Fujifilm X-T1 Review

February 4, 2014 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-T1 is a new compact system camera that looks and feels very much like a miniature DSLR. The X-T1 features a 2.36m dot resolution OLED electronic viewfinder with the world's highest magnification and a lag-time of just 0.005 sec, hybrid auto-focus system with a fast response time of 0.08sec, a weather-proof body, five mechanical dials and six customisable function buttons, and compatibility with Ultra High Speed UHS-II SDXC memory cards. At the heart of the X-T1 is a 16.3 megapixel APS-C sized X-Trans CMOS II sensor, which has a colour filter array that mimics film grain and no optical low-pass filter for higher resolution images, Fujifilm's EXR Processor II, and a Lens Modulation Optimiser which automatically corrects diffraction blur. The X-T1 also has a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, 8fps burst shooting, enhanced wi-fi connectivity, interval timer shooting, in-camera raw conversion, a range of film simulation modes, multiple exposure and panoramic shooting modes, Digital Split Image and Focus Peaking for easier manual focusing, and Full HD video recording capabilities at up to 60fps. The Fujifilm X-T1 is available in all-black or silver and black and costs £1099 in the UK and $1299 in the US body-only, or £1449 / $1699 with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS kit lens.

Ease of Use

In terms of its outward appearance, the new Fujifilm X-T1 is quite a departure from previous X-series cameras, sporting a DSLR-look rather than the classic rangefinder design that the range has become well-known for. Fujifilm claim that this decision has been taken to try and broaden the appeal of the X-series to action photographers armed with longer lenses, but we suspect that the X-T1 has also been designed to appeal to the large number of potential customers that want a DSLR, or at least a camera that looks like one. Whatever the reason, the X-T1 is undoubtedly a good-looking camera, with a classic DSLR profile, just in miniature.

The X-T1 is the first weather-proof X-series camera, with 80 points of weather sealing offering dust-resistance, water-resistance and freeze-resistance down to -10°C. The optional Vertical Battery Grip (VG-XT1) offers the same levels of weather-proof-ness. Curiously, Fujifilm didn't launch a wather-resistant lens at the same time as the X-T1, which means that it won't actually become a fully weather-proof system until you can pair it with one of the three new weather-resistant zoom lenses that are slated for release in 2014 (the first being the XF 18-135mm lens, due out in June).

As with the X-E2, the the X-T1 dispenses with the range-topping X-Pro1's innovative Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, replaced instead by a brand new high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder. Although sharing the same 2.36m dot resolution as the X-E2, Fujifilm have clearly been hard at work on making the X-T1's electronic viewfinder even better. With a magnification of 0.77x, it narrowly beats the Olympus M-D E-M1 to the title of "EVF with the world's highest magnification", while it has a lag-time of just 0.005 sec, in practice answering one of the most common complaints about electronic viewfinders.

Fujfilm's engineers haven't stopped there though. The viewfinder has a stunning new Graphic User Interface that no optical viewfinder could ever hope to emulate. The default Full mode does what its name suggests and displays an uninterrupted view of the scene with all the settings information displayed outside the frame so that you can really concentrate on your subject. Normal provides an optimum view, including the shooting settings. The very clever new Dual mode is unlike anything that we've seen before, taking advantage of the EVF's size to display a split view of the scene before you, with the full frame on the left and a smaller 100% manual focus area on the right, complete with either focus peaking or Fujifilm's digital split image function. Finally, the displayed settings in the Full and Normal modes automatically rotate when the camera is held in a portrait orientation (although sadly not for the Dual view).

All of this - size, magnification, speed, and display - adds up to make the Fujifilm X-T1's EVF the best that we've ever looked through, no mean feat considering the likes of the viewfinders inside the Olympus M-D E-M1 and the Sony A7/A7R. Electronic viewfinder sceptics should definitely take a look through the X-T1's viewfinder - you might never go back to an optical viewfinder again.

The Fujifilm X-T1 is another amazingly well-built X-series camera, with absolutely no flex or movement in its chassis thanks to the die-cast magnesium alloy body and machined control dials. At the same time, it's actually a little lighter than a first glance might suggest, weighing in at 440g body only with the battery and memory card fitted, about the same as the X-Pro1. Measuring 129.0mm (W) x 89.8mm (H) x 46.7mm, it's slightly taller and deeper than the X-E2.

Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm X-T1
Front Rear

The X-T1 has a pronounced hand-grip at the front and a prominent rest at the rear for your thumb, with your grip helped in no small part by the textured faux-leather surface that runs around the full width of the camera. Two small metal eyelets on either side of the body are used for connecting the supplied shoulder strap. A metal tripod mount is positioned slightly off-centre from the lens and next to the battery compartment, so you'll have to remove the camera from the tripod to change the battery. The memory card is located on the right-hand flank of the camera when viewed from the rear. The X-T1 is the first ever camera to offer compatibility with Ultra High Speed UHS-II SDXC memory cards, which has the main benefit of increasing the data writing speed in continuous mode to about twice that of a conventional UHS-1 card. The X-T1 offers a continuous shooting rate of 8fps for 47 JPEGs if you use a UHS-II SDXC card, certainly up there with the fastest compact system cameras, although not as fast as the Olympus O-MD E-M1 which can shoot up to 50 RAW files at 10fps (even with a non-UHS II card).

At the heart of the X-T1 is the 16.3 megapixel APS-C sized X-Trans CMOS sensor, which is also used by the X-E2 camera. APS-C is a sensor size that's more commonly used by the majority of DSLR cameras, rather than by compact system cameras - Sony's NEX range and Samsung's NX series are the others. Fujifilm actually claim that the X-T1's sensor will deliver image quality that surpasses most APS-C DSLRs and even some full-frame ones, and as our test photos and sample images on the next two pages show , the X-T1 actually does live up to those claims. We won't say any more at this point other than to recommend that you take a look at our Sample Images for yourself.

Helping to keep the image quality high is the 18-55mm standard zoom kit lens that we tested the X-T1 with. This offers fast maximum apertures of F/2.8 at 18mm and F/4 at 55mm, with the added benefit of built-in optical image stabilisation to help keep your images sharp. There are aperture and manual focus rings on the lens barrel, which in conjunction with the shutter speed and exposure compensation dials on top of the camera body makes it straight-forward to set the exposure. We did find though that the aperture ring is easily moved, particularly when taking the lens on and off the camera, so watch out for an incorrectly set aperture. The 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS is a really nice standard zoom that's certainly a cut above the kit lenses that ship with most interchangeable lens cameras.

The 18-55mm lens' fast maximum apertures in conjunction with the large APS-C sensor make it easy to throw the background out of focus and achieve some really nice bokeh effects. The combination of the fast apertures and the extensive ISO range of 100-51200 makes the X-T1 very well suited to low-light shooting, allowing you to hand-hold the camera in places where you'd usually be reaching for a tripod (if allowed) or other support. The clever ISO Auto Control setting allows you to set a maximum sensitivity (up to 6400) and a minimum shutter speed (1/30th is a good starting point), with the camera over-riding your ISO choice if it thinks you're being too ambitious whilst maintaining a shutter speed that won't introduce camera shake.

With its focal-plane shutter, the X-T1 has a very adaptable top shutter-speed limit of 1/4000th second in all shooting modes. Consequently there's no built-in ND filter as on the X100/S, so if you want to use the 35mm lens at F/1.4 in very bright sunlight, for example, then it's a good idea to buy an actual glass ND filter. The X-T1 utilises a focal-plane shutter rather than the leaf shutter that the X100/S cameras have, much like a regular DSLR camera. This results in slightly noisier operation than on those very quiet cameras, although the shutter on the X-T1 is pretty stealthy by DSLR standards, and a much slower flash-sync speed of 1/180th second (versus the X100/S's 1/400th second). To make the camera less obtrusive there's a Silent menu option which turns off the speaker, flash, AF-assist lamp and most importantly the shutter-release sound, instantly making the X-T1 perfectly suited to candid photography.

Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm X-T1
Front Top

The Fujifilm X-T1's auto-focusing speed is very similar to the X-E2, with a quoted fastest auto-focus time of just 0.08 seconds when using the 18-55mm zoom. The X-T1 has the same ultra-fast hybrid AF system with both a conventional contrast-detection system and built-in Phase Detection pixels which enables the camera to achieve a focus lock so quickly and accurately. The X-T1 has 49 individual AF points laid out in a 7 x 7 grid, with the ability to change the size of the focus point via the rear command dial to achieve more precise focusing.

