Anyone using the Fuji XT2 or the XT20? Who has gone over to the light(er) side?

sharona

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
After lugging my 7100 and various lenses all over Disneyland and then a week later all over Nashville, I'm done taking my gear with me when I travel. Every vacation I say the same thing after then by the time the next trip comes along I've forgotten how miserable the extra weight was and I do it all over again! No mas!!!! I want something smaller and lighter and more discreet that I can bring on vacations and to family and school events. I have a huge family (27 first cousins!) and I hate to be without my camera when the family gets together but I also want to be able to enjoy myself too.

Originally I was going to go with the XT20 since I plan on keeping my Nikon gear for my artsy flower and macro stuff but I know of quite a few people who ended up trading in their Nikon/Canon stuff and going totally mirrorless after using the Fuji system so now I'm wondering if I should spend the extra $750 to just get the XT2 in case I fall into that category.

XT20 or XT2? I don't really need the weatherproofing or the video capabilities of the XT2 right now...

Thoughts? Experiences? Have you gone totally mirrorless? Using both?
 
Hi Sharona,

I'll start by saying I think I'm probably a little biased as I'm a big fan of Fujifilm cameras. I originally owned the Canon 5D Mark iii and loved it, but was somewhat drawn to the more tactile appearance of the Fujifilm X-T1 with the manual dials so ended up buying one to shoot alongside the 5D. It was a great shooting experience but lacked autofocus speed, dual card slots and a host of other features. I wouldn't have had it as my sole camera. About 6 months afterwards though, the X-Pro 2 came along - this upgraded the sensor, processor, added dual card slots, and loads more. About 2 months after getting it I sold my Canon gear - I think it's that good. I now also own the new X100F, so I'm totally mirrorless. I photograph weddings professionally using this gear and think it's great (although there will always be some people with differing opinions).

While I don't have experience with the X-T2 or X-T20, I do have experience with the X-T1 and X-Pro 2. If you're not interested in the rangefinder form factor or hybrid viewfinder (the X-Pro 2 has both an electronic viewfinder and optical) then you're right to think about the 'T' line as opposed to the 'Pro' line. The X-T2 and X-Pro 2 are almost the same cameras in terms of spec, but I'd argue the X-Pro 2 is more of a niche. If you hadn't yet considered the rangefinder styled X-Pro 2, or for that matter the X100 series cameras then I'd encourage you to - the X100 cameras are very small, light and the X100F has the same sensor / image quality as the Pro2 and T2.

This is all somewhat waffling around your question though (I love the opportunity to talk about these cameras anytime I can!! I think they're pretty underappreciated). In terms of comparing the X-T20 and X-T2 in terms of how well they would do the artsy / macro stuff, they'll both perform equally as well from my understanding. They both have the same sensor (24mp), the same processor, the same ISO capabilities etc. Where they differ is in the video and weather resistance (as you've pointed out), and also in the fact that the X-T20 has a touch screen where the X-T2. The X-T2 has a faster mechanical shutter (but both have an electronic shutter if needed) and the X-T2 does 14fps to the X-T20's 8fps. To me, none of this would particularly matter. The big one for me would be the extra card slot in the X-T2 as you can back-up on the fly. Having said that, it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. For a more detailed comparison you could check out http://cameradecision.com/compare/Fujifilm-X-T20-vs-Fujifilm-X-T2

The Fujifilm cameras all use electronic viewfinders which can take some getting used to after coming from a DSLR. It's incredibly helpful to me to be able to see the exact picture you're going to get before you press the shutter down, but it can be strange at first. I would strongly encourage you to try before you buy on any Fujifilm cameras if you're coming from a DSLR - I found that they felt completely alien after shooting with a Canon for years, particularly with the physical dials (the lenses, for example, also have a manual aperture ring).

There's some good glass out there for these cameras too, especially if you like prime lenses (again, I actually shot with zooms before I switched to Fujifilm) - I currently own the 16mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.2. For such fast lenses they're comparatively affordable which means you can get a load of light in the darkest situations.

The out of camera JPEGs are great and there are some good film simulations that are unique to Fujifilm - I like to shoot RAW + JPEG and 50% of the time I'll use the JPEGs as they come out of the camera...less time at a computer has to be a good thing!

