Review: Fujifilm X-T1

Most mirrorless cameras are happy being smaller, beginner-friendly, somewhat less-capable alternatives to DSLRs. But the Fujifilm X-T1 has a different goal in mind: It's built to replace a DSLR camera entirely.

Indeed, it's hard to think of a camera that's come closer. While there is perhaps no perfect size for any type of camera, the X-T1 feels just about right for what it can do. It’s big enough for a sizeable hand grip with textured rubber and all the knobs necessary for manual adjustments, but small enough to be more portable than a DSLR. Keep in mind that the X-T1 is closer in size to a DSLR, though. Forget about putting it in your pocket.

Along with satisfying proportions, the X-T1 is built to withstand the elements with a weather-sealed body that operates down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. It'll keep out dust and sand, and shoot in the rain.

Like many recent Fujifilm cameras, the X-T1 will appeal to photographers who like taking control. Almost everything is up front and easy to access. There are dials up top for ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. Levers under those dials and on the front of the camera let you toggle shooting, metering, and focus modes. There are buttons all over the camera to lock focus and exposure, enable focus-assist features, and adjust the camera’s display settings. Six—six!—buttons are customizable, and the excellent Function Setting menu ensures you don’t get lost: It provides a map of each button's setting and lets you change each function on the fly.

If that sounds like a lot of buttons for a smaller-than-DSLR camera, you are correct. The controls do feel a bit compressed. One in particular—a front custom-function one that rests right under your middle finger as you grip the camera—was prone to accidental presses. You'll probably want to use it for your fave preset.

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Fujifilm designed its "X-Trans II" APS-C sensor to behave like film, ditching the Bayer-filter pattern of most image sensors for a more-random color filter to combat moire. Its images have a distinct personality: The colors are a bit cooler and more muted than the happy funtime oversaturation of many cameras. It’s especially great for portraits, thanks to natural skin tones and pleasant bokeh, even with its kit lens. In a nod to Fujifilm’s film heritage, there also are filters that let you simulate different kinds of Fuji film.

As you'd expect from a camera that costs $1,700 as a kit, the X-T1 has a RAW-shooting mode (.RAF files), and it goes a step further by offering RAW-conversion tools in the camera. You can adjust color, white balance, sharpness, and other parameters in a RAW image and save it as a JPEG; there’s your standard RAW+JPEG shooting mode, too. Images look noise-free all the way up to ISO 6,400, but you can push it further than that. The XT-1 has an ISO equivalency range of 200-6,400, expandable to 100-25,600 via the “L,” “H1,” and “H2” entries on its ISO dial.

The phase-detection autofocus on this camera is very fast—quick enough to make adjustments from shot to shot in the X-T1’s 8fps continuous-shooting mode. It worked flawlessly in my hands-on tests, keeping fast-approaching cars in focus as they zipped towards the lens. While shot-to-shot times are blazing fast, the camera does take a few seconds to store a burst sequence. In single-shot mode, the AF works quickly, too—just as long as you’re a foot or more away from your subject. But unless you’re shooting fast-moving objects, the camera begs you to focus manually. To help you out, the X-T1 has a wonderful arsenal of focus-assist tools: Focus-peaking overlays in your choice of color (blue, red, or white) and a “Dual” view in the X-T1’s EVF that shows a magnified view to the right of the full shot composition.

It also comes with a better kit lens than most cameras. The glass has a standard-issue zoom range of 18-55mm, but with a wider maximum aperture at both ends (F2.8 to F4.0) than most. A satisfying click ring near the lens mount lets you adjust aperture settings, so you don't have to take your hand off the lens. A little switch on the side of the barrel turns optical stabilization on and off, and another switch flips between manual and automatic aperture adjustments.

Those accustomed to shooting with a DSLR shouldn't miss the optical viewfinder too much, because the X-T1's eye-level electronic viewfinder may be better than the real thing. The OLED EVF is sharp (2.3 million dots), reacts as quickly to any adjustments as an optical viewfinder would, and bright enough to aid shooting in low-light settings. With the focus-assist and dual-view modes, the EVF helps with manual focusing. If you’d rather shoot at arm’s length, there’s a 3-inch LCD that you can tilt to aid with high- and low-angle shots.

I loved the camera’s bracketing modes, which let you capture several looks with one press of the shutter. The X-T1’s “BKT” setting is customizable, letting you capture three shots at different ISO settings, film-simulation modes, exposure-compensation settings, or white-balance presets at once. Its Wi-Fi functions are also among the best I’ve used, and it’s a fast-access connection thanks to a dedicated (and customizable) Wi-Fi button. The Fujifilm Camera Remote app for iOS and Android gives you remote control over aperture, ISO, filters, and tap-to-focus. You can browse and download photos from the camera’s SD card to a phone or tablet.

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There are a few weak spots, but none of them are major. The X-T1 lacks a built-in flash, but it does come with a detachable unit that plugs into its hot shoe. For a DSLR-level camera, battery life is on the weak side: It’s rated for 350 shots per charge. While it’s weatherproofed, the left door that protects the X-T1’s USB, HDMI, and mic-in ports pops open pretty easily. It also takes three steps to get to Auto mode: Set the lens-barrel switch to “A,” set the shutter-speed dial to “A,” and set the ISO dial to “A.” Despite all the buttons and wheels on this thing, there’s no mode dial.

In terms of price and performance, the X-T1 should be considered a midrange APS-C-sensored DSLR. Deep controls are everywhere, image quality is good at high ISO levels, its EVF will make you forget about optical viewfinders, and its AF speed and manual-focus tools are both impressive. At its price, there’s only one important decision to make: Are you OK with paying between $1,300 to $1,700 for a smallish-but-versatile crop-sensored camera, or should you opt for a full-frame DSLR like the Canon EOS 6D or Nikon D610?