Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsLimit this to "Five Stars?" That's Absurd.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
Sometimes I feel silly writing a review. This normally occurs when I want to review a product that already has so many other reviews previously posted, and/or that come to similar conclusions. This is one of those reviews, and on both counts. But I still wish to write this review, because the Fuji X-T2 is THAT good.
I’m not a professional photographer in the strictest set of terms. I recently ran into a man in Paris who was shooting with a Hasselblad camera that he had purchased (body only) for seven thousand euros (about eight years ago; not including the lens). Of course, it’s not the CAMERA that makes him a professional: this is a freelancer who sells photos to newspapers and magazines across Europe, and if you spent time (which I did, some 30 minutes of it, or so) watching how he would size up a shot in his mind, take a long time to think about it, and then whip up the camera and take a shot almost without effort, you can tell you are looking at a professional. We had a nice talk and exchanged stories about cameras. With some Hasselblad backs selling for over 40,000 dollars, he still complimented my camera. What camera was it? A Fuji X-T2.
I’m no professional, but I’ve been into photography for about 20 years. I’ve owned many many different cameras over that period, of all types, from diminutive little devices that fit into your front pocket, to DSLR’s that were so heavy you almost yearned for the end of a shoot. Most of them were advanced at the time, sporting one or more technological achievements never before present in a camera, and many of them immensely enjoyable to use. And many brands, too. Nikon. Canon. Sony. Fuji. And on and on.
Let’s cut to the chase. The Fuji X-T2 is simply a flat-out amazing camera. It builds on all the advances of the X-T1, and, for the most part, very well, with improvements and tweaks that even people who loved the X-T1 wanted to see in the camera's next incarnation. It FEELS good to shoot with it. It produces REMARKABLE results, particularly when you are shooting with one of their succulent “XF” lenses (sorry, that's the word that comes to mind, and to any that have used the XF 23mm or the XF 56mm, you'll know what I mean). The Fuji X-T2 feels like the camera I’ve been waiting for all these years. It’s comfortable to hold. It’s fast. It’s highly customizable, yet will turn out fantastic shots in full auto mode. It opens you up to a series of Fuji lenses that are endlessly compared to Leica and Zeiss lenses at three times their price (or more). It’s made in Japan, and feels like it. (So are most of the "XF" lenses, by the way, with a couple of exceptions.)
Why are the results of the X-T2 so good? It’s not because of its 24 mp rating. It’s because of the TYPE of sensor, the MANNER in which the sensor’s data output channel is handled by the camera’s processor, and because of the incredible OPTICS of the “XF” line of Fujinon lenses. Put another way, it’s the marriage of the sensor, the characteristics of the lenses, and the way the sensor output is handled once the shot is taken that make the X-T2 what it is.
You can read all about the details of the camera’s specifications nearly anywhere (and be careful, information overload is a real danger here), but I won’t do that here. What I WILL do is tell you that this is a magnificent camera that can take amazing photos. Is it a full frame or a medium-format camera? No. But for someone like me, that does not matter. What DOES matter is that I can take photos with this camera that were never before possible, and that routinely possess the “wow factor." And there is plenty of room to tinker with those photos later on--even if shooting in jpg-- because of the high megapixel sensor, if you choose to do that.
The Fuji X-T2 is a “photographer’s camera” because it lets you do just what you want to do: take pictures the way you envision them. It lets you do so smoothly and quickly, and offers so many opportunities for manipulation that it would take far too long to list them here. This camera feels good in the hand. It oozes quality. Is it the “poor man’s Leica?” Maybe so. It’s so pleasant to shoot with and the results are so good—color, saturation, headroom, detail, sharpness, clarity—that I don’t need to worry about saving for a Leica. Yes, I understand I am comparing apples and oranges, and it truly is a subjective view that I’m providing, but it’s a view that is shared by nearly everyone who has used either a Fuji X-T1, X-T2, X-Pro, or X-Pro2. Asked another way: How many NEGATIVE reviews have you seen on any of these cameras by those that have owned or used them? There are a few out there, but so very, very few; that all by itself speaks volumes. And the X-T2 may very well be the best of them all.
The fact that it is still relatively light and comfortably small (as compared to a typical DSLR) is just icing on the cake. It’s a camera that nearly anyone can use to take great photos. Give it to a novice on AUTO, slap the kit lens on it (either the 18-55mm or the 18-135mm kit lens, it doesn’t matter) and turn them loose and see what they capture. It’s remarkable to see. And then, if one starts to learn more about photography (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.), let them interact with the camera’s customizable settings. It’s amazing.
I love being able to easily adjust settings with mechanical knobs at the top of the camera, but I just as much love being able to set things to AUTO and let the camera figure things out for me, usually with good result. Quiet operation (even a completely silent electronic shutter, if I want it). Comfortable grip. A truly tremendous set of lenses to select from. Customizable buttons (six of them, actually). A viewfinder that makes you think you are using a glass prism, but also includes all the shooting data I on it. This is what photography is all about.
I am aware I’ve not in this review cited any specifications: these are available anywhere. What this review is just simply another person’s response to using this camera over a period of months. I just finished a three-week shoot in Paris with it. It’s obvious this camera is made by a company that understands photography. And understands it well. Just as my acquaintance above with the Hasselblad camera complemented my X-T2—a camera that cost one-tenth as much, or less—Fujifilm is onto something here. If you are a photographer, you owe it to yourself to look into this camera and its entire line of lenses, because if you do not, you’re missing out on what is potentially one of the most amazing lines of photographic equipment available for the non-rich. It’s not that the Fuji equipment is cheap, because it most certainly is not. But BY COMPARISON with its true competitors, it really is inexpensive. But all of that can be overlooked: just examine the shots you take with this camera and be amazed. Because that’s exactly what will happen.
Note:
I've uploaded a few sample shots. As anyone knows, these have been reduced and shrinked so much for use here that they do not show the ACTUAL photos. What they do, however, is provide a general feel for what can be done with X-T2.
