Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750

I put the Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 to see if the X-Trans III sensor can compete with full frame.

There is a lot of talk on the internet about the Fuji XT2 being able to hold its own or even better full frame cameras like the Nikon D750 so I thought I’d put them both to the test to see if this is really the case or not.

The most important point here is whether the X-Trans sensor in the Fuji XT2 can keep up with the very well respected full frame bayer sensor in the Nikon D750.

However I shall also look at handling and features because these play an important role in deciding which camera is right for you. Picking any camera is always a series of trade-offs so hopefully below I can go through the strengths of each system which will enable you to decide which one suits you best.

Before we move on let me just take a second to remind you that I provide all this information for free. It costs me a fortune to buy in all the gear to do these tests and the only way I can make any money to keep this website going is when you buy through my Amazon links. I get a tiny commission and it doesn’t cost you a penny or cent more. So please, if you are going to purchase anything at all (even non photography related) I would really appreciate it if you click any of the links below before you buy. Thanks again to everyone who shops using the links.

Amazon UK Links

Nikon D750 Digital SLR Camera with AF-S 24-120 mm f/4 VR Lens Kit (24.3 MP) 3.2 inch Tilt-Screen LCD with Wi-Fi UK Plug
Fujifilm X-T2 Camera Black Body Only 24.3MP 3.0LCD 4K FHD

Amazon.com links

Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body

Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

Handling

Handling is always a subjective matter because some people prefer larger cameras, larger grips or more bulk to balance out big lenses. Others prefer as small a package as possible while still retaining as much image quality and functionality as possible.

The Nikon D750 is one of the more compact full frame DSLRs available. It’s build quality is excellent although not quite up to the standards of the Nikon D500, D810 and above. The Fuji XT2 is a huge improvement over the XT1 in terms of build quality with improvements made to virtually every aspect of the body.

The build quality is roughly of equal level with the D750 feeling more solid but the XT2 feeling of a higher quality.

The D750 grip is reassuringly large and this allows you to carry it comfortably in one hand for long periods even though it weighs quite a lot more than the equivalent Fuji XT2 and lens combination. The grip on the XT2 is a little small and I definitely don’t feel particularly comfortable holding it one handed for any period of time unless the battery grip is attached.

The D750’s PASM dial has a push to unlock mechanism which would be better if it were a push to lock and push to unlock similar to the Fuji’s. It also features 2 custom settings which you can program to save your favourite settings and quickly switch to them with a turn of the dial.

All the buttons on the D750 make sense except the placement of the ISO button which is on the left of the LCD screen meaning that you can only really access it two handed. However you can re-program one of the other buttons such as the movie record button to become the ISO button.

Fuji relies on physical shutter speed, aperture (on most lenses) and ISO dials. As well as an exposure compensation dial. I prefer Fuji’s controls mainly due to the quick and direct access to ISO.

The Nikon D750 gives you a top LCD screen which can light up using the switch on the on/off switch and it shows all your most important settings. The rear of the camera features a flip out 3.2″ LCD screen that can be tilted up and down making it easier to compose shots at unusual angles.

The XT2 features a slightly smaller 3″ rear LCD tilt screen but it also has an additional hinge which allows for flexible shooting while in portrait orientation.

If you are going to be composing and shooting using the rear screen then the Fuji XT2 wins here comfortably as the screen is more reactive, focus is equally fast using the EVF or LCD screen and it allows more flexibility to capture photos at different angles . Whereas focus using live view on the D750 is painfully slow.

If size is a concern then the Nikon D750 is considerably larger than the XT2 at 840g. 141 x 113 x 78 mm vs the Fuji XT2’s 507g. 133 x 92 x 49 mm.

Features

Here’s a quick run down of the features of the two cameras that I see as being the most important.

Fuji XT2

24mp APS-C X Trans III sensor with no AA filter

Up to 14 FPS burst speed with electronic shutter, 11 FPS mechanical shutter with Grip or 8FPS mechanical shutter without grip.

1/8000 second fastest shutter speed plus electronic shutter up to 1/32000

Weather sealed body

325 focus points + custom focus modes for AF Tracking

4K video (although requires the VPB XT2 grip for full functionality).

Nikon D750

24mp Full frame 35mm Bayer sensor with AA Filter

Up to 6.5 FPS burst speed

1/4000 second fastest shutter speed

Weather sealed body

51 Focus Points

Full HD video

I’m not going to run through all the specs here as they are readily available elsewhere. The ones that I consider the most important are the difference in sensors and how that affects image quality (which I shall compare later) along with the burst shooting speed, faster top shutter speed of the XT2 and increased number of focus points.

The faster top shutter speed of the Fuji XT2 makes it possible to shoot fast aperture primes in bright daylight without the need to add ND filters to your lens. This is quite an advantage for portrait photographers working in bright conditions.