Manual focusing is activated by setting the focusing switch on the front of the camera to Manual and using the ring that encircles the lens to focus. The X-series lenses have an electronically coupled focus-by-wire manual focusing ring, rather than a physical one. We criticised some older X-series bodies for taking a lot of turns to change the focus from 0.1m to infinity, commenting that it was a much better idea to use the AEL button on the rear of the camera to set the focus automatically, then use the focusing ring to micro-adjust the focus manually, if required. This is still a viable technique, but is perhaps no longer required as Fujifilm have cleverly made the focusing ring more sensitive to how you use it - turn it slowly and the focusing distance changes slowly, but turn it more quickly and the camera quickly moves through the distance scale. It now only takes less than 2 full turns and a couple of seconds to jump from the closest focus distance to infinity.

The X-T1 offers not one, not two, but three ways of manually focusing. Firstly, there's a handy blue distance scale along the bottom of the viewfinder (both the OVF and EVF) and on the LCD screen if you're using that for composition, with a red bar indicating the the focusing distance and a white bar showing the depth of field, which actually changes in line with the current aperture - very clever. In addition to the AEL button, the X-T1 has another trick up its manual focusing sleeve in the shape of the new Focus Assist. As its name suggests, you can press this in to magnify the view in the electronic viewfinder. Furthermore, if you hold down the Focus Assist button, the manual focusing aid then switches to Digital Split Image, and then to Focus Peaking - a very neat way to change between the three modes.

The second manual focusing method is the Digital Split Image feature. Harking back to film cameras of the past, this displays dual images on the left and right which then need to be lined up together for accurate manual focusing, enabling accurate focusing especially when shooting wide-open or for macro shooting. It's much easier to understand in practice than written down. The third and final method is the Focus Peak Highlight function, which displays a white line around the subject when it's in focus, something that Sony NEX users in particular have been enjoying for a while. Both of these functions make manual focusing on the X-T1 more of a pleasure than a chore, although the revised fly-by-wire manual focusing ring operation is arguably more important.

Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm X-T1
Flash Attached Tilting LCD Screen

In addition to the class-leading electronic viewfinder, the X-T1 has a higher-resolution 3 inch LCD monitor on the back, which offers 100% scene coverage and 1.04 million dots, and can be usefully tilted up and down by about 90 degrees. The LCD screen has a handy Info view which presents all of the key settings at once, or you can switch to the Standard or Custom Live View modes, with the latter offering 14 customisable options (these are also used for the electronic viewfinder). The X-T1 has a built-in eye sensor so that you only have to hold the camera up to eye-level to switch between the rear LCD and the electronic viewfinder (or you can press the View Mode button on the side of the pentaprism).

In terms of operational speed, the Fujifilm X-T1 is very satisfying to use. Shutter lag is virtually non-existent on this camera (0.05 second), so once you have set the focus, you'll never miss the moment because the camera can't fire the shutter quickly enough. The shot-to-shot time is just 0.5 second, and it starts-up in only 0.5 second too. The write speeds from pressing the shutter button to recording to the SD / SDHC / SDXC memory card are fast too. Shooting a single RAW + Fine JPEG takes less than a second to record to a UHS-II card, a big improvement on the already speedy X-E2. Continuous shooting speeds have been slightly improved, with a faster top rate of 8fps for up to 47 JPEGs or 23 RAW files if using a UHS-II card, with a slower 3fps speed with AF tracking up to the capacity of the card also available. Thankfully the camera doesn't lock up completely for a long time if you shoot the maximum number of images in a burst, allowing you to continue shooting after just a few seconds. The X-T1 also offers interval timer shooting for time lapses, with intervals of 1 second to 24 hours and up to 999 frames.

One area in which the Fujifilm X-T1 excels is its handling, thanks in no small part to the numerous external controls that make changing the key settings a breeze, especially when holding the camera at eye-level. Surrounding the 18-55m lens is a circular aperture ring, although it has no markings due to the variable aperture. This dial also allows you to choose third-stop apertures. On top of the X-T1 is a large, tactile, lockable control dial for setting the shutter speed, with settings ranging from 1 second to 1/4000th second, an Auto option, a T setting for longer exposures (2 to 30 seconds, set via the circular command wheel) and a Bulb mode for exposures up to a whopping 60 minutes in length. Alongside the shutter speed dial is another tactile dial for changing the exposure compensation, with a range of +-3EV, and on the left-hand side is a third, lockable dial for setting the ISO speed, with settings ranging from Auto to H2. Together these three controls make it extremely easy to set the exposure.

Underneath the ISO Speed and Shutter Speed dials are two more dials, the first for setting bracketing, burst, multiple exposure, advanced and panorama functions, and the second for setting the metering mode. Cleverly, unlike the dials that sit on top of the them, these two dials are not locked in place.

Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm X-T1
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

Four other controls complete the X-T1's top-plate. The small but responsive shutter release button is encircled by the On/Off switch, although sadly there's no thread for a traditional mechanical cable release, as on the X-E2. Alongside are the one-touch Movie Record and-the Fn/Wi-Fi buttons, which by default provides quick access to the Wi-Fi options, but can be customised to suit your own needs from 12 different settings. Further customisation is available via the 7 Custom Menu options, which let you create, save and recall up to 7 sets of user-defined settings, and no less than 6 configurable function buttons. Finally there's an external flash hotshoe for suitable dedicated external units, into which fits the new EF-X8 flash that ships in the box. This small but handy flash unit has a guide number of 11 at ISO 200, more powerful than the X-E2's flash, which goes some way to compensating for the fact that it's not built-in to the camera.

The X-T1 features enhanced built-in wi-fi connectivity. Install the new FUJIFILM Camera Remote App and you can transfer your pictures immediately to a smartphone or tablet PC and then edit and share them as you wish, transfer stills and video onto the camera, and embed GPS information in your shots from your smartphone. You can also now control the camera remotely, the first time on an X-series camera, with the list of available functions including Touch AF, shutter release for stills and movies, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity, Film Simulation modes, White Balance, macro, timer and flash. The built-in wi-fi also provides a simple means to backup your photos to your home PC.

The Fujifilm X-T1 can record full HD 1080p movies at 60/30fps with stereo sound and a high bitrate (36Mbps), with the option for turning this mode on curiously buried at the bottom of the Drive menu, although at least Fujifilm have finally added a one-touch record button. It's fair to say that the X-T1's movie mode isn't overly advanced. You can set the aperture and shutter speed before recording begins, but not during, and you can also set the Film Simulation mode, so black and white footage is possible, and the exposure compensation. Continuous auto-focusing is possible, although it still tends to hunt around before locking onto the subject, and manual focusing is also available (with the same caveats as for stills). There is a HDMI port for connecting the X-T1 to a high-definition TV, although as usual there's no cable supplied in the box. Also missing is a paper copy of the otherwise helpful manual, which is supplied on CD-ROM instead, along with the consumer MyFinepix software the slow and rather unintuitive RAW convertor (essentially a specially customised version of the commercial Silkypix application).

The X-T1 has a logical enough rear control layout, although it's not quite as streamlined as the X-E2 thanks to the inclusion of the tilting screen. Above the LCD screen and to the left of the viewfinder are two buttons for choosing image deletion or playback, while on the right is the AE-L button, rear control dial and the AF-L button. Beneath those is the Focus Assist button, then the Quick Menu button. This provides quick access to lots of frequently used shooting settings including the ISO speed, White Balance, File Size and File Quality, with the 4-way controller and command dial used to quickly change them. A 4-way controller is used to change the shutter speed and aperture, toggle the macro mode on and off, and set the AF point. In the middle of the controller is the Menu button, which accesses the eight Shooting and Set-up menus. Underneath is the Disp/Back button which is used for changing the LCD display or going back.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

The Fujifilm X-T1 produces images of outstanding quality. It recorded noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100 all the way up to 6400, with a little noise at ISO 12800 and more visible noise and slight colour desaturation at the faster setting of ISO 25600, an amazing performance for a camera with an APS-C sensor. The new highest speed of 51200 is best avoided though. The RAW files were also excellent, with usable images throughout the entire range of ISO 200-6400.

The images were a little soft straight out of the Fujifilm X-T1 at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds being long enough for most after-dark shots, and the Bulb mode allowing much longer exposures if required.

The Dynamic Range settings subtly improve detail in the shadows and highlights, while the Film Simulation modes hark back to a bygone era. Motion panoramas are the icing on the proverbial cake, although they didn't work very well in mixed lighting conditions or with moving subjects in the frame. The Advanced Filters provide some creative control over your JPEGs before taking the shot.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm X-T1 for JPEGs, and 6 for RAW files. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW files.

JPEG RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

 
iso100.jpg  
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

 
iso12800.jpg  
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

 
iso25600.jpg  
   

ISO 51200 (100% Crop)

 
iso51200.jpg  

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft and ideally benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Focal Range

The Fujifilm X-T1's 18-55mm kit lens provides an effective focal range of 27-83mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

27mm

83mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range2.jpg

File Quality

The Fujifilm X-T1 has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

16M Fine (4.85Mb) (100% Crop) 16M Normal (2.96Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_fine.jpg quality_normal.jpg
   
16M RAW (32.2Mb) (100% Crop)  
quality_raw.jpg  

Flash

The flash settings on the Fujifilm X-T1 are Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction Auto, Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash and Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (27mm)

Forced Flash - Wide Angle (27mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Suppressed Flash - Telephoto (83mm)

Forced Flash - Telephoto (83mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Forced Flash setting or the Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash option caused any red-eye.