If I had any negatives, it would be that sharpening Fujifilm files in post can be a bit tricky - they can present artefacts quite easily. Also, if you're pixel peeping they're never going to stand up to full frame cameras ... (but I probably wouldn't expect them too anyway).

Hopefully this helps, but I'd love to answer any more questions you might have. While you wont get a sense for image quality so much, here are a couple of casual family candids and general shots I took on our recent trip to Disneyland. These were all shot with the X100F (so same sensor as X-T2 / X-T20) - they won't win any awards but they're real world examples.


DLP-102.jpg DLP-117.jpg DLP-134.jpg DLP-138.jpg
DLP-179.jpg

DLP-238.jpg DLP-285.jpg DLP-077.jpg
DLP-084.jpg
DLP-202.jpg
(I've tried to include a bit of a mix of stuff here, unfortunately no macro, and as you can see I do like a black and white. I've shown some of these in various other threads too, so apologies if anyone's stumbling across this and has already seen them.)
 
After lugging my 7100 and various lenses all over Disneyland and then a week later all over Nashville, I'm done taking my gear with me when I travel. Every vacation I say the same thing after then by the time the next trip comes along I've forgotten how miserable the extra weight was and I do it all over again! No mas!!!! I want something smaller and lighter and more discreet that I can bring on vacations and to family and school events. I have a huge family (27 first cousins!) and I hate to be without my camera when the family gets together but I also want to be able to enjoy myself too.
Originally I was going to go with the XT20 since I plan on keeping my Nikon gear for my artsy flower and macro stuff but I know of quite a few people who ended up trading in their Nikon/Canon stuff and going totally mirrorless after using the Fuji system so now I'm wondering if I should spend the extra $750 to just get the XT2 in case I fall into that category.

XT20 or XT2? I don't really need the weatherproofing or the video capabilities of the XT2 right now...

Thoughts? Experiences? Have you gone totally mirrorless? Using both?

I've gone over to the "lighter side" ...... but not Fujifilm
it's true, mirrorless with "pancake" lens is ideal for travel, vacations and family
The good thing about mirrorless you can still use the big DSLR lens on the mirrorless camera for things like sports and birding (at least with some systems)
.
www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless

Untitled by c w, on Flickr

Untitled by c w, on Flickr
 
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I haven't quite gone 100% mirrorless yet, but I've been shooting smaller and lighter mirrorless cameras alongside my DSLRs since 2011. When I first started with a mirrorless APS-C sensor body, it was probably used for maybe 10-15% of my overall shooting - the DSLR was still supreme. As the mirrorless capabilities got better, each successive body became more and more prominent in my shooting. My second mirrorless body in 2012 started winning me over for about 40% of my shooting...my third mirrorless body started getting up to 60% and passed the DSLR as the primary shooter...now my current mirrorless body is winning about 85% of all my shooting. I was already beginning to emphasize mirrorless over the DSLRs for travel, even from the second body - especially traveling to Disney, where I was using mirrorless most of the time, except maybe at Animal Kingdom and for some night long exposures. But as of my third mirrorless body, I had essentially stopped bringing the DSLR to Disney, and on my last few cruises barely used the DSLR even though I brought it.

The biggest change came with the most recent mirrorless body, that I've had for a little over a year now. The focus speed, tracking, and stickiness has equaled or exceeded what I was getting from my DSLR, making mirrorless really become my preferred body for wildlife and bird shooting, which is a big part of my photography especially when I'm around home. Combined with a very much improved compatibility in focus speed and performance with adapted DSLR lenses on the newest camera, that allowed me to not only use the native mirrorless lenses, but also use my DSLR lenses on the mirrorless body - including the specialty category of long wildlife reach, like my Tamron 150-600mm lens. That used to be the main reason the DSLR bodies stuck around - I'd use them when I really needed the reach. Even within the mirrorless lens lines, they've been filling in the gaps - most mirrorless lens collections regardless of brand now include native lenses ranging from around 10mm to at least 400mm or so...when I first started with mirrorless, there were 3 lenses to choose from in native mount.

