Fujifilm X-T200 Review: All the Camera You Need
Fujifilm X-T200 review: all the cameras you need
"With substance and style, Fuji's second attempt at an X-T entry-level camera is successful."
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Great design
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Function control layout
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Large high resolution screen
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4K / 30 video
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Improved auto focus
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No image stabilization in the body
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Continuous AF could be better
When I complained about the slow autofocus of the Fujifilm X-T100 in my video review in 2018, I did a lot of flack on YouTube.
"Dude, what do you expect from this camera? This is an entry-level camera (sic). Lol, ”said an angry observer.
"OMG is realistic," said another.
What people seemed to be missing is that autofocus performance is at least as important in entry-level cameras as it is in professional models.
Yes, there are high-end cameras that have been specially developed for shooting sports and offer autofocus performance beyond the rest. For the most part, however, a professional or enthusiastic photographer is the one who spends more time on exposure – they can afford to be patient. Because of this, the Hasselblad X1D II 50C can have a notoriously slow auto focus, and still costs $ 5,750.
You can find Leica rangefinders worth over $ 8,000 that have no auto focus at all.
However, a casual photographer who tries to take a photo of his child or dog does not have the luxury of patience. The camera has to work. Now.
The X-T100 looked even worse after Sony brought its real-time autofocus to the entry-level A6100. There is no longer an excuse for an entry-level camera with poor autofocus.
When the X-T100 has fiddled, the X-T200 has picked up the ball and started running. It brings back everything I loved about the X-T100 while fixing its biggest problems. This is Fujifilm's biggest effort so far to produce a premium camera for an entry-level customer.
At $ 600 for the camera body or $ 700 with a 15-45mm kit lens (tested), this is also an exceptional value.
design
It may be an entry-level camera, but the X-T200 is the photographic equivalent of getting dressed for the job you want, not the job you have. Style is still Fujifilm's main advantage over rival Sony, and I don't think that's a point that needs to be emphasized lightly. The appearance of a camera can inspire you to use it. If all other factors are the same, you can choose the camera that looks best around your neck.
Nor is it all form about function. The multiple dials that give the camera its retro look offer a lot of direct access control, but are easily ignored by anyone who finds their presence complicated. Compared to single-digit X-T cameras, the X-T200 may have run down, but you still have special dials for shutter speed and aperture, so many entry-level cameras, especially DSLRs, don't require a modifier button.
There is also a function wheel on the left shoulder that can be programmed for numerous settings. By default, film simulations (color profiles, with any other name) are run, but I found that reprogramming for ISO control was much more useful – and brought it in line with my personal X-T2, which has a dedicated ISO dial-up position .
Compared to the X-T100, it usually runs as usual, but there are some notable design changes. The first is the built-in handle. Because it's so small, it's not the most ergonomic grip in the world, but it helps your hand find a solid buy for the camera. On the other hand, this somewhat ruins the clean lines that have given the X-T100 such a classic, minimalist look. This camera was supplied with a screw-on accessory handle.
The electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million points is unchanged, but that's pretty solid for this camera class. However, the LCD touchscreen is new. It measures 3.5 inches with a resolution of 2.78 million pixels in a 16: 9 ratio, making it larger and sharper than the X-T100. This screen is shared with the X-T200's sister camera, the Fujifilm X-A7, and is one of the best I've used for an entry-level camera.
On the back of the camera is the four-way button cluster of the X-T100, which has been replaced by a joystick to select the auto focus point. Although I appreciate the recording, I would prefer to have both the joystick and the buttons, but such a setup seems to be reserved for single-digit X-T cameras. It wouldn't have matched the new, wider touchscreen, which also offers a new user interface – also borrowed from the X-A7 – to replace some of the functions of lost keys.
However, the X-A7 does not have a viewfinder. With this camera you always stare at the LCD screen. Touch controls are therefore more useful. You can see what you need to touch. However, if you keep an eye on the viewfinder of the X-T200, you cannot use the touch controls. Physical buttons that let you navigate by feel would have worked better.
This is an admittedly minor complaint. The X-T200 offers more control than most customers want or need.
Image quality and functions
I appreciate the level of control for manual mode, but the truth is that most people who buy the X-T200 are likely to rely on automatic exposure at least initially. Fortunately, that works well too.
