Thorny Devil Loc: Alice Springs, Central Australia

After reading a lot of material about the latest digital mirrorless cameras, how good they are and especially what they could do I decided to treat myself to a Fujifilm XT3. So when I received the camera and lens I read the first few pages of the Owner's Manual to familiarise myself with the camera. I charged the battery and put it in the camera with a couple of cards which I formatted, then I set the camera to auto everything and sat the camera and lens on the table while I studied the rest of the Owner's Manual.

After several hours of reading I picked up the camera only to find that it hadn't done any of the things that everyone had said mirrorless cameras could do. So I read a bit more of the manual and realised that I still had to set the ISO, aperture and shutter speed, aim the camera, focus and press the shutter button to capture an image, just like any other camera. Silly me, I thought .................

Seriously I have only had the camera for a few weeks and I am liking it very much. I have two Nikon DSLRs that I also like but I had to find out for myself what it was like to shoot with a digital mirroless camera. First of all I chose the Fujifilm XT3 because I like the dials for adjusting ISO and shutter speed and an aperture ring on the lens which actually works, just like my old Minolta ST303.

I also like the ability to see the exposure and highlights warning before capturing an image. I am looking forward to spending a lot more time taking photos with the XT3 which I think with the 16-55 mm f2.8 lens that I bought with the camera I will use mostly for street photography and capturing family moments during family gatherings.

For the time being I will still use my Nikon DSLR's for serious landscapes and when I want a bit more reach with longer lenses.

Sorry for my rambling but I hope you appreciate the humour. Happy New Year to all.

Laura72568 Loc: Anderson TX

I loved my X-T2...the battery life was what made me go back to DSLR. I miss the manual controls the camera has! Have fun.

Bill_de Loc: US

Congratulations on the new camera.

I stuck with Nikon and picked up a Z6, apparently for the same reasons as you, to see for myself. It is now my walk around with a 24-70.

Good luck, and happy shooting.

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Thorny Devil Loc: Alice Springs, Central Australia

Thank you Laura, I have already noticed how quickly battery power reduces. I bought a second battery in anticipation of shorter battery life than I am use to with my DSLRs. I am also trying EVF only plus sensor to see how that works out both in terms of usability and saving power.

Thorny Devil Loc: Alice Springs, Central Australia

I deliberated for quite a while between the Nikon Z6 and the Fujifilm XT3. I like that the Z6 has built in image stabilisation and I also have a good collection of Nikon FX glass but I have always been attracted to the Fujifilm XT cameras and Nikon's Z cameras being totally new on the market I decided to go with the Fujifilm, albeit that the XT3 is also a new release. I anticipate replacing my Nikon D800 in two or three years and I will certainly be watching how Nikon's mirrorless cameras evolve in the meantime. Thanks for your comment Bill.

Low Budget Dave

I am confused. According to the reviews, when a new mirrorless camera comes out, the old DSLR's stop working...

Thorny Devil Loc: Alice Springs, Central Australia

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

I'm fascinated by comments like this from other X-T2 owners - I've shot roller derby games with my X-T2 and 50-140MM f2.8 lens in "motor drive" mode, taking 1200 or so images in the vent, and never had to change batteries. Did I just get a super special camera?

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

I guess I haven't been following the mirrorless cameras close enough, but I'm wondering why the battery life would be shorter than DSLRs when they don't have to operate a mirror?

leftj Loc: Texas

Wow! The battery life issue could have been rectified with the battery grip plus it would have given you faster focus capability with the booster feature.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Disreguard

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

😂😂😂😂

DennisC. Loc: Antelope, CA

I picked up an X-T3 during the holiday sale, it’s a little different way of working compared to my Nikon kit but I am loving it. I have the Fuji 100-400 coming in the mail this week and will see how that compares to the Nikon 200-500.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I have 3 batteries for my X-T3. Rarely have I used more than 2 batteries on a several hour shoot unless I'm doing a lot of video. Having said that I would not go out with just one battery unless it was a quick trip :) The batteries are about half the size of my Nikon and use more power to run the EVF but the trade off is the information available before you take the shot.
I use the X-T3 for landscapes, people, video and birding. I keep the camera set to Raw and Jpeg so that I can enjoy the film simulations, panoramic and other modes that only function in Jpeg.
My Nikon is for "serious birding" only because Nikon has a much better lens selection for that.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I have been tempted to get the Fuji 100-400 mm lens (and it was on sale during the holidays) but have held off because of the weight and size relative to the camera size- wondered if the lens would be an awkward fit. Please let us know what you think about that lens- focus reliability and speed, tracking, image quality and video if you do that. The consumer ratings are good and then not so good- hard to make an informed decision.