Fujifilm X-T2 Review

September 8, 2016 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-T2 is a compact system camera featuring a 24 megapixel X-Trans III sensor, high-performance X Processor Pro image processing engine, 2.36m dot resolution OLED electronic viewfinder, three-direction tilting LCD screen, a robust weather-resistant body, 4K video recording, 14fps continuous shooting, a focal plane shutter with a top speed of 1/8000 sec. and flash sync up to 1/250 sec, silent-operating electronic shutter with a maximum speed of 1/32,000 sec, 91 auto-focus points, and support for dual SD memory cards. The Fujifilm T2 body-only costs £1399 / $1599 and the Fujifilm X-T2 with the XF18-55 lens will cost £1649 / $1899.

Ease of Use

At first glance the new Fujifilm X-T2 looks almost identical to its 2-year-old predecessor, the X-T1, which was released back in early 2014. A closer look, though, reveals a number of subtle design tweaks, and it's all change "under-the-hood", with a new 24 megapixel sensor, faster X Processor Pro image processing engine, improved Auto-focus system and enhanced video recording.

The Fujifilm X-T2 sports a DSLR-look rather than the classic rangefinder design of the X-Pro series, a move that proved very popular when the X-T1 was launched, broadening the appeal of the X-series to potential customers that wanted a DSLR, or at least a camera that looked like one. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" seems to have been the mantra of the X-T2 design team, with this new camera once again resembling a miniature DSLR.

Once again the X-T2 is weather-proof, with 80 points of weather sealing offering dust-resistance, water-resistance and freeze-resistance down to -10°C. The optional Vertical Power Booster Grip (VPB-XT2) offers the same levels of weather-proof-ness, along with a growing number of weather-resistant lenses that Fujifilm have launched since the original X-T1 was released.

The X-T2 dispenses with the range-topping X-Pro2's innovative Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, replaced instead by a high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder. Although sharing the same 2.36m dot resolution as the X-T1, Fujifilm have clearly been hard at work on making the X-T2's electronic viewfinder even better, boasting brightness levels 2x better than on the X-T1 along with an automatic brightness adjustment function and a faster 100fps frame rate. 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. By default, the EVF refreshes at a rate of 60fps, but in the new Peformance Boost mode this jumps to 100fps, smoothing out fast-moving subjects.

The viewfinder has the same stunning Graphic User Interface as the X-T1, which 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 Dual mode takes 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). You can also now customize the shooting information that's displayed in the viewfinder.

Fujifilm X-T2
Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

The Fujifilm X-T2 is a very 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 507g body only with the battery and memory card fitted, 67g more than the X-T1. Measuring 132.5mm (W) x 91.8mm (H) x 49.2mm (D), it's slightly taller and deeper too.

The X-T2 has a deeper 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 in line with the centre of the lens and next to the battery compartment, which means that you'll no longer have to remove the camera from the tripod to change the battery, as with the X-T1.

Two memory card slots are located on the right-hand flank of the camera when viewed from the rear. The X-T2 is the latest 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-T2 offers a continuous shooting rate of 14fps for 42 JPEGs or 28 compressed RAW files if you use a UHS-II SDXC card and the electronic shutter, making it one of the fastest compact system cameras on the market. If you prefer to use the mechanical shutter, the rate drops to a still impressive 11fps with the VPB-XT2 grip fitted, and 8fps without.

At the heart of the X-T2 is the brand new 24.3 megapixel APS-C sized “X-Trans III” CMOS sensor, with APS-C being a size that's more commonly used by the majority of DSLR cameras than by compact system cameras. Fujifilm actually claim that the X-T2's sensor will deliver image quality that surpasses most APS-C DSLRs and even some full-frame ones, thanks to the unique sensor which has a type of colour filter array that mimics film grain and no optical low-pass filter for higher resolution images, and as our test photos and sample images on the next two pages show, the X-T2 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 predominantly tested the X-T2 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 XF 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.

