I’ve been in the market for a new digital SLR/mirrorless camera for a while and just this week I finally made the decision and purchased a Fujifilm X-T2. For those who aren’t already familiar with it, the X-T2 is a 4K Super 35mm interchangeable lens mirrorless camera from Fujifilm that offers a number of truly unique features for filmmakers and photographers alike.
Although Fujifilm’s X-T2 has been on my radar for a while, In fact, I even listed it as one of the best SLR/mirrorless cameras to buy in 2017. I’ve been considering a few other cameras as well. Specifically, it sits between the Lumix GH5, Canon 5D MK IV, and Fujifilm X-T2.
All three cameras are viable options in their own right, but in order to ultimately make a choice, I really had to consider my unique needs as a filmmaker.
The GH5 would probably be an easy choice for me as I’ve previously owned a GH2, GH3 and GH4 and am a big fan of Panasonic products in general. In fact, if I didn’t already own a proper cinema camera, I’d most likely choose the GH5, as it’s the biggest workhorse of the three and offers by far the most features.
Features like internal 10-bit recording, high bitrate 4K, and internal stabilization naturally make the GH5 a contender, and it’s for these reasons that I often recommend the GH5 to filmmakers who don’t yet own a cinema camera. Here’s a tool that can do almost all of it…
That said, when it comes to my purchases, I know that I don’t need my camera to be a “do-it-all,” as I’ll still likely be shooting larger-scale projects with a cinema camera I own or rent. I was looking for a camera that would suit some of my smaller narrative and personal shooting needs, most of which require me to shoot in a very different way than my larger productions. I don’t need my camera to offer every feature under the sun, but I do want it to offer the best version of the features I know I really need.
For this reason, I’ve considered the Canon 5D MK IV for a while, because despite its technical shortcomings, it has a lot going for it in other ways.
Unlike the GH5, the 5D MK IV cannot shoot 10-bit internally, has no internal stabilization, and lacks many of the GH5’s other film features. But like other Canon cameras, the 5D MK IV excels when it comes to color. With this in mind, I’m tempted to pick up the MK IV, even though this camera is limited in many other ways.
But in the end, I stuck with the Fujifilm X-T2 because it seemed to offer me the best of both worlds…
This was shot with a 35mm F/2 weatherproof lens –
Although the X-T2 doesn’t have as many features as the GH5 (for example, it only records F-Log to an external recorder and has no internal stabilization), it’s still a camera designed for filmmakers. It has a great EVF, focus peaking, gorgeous 4K (downsampled from 6K), and tons of other controls that make shooting movies a breeze. So while it might not have all the same features as the GH5, it does have a lot of them, as well as some extras that are completely unique to the X-T2… Let’s introduce it in detail below.
Perhaps the most important thing for me is considering Fuji’s incredible color science. Given their history as a true motion picture film manufacturer, no one in the digital SLR/mirrorless market really understands color quite like Fuji, at least in my opinion. I’ve owned the incredible Fujifilm X100T for a while (I only use it as a stills camera) and have experienced firsthand how incredible Fujifilm’s colors are. Based on this, the Fujifilm X-T2 makes the 5D MK IV obsolete for me, as the main reason I considered the MK IV was its color.
So ultimately, I think the X-T2 is the perfect happy medium. It shows itself to be a camera that offers a ton of incredible GH5-style video features, but with color science that surpasses the Canon.
Even the X-T2’s sensor size is a bit like a best-of-both-worlds camera, as it has a Super 35mm sensor that sits squarely between the GH5’s MFT sensor and the 5D MK IV’s Full sensor frame sensor. Of course, no one sensor size fits all filmmakers – some prefer the more versatile MFT format, while others prefer the stunning beauty of full frame. But for me, I’ve always been a big fan of Super 35mm, so that was another factor that attracted me to the X-T2.
I also really like the X-T2’s physical dials for ISO and shutter speed, as well as the dial that lets you switch between stills and movie modes. It makes shooting on the fly so fast and easy and helps you avoid going into menus unnecessarily.
The icing on the cake for me, though, is the integration of Fujifilm Simulation Mode into the X-T2.
Just like my Fujifilm X100T, the X-T2 allows me to bake film effects into my videos (and of course my photos). With tons of stunning cinematic looks to choose from including: Astia, Velvia, Classic Chrome and more, the in-camera color possibilities are seemingly endless.
Those of you who read my blog generally know that I am very obsessed with color science and often purchase my cameras based on their capabilities in the color department. For the same reason, I often like to use a camera that can shoot in Log mode so that I have maximum flexibility when grading in post-production.
Also, many digital SLR/mirrorless cameras don’t do a great job of logging internally. A good example of this is the GH4, which suffered from some noticeable banding issues when recording Log with the camera, ultimately requiring an external recorder to obtain usable results.
X-T2 only provides external F-Log logging (perhaps for the reasons I mentioned above), which is totally fine by me as it provides something I think is more useful: Movie simulation.
Of course I still plan on fully color grading my X-T2 footage, but I’m really looking forward to working with compressed footage that actually looks good straight off the card and doesn’t require much manipulation. As opposed to heavily compressed Log footage (which can crash when grading), the X-T2’s images already look incredible when using Film Simulation, which means less time in post and higher quality.
This will also save me a step in color grading as my workflow will simply consist of balancing each shot to match each other, Then apply one of my cinematic LUTs to the footage, This will give them a texture and mood that suits the story I’m telling.
If I were shooting with a proper cinema camera (not shooting RAW) I would shoot Log in immediately as it still offers the most flexibility in post. However, when working with 100Mbit compressed video files, it’s important to capture your appearance in camera so you don’t need to adjust the colors too drastically in post.
final thoughts
As I always say, no camera is perfect, and no camera can do it all…so with that in mind, we always need to make a purchase based on our unique needs as filmmakers. For me, the X-T2 is an incredible choice because it combines the best of both the GH5 and the 5D MK IV. Based on the cameras I already own (and the gaps in my gear cupboard), the X-T2 complements my kit nicely. Best of all, the camera body is priced at a very reasonable $1,599.
Some of you may be like me, while others may be better suited to a GH5, 5D MK IV, or something else entirely. The good news is, it’s 2017 and we have more choices than ever before, with the market filled with cameras to suit the needs of every type of filmmaker.
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is buy a camera based on your needs and not someone else’s. And definitely don’t make it based on specs on paper, as they will never lead you in the right direction!
With that in mind, I’m still very interested in the GH5 (as I’m sure many of you are too), so I’ll be doing some extensive coverage of it over the next few months. I may also be testing and reviewing the 5D MK IV in the near future.
I’m also currently working on a detailed review of the X-T2, which I’ll be posting along with some test footage over the next few weeks, so be sure to stay tuned…
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