Forced Flash

Forced Flash (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash

Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Fujifilm X-T1's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Time shutter speed mode, and there's a Bulb mode which allows exposures up to 60 minutes long, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 30 seconds at ISO 200.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Dynamic Range

The Fujifilm X-T1 has three dynamic range settings - 100% (on by default), 200%, and 400% - and an Auto setting if you want to let the camera take control. These settings gradually increase the amount of detail visible in the shadow and highlight areas, with the side-effect of more noise appearing in the image. Note that you can't actually turn this feature off.

100%

200%

dynamic_range1.jpg dynamic_range2.jpg
   

400%

 
dynamic_range3.jpg  

Film Simulation

The Fujifilm X-T1 offers 8 different film simulation modes to help repliatce the look of your favourite film stock from the past.

Provia / Standard

Velvia / Vivid

film_simulation_01.jpg film_simulation_02.jpg
   

Astia / Soft

Pro Neg. Hi

film_simulation_03.jpg film_simulation_04.jpg
   

Pro Neg. Standard

B&W

film_simulation_05.jpg film_simulation_06.jpg
   

Monochrome + Yellow Filter

Monochrome + Red Filter

film_simulation_07.jpg film_simulation_08.jpg
   

Monochrome + Green Filter

Sepia

film_simulation_09.jpg film_simulation_10.jpg

Advanced Filter

The Fujifilm Finepix X-T1 offers 13 different filter effects which can be previewed on the LCD screen.

Toy Camera

Miniature

advanced_filter_01.jpg advanced_filter_02.jpg
   

Pop Color

High-Key

advanced_filter_03.jpg advanced_filter_04.jpg
   

Low-Key

Dynamic Tone

advanced_filter_05.jpg advanced_filter_06.jpg
   

Soft Focus

Partial Color (Red)

advanced_filter_07.jpg advanced_filter_08.jpg
   

Partial Color (Orange)

Partial Color (Yellow)

advanced_filter_09.jpg advanced_filter_10.jpg
   

Partial Color (Green)

Partial Color (Blue)

advanced_filter_11.jpg advanced_filter_12.jpg
   

Partial Color (Purple)

 
advanced_filter_13.jpg  

Panoramas

The Fujifilm X-T1 can create motion panoramas, either 120 or 180 degrees in length. Exposure is set on the first frame, which caused some problems indoors where different light sources caused areas of vertical banding. Watch out also for moving subjects in the frame as the X-T1 won't compensate for this.

120 Degrees
panorama1.jpg
 
180 Degrees
panorama2.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Fujifilm X-T1 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Fujifilm Finepix X-T1 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Fujifilm RAW (RAF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 27 second movie is 124Mb in size.

Product Images

Fujifilm X-T1

Front of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Front of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Front of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Flash Attached

 
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Front of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Flash Raised

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1

 

Fujifilm X-T1

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Image Displayed

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Turned On

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Info Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Main Menu

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Quick Menu

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Wi-fi Menu

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
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Rear of the Fujifilm X-T1 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Top of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Bottom of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Side of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Front of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
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Front of the Fujifilm X-T1

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Memory Card Slot

 
Fujifilm X-T1

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The new Fujifilm X-T1 is the best X-series camera to date, and one of the best interchangeable lens cameras, mirrorless or otherwise, that we've ever had the pleasure of reviewing.

The X-T1 quickly and efficiently delivers outstanding image quality with the minimum of fuss, with its myriad of external controls and customisable buttons proving to be inspired rather than confusing. Being able to quickly and intuitively use mechanical dials to set the main exposure parameters is a veritable joy. The fantastic electronic viewfinder is more than good enough to impress those who swear by an optical viewfinder, while the weather-proof body, tilting LCD screen, USH-II card compatability, fast autofocusing and speedy all-round performance, and the much improved wi-fi connectivity options are the icing on a superbly balanced cake. The only minor flies in the X-T1 ointment that we can think of are the lack of a true built-in flash, the slightly lacklustre video mode, no touchscreen functionality, and the absence of any weather-proofed lenses at launch.

