{"id":6989,"date":"2017-03-25T09:59:33","date_gmt":"2017-03-25T14:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=6989"},"modified":"2024-09-05T16:38:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T21:38:43","slug":"review-fujifilm-x-t20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-fujifilm-x-t20\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fujifilm X-T20"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hot on the heels of my (somewhat late) X-T2 review<\/a> comes the review of its little brother, the X-T20. The X-T20 is the successor to Fuji’s X-T10<\/a>, which was released almost two years ago.  The X-T10 proved to be a very capable body with nearly all the features of the X-T1 in a smaller package. The X-T20 follows that same mold, but with enough new features to be both a worthy upgrade for X-T10 owners and a real viable alternative for potential X-T2 buyers who may not want to spend the $1,600 asking price for Fuji’s flagship camera.  The X-T20 is priced at just $899 for the body only, with two kits available at $999 for the camera body with the XC 16-50mm lens, and $1199 for the body with XF 18-55mm lens. Is the X-T20 an X-T2 in a smaller package?  Let’s find out…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fujifilm<\/a>
Fujifilm X-T20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Construction and Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20 shares the same exterior body as the X-T10 that preceded it.  This means that all the positives and negatives I had to say about the X-T10 are still present here on the X-T20.  The body is a shrunken version of the X-T2 style, with a DSLR styled body with center EVF, in a very compact package.  The X-T20 is available in both silver and black, and my copy is the silver version.  The camera looks great in my opinion, but that is a very subjective thing. It’s a solidly constructed body made of a mix of composites and metal, with a full metal top and bottom plate. While it lacks the X-T2’s weather sealing, it otherwise fits into the X-T series very well with a high-end build quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-T20 is a small, retro styled mirrorless camera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is no flex anywhere in the body, and it feels reassuringly solid. The small contoured grip on the front provides a reasonable hold on the camera when using the smaller lenses in the Fuji lineup. The biggest downside to the grip is the positioning of the rear thumb rest. That thumb rest is just a bit too far to the right, which causes the camera to pull left and down when holding the camera with my normal grip. When using larger Fuji lenses, the built-in grip isn’t particularly adequate, and you’ll definitely want to support the camera by the lens in these cases (which is the best way to hand hold a camera with large lens anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fujifilm<\/a>
Fujifilm X-T20 with the MHG-XT10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I purchased the MHG-XT10 metal hand grip for my X-T20, and it makes a very noticeable improvement in handling for the camera with bigger lenses. It’s still not quite as comfortable as the X-T2’s grip, but the improvement in handling is worth the asking price for the grip, and I plan on leaving it attached more or less permanently on my X-T20. It’s worth noting that the metal hand grip is ever so slightly too tight on the left side of the camera body, and it has caused a small mark in the silver finish of the base at that location. As I plan on leaving the grip on all the time, it’s not a big deal to me, but it’s something Fuji should fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20 has the same overall button and control placement as the X-T10 with a few minor changes. Fuji has removed the movie record button entirely, moving movie control to a dedicated place on the drive mode dial with control moved to the shutter button. The Fn button, which resided in the lower right corner of the rear of the X-T10 has now moved to where the movie record button used to be.  That Fn button was a bit hard to reach on the X-T10, so the better placement of the button on the X-T20 is a welcome change.  The buttons on the rear of the camera have a nice positive clicking action, but those on the top plate are a bit mushy and small.  In all, though, all the controls are very easily accessed and within easy reach during shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation and Controls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The control layout on the X-T20 will be familiar to any current Fuji X series shooter, and as mentioned previously, is almost identical to the X-T10. There\u2019s a shutter speed dial and exposure compensation dial on top, along with the previously mentioned Fn button that sits next to the power switch and shutter button. Like all the Fuji X bodies with shutter speed dials, the mode of the camera is controlled by how the aperture and shutter speed are positioned.  Putting the shutter speed dial into A makes that function automatic. Thus selecting ‘A’ on the shutter speed while selecting a specific aperture puts the camera in aperture priority mode.  Want a specific shutter speed?  Simply select it and you\u2019re in manual mode.  Move the aperture ring on a lens to A and the camera is now in shutter priority.  With both dials set to A the camera moves to Program mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-T20’s top dials provide a wealth of direct control<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a fluid scheme and one of the things I love about Fuji controls.  However, the X-T20 also features a full Auto mode that can be accessed with a flip of a switch. When Auto is engaged, none of the dials serve any purpose and the camera will simply attempt to use all the best settings.  It\u2019s worth noting that RAW is not available in the Auto mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great feature of more recent Fuji bodies, including the X-T20 is a functional Auto ISO in manual mode with<\/em> exposure compensation.  As such, you can select your shutter speed and aperture, adjust exposure via the exposure compensation dial, and let the ISO float to make up those exposure changes.  