The faster FPS shooting of the Fuji XT2 combined with the customisable AF tracking modes make it more usable for wildlife and sport photography where the difference between 6.5 fps and 11fps is pretty noticeable. What is more of a factor is how widely spread the Fuji XT2’s focus points are. They cover nearly all the frame whereas with the Nikon D750 its 51 focus points are clustered very near the centre of the frame forcing you to use the technique of focusing and recomposing your image. That’s not a major problem if you are used to it but a broader spread of AF points would be preferable.

One of the areas the Nikon D750 is renowned for is its ability to focus in poor light. So I really wanted to test the XT2 against it to see whether Fuji’s claims of great low light focusing were justified or not.

When I tested the XT2 against the D750 in a really poorly lit room the XT2 not only kept up with the D750, it actually bested it on several occasions. I shot the XT2 at a wedding (see the post here) and it also focused really well in dimly lit scenes. Both cameras are among the best available for focusing in poor light.

In good light the Nikon D750 is probably a touch faster to focus but both are quick enough for most situations.

If like me you run a Youtube channel (and now I’m back in the UK with decent internet I will be adding videos more regularly) then video quality will probably be of some interest to you.

The XT2 offers excellent quality 4k video as opposed to the D750’s decent HD video. Fuji allows you to use their film simulations straight into video so if you don’t want to edit and grade footage afterwards you can still get some really nice looks. If you have an external recorder you also have the option to use the XT2’s flat F-Log profile to enable more room to push the video in post.

The only point to note is that if you are really considering the XT2 for video then you will probably have to factor in the VPB XT2 battery grip as it extends 4K recording time from 10 minutes to 30 minutes and HD from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. It also adds a headphone jack for monitoring audio levels. That of course adds to the cost of the overall Fuji package making it quite a bit more expensive than the D750.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 – Image Quality

If you are really just concerned about image quality then this is where I test that out. Can the Fuji XT2’s APS-C X-Trans III sensor compete against the Nikon D750’s 35mm Full frame C-mos sensor?

Below is a shot from the Nikon D750 taken in the Cotswolds with the 50mm f/1.4G lens attached. All images below were shot in Raw and converted to Jpeg in Lightroom CC with no adjustments. Full resolution version are available on my Flickr page

Nikon D750 + 50mm f/1.4 G @ f/2, 1/400, ISO 100

And below is a similar shot taken with the Fuji XT2 + 23mm f/1.4 lens attached. Note these were the closest focal lengths that I had to each other on that day and although the settings aren’t matched it gives a quick idea of IQ.

Fuji XT2 +23mm f-1.4 @f-2.8, 1-420, ISO 400

Nikon D750 + 50mm f-1.4G @f-5.6, 1-160, ISO 100

Fuji XT2 + 18-55mm @ f-5.6, 1-240, ISO 200

Now lets take a look at both images in Lightroom using the compare feature zoomed in to 100%. I shot the 18-55mm zoom at 35mm on the Fuji to give a roughly equivalent field of view to the 50mm f/1.4 G on the Nikon D750.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 image comparison of both photos zoomed in 100%

These images are zoomed in to 100% in the centre of the frame. What is surprising is that the Fuji using a kit lens is actually sharper than the Nikon D750 using a prime. Both lenses were stopped down to f/5.6. Now I know that the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 may not be the sharpest optic in the Nikon range but this result still bodes well for the XT2 considering we are only using the 18-55mm kit lens.

Fuji XT2 + 18-55mm @ f-4, 1-170, ISO 200

Below are a couple of examples of the skin tones that each camera produces

Nikon D750 SOOC Jpeg natural setting. Outdoor light in the shade.

I like the skin tones on both cameras but the Nikon is generally closer to what I see in real life. Particularly in the example of my daughter above.

In the photo below the highlights were clipped. I pulled them back using the highlights tool in Lightroom CC. I set the highlights to -100 and as you can see in the second image the sky retains the cloud detail.

Nikon D750 shot with clipped highlights in the sky

Nikon D750 Highlights recovered in Lightroom CC

And below is a similar shot taken with the Fuji XT2 with similarly clipped highlights in the sky.

Fuji XT2 with highlights recovered in Lightroom CC -100 highlights tool.

As you can see the Fuji seems to retain detail in the highlights as well as the Nikon D750’s full frame sensor. This is pretty impressive performance from the X-Trans III sensor.

Looking at the histograms of both cameras in Lightroom for the same scene I would put dynamic range of the two cameras at near enough neck and neck.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 High ISO noise performance

For the full set of ISO shots for the Nikon D750 and XT2 you can look on my Flickr or in this article pitting the Nikon D750 vs the D500 and D7200

Below we can take a look at a few comparisons between the Fuji XT2 and Nikon D750.

