Fuji X-T3 - someone at Fuji must actually be a photographer!

[Rand47]

Someone at Fuji’s design team must actually be a photographer!  For the longest time, I’ve gnashed my teeth with every camera I’ve owned when shooting landscapes, tripod mounted, with an Arca Swiss type L-Plate that blocks the access door on the left side of the body - right where the remote release port is located.  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.   Folk like Really Right Stuff have resorted to “sliding L-Plate designs” in order to allow the plate to be slid over so that the door can be opened, and slots in the plate to allow the cord to be routed, and that only worked “OK” in horizontal mode, and was at best a KLUGE in vertical mounting/shooting.

The new X-T3 has a separate access port w/ the remote release socket on the right side of the body, above the card door.  What a concept!  Believe it or not, this is a big enough deal, for the way I shoot, to buy the T-3 even if nothing else had been changed.

EVERY camera should be designed like this.

Rand

[rdonson]

I had two workarounds for that issue that suffice for me

- use the timer to set 2 or 10 sec delay after pressing the shutter
- use the Fuji smart phone app

That said, the X-T3 solved the issue most elegantly

[Rado]

Do Fuji camera have no IR remote control?

[Rand47]

Do Fuji camera have no IR remote control?

No, but they have an excellent remote app for iOS and Android.  The app works well, but I don't like being dependent on it.  Sometimes there's nothing as positive as a nice wired connection.    As a question, for those cameras that have IR remotes, do they allow multi-minute exposures using the BULB setting?

Rand

[rdonson]

Re: Do Fuji camera have no IR remote control?

Not that I’m aware of.  I’ve never used an IR remote even after almost 40 years of Canon SLRs/DSLRs.z

[Rand47]

I had two workarounds for that issue that suffice for me

- use the timer to set 2 or 10 sec delay after pressing the shutter
- use the Fuji smart phone app

That said, the X-T3 solved the issue most elegantly

The timer setting is handy as long as one is not doing multi-minute BULB exposures.  Even though there is a "T" setting where one can dial in longer exposures, it isn't granular enough for most of my calculated required exposure times for multi ND filtered work,  e.g. 4 minutes, 45 seconds and the like.  The most recent app update does include a mere "shutter button" (that even has a slide lock for BULB work!!!) but often it isn't convenient to use in real world shooting conditions.

Rand

[rdonson]

Rand,

While I use ND filters occasionally I rarely need the Bulb time accuracy you mention. In fact, I haven’t checked out that mode on my X-T2 in a very long time. I will now though. 

[Rado]

As a question, for those cameras that have IR remotes, do they allow multi-minute exposures using the BULB setting?

I haven't tested multi-minute but in the bulb mode on my Canons one press on the remote opens the shutter and a second press closes it.

[Rand47]

I haven't tested multi-minute but in the bulb mode on my Canons one press on the remote opens the shutter and a second press closes it.

That’s excellent then.  I can’t see where there should be a “how long it remains open” limit.  If you get a chance to test it, I’d appreciate knowing just for my own interest.

Rand

[Chairman Bill]

The Arca-Swiss L-bracket I use has been fine on both my D700 and D800. No need to wait for the Fuji XT-3. Just saying.

[Dan Wells]

That remote is actually implementing a "time" mode - bulb is "hold the button closed", while time is "click to open, click to close". With electronic shutters, there is certainly a limit based on battery life (some older cameras, notably the Nikon F3, had mechanical bulb and time modes on otherwise electronic shutters). Multiple-minute exposures on digital cameras, which need to use battery not only for the shutter but to power the image sensor, and then for quite a bit of noise reduction post-processing including a second equal-length exposure with the shutter closed, noticeably drain the battery per shot. I'd imagine half an hour would be long enough to risk exhausting a reasonably well charged battery, especially in cold conditions or on a camera with the smaller batteries (any Fuji, any Sony except the A7III series and the A9, most Micro 4/3 except the GH series).

