like good UI and I will pay a
premium for it. Fuji has the best UI - physical knobs for everything. Even ISO
has a physical control. I find that UI makes a big difference for my workflow
and makes it easier for me to take good pictures, so the price is worth it.

Also, I happen to use an X-Pro2 not the X-T2, but I think similar arguments
apply.

~~~
KaiserPro
If you're a photographer you'll be needing maybe 5 controls:

ISO

Aperture

shutter speed

Metering mode

Autofocus point placement

Shutter and aperture might be automated away with different shooting mode.
Even on Canons which I don't use often, I can bend it to my will, even if the
buttons are in a "funny" place. I'm just not going to spend that much of a
premium on a what is almost a repackaged phone sensor.

Everything else is literally noise.

The nikon d800, and canon or sony equivalent is the same price point. Not only
that its full frame you can use _real_ lens, but you get deep depth of field.

~~~
rodgerd
> I'm just not going to spend that much of a premium on a what is almost a
> repackaged phone sensor.

One of the more spectacularly ignorant and stupid things I've read on HN,
which is saying a lot.

> but you get deep depth of field.

Oh, right you don't _actually_ know what you're talking about, you're just
parroting talking points you read somewhere.

~~~
KaiserPro
It is as they say, hyperbole.

Of _course_ aps-c isn't a phone sensor, because making a monolith lens thin
enough isn't worth it. (a lenticular array, maybe. But then who outside of VFX
wants light field pictures?)

You are of course aware that sensor size and focal length directly affect the
depth of field. Smaller sensor for the same focal length yields a wider depth
of field. Yadda yadda field of view. This is why the stock lens 35 mm, because
its about the same field of view as 50mm lens on a 35 mm sensor. (or why
medium formats have ~80mm lens)

However, of course I'm just parroting that "from else where". Yup, no sir, no
first hand experience at all.

~~~
rodgerd
> It is as they say, hyperbole.

Was it a social experiment, as well?

> You are of course aware that sensor size and focal length directly affect
> the depth of field.

Yes, but it doesn't make it deeper on larger sensors, which is what you
asserted.

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desireco42
While definitely great camera, I don't think it compares favorably with Sony's
offering. A6000 and A7 (II) series.

Previous model of this Fujifilm camera also got raving reviews from Verge and
was mocked in photography circles. The review, not the camera.

~~~
TheOtherHobbes
I'm not awed by the photo samples.

This looks like a premium-priced hobbyist camera, not a realistic substitute
for a good SLR.

There's a lot to be said for the form factor for hobby/casual photography.
SLRs can be a PITA to carry around in a way that smaller cameras aren't. Just
by being portable, this camera will catch a lot of images that a big SLR
won't.

But image quality is clearly a good few steps short of the output of an
equivalently priced Canon or Nikon DSLR.

That will be an acceptable compromise for many buyers - but it won't work for
everyone.

~~~
alistairSH
I think that's true of all mirrorless. A full-frame SLR is going to take
better photos because it lets in more light and has a larger sensor. It's hard
to get around physics.

But, as you noted, carrying an SLR can be a pain. I tried to get into
photography many years ago, with a Canon Rebel XT. It didn't stick because I
hated carrying the bulky thing around. I stuck to point & shoots, then my
iPhone.

I recently picked up an Olympus PEN e-PL6, which, for me, strikes a nice
middle-ground. It fits in my wife's purse, or my small backpack (easy to
carry-on flights, unlike the Canon, which ate up my underseat area on its
own). It is light enough to carry all day. And has an excellent selection of
lenses for all purposes.

Of course, I also frequently carry my Canon S100 because it is truly
pocketable and still takes excellent photos.