This is a 100% crop from both images. The Fuji XT2 on the left clearly shows a little more noise than the Nikon D750 but the differences are not huge. One thing to note on the full size images above is that the Fuji XT2’s white balance is more accurate in indoor light, better representing the colours than the Nikon. For example the writing on the John Grisham book (right of frame) is yellow as shown on the Fuji image.

At 6400 ISO the Nikon D750 definitely starts to pull away in terms of both luminance noise. The noise pattern from the D750 is finer and more consistent than the XT2. Don’t forget that these are raw files with no noise reduction performed. Both files are very usable with a touch of noise reduction in Lightroom but the D750 gives you a cleaner base file to work with.

Again you can see the advantage that the larger sensor of the Nikon D750 has. My testing confirms that the full frame sensor in the Nikon D750 has almost exactly a one stop advantage over the Fuji XT2 at high ISO settings. Therefore if you shoot a lot at high ISO and find yourself pushing beyond 6400 ISO a lot then I would definitely be looking to get a full frame camera as it does still give you a one stop advantage.

From previous testing the Fuji XT2 performs a little better than the Nikon D7200 and around the same as the Nikon D500 in this area.

I also note that to get the best performance you will want to shoot raw and use Lightroom or your own PP software as the in camera noise reduction of the Fuji XT2 leads to ugly noise and some additional colour noise at ISO 6400 and above. If you are going to shoot Jpeg I would turn the in camera noise reduction down all the way to -4.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 Conclusion

So is the Fuji XT2 as good as a full frame camera such as the Nikon D750?

In short, if ultimate image quality is what you are after then the larger sensor camera does still hold an advantage with all else being equal.

However those differences are only really noticeable in very specific areas.

For resolution and sharpness there is no discernible difference between the two. Lens choice will have much more impact on sharpness than swapping between the two cameras.

Where the D750 still holds an advantage is in high ISO noise performance and in depth of field control. If you like to shoot portraits with very shallow depth of field then the larger sensor in the D750 will give you the ability to do that more so than the APS-C sensor in the XT2.

In terms of handling and features the Fuji would be my preference with its smaller size, faster shooting speed, more AF points and of course the ability to shoot 4K video.

One point that we must not overlook is the fact that the XT2 sports one of the very best EVF’s with a 2.36 million dot display and a very large .77x magnification. I personally love the What you see is what you get nature of EVFs as I no longer need to chimp after each shot as I often would on a DSLR. However many people still prefer an optical viewfinder and the one on the Nikon D750 is excellent and large.

So which one should you buy?

It really depends upon your preferences. If you want the best camera for your money and value ultimate image quality then the Nikon D750 is the clear winner. It offers a full frame 35mm sensor in a relatively compact DSLR format which is weather sealed, shoots at a reasonable 6.5 fps, focuses incredibly well in low light, offers dual SD card slots and handles as a DSLR should. It is a relative bargain at the moment at around £1500 in the UK.

However as I have a young family now, my chances for dedicated photography outings have diminished somewhat and so I often find myself taking a camera along with me on trips out. Therefore I value several things about the Fuji over any DSLR.

One is the smaller size which makes it much easier to bring along with me when other items take priority.

Secondly I value the EVF because I can quickly get exactly the image that I want without holding everyone up while I chimp on the back of the screen as I would inevitably have to do on a DSLR.

Thirdly when a CSC tells you it has locked focus it almost always has. Whereas you may find that you need to micro adjust your lenses on a DSLR due to back or front focusing issues. I don’t always have the time or the inclination to calibrate all my lenses and I don’t want to capture images of my family only to find they are not in focus.

Despite my personal preference for the Fuji XT2 due to the reasons outlined above I would not argue with anyone who said that the Nikon D750 gives better image quality and is the better value camera. However I would pick the Fuji XT2 over it any day of the week. It is way more fun to shoot with and in the end the best camera is the one that I want to pick up and take with me. At this time in my life that is rarely a DSLR.

Don’t forget to check out my review of the Fuji XT2 here and follow me on Twitter to keep up with what I am testing at the moment.

Fuji XT2 Review – Fuji Comes of Age

Fuji XT2 review

I must admit that I was quite excited for this Fuji XT2 review. Partly that was down to my love hate relationship with the XT1. That was a camera I loved the concept of and indeed it had many great features such as external dials for aperture, shutter speed and ISO, a huge viewfinder and great image quality. However there were a few aspects that made me begrudgingly sell it. The focus still wasn’t quite as good as it needed to be and other cameras offered more features at that time. See my XT1 vs Olympus EM1 video for more on that.

