Fujifilm X-T20

      Photo Review 8.8
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      In summary

      The X-T20   is a nice little camera that shares many features with the X-T2 but is roughly half its price. The sensor and image processor are the same as in the X-T2 but you miss out on the weatherproofing, there’s only one SD slot and it’s in the battery compartment and you’re stuck with the slower USB 2 interface, while the X-T2 has a USB 3 port.

      While imaging performance for still shots was good, and comparable with the X-T2’s if the same lenses were used, like the X-T10, video performance from the review camera wasn’t quite up to the standards we expected from a camera with 4K recording capabilities. This could probably be improved with a firmware update.

       

      Full review

      Announced at the press event in Kyoto on 19 January, the X-T20 is one of three new models that are being added to Fujifilm’s portfolio in the first part of this year. It’s a significant update to the X-T10 offering higher resolution, a reworked AF algorithm and the ability to record 4K movies while taking advantage of Fujifilm’s popular Film Simulation modes. The compact magnesium alloy body and aluminium dials are retained, along with the SLR-style viewfinder and there are enough new features to attract keen photographers.
       

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       The Fujifilm X-T20, as reviewed, with the XF 35mm f/2 lens. (Source: Fujifilm.)

      Like its predecessor, the X-T20will be offered in a kit with the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens, although some retailers may choose to split the kit and offer the body alone (in which the RRP would be AU$1399). Both camera and lens are available in all-black or black and silver. The kit wasn’t available for us to review but Fujifilm provided the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR lens, which we reviewed in February 2016 and which is a very good performer.

      Who’s it for?
       Like the X-T10, the X-T20 is essentially a cut-down version of a higher-featured model, in this case the X-T2. The X-T20 lacks weatherproof sealing and has no locks on any dials and no joystick controller. It also lacks the ISO dial provided on the X-T2 and has some significant differences in control layout.

      Its body is smaller and lighter than the X-T2 but it shares many key features, including two clickable control dials and a flip-out monitor screen. The sensor and image processor are the same as in the X-T2.

      All of the above information suggests the X-T20 will suit serious photographers who can’t afford the X-T1 or those who don’t need weatherproofing.  Like the X-T10, it’s not really suitable for rank novices or technologically-challenged users.

      The addition of 4K movie recording could make it worthy of consideration by anyone keen on videography, although the maximum resolution and frame rate (3840 x 2160 pixels at 30 fps) are unlikely to ‘cut it’ for professional movie shooters. Potential buyers should also consider the camera’s limitations in respect to raw file capture, which is only supported at ISO settings between 200 and 12800.

      What’s New?
       The table below compares key features of the X-T20   and X-T10   cameras, showing the similarities and differences between them.

       

      X-T20

      X-T10

      Sensor

      23.6 x 15.6 mm X-Trans CMOS III

      23.6 x 15.6 mm X-Trans CMOS II

      Effective resolution

      24.3 megapixel

      16. 3 megapixels

      Image processor

      X-Processor Pro2  

      EXR Processor II

      Max. image resolution

      6000 x 4000 pixels

      4896 x 3264 pixels

      Max. video resolution

      3840 x 2160 pixels at 30p, 25p, 24p

      1920 x 1080 pixels at 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p

      Focus system

      Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF)

      AF points/ areas

      325 points /  91 areas on 13×7 grid

      77 points / 49 areas on a 7×7 grid

      Metering

      TTL 256-zone metering with Multi, Spot and Average patterns

      Shutter speeds

      Mechanical – 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.; Electronic – 1-1/32000 sec.

      Sequence shooting

      Max. 14 frames/sec.

      Max. 8 shots/sec.

      Buffer capacity

      42 JPEGs; 23   RAF.RAW; Uncompressed RAW: 22 frames

      40 JPEGs; 8 RAF.RAW

      ISO range

      ISO 100-51200; ISO 200-12800 for RAF.RAW   files

      ISO 100-51200; ISO 200-6400 for RAF.RAW files

      Film Simulation modes

      Provia/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, Astia/Soft, Classic Chrome, PRO Neg Hi, PRO Neg. Std, Monochrome, Monochrome +Ye Filter, Monochrome +R Filter, Monochrome +G Filter, Sepia, ACROS, ACROS+Ye Filter, ACROS+R Filter, ACROS+G Filter

      Provia/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, Astia/Soft, Classic Chrome, PRO Neg Hi, PRO Neg. Std, Monochrome, Monochrome +Ye Filter, Monochrome +R Filter, Monochrome +G Filter, Sepia

      Exposure Compensation

      +/- 5EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-2EV for movies)

      +/- 3EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-2EV for movies)

      Viewfinder

      OLED EVF with 2.36M dots 0.62x magnification

      LCD monitor

      Tilting 3 inch TFT screen, 1,040,000 dots

      Tilting 3 inch TFT screen, 920,000 dots

      Touch screen controls

      Yes

      No

      Flash

      Pop-up, GN approx. 7 (ISO 200/m)

      Interface terminals

      USB 2.0 High-Speed / micro USB terminal, HDMI Micro connector (Type D), Microphone / shutter release input: ø¸2.5mm, stereo mini connector

      Power

      NP-W126 CIPA rated for approx. 350 shots/charge.

