Fujifilm X-T3: The 17 Things You Might Have Missed – EYE AF Demo, Easy Firmware Updates, Night Vision Mode & More
Fujifilm X-T3
PRE-ORDER OPEN!: Fujifilm X-T3 at BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera
As always, when the flood of information is gigantic, it’s easy to miss those little Fujifilm X-T3 details, that can make the difference or explain better why the camera is capable of such high performances.
So I digested everything for you, and report here only about details or insights some of you might have missed, leaving away more obvious stuff, like the 26MP etc.
Let’s start the list:
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The Power of USB-C
The USB-C port in camera allows you to charge the X-T3 via power pack while using the camera.
If you connect the power bank to camera turned off, the little indicator lamp will turn on. If you connect it when the camera is on, the lamp will not blink. Small and less powerful power banks might not deliver enough output (5V) to charge the camera while it is turned on (you need 9V output to charge while camera is on).
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EYE AF and AF TRACKING Improved
X-T3 can do 240 calculations simultaneously and independent from exposure calculations (X-H1 can do 60). Hence, autofocus is massively improved.
Check out this eye-AF demo and this video face detection demo and this AF-C tracking test. Face-and eye-detection AF is available also during video recording and continous AF
DPReview writes:
“In our initial use of the camera we’ve been very impressed with the new autofocus system, finding it to be fast and very effective at tracking subjects – in some ways very similar to the 3D tracking on Nikon’s DSLRs. “
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Independent AUTOFOCUS and METERING
The camera no longer performs autofocus and exposure measurments together. Instead, it uses different lines of the sensor to perform these measurements. Different pixels for different functions. DPReview explains one of the benefits here here:
For example, when focusing in low light, many mirrorless cameras will briefly show an overexposed image while acquiring focus because they’re using the same pixels for AF and exposure measurements and need to increase sensor gain in order to acquire focus. In contrast, the X-T3 has no need to make this temporary adjustment as it’s using different pixels for each function.
We were able to see this in action through an informal test of the camera. We set the exposure low enough that the viewfinder was completely black, but the camera was still able to lock focus on a subject in the frame without any change in the viewfinder. This implementation contributes to a very pleasing user experience.
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Kaizen Heaven, or Easy Firmware Updates
Fuji Guy Billy said here that he reads in the comments (on Fujirumors?? ;) ) what X shooters want in terms of firmware updates. He then calls engineers in Japan and asks for example why they can’t just copy the firmware from a camera, that has a certain feature, and paste it to one that doesn’t have it.
Until now, engineers always told him that bringing new features into other cameras is not as easy as making copy & paste.
However, so says Billy, the new X Processor 4 will make the copy & paste of parts of the firmware much easier.
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ISO Performance Improved?
We will have to wait for full support of Fuji RAW files and more in depth testings, but here is what FR-reader akkual noticed in the comments:
“I just can’t comprehend how good the low light performance on this camera is. This is (allegedly) ISO8000 shot from dpreview, “under”exposed for the main subject (the worst case for low ISOs)… and it looks absolutely beautiful on fullscreen on my 30” screen! There’s no longer major benefit of FF sensor on low light. And here’s the same image edited with Camera Raw to push shadows and contrast. Inevitably, the noise gets out of the shadows (remember, this is very low light exposure, so there’s already a lot of pure photon noise). But otherwise excellent, meaning that you can PUSH an under exposed ISO8000 shot and still get a good looking picture out of it.
Some rection from the comments:
- iamgei: “If that’s really ISO 8000 colour me impressed“
- Radu: “EXIF indeed says ISO 8000. I too am impressed. For a two stop exposure push at this ISO, not only is the noise pretty clean, but the colours are just as punchy as I’d expect them to be at ISO200.”
We will soon get lab test showing how big the real improvement is.
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Rolling Shutter
X-T3 has 1/60s sensor readout (X-T2 has 1/20). This mitigates rolling shutter. Check out this video sample of pixelcatcher at 20 and 30fps electronic shutter. Pixelcatcher writes in the comments: “I had no issues at all with rolling shutter. It’s still there but you’d have to move extremely fast to see it.”
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Video
I was informed about last second by an anonymous source, but didn’t share it in time (thanks for telling my anyway, next time I will be faster ;).
X-T3 shoots 400 Mbps (intraframe) at DCI4K/4K 29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p.
20 minutes shooting at 4K@60p and 30 minutes with 4K@30p.
Supports H.265 codec!
12 stops dynamic range in video.
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Diopter
Sometimes you appreciate the little things, and this is definitely one of them: you can lock the diopter adjustment!
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Detachable side Door
You can completely take off the side door. This is a useful feature if you want to shoot video and need to attach cables on the various ports. You can see it in the BHphoto video here.
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CROP or NOT?
X-T3 has no crop at 4K@30p and only 1.18x crop at 4K@60p.
The X-T3 shoots slow motion at 1080/120fps with a 1.29x crop without any upscaling. On the contrary, the X-H1 has no crop at 1080/120fps, but it has to upscale the image.
The fact that the X-T3 has no upscaling in slow motion, gives less moiree and less artifacts.
Would be cool to have a firmware update, where I can choose if I want the upscaled non-cropped version or the cropped non-upscaled version.
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Monochrome Adjustment + Color Chrome Effect
Kevin Mullins is very happy about this one: you can adjust the warmth/coolness of Monochrom/Acros images in camera
The color chrome effect finds its way from the GFX to the X-T3.
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Night Vision Mode
The X-T3 has a night vision mode, that changes your LCD appearance to mostly red.
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Get NO Grip
The performance is no longer split between battery grip and camera. So you can enjoy the full power with body only. The Grip is only for longer battery life or ergnomics when shooting vertical.
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No Shut Down
While shooting video or continuous AF, the X-T3 doesn’t shut down when one battery runs out in the battery grip.
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New Noise Reduction
As with every new processor, also this one comes a new noise reduction. The X-T3 also includes a 4K inter-frame noise reduction.
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Eye Sensor Boost
Improved Eye sensor response. Now much quickier.
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RAW Preview
If you shoot RAW only, the embedded JPEG file for previews is larger now. So if you use software like photomechanic, you don’t have only a super small file preview of the RAW file, but a larger one.
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Pre-Order When and Where?
The pre-orders for the Fujifilm X-T3 start September 7th at 1 AM EST.
You can support months or hard work and hot X-T3 rumors by grabbing your X-T3 using our affiliate links at BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama and Focuscamera.
Any help is appreciated and helps to keep this blog running (and the rumors coming ;) )
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