Fujifilm X-T2
Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

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-T2 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 (now up to 12800) 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 new focal-plane shutter, the X-T2 has a more adaptable top shutter-speed limit of 1/8000th second in all shooting modes than the X-T1's 1/4000th speed. This allows you to select a faster aperture even in bright conditions or when shooting with flash during the day, although as there's no built-in ND filter as on the X100-series cameras, if you want to use, say, the 35mm lens at f/1.4 in very bright sunlight then it's still a good idea to buy an actual glass ND filter. The X-T2 utilises a focal-plane shutter rather than the leaf shutter that the X100-series have, much like a regular DSLR camera. This results in slightly noisier operation and a much slower flash-sync speed of 1/250th second (versus the X100's 1/4000th 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-T2 perfectly suited to more candid photography.

The X-T2 also has an electronic shutter in addition to the mechanical one, which provides a much faster top shutter speed of 1/32,000th second. This allows you to continue shooting wide-open with fast aperture lenses in the brightest of conditions without having to resort to fitting a glass ND filter or using external flash and lights. There are some important caveats with the electronic shutter - the ISO range is restricted to 200-12800, you can't use the flash at all, and the slowest shutter speed is only 1 second, but overall it's a great addition that makes the X-T2 more versatile than its predecessor. It's also possible to set the electronic shutter in 1/3 steps from a range of 1sec to 1/32000sec.

The X-T1 was no slouch when it came to auto-focusing, but Fujifilm have made the X-T2's AF system even better. It can auto-focus in as little as 0.06 seconds and offers an increased number of AF points - 91 versus the X-T1's 49 - again laid out in a 7 x7 grid, with a lot more of the imaging area covered by fast and precise phase detection AF pixels ( approx. 230% more compared to the X-T1).

Fujifilm X-T2
Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2

If you want even more control, you can select the 325 points option which splits the same area of the frame into a 13x25 grid of smaller AF points, of which the central 77 are phase-detection points. The X-T2 is the latest X-series camera to offer Zone and Wide/Tracking modes which utilise the larger 325-point area to capture moving subjects. In Zone mode, you can select a 3x3, 5x5 or 7x7 zone out of the 325-point AF area. During AF-C focus, the X-T2 continually tracks the subject, positioning it at the centre of the zone. The centrally positioned 3x3 and 5x5 zones in particular deliver fast focusing thanks to the on-sensor phase detection AF.

The Wide/Tracking mode combines the Wide mode (during AF-S), in which the X-T2 automatically identifies and tracks the area in focus across the 325 point AF area, and the predictive Tracking mode (during AF-C), which uses the entire 325-point area to continue tracking the subject. This feature enables continuous focusing on a subject that is moving up and down, left and right or towards and away from the camera.

Fujifilm have drastically improved the AF-C algorithm to make the X-T2 better able to track moving subjects. You can now determine how the camera reacts to the way the subject moves within the frame, how fast the subject moves and where in the frame the camera prioritizes focus, with five AF presets offered and the ability to create up to 6 of your own. The AF-C system is so complex behind-the-scenes that Fujifilm have created a special microsite to explain it in more detail (http://fujifilm-x.com/af/). The X-T2 also offers Eye Detection AF, which as the name suggests automatically detects and focuses on human eyes You can also define the area of priority focus, for example the right or left eye, or the eye closer to the camera.

There's also the continued ability to change the size of the focus point via the rear command dial to achieve more precise focusing. As well as the extra AF points, one of the positive effects of the high-performance X Processor Pro image processing engine is much faster AF speed - about 2x quicker than the processor used on the X-T1 camera - making the X-T2 the joint-fastest AF performer in an X-Series camera with the X-Pro2. Also borrowed from the X-Pro2, the X-T2 now has the fantastic Focus Lever joystick, used mainly for setting the AF point. This is a real boon to anyone who changes the AF point a lot, making it simple to change even when holding the camera at eye-level.