      Dimensions (wxhxd)

      118.4 x 82.8 x 41.4 mm

      118.4 x 82.8 x 40.8 mm

      Shooting weight*

      383 grams

      381 grams

      * includes battery and memory card

      Build and Ergonomics
       Superficially, there’s not much difference between the X-T20 and the X-T10. The new camera is marginally deeper and heavier. The front panels of   both cameras are virtually identical with the only controls being the focus mode adjustment lever at the lower left hand edge of the lens mount and the clickable control dial just below the shutter release.
       

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       Front view of the X-T20 (silver version) with no lens fitted. (Source: Fujifilm.)

      The only changes on the top panel are the addition of a movie mode setting to the drive dial left of the EVF housing and the addition of a new C position to the exposure compensation dial to enable exposure compensation of up to +/-5EV in 1/3EV steps when using the front command dial. The red movie button on the X-T10 has been replaced by a programmable Function (Fn) button.
       

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       Top view of the X-T20 (black version) with no lens fitted. (Source: Fujifilm.)

      The only change on the rear panel is the removal of the Function (Fn) button from the bottom right hand corner. As listed in the table above, the monitor screen’s resolution has been increased and it’s now equipped with a capacitive touchscreen panel.
       

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       Rear view of the X-T20 (silver version). (Source: Fujifilm.)
       The menu system is even more complex than the X-T10’s and requires a lot of toggling through three pages of image quality settings, two pages of focus modes, two pages for the stills shooting menu and one each   for flash movies settings plus a single setup page. In playback mode there’s s single page covering playback and another with setup operations.

      The battery and card compartment is in the usual place in the base of the camera, below the grip moulding. It’s effectively identical to the one in the X-T10 and rather cramped, making the card difficult to extract.  

      Interface ports for Micro USB, mini HDMI and an external microphone or remote release, are located in a dedicated compartment in the left hand side panel.   Like the X-T10, the X-T20 has no provision for an optional vertical battery grip.

      Sensor and Image Processing
       Both are the same as in the X-T2 and covered in our review of that camera. The main differences between the cameras remain the buffer memory for continuous shooting,  which is supported at up to 14 fps with the electronic shutter or 11 fps with the mechanical shutter.

      The X-T20’s buffer memory is able to hold more than 30 RAF.RAW files, compared with 8 in the X-T10. More than 100 JPEGs can be stored in the buffer memory before capture rates are affected.

      Video
       The X-T20 introduces 4K movie recording to Fujifilm’s mid-range cameras, albeit at consumer UHD level. Recording is accessible via the drive dial on the top plate, the X-T20 supports UHD 4K at 30p, 25p and 24p as well as Full HD 1080 and HD 720p at 50p, 25p and 24p resolutions. The table below shows the settings available for PAL format users.

      Movie mode

      Resolution

      Frame rates

      Bit rate

      Time limit

      4K

      3840 x 2160

      30, 25, 24 fps

      100Mbps

      10 minutes

      Full HD

      1920 x 1080

      50, 30, 25, 24 fps

      36Mbps

      15 minutes

      HD

      1280 x 720

      50, 30, 25, 24 fps

      18Mbps

      30 minutes

      A memory card with UHS Speed Class 3 or higher is required for recording 4K movies and recording will stop when the file reaches 4GB in size. The Film Simulation modes can be used during recording and footage can be output via HDMI to an external recorder or monitor. The X-T20 also has a mic jack for working with an external microphone.

      Shooting Modes
       The X-T20   provides the standard P, A, S   and M shooting modes, along with an Advanced SR Auto mode with automatic scene recognition, the full array of Fujifilm’s Film Simulation modes (which are usable for stills and movie shooting) and eight Advanced Filters (Toy camera, Miniature, Pop colour, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus, Partial colour) accessed via two separate settings.

      Also accessed via two settings on the mode dial are two Bracketing modes, which cover AE bracketing, Film Simulation bracketing, Dynamic Range bracketing, ISO bracketing and White Balance bracketing. Interval timer shooting is also supported with the ability to define the starting time, interval between shots and number of shots.

