Fujifilm X-T20 - Review 2022

Fujifilm's X-T20 ($899.95, body only) exudes manner. The retro-chic mirrorless shooter is loaded with concrete controls, sports a impact screen, and packs a top-notch image sensor backed by a strong autofocus system. Simply it faces some very stiff competition from a pair of Sony cameras, including the less expensive Alpha 6000 ($649.99), which omits 4K video just is an otherwise first-class performer, and the slightly pricier Alpha 6300 ($999.99), which adds weather condition sealing and matches the 10-T20 in 4K adequacy. But both Sony models offer strikingly different approaches to controls and handling, making the X-T20 an appealing alternative for photographers who prefer the concrete dials around which Fujifilm has designed its command organization.

Blueprint

The X-T20 shares much of its technology with the company's flagship model, the X-T2, but sells for nearly one-half the cost. Information technology as well takes blueprint cues from its sibling, with a look that harkens back to sometime film cameras, in either a two-tone chrome-and-blackness finish, or an all-blackness version.

Like other mirrorless models it features an epitome sensor as large as you get in a consumer SLR, but it's non virtually as thick. The X-T20 measures 3.iii by iv.7 by 1.six inches (HWD) and weighs just 13.5 ounces without a lens. Compare that with our favorite SLR in this cost range, the Catechism EOS Rebel T6s, which is 4.0 by 5.2 by 3.one inches and 1.2 pounds.

There's no vertical shooting grip bachelor, similar at that place is with the X-T2, as that'southward a feature ordinarily reserved for pricier models. Nor is the torso sealed confronting dust and moisture, similar the Ten-T2 is. The Sony Alpha 6300 is, but only when paired with larger, pricier, full-frame FE lenses.

The face up has a couple of controls. There'southward the standard front punch, nestled into the modest handgrip, and a switch to change the focus style betwixt Single or Continuous autofocus, or Manual focus, located at the bottom left corner.

Up top you'll discover a Bulldoze dial to the left of the hot shoe. It lets you lot switch betwixt Single or two speeds of Continuous capture, and also provides quick access to in-photographic camera panoramas and double exposures, art filters, exposure bracketing, and video. A switch to raise the built-in popular-upward flash is at its base of operations.

The shutter speed punch is just to the correct of the hot shoe. It can be gear up from 1 second to i/4,000-second, with options for Automatic operation, Timed exposure, and Bulb capture, which keeps the shutter open for equally long every bit yous hold downward the release. It as well has an integrated switch—information technology changes the photographic camera from customizable operation to full Automatic mode, which is a plus for photographers who may want to let the X-T20 accept control to grab a shot.

The top plate also houses the shutter release, which is threaded and can accept an old school mechanical release cable, and the power switch that surrounds it. There'due south a programmable Fn push button, and an EV compensation dial with physical adjustments from -iii to +3EV in third-stop increments, and a C setting that supports 5 stops of adjustment via the front end control dial.

Delete and Play buttons sit on the rear, at the summit left corner next to the eyecup. The EVF itself has a physical diopter control and a View Mode push that switches between the finder, rear LCD, or activates an eye sensor for automatic switching. The rear control dial is located to the right of the viewfinder, directly in line with its front analogue. It'due south flanked by AEL and AFL buttons to its left and right.

The other rear controls are toward the bottom, nether the thumb remainder and to the right of the LCD. There'due south a Display/Back push, a Q button, and a four-fashion control pad with Menu/OK at its center. The directional controls are all programmable. By default the height direction sets the active focus expanse, the correct controls the flash output, the lesser activates the system to adapt the active focus indicate (when the focus system is set to a manner that supports manual point selection), and left brings up the Film Simulation mode, which allows y'all to change the look of your JPG shots.

Film Simulation is a feature that's sectional to Fuji cameras. Information technology gives you lot the option of emulating one of the company's classic moving picture stocks—Velvia for saturated colors or Acros for a classic blackness-and-white look. You tin even control the amount of extra grain added. If you're non an analog aficionado you can besides stick with the Standard mode (which Fujifilm has named after its Provia slide motion picture) if you want a modern digital look. Personally, my favorite pick is Archetype Chrome, which takes its cues from Kodak's discontinued Kodachrome slide film.

Yous can too use the Q menu to select a Film Simulation. Pressing Q launches an on-screen card with 12 options, including image quality settings, ISO, the self-timer, and display effulgence, amidst others. If the default options don't suit you, rest assured that you tin customize what's shown in the Q menu to your liking. Despite having a touch display, Q is only navigable using the rear buttons and the front end and rear control dials—touching an selection does nothing.

At that place's one command that's noticeably absent-minded from the X-T20: a joystick to select the active focus point. It's included with the X-T2, and even on the X100F premium meaty. If you miss it every bit much as I do you lot can change the four-way rear controller to a mode that always moves the focus point, merely you'll lose use of those four programmable control buttons for other purposes. Yous can too also tap the rear display to set up a focus point, which is a solid option when using the LCD to frame a shot. The X-T20 doesn't support the ability to utilize the rear LCD as a touchpad to move the focus point effectually when using the EVF, an option in many other contempo mirrorless cameras. I'd love to meet Fujifilm add that functionality via a firmware update.

