Fujifilm X-T1 CSC Full Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification


The Fujifilm X-T1 is Fujifilm's latest mirrorless camera, and introduces the first weather-sealed model in the X-mount range of cameras. It also features an impressively large electronic viewfinder with a 0.77x magnification, and with the central position gives the X-T1 the look of a classic, but compact, SLR. The Fujifilm X-T1 will be available body-only for £1099.

Fujifilm X-T1 Features

The Fujifilm X-T1 is said to have improved AF performance and operation speed – Fujifilm are claiming the World’s fastest with 0.08s focus. The camera promises a 0.5 second startup time, 0.05s shutter response, and 0.5 second shooting interval. In addition, it offers 8fps continuous shooting with AF, and has phase-detection focus built into the sensor. The X-T1 is the first digital camera compatible with SDXC UHS-II format memory cards which promises write times twice as fast as existing models.

There is an optional vertical battery grip (VG-XT1), which is also weather-sealed that has been designed for the correct balance when attaching telephoto and large-diameter lenses. The battery grip includes a shutter release button, twin command dials, AE-L, AF-L and focus assist buttons. Another accessory is the assist grip (MHG-XT) that lets you replace the battery and memory card when using a tripod. A new XF 18-135mm WR zoom lens will be introduced and is also weather-sealed. 



The camera features five mechanical dials on the top-plate, aluminium dials on the top for shutter speed, exposure compensation, ISO, metering and drive modes. The two function buttons are customisable, and there are two command-dials. The 4-way controller can also be customised so that you can assign functions to each direction.

An updated “Fujifilm Camera Remote” Wi-Fi app allows users to remotely shoot images from smartphones and tablets, including touch AF, shutter release, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, Film simulation modes, timer and flash.



While some rumours have speculated that Fujifilm may be about to release a full-frame mirrorless camera, that is not what Fujifilm has done here, instead releasing the Fujifilm X-T1. With the tried and trusted APS-C sensor that is the same as the Fujifilm X-E2, Fujifilm has long claimed that that the sensor rivals full-frame sensors thanks to the unique colour filter array, and yet gives the compact benefits of a mirrorless camera.

Key Features

• 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS Sensor (same as X-E2)
• Phase detection AF in sensor
• EXR Processor II
• 3inch tilting screen, 1040k dots
• 2.36m dot OLED EVF, with eye-detection, 0.77x magnification
• 8fps with continuous AF, upto 47 shots
• ISO increased up to ISO51200
• Lens modulation Optimiser technology
• Wi-Fi Built-in
• FullHD video at 60fps
• Mic/Remote socket (same socket used for either function)
• Mic level adjustments
• Included EF-X8 flash, guide number 11
• Interval timer shooting, up to 999 frames
• Weather sealed magnesium alloy body

Fujifilm X-T1 Handling

Under the ISO speed dial, is the drive mode dial, which includes advanced shooting modes, as well as sweep panoramic. Under the shutter speed dial is the metering mode dial. Both the ISO and shutter speed dials have central buttons that must be pressed before turning the dial, as well as A for automatic shooting.



There is also a dedicated video recording button, top Fn (Function) button – which defaults to Wi-Fi. The Q-button gives quick access to the most common settings on the rear screen making it easy to set and change options.

The large electronic viewfinder (with dioptre adjustment), is bright, with saturated colour, and clear, crisp and sharp text. It is said to have the highest magnification for a digital camera (0.77x), and a lag-time of just 0.0049sec (less than 1/10th of existing models, such as the X-E2). The EVF colour is saturated and the brightness can be adjusted but not the contrast. For some, the EVF contrast may seem high in comparison to the rear screen. 

Also available are four display modes with a Viewmode button on the side giving the following options: normal, dual-mode which includes a manual focus area, vertical layout of information when shooting in portrait orientation and full which displays shooting information at the top and bottom of the screen to avoid obstruction of the view. Focus peaking is one of the focusing views available, as well as a digital split image. Focus peaking options include white, red and blue (low/high). 



A very good rubber grip around the front and also at the rear makes the camera comfortable to hold, and there is side access to the memory card. On this pre-production model the colour of this cover is not representative of the final release version.

On the front is the front command dial, function button, flash sync cable socket, focus switch (Manual, Continuous, Single), and lens release button. There are 49 focus points, and the size of the focus area can be adjusted.



Menus – The menu system has the photo and setup options neatly separated over a number of screens, with each section colour coded. There is an additional control panel accessible using the Q button on the back in combination with the 4-way controller and scroll wheel, and the Q button is easy to reach with your thumb in its location. This makes it easy and quick to set options.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 350 shots according to Fujifilm / CIPA test results, and for extended battery life you can either purchase a second battery or have a look at the weather-sealed battery grip.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

	Fujifilm X-T1
Shutter Response	0.05
Focus / Shutter Response (60mm, Fw 3.0)	0.2
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo	0.9
Shot to Shot without Flash	0.8
Shot to Shot with Flash	2.0
Continuous Shooting - JPEG (shots before slow down)	7fps (46 shots)
Continuous Shooting - Flash	N/A
Continuous Shooting - RAW	7fps (21 shots)

With support for UHS-II memory cards the write speeds after and during continuous shooting seemed very quick indeed, and the card we were using with the camera is a Toshiba Exceria Pro (UHS-II) with read speeds up to 260MB/s and write speeds up to 240MB/s – much faster than the 95MB/s offered on other performance SD memory cards. Scrolling through photos is extremely quick, and focus is quick with the lens updated to the latest firmware.

