FUJIFILM X-T2 WITH 18-55MM LENS £1649
We test the top prize in our photo comp to see what it can offer the hillwalker.
P hotography goes hand-in-hand with hillwalking, and while that might just mean taking a few snaps on a camera phone, for some the photo element is as important as the walking. Before digital, Fujifilm was regularly the choice of film for landscape photographers. With pixels replacing negatives, it’s become a camera brand with a reputation for quality.
The X-T2 is a compact system camera with an interchangeable lens for greater adaptability. Pick it up and it feels solid. The metal body adorned with dials and levers is nostalgically old fashioned, and this quality build makes it capable of dealing with life in a backpack. Its only real vulnerable spot is the otherwise excellent three-inch screen on the back.
An essential on a digital camera, the X-T2’s display is pleasingly versatile; the screen can be flipped up, down, and out to the side to let you frame shots from a range of angles. If you prefer a more traditional method of composition, the X-T2 also offers a viewfinder (the screen can be hard to view in strong sunlight). This is also electronic, and while some will always prefer a more standard optical viewfinder, the electronic display within the camera’s eyepiece is superb.
Inside the camera is a 24.3-million-pixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS III sensor. Don’t worry if that’s just numbers and jargon – what it does is more important than what it is. The picture size is such that you can crop your photos to enlarge sections, or print out frame-filling shots for your living room wall. It also shoots 4k video. Image quality is superb, even in low-light. Dynamic range – the measurement of details recorded from the shadows to the highlights – is also excellent. In short, pretty much whatever you point the 18-55mm lens (a great general-purpose range) at, the results will be impressive.
It’s not quite a flawless performance, though. The dials and buttons are a little fiddly – some impossible while wearing gloves. The menu options are sprawling and far from intuitive, and the included mini-flashgun is less convenient than a built-in flash. But these are minor gripes given how good the X-T2 is. And don’t just take our word for it. We asked Tim Berry, deputy editor and photographic gear guru for our stablemate magazine
Practical Photography for his opinion. “The X-T2 is one of the most advanced and best-regarded mirrorless cameras on the market. Its sleek, retro body is significantly smaller than an equivalent DSLR, but its wealth of external controls makes its handling just as impressive.”