Thoughts on the Fujifilm X-Pro 3……
I just recently finally got my hands on the new Fujifilm X-Pro 3 in the Duratect Silver color, which to me is more of a Champagne color, but I love it, very classy looking! There are hundreds of Youtube reviews and online reviews that go into every detail and spec. so I won’t do that again, instead I woud like to share about where I see the X-Pro 3 fitting into the Fujifm X Series and how I will use it!
My overall impression, is that it is the best made and most ergonomic of all the rangefinder type cameras so far from Fujifilm. It fits great in my hands and has wonderfully natural feel in use. The “so called” hidden rear LCD that folds down is actually, for me, a nice touch. It is no touble to use when you need it, but it does help you keep your eye to the viewfinder. I set up the front button on the viewfinder lever to turn on playback and I can now shoot, review and continue without taking my eye away from the viewfinder. For waist level street shooting, something I rarely do, you can use the LCD folded down very effectively.
If I don’t do street photography and am no longer a photojournalist/documentarian, how could I like a camera designed mostly for that crowd???? I actually think the X-Pro 3 is a wonderful choice for people, travel, and Americana photography, and would work fine for nature/landscape as well. The X-Pro 3 has the same sensor and processor as the X-T3 and therefore makes identical images! It has some added features that we all hope will come to other bodies via firmware. A very effective HDR setting that delivers very nice and not overdone HDR shots for added dynamic range without looking like, well an HDR shot! Apologies to Jim Begley who is one of the very best HDR guys out there and his stuff does not look like a lot of poorly done HDRs that have given HDR a bad name!!!! The X-Pro 3 also shoots focus bracketing, and allows you to select a focus range to shoot within and has in camera clarity settings, very cool and very effective.
One question I’ve gotten from several friends is that since you have to pull down the rear LCD to do settings is that an inconvenience? No, not really. The X-Pro 3 can be set up to do almost anyhting you want to do wothout ever going into the menus. The Q menu of course can be displayed in the viewfinder, which is the best yet in terms of refresh rate and resolution for Fujifilm! By setting some of the back, top and front buttons to custom settings you can call up any frequently needed menu items up quickly. I found in a few days I could do almost everything with my eye still on the viewfinder!!!
One very nice change is that the self timer can now be set in the menus to stay on until “you” turn it off!!! Thaks you Fujifim, I know it’s a small thing but it ended a long held frustration as I use the self timer a lot for tripod shooting. ,Speaking of tripod shooting, would someone please get us an L Bracket soon!!!!!! Truthfully I don’t think the X-Pro 3 will get a lot of tripod use, I see it as a great hand holding camera!
When doing travel photography, or people work I will use this Lowepro Flipside Sport 10L AW bag to carry it and a selection of single focal length lense that bmath up withit grea! The 16mm f 2.8, 23mm f 2, 35mm f 2, 50mm f 2, 60mm Macro f 2.4 and the 90mm f 2 lenses, all fast and a great fit to the X-Pro 3.
When using the 23mm f 2 or the 23mm f 1.4 on the X-Pro 3 I love the Optical viewfinder, especially when things are happening and I want ot see what is happening outside the frame, this is a great featue of this camera!!!
So my Score is a 9.5 out of 10, Why not a 10?
If Fujifilm had added IBIS, it owuld have been a solid 10, but even without it I am falling in love with this classy, fun to use body that delivers the spectacular image quality we have come to expect from Fujifilm’s X Series cameras!
I bought a Vi Vante Luxury Arctic Fox Sheetline Rope Camera Strap from Amazon and for this body I love it, just adds to the already classy look of the body, plus it’s a very nice strap too!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020 at 5:21 pm
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Hi Bill, Thanks for the review from a shooter’s perspective. The Pro 3 is intriguing. I still like the smaller form of the E3 (but I think the E2 made more pleasing images for some reason, and I miss the D-Pad). But then again, I don’t require two card slots. And I haven’t handled the P3 as of yet. The thumb grip looks like a good add. One question about the EVF. I assume that you can get to the “My Menu” function, visible in the EVF, just the same as with the T3? No reason the P3 should not be the same, just curious. BTW, thanks for jump starting the conversation on composite image processing. Good to have insight from so many thoughtful, talented photographers whose work I admire. Cheers.
I think it is important for photographs to share their thoughts and feelings! Yes you can get all menu items to show up in the viewfinder, it’s still not perfect, bult a great concept that is getting better!
I love the way you describe the Pro3, congrats to this well made little piece of user thoughts about this camera.
Allow me one or two remarks, though….
Coming from the Pro1, now shooting with the Pro2 you may gues that I really like the Fujifilm cameras and specially the Pro line.
What I like about it can be summed up in one word, if we take IQ as a given: usability or ease of use or maybe even more precise: the way how the Pro‘s draw me inti taking photos (rather than snapping a picture). There are many, many small parts to the puzzle that make up for this unique experience in using the Pro cameras. But a big part of this has always been – strictly for me – the optical finder. What a great tool for my documentary / street / travel photography – awesome!
And now enter Pro3: everything about it screams „buy me, I am better than your Pro2“. Everything? Not really…..oh Fujifilm, why on earth did you cripple that loveley OVF… I am sure it is like advertised better, as far as distortion and other optical issues are concerned, but, dear Mr. fujifilm, this OVF will not work well with my beloved 18mm, it will not work at all with the stunning 14mm and evenly not eith anything longer than 50mm.
Why on earth did Fujifilm decide to get rid of the 2 magnification levels….what a pitty… this is the reason that the Pro3 is – probably – not for me.
Pro1&2 were workhorses, sure not for everyone, but with the Pro3 Fujifilm moves away from that and makes a stunning beuty, which of course you can use just fine, but the main design goal seems to be „how to impress people around you“ – a Hipster product?
Well, thats my 2 cent, sorry that it became that long
I agree that I miss the two levels of magnification in the OVF!
Another Bill here, with an XPro-3 😉 I really like that you have pointed out the the XPro-3 is not limited to a specific kind of photography. For me the rangefinder style makes me want to go out and take more photos, and I’m willing to adapt myself and the camera to work in different situations. It truly is not a hardship to slap on a Fujifilm metal grip, or J.B. Camera Design grip to work with large lenses, for instance. I was faster with my XT-3, but with practice, and use of the programable dials/buttons I don’t think I’ve lost much speed for situations that require a fast sequence of shots in changing conditions. No, I don’t do much video or sports photography, so of course there are situations that could call for an XT-3 or XH-1, or the rumored XT-4. In the meantime I love the XPro-3 so much I’m willing to spend the time to get the most out of the camera in multiple shooting situations. I have a feeling from your comments that you are too!
Yes I am, a little challenge is good for us and makes us better at the craft, it’s fun too!
I came here to get your take on the X-Pro3, and I see you too are using the Vi Vante Sheetline strap. Best strap ever! I like it so much, I purchased ten so all my cameras have one.