My excitement was also aroused due to the internet buzz over the improvements made to the X-Pro2 and indeed the early noise coming out from Fuji XT2 reviews.
Before we go any further I would just like to remind you that if you find this review helpful then please shop using my Amazon links. It wont cost you an extra penny but it does help to support my work here. Absolutely anything that you buy through my links, even groceries helps me to keep adding to the website. A huge thank you for those who use the links.

You can buy at Amazon.co.uk
Fujifilm X-T2 Camera Kit – Black

And Amazon.com

Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

So lets take a look at the new features of the Fuji XT2 and see what we get.

New 24mp sensor with broader array of Phase detect AF points
8 FPS mechanical and 14 FPS Electronic burst rate.
4k video
Dual SD card slots
New hinged LCD Screen
Handling improvements (which I’ll discuss later)
Dedicated AF Joystick
1/8000 mechanical shutter speed (1/32000 electronic shutter)
Acros film simulation
Customisable continuous AF profiles

As you can see from the list Fuji pulled out all the stops here to create a true flagship camera that has improvements across the board. The new 24mp sensor, a bump of 50% from the older generation 16mp sensors is a welcome addition and brings it in line with the competition.

Fuji clearly want to take the video market more seriously with 4K output and they have listened to feedback from photographers in nearly every department and worked to improve on what they already had with the XT1.

Fuji XT2 Review – Handling

The XT2 is slightly larger than the XT1 at 133x92x49.2mm and also 67 grams heavier. In the hand this makes the XT2 very comfortable to hold, offering good grip and a little more space to work with when using the controls.

I always felt the XT1 was a good camera but in need of a few improvements and the XT2 has come up trumps here, offering a little more room to work with and a more robust feel than its predecessor.

The front grip is slightly more pronounced on the XT2 and fits perfectly in my hand.

The first and most noticeable addition is the new AF Joystick which allows you to easily re-position your selected AF point directly with just the a flick of the controls. It works seamlessly and really speeds things up when you need to quickly select or change your focus point. This has the added benefit of freeing up the D-pad direction buttons to use as custom function buttons.

The New AF joystick located below the Q menu button

The Fuji XT2’s magnesium alloy shell is fully weather sealed (when combined with Fuji WR lenses such as the 90mm f/2) down to -10 Celsius, having 63 points of sealing. The VPB-XT2 grip is sealed to the same level. I’ve been caught out with my XT2 + 90mm f/2 in torrential downpours and it dealt with them rather better than I did.

One of the features that draws many photographers to the Fuji X-Series of cameras and especially the XT1 and 2 is the retro style control dials.

The Fuji XT2 retains the shutter speed dial although now it offers a 1/8000 maximum shutter speed. This is a particularly welcome feature for those wishing to shoot with fast aperture primes in bright light.

The XT2 also has a physical ISO dial with a range up to 12800 ISO + the H (high ISO options set in menu of 25600 or 51200)

One of the major handling improvements I’ve found with the XT2 is that Fuji have now changed the ISO locking mechanism to a push ball point style button. Now you press to lock and press again to unlock. This is vastly more usable than the one on the XT1 where you had to press and hold it to unlock the dial every time you wanted to change ISO.

The dials are also slightly taller and better damped which makes them much easier to change quickly. They are now what I would consider as close to perfect as you can get. In fact they’re so good that I don’t think about them. That’s a good thing as they simply do their job and don’t hinder the shooting experience at all.

The addition of dual memory card slots will be appreciated by everyone but in particular by pros because it gives the option to have an overflow, backup, or to shoot raw to one and Jpeg to the other. Both slots are UHS-II ready (unlike the X-Pro2) so you can stick a fast SD card in both and keep on shooting as I have.

You can get the same memory cards that I used from Amazon UK

and Amazon.com for international readers

Dual SD card slots, both UHS II compatible

Fujifilm have also attended to one of my gripes on the XT1, namely the flimsy memory card door. It is now much more robust and features a small lock so that you no longer accidentally open it in use. The little flick lock is easy to operate so doesn’t hinder you when you want to access your memory cards.

Locking mechanism and better build quality are appreciated on the memory card door.

The exposure compensation dial is well damped and in my time using it has never been knocked while getting it in and out of my bag. It doesn’t feature a lock unlike the shutter speed and ISO dials but it doesn’t seem to need one. It offers +-3ev of compensation with the addition of a C position which extends this to +-5 ev.

The Fuji XT2 retains the front finger and rear thumb control dials but they now include push to click functionality taken from the X-Pro 2.

The rear D-pad buttons protrude away from the surface a little further than on the XT1 and feel much more responsive in use. No more squidgy buttons here.

