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At its Fujifilm X Summit in Tokyo, Japan today, Fujifilm announced the development of its forthcoming X-Pro3 and teased several new and intriguing features the rangefinder-like mirrorless camera will have.
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The first detail Fujifilm noted in its presentation is that the X-Pro3 will be built with a titanium body, which will come in three colors: Black, DURA Black and DURA Silver. The standard ‘Black’ version appears to be painted, while the ‘DURA’ versions are coated in some manner. Titanium is a challenging metal to work with, but more durable and lighter than other metal alloys traditionally used in camera bodies.
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Fujifilm also talked about the improved hybrid viewfinder in the X-Pro3. Inside the viewfinder is a new electronic viewfinder (EVF) that will offer higher resolution, higher contrast, wider-gamut color space, improved brightness and a higher refresh rate. Fujifilm also says it’s managed to decrease distortion and improve the angle of view inside the viewfinder.
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| Note the ‘Provia’ film stock icon shown on the compact LCD on the rear of the camera. This film stock icon will stay there and is dynamic in that the ISO rating in the icon changes as you change it on the camera. |
Further switching things up, Fujifilm announced that it will be repositioning the standard rear LCD in favor of a compact LCD that is comparable to the top LCD on the GFX cameras, except on the back of the camera. In a neat little trick that nostalgia-seeking photographers will love, this compact LCD can also be used to show the film simulation in use, a nod to the days where you’d rip off part of the film package and place it in the mount on film cameras.
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You’ll note we said reposition because, as Fujifilm demonstrated, the display is still there, it’s just hidden. Now, the main rear display sits on the back of a hinged panel, meaning you have to flip it down to navigate the menu or review images/video. Fujifilm says the repositioning of the LCD was done to ‘keep photographers looking through the viewfinder’ rather than ‘chimping’ at the back of the camera.
It’s an unusual approach and, while we can see it appealing to waist-level street shooters, we’ll have to wait to see what it’s like for other types of photography. There have been a lot of calls for an articulated screen on the X-Pro and X-100 series cameras, but we’re not sure this solution will satisfy everyone, either. It will, at least, create a more obvious distinction between the X-Pro and X-T series: with the rangefinder-shaped model being the one you shoot through the viewfinder.
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| ‘Classic Negative’ will be the 10th film simulation Fujifilm has released. |
Lastly, as has been rumored, Fujifilm its 10th film simulation called ‘Classic Negative’ that will resemble the look of Fujicolor Superia.
Despite being billed as a ‘development’ presentation, Fujifilm spilled quite a few details about its upcoming X-Pro3 camera system. The camera will officially be announced on October 23rd. To get to all of the details regarding the new X-Pro3 system, skip to roughly the 1:10:00 mark in the above video.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