 

Fujifilm X-T1 Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Fujifilm X-T1 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - The X-T1 produces pleasing images with good colour and very good levels of detail straight from the camera, even when shooting JPEGs. Skin tones are good, and the flash does a good job of retaining atmosphere in the photo, without overexposing the subject.

Fujifilm X-T1 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Detail from the prime lenses is very good, with good levels of detail into the corner. When updated with the latest firmware, the lens benefits from the Lens Modulation Optimisation built into the camera to deliver sharper photos when a smaller aperture is used. Exposure is reliable, except in a limited number of situations, for example when a bright subject is in the middle of a dark background, however, changing the metering mode or exposure compensation can quickly solve this issue, thanks to the controls being directly accessible on the camera body. Macro performance from the 60mm f/2.4 macro lens is excellent, as is to be expected from a dedicated macro lens. 

Fujifilm X-T1 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - The ISO range goes from ISO100 (Low) to ISO51200, and has been extended to ISO51200, whereas the last model, the X-E2 features ISO25600 as the highest setting. Noise reduction can be set to -2, -1, 0 (Standard), +1, and +2, and you can adjust noise reduction settings much more by using the raw files. The H1 and H2 settings on the ISO dial can be customised, as they default to ISO12800, and ISO25600.

Noise is low with excellent levels of detail up to and including ISO1600. Detail remains good at ISO3200, but drops off at ISO6400 as noise increases. ISO performance is impressive at high ISO settings, with improved performance over the X-E2, with ISO12800 showing additional detail over the X-E2. ISO25600 may even be usable in some circumstances, although ISO51200 is best avoided. 

Fujifilm X-T1 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) gives a warm result under tungsten lighting, with the tungsten preset giving a slightly greener result, and for better results you can adjust the white balance or use manual white balance. AWB performs very well under fluorescent lighting with a better result than any of the fluorescent presets.


Panoramic | 1/250 sec | f/6.4 | 60.0 mm | ISO 200

Panorama mode - Panoramic mode lets you choose from normal or wide. You simply press and hold the button down while panning the camera, and it will automatically stitch the images together. The camera does a very good job of stitching the image together, and detail is good, although better results can often be produced using a wide-angle lens, rather than the 60mm macro lens.

Fujifilm X-T1 Outdoor images

Dynamic range can be extended using DR100, 200 and 400, although this does increase the ISO setting. This does a good job ensuring that bright areas of the photo aren't overexposed. 

Fujifilm X-T1 Digital filters

Digital Filters - There are a number of film simulation modes, as shown above, as well as advanced filters that give a number of effects, such as Toy Camera, Miniature and others. It's also possible to take multiple exposure shots. Standard colour is quite natural, and selecting Vivid gives a much punchier image with stronger colour saturation and boosted contrast, there are also individual controls for dynamic range, highlight tone, shadow tone, sharpness, colour saturation and noise reduction.

Video - The camera records full HD video at 60fps, with stereo sound. There is also a microphone socket, although this is a 2.5mm jack rather than the more standard 3.5mm jack. Moire is visible in the video shown below, and for best results when recording handheld one of the lenses with optical image stabilisation is recommended. Additional videos can be seen on the ePHOTOzine YouTube channel.

 

 

Value For Money

Priced at £1099 body only, the Fujifilm X-T1 offers good value for money, with a weather-sealed body, the most comparable mirrorless cameras include the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (at £1299 body only) and Sony Alpha A7 (at £1299 body only) making the weather-sealed X-T1 seem very good value for money. Other mirrorless cameras to consider include the weather-sealed Panasonic Lumix GH3, priced at £829 body only, and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 available for £745 body only, and for a weather-sealed Digital SLR you could have a look at the Pentax K-3 (for £1039 body only) and Nikon D7100 (for £795 body only).

 

Fujifilm X-T1 Verdict

The Fujifilm X-T1 is a stylish looking camera, if you like classic SLR styling, and with an abundance of external controls, it is a stylish mix of new and old styling. The compact size, available thanks to the mirrorless sensor and lens mount design, makes it an appealing camera, and with the ever-growing choice of high-quality lenses, Fujifilm has a winning formula on their hands. More so now that this camera introduces a weather-sealed body, and an impressively large and high-resolution electronic viewfinder. It would be nice if additional lenses were available from third parties such as Sigma, as so far the lenses in the range are quite expensive compared to some competitors, however with an emphasis on quality it can quite easily be justified. 

The Fujifilm X-T1 does an excellent job of providing direct access to physical controls on the camera body, and this makes it an enjoyable camera to use, particularly for those who miss the aperture ring, and other direct controls, from SLR film days. The X-T1 produces excellent photos and there is a wide range of quality prime and zoom lenses available, and when additional weather-sealed lenses are released this could provide an excellent, and compact weather-sealed camera. The X-T1 is introduced at a competitive price point, and with a number of offers at the moment on the lenses available, it could be very hard to resist purchasing this camera, particularly if you are yet to venture into the mirrorless camera market.

 

	The Fujifilm X-T1 is a premium SLR styled camera with excellent build quality, handling and classic styling, that delivers excellent image quality.

Fujifilm X-T1 Pros

Weather sealed body
Large electronic viewfinder
Excellent handling
Excellent external controls
Excellent noise performance
Excellent image quality and colour
7-8fps continuous shooting
Split Focus / Focus modes
Built-in Wi-Fi

Fujifilm X-T1 Cons

Only one weather-sealed lens so far
Extended battery life would be good - although vertical grip will extend this 
Moire / aliasing in videos

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Fujifilm X-T1 Specifications

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