Conclusion
Pros
- Very well-built body with weather sealing
- Feels very nice in the hand, with good handling despite the small front grip
- Excellent control scheme with all controls easily accessible
- Focus stick is the killer feature on this camera
- Unique hybrid viewfinder provides a very nice optical viewfinder with a good EVF
- Fast and responsive with a deep continuous shooting buffer
- Quick and accurate autofocus, even in low light
- Good continuous autofocus
- Excellent dynamic range
- Outstanding color response
- Good noise control at high ISO with excellent detail
- Truly outstanding JPEG output
- Excellent features with full-featured WiFi, Intervalometer and in-camera RAW conversion
- Dual SD Card slots
- Improved video quality
- Improved menu system
Cons
- Quite expensive for an APS-C mirrorless body
- Front and rear command dials are thin and lack good tactile feedback
- ISO dial lacks feedback, so is difficult to use by feel
- Bracketing is improved to 2 stop intervals, but still limited to just 3 frames
- Optical viewfinder is limited to moderate focal lengths and can be dim in lower light
- No rear screen articulation
The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 has been a long time coming, and for the most part, Fuji has done a fantastic job with the camera. The hybrid viewfinder is well implemented and is unique in the mirrorless world. It’s a fast and responsive camera with very good autofocus capabilities and a host of features that do most everything I need a camera to do. It’s also got a very thoughtfully laid out control scheme that puts nearly every control at your fingertips. You can tell Fuji truly thought about how people shoot when they designed the camera. The biggest improvement in this regard is the focus stick. It’s a small change, but one that makes a huge difference when you’re actually shooting. Freeing autofocus selection from other buttons frees them up for different functions, and the speed and precision with which one can move the AF point is simply outstanding.
The new image sensor produces images with outstanding detail while retaining good noise control, great dynamic range and fantastic color response. The files don’t look too different from other Fuji cameras, but there’s just that extra detail and a bit finer grain at the highest ISOs. It’s a welcome improvement. The dual SD card slots also will be a welcome improvement for many shooters, providing redundancy and flexibility.
On the down side, as good as the controls are overall, the front and rear command dials feel like a bit of an afterthought. They’re too thin and don’t move that well. The ISO dial is mostly a good thing, but the way it operates makes it a bit more difficult to use in low light due to the lack of detents in operation. The camera also lacks the tilting screen of the X-T1 and X-T10, which may be disappointing for some shooters.
The biggest downside is the price of the camera. At $1,700 US, it’s one of the most expensive APS-C cameras on the market, and is priced significantly higher than other outstanding cameras like the new Sony a6300 and Fuji’s own excellent X-T1. So can I recommend it? Absolutely, though with a caveat. It’s a fantastic camera, but I feel that given the price, the X-Pro 2 really needs to be the right camera for you. If you’re a street shooter, or have desperately wanted an optical finder in a mirrorless body, the X-Pro 2 may well be perfect for you. If you like the rangefinder styling, and want the very best performing Fuji camera on the market, the X-Pro 2 might be for you. However, if you prefer a big EVF and a more substantial hand grip, I think you’d prefer to stick with the X-T1 at this point in time. I’m hopeful that Fuji will produce an X-T2 shortly that features the new 24 megapixel sensor and the new focus stick.
In summary, the X-Pro 2 is an excellent camera with great image quality, excellent responsiveness and great controls, and the hybrid viewfinder is very well done. It’s a camera that will please a lot of people, though those without a need for the OVF would probably be better off waiting for the X-T2 or for the price to fall before purchasing.
Image Samples
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