The Fujifilm X-Pro3 updates the X-Pro2, with a new 26mp BSI CMOS sensor and 4K video. The X-Pro3 was previously announced as being in development, showing the camera with a hidden LCD screen, and a new film mode, but now, Fujifilm has officially announced the X-Pro3, with full details on the new camera. Find out how it performs, and what makes it unique, in our review.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 Features
The Fujifilm X-Pro3 features the same sensor as the X-T3 and X-T30, with a 26mp BSI CMOS sensor, for not only increased resolution but also improved low-light performance. As you’d expect from a premium Fujifilm X-Series camera, the sensor is an X-Trans CMOS sensor, which is also designed to give improved colour, lower moire, and noise benefits. With the X-Pro3 there have been a number of updates which have been developed following feedback from X-Pro photographers.
The camera has been “built to last” according to Fujifilm, with a “Pro” body with magnesium alloy shell, and top and bottom plates made from titanium. Using Titanium, this has 50% of the weight of stainless steel and is also said to be less corrosive. It's said to be 7x stronger than stainless steel, smooth and the DURA version is scratch resistant. There's a laser-etched logo, and the use of Titanium means there is a labour-intensive process of manufacture. The camera will be available in three variants, including:
- Titanium DURA black - with Duratec (TM) coating
- Titanium DURA Silver - also with Duratec (TM) coating
- Titanium Black
The camera weighs 497g (with battery and memory card), measures 140.5x82.8x46.1mm and has a weather-sealed body, with 70 weather-sealed locations. The camera no longer has an HDMI port, which may limit the camera's appeal for (more advanced) videographers.
The updated Electronic Viewfinder is another key part of the camera, and offers a high resolution of 3.69m dots.
It’s a new hybrid electronic/optical viewfinder, it is clearer, with less distortion, and has a higher eye point 17mm, a larger angle of view (27degrees), with newly designed optics (X-Pro2 was 24degrees), all designed to give an improved user experience. The resolution has been increased to 3.69m dots, it also offers a 1:5000 high contrast ratio, with sRGB 97%, 1500cd brightness, and 100fps (with boost mode enabled) with motion blur reduction. The electronic viewfinder is using an OLED display.
On the back, you’ll notice something a bit different… the screen is now “hidden” in normal use, with a second “sub monitor” on the back that can be used to show the film simulation type, or the camera settings (shutter, aperture, exposure, ISO, file settings, inc file size, WB, film), it can also display the remaining number of shots possible, as well as remaining battery life. The rear sub monitor is a low-power unit, that is said to use barely any power, and continues to be displayed even when the camera is switched off. It does use some power, and taking the battery out will result in the screen going off.
The Chimp Paradox*
To "chimp" or not? The term chimping refers to the habit of checking the rear LCD screen after every shot to check if you nailed the shot (Wikipedia). With the X-Pro3 the camera is designed to give you an "Instant Street Camera", in the style of an old film camera, and trying to check every shot after shooting can be a challenge. You can flip the screen down, press play, and view the photos but this is much slower than on other cameras and does suggest that this is a camera that isn't designed for chimping. Using the screen tilted is another option although this does feel odd at times, and you'll quite quickly want to fold the screen away. Another way of shooting is using the electronic viewfinder with image review switched on.
It's a camera that makes you think about how you shoot and if your style of photography is to use an EVF or OVF and not review or chimp every photo then the X-Pro3 will be an ideal solution. If you don't want to switch away from an optical viewfinder, then the X-Pro3 gives you both an OVF and EVF. However, if you want to use the screen or do use the screen a lot on your camera then the X-Pro3 is likely to slow you down and also quite potentially frustrate you at times. It's also noticeable the delay in getting into the menus, compared to other cameras. For those that already own an X-Pro camera, the 3 could be the logical next step. *The Chimp Paradox is also the name of a book.