Fujifilm X-T2
Top of the Fujifilm X-T2

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. In terms of focusing aids, the Standard option offers a 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 white bar indicating the the focusing distance and a blue bar showing the depth of field, which actually changes in line with the current aperture - very handy. The X-T2 has another trick up its manual focusing sleeve in the shape of the rear command control (the dial which sits under your right thumb). You can press this in to magnify the view in the electronic viewfinder or LCD screen. Furthermore, if you hold down the rear command control dial, the manual focusing aid then switches to Digital Split Image, and then to Focus Peaking - a very neat way to quickly 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 (the colour and strength are customisable) around the subject when it's in focus.

In addition to the class-leading electronic viewfinder, the X-T2 has a high-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 when in landscape mode and upward when shooting in portrait mode by releasing a small switch on the edge of the screen. 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-T2 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-T2 is very satisfying to use. Shutter lag is virtually non-existent on this camera (0.045 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 0.17 second, and it starts-up in only 0.3 seconds. 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 half a second to record to a UHS-II card, a big improvement on the already speedy X-T1. Continuous shooting speeds have been improved too, as we've already explained above. 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-T2 also offers interval timer shooting for time lapses, with intervals of 1 second to 24 hours and up to 999 frames.

Fujifilm X-T2
Tilting LCD Screen

The Fujifilm X-T2 continues to excel in 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-T2 is a large, tactile, lockable control dial for setting the shutter speed, with settings ranging from 1 second to 1/8000th 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 a new Custom setting, and on the left-hand side is a third, lockable dial for setting the ISO speed, with settings ranging from Auto to H (either 25600 or 51200). 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.

Four other controls complete the X-T2's top-plate. The small but responsive shutter release button is encircled by the On/Off switch, and there's now a thread for a traditional mechanical cable release. Alongside is the Fn button, which by default provides quick access to the Face-Eye Detection 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.

There's an external flash hotshoe for suitable dedicated external units, into which fits the supplied EF-X8 flash that ships in the box. This small but handy flash unit has a guide number of 11 at ISO 200, which goes some way to compensating for the fact that it's not built-in to the camera.

Fujifilm X-T2
The Fujifilm X-T2 In-hand

The X-T2 features enhanced built-in wi-fi connectivity, although there's now no dedicated button to access it (you have to configure one of the Fn buttons or access it via the menu system). Install the 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 control the camera remotely, 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-T2 can now record 4K video, the first X-series camera to do so, with 24/25/30p frame rates on offer. What's more, Fujifilm have introduced the concept of "Quick 4K", where the camera can be set to apply one of the built-in film simulation modes to your footage to avoid having to grade it during post-processing. The X-T2 actually records at close to 6K (5120x2880pixels), then downsamples to 4K. There's a 10-minute in-camera limit, which can be extended to 30 minutes by fitting the VPB-XT2 vertical power booster grip. This grip also adds a 3.5mm stereo headphone port to the 3.5mm microphone that's in the camera body, there is uncompressed 4:2.2 8-bit HDMI output, and log gamma "F-log". If you don't need 4K, the X-T2 can also record Full HD 1080p movies at 60p / 50p / 30p / 25p / 24p for up to 14 minutes with stereo sound. There is a HDMI port for connecting the X-T2 to a high-definition TV, and you can adjust the level of the internal microphone and attach an external mic for better sound quality via the Mic and Remote ports. Strangely, despite the increased emphasis on video recording, the X-T1's one-touch Movie Record button has completely disappeared (it's now been assigned to the drive mode dial).

The X-T2 has a logical enough rear control layout. 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 Quick Menu button, which provides quick access to lots of frequently used shooting settings including the ISO speed, White Balance, File Size and File Quality, with either the new focus lever or the 4-way controller and the command dial used to quickly change them. 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.