This is really useful if you find yourself in dark environments and want to adjust the minimum shutter speed on the fly, but don\u2019t want to change it via the ISO menu.  Now just a quick flick of the shutter speed dial and you\u2019ve got it.  It\u2019s also extremely useful for video shooting, where you want shutter speed to stay constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great new feature that comes first to the X-T20 (but will be added to the X-Pro 2 and X-T2 with a firmware update later this month) is the ability to select ‘Auto’ as the shutter speed in Auto ISO.  When this is selected, the camera will choose a shutter speed based on the focal length. Specifically, 1 \/ (FL*1.5)s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the left side of the camera sits a dedicated Drive dial.  While I\u2019d probably prefer ISO be in this position, the Drive Mode dial is very convenient and makes it quick and easy to switch between continuous shooting, single shot, movie mode, advanced filters, panorama modes and two different bracketing setups, which the user can specify in the menus.  Next to the Drive Mode dial is the release for the integral pop-up flash, which deploys with almost alarming speed and sureness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear of the X-T20 is again very similar to that of the X-T2, but a bit more simplified.  The dials on the X-T20 are pressable, and pressing the rear dial activates the focus assist function, like it does on all other Fuji X bodies outside of the X-T1. The AEL and AFL buttons flank the rear dial.  On the top left of the rear, the play and trash buttons can be found, and the View Mode control for the EVF and rear screen is prominently featured beside the viewfinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The back of the X-T20 will look familiar to most Fuji shooters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The biggest new feature with regards to camera control is the new rear touch screen.  This is the second X-Series body to feature a touch screen, but the first with interchangeable lenses. While the X-T2 and X-Pro2 both included the rather excellent focus stick for switching between focus points, the X-T20 loses that control but gains back some of that quick selection capability with the rear touch screen. A quick touch allows you to instantly change the focus point, or change the focus point and then take the picture.  The touch screen can also be used during image review in the same manner as with a modern smartphone. Slide between images and pinch to zoom both work well. If you don’t like using the touch screen, you can, of course, disable it. One feature that is missing, but I hope will eventually make it to the X-T20 via firmware update, is a way to reposition the AF point with the touch screen while using the EVF. Olympus and Panasonic cameras both have this capability, and the rear screen can be used as a touch-pad for AF point positioning.  I love this feature on my OM-D E-M10 Mark II and hope that the X-T20 gains this capability soon. In any case, I’m glad to see Fuji start providing touch capability in the X-Series, and hope it continues with new bodies to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20\u2019s controls are well laid out and allow for a high level of customizability.  All four of the four-way directional buttons can be assigned a custom function, as can the Fn button, the movie record button and the pressing function of the rear dial.  In all, that\u2019s seven programmable buttons, which allow you to set the camera up to your liking. These buttons, in addition to the Q menu, which allows access to many other commonly used functions make trips to the menu for settings changes a rare occurrence. Programming the buttons can be done either through the menu system or by long pressing on the button in question, which will immediately bring you to the custom settings for that button. The last physical control on the camera is the focus mode selector switch, which sits on the front left of the camera for easy access with your left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The X-T20’s Programmable Quick Menu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Going back to the menus, the Q menu is laid out similar to all the other X-Series cameras, and can be customized to your needs. The Q menu allows you to quickly change ISO, JPEG parameters, self timer settings, AF mode, flash mode and quick sets. The X-T20 also inherits the same upgraded menu system that first debuted on the X-Pro2.  It’s a very well laid out menu system with settings grouped in logical pages.  Unfortunately, the touch screen can’t be used to navigate menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Viewfinder, Rear Screen, Autofocus and Performance<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n


While you’ll notice throughout this review that the X-T20 shares quite a lot with the X-T2, one of the major differences between the two cameras is the size of the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF).  The X-T20 has a 0.62x magnification viewfinder, which is fairly standard for mid-range mirrorless cameras and prosumer APS-C DSLRs.  While the EVF is nice and clear, with crisp optics, good brightness and excellent detail thanks to the 2.32 million dot panel inside, it is notably smaller than the X-T2’s giant 0.77x finder.  The EVF is the same apparent size as the X-E2, but for some reason I think it feels larger in actual use, and that may be due to the shorter eye point.  Many glasses wearers feel a longer eye point is more comfortable for them, but I’m a glasses wearer, and I actually prefer the shorter eye-point of the X-T20, and I feel it makes for a more immersive experience compared to the X-E2.  That said, the finder on the X-T2 is certainly a step up, and is one of the things you are paying for when you opt for the more premium body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The rear touch screen of the X-T20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The display in the EVF is essentially identical to that of the X-T2, with a wealth of information that rotates to keep the indicators correctly oriented in the portrait orientation.  