New Camera — Fujiflm X-E3

I love my Fujifilm XE2s.

In fact, I like it so much I could not resist investing in the Fujifilm X-E3, which while only slightly smaller, looks and feels a lot smaller — I included a quarter in the picture to show just how small these cameras are. The X-E3’s higher resolution sensor and improved lowlight handling should be very useful for a lot of the pictures I take. I’ve already uncovered a load of little ergonomic improvements that are really good. A frame around the image in the viewfinder so you can see where the image ends when shooting in the dark, the addition of a customizable menu, and RGB exposure histograms — complete with an overexposure warning.

I’ve spent the afternoon setting it up and generally playing with it. Now I’m looking forward to getting used to the E3 and learning how to get the best from it. Next weekend I’ll be using it for work — I’ve got a couple of new rector installations to photograph.

By-the-way, my X-E2s isn’t going anywhere, it will become Ginger’s studio camera replacing the trusty ten-year-old Nikon D40x which just keeps on going (and is what I used to take this picture).

Fujifilm X-E3 — First Impressions, and My experience vs Comments I’ve read

• It’s so small! I know it isn’t really a lot smaller than the X-E2s, but it feels and looks like it is. I’ve not had any trouble handling the camera — but I’ve yet to try my heavy 18-135 zoom on it.
• The EVF works a treat, and I’ve not had any problems with the change in EVF size or eyepoint. If anything it’s clearer for me than the X-E2s. Note: I wear glasses and have a strong prescription.
• Lightroom reads the Raw files with no problems whatsoever (the latest Classic version of Lightroom).
• The Arcos film simulations are well worth all the brilliant reviews they’ve been receiving.
• On-Off switch I’ve read some criticisms of it, I found it fine.
• The Image quality is not a huge leap up from the X-E2s (comparing shots taken side-by-side) but the improved cropping options from the increased number of pixels are very welcome.
• The Remote Tethering to a cellphone is great (when it works), but getting Bluetooth to find and recognize the camera/phone is really painful. However, anyone who owns a Fitbit will already know how awful Bluetooth can be at finding and making connections.
• The Swipe Function to replace the Dpad – is totally unusable. My experience so far is that about one in ten swipes gets correctly recognized, the other nine times the swipe is either completely ignored, or the wrong option comes up. That’s just not good enough.
• I do like the touchscreen for reviewing and zooming in on the pictures I’ve taken.
• The High ISO options are so noisy as to not be of use. 8000 is about as high as I’d want to push it. So a slight gain. I’ve yet to do a comparison at 6400.

Fujifilm X-E3 — Things I missed or didn’t read in the reviews

• Picture Frame – This has been on my wishlist for ages. You can turn on a frame around the image so that you can see where the edge of the frame is when shooting in the dark. So simple – I hope this appears in a firmware update for the X-E2s.
• My Menu – So much better than the Q-menu. Your very own menu, no indecipherable icons with indecipherable acronyms for the options. When I’m working on a shoot, and under pressure, my memory goes. I need all the help I can get in making changes fast. Having a list of your most used menu options in plain English with the options listed in full is great. Only having to scroll rather than move in two dimensions is much faster to navigate too. Next, I need to reassign the Q button to My Menu. I hope ‘My Menu’ also appears in a firmware update for the X-E2s.
• RGB Histograms, with overexposure indication. I’ve assigned this to the Fn button, and it is great.
• Sound, You can’t disable all the sounds with a single option selection. On the X-E2s, you can disable Flash and sounds with a single option. I can’t find an equivalent on the X-E3. So I’ve decided to turn all the sounds off permanently. I can’t have beeps when I’m shooting a church service. With my X-E2s I’d only disable sounds during the service.
• ISO adjustment on the front dial. Magic.

Copyright © 2017 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

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