Reviews |Fuji X-T20: price, specs, release date confirmed

Fuji X-T20: price, specs, release date confirmed

Fuji X-T20: price, specs, release date confirmed
News

Fujifilm has unveiled the 24.3-megapixel Fuji X-T20 – price tag £799 – the latest addition to its X-series of cameras, which boasts a new tilting touchscreen and 4K video recording.

The Fuji X-T20 offers an updated APS-C-size X-Trans CMOS III sensor, which Fuji claims reduces moire and false colours due to its random pixel array and lack of an anti-aliasing filter.

Enhanced signal processing technology in the new sensor helps keep noise at bay and improves the new Fuji camera’s sensitivity over its predecessor up to ISO 12,800 – a setting that was only available as extended on the X-T10.

Fuji GFX 50S review

Fuji X-T20 Autofocus System

Along with the sensor, Fuji says it has also reworked its AF algorithm in the X-T20.

Fuji says the revamp allows the X-T20 for focus more accurately on low-contrast subjects with finer detail, like animal fur, than the X-T10 could. Meanwhile the X-T20’s Contrast AF system’s read speed has been doubled over its predecessor, now covering 85% of the frame.

In the revamped autofocus system, Fuji has expanded the X-T20’s number of phase-detection AF points to 91 – up from 49 in the X-T10, covering approximately 40% of the imaging area.

Fuji claims its on-sensor phase detection AF system can focus in 0.06sec.

New AF modes include Single Point mode for when your subject is stationary, and a Zone mode for moving subjects, which allows photographers to select a 3×3, 5×5 or 7×7 zone of sharpness from the camera’s 91 AF points.

There’s also a new Wide/Tracking mode, which is a combination of the Wide mode (during AF-S), in which the camera automatically identifies and tracks the area in focus across the 91-point AF area, and the predictive Tracking mode (during AF-C), which uses the entire 91-point area to continue tracking a subject.

This mode enables continuous focusing on a subject that is moving up and down, left and right or towards and away from the camera.

The X-T20 also features a new AF-C Custom setting, which in the Continuous AF  mode lets you choose from five AF presets that are tailored to track five different types of subject movements. Fuji describes these as:

Preset 1 (Standard Setting for Multi-Purpose) is a standard setting that can be applied when shooting moving subjects as a whole. It is similar to the conventional AF-C setting, and is selected by default when no AF-C Custom setting is specified.

Preset 2 (Ignore Obstacles & Continue to Track Subject) is suitable when obstacles are likely to come into a selected focus area, blocking a subject.

Preset 3 (For Accelerating / Decelerating Subjects) is best suited to situations such as motorsport, which involves a subject that makes major speed changes including rapid acceleration or deceleration. It is particularly effective when using linear motor-driven lenses capable of high-speed AF.

Preset 4 (For Suddenly Appearing Subjects) gives focusing priority to a subject closest to the camera in the selected focus area, so as to swiftly focus on a subject that suddenly comes into the frame.

Preset 5 (For Erratically Moving & Accelerating or Decelerating Subjects) is suitable for shooting field sports in which subjects accelerate or decelerate rapidly, and also move erratically.

Other new features with the Fuji X-T20’s autofocus system are an enhanced Eye Detection AF function that can recognise your left or right eye, and an Auto Macro function that activates the Macro mode while maintaining AF speed.

On the back of the Fuji X-T20 is a 3in 1.04m-dot tilting TFT colour LCD touchscreen. Via this LCD, Fuji’s new Touch Shot functionality allows you to trigger the shutter and take images from unusual angles.

The X-T20 also incorporates Fuji’s X-Processor Pro image processing engine which enables the camera to start up in 0.4sec, Fuji claims, and keeps shutter lag to just 0.05sec with a shooting interval of 0.25sec.

Fujifilm X-T2 review

Fuji X-T20 Video

The Fuji X-T20 also boasts an improvement over the X-T10 with the introduction of 4K video recording. Via a new Video option on the Drive mode dial, you can then select the 4K video mode to record at a bitrate of up to 100Mbps.

Full HD video on the Fuji X-T20 can be recorded at 59.94 fps, 50 fps, 29.97 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps and 23.98 fps.

What’s more, photographers have full control over exposure in the Fuji X-T20’s video mode. Users can make adjustments to aperture, shutter speed and ISO during recording.

Fuji X-T20 Film Simulation modes

Fuji X-T20 Film Simulation modes

Fuji has also introduced new Film Simulation modes with the X-T20, in particular an ACROS mode that Fuji says offers smoother gradation and deeper tones for more classic-style monochrome images.

There’s also a new Grain Effect function, with settings from Strong to Weak, that you can combine with any of the Film Simulation modes on the X-T20.

Fuji X-T20 Price & Release Date

The Fuji X-T20 price tag will be £799 body-only, while the Fuji X-T20 price jumps a hundred pounds to £899 for the XC16-50mm lens kit. For the XF18-55mm lens kit, the Fuji X-T20 price tag climbs to £1,099.

The X-T20 will be available in black and silver, with a release date set for 23 February 2017.

Canon vs Nikon: how to choose the best DSLR for you