The X-T20 also has the same wide variety of focus aids available for manual focus, including enlarged focusing, focus peaking and Fuji’s unique split-prism focusing aid, which uses the phase-detect pixels on the sensor to provide a view similar to that of a split prism focus screen on a DSLR, though with four horizontal bands instead of a single split inside a ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear screen is a 3 inch, 1 million dot capacitive touch screen, and displays excellent viewing angles, good contrast and nice color.  The screen can tilt flat for low angle shots or down at around a 50 degree angle for shots above you.  Unlike the dual-tilting screen on the X-T2, the X-T20’s rear screen can’t tilt out for shooting low in the vertical orientation. In all, it’s a quality screen that is on par with other recent Fuji cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The 24 megapixel X-Trans III sensor in the X-T20 is the same sensor used in the X-T2 and X-Pro2, and with the same processor and algorithms, has essentially the same autofocus system as well, with a few minor differences. This sensor has an expanded phase-detect area that covers around half of the total sensor area, and provides improvements to autofocus speed and accuracy over a wider portion of the frame compared to the earlier X-Trans II sensor.  I found the X-T20 to focus quickly and accurately in single shot mode, in essentially any lighting condition.  Slower lenses in dim light would slow down a bit, but overall speed is excellent, especially with the faster focusing primes like the 35mm f\/2. The X-T20 shares the same wide focus point arrangement as the X-T2, with the basic mode showing 91 focus points, with an even finer 325 point grid available if you need extreme precision in focus point placement.  The focus points provide nearly 100% frame coverage.  Like the X-T2, the central 13 columns (or 7 columns if in the reduced focus point arrangement), are phase-detect AF points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Running<\/a>
Running – Fujifilm X-T20 with Fujinon XF 50mm f\/2 – Continuous AF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20 inherits the same improvements to the continuous autofocus system that first debuted in the X-T2, with much improved algorithms for subject tracking.There are 5 different continuous AF custom setting presets that alter the logic used for continuous focusing. The basic mode is similar to the existing logic used for tracking on earlier bodies, but the other modes offer advantages in a variety of other situations.  The other modes include one for ignoring obstacles that come between you and your subject, one for accelerating or decelerating subjects, one for suddenly appearing subjects, and one for erratically moving subjects.  One of the two differences between the X-T20 and the X-T2 is that the X-T20 lacks the custom setting option that is present on the X-T2, so you’ll have to use one of the preset modes on this newer body. Accuracy of the continuous AF is consistent with the X-T2 and a nice step up from previous generation Fuji X-Series cameras. The shot above was taken at the end of a 2 second burst with my son running at me, in which the vast majority of the frames were in perfect focus, including this one, even at a very close focus distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuji made improvements to the face detection algorithms in this latest generation of Fuji cameras, and that development continues in the X-T20. The face detection system can detect whole faces as well as eyes, with settings for a preference towards a left or right eye, or letting the camera choose the nearest eye. In a change from the X-T2, the X-T20 is the first Fuji camera to allow for continuous AF with phase detection, while <\/em>face detection is enabled.<\/em> Now you can leave face detection on and get accurate continuous autofocus at the same time: a great tool for use when shooting pictures of your kids playing, among other uses. However, I found that accuracy took a small hit if the subject is rapidly changing position while face detection was enabled, and that using zone focusing along yielded a higher percentage of in-focus shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20 has the same X-Processor Pro as the X-T2 and X-Pro2, and this quick processor allows for fast file processing and excellent responsiveness.  You won’t be waiting on this camera.  The X-T20 also has the same continuous burst rates as the X-T2, with 14fps and 11fps rates available in electronic shutter mode (and fixed focus), and 8fps frame rates available with focus tracking. In my experience with the camera, focus tracking works with both the mechanical and electronic shutter at the 8fps frame rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest limitations with the older X-T10 was the extremely limited buffer, which filled after only 7 RAW shots or 8 JPEG shots: less than one full second of shooting at continuous high burst rate.  Thankfully, Fuji has removed this handicap from the X-T20.  I was able to capture 25 RAW shots or 65 JPEG shots in a single 8 fps burst before the camera began to slow down.  This is better than the X-T1, and only a bit short of what the X-T2 can accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, I am very pleased with the performance of the X-T20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Key Features<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n


