BJW

I have been looking for a lighter and more compact camera that will give me as large a buffer as my beloved D500. It has an enormous sized buffer that permits firing up to 200 shots in succession in continuous shutter mode. The importance of that to me is that I shoot fast action high school and college sports (ice hockey). The D500's fps is 10 frames per second. More importantly, I can continue firing without stop because of the buffer size. When I do stop shooting and then turn to focus on the next scene, there is no delay in writing to the memory card. This is critical, if I don't want to miss shots waiting for the camera to reset the shutter. I've tried the Lumix G9 and the Sony A7 iii but on both, I experienced the very delay I want to avoid, although they are otherwise phenomenal cameras. (I haven't tried the Sony A9 yet, but really don't want to spring for $4K and don't know if the rumors about a baby A9 are true.) Now comes the Fuji XT-3, which seems to be suited for fast action sports and one Youtube presentation compared it to a "machine gun".

QUESTION: Has anyone personally used the XT-3 to shoot sports or BIF and what did you find about the buffer size and delay?

Thanks for your input.
BJW

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

I found, at least with my Fuji X-T20, that using SD HC2 memory with a 150 Mb/sec made all the difference in buffer issues when shooting rapidly.

BJW

rg: Thanks for that interesting reply. Great point. I think the speed of the memory card is important in terms of the time it takes for the images to get from the buffer to the card and then for the shutter to reset.

With the D500, the primary card is an XQD, which purports to be faster than the standard memory cards, with a memory card in the backup slot. I'm pretty sure I was using the fastest available card in both the G9 and A7iii, when I tried them out. But even still, the size of the buffer seems to be the principal factor when shooting in continuous shutter mode. That's why I'm focused on buffer size.

Thanks

BJW

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

According to Digital Photography Review, for the X-T3, the buffer is good for around 35 raw images.
(I don't own one).

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Why not call Fuji and ask them.

BJW

Thanks so much. That’s a statistic I missed when I read DPReview.
Not as enormous as 200, but then again,is that big a buffer really necessary? Probably not.
Will definitely have to try the XT-3.

Thanks again.

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Think you just answered your own question !

Difficult to find an "adverse" review of the X-T3 ....... unless here where most will advise what they shoot.

Decide for yourself what's important for you and what will fit the bill !

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Curious, what will a new camera do that your D500 can't?

BJW

_________________

I think you’re right—that I’ve answered my own question, but some credit goes to the good spirited and helpful fellow “hoggers” who provide a sounding board and, frequently, some reliable and relevant data that provide the basis for making rational choices.

Thanks for your input.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

I love my D500 and upgraded because of the buffer. But as my experience grows, I don't feel the need the lay down on the shutter as much. I usually shoot in quick bursts, 6-8 frames, but sometimes as high as 12-15. You may find that 200 number is very rare, if ever used. Check your last download and see what your average burst is.

I mention all of this to say, I would be more worried about the speed of acquiring and holding focus.
That's one of the top benefits of the D500 and something I would be interested to hear about regarding the X-T3.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Well, I for one, am intrigued by EVF, IBIS, half the weight and smaller dimensions that would fit my hands better. The OP has his own reasons for research, not one of which should concern anyone.

But then, I also have a new truck that has 4-wheel drive and pulls a heavier trailer than the previous.
A phone that goes wherever I do and makes calls from nearly anywhere.
A PC with 16Gb RAM to process with Lightroom faster.
An Ipad that let's me take 3 or 4 books on to an airplane or watch my own movie if I prefer.
A 13" laptop that let's me work while the dummy in front leans his chair back.

My question to all who immediately jump in with the tired old "what does you current camera not do" question and implication whenever someone dares think of upgrading or switching is this,
"How long does it take you to post from that dial up modem of yours?"

BJW

I am trying to get a more “tactile” experience from my sports camera, meaning that all the basic exposure controls are on the outside of the camera including the aperture control ring on the lens, zone focusing distance scale. But only if it has a comparably sized buffer.

Also, i have come to like the mirrorless features more than DSLR. For non-sports I shoot with a FF Leica and for travel I use a M43 Lumix G85. They have features that I enjoy that D500 doesn’t. Like silent shutter (because its mirrorless) for one; compact and lighter, etc.

Overall, DPReview rates the D500 higher than the XT3. While that’s of interest, the bottom line with all these very fine cameras, is (1) does it do the job for which its intended? (2) which one will satisfy my own subjective preferences?

Another factor: how much can I sell my D500 and lenses for in relation to the cost of the XT3?

BJW

Mike
You echo my sentiments about how fond I am of my D500, which only makes the decision more difficult. But, it’s only a camera.
I agree too that as I have become more experienced my bursts are much shorter. So the smaller buffer may not be relevant. 200 may just be unnecessary.

Auto focus is key. Here, Steve Perry’s book on Nikon’s Auto focus system has been invaluable. I’m just going to have to give the XT3 a dry run for a week or so to see how it performs. The marketing is of course very positive. I don’t think the lack of IBIS is going to be critical because I would be using it a high shutter speeds for sports.

So, you’re right, there are attributes other than buffer size to consider. Which brings it down to the need to try it out before I make the decision.

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

I use the XT3 as well as other bodies. This new body is a sports shooters dream. At 30 FPS it flys. My end product easily equals my FF Nikon. Here are some professional review sites that will answer your questions rather than listening to me:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/24/18011740/fujifilm-x-t3-review-photography-4k-video-fuji

https://www.cameralabs.com/fujifilm-xt3-review/

Cheers!

tdekany Loc: Oregon

If you need that many shots per click, why not just video the game and extract the specific frames afterwards?

I sincerely can’t imagine why you would need that deep of a buffer.

But I don’t think that the focusing system in the xt3 is as good as the D500. Which to me would be the important part.