Image quality is very similar to the X-E2 that we recently reviewed, that is to say, outstanding. Noise is noticeable only by its almost complete absence throughout the ISO range for both JPEGs and RAW files (with the exception of the new headline-grabbing 51200 setting), with the removal of the optical low pass filter producing slightly more detail in the image. The excellent 18-55mm kit lens is also worthy of mention, with the fast maximum apertures making it easy to creatively throw the background out of focus, and delivering sharp results throughout the focal range - we'd go so far as recommending this option rather than buying the X-T1 body-only for would-be owners.

2013 was a great year for compact system cameras - the Panasonic GX7, Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony A7/A7R are all fantastic cameras in their own right - and Fujifilm have definitely contributed to that trend at the start of the new year with the X-T1, which for us is the best-balanced of all those models in terms of size, speed, image quality and handling. If you're shopping for a prosumer interchangeable lens camera, be that a CSC or a DSLR, then you owe it to yourself to very seriously consider the stunning new Fujifilm X-T1.

5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 5
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 5
Image quality 5
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Fujifilm X-T1.

Canon EOS 70D

The new Canon EOS 70D is not just another DSLR camera, thanks to its innovative Dual-Pixel CMOS AF system. This new technology aims to deliver much better Live View and Movie shooting than any other DSLR on the market. Read our in-depth Canon EOS 70D review to find out if it delivers on its promise...

Fujifilm X-E2

The new Fujifilm X-E2 is a faster, more full-featured version of last year's X-E1 compact system camera, promising better image quality too. Can this gorgeous retro-styled model improve on one of our favourite cameras of 2012? Read our Fujifilm X-E2 review to find out...

Fujifilm X-Pro1

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 is a new premium compact system camera. Building on the popularity of the X100, the retro, rangefinder-styled X-Pro1 offers a brand new sensor that's claimed to rival full-frame DSLRs, an improved hybrid viewfinder, and a new X lens mount with three prime lenses available on launch. Read our Fujifilm X-Pro1 review to find out if it can emulate the runaway success of the X100...

Nikon D7100

The D7100 is a new prosumer DSLR camera from Nikon, succeeding but not replacing the popular D7000 model. The weather-proof D7100 features a 24 megapixel DX image sensor, 51-point autofocus system, 6fps burst shooting and a high-resolution 3.2 inch LCD screen. Read our detailed Nikon D7100 review to find out if it's the right DSLR camera for you...

Olympus OM-D E-M1

The Olympus O-MD E-M1 is a new professional compact system camera. Targeting its DSLR rivals, Olympus are promoting the E-M1 as a smaller and more capable camera. Read our expert Olympus E-M1 review to find out if it really can beat the competition...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is a new compact system camera that promises to offer both high-quality still images and movies. The exciting GH3 features Full 1080p HD video with bit rates up to 72Mbps, a 16 megapixel sensor, a 3 inch swivelling touchscreen OLED, built-in wi-fi connectivity, a weather-proof body, and an extensive ISO range of 125-25600. Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 review to find out if it's the most complete video/stills camera yet...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is an exciting new compact system camera aimed firmly at keen photographers. With a built-in tilting electronic viewfinder, 16 megapixel sensor, 3 inch tilting LCD touchscreen, pop-up flash, 60/50p high-definition video, integrated wi-fi and NFC connectivity, both lens and in-body image stabilization, and a stylish design, is the GX7 the ultimate interchangeable lens camera? Read our expert Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 review to find out....

Pentax K-7

The new Pentax K-7 digital SLR camera is one of the big surprises of 2009, offering a multitude of desirable features in a compact, weatherproof body. The K7 is the latest DSLR to feature a HD movie recording mode, in addition to its 14.6 megapixel still images. Other highlights include a dedicated HDR mode, improved 11-point auto-focus, high-res 3 inch LCD screen and optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage. Can the Pentax K-7 take on and beat the likes of the Nikon D300 and Canon EOS 50D? Read our in-depth review with test shots, JPEGS, RAW files and movie to find out...

Samsung NX300

The Samsung NX300 is a new mid-range compact system camera featuring a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, hybrid AF system, 3.3-inch tilting AMOLED touchscreen, 8.6fps continuous shooting, Wi-fi and NFC connectivity, full 1080p video, and an ISO range 100-25,600. Read our in-depth Samsung NX300 review now...