I went with another mirrorless line than Fuji, but they're all good, and all getting better. Mirrorless had already become my primary choice for travel, for Disney, and for walk-around and general purpose stuff...and now with the current capabilities and speeds in focus and tracking, it's become my primary choice for wildlife and birding too...leaving the DSLR/full-size body really just tagging along as a second body when I want to have two focal lengths on me. I can certainly foresee a possible future when I don't bother with another DSLR type body, and just go all mirrorless.
 


Hopefully this helps, but I'd love to answer any more questions you might have. While you wont get a sense for image quality so much, here are a couple of casual family candids and general shots I took on our recent trip to Disneyland. These were all shot with the X100F (so same sensor as X-T2 / X-T20) - they won't win any awards but they're real world examples.

Great info, thanks so much! I did end up ordering the Fuji XT2 with the 18-55 2.8 kit lens and it should be here tomorrow! Can't wait to get started. Love the photos you shared.

I've gone over to the "lighter side" ...... but not Fujifilm
it's true, mirrorless with "pancake" lens is ideal for travel, vacations and family
The good thing about mirrorless you can still use the big DSLR lens on the mirrorless camera for things like sports and birding (at least with some systems)
.

Those are nice shots! What body/lens are you using? How far away from that surfer were you? Is that a crop? Really sharp! Good point about using the other lenses. Will have to look into an adapter - although that might ruin the low profile lightweight kit feel that I'm going for... I hate compromises!

I went with another mirrorless line than Fuji, but they're all good, and all getting better. Mirrorless had already become my primary choice for travel, for Disney, and for walk-around and general purpose stuff...and now with the current capabilities and speeds in focus and tracking, it's become my primary choice for wildlife and birding too...leaving the DSLR/full-size body really just tagging along as a second body when I want to have two focal lengths on me. I can certainly foresee a possible future when I don't bother with another DSLR type body, and just go all mirrorless.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds like I'm coming into mirrorless at a good time as far as quality and capability go. I was late to the party on the dslr! If I like the Fuji I'll hold ont my Nikon and a few favorite lenses for now but I went with the XT2 because if I totally love it and decide to go all mirrorless, I don't want to have to upgrade the camera body anytime soon.
 
I have the XT10. I love it and it is light and easy. Just fyi online you can get some adapters to continue using your other lenses but you can't change the aperture. I'm still learning all the bits of the camera but really am enjoying the photos we have gotten with it.

Also if you want really good refurbished and used stuff take a peak at Adorama. I'm local to the location so go in store to look at the stuff before buying but my friends always rave when they come to NYC about how great the used stuff is and how much they save buying lenses new.
 
Great info, thanks so much! I did end up ordering the Fuji XT2 with the 18-55 2.8 kit lens and it should be here tomorrow! Can't wait to get started. Love the photos you shared.



Those are nice shots! What body/lens are you using? How far away from that surfer were you? Is that a crop? Really sharp! Good point about using the other lenses. Will have to look into an adapter - although that might ruin the low profile lightweight kit feel that I'm going for... I hate compromises!



Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds like I'm coming into mirrorless at a good time as far as quality and capability go. I was late to the party on the dslr! If I like the Fuji I'll hold ont my Nikon and a few favorite lenses for now but I went with the XT2 because if I totally love it and decide to go all mirrorless, I don't want to have to upgrade the camera body anytime soon.

Good decision! I've always heard people say that the 18-55 is a fantastic lens by any standard, but especially for a kit lens. Looking forward to seeing some of your Fuji pictures in the future!
 


We went to the lighter side in 2012, tired of carrying the dSLR and lenses. We chose micro 4:3 for the large lineup of lenses. The little cameras won't match full frame (or large format) for low light or shallow depth of field but for most photography they are excellent.
 
G


Those are nice shots! What body/lens are you using? How far away from that surfer were you? Is that a crop? Really sharp! Good point about using the other lenses. Will have to look into an adapter - although that might ruin the low profile lightweight kit feel that I'm going for... I hate compromises!