When you do tilt the screen down, you get a high-resolution 1.62m dot resolution, and it’s also a touch screen. The idea behind the Hidden LCD is that it enables you to “experience a rangefinder camera” encouraging you to use the Hybrid OVF/EVF. So that you simply set-up the camera how you want it, and then go and shoot without worrying about menu settings and options, and instead use the external controls when and if you need to. Just like the X-Pro3 and other X-Series cameras, there is direct access to shooting settings, including the shutter speed, ISO speed, aperture*, and exposure compensation, with dedicated dials for these. *An aperture control ring can be found on the lens, as long as you’re using an XF lens, rather than an XC lens.
Users of Fujifilm X-Pro2 said they mostly used the viewfinder - not the screen. This has given Fujifilm the confidence to rethink the design of the camera and introduce this new monitor and sub-monitor setup.
There's a new film simulation: Classic Negative, plus new black and white monochromatic colour options (cool to warm +/- 18 steps, magenta-green +/- 18 steps). You can also output 8/16-bit TIFF files. In addition, grain effect control has been added letting you adjust roughness, and size of the grain. Other options include clarity control +/- 5, WB settings using Kelvin settings, from 2,500K to 10,000K, and a new colour chrome effect blue.
Focus and shooting - Key Updates
- -6 EV PDAF, drives PDAF pixels separately for capturing enough light to detect phase under low-light
- AF range limiter option available
- 0.02/0045sec shutter release lag (OVF/EVF)
- In-camera HDR 800% (with a natural look)
- Advanced multi-exposure – can be up to 9 frames (different blending options)
- Focus bracketing auto-calculation (set start and endpoint), calculates how many shots it needs to take up to 999 (manually)
The camera offers continuous shooting speeds of 11fps using the mechanical shutter, 20fps using the electronic shutter (at 26mp), or 30fps cropped, again using the electronic shutter.
The X-Pro 3 uses the same 26mp APS-C BSI CMOS (X-Trans IV) sensor as the Fujifilm X-T3 / X-T30, with an ISO range of ISO160-12800 (which can be extended to a low of ISO80, and a high ISO51200).
The camera can record up to 15 minutes of 4K DCI-CINE/UHD video. The fastest frame rate for 4K video recording is 29.97fps, with 25 and 24fps also available. Stereo microphones are built-in, and there’s also a microphone socket included.
The camera offers a battery life of 370 shots, when using the EVF, more when using the optical viewfinder. USB Type-C charging and operation is possible.
Key Features
- 26mp APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS sensor
- 3.69m dot EVF, with Hybrid optical viewfinder
- Hidden 3.0inch 3:2 aspect ratio touch-screen, 1.62m dots
- Additional 1.28inch colour sub-monitor
- ISO160 to ISO12800, extends to ISO80 to ISO51200
- 11fps continuous shooting, up to 20/30fps
- 14-bit Raw, compressed/uncompressed
- Face and Eye-detection, Phase-detection AF
- New HDR 800 / HDR Plus modes
- 4K DCI/UHD video recording, 30/25/24fps
- Dual UHS-II SD Card slots
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in
- Weather-sealed magnesium / titanium body
- Available in black, Dura Black, or Dura Titanium
Fujifilm X-Pro3 Handling
The front grip gives a large rubber area to hold on to, and you’ll also find one on the back for your thumb, again with a rubber area. These grips may look small compared to the grip found on a DSLR or DSLR-style camera, however, these actually providing a re-assuringly competent area to hold on to. The camera feels secure in your hand, even when holding it with one hand.
The build quality is excellent, thanks to a titanium top and bottom, with the main body featuring a magnesium alloy construction. The camera is weather-sealed, and use in the rain (with WR lenses) caused no problems. If you want a scratch-proof camera, then you’ll need to look at the DURA coated versions, which have scratch-proof top and bottom plates, as well as an increased price.
Switching between the optical viewfinder and the electronic viewfinder can feel a little strange at first, as the optical viewfinder can show a much wider view (depending on which lens you are using), and will show an outline of the actual picture in the frame. However, if you use a wide-angle lens, such as a 16mm lens or wider, then the framing lines disappear, and the view in the OVF is narrower than what will be recorded by the camera – in these situations, use of the EVF is recommended. When using the electronic viewfinder, the view is very clear and looks good, with a high-quality image visible.