[MBehrens]

Oh, so that is what this little door is above the card slot door. cool.
I was glad to see that they went back to the shorter top knobs. The X-T2 knobs were too tall, clunky looking IMO. But looking at a comparison it looks like the knobs are about the same height but the function ring at the base is bigger - which is welcome too. A good trade off I think, the function rings are a little difficult to get to some times.
The X-T3 looks to be a good incremental build, I'm so happy with my X-T2 that I can't justify the purchase right now though.

[Stephen Scharf]

One of the things I really like about Fujifilm is they think through the small details as well as the big things.

Like the fact that the left side door over the interface ports is removable so you won't break it off when using the camera in a rig or gimbal with video cables. Fujifilm will also be releasing a cover kit that will include the door (as well as hot shoe cover, flash sync port cover, and contacts cover) in case you lose your interface port door.

They also tapered the ISO and SS knobs and made them thinner so they could make the drive mode and metering mode control rings thicker with taller, larger finger tabs for easier adjustment.

You can also configure the camera now so that you can use command dials to adjust aperture of lenses if you want.

Then there's the locking diopter control, and AWB LOCK, so you can lock AWB when shooting in challenging lighting conditions.

There's also the red/gray "night vision" mode for the custom menu display for use in astrophotography, etc.

[Rand47]

That remote is actually implementing a "time" mode - bulb is "hold the button closed", while time is "click to open, click to close". With electronic shutters, there is certainly a limit based on battery life (some older cameras, notably the Nikon F3, had mechanical bulb and time modes on otherwise electronic shutters). Multiple-minute exposures on digital cameras, which need to use battery not only for the shutter but to power the image sensor, and then for quite a bit of noise reduction post-processing including a second equal-length exposure with the shutter closed, noticeably drain the battery per shot. I'd imagine half an hour would be long enough to risk exhausting a reasonably well charged battery, especially in cold conditions or on a camera with the smaller batteries (any Fuji, any Sony except the A7III series and the A9, most Micro 4/3 except the GH series).

Fuji’s implementation is a bit different.  BULB is just like it was back in the day... a long as the shutter button is “held down / remains pressed” (no matter that is it some sort of continuing signal either via remote app or wired release) the shutter remains open.  The LCD has a display “counting up” the number of seconds the shutter has been open.  The T setting on the Fuji allows one to dial in a specific amount time, and then on release the LCD timer indication “counts down.”

Rand

[Rand47]

The Arca-Swiss L-bracket I use has been fine on both my D700 and D800. No need to wait for the Fuji XT-3. Just saying.

LOL, and why would you?   

Rand

[chez]

If it was truly designed by a photographer, it would have IBIS which is probably the most valuable feature for street photography where Fuji's are used quite often. Don't know what Fuji is thinking here...but I personally will not touch another camera without ibis.

[shadowblade]

I wish camera manufacturers would just go ahead and build Arca-Swiss dovetails into the base and left side (or right side, for left-handed camera bodies...) rather than requiring an add-on that adds weight, blocks access and can be misaligned. It's pretty much the default standard for clamps and plates, anyway.

[chez]

I wish camera manufacturers would just go ahead and build Arca-Swiss dovetails into the base and left side (or right side, for left-handed camera bodies...) rather than requiring an add-on that adds weight, blocks access and can be misaligned. It's pretty much the default standard for clamps and plates, anyway.

Not if it adds weight to the body or doesn't allow the body to sit flat when put down. I'd rather add weight when need be instead of carrying the extra weight when not needing the mount.

[shadowblade]

Not if it adds weight to the body or doesn't allow the body to sit flat when put down. I'd rather add weight when need be instead of carrying the extra weight when not needing the mount.

Why wouldn't it sit flat? The bottom of Arca-Swiss plates are flat - even flatter than the bottom of cameras.

A camera needs a sturdy base plate anyway - something that can hold a screw mount to attach it to a tripod without coming loose, breaking or warping under the load. May as well add dovetails to it.

[chez]

Why wouldn't it sit flat? The bottom of Arca-Swiss plates are flat - even flatter than the bottom of cameras.

A camera needs a sturdy base plate anyway - something that can hold a screw mount to attach it to a tripod without coming loose, breaking or warping under the load. May as well add dovetails to it.

Well with my plate attached to the camera it is very easy to tip the camera forward. Also I always use an L-plate...how would this work?