I don't want to have to upgrade the camera body anytime soon.

the adapter is just a metal ring with contacts.
yes, the surfer pic is a crop, all the EXIF data is there if you click on the Flickr photo link (old original Canon 100-400)

here's the same surfer (much closer)


Untitled by c w, on Flickr

www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless
 
X-t10 user here I went fuji after thinking/dreading carrying a full DSLR (6d and 24-70 + others no doubt) kit this year and so far I'm over the moon, I have the 35mm 1.4 and wholeheartedly recommend that lens, I wouldn't mind something wider but for now I'm very happy
 
X-t10 user here I went fuji after thinking/dreading carrying a full DSLR (6d and 24-70 + others no doubt) kit this year and so far I'm over the moon, I have the 35mm 1.4 and wholeheartedly recommend that lens, I wouldn't mind something wider but for now I'm very happy

I've heard good things about all the primes. Personally, 35 is about as wide as I like to go unless shooting landscapes. I'm not a fan of getting right up in someone's face for portraits so I may try an adapter and see how my Nikon 105 and 50 1.8 perform before I sell them off.
 
I've heard good things about all the primes. Personally, 35 is about as wide as I like to go unless shooting landscapes. I'm not a fan of getting right up in someone's face for portraits so I may try an adapter and see how my Nikon 105 and 50 1.8 perform before I sell them off.

I'm planning to stick with the 35mm as it covers me well for low light, can't wait to tear it out in Disney this year. One thing I am starting to like skit with the x-t10 is how good Jpegs are
 
I think Zackiedawg's post is informative.
I shoot mirrorless with the Sony A6300 and full frame dSLR with Nikon D750.

For those sticking to APS-C, I see very very little reason to bother with traditional dSLR, particularly if you want to reduce size. Unless you really want a pro-built camera like the Nikon D500 or Canon 7dii, the mirrorless alternatives can now match or exceed the capabilities of APS-C dSLRs, in a smaller size, with very little down side. If there is any downside, it is simply battery life, and lens selection. But the gap in lens selection is closing fast. Certainly, for mid-level consumer, there is no lens shortage in mirrorless.
The reason to carry 2 systems, is if each system has particular strengths.
When comparing an APS-C dSLR to APS-C mirrorless, other than perhaps longer battery life, there really are no tangible advantages to the dSLR. Some would say they prefer the optical viewfinder -- And you can make that case in the pro-level cameras like a Nikon D500. But a Canon Rebel or Nikon D3400, etc.. the optical viewfinder is a really tiny cheap viewfinder, it can't compare to a decent EVF or a pro-level OVF.

Plus, in APS-C, and the slightly smaller 4/3, you have plenty of choices -- Sony, Fuji, Canon, Oly and Panasonic.

For full frame, it's a slightly different story --There aren't enough mirrorless choices. You only have Sony. The lens selection has grown tremendously quickly, but there is often a premium in pricing over dSLR lenses. And there isn't a huge size savings in full frame.

I suspect within just 2-5 years, most interchangeable lens cameras will have switched to mirrorless -- Full frame as well . But for now, for aps-c, I see very few reasons to pick a dSLR over mirrorless. For any use outside of professional sports/wildlife shooting. For those who shoot full frame, it's really a somewhat equivalent choice. No compelling reason against mirrorless, but not huge compelling reasons in favor of it either.
 
I think Zackiedawg's post is informative.
I shoot mirrorless with the Sony A6300 and full frame dSLR with Nikon D750.

For those sticking to APS-C, I see very very little reason to bother with traditional dSLR, particularly if you want to reduce size. Unless you really want a pro-built camera like the Nikon D500 or Canon 7dii, the mirrorless alternatives can now match or exceed the capabilities of APS-C dSLRs, in a smaller size, with very little down side. If there is any downside, it is simply battery life, and lens selection. But the gap in lens selection is closing fast. Certainly, for mid-level consumer, there is no lens shortage in mirrorless.
The reason to carry 2 systems, is if each system has particular strengths.
When comparing an APS-C dSLR to APS-C mirrorless, other than perhaps longer battery life, there really are no tangible advantages to the dSLR. Some would say they prefer the optical viewfinder -- And you can make that case in the pro-level cameras like a Nikon D500. But a Canon Rebel or Nikon D3400, etc.. the optical viewfinder is a really tiny cheap viewfinder, it can't compare to a decent EVF or a pro-level OVF.

Plus, in APS-C, and the slightly smaller 4/3, you have plenty of choices -- Sony, Fuji, Canon, Oly and Panasonic.

