Fujifilm - X Series X-E3 Mirrorless Camera with 18-55mm Lens - Silver

With so many cameras on the market today, it could be quite difficult deciding on the brand ecosystem you may want to buy into, the type of camera you would want to get (DSLR vs. mirrorless), etc. I had never considered Fujifilm until I saw their beautiful camera designs and the type of photos that Fuji users were producing. I knew I wanted to go the mirrorless route seeing as it is the future of photography, and the smaller form factor really spoke to me as someone who loves to travel and pack light. The X-E3, with its beautiful yet understated design, piqued my interest almost immediately. Couple the looks, then, with its low cost and same image sensor as Fuji’s flagship models, and you have yourself a winner. Overall, this camera is all you will ever need. You will not get better image quality by purchasing one of Fujifilm’s flagship models. Before you spend money on a camera that costs twice as much (or more) as the X-E3, you’d better think long and hard about what those few additional features not present on this camera are worth to your particular situation and needs. Ergonomics: The XE-3 is a gorgeous, compact rangefinder-style camera. Being mirrorless, it is also exceptionally light. Because of its small size, individuals with larger hands might find it a little difficult to hold at first. It took me a little bit to adjust to the smaller size and grip, but for those who just can’t seem to get a good hold on the camera, there are first- and third-party grips that can help with that. The thumb grip on the back of the camera is also in the perfect spot and reduces the chance of unintentionally pressing a button by a significant amount. Image Quality: The X-E3 shares the same image processor and sensor as Fujifilm’s flagship ASP-C mirrorless models. Because of this, you can be sure that the images you’ll get with this camera will be stunning. In my opinion, what really sets Fujifilm apart from the other major brands are the Film Simulation modes available to use across their model lineup. These film simulation modes emulate the look of classic Fujifilm film stock and....wow. The images I’ve been getting out of this camera with absolutely no editing or post-processing have been incredible. I no longer shoot RAW anymore, mostly because the out-of-camera JPEG images are just that good. Less time editing = more time shooting. The film simulations are actually quite deep and offer loads of customization and tuning, allowing you to get the exact image you want. It truly is a powerful tool in your arsenal and what I think is the one feature that truly sets Fujifilm apart from others. Touchscreen: The touchscreen on the X-E3 does not articulate. If this is an issue for you, then I would suggest looking at some other other Fuji models with an articulating touchscreen. For me, this is not a problem. The touchscreen sensitivity is fine and feels similar to any modern smartphone. The camera offers you the choice on whether you want to use the screen for shooting (tap to release shutter, etc.) or not. I prefer not to, but again, this is up to personal preference. Viewfinder: The EVF on the XE-3 is superb. It’s clear, bright, and fast. Only thing to keep in mind is that the eye sensor (sensor on the right of the EVF that turns off the screen when you put your eye to the EVF) might not work as consistently for people who wear glasses. The reflection of glasses in bright light could trick the sensor into not shutting off the screen when you put your eye to the EVF. Again, not an issue for me personally but thought it worth mentioning. Ease of use: Dials! So many dials and physical controls and I am just in love. It’s such a breath of fresh air to be able to set your shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, AF mode, etc. by turning a dial or a switch. It’s so much more organic and....fun? It’s a little hard to explain, but the tactile experience of shooting with this camera is just fantastic. Now, as for the menus.......not the best. To get the most out of this camera and learn what every option is, you HAVE to read the manual and maybe even watch some tutorials on YouTube. I wouldn’t recommend this camera to a casual, first-time photographer for this very reason. This camera has so many features and interesting capabilities that just aren’t explained well in menus / aren’t very intuitive. Video: I don’t do video, so I cannot comment on this function of the camera. Sorry!

I have own this kit for a Month so I'm still getting used to it, but I'm happy with my purchase. The kit is well priced at $899, the Lens itself is almost that much!!! so great value for money. The camera is small but the sensor and lens combo is giving me sharp images so its great for traveling. Body feels solid, Batteries are expensive, The grip is almost non existent so you may want to get one to add some comfort to your hand. Fuji lenses are sharp and if Fuji doesn't make the one you want, there are adapters so you have choices. No pop off flash but the kit comes with a tiny shoe mounted one so you have some kind of flash. Screen is fixed!!! so If you don't shoot video or Vlog like me then its cool, otherwise beware!. All in all this tiny beauty suits me just fine but you need to do your homework because it may not be for you.