Sony A7

The Sony A7 is the second mirrorless camera in the World to offer a full-frame sensor, but this time it's a slightly more modest 24 megapixels, rather than the A7R's 36 megapixels. The cheaper Sony A7 also offers a more innovative and potentially quicker hybrid AF system, faster flash sync and burst shooting speeds, and a quieter electronic shutter. Is the Sony A7 just as good as its big brother? Read our Sony A7 review to find out...

Sony NEX-7

The Sony NEX-7 is a new compact system camera with a long list of photographer-friendly features. Offering a 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 1080p HD movies, high-res 3 inch tilting screen, 10fps burst shooting, built-in electronic viewfinder and pop-up flash, the NEX-7 seems to be on paper at least a very exciting proposition. Read our full Sony NEX-7 review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files, and movies, to find out if this is the ultimate compact system camera...

Specifications

Model FUJIFILM X-T1
  16.3 million pixels
Sensor type 23.6mm x 15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS II with primary colour filter
Total number of pixels: 16.7 million pixels Sensor Cleaning systemUltra Sonic Vibration
Storage media SD memory card / SDHC memory card / SDXC (UHS-II) memory card*1
File format Still image
JPEG (Exif Ver 2.3)*2, RAW (RAF format), RAW+JPEG (Design rule for Camera File system compliant / DPOF-compatible)
Movie
Movie File Format: MOV
Movie Video Compression: H.264
Audio: Linear PCM Stereo
Number of recorded pixels L: (3:2) 4896 x 3264 / (16:9) 4896 x 2760 / (1:1) 3264 x 3264
M: (3:2) 3456 x 2304 / (16:9) 3456 x 1944 / (1:1) 2304 x 2304
S: (3:2) 2496 x 1664 / (16:9) 2496 x 1408 / (1:1) 1664 x 1664

