Why the Fujifilm X-T3 is really worth it in 2022 - A long-term review
It’s not easy to find the best camera for landscape photography. At the end of 2020, I was looking for a new camera to replace my Nikon D5200. Eventually, in January 2021, I bought the Fujifilm X-T3, and so far I have not regretted it. In this long-term review I tell you all about my experience with this compact but powerful mirrorless camera. I give you all the pros and cons, why I chose it over its successor the X-T4, and why it’s still worth your money in 2022.
(Photo by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash)
Choosing a new camera isn’t always easy. Sure, if you’re invested in a specific brand and you’re looking for an upgrade, you’ll probably take one of their newest models. But when you don’t find what you want with that brand, you have to dive into the Olympic sized pool that is the modern camera market.
I’ll save you all the details of my own search, but after a couple of weeks I ended up with a Fujifilm X-T3 in my hands. For those interested in the specs, here are some of its main features:
mirrorless camera, released in 2018
26.1 megapixels BSI CMOS X-Trans (APS-C) sensor
weather-sealed body
two SD-card slots, UHS-II compatible
11 fps (mechanical shutter) or 20 fps (electronic shutter; 30fps with crop)
max. shutter speed of 1/8000 (mechanical) or 1/32000 (electronic)
3.69m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
3.0”, 1.04m-dot tilting LCD touchscreen
video up to 4K at 60p in 4:2:0 10-bit format internally (at 200 Mbps)
video output of 4:2:2 10-bit via HDMI
Later in this article I’ll discuss why I didn’t choose the newer Fujifilm X-T4, and why it’s still relevant in 2022. But first, I give you my pros and cons of the X-T3 after more than one year of use.
Pros
Ease of use
Fujifilm X series cameras: you love them or you hate them. Instead of the classic PASM dial on top of the body, X series cameras have separate dials for the shutter speed and the ISO, and a dedicated aperture ring on the lens (if it’s a Fujifilm lens; see the image in the ‘Cons’ paragraph below). It’s probably the biggest difference between Fujifilm and other brands, and some people simply don’t like it.
To me it’s what I like the most about the X-T3. Its retro style look with physical dials makes it very intuitive to use; with just a look on top of the camera (and the lens if it’s one with an aperture ring) you can check your exposure settings.
Additionally there is a drive mode dial under the ISO dial (see image below), and a metering mode dial under the shutter speed dial, which makes adjusting the settings even more intuitive. The third dial on the top of the camera is for the exposure compensation. Lastly there’s a small switch at the front of the camera to quickly adjust the focusing mode (single, continuous or manual). When set to manual, you can use the focus peaking feature to quickly set your focus on the right subject.
Another great feature of the X-T3 are its many function buttons. Physically there’s only one ‘Fn’ function button, but technically you can assign up to 13 different commands to the same number of buttons. Besides the dedicated function button you have: the four buttons of the D-pad, the four swiping directions on the touchscreen, the AE-L button, the AF-L button, a button on the front of the body, and the dial at the back of the body that’s also a button.
For example, I assigned the playback mode to the AE-L button so I don’t always have to use my left hand if I just quickly want to view my images (because the dedicated playback button is situated to the left of the viewfinder). I also assigned my histogram, white balance and the electronic level to a specific button, so I have them quickly available when needed.
Besides the many buttons, the X-T3 also has a joystick. With my Nikon D5200, I had to use the D-pad to move the focus point on the screen, which wasn’t always so handy. With the Fujifilm X-T3 you can use the joystick to do this, so focusing now goes a lot faster. And with a maximum of 425 focus points covering the whole sensor (instead of just the center on many DSLRs), you can focus on a subject close to the edge without having to move the camera first. You can also tap on the touchscreen to quickly focus.
A last feature of the Fujifilm X-T3 that I consider an advantage is the tilting screen. Many fellow photographers, especially videographers and vloggers, would prefer a fully rotatable ‘flippy’ screen like on the Fujifilm X-T4, just as I had on my Nikon D5200.