While the feature set on the X-T20 is similar to most other Fuji cameras,it’s worth listing the rather extensive set of features on this camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wi-Fi<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Like all the Fujifilm cameras since the X-M1, the X-T20 has fairly full featured Wi-Fi capabilities, though the Wi-Fi features haven’t changed much in several years. The camera can connect to any Android or iOS smartphone or tablet using the Fujifilm Camera Remote app, and this allows you to transfer JPEG images, remotely control the camera or tag your images with GPS locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image transfer process is mostly painless, with a fairly simple interface that allows you to transfer individual images selected on camera, or browse the card through the app to select images to transfer.  With the X-T20, however, I noticed rather long transfer times to my phone, which could reach over a minute for a full size transfer…something I haven’t generally experienced on my other X-Series cameras. Hopefully it’s just a bug that will be quickly ironed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The interface of Fuji’s remote control app<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The remote control feature passes a live view of the camera’s sensor feed to your phone and provides for full-featured manual control of the camera, including all exposure settings, focus point setting, film simulation, flash mode and of course the ability to trip the shutter or start and stop video recording.  I don’t use remote control all that often on my cameras, but when I need it, it’s extremely useful.  One great option is for large group shots where you’re either adjusting lighting on the fly, or are in the picture yourself.  The app allows you to check positioning while you are away from the camera and then trip the shutter.  It can also be useful if you have the camera on a tripod in an awkward position, so you can make exposure adjustments more comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geotagging works by manually having the camera request a location from your smartphone. The Fujifilm app then sends the current coordinates to the camera, and that data is used for all photos until you change the location data manually again. While this is helpful by not requiring your smartphone to constantly track location, thus burning battery, it\u2019s also quite imprecise, as all your photos in an area will have the same coordinates, rather than moving with you as you go, unless you stop to feed new coordinates on every shot. It can also be somewhat inaccurate because it doesn\u2019t allow your phone to get a really precise location lock before sending the coordinates\u2026it often takes the quick first coordinates it gets, which can sometimes be off by a few thousand feet. It would be nice to see a map on the application, so you could see your location zero in, then choose when to send the coordinates to the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intervalometer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20 also includes the intervalometer feature that was first introduced on the X-T1. The intervalometer can be accessed through the menu and allows you to set a time interval as short as 1 second and as long as 24 hours, as well as the number of frames to be captured (from 1 to 999).  The shooting can start immediately or at a time up to 24 hours later.  One nice touch to the interval shooting is a countdown timer, which shows in the upper left corner of the screen to let you know how much time is remaining until the next shot.  You can cancel shooting at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While multi-day time-lapse shoots with mirrorless cameras typically require either multiple batteries or an AC connection, Fuji has done its best to maximize battery life when shooting with intervals longer than 30 seconds.  In these situations, the camera actually shuts itself down between shots.  The camera turns itself on 5 seconds before a shot and stays on 5-7 seconds after the shot before shutting down again. Presumably, only the timer is running in the background, saving tremendous amounts of power.  While the savings are somewhat minimal with a 30 second interval, the energy savings will be huge for longer intervals; it’s a fantastic way to approach these long time-lapse shoots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-Camera RAW Conversion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While this feature is unchanged from all other Fuji-X Series cameras, I feel it\u2019s worth discussing again.  Fuji has, in my opinion, the most straightforward and useful in-camera RAW conversion capabilities.  This is especially useful when shooting RAW only and transferring images via Wi-Fi, as it allows you to do moderately nuanced conversion to a full-size JPEG, which you can then directly share with Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"RAW<\/a>
RAW conversion is the same as on other Fuji cameras, but there’s no need to change what’s already very well done.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The in-camera RAW conversion function can be called up simply by pressing the Q button during image review.  You are then presented with a multi-page list of parameters that can be adjusted.  These allow you to change white balance, push or pull exposure, adjust highlight and shadow roll-off, change to any of the excellent built-in film simulations and the new film grain simulation and more. With the X-Trans III sensor, some of these parameters have gained additional adjustment capabilities when compared to earlier Fuji cameras.  For instance, shadow and highlight detail can be adjusted from -2 to +4, while overall exposure adjustment also sees a wider range of choices. Once you\u2019ve made your adjustments, you can preview the result and then save it if you like what you see, or continue adjustment if you so desire.  While some other makers also have in-camera RAW conversion (Olympus and Samsung do a very nice job as well), it\u2019s something I\u2019d like to see on all cameras: I’m looking at you, Sony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The X-T20, like the X-T10 before it, has a built-in pop-up flash that surrounds the EVF hump.  The flash deploys extremely quickly and solidly, and provides a bit of fill light or emergency flash for those times where you just don’t have the light.  Because it’s a small, direct flash that raises just a bit above the axis of the lens, it’s not going to provide particularly flattering light, but it works fine in a pinch and exposure is pretty accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The pop-up flash of the Fuji X-T20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other Items of Note<\/h4>\n\n\n\n