The Fujifilm X-T2 is pushing ten years old now, but it’s still a capable, good-looking camera that holds its own against plenty of newer options. Here’s an honest assessment from someone who’s used it alongside film cameras in everyday life, based in Nantes.
The X100F made me do it
It’s no secret to regular readers of this blog that I have a deep fondness, bordering on obsession, for my Fujifilm X100F. It’s a great little camera that gets me excited every time I take it out of the bag. So what does that have to do with the X-T2, Dear Reader? Well, they’re both made by Fuji, they both have an X in the name, and I have a deep affection for a nice cup of tea. Not the same T, I know. Ah well.
How the two compare
I bought the X-T2 as a complement to the X100F, not a replacement, so it’s worth talking about how they actually differ. Both use the same 24 megapixel sensor with an anti-aliasing filter and the same ISO range, 200 to 128000. Both have excellent viewfinders. The X100F’s screen is fixed, the X-T2’s tilts, which matters more than you’d think for waist-level shots. The X100F shoots at 8fps, the X-T2 up to 14fps, and for video the X100F is limited to Full HD while the X-T2 does 4K and can hit 120fps for slow motion. Both have built-in wireless. Weight-wise there’s barely anything in it: 469g for the X100F, 507g for the X-T2.
The real difference is the lens. The X100F is stuck with its fixed 23mm f/2.0 (35mm equivalent), which is no bad thing, but the X-T2 takes the whole X-mount range. That’s the entire reason to own both. The X-T2 also has weather sealing, which the X100F doesn’t.
Why bother with an older body
Because I could, and because it used the same batteries and the same film simulations I already loved on the X100F, even if there were fewer of them back then. That was more than enough for me.
My first lens for it was the 16mm f/2.8 (24mm equivalent), the natural partner to the X100F’s 35mm equivalent. Later I found TTArtisan and 7Artisans, two Chinese firms making cheap manual focus lenses for X-mount. I’ve now got their 35mm f/1.2 (50mm equivalent), 58mm f/1.4 (85mm equivalent), and a 7mm f/2.8 fisheye from each, all for a fraction of the price of the autofocus Fuji glass. The only concession I made to Fuji’s own lenses was the 18-55mm f/2.8 kit zoom, which has image stabilisation built in and earns its keep for that reason alone.
Is it still worth it
Buying secondhand made the decision easy. It doesn’t have as many megapixels as the newer X-T5, and it doesn’t match its spec sheet either, but for someone shooting as an amateur, and I count myself one, that doesn’t matter nearly as much as camera shops would have you believe. Twenty-four megapixels prints comfortably at 20 by 30 inches, which is bigger than most people will ever need.
I’ve just checked mpb.com and X-T2 bodies are going for 487 to 729 euros depending on condition. Lenses range from around 104 euros for a 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 up to 279 to 340 euros for the Fuji 16mm f/2.8. Considerably cheaper than buying into a current model, and the results aren’t far off.
Ten years on, the X-T2 still holds up: excellent image quality, classic dial-based handling, weather sealing, and access to the whole X-mount lens range. It suits street work and landscapes equally well. It’s never going to out-spec a current camera, and it doesn’t need to. If you want good results without paying current prices, the used market probably has a decent X-T2 waiting for you.
Post script
This camera also shoots 4K video, and I use it at work for training videos for new staff. It’s lighter than my Canon 6D Mark II and gives me a picture style I like straight out of camera. It has no in-body stabilisation, but I use it on a tripod for that work anyway, and if I reach for the 18-55mm kit lens there’s stabilisation in the lens itself.
I’ll try to find you an excerpt of the latest video.
hello ian,
a wonderful and interesting urban photo series that you present here – I like them all very much.
many greetings robert
It just goes to show the camera shops that we can adapt nd overcome. Yes the newer stuff is definitely sexy but the older stuff still works well enough to get good images. People connect with the photograph, not the gear that was used to get it!
Excellent post Ian. I personally love the X-T2 and I would probably still be using one if I didn’t need the in body image stabilization (yes along with aging the old hands aren’t as steady as they used to be). The X-T2 is really a workhorse of a camera. A few years ago I owned a pair of them and some of my best images were created the X-T2. These days I need the IBIS so I slimmed down my camera collection to the X-T5 and the X100VI. Do I need 40 megapixel sensors ? Absolutely not but the XT series of cameras fit my shooting style much better than the XH series of Fuji’s and the only weather sealed 26 megapixel Fuji body with IBIS is the X-H2. Personally speaking I like the tilt screen on the X-T5 rather than the fully articulating screen on the X-H2. I also Like having the analog controls such as shutter speed and ISO dials visible to me even when the camera is turned off rather than thumb wheel based controls and LCD readouts on the X-H2. I do wish Fuji had increased the size of the X100VI a few millimeters so it could utilize the bigger battery that the X-T5 uses but that’s a minor inconvenience because I usually don’t carry the X100VI and X-T5 at the same time. Sometimes I wish that I didn’t need the IBIS because I would probably still be using my pair of X-T2’s.
As wwwe grow older then our needs change. For me it’s aa walking stick, eye glasses and soon hearing aids. With my glasses I can see well enough and with focus peaking I’m good. It I need stability I use my tripod.
I meant to reply to you with my long winded reply about cataract surgery 🤷🏻♂️
Oh I’m not there yet, but it’ll come soon enough.
I had cataract surgery in both eyes in September 2023 and now I don’t need eyeglasses to drive or watch TV and I can even adjust the diopters on both cameras so I can see perfectly when looking through the viewfinder. The only problem is I can’t see the images clearly when I play them back on the LCD screen LOL. So now when I want to review the images I have to hit play and look through the viewfinder. I still need eyeglasses to read small print. So I don’t know whether I liked it better when I wore eyeglasses. When they did the surgery I had a choice of replacement lenses where I could see things up close and read without eyeglasses or a choice of being able to see things fairly close like the dashboard and distance without eyeglasses. I chose the latter. There was even a choice of progressive replacement lenses that the surgeon was really trying to sell me on but the other ophthalmologist in the practice had told me there are still glare problems with the progressive cataract replacement lenses when driving at night and recommended against them. It would have been nice to be able to read and see distance without eyeglasses. I really thought I would have had a longer recovery time but to be honest the day after the surgery I was pain free and was seeing perfectly. The biggest issue was the doctors don’t give you a prescription for reading glasses until eight weeks after the surgery so using over the counter reading glasses was horrible. I already have you beat with the hearing aids LOL 😁
Don’t you just love ageing ungracefully!
Yeah its just wonderful 🤣