But I found it more cumbersome than handy, especially when I used an L-bracket and a tripod. I wasn’t able to fully flip the screen to the left side, nor rotate it on its axis - the L-bracket was always in the way.
Also, my brain simply couldn’t handle the situation where the screen wasn’t flipped 180 degrees to the left (so that the axis of the screen was in line with the back of the camera). It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it was one of the reasons to choose the X-T3 over the X-T4.
Mirrorless
Mirrorless was one of the criteria for a new camera. Without a physical mirror the body is lighter and more compact than a DSLR, which makes it easier to carry. As a landscape photographer who goes on longer hikes, every kilogram saved is a bonus.
Another advantage of a mirrorless camera is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). When shooting handheld you can see what the picture will look like instead of having to rely on the light meter. Also the histogram, the electronic level or the white balance settings can now be displayed in the EVF - very useful when you shoot handheld.
Simulations & recipes
When you’re not familiar with Fujifilm, you’ll probably raise your eyebrows when you hear about recipes in a camera. So let me explain this.
On a Fujifilm camera there are always a couple of so-called ‘film simulations’ pre-installed. They are a digital reproduction of traditional Fujifilm film stocks, like Provia, Acros, or Classic Chrome.
Next to these simulations, you can make your own custom simulation, which are called ‘recipes’. White balance, highlights, shadows, noise, grain… you can all adjust them to your own wishes. In that way you can replicate a non-Fujifilm film stock. On Fujifilm X Weekly you’ll find a whole plethora of traditional film stocks and their specific settings.
It can be fun to play around with the different film simulations or different recipes. Or you can adjust them to your artistic needs. I myself have different settings for different types of scenes, for example a more saturated and contrasty simulation for big vistas, or a simulation with softer colors and shadows for more intimate nature close-ups.
This is an unedited image taken with the Astia Soft film simulation.
Technical features
The Fujifilm X-T3 also has a bunch of technical features that make it a worthy piece of gear to consider in your search for a new camera.
Most importantly, the camera is weather-sealed. Not every photographer will need this (i.e. a portrait photographer who works only in a studio), but as a landscape photographer weather-sealing comes in handy when going out on a rainy or snowy day.
Further, the X-T3 has a dual SD-card slot. Both are also UHS-II compatible, which is great for faster data transfer speeds. In the camera settings you can specify how you want to save your images. When using two memory cards, you can save both the RAW and the JPEG image sequentially, or you can save the RAW image on the first memory card and the JPEG image on the second card.
The latter option is the way I save my images, because it makes transfering my images to my computer a lot easier. I almost never transfer the JPEG images, only when I intentionally used a recipe to shoot images (recipes are always saved as JPEGs, it’s not saved in the RAW file).
Lastly, with the Fujifilm X-T3 you can shoot 4K video up to 60fps (but then a crop of 1.18 is applied). As I use the X-T3 only for photography, this wasn’t decisive when choosing this model. But as the X-T4 doesn’t offer better specifications on this subject (apart from the added IBIS), it won’t make a big difference if I might do videography in the future. The only advantage of the X-T4 over the X-T3 here is the flippy screen, which makes it easier when you’re talking to the camera.
Cons
Like probably every camera, the Fujifilm X-T3 also comes with some disadvantages and a couple of “problems” that could have been overcome.
Battery life
One of the biggest problems with all Fujifilm X series cameras, one that was only solved in the X-T4, is the battery life. In short, well, it’s short. I have three batteries now, and when I go out shooting for a whole day, all three are drained at the end of the day.
So if you’re considering the X-T3, buy some extra batteries with it, at least 3 or 4 if you’re going to use it intensively during a shooting day. Or you can buy a separate battery grip, which can hold two additional batteries.
Handling
Talking about grips, when you have big hands like I do, the X-T3 will feel like a toy camera in your hands. The hand grip on the side of the camera is only a centimeter or something deep, so you can’t hold the camera loosely in your hands without fear of dropping it.