The rear brandish itself is fairly standard in quality, which is a practiced matter. It's 3 inches in size with a 1,040k-dot resolution. It's mounted on a swivel, then information technology tilts up or down, simply it doesn't swing out to face right like the X-T2'southward LCD.

The centre-level EVF is also very strong. Its 0.62x magnification ratio means it isn't as large as the X-T2, but it compares well with others in its grade—the Alpha 6000 sports an EVF that'due south a little fleck larger (0.7x), just not equally sharp. The Sony has a 1,440k design, which lags behind the crisper 2,359k dots in the 10-T20'southward EVF. The EVF tin can't keep up with the 10-T2 in terms of speed, however; information technology refreshes at well-nigh 55fps, while 10-T2 is 60fps at a minimum, with 100fps bachelor when shooting with the addition grip.

Connectivity

Fujifilm X-T20 : Remote Control Wi-Fi is built in. You lot can utilize the free Fujifilm Cam Remote app to transfer images from the Ten-T20 to your Android or iOS device. True to its name, the app also serves equally a wireless remote control. The phone screen shows a Live View feed in real fourth dimension, and full manual controls are available. You can even tap on your smartphone'southward display to focus on a field of study.

A flap on the left side covers three ports—a two.5mm jack that supports microphone input or a wired remote control, and micro HDMI and micro USB for video output and data. Images are stored on SD, SDHC, or SDXC media—there's a unmarried card slot at the lesser, in the same compartment as the bombardment. The carte du jour slot supports UHS-I speeds at virtually.

Functioning and Autofocus

Fujifilm X-T20 : Benchmark Tests The 10-T20 powers on, focuses, and fires in near 0.8-2nd, a solid mark. Its autofocus system is quite fast, locking on in about 0.1-2d in brilliant light, and information technology notches a speedy 0.2-2d in very dim conditions—a focus assist light brightens your target when necessary.

The pinnacle burst rate when using the mechanical shutter tops out at 8fps. The X-T20 can go along that footstep for 22 Raw+JPG or Raw images, or forty JPG shots. Because the memory slot is just UHS-I, information technology can't take advantage of the latest 280Mbps retention cards—even with the fastest card bachelor, y'all'll need to wait a while for all of the images to commit to memory. I clocked 40 seconds for a full burst of Raw+JPG, 32 seconds for Raw, and sixteen seconds for JPG. At that place's also an electronic shutter option, which boosts the capture charge per unit to 14fps at maximum (11fps, 8fps, and 5fps are too selectable), with the same maximum capture rates and like recovery times.

Related Story Run into How We Test Digital Cameras

The autofocus system is shared with the X-T2. It supports 8fps when using the mechanical shutter, with tracking. And at that place are five operation modes bachelor. In addition to a full general purpose fashion, at that place are specific modes to go along to track subjects even if something else passes in forepart of them, to rails subjects that accelerate and decelerate, to lock on to subjects that quickly enter the frame, and to runway subjects that move and change speed erratically. Dissimilar the X-T2, you can't customize the sensitivity and behavior of each of these settings.

In real-world testing, the Ten-T2's focus system performs admirably, even when paired with a relatively dim lens, the XF 100-400mm zoom coupled with a 1.4x teleconverter. Information technology tracks moving subjects when the focus area is ready to the broad portion of the frame, and past selecting the full 325-point focus system and setting the unmarried point selection box to its smallest size, I was able to work around crowded tree branches and lock focus on modest birds with relative ease.

The focus system covers almost the entire width of the sensor, with just the very outer left and correct edges, and a larger expanse at the top and lesser of the frame defective coverage. The more sensitive phase detection points are simply in the central third of the agile focus area—you'll recognize them when using the camera as they appear larger than the contrast points that flank them.

In lab tests I was surprised to see more out-of-focus shots in our standard moving target test than expected. Our examination moves the camera dorsum and forth at a steady pace while firing on a target. Short bunches of shots in our test sequences are out of focus, merely in one case the X-T20 reacquires it keeps upwardly a potent hit rate until the next bunch of missed shots.

The X-T2 performed admirably on the aforementioned test. I did set the camera to place priority on acquiring focus rather than placing emphasis on flare-up speed, only even so the rate slowed to merely 7.8fps. The photographic camera likewise has an electronic shutter option, with a maximum burst charge per unit of 14fps. In the aforementioned test it had an excellent hitting rate, only missing the occasional shot, but because I had the photographic camera ready to prioritize focus, it besides netted vii.8fps. What's happening here, from what I can tell, is that the 10-T20 is doing a amend job adjusting focus with the electronic shutter because information is streaming to the focus system constantly, even as an epitome is being captured.

