Gadgetory

I've been looking for the perfect mirrorless camera for years the perfect combination of image quality control and compact size and no compromise package I think I might have found it this is Fuji films new xt-1 camera the new $1,300 xt-1 takes everything fuji film has learned from its earlier models and adds some new things to make it the company's most interesting camera yet the xt-1 features an all new interchangeable lens design complete with a litany of control dials and customizable function buttons the xt-1 is fuji films first weather sealed camera and though it doesn't have the same heft and gravitas of a full-frame DSLR it is really well built and feels solid when you hold it it's diecast metal like a real camera should be and it's covered in a grippy rubber everywhere your fingers touch the control dials all five in total have a more intuitive layout than Fuji films prior cameras and there are six function buttons that are fully customizable including one on the front of the camera that lands directly under my middle finger I've got that set to change my focus points but there's a half-dozen other functions that it can be set to there are many little things on the xt-1 that appealed the seasoned photographers such as the physical switches to change metering or drive modes or the dedicated dial for changing ISO s all of them are designed to keep you out of on-screen menus and focus on your subject other fuji film cameras have taken the look of a classic rangefinder but the xt-1 looks more like a miniature SLR that's because of the massive hump in the middle of the camera that houses its brand-new electronic viewfinder electronic viewfinders are typically taking a backseat to traditional optical viewfinders but one look at the XT ones will change even the most die-hard SLR shooters opinion it's positively massive has an incredibly high resolution and according to fuji film has 1/10 the lag of prior viewfinders there's also a high resolution tilting LCD panel on the back of the camera which works great for reviewing photos after the fact you can shoot with it too just like any other digital camera but if you're passing up the opportunity to hold this camera up to your eye and peer into its viewfinder you're really missing out autofocus on the xt-1 is lightning quick it's easily one of the fastest mirrorless cameras have ever used and fuji claims that its point zero eight second lock time is the world's fastest and compared to other mirrorless cameras the xt one hunts less in low-light and finds focus more reliably all of those things matter little the xt one doesn't have great image quality unfortunately it's really solid there as well it's got the same 16 megapixel x-trans aps-c sensor using Fuji films x100s and xc2 and it's just as impressive here it's got great colour reproduction captures a lot of detail and can be pushed to high ISOs without turning into a noisy mess Fuji films colours technology draws a lot from its years of experience producing films and it shows in the way it's able to reproduce skin tones and other difficult colors in a pleasing and attractive way it shoots 1080p video at 60 frames per second but the video features are definitely taking a backseat to the stills it's also the first Fujifilm camera to have remote shooting via smartphone and that's actually really impressive the xt-1 is built-in Wi-Fi lets you transfer images to your phone or use the Android or iOS apps to take photos with the camera complete with full control over exposure and settings it's really fast and responsive and doesn't have the lag that I've seen on other camera remote apps I tested the xt-1 with Fuji films 18 to 55 millimeter kit lens and a couple of it's faster primes the 35 millimeter 1.4 and the 27 millimeter to 8 pancake all of these lenses are made of metal and have a higher level of build quality than it's typically found on mirrorless cameras that isn't to say there aren't some nagging things on the xt-1 that I'm really not a huge fan of the 4 way buttons on the back of the camera are small and fiddly and the rear control dial can be really hard to use when you have the camera up to your eye it also suffers some pretty poor battery life a common problem with mirrorless cameras but when looked at as a whole in the grand scheme of things those are pretty minor complaints and they don't take away from the overall package the Fujifilm XC 1 isn't a camera for everybody it's a focus tool for experienced photographers that know the principles of photography at $1,300 for the body or $1,700 with an 18 to 55 millimeter lens the xt-1 isn't really priced for the casual photographer either it's like Fujifilm listen to what a lot of photographers were asking for and then included them in its camera without compromising on what it's set out to do with the series make a compact camera that offers great image quality it doesn't have the wow factor of a full-frame camera like Sony's a7 but it offers a better shooting experience and still has the image quality that demanding photographers look for it and really at the end of the day it's just a fun and rewarding camera to shoot with it makes it really hard for me to put down you