Quick thoughts: I researched and tried quite a few cameras (Nikon d500, d7500, d750, Sony A7 ii, Sony A7r ii, Sony A7 iii, etc) prior to settling on this one. My previous collection was Nikon based. I had two camera bodies and 4 lenses. I sold it all and switched to Fuji. I am happy that I did but the reason I did may not be why you should. If you like manual control over your photos and amazingly accurate colors using JPG then Fuji X series cameras are great. Otherwise you might not enjoy all that this camera offers. Review: Photo quality: The photo quality is about average when you zoom in and look around at 200%. You’ll see about what any other camera with a 24mp apsc sensor can provide. However, the difference lies in the color reproduction from the camera. I shoot mostly RAW and import my photos into Lightroom. Within Lightroom you can select color profiles from Fuji and match their film simulations. The way Fuji interprets color within their film simulations is amazing. With my previous cameras that I owned (Nikon d7000, d500, Sony A7ii) I never could get skin tones and hair color to look right. I was amazed when I used the Fuji at how accurate the colors became. Now I don’t have to spend hours adjusting color tones, I just select the film simulation that best fits the situation and it works. To me that is worth switching to Fuji on its own. There’s also no AA filter so the sensor does resolve quite a bit of detail. There is still some noise but nothing distracting. The way noise shows up in photos from a Fuji camera is quite pleasant, not dissimilar to film. Autofocus: The autofocus on this camera is great in good lighting. It is quick and accurate. I won’t go into detail about the autofocus system itself, DPREVIEW can tell you all that information. I will tell you that it can track my 3-year-old with no problem. There is also the capability of Eye autofocus. While it doesn’t compete with Sony on this, it does work well. I wouldn’t buy this camera if that is your main need though. Startup time: This is important and relates to how long it takes for you to be able to take a photo after you turn the camera on. I will say it is 1 second or less. I haven’t missed any shots waiting for the camera to turn on. It feels instant really. It is faster than my Sony A7ii was. Is it loud: No, I don’t find the shutter to be intrusive. If needed you can use the electronic shutter completely silent shooting. Video: The usual stuff is present. 4K is available and works well and with no noticeable crop. I would use an external mic though, which is true with any camera. The video autofocus is good and is able to track my 3 year old without issue. Battery life: I have two batteries total and have not run out of power yet. I use my camera a lot, especially when traveling. Even so I typically only use 1.5 batteries. For most people 2 batteries will be more than enough for the day. Just remember to turn off the camera when it’s not in use. Viewfinder: I enjoy using the viewfinder very much. It just feels more engaging to look though a viewfinder rather than looking at a screen. It also works very well outdoors since you can’t see the rear display of a camera in sunlight. The viewfinder is kind of small but you don’t really notice that when using it. The quality is exceptional and it’s nice to see how your photo will look prior to taking it. This is one major advantage of an electronic viewfinder is that you get a preview of how your image will look so you can make adjustments in real time. Manual dials: Along with the unique image quality from Fuji I really wanted to try manual dials. Now that I have I don’t think I could go back. I have always wanted to use a camera and have it feel like an extension of my arm. Most cameras require you to hold a button and turn a wheel to adjust things like shutter speed, exposure, and Aperture. On the Fuji all of these items are accessible with dedicated dials. It is so much more engaging and enjoyable to just rotate a dial, the same dial each time, and know what it is doing. When composing a photo I don’t want to be slowed down with trying to remember which button and wheel combo I programmed for shutter speed or exposure. The Fuji gives me the ability to quickly adjust these things and get the result I was going for without any need to slow down. I am finally getting the photos I see in my mind that were so hard to get with other cameras because I can control the camera so much easier. Auto mode: Yes, this particular Fuji has an auto mode switch if needed. This is handy when letting someone else use the camera if they don’t know much about photography. It also works great if you want a Fuji camera but don’t want to learn manual control. Customizability: You can program nearly every button on the back of the camera to do what you want. There’s also a quick menu that you can program to display what you want. I almost never go into the actual menu on this camera anymore. With the manual dials you really free up a lot of button that normally would be assigned to things like shutter speed and exposure compensation. You end up with more buttons than you need which is a nice change. Touchscreen: It’s a touchscreen and it works well. It’s slow to respond for autofocus like on most cameras but does work. I wouldn’t buy this camera for the touchscreen alone but it is nice to have the option if needed. I use the joystick on the back of camera to move autofocus points as I find it to be more accurate and quicker. Build quality: This is another area where Fuji exceeded my expectations. The camera is solid and feels well built. The top and bottom plates are metal and provide nice weight. I have no concerns with this camera lasting a long time. Keep in mind this model is not weather sealed, so don’t take it in the rain. The “kit” lens is the 18-55mm and it is amazing. It is metal and extremely well built. The image stabilization with the lens is really good as well. The aperture range of F2.8 to F4 is not something I have seen on a kit lens in this price range. It is my favorite lens I have used on any camera. Another great thing with Fuji is their lens selection. Their lenses are made of metal unlike almost every other brand that uses plastic. A lot of their lenses are still made in Japan as well. They feel solid, like something that’ll last long enough I can pass it along to my kids. Software / Firmware updates: This is an area where Fuji demonstrates their commitment to their customers. They listen to feedback and implement it when possible into software updates. Fuji is always trying to make their cameras better and when an improvement is made they make it available to their customers. When a new feature is released they will release it to all of their previous camera models that are capable of supporting the feature. Fuji doesn’t make you buy another camera to get access to new features when your camera can support it. No other camera company does this. Thank you, Fuji. Bluetooth and Wifi: The Fuji app is easy to use and works well. You can control the camera fully from the app and transfer photos wirelessly to your phone if you want. I don’t use these features much so I can’t really speak as to how well it works long term. Final thoughts: I am quite satisfied with this camera and lens. I had a Sony A7ii and pre ordered the A7iii. I ended up canceling the preorder and got the Fuji. I have zero regrets and enjoy using my camera everyday. I didn’t enjoy using my previous cameras because of how disconnected the made me feel when using them. The Fuji doesn’t make me feel that way. To me, enjoying the camera allows me to enjoy photography.