Luckily there are a few additional hand grips available on the market. I have a SmallRig L-bracket with a wooden hand grip attached to my X-T3, which gives my camera that extra fancy look.
My big hands (and big fingers) cause an additional problem when handling my Fujifilm X-T3. As the exposure dials on top of the body are relatively small and thin, I’m sometimes turning the mode dials underneath as well without noticing. There are lock buttons on top of the dials, but they only lock the top dial, not the one beneath. It would have been more useful if it locked the lower dial.
Same story with the power dial. It needs only a small click to turn on the camera, which you could say is convenient. However, I can’t count on one hand anymore how many times I accidentally turned on my camera when putting it away in my backpack or taking it out of it. I recently even drained the battery during transportation; I hadn’t noticed I turned it on when putting it away. Turning the power dial should have been more of an effort than it is now.
The power dial under the red button is too easy to manipulate…
(Photo by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash)
Technical issues
A technical shortcoming of the Fujifilm X-T3 is the lack of In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). If you shoot a lot with a tripod like I do as a landscape photographer, that’s not a big issue. But when you want to shoot handheld at a slower shutter speed, make sure you have a stabilized lens (or a very steady hand). If you really want that IBIS, you better go for the X-T4.
A last, and in my opinion major problem is the Fujifilm app. Like most cameras nowadays you can handle your camera via WiFi on your smartphone. But it still bothers me how cumbersome this is. The connection is very slow, even when your smartphone lies next to your camera. Making small changes to your composition is a real pain in the ass then, because the image on your smartphone lags behind the movement of the camera - a lag that goes beyond the limits of what is acceptable. I still don’t understand how this is possible in 2022.
Why not the X-T4?
As you could read above, there are few inconveniences about the X-T3 that were solved with the X-T4, i.e. a longer battery life and a slightly larger grip. So why didn’t I choose the X-T4 then?
Simply because the better features of the X-T4 didn’t outweigh the higher price point. For about 400 EUR less you have an equally good camera. Moreover, the X-T3 and X-T4 share the same 26.1 megapixels X-Trans IV sensor, so in that sense you’re not better off with the newer model. Their maximum shutter speed, ISO range, maximum burst rate and video capabilities are the same as well. Yes, the X-T4 has a better screen resolution, but that shouldn’t necessarily be a deal maker if the sensor resolution is the same.
Also the flippy screen and the IBIS of the X-T4 weren’t deal makers. The former would be more of a nuisance (for the reasons I explained), while I don’t need the latter as a landscape photographer who mostly shoots on a tripod.
The only advantage of the X-T4 over the X-T3 would be the better battery life. But for 400 EUR you can buy almost eight X-T3 batteries that, added together, would last longer than one X-T4 battery.
Still relevant in 2022?
So is the Fujifilm X-T3, which was released in 2018, still a viable option in 2022?
If you look at its abovementioned features and capabilities compared with its current price (+/- 1199 EUR), you really get quality for your money. For landscape photography the Fujifilm X-T3 is definitely a good camera. The lack of a mirror and the smaller APS-C sensor make it already a light and compact camera. But because of that smaller sensor, the lenses will also be smaller and lighter than for a full frame camera. So you save space and weight twice.
For portrait and wedding photography this camera is also great, among other things because it has eye and face detection. Only when you’re into sports photography or another niche with many fast moving subjects, the autofocus and focus tracking system of the Fujifilm X series is no match for their Sony or Canon counterparts. So if that’s something important for your type of photography, you may have to look at another brand.
But if you’re looking for a compact, budget-friendly camera for landscape photography with a lot of great features, whilst saving your back during those long hikes, the Fujifilm X-T3 may just be the one for you.
Do you own a Fujifilm X-T3 yourself, or have you owned one before? Tell me about your experience with it, and maybe we can help others in their search for a new camera.