For full frame, it's a slightly different story --There aren't enough mirrorless choices. You only have Sony. The lens selection has grown tremendously quickly, but there is often a premium in pricing over dSLR lenses. And there isn't a huge size savings in full frame.

I suspect within just 2-5 years, most interchangeable lens cameras will have switched to mirrorless -- Full frame as well . But for now, for aps-c, I see very few reasons to pick a dSLR over mirrorless. For any use outside of professional sports/wildlife shooting. For those who shoot full frame, it's really a somewhat equivalent choice. No compelling reason against mirrorless, but not huge compelling reasons in favor of it either.

That's all part of why I am switching over. So far I'm loving the xt2 but haven't really put it through it's paces yet due to a very busy schedule. 2 more weeks of busy then will have some time to myself.
 
Wow, finally more Fuji users on this forum!!! There's a Fuji thread here somewhere that I believe only myself and Harry contributed to.. So take a look.

I've owned just about all the Fuji lenses and honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. The 18-55 was a great kit lens - maybe the best I've seen. Congrats!
 
Ditto everything they said! I still shoot with DSLRs for work but wanted something smaller to travel with. Picked up a XT10 and 18-55 and 35mm and really want something wider in a prime, maybe the 14mm, but that will have to wait a bit. Love it and haven't felt like there's anything I'm missing (except for my 16-35 - I adore that lens for travel). Trying to figure out what to take this year to Disney and I'm planning on bringing along my good ol' 5d mark ii since it rarely gets used after I upgraded to the markiii, along with the 16-35 but I know my Fuji will get used the most. It's just a great camera and a joy to use. I didn't want to invest a lot into the system in case I didn't like it, but will be saving to upgrade the body next year just to get some of the better features and water resistance. (Especially a dedicated ISO dial - man do I miss that!) I love it the system that much.
 
Just wanted to say thank you for this info. I am sick of my Canon 7D for travel. Camera + lens = tired dad carrying it. It is great for DD's sports or leisure photos. It is not something I want to lug around. The bigger decision for me is if I want to sell it all to go to the mirrorless systems. I don't use my DSLR too often to begin with and size/weight is the main reason.
 
Just wanted to say thank you for this info. I am sick of my Canon 7D for travel. Camera + lens = tired dad carrying it. It is great for DD's sports or leisure photos. It is not something I want to lug around. The bigger decision for me is if I want to sell it all to go to the mirrorless systems. I don't use my DSLR too often to begin with and size/weight is the main reason.

Well, I ended up selling it all! I’m now 100% Fuji. I sold both Nikon bodies and all but one lens which is currently for sale. I ended up with the XT2, 18-55 f/1.8-4, 60mm f/2.8 macro and 50-230 f/4.5-6.7. The Fuji glass is super sharp, even the cheap old version of the 50-230 that I only paid $200 for used, especially when used with the incredible auto focus system in the XT2. The whole kit fits in my small Crumpler 5Million bag and weighs less than half my old 7100 plus 17-70 and 70-300. Sometimes I take just the camera and 18-55 in my large purse. My only complaint is battery life is not as good as DSLR but the batteries are smaller and lighter so it’s easy to carry a couple.

In addition to the light weight low profile plusses, I’ve found that the jpeg colors and sharpness are so good that I barely need to even touch them and very infrequently bother with raw files. I’m enjoying being free of all that time I used to sit at my desk editing. I’ve added an iPad Pro to my gear and have been editing using Affinity photo for iPad. Love being mobile.

Check out the Fuji discussion forums at https://www.fujix-forum.com/forums/
 
Thanks Sharona. I am I am seriously considering listing my gear on eBay and keeping my eyes peeled for deals. I don't know if I can afford the X-T2. I have to buy the 50-140mm f/2.8 for my daughter's sports. If they have a great BF deal or I can find an excellent used version, I might be able to make the reach. Otherwise, I will have to "settle" on the X-T20.
 
If it helps any, I *only* have an x-t10 and it's amazing (my primary camera for professional shooting is a Canon 5diii with L lenses, so that's what I'm comparing to). The X-T20 would be even better. So even if you had to settle I think you'd be pretty happy with it coming from a 7D. The weight just can't be beat!
 

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