ON TRIAL FUJIFILM X-PRO3

With each successive generation of X-Pro series cameras Fujifilm has added yet more traditional design elements, creating an unmatched blending of the old with the new. The X-Pro3 goes even further with a unique arrangement of its rear screen that’s designed to make you refocus on the viewfinder. Is it a gimmick or genuinely clever feature?

While Leica’s M rangefinder cameras are fundamentally analog with a digital makeover, the Fujifilm X-Pro models are fundamentally digital with an analog makeover. Of course, the Leica Ms are, technically speaking, mirrorless, but the X-Pro line has its origins in the mirrorless breakaway from the DSLR’s dominance of interchangeable lenses cameras. So, while there are certain similarities – especially in terms of the user experience – the two lines are worlds apart in both philosophy and execution.

With its ‘clean slate’ platform, Fujifilm is able to go a lot further in terms of digital functionality, but with each new generation of X-Pro, it’s also introduced more classic design elements or further enhanced the existing ones. The X-Pro3 has followed the rest of the current-generation X mount clan (and the X100V fixed-lens model) in adopting the higher-resolution X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and its companion X-Processor 4 quadcore processor. With these come enhancements in image quality, speed and video capabilities (see the Making Movies for the full story here) plus quite a number of new features.

At the heart of the X-Pro cameras (and also the X100 series) is Fujifilm’s hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder that’s designed to give the best of both worlds. It

back. If you want to use the rear screen, it has to be folded out – it’s hinged along the bottom edge – so it can be positioned at anywhere between 90 or 180 degrees. It’s certainly unconventional and takes a bit of getting used to if you regularly used the rear display for framing, but otherwise it soon becomes second nature to flip it down when it’s needed – say for accessing the menus – and folding it away when shooting. Of course, there’s always the EVF for image review or replay. That said, it’s probably not for everybody, but it will appeal to anyone who likes the X-Pro concept in the first place. The rear display itself is still 3 inches in size with a resolution of 1.62 million dots, but it gains touchscreen controls so the X-Pro3 is also keeping up with mainstream design trends. Of course, the ‘always closed’ arrangement also means the panel is protected when the camera is being stored or carried.

UP TO SPEED

On the inside, the X-Pro3 has been given what amounts to a complete overhaul which, in addition to the sensor and processor, includes the

Fujifilm’s X Processor 4 engine enables faster continuous shooting for stills – up to 11fps with the new mechanical shutter and up to 20fps with the sensor-based (electronic) shutter. As on the X-T4, a 1.25x crop mode (giving 16.6MP resolution) allows for even faster continuous shooting at 30fps, again using the electronic shutter. Additionally, a Pre-Shot function is available with continuous shooting and the electronic shutter, commencing capture when the shutter release is at the half-way position (i.e. for autofocusing and metering). These frames are held in the buffer memory – being progressively replaced if it becomes full – and are downloaded to the card when the shutter button is fully depressed.

As with the previous model, the X-Pro3 has dual slots for SD, SDHC and SDXC format memory cards, but both now support UHSII speed devices (as well as Video Speed Class V30).

TAKING EFFECT

There’s been plenty of progress in the Fujifilm X mount line since January 2016 and the launch of the X-Pro2. The X-Pro3 gets all these upgrades, starting with an expanded set of 17 Film Simulation profiles. These include Classic Neg, which joins Classic Chrome and replicates the ‘vintage’ tonality and