      The Panorama mode provides two settings: L with a maximum width of 9600 pixels and M   with 6400 pixels. Vertical and horizontal orientations are supported and the camera provides an on-screen guide to assist with capture.

      Other handy functions include support for multiple exposures (combining two shots), release and focus priority settings, an electronic level display, focus peaking and a lens modulation optimiser setting. There’s no Custom memory bank for saving groups of frequently-used camera settings.

      Playback and Software
      Unfortunately, nothing much has changed since previous models. No software is bundled with the camera but links are provided to the very basic MyFinePix Studio and ineffective raw file converter based on Silkypix technology. The latter is slow and we’ve demonstrated more than once that it doesn’t extract the best results from the camera’s RAF.RAW files so we won’t use it any more.  

      Performance
      Imatest showed the review camera with the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR lens to be a good partnership and resolution was able to exceed expectations for the camera’s 24-megapixel sensor with JPEG files. We chose not to test raw files from the camera because it isn’t yet supported in Adobe Camera Raw, our preferred raw file converter. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest testing.

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      Low light performance was similar to the X-T10’s with little in the way of noise up to ISO 3200, where the first signs of image softening were just detectable. There was a gradual deterioration in sharpness between ISO 6400 and ISO 51200. Shots taken at the highest setting would only be usable at small output sizes and when no alternatives were available.

      Interestingly, exposure levels remained constant throughout the camera’s sensitivity range. And, unlike many cameras that offer high sensitivity settings, the X-T20 retained its colour saturation and accuracy throughout its sensitivity range.  

      Flash performance was very good and, as with long exposures, shots taken with the built-in flash were evenly exposed and retained their colour saturation and accuracy throughout the sensitivity range. We noticed very slight under-exposure at ISO 100 and by ISO 25600 there was a slight loss of contrast, which continued at ISO 51200, where images were visibly softened and a little flat.

      White balance performance was similar to the results we obtained from the X-T2, which isn’t surprising since both cameras have the same presets and adjustments for correcting colour casts before shooting. The auto setting produced close-to-neutral colours under fluorescent and LED lighting but, as expected, failed to eliminate the orange cast from incandescent illumination.

      There’s no preset for LED lighting but the tungsten and fluorescent pre-sets slightly over-corrected both colour casts introducing a purple bias in each case. Flash exposures had close to neutral colours in auto mode so no correction was needed. Manual measurement produced neutral colour rendition with all three types of lighting.

      Autofocusing performance was mostly fast when the single-point mode was used in bright conditions, although it could slow a little in low light levels and with low-contrast subjects. Without a suitable telephoto lens, we can’t confirm whether the system is fast enough for shooting sports or birds in flight.

      We were a little disappointed by the quality of the movies we obtained from the review camera, which were often slightly unsharp in places and contained a few minor glitches. The unsharpness is more likely to be attributable to slight delays in re-focusing when subject distances changed than to the quality of the lens we used.

      Audio quality was up to expectations, given the small size of the camera’s microphones.  Although the location in which we recorded or video tests was relatively immune to wind noise, like the X-T10, the X-T20 has no wind suppression filter. We were unable to test audio performance with an external microphone.

      We carried out our timing tests with a 32GB Panasonic SDHC UHS-1 U3 card which has a maximum write speed of 90 MB/second and is fast enough to support 4K movie recording. The review camera took roughly one second to both power-up and shut down.   We measured an average capture lag of 0.2 seconds, which was eliminated with pre-focusing. Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.85 seconds.   Going by the indicator light on the rear panel, it took just under one second on average to process each JPEG file and just over a second for each RAF.RAW file and RAW+JPEG pair.

      In the continuous high-speed shooting mode, the review camera recorded 116 high-resolution JPEGs  in 20.5 seconds without slowing, which is roughly half the specified maximum rate of 14 frames/second. It took just over 18 seconds to process this burst.

      The capture rate began to slow once the camera had recorded 33 compressed RAF.RAW files, which were captured in 5.7 seconds in the continuous high mode. Processing time for this burst was 9.1 seconds. Recording paused after 31 RAW+JPEG frames, which were captured in 6 seconds. It took 13.8 seconds to process this burst.

      Conclusion
       The X-T20   is a nice little camera that shares many features with the X-T2 but is roughly half its price. The sensor and image processor are the same as in the X-T2 but you miss out on the weatherproofing, there’s only one SD slot and it’s in the battery compartment and you’re stuck with the slower USB 2 interface, while the X-T2 has a USB 3 port.