We've seen improve hitting rates on our lab focus test in cameras with a mechanical shutter, including the Sony Alpha 6000 and 6300, both of which fire at 11fps. But while the Ten-T20 tin can't keep upward with them, it still runs circles around comparably priced SLRs. The Catechism T6s, a strong performer in its form, tops out at 5fps. The 10-T20 has no problems getting every shot in focus at that charge per unit in our lab test, and I enjoyed a strong hit rate at 8fps in the real world.

Image and Video Quality

The 24MP 10-Trans Three CMOS sensor used by the X-T20 has already appeared in other cameras—notably the 10-Pro2, X-T2, and X100F. It'south 1 of the best sensors of its blazon on the marketplace, and it sets itself autonomously from competing cameras in the manner it captures color. The X-Trans color filter array is unique to Fujifilm products, and uses a more complex repeating pattern of scarlet, green, and blue filtered pixels to capture colour—a six-by-six grid, in comparing to the four-by-iv grid used by the more mutual Bayer sensor blueprint.

When shooting JPGs at default settings, the X-T20 curtails dissonance, keeping information technology nether one.5 percentage through ISO 6400, and shows simply 1.vii percent at ISO 12800. Similar to what we've seen in other models with this sensor, paradigm quality holds up quite well through ISO 1600. There'southward some slight smudging of fine detail at ISO 3200, and a bit more than blur tin can be seen at ISO 6400. Images shot at ISO 12800 are more than noticeably blurred, and that trend increases at ISO 25600 and 51200. The corporeality of noise reduction applied to images is adjustable, so you tin tone it downwardly if you adopt more item, only with that comes more noise.

Raw capture is also an choice. Some photographers have complained near the way that Adobe Photographic camera Raw (the engine that powers Lightroom CC) has handled X-Trans images in the past, particularly with complaints of a mushy wait to foliage. That's largely in the rear view, equally the improved resolution of the concluding batch of 24MP Fujifilm models and improvements in Adobe software have addressed many complaints. Still, you may want to consider some other software option to get the absolute best detail out of the Ten-T20'due south Raw files—Iridient is a popular choice.

I used the latest version of Lightroom CC to convert the Raw images included in the slideshow that accompanies this review. Raw images are strong in quality through ISO 3200. There's a niggling loss of visibility in the finest lines of detail in our test image at ISO 6400, and results are similar at ISO 12800. Pushing to ISO 25600 is a flake much—crude grain starts to overtake detail, just information technology's not overwhelming. Noise is more of an consequence at ISO 51200, the maximum ISO setting. As is truthful with the other 24MP Fujifilm cameras we've reviewed, the X-T20 delivers image quality that's among the best you'll get from the APS-C sensor size.

The camera records video at upward to 4K UHD resolution at 30fps or 24fps for clips upwardly to 10 minutes in length. Detail is fantabulous, but footage does show some skew when panning or shooting a subject moving beyond the frame—the bottom half of the paradigm appears to advance slightly faster than the top. The other drawback for moving images is the lack of in-camera stabilization—Fujifilm offers lenses with stabilization, simply not every lens is stabilized. You'll enjoy smooth handheld capture when using a zoom like the 18-55mm F2.8-4, simply handheld video with a non-stabilized prime like the 35mm F2 WR will appear jittery. Models with in-body stabilization will net smoother results with almost whatever attached lens, although they besides suffer when trying to steady long telephoto glass.

Yous can also shoot in 1080p at 24, 30, or 60fps for clips upward to 15 minutes in length. Skew isn't a big result with the lower resolution footage, especially if you opt for a faster frame rate. Regardless of the resolution y'all cull, the camera refocuses quickly and smoothly every bit the scene changes, and you tin utilise whatever movie wait to video just as you do with even so images. You also take the option of connecting an external mic to pick up clear, professional-grade audio—simply call up the 10-T20 uses the smaller, not-standard 2.5mm connector for microphones.

Conclusions

If yous're shopping for a mirrorless photographic camera, you should pay close attention to the Fujifilm X-T20. It offers a few things that others in its class don't, including a number of film looks, solid physical controls, a tilting touch on LCD, and an excellent electronic viewfinder. It'south likewise backed by a robust lens organization, with zoom options covering ultra-broad angles to extreme telephoto distances, some with pro-grade f/2.eight apertures, and a good number of compact prime number lenses that pair quite well with its graceful torso.

The camera faces some really stiff contest in this toll segment, notwithstanding. The Sony Alpha 6000 captures images with very similar quality and as a pretty fantastic autofocus system in its ain right—it'southward EVF isn't as good equally the X-T20's, simply it sells for a couple hundred dollars less. And, moving upward in price, the Alpha 6300 is almost the twin of the 6000 in design, simply matches the X-T20'due south 4K capabilities and EVF quality, and adds conditions sealing when paired with certain lenses.

The X-T20 fits in as an excellent choice for the right photographer—someone who values the mode it feels in the hand and its lens arrangement. Just it'southward not as crowd-pleasing as the more affordable Alpha 6000, which remains our Editors' Choice for entry-level mirrorless cameras.