<Motion Panorama>
L: Vertical: 2160 x 9600 / Horizontal: 9600 x 1440
M: Vertical: 2160 x 6400 / Horizontal: 6400 x 1440
Lens mount FUJIFILM X mount
Sensitivity AUTO (Control available up to ISO 6400)
Equivalent to ISO 200 - 6400 (Standard Output Sensitivity)
Extended output sensitivity : Equivalent ISO 100, 12800, 25600 and 51200
Exposure control TTL 256-zone metering, Multi / Spot / Average
Exposure mode Programmed AE / Shutter Speed priority AE / Aperture priority AE / Manual exposure
Exposure compensation -3.0EV - +3.0EV, 1/3EV step
(movie recording : -2.0EV - +2.0EV)
Image stabilisation Supported with OIS type lenses
Face detection Yes
Shutter type Focal Plane Shutter
Shutter speed (P mode) 1/4 sec. to 1/4000 sec.,
(All other modes) 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.
Bulb (max. 60 min.)
Time 1/2 to 30 sec.
Synchronized shutter speed for flash : 1/180 sec. or slower
Continuous shooting Approx. 8.0 fps (JPEG : max. approx. 47 frames)
Approx. 3.0 fps (JPEG : up to the capacity of the card)
  • * Recordable frame number may vary depending on the type of memory card used.
  • * The frame rate varies with shooting condition and the number of images recorded.
Auto bracketing AE Bracketing (±1/3EV, ±2/3EV, ±1EV)
Film Simulation Bracketing (Any 3 types of film simulation selectable)
Dynamic Range Bracketing (100% · 200% · 400%)
ISO sensitivity Bracketing (±1/3EV, ±2/3EV, ±1EV)
White Balance Bracketing (±1, ±2, ±3)
Focus Mode
Single AF / Continuous AF / MF Distance Indicator
Type
Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF), AF assist illuminator available
AF frame selection
Area (EVF / LCD : 49 areas with 7 x 7) / Multi * Changeable size of AF frame among 5 types 
White balance Automatic scene recognition
Custom / Color temperature selection (K)
Preset : Fine / Shade / Fluorescent light (Daylight) / Fluorescent light (Warm White) / Fluorescent light (Cool White) / Incandescent light / Underwater
Self timer 10 sec. / 2 sec. Delay
Interval timer shooting Yes (Setting : Interval, Number of shots, Starting time)
Flash External flash EF-X8 (included) (Super Intelligent Flash)
Guide number : approx. 8 (ISO100 · m) / approx. 11 (ISO200 · m)
Flash modes Activated when external flash is connected
Red-eye removal OFF
Auto / Forced Flash / Slow Synchro / Suppressed Flash / Rear-curtain Synchro / Commander
Red-eye removal ON
Red-eye Reduction Auto / Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash / Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro / Suppressed Flash / Red-eye Reduction & Rear-curtain Synchro / Commander * Red-eye removal is active when Face Detection is set to ON.
Hot shoe Yes (Dedicated TTL Flash compatible)
Viewfinder 0.5-in., approx. 2.360K-dot OLED color viewfinder
Coverage of viewing area vs. capturing area : approx. 100%
Eye point : approx. 23mm (from the rear end of the camera's eyepiece)
Diopter adjustment : -4m-1 to +2m-1
Magnification : 0.77x with 50mm lens (35mm format equivalent) at infinity and diopter set to - 1.0m-1
Diagonal angle of view : approx. 38° (Horizontal angle of view : approx. 31°)
Built-in eye sensor
LCD monitor 3.0-inch, aspect ratio 3:2, approx. 1,040K-dot, Tilt type color LCD monitor (approx. 100% coverage)
Movie recording Full HD 1920 x 1080 60p / 30p, Continuous recording : up to approx. 14 min.
HD 1280 x 720 60p / 30p, Continuous recording : up to approx. 27 min.
  • * Use a card with SD Speed Class with or higher
Film Simulation mode 10 type (PROVIA/STANDARD, Velvia/VIVID, ASTIA/SOFT, PRO Neg Hi, PRO Neg. Std, MONOCHROME, MONOCHROME+Ye FILTER, MONOCHROME+R FILTER, MONOCHROME+G FILTER, SEPIA)
Dynamic range setting  AUTO (100-400%), 100%, 200%, 400%
Advanced filter Toy camera / Miniature / Pop color / High-key / Low-key / Dynamic tone / Soft focus / Partial color (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)
Photography functions Auto Red-eye Removal, Setting (Color, Sharpness, D-range, Gradation), Select custom setting, Motion panorama, Color space, Framing guideline, Frame No. memory, Histogram display, Preview depth of focus, Lens Modulatioon Optimizer, Pre-AF, Focus check, Focus Peak Highlight, Digital Split Image™*3, Electronic level, Multiple exposure, Interval timer shooting, Release priority / Focus priority selection, Fn button setting (RAW, Movie, etc.), ISO AUTO control, Instant AF setting (AF-S / AF-C)
Playback functions RAW conversion, Image rotate, Red-eye reduction, Photobook assist, Erase selected frames, Image search, Multi-frame playback (with micro thumbnail), Slide show, Mark for upload, Protect, Crop, Resize, Panorama, Favorites
Wireless transmitter
Standard
IEEE 802.11b / g / n (standard wireless protocol)
Access mode
Infrastructure
Wireless functions Geotagging, Wireless communication (Image transfer), View & Obtain Images, Remote camera shooting, PC Autosave
Other functions PictBridge, Exif Print, Language selection, Time difference, High Performance mode, Silent mode
Terminal
Video output
-
Digital interface
USB 2.0 High-Speed / micro USB terminal
  • * connectable with Remote Release RR-90 (sold separately)
HDMI output
HDMI mini connector (Type C)
Others
Microphone / shutter release input: ø2.5mm, stereo mini connector
Power supply NP-W126 Li-ion battery (included)
Dimensions 129.0mm (W) x 89.8mm (H) x 46.7mm (D) / 5.0 in. (W) x 3.5 in. (H) x 1.8 in. (D)
(Minimum depth: 33.4mm / 1.3 in.)
Weight Approx. 440g / 15.4 oz. (including battery and memory card)
Approx. 390g / 13.7 oz. (excluding accessories, battery and memory card)
Operating temperature -10°C - +40°C
Operating humidity 10 - 80% (no condensation)
Battery life for still images Approx. 350 frames (When XF35mmF1.4 R is set, LCD monitor / viewfinder on, and supplied flash EF-X8 not attached)
  Consecutive movie recording : approx. 103 min. (Face detection is set to OFF) * Individual movies cannot exceed approx. 14 min. on Full HD mode, and approx. 27 min. on HD mode in length. *4
Start-up time Approx. 0.5 sec., when High Performance mode set to ON
Approx. 1.0 sec., when High Performance mode set to OFF * Fujifilm research
Accessories included Li-ion battery NP-W126
Battery charger BC-W126
Shoe-mounted flash unit EF-X8
Shoulder strap
Body cap
Metal strap clip
Protective cover
Clip attaching tool
Hot shoe cover
Tall-orientation battery grip connector cover
Sync terminal cover
CD-ROM (Viewer software, RAW File Converter etc.*5)
Owner's manual

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