The video record button has been removed and replaced with a dedicated video position on the drive dial (Located around the base of the ISO dial). The options on the drive dial are now Movie, Bracketing, Continuous High, Continuous Low, Single frame, Multiple Exposure, Advanced Filter (effects), and Panorama.

The Fuji XT2 offers several metering modes which are changed with a second dial around the base of the shutter speed dial. Spot metering is taken from the centre 2% of the image frame, centre weighted which adds increased importance to subjects in the centre of the frame, multi and average. For most circumstances multi metering does a good job although I often switch to centre weighted when shooting portraits, particularly against a bright background.

I found the XT2 to under expose slightly in some circumstances but it’s so easy to add a touch of exposure compensation via the dedicated dial that it wasn’t really an issue. Just something to be aware of.

[UPDATE] This feature is offered. I missed it but found it while playing with the cameras menu system. Thanks to Eric who also pointed this out.

It would be nice if Fuji would offer the option of linking spot metering to the AF point in use as this can be really useful for shooting portraits off centre and for shots such as birds in flight against bright skies.

The XT2 also includes bracketing options for exposure, ISO, film simulation, white balance and dynamic range. Exposure bracketing is inexplicably limited to only 3 frames though which will be a serious gripe for those interested in HDR photography. I’m sure Fuji could increase this via firmware and I suggest that they do. Adding the option to bracket up to 7 frames would seriously increase this cameras appeal to HDR photographers.

There are 8 special effects filters which I have never used but for those interested they are Toy Camera, Miniature, Pop Colour, High Key, Low Key, Dynamic Tone, Soft Focus and Partial Colour. The effects don’t work when shooting video of course but they also don’t work if you are shooting raw and Jpeg.

More interesting I suspect to the vast majority of photographers is the addition of the Acros film simulation along with the ability to add red, yellow and green colour filters as well as grain in two strengths. I’ll take a more in depth look at this in the image quality section below.

In addition to Acros we also have the standard film simulations of Provia (standard colour) , Velvia (more saturated) , Astia (A little softer in colour than standard and nice for outdoor portraits), Pro Neg standard, Pro Neg Hi (Give nice skin tones Hi offering a little more contrast), Classic Chrome (muted colours for a retro look) and Monochrome with the ability to add red, green and yellow filters.

Out of these filters I find myself mainly using Astia for outdoor portraits, Classic Chrome when I want a more subdued vintage look to shots, Pro Neg Standard and Hi when shooting portraits both in and outdoors depending on the look I want. If I want a black and white image I always use Acros now as it delivers beautiful contrast without blowing highlights and blocking shadows. The smooth tones of the new simulation are rich and very, very pleasing but more on that later.

The Fuji XT2 also offers an interval timer to shoot up to 999 images at intervals of between 1 second and 24 hours.

Viewfinder and LCD Screen

The Fuji XT2 retains the same excellent 2.36million dot viewfinder as the XT1. Offering 1024 x 768 resolution with a large 0.77x magnification. Compared with its rivals the XT2 viewfinder offers a huge view and is certainly one of the selling points of this camera for me.

An excellent feature carried over from the XT1 is that when shooting in portrait orientation all the shooting information is rotated so it is easily legible. A great feature and one which I’m not sure why other manufacturers have not implemented on their models.

There is also an option to show a slightly smaller image along with a second image to the right giving a highly magnified view with focus aids such as peaking and split screen simulation. I must admit though that I don’t use this feature as I prefer to keep the immersive large display intact.

The viewfinder has a vast number of display and overlay options which enable you to set it up with the information that is most important to you. It offers a level gauge although unlike Olympus and other models it is only a single axis level.

The viewfinder is now twice as bright as the XT1 which is perfect when shooting on bright sunny days as I have been recently. The refresh rate remains around the same at 60fps vs 54 fps on the XT1 but you now have the option to use boost mode on the XT2 to increase this to 100FPS. This is particularly useful when shooting fast moving subjects and firing off a burst of shots.

I’ve found that while there is still a little lag when tracking fast moving subjects it is now pretty minimal and I have no problem keeping up with the action when using boost mode.

The viewfinder eyepiece is now larger and keeps out stray light effectively.

Overall I’d say the Fuji XT2’s electronic viewfinder is the best on the market. It’s a joy to use.

LCD screen.

The LCD screen on the XT2 looks virtually unchanged at first glance. It remains a 3″ 1040 unit and unfortunately Fuji have again decided not to add a touch screen. Particularity with the addition of 4K video on the XT2 it would have been great to have a touch screen in order to easily be able to pull focus when shooting video.

However Fuji have implemented an ingenious design to allow shooting at varying angles in portrait orientation. As well as being able to tilt vertically there is an additional hinge that allows the screen to flip out horizontally. It’s a great bit of design and one that adds to the usability of the camera in more situations. For some reason the shooting information doesn’t rotate to match the shooting orientation unlike when using the viewfinder.

