Sound advice: Advice on Fujifilm cameras

Question: About 10 years ago I purchased a Fujifilm F20 pocket camera based on your column's recommendation. I don't think I have seen you write about Fujifilm cameras since then.

Do you recommend their mirrorless cameras? I want to get a mirrorless camera to record my growing family's adventures.

Answer: Fujifilm X-series mirrorless cameras always have created very beautiful images, but typically had other limitations that limited their widespread appeal.

These cameras have a strong cult following, especially among traditionalists. The still picture quality rates among the best in the business, and many Fujifilm cameras and lenses have manual control dials with markings instead of buttons.

This "old school" experience with manual control dials extends to other areas where maybe it is not so welcome. The camera bodies do not offer image stabilization, and many of the best lenses do not have optical stabilization either. Unless you are using a tripod you will be shooting completely without stabilization with these lenses, just like a 1970s 35mm camera.

The system's lenses are phenomenally good. It's a bit of an open secret that Fuji is one of the world's finest lens manufacturers, and this has been true for decades.

The Achilles heel with past Fujifilm mirrorless cameras has been video quality. While still picture quality always has rated as an A to A+, video quality usually has been a D to an F. If you wanted to do some video with your still photography, a Fujifilm camera was usually left off the shopping list. The lack of competitive video was the primary reason I haven't been recommending them the past few years

This changed with last year's Fujifilm X-T2, a 24.3 megapixel APS-C camera using Fujifilm's X-Trans sensor. This sensor uses a unique pixel layout for better images than you would expect given the sensor size, images described as mimicking the look of film. Not only does the X-T2 record 4K video, it records great looking video that is competitive with its contemporaries.

An X-T2 body is quite expensive at $1,599, making it a tool for professionals and serious amateurs. The great news for everyone else is Fujifilm recently introduced the X-T20, which uses the same sensor and delivers almost all of the X-T2's goodness for only $899.

Source: Sound advice: Advice on Fujifilm cameras