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.