We don't normally mention accessories in our camera reviews, but the X-T2's new battery grip is so important that it needs mentioning here. The catchily named VPB-XT2 isn't just any old battery grip, though - as the first three initials suggest, it's a "vertical power booster" grip which, as well as including 2 extra batteries, increases the speed of the X-T2 in a whole host of different ways. The burst shooting speed increases from 8fps to 11fps, the shooting interval decreases from 190msec to 170msec, the release lag drops from 50msec to 45msec, and as mentioned above, the recording time in 4K goes from 10 to 30 minutes. As well as adding a 3.5mm headphone socket, it also acts as a twin battery charger, so that you can effectively charge 4 batteries at once - 2 in the VPB-XT2 (only taking 2 hours), 1 in the X-T2 camera via USB, and 1 in the supplied battery charger. The VPB-XT2 also helps Fujifilm's longer lenses balance better on the X-T2 - we'd go so far as saying it's something of a must-buy accessory.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 10Mb.

The Fujifilm X-T2 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 settings of ISO 25600 and 51200, an amazing performance for a camera with an APS-C sensor. The RAW files were also excellent, exhibiting more noise but still producing very usable images from ISO 100-12800.

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, with the new Acros mode being a nice addition.

Noise

There are 10 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm X-T2 for JPEGs and RAW files. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.

JPEG RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

 
iso100.jpg iso100raw.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)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg
   

ISO 51200 (100% Crop)

ISO 51200 (100% Crop)

iso51200.jpg iso51200raw.jpg

File Quality

The Fujifilm X-T2 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.

24M Fine (11.8Mb) (100% Crop) 24M Normal (7.00Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_fine.jpg quality_normal.jpg
   
24M RAW (48.2Mb) (100% Crop)  
quality_raw.jpg  

Night

The Fujifilm X-T2'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-T2 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 Simulations

The Fujifilm X-T2 offers 9 different film simulation modes to help replicate the look of your favourite film stock from the past.

Provia / Standard

Velvia / Vivid

film_simulation_01.jpg film_simulation_02.jpg
   

Astia / Soft

Classic Chrome

film_simulation_03.jpg film_simulation_04.jpg
   

Pro Neg. Hi

Pro Neg. Standard

film_simulation_05.jpg film_simulation_06.jpg
   

Acros

Monochrome

film_simulation_07.jpg film_simulation_08.jpg
   

Sepia

 
film_simulation_09.jpg  

Advanced Filter

The Fujifilm X-T2 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  

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Fujifilm X-T2 camera, which were all taken using the 24 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 X-T2 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 3840x2160 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 18 second movie is 223Mb in size.

Product Images

Fujifilm X-T2

Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Image Displayed

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Turned On

 

Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Main Menu

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Quick Menu

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Info Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Rear of the Fujifilm X-T2 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Top of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Bottom of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Side of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
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Front of the Fujifilm X-T2

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Memory Card Slots

 
Fujifilm X-T2

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

As with the X-Pro2 camera that was released at the start of 2016, Fujifilm have taken an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary approach to the new X-T2. It may look outwardly very similar to its 2-year-old predecessor, but the X-T2 takes several steps forward in some important areas, most notably with the faster and more mature auto-focus system and 2016's must-have feature, 4K video recording. Add in the the impressive 24-megapixel sensor, the speedy processor, dual SD card slots and clever focus lever from the X-Pro2, and the must-have VPB-XT2 Vertical Power Booster accessory, and it's clear that the new Fujifilm X-T2 offers a lot more improvements than a cursory glance might suggest.

Fujifilm have studiously addressed most of our criticisms of the original X-T1 - in particular, the slightly underdeveloped auto-focusing, especially when it came to moving subjects, has been completely overhauled with a new system that reminds us of the best that DSLRs have to offer. The X-T2 is the first X-series camera to deliver 4K video recording, again expanding the appeal of the range to serious videographers, while tweaks and enhancements to the operation of the X-T2 make it (for us at least) the most pleasurable Fujifilm camera to handle. There are still a few minor criticisms of note - the lack of any touchscreen control is the main sore point (something that we particularly enjoyed using on the recent X-70 camera), while the disappearance of the one-touch movie record button is mystifying given the new video capabilities. Still, these are fairly minor criticisms of what is otherwise a very well-thought out, mature camera.