      While imaging performance for still shots was appeared to be good, and comparable with the X-T2’s if the same lenses were used, like the X-T10, video performance from the review camera wasn’t quite up to the standards we expected from a camera with 4K recording capabilities. This could probably be improved with a firmware update.

      As always, Fujifilm’s adherence to Silkypix as its raw file processor remains a major deterrent ““ at least until the much better performing independent raw file processors from the likes of Adobe and PhaseOne catch up with the recently-released cameras. If you plan to buy this camera and will be using it to shoot raw files, we’d recommend delaying your purchase until there’s a capable processor available.

      The X-T20 is currently selling for between AU$1100 and AU$1160 in body-only configuration and AU$1600 and AU$1800 in kit format with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS lens. B&H, which promotes aggressively into the Australian market has the body listed for   US$899 (AU$1172.03) and the kit at US$1199 (AU$1563.14), to which you must add at least AU$60 for shipping. And don’t forget to add the 10% GST, since the camera is priced at more than AU$1000. All told, you would be better off buying the camera from your local photo specialist.

       

      SPECS

       Image sensor: 23.6 x 15.6 mm X-Trans CMOS III with primary colour filter (24.3 megapixel effective resolution)
       Image processor:  X-Processor Pro2  
       A/D processing: 14-bit
       Lens mount: Fujifilm X mount
       Focal length crop factor: 1.5x
       Image formats: Stills: JPEG, RAF.RAW, RAW+JPEG; Movies:
       Image Sizes: Stills ““ 3:2 aspect: 6000 x 4000, 4240 x 2832, 3008 x 2000; 16:9 aspect:  6000 x 3376,  4240 x 2384, 3008 x 1688; 1:1 aspect: 4000 x 4000, 2832 x 2832,   2000 x 2000; Panorama: L: 2160 x 9600 (Horizontal : 9600 x 1440); M: 2160 x 6400 (Horizontal : 6400 x 1440); Movies:   4K [3840 ø— 2160] 29.97p / 25p / 24p/23.98P, 100Mbps,   up to approx. 10 min. recording; Full HD [1920 ø— 1080] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p/23.98P, 36Mbps,   up to approx. 15 min. recording; HD [1280 ø— 720] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p/23.98P, 18Mbps,   up to approx. 30 min. recording
       Image Stabilisation: Lens based
       Dust removal: Ultra Sonic Vibration
       Shutter (speed range): 4 sec. to 1/4000 sec.(P mode); Mechanical – 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.(All modes); Bulb mode(up to 60 min), TIME : 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec. Electronic Shutter – 1 sec. to 1/32000 sec. (P / A / S / M modes); Bulb mode : 1 sec. fixed, TIME: 1sec to 1/32000sec.; X-synch at 1/180 sec.
       Exposure Compensation: +/- 5EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-2EV for movies)
       Exposure bracketing: +/-2EV, +/-5/3EV, +/-4/3EV, +/-1EV, +/-2/3EV, +/-1/3EV
       Other bracketing options: 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)
       Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay
       Focus system: 325-point Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF)
       Focus modes: Single AF, Continuous AF, MF
       AF frame selection: Single point AF: EVF / LCD: 13×7 / 25×13 (Changeable size of AF frame among 5 types),  Zone AF: 3×3 / 5×5 / 7×7 from 91 areas on 13×7 grid, Wide/Tracking AF: (up to 18 areas)
       Exposure metering:   TTL 256-zone metering with Multi, Spot, Average and Centre-weighted   metering patterns
       Shooting modes: P (Program AE), A (Aperture Priority AE), S (Shutter Speed Priority AE) and M (Manual Exposure)
       Film Simulation modes: 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+GFilter, Sepia, ACROS, ACROS+Ye Filter, ACROS+R Filter, ACROS+G Filter)
       Grain Effect modes: Strong, Weak, Off
       Dynamic range setting: AUTO, 100%, 200%, 400%
       Advanced Filters: Toy camera, Miniature, Pop colour, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus, Partial colour (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)
       Colour space options: Adobe RGB, sRGB
       ISO range: Auto (x3),   ISO 200 – 12800 in 1/3EV steps plus extensions to ISO 100, ISO 25600, ISO 51200
       White balance: Automatic scene recognition / Custom / Colour temperature selection (K) / Preset : Daylight, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light, Underwater
       Flash: Manual pop-up flash, GN  approx. 7 (ISO200 · m)  
       Flash modes: Auto, standard TTL, slow sync., manual, Commander, off; 1st/2nd curtain sync available
       Flash exposure adjustment: N.a.
       Sequence shooting: Max. 14 frames/sec. with electronic shutter; 11 fps with mechanical shutter  
       Buffer capacity: 42/56 JPEGs; 23 frames RAF.RAW uncompressed or 22 compressed RAW frames
       Storage Media: SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (Compatible with UHS-I and UHS-II standards); UHS Speed Class 3 or higher required for 4K recording
       Viewfinder: 0.39-in., approx. 2,360K-dot OLED colour EVF with 100% frame coverage, 17.5 mm eyepoint, 0.62x magnification, -4 to +2 dpt adjustment
       LCD monitor: 3.0-inch tilting TFT colour LCD monitor with 3:2 aspect ratio, 1,040,000 dots, 100% frame coverage
       Playback functions: RAW conversion, Image rotate, Auto image rotate, Face Detection, Red-eye removal, Photobook assist, Erase selected frames, Multi-frame playback (with micro thumbnail), Slide show, Protect, Crop, Resize, Panorama, Favourites
       Interface terminals: USB2.0 (High-Speed) / micro USB terminal, HDMI micro connector (Type D), 2.5mm, stereo mini connector [Microphone]
       Wi-Fi function: IEEE 802.11b / g / n (standard wireless protocol), WEP / WPA / WPA2 mixed encryption mode, Infrastructure access mode
       Power supply: NP-W126S Li-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 350 shots/charge
       Dimensions (wxhxd): 118.4 x 82.8 x 41.4 mm (body only)
       Weight: 333 grams (body only); 383 grams with battery and card