Using the rear “sub monitor” you can display the film simulation type, in a clear nod to old SLR cameras, where you would put a cardboard section from your film box in the back of the camera slot. You can also adjust the sub monitor to display your current shooting settings, which can be much more useful. Getting to the sub monitor display settings can take some time, as you need to go through a number of menus to get to the settings. It would be nice if you could use the rear sub monitor to change settings using the Q button, but unfortunately, you’ll need to swing the monitor down or use the EVF to change settings. This can slow down changing settings, and may take some getting used to. The sub-monitor does not feature a backlight, and works best in bright conditions, with it becoming difficult to view the screen when light levels drop.
To use the rear screen, you tilt it down, however, if you have a tripod mount attached to the bottom of the camera, this can hinder how far you can flip the screen down and can make it difficult to use the camera in a studio environment, where you might not want to use the OVF/EVF. The rear screen offers a 3inch 3:2 aspect ratio, and 1.62million dots, giving a very clear view, with great colours and good viewing angles.
There are plenty of direct controls on the camera, letting you adjust the shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, and ISO speed directly, without having to go into any menus. To adjust the ISO speed you have to pull up the ring around the shutter speed dial, and then turn to the desired speed. This is displayed in a neat little window. You can also leave this on A (Auto), or set it to C (Custom) so that you can adjust it electronically, and this is likely to be quicker if you regularly change the ISO speed.
As for speed, the X-Pro3 offers 11fps (Approx.) using the mechanical shutter, letting you shoot up to 145 frames as JPEG. You can shoot 42 shots using Lossless compression, and up to 36 shots as Uncompressed RAW. Slower continuous shooting speeds are available, as shooting at 11fps and above can result in a lot of photos to pick through.
Like the X-T3 (and X-T30), the camera offers up to 20fps continuous shooting at full resolution, using the electronic shutter, and up to 30fps in a cropped mode, with a 1.25x crop and 16mp images.
Battery life is rated at 370 shots with using the electronic viewfinder (EVF), or up to 440 shots when using the optical viewfinder (OVF). Battery life figures for using the screen are not provided. Charging is possible using the USB Type-C connection, and the camera uses the same battery type as other X-Series cameras.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 Performance - Sample Photos
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 (X-Pro3) Sample Photos
Fujifilm cameras offer excellent colour reproduction, the X-Pro3 is no exception. On default settings, the colours are bright, and saturated, but not too saturated, unless you switch to Velvia, and then the saturation is ramped up.
The new film simulation mode, and additional shooting controls (for film grain etc) give the camera the ability to give a different look, although Fujifilm has said that these options may be introduced into the X-T3 and X-T30.
With new film simulation options, you can choose a colour style that suits you, and if you shoot JPEG+RAW you can also go back to the raw file and re-process or choose a different film simulation mode if you don’t like the results. The camera features built-in raw processing, so it’s easy and quick to quickly adjust a photo on the camera. In addition to the film simulation modes, you also have options to adjust highlight/shadow tone curve, colour, sharpness, noise reduction, clarity and more.
We aren’t surprised to find that the X-Pro 3, with the same image sensor, and image processor as the X-T3, delivers image quality that is very similar to the X-T3 / X-T30 cameras.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 (X-Pro3) White-balance test images
White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) performance under tungsten lighting gives a warm result, with the tungsten preset giving a slightly improved result. Under mixed lighting, the results are similarly warm in appearance. AWB performs extremely well under fluorescent lighting, with the fluorescent presets giving a colour cast. Unlike other cameras, there are no "White" or "Warm" auto white balance options, so for more accurate product shots on a white background, it's likely you'll need to use manual white balance.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 (X-Pro3) ISO test images
Noise Performance - We took these photos showing the full ISO range. Under ISO160, the camera is using an extended, Low ISO range, and the dynamic range captured in these is lower than normal. As with the X-T3 and X-T30, noise performance is excellent, with low levels of noise, even at higher ISO speeds, and the camera maintains detail and colour saturation even when using higher ISO settings. The ISO range can be extended down to ISO80, and up to ISO51200, although you'll need to use the 'C' / Custom setting on the ISO speed dial, as this goes from ISO160 to ISO12800.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 (X-Pro3) Scene modes
The HDR shooting modes take 3 photos at different exposures and combines them in-camera for an image with increased dynamic range, with options of HDR200, HDR400, HDR800 and HDR Plus. Fujifilm says the HDR Plus mode has been designed to give a natural look, using "computational photography".