As you might expect, image quality is very similar to the X-T2 that we reviewed earlier in the year, that is to say, outstanding. Despite the resolution increase, noise is noticeable only by its almost complete absence throughout the ISO range of 100-51,200, the JPEG quality is so good that you could conceivably never need the Raw files, and the extensive range of lenses are almost uniformly well-regarded by reviewers and photographers alike. The excellent 18-55mm kit lens is worthy of mention, delivering sharp results throughout the focal range - we'd go so far as recommending this option rather than buying the X-T2 body-only for people investing in the X-system for the first time.

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-T2.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

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Fujifilm X-Pro2

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Specifications

Model Name FUJIFILM X-T2
Number of effective pixels 24.3 millions pixels
Image sensor 23.6mm x 15.6mm(APS-C)X-Trans CMOS III with primary color filter.
Sensor Cleaning system
Ultra Sonic Vibration
Storage media SD Card (~2G) / SDHC Card (~32G) / SDXC Card (~256G) UHS-I / UHS-II*1
File format
Still image
JPEG (Exif Ver.2.3)*2, RAW : 14bit RAW(RAF original format), RAW+JPEG
Movie
Movie File Format: MOD
Movie Video Compression: MPEG-4 AVC / H.264
Audio: Linear PCM/ Stereo sound 48KHz sampling
Number of recorded pixels

L: (3:2) 6000 x 4000 / (16:9) 6000 x 3376 / (1:1) 4000 x 4000
M: (3:2) 4240 x 2832 / (16:9) 4240 x 2384 / (1:1) 2832 x 2832
S: (3:2) 3008 x 2000 / (16:9) 3008 x 1688 / (1:1) 2000 x 2000