       Distributor: Fujifilm Australia; 1800 226 355; www.fujifilm.com.au  

       

       

      TESTS

       Based on JPEG files captured with the XF 35mm f/2 R WR lens

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      SAMPLES

      Some shots have been taken with the  Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS II lens.  

       

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       Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

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       Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
       

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       Auto white balance with LED lighting.

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      Auto white balance with flash lighting.
       

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      30-second exposure at ISO 100, 35mm focal length, f/2.
       

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      12-second exposure at ISO 400, 35mm focal length, f/2.8.
       

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      8-second exposure at ISO 1600, 35mm focal length, f/4.
       

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      5-second exposure at ISO 6400, 35mm focal length, f/5.6.
       

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      2-second exposure at ISO 12800, 35mm focal length, f/6.4.
       

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      1.3-second exposure at ISO 25600, 35mm focal length, f/6.4.

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      1/2-second exposure at ISO 51200, 35mm focal length, f/6.4.
       

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      Flash exposure at ISO 100, 35mm focal length, 1/52 second at   f/2.
       

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      Flash exposure at ISO 400, 35mm focal length, 1/52 second at   f/2
       

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      Flash exposure at ISO 1600, 35mm focal length, 1/80 second at   f/2.
       

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      Flash exposure at ISO 6400, 35mm focal length, 1/125 second at   f/3.2.
       

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      Flash exposure at ISO12800 , 35mm focal length, 1/150 second at   f/4.5.

       

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      Flash exposure at ISO 25600, 35mm focal length, 1/150 second at   f/6.4.

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      Flash exposure at ISO 51200, 35mm focal length, 1/140 second at   f/9.
       

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      Close-up; 35mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/150 second at f/5.6.
       

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      Strong backlighting; 50mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/550 second at f/5.6.
       

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      Backlit scene; 16mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/30 second at f/5.
       

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      35mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/150 second at f/11.
       

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      35mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/500 second at f/5.
       

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      50mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/200 second at f/9.
       

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       Crop from the above image enlarged to 100%.
       

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      28mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/60 second at f/8.
       

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      35mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/56 second at f/8.
       

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      50mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
       

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      16mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/13 second at f/4.5.
       

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      50mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/40 second at f/5.6.
       

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       Still frame from 4K movie clip recorded at 25 fps.
       

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       Still frame from 4K movie clip recorded at 24 fps.
       

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       Still frame from Full HD 1080p movie clip recorded at 50 fps.
       

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       Still frame from Full HD 1080p movie clip recorded at 25 fps.
       

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       Still frame from Full HD 1080p movie clip recorded at 24 fps.
       

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       Still frame from HD 720p movie clip recorded at 50 fps.
       

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       Still frame from HD 720p movie clip recorded at 25 fps.
       

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       Still frame from HD 720p movie clip recorded at 24 fps.

       

      Rating

      RRP: AU$1799; US$1199.95 with XF18-55mm lens

      • Build: 8.9
      • Ease of use: 8.6
      • Autofocusing: 8.8
      • Still image quality JPEG: 9.0
      • Video quality: 8.4

       

       

      Buy