Fujifilm are getting even more serious about video with their new Fujifilm X-T3 mirrorless camera. For the first time in any mirrorless camera you can record 4K/60p in a 10bit (4:2:0) HEVC H.265 codec internally onto UHS-II SD cards! And there are two slots for SD cards giving professionals in both still and video more peace of mind for backup or extended recording. Fuji have also included F-Log internally, so that’s definitely a much welcomed addition, as it will be necessary to get the maximum dynamic range out of the camera for internal recording.
The Fuji X-T3 will also output a clean 10bit 4:2:2 signal via HDMI so you can rest assured you can get a helluva quality ProRes or DNx footage with something like an Atomos Ninja V external recorder.
The new Fujifilm X-T3 gets a newly-developed back-illuminated 26 megapixel APS-C sized, without a low-pass filter, X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and s X-Processor 4 image processing engine for “3x the speed of current models” according to Fuji, increased AF accuracy and higher image quality.
Thanks to the new X-Processor 4 image processing engine the X-T3 gets a new “monochrome adjustment” function to the Film Simulation modes, which are based on Fujifilm’s proprietary technology to deliver diverse colour expressions for those looking to mimic analogue photography.
Also new is the “Colour Chrome Effect,” borrowed from the medium-format FUJIFILM GFX 50S mirrorless camera, a first in the X Series cameras. The effect produces deeper colours and gradation in subjects with highly saturated colours, such as vivid-coloured flowers with shadows, a notoriously difficult photo subject for gradation reproduction.
Photographers will be exited to know that the AF phase detection area has been expanded to cover almost the entire sensor; thus fast and accurate phase detection AF is enabled even on a subject that is positioned away from the center of the frame. The low-light autofocus limit has also been extended from -1EV to -3EV, making it possible to use phase detection AF in low light conditions such as a scene lit only with candlelight or at night.
The X-T3 also has a high-res 3.69-million-dot EVF with a high magnification ratio of 0.75x. The display time lag is just 0.005 seconds and refresh rate of approx. 100 fps ensures smooth display of motions, allowing you to precisely identify subject movements and focus positions. Unlike previous models in the range, the X-T3 can do up to 11fps continuous shooting with the mechanical shutter without the optional vertical battery grip, letting you preserve a more compact rig.
So what about the video features, that’s what you guys care most about right? Well, Fuji have not disappointed, scratch that, Fuji have exceeded expectations by giving the X-T3 the ability to record true DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) 23.98/24/25/29.97p in HEVC H.265 10bit in ALL-Intra at 400Mbps, which despite the 4:2:0 chroma subsampling should be significantly better compared to a lower bit rate 8bit codec.
The H.265 All-Intra option is a bit strange to me, as I have always thought that the H.265 compression is inherently Long-GOP based, but I’ll let someone more technical and smarter than me to explain how this is possible. All-Intra should, in theory at least, record all frames for higher quality, as opposed to Long-GOP, which prioritizes longer recording times and saves space by approximating “difference” frames.
Lower bit rate Long-GOP flavour at 200Mbps is also available for both UHD and 4K up to 30p. 4K/60p is only in Long-GOP in either H.264 or H.265. Confused yet? Well, sorry but there is also a crop of approximately 1.18x in 4K/60p. No crop, and full-sensor readout for 4K at 24/25/30p.
For those that believe in 2K, and there are plenty, the X-T3 is one of the few that includes a 2K (2048 x 1080) recording option up to 60p in All-Intra H.265; while 1080/120p super-slow motion in the Long-GOP compression at a 200Mbps data rate completes the package.
See the table below for more details on bit rates, codecs, and available resolutions and frame rates on the Fuji X-T3:
You know Fuji mean business with the X-T3 since they gave it to Hollywood DP Matthew Libatique, a frequent collaborator of Darren Aronofsky, to shoot a narrative piece with. See the trailer for “A Different Beyond” below.
A Matthew Libatique film
Written by Jay Zaretsky
Cinematography by Matthew Libatique, ASC
The video features of the X-T3 seem pretty extensive, and there is even a new noise reduction process and new “4K inter-frame NR” function have reduced noise at ISO 12,800 by about 2 stops. The NR process has a greater level of noise-identifying accuracy for appropriate de-noising performance. The 4K inter-frame NR function uses differential data between adjacent frames to reduce noise even further.
In a few months towards the end of 2018, Fujifilm have promised a firmware update for the Fujifilm X-T3 that will give the camera Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), compliant with ITU-R BT.2100 HDR international standards. In addition, due to response to user feedback, a firmware update is also due to give the X-T3 an ability to simultaneously output Film Simulation video and F-log footage.
Furthermore, you can now shoot in F-Log and with the setting of DR400% at ISO 640 as a minimum, as opposed to ISO 800. The Fujifilm X-T3 also gets a USB Type-C (USB3.1 Gen 1) connection so you can use a power bank to charge the camera – a feature I think should be on all mirrorless cameras.
All of this for $1,500 USD, not bad at all. Not bad at all, Fujifilm.
Fujifilm X-T3 Features/Price
- 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 Sensor
- X-Processor 4 with Quad CPU
- UHD and DCI 4K/60 video in H.265
- F-Log Internal & 10-Bit 4:2:2 output
- 2.16m-Point Phase-Detection Autofocus
- 0.75x 3.69m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
- 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Tilting LCD Touchscreen
- Extended ISO 80-51200, 30 fps Shooting
- Dual UHS-II SD Card Slots
- Headphone Jack on the body, not grip!
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi;
- Sports Finder Mode
- Weather-Sealed Magnesium-Alloy Body
- Price: $1,499 body only at B&H / Adorama
- Ships September 20th, 2018
Pre-orders start September 7th, Friday at 1PM ET. For full specs and more info head over to Fujifilm’s website here.
What do you guys think about the X-T3? Any Fujifilm fans here? Or are you considering jumping ship from Canon, Panasonic or Sony? The comments section is yours ladies and gentlemen, let’s keep it civil. Peace.
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