Lens mount FUJIFILM X mount
Sensitivity Standard Output Sensitivity : AUTO1 / AUTO2 / AUTO3(up to ISO12800) / ISO200 to 12800(1/3 step)
Extended output sensitivity : ISO100 / 25600 / 51200
Exposure control TTL 256-zone metering, Multi / Spot / Average / Center Weighted
Exposure mode P(Program AE) / A(Aperture Priority AE) / S(Shutter Speed Priority AE) / M(Manual Exposure)
Exposure compensation -5.0EV - +5.0EV, 1/3EV step
(movie recording : -2.0EV - +2.0EV)
Image Stabilizer Supported with OIS type lenses
Shutter type Focal Plane Shutter
Shutter speed
Mechanical Shutter
4 sec. to 1/8000 sec.(P mode), 30 sec. to 1/8000 sec.(All modes)
Bulb mode(up to 60 min), TIME : 30 sec. to 1/8000 sec.
Electronic Shutter
30 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(P / A / S / M modes)
Bulb mode : 1 sec. fixed, TIME : 1 sec to 1/32000sec.*2
Mechanical + Electronic Shutter
4 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(P mode), 30 sec. to 1/32000 sec.(All modes)
Bulb mode(up to 60 min), TIME : 30 sec. to 1/32000 sec.*2
Synchronized shutter speed for flash
1/250 sec. or slower
Continuous shooting Approx. 14.0 fps [Only Electronic Shutter](JPEG: 42 frames, Lossless compression RAW: 28 frames, Uncompressed RAW: 25 frames)
Approx. 11.0fps [with VPB-XT2](JPEG: 73 frames, Lossless compression RAW: 30 frames, Uncompressed RAW: 27 frames)
Approx. 8.0fps (JPEG: 83 frames, Lossless compression RAW: 33 frames, Uncompressed RAW: 27 frames)
Approx. 5.0fps (JPEG: endless, Lossless Compression RAW: 39 frames, Uncompressed RAW: 30 frames)
  • * recordable frames depends on recording media
  • * Speed of continuous shooting depends on shooting environment and shooting frames
Auto bracketing AE Bracketing(±2EV / ±5/3EV / ±4/3EV / ±1EV / ±2/3EV / ±1/3EV)
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
type
Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF)
AF frame selection
Single point AF: EVF / LCD: 13x7 / 25x13 (Changeable size of AF frame among 5 types),
Zone AF: 3x3 / 5x5 / 7x7 from 91 areas on 13x7 grid,
Wide/Tracking AF: (up to 18 area)
  • * AF-S : Wide
  • * AF-C : Tracking
White balance Automatic Scene recognition / Custom1~3 / Color temperature selection (2500K~10000K) /
Preset: Fine,Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White),Incandescent light, Underwater
Self-timer 10sec. / 2sec.
Interval timer shooting Yes (Setting : Interval, Number of shots, Startinng time)
Flash modes
SYNC. MODE
1ST CURTAIN / 2ND CURTAIN / AUTO FP(HSS)
FLASH MODE
TTL (FLASH AUTO / STANDARD / SLOW SYNC.) / MANUAL / COMMANDER / OFF (When EF-X8 is set)
Hot shoe Yes (Dedicated TTL Flash compatible)
Viewfinder 0.5 inch approx. 2.36 millions dots OLED Color Viewfinder Coverage of viewing area vs. capturing area: approx. 100%
Eyepoint: approx. 23mm (from the rear end of the camera's eyepiece) Diopter adjustment: -4~+2m-1
Magnification: 0.77x with 50mm lens (35mm 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. 1040k dots
Movie recording [4K (3840x2160)] 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 100Mbps up to approx. 10min.
[Full HD (1920x1080)] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 100Mbps up to approx. 15 min.
[HD (1280x720)] 60p / 50p / 30p / 25p / 24p 50Mbps up to approx. 30min.
  • * For recording 4K movies, use a card with UHS Speed Class 3 or higher.
Film Simulation mode 15 modes (PROVIA/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, ASTIA/Soft, CLASSIC CHROME, PRO Neg.Hi, PRO Neg.Std, Black & White, Black & White+Ye Filter, Black & White+R Filter, Black & White+G Filter, Sepia, ACROS,ACROS+Ye Filter, ACROS+R Filter, ACROS+G Filter)
Dynamic range setting AUTO, 100%, 200%, 400%
ISO restriction (DR100%: No limit, DR200%: ISO400 or more, DR400%: ISO800 or more)
Advanced filter Toy camera, Miniature, Pop color, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus,Partial color (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)
Wireless transmitter Standard
IEEE 802.11b / g / n (standard wireless protocol)
Encryption
WEP / WPA / WPA2 mixed mode
Access mode
Infrastructure
Wireless function Geotagging, Wireless communication (Image transfer), View & Obtain Images, Remote camera shooting,PC Autosave, instax printer print
Other functions PANORAMA, AF-C CUSTOM SETTINGS, 4K MOVIE OUTPUT, SHUTTER AE, SHUTTER AF, AF-ON,Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching II, Language (35 languages including JP/EN), Time difference,Exposure preview on LCD during Manual mode, EVF brightness, EVF color, LCD brightness, LCD color,Mode effect on monitor, Customize
Terminal Digital interface
USB3.0 (High-Speed) / micro USB terminal
  • * connectable with Remote Release RR-90 (sold separately)
HDMI output
HDMI micro connector (Type D)
Others
ø3.5mm, stereo mini connector (Microphone) / ø2.5mm, Remote Release Connector
Hot shoe, Syncronized terninal *Mechanical release S1 button
Power supply NP-W126S Li-ion battery (included)
Dimensions 132.5mm (W) x 91.8mm (H) x 49.2mm (D) (minimum depth 35.4mm)
Weight Approx 507g(including battery and memory card)
Approx 457g(excluding battery and memory card)
Operating Temperature -10°C - 40°C
Operating Humidity 10 - 80% (no condensation)
Battery life for still images*4 Approx. 340 frames (NORMAL MODE), Approx. 1,000 frames (with VPB-XT2) When XF35mmF1.4 R is set.
Starting up period Approx 0.3sec.
  • * Fujifilm research
Accessories included Li-ion battery NP-W126S
Battery charger BC-W126
Shoe-mount flash unit EF-X8
Shoulder strap
Body cap
Strap clip
Protective cover
Clip attaching tool
Hot shoe cover
Vertical Power Booster Grip connector cover
Sync terminal cover
Owner's manual
Warranty+D66

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