One issue I have on my XT2 and one that has been reported by a number of other users is that when switching on the camera both the viewfinder and LCD white out for several seconds before the exposure seems to adjust and display correctly. I’m hoping Fuji attends to this in a firmware update. In fact, knowing Fuji I’m almost certain they will as they are the best in the industry for adding fixes and improvements via firmware updates.

Fuji have implemented a new menu system on the XT2 which overall is a little more user friendly. Being a long time Fuji X user it has taken me a little while to get used to it but now that I have it is more intuitive and makes more sense. The new menu layout is tabbed and with the XT2 offers an AF specific tab, highlighting the cameras aspiration to become a workhorse of pro sports and nature photographers. I’ll talk more about this and the AF performance further on. One small gripe is that it doesn’t always remember your last location in the menu. So for example, I format memory card one, it then takes me out of the menu and I have to go back in, re-locate the format option and repeat for slot 2. It would be better if once card 1 is formatted it just kicked me out to the same sub menu so I can quickly format card 2.

The Fuji XT2 is well connected, now with a separate 2.5mm remote jack and thankfully a common 3.5mm microphone socket. There is also an HDMI port and a faster USB3 port too. The XT2 can output uncompressed 4.2.2 8bit 4k video externally although internally this is reduced to 1080p.

WiFi options remain essentially the same as the latest X Series models. It uses the same app and offers the same features. There is no NFC or Bluetooth available.

The XT2 uses the new NP-W126 battery which retains the same power specs but apparently deals with heat better. Presumably this is necessary when shooting 4k video. The older XT1 batteries will still work but just make sure to check for overheating issues if shooting 4k video. The battery door on the XT2 now feels more sturdy and has a reassuring feel to it when opening and closing.

What is new on the XT2 is the ability to charge it via USB which is great, if like me you have a number of different cameras and travel a lot. No more lugging all the various chargers with you. It is still supplied with an AC charger though unlike some Sony’s I have purchased in the past.

The VPB-XT2 battery grip offers a number of additional features which I shall quickly list here. For my Fuji XT2 review I did not purchase the battery grip so can’t really comment on them.

Increases shooting speed to 11 FPS
Reduces shutter lag
Adds headphone jack
Increases 4k shooting time from 10 to 30 minutes
Takes 2 additional batteries.
Adds AC power so you can shoot even without batteries

The VPB-XT2 is more than just your standard battery grip and I will probably purchase it in the future when funds allow. I’m getting married in a few months time so I can’t justify it right now.

Amazon.com link

Amazon UK link

Overall Fuji has addressed every single one of my issues in terms of handling that I had with the XT1. It feels better made, the dials are much more user friendly and there are no little things that bug me. Ergonomically I’d say Fuji have made the perfect camera with the XT2. I absolutely love using it. I previously always found using a PASM dial and control wheels to be faster than the external dials of the Fuji system. However with the XT2 that has changed. The extra depth of the ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation dials give just the right feedback to be able to change them quickly and easily. The revised ball point pen style locking mechanisms are so much better and the slight increase in overall size mean that this camera handles superbly. I actually can’t think of anything that I would change in terms of ergonomics. Oh yes I can, just add a touch screen Fuji and then the XT2 would be perfect.

Fuji XT2 Review – Auto Focus

I got the Fuji XT2 with super high hopes for the auto focus system, mainly because of the hype that I had heard on the internet about it being incredible, amazing, lightening quick etc.

The XT2 now sports 325 auto focus points (you can select to only use 91 if you wish), including 169 phase detect points. The area covered by the phase detect AF points is significantly larger than on previous models so tracking subjects becomes much easier. The XT2 also offers Zone and Wide AF tracking modes which use a portion of the AF points to keep your subject within them.

In Zone AF the autofocus area becomes a square measuring 3×3, 5×5 or 7×7 points. You can adjust its position using the AF joystick or cross keys. If you are using S-AF mode you can choose from a 13×7 array, or in C-AF, the smaller 7×7 square.

First lets start by talking about the AF speed in S-AF mode because that is probably what a lot of us use most of the time.

I intentionally shot the XT2 with an older 23mm f/1.4 and a more recent 90mm f/2 because I am aware that if I only used older lenses then any criticism of the XT2’s auto focus would be blamed on the older lens design.

I can say now that the Fuji XT2 auto focuses faster than any other X series camera that I have tried. It is faster to focus and lock on than the XT1.

When shooting in good light it is very quick to focus and very accurate too. Using the new AF joystick combined with the additional focus points available you can easily adjust your AF point and for example, highlight the one over your subjects eyes.