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 (X-Pro3) Digital filters
Film Simulation - With a number of film simulation modes you can choose a style or look for your photos that suits you. These also give a different tone, for example, the Eterna film simulation gives less contrast, and therefore there is more dynamic range recorded in the image, and shadows are less likely to be underexposed.
Fujifilm colour settings, once you switch from the defaults are more about recording a “memory” or how you remember the scene rather than technical accuracy. With this, the new “Classic Negative” film simulation gives you an image that has lower saturation and a look more reminiscent to film from the 70s. These are all based on Fujifilm colour film technology from Fujifilm’s vast array of colour knowledge.
Each film setting may or may not be to your tastes, so it’s worth spending some time deciding which you prefer. Alternatively, you can edit the raw files in the camera and adjust (and choose) the film setting after shooting.
Nb. Photos with "PP" taken with a pre-production camera, not running final firmware.
Video Samples - The camera offers 4K CINE, and 4K UHD (30fps) video recording with a 15minute limit. The Eterna film simulation is designed to give a flat looking colour profile with enhanced dynamic range. The lack of image stabilisation is very noticeable in this video but is less noticeable when using a wide-angle lens. You can find additional videos on the ePHOTOzine YouTube Channel.
Value For Money
There are very few cameras that offer an optical viewfinder in this form factor. If you want a mirrorless camera with an optical viewfinder, then you can have a look at the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X-Pro2 or X-Pro1. Other options include the Leica M series of digital rangefinders (which start at around £3750). If you don’t need or want to change lenses, then the Fujifilm X100 series also offers an optical viewfinder – the latest version is the 24mp X100F, with 23mm f/2.0 lens, and a price tag of around £1169.
This makes the price of the X-Pro3, £1699 body only, difficult to directly compare with other cameras. If you’re looking at the X-Pro3 vs the X-Pro2, then the X-Pro3 is clearly at a higher price point, with the X-Pro2 being £1349 (RRP). If you compare the camera to a Leica M series, then it offers a much more affordable option. It’s also come to the point where if you bought the X-Pro3, then it’s unlikely you’ll need to upgrade or replace the camera.
Other premium mirrorless camera alternatives can be found in our list of premium mirrorless cameras.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 Verdict
The Fujifilm X-Pro 3 offers a unique shooting experience, one that isn’t designed to appeal to every photographer. In fact, it’s always been about giving a rangefinder experience, and the X-Pro 3 continues to do this.
The X-Pro3 maintains the core design and handling principles of the X-series, with external control for aperture, shutter, ISO, exposure compensation, and this makes the camera a tactile camera to use. Something you can adjust even with the camera switched off, and with the optical viewfinder, you can also use the camera when it is off.
You will either love it, and want it, or you will find it odd that the screen is hidden from view. Due to the screen being hidden the majority of the time, accessing it can be slower, and therefore it can make it a slower process to change settings. You can change settings using the EVF, but you may not want to.
At the core of the camera is an excellent sensor and image processor that gives not only excellent image quality, but a high-speed shooting experience with rapid focus, and fast continuous shooting. There is a range of X-mount lenses, and there should be something to suit most photographers.
The Fujifilm X-Pro3 updates the X-Pro2 with the internals from the X-T3, adding a number of new features along the way. Some of these, such as the great new film simulation mode, and additional options will find their way to the other cameras in the range via a firmware update. But for those wanting a digital rangefinder with an optical viewfinder / updated electronic viewfinder, the X-Pro3 offers a unique shooting experience.
| The Fujifilm X-Pro3 offers excellent image quality and a good range of lenses, as well as a unique shooting experience. It's not for everyone, but for those that want a traditional rangefinder-style camera, then the X-Pro3 is lust-worthy. |
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