Fujifilm's Advanced Scene Recognition Auto mode (identified by the SR position on the mode dial) adapts to the scene and subject. I found that it did a good job of both focusing and exposure, balancing highlights and shadows in a high-contrast scene. Portraits (in this case selfies – hooray for social distancing) were exposed perfectly.
JPEGs, both in detail and in color, look fantastic directly from the camera, which is not surprising to Fujifilm. You can get more out of the files by shooting RAW, but casual photographers won't want to stick to JPEG.
When you put the screen in the selfie position, the auto focus for face and eye detection is automatically activated in every exposure mode (you can also activate it for non-selfies in the menu system). It worked very well, with the focus box sticking to my eye or face even when I moved the camera quickly.
While it performs admirably for single shots, it is a little less reliable for continuous shooting or video if the subject moves towards or away from the camera. Still, I think performance would be fine in most real-world situations. The camera records around 16 RAWs or 25 JPEGs at 8 frames per second, which is not bad for the class.
There are also numerous sub-modes for the self-timer to fire the camera based on what it sees. You can choose to have an image taken when a face, smile, "buddy" or group is displayed. I couldn't test the last two closely, but the triggers for face and smile work pretty well, though they didn't always recognize my smile (maybe it could see that I was faking it). I'm also not sure how useful it is to release the shutter when a face appears in the frame, but you might find a use for it.
What is more impressive is that it includes a number of advanced features that I would not expect from a camera of this level, such as interval shooting and time-lapse movies in the camera. There is also an advanced bracketing mode that allows you to set up to seven exposures in steps of 1/3 to 3 stops. There is even a built-in flash commander mode that enables remote flash control.
These are not features that the novice photographer is likely to deal with, but it's nice that Fujifilm includes them. It means that you should use the X-T200 sufficiently for some time.
Video
The X-T200 now offers true 4K images at 24 or 30 frames per second and is suitable for videos. The X-T100 offered 4K, but only at 15 fps, which basically makes it unusable.
And that's not all. The X-T200 can also record Full HD at 120 fps for slow motion playback. The clean HDMI output – but without 10-bit color or the flat F-Log profile from high-end Fujis – is suitable for use as a webcam. An HDR (High Dynamic Range) film mode helps maintain color and detail in high-contrast scenes, although it's limited to 1080p.
There is no sensor shift stabilization yet, but the optical stabilization in the kit lens works well for videos. There are also two forms of digital stabilization: Digital Image Stabilizer and Digital Gimbal. The latter is more extreme, but leads to a strong cropping of the video. In practice, I didn't find that useful either – but maybe a non-stabilized lens would help with standard digital stabilization. If you were not filming while running, I would avoid the digital gimbal as it sacrifices too much resolution.
For reasons I don't understand, the lowest ISO available in film mode is 400 – compared to 200 for still images – which can be problematic when shooting outdoors in direct sunlight. However, you can at least record videos in full manual exposure by turning the mode dial to M and then pressing the appropriate start / stop button for recording. If you instead turn the mode dial to the red film mode icon, you are limited to automatic exposure.
Our opinion
The X-T200 is exactly the camera it needs to be. While performance may not be perfect, it is far above the frustrating X-T100. It is a capable and elegant machine for the casual photographer.
Enthusiasts might want to save for the X-T30, which is between the X-T200 and the flagship X-T3 and X-T4, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the wealth of advanced features of the X-T200. Not only is this a great first camera for beginners, it also offers plenty of room to grow for anyone who wants to turn their photographic hobby into a passion.
Is there a better alternative?
The Sony A6100 is the obvious comparison. It's the winner when it comes to autofocus, but otherwise the X-T200 is the nicer camera. Sony's screen is much less detailed at 3 inches and less than a million pixels. The situation is similar with the EVF, which has only 1.44 million pixels. The X-T200 simply feels like a premium product, even if it doesn't outperform the A6100.
How long it will take?
In contrast to the X-T100, the X-T200 is designed for several years. From the point of view of specifications, I don't see much room for significant improvement, other than minor improvements and continued auto focus optimizations.
Should you buy it
Yes. For most people, the X-T200 is the camera you need – but I would recommend investing in some better lenses.
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