Speaking of eyes, the XT2 offers face detect AF and eye detect AF with the ability to select left or right eye. I have found this to work very well in practice although I still slightly prefer Olympus’ system. The Face and Eye detect AF can be overridden manually by selecting your AF point with the joystick. Something which wasn’t available when I tested the XT1. Face detection is not available in C-AF mode though as it only uses contrast detect AF.

In the menu system you can select your priority between focus and release and have it set separately for S-AF and C-AF. For S-AF I always have this set to focus priority.

The auto focus is fast but it is still not quite as quick as my Olympus Pen F which is instant. The XT2 is quick but on occasion when using older lenses such as the 23mm f/1.4 it can hesitate for just a fraction of a second. However when using the 90mm f/2 it was noticeably faster.

In general it is fast enough for almost any purpose. Capturing photos of your children who wont keep still for a second will not be a problem for the XT2.

Tracking performance on the Fuji XT2 is where I found the greatest improvement. In comparison to the XT1 the XT2’s tracking performance is excellent. It is quick to pick up the subject, almost always selects the correct subject (especially if you select the suddenly appearing subjects option as below) and once locked on it gave me the highest hit rate of any camera that I’ve tested so far and that includes my Nikon D7200.

What’s new with the Fuji XT2 is the ability to select between a number of different tracking profiles to suit your subject. These profiles alter the sensitivity and speed of the XT2’s auto focus. The profiles available are Multi-Purpose, Ignore Obstacles, Accelerating / Decelerating Subjects, Suddenly Appearing Subjects, and Erratic Motion. This feature is normally found on high end DSLR’s aimed at pro sports photographers so it is great to see Fuji including them here.

The new menu system is intuitive to use.

Turning on boost mode supposedly improves AF performance but in all honesty I found that it didn’t hugely affect AF performance or the hit rate I was getting with the camera.

The buffer depth of the XT2 is good. I was using matching Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb 280 mb/sec UHS II cards in both slots and when shooting Raw+Jpeg at 8FPS the camera would only start to slow down after about 3 seconds. The buffer then cleared in about a further 3 seconds.

Shooting Fine Jpeg I was able to shoot forever. Shooting Compressed Raw files I was able to capture 34 frames before the camera slowed down.

Overall the Fuji XT2 has some of the best AF performance you will find in any mirrorless camera. Combine this with the additional tracking AF profiles and it is a very capable camera for almost any use.

Fuji XT2 Review – Image Quality

The Fuji XT2 uses the same 24mp X-Trans III sensor found in the X-Pro 2. It increases resolution by 50% over the older 16mp sensors. It also now allows shooting in raw at ISO 100

Resolution

In terms of resolution this allows for greater detail and increased ability to crop your images if required. Wildlife photographers in particular will be delighted with this increase in resolution as you can never have too much reach or ability to crop when shooting animals in the wild.

Where I really notice this is when shooting portraits, the new sensor shows more detail in the eyelashes of a subject. It is also quite noticeable when shooting detailed landscapes. The higher resolution combined with lack of AA filter allows for incredibly sharp images. Combined with the new autofocus system, getting pin sharp images even at large apertures is easy. Don’t forget that thanks to the way mirrorless cameras work there is no need for micro adjustments to the AF system when using different lenses. When your shot is in focus, you can be sure it really is in focus.

What is surprising if you look at the results below is that the Nikon 18-140mm kit lens does surprisingly well when compared with the Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 prime.

Dynamic range

To test dynamic range I set the Fuji XT2, Nikon D7200 and Olympus Pen F up on a tripod. Shooting at all the cameras base ISO settings with the same shutter speed and aperture and in raw.

Fuji XT2 + 23mm f/1.4 @f/4, 1/50, ISO 200

Nikon D7200 + 18-140mm @ f/4, 1/50, ISO 100

Olympus Pen F + 17mm f/1.8@ f/4, 1/50, ISO 200

There are a couple of interesting things to note here; The Fuji at ISO 200 is a little brighter than the Nikon shot at ISO 100 but darker than the Pen F. This would match my findings that it can sometimes under expose a little. The XT2 seems to prefer to under expose slightly and protect the highlights.

Secondly, when you increase the shadows in Lightroom to the same level as the Olympus Pen F the Fuji retains the detail and doesn’t introduce too much noise. So the detail is still there in the shadows while protecting the highlights.

Fuji XT2 (left) with shadow brightness increased to match the Pen F (right)

Now if we compare it against the Nikon D7200 where I have increased exposure by one stop in Lightroom, effectively giving an ISO 200 image we can see that the Nikon image is brighter at the same settings. There is not much in it though so to me it doesn’t look like Fuji are fudging the numbers anymore, or at least not to any significant degree. The Nikon is exposing the image slightly to the right on the histogram and indeed it shows more clipped highlights than the Fuji file but shows more shadow detail. The Nikon image is also more saturated but when shooting raw it’s not a significant factor as you can easily change the colour.

There is some jpeg artifacting in these images so I will upload full resolution samples to Flickr so that you can look in more detail.

From these results I can say that the Fuji XT2’s sensor is right up there with the best performing APS-C sensors on the market. I would also say that at this point, dynamic range and resolution are no longer significant factors when choosing between APS-C and Micro 4/3. All the sensors perform really well at base ISO.

Fuji XT2 Review – ISO performance

I tested the noise performance of the XT2 against the Nikon D7200 and Olympus Pen F.

Firstly I tested all 3 cameras in the same dim light using the same shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings. All shots were taken in Manual mode using a tripod. The light was very dim.

At ISO 1600 the differences between the three cameras are minor. At 3200 we start to see a gap emerging as this is where Micro 4/3 tends to fall behind.

The Fuji starts to show better performance than the Olympus Pen F around 3200 ISO

It also performs a little better than the Nikon D7200

Fuji XT2 (left) vs Nikon D7200 at ISO 3200

At ISO 6400 the Fuji sensor really starts to show better noise handling than the Nikon D7200. Noise is better controlled and finer as you can see below. I’d say it has about 1/2 stop advantage at this point.

At 6400 ISO the Fuji XT2 starts to perform noticeably better than the Nikon D7200 (right)

Finally I shot both cameras at 12800 ISO and at this point the D7200 image starts to break down, I was surprised how well the XT2 handled it. At this point the Fuji XT2 is significantly better than the D7200, by almost a stop. The Pen F at 6400 performs very similarly to the Fuji XT2 at ISO 12800.

Fuji XT2 (left) performs considerably better than the Nikon D7200 at 12800 ISO

So in terms of noise performance the Fuji XT2 has improved on previous generation sensors by around a stop at high ISO’s. This is very impressive considering that they have increased resolution by 50% over the older X-Series models and their ISO settings seem to be more in line with the competition now.

I feel comfortable shooting at ISO 6400 on the XT2 and will go to 12800 if required. Remember these shots are all raw files with no post processing work done on them. They were converted straight to Jpeg in Lightroom (creative cloud version). As I mentioned before I will upload the samples to my flickr account so that you can look in more detail if you wish.

Acros Film Simulation

As I mentioned before one of the additions to the XT2 is the Acros film simulation first seen on the X-Pro2 earlier in the year. I personally find this black and white mode to give beautiful tones with plenty of contrast. In my testing it requires contrasty scenes to really get the best out of it but then high contrast scenes always benefit black and white images.

Below are a few samples. You can see more on the Fuji Acros vs Pen F Tri X page here

Video

The XT2 adds the ability to shoot 4k video and for me this is a huge bonus because it was an area where I would previously had to have kept a separate camera just for video. I have only briefly tested it but the quality looks to be excellent with little of the artifacting that we saw from previous Fuji models.

I’ll be testing this further and adding some samples once I have a faster internet connection.

Fuji XT2 Review – Conclusion

Overall Fuji has really pulled out all the stops with the XT2. They have upgraded the sensor giving 50% more resolution yet somehow improved high ISO noise performance. Everything about the camera feels quicker than the XT1, from the menu system through to auto focus performance.

The AF joystick speeds up AF point selection by a huge amount and this combined with accurate face and eye detection means that you rarely miss a shot. S-AF is as quick as anyone needs in real life and tracking performance is among the best I have used.

Yet it is the handling where I feel that the XT2 really shines now, thanks in large part to to all the minor changes that Fujifilm have made to the design. Slightly larger body, more rugged build quality, larger dials, better feeling buttons, better quality memory card and battery doors, dual SD card slots and an intuitive hinged LCD design.

I think Fuji have made the perfect handling camera and it really is a joy to use. I get to use a huge number of cameras and for me the Fuji XT2 feels the best in use. It is quick and easy to control and the image quality is superb, right up there with the best APS-C sensors. The fact that it is also a good looking beast is a bonus.

Apart from the addition of a touch screen LCD I struggle to see how the Fuji XT2 could be improved ergonomically. It seems to have hit the perfect size/weight/performance combination for all my needs.

Fuji have smashed it out of the park with the XT2 in my opinion and judging by the stock delays I think a lot of people agree with me.

I mentioned previously in a post that I wondered whether the XT2 would be enough to tempt me back in to the X-System as my main camera. Well I no longer have to wonder. I shipped off three cameras for sale yesterday and the XT2 wasn’t one of them. I’ll be keeping that and hopefully adding a few more lenses to my bag too.

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