The Fujifilm X-Pro3 is Fuji’s flagship photo-orientated body aimed at street and documentary photographers. Following the rangefinder style body of the previous bodies, the X-Pro3 features some significant design changes. The main and obvious one being the new hidden LCD screen with the sub-monitor. This is purposed to keep photographers in on the action and prevent users from constantly “chimping” and checking their photos after every shot. A pure photography experience. This is then backed up with the sub monitor display that can either show a display of your film simulation or such information like shown on the X-H1 or GFX 50S. When shooing the film simulations, it is very reminiscent of the older film cameras that had the slot for the end tab of the film boxes. I think this is great idea and a concept that I know a lot of users have been very keen about. I personally use mine in the more informative display to show all of my settings such as white balance, shooting mode as well as my exposure triangle. This can be customised in the menu. However, while this screen has proven to be quite useful, other times it can be quite annoying. The panel isn’t back lit, which means that when there isn’t light shining on it, you can’t see what’s being shown. As a result of this, in dark circumstances like when doing night photography or at the end of a wedding at the reception, this screen has proven to be very hard to see and it is easier to just flip the screen down. Therefore defeating the purpose. However, it’s not all bad. Personally, I shoot a lot of film and scan it myself. When shooting top down over a light panel, the angle of the screen makes it very easy to see exactly what setting I’m using on the top of the camera while also seeing exactly what I’m composing for. This may be a very niche user experience but one I thought worth mentioning as I found this to be very useful.

The X-Pro3 is now made with a Titanium top and bottom plate. There are 3 options to choose from. The standard black one, which is only painted over these plates. Then there are two others which come at a premium. These are coated with what Fuji calls “Duratect”. There is a Dura Black and a Dura Silver colours. These are considerably more scratch resistant and give the camera a very premium feel…as well as looking, in my opinion, stunning! I went for the Dura Black as I thought the “gun metal” aesthetic looks great! The Dura Silver reminds of Fuji’s old T-X1 wide format camera. However, while looking stunning there is obviously the much talked about finger print issue. I know for some this is an immediate turn off. However for me, I don’t mind too much and gives the camera a weirdly personal feel that I almost enjoy. But like everything and to put it bluntly, you get used to it.

The unique hybrid viewfinder design has also improved. Fuji wanted to make the EVF the priority and have since made this a larger, brighter and a higher resolution panel. Still no where near as good at the one you’d find on their GFX bodies or even the X-T3/X-T4 but a massive step up from their X-Pro2 none the less. Unfortunately, as a result of making the EVF larger and higher quality, the OVF had to lose some wide angle coverage. You now can no longer see frame lines past 23mm and no longer than 130mm. Personally, I don’t shoot a lot of wide angle in the first place nor do I use the OVF all that much. This therefore isn’t too much of an issue for me.

A minor change but worth mentioning is the removal of the front dial button. The dial is still there with full functionality like normal, but it is no longer a physical button like on the older models. Personally I haven’t seen this to be too much of a hindrance …especially given how much customisability this camera has in the first place. Fuji have also brought the camera In line with some of their other models and removed the dpad. I used to shoot with the X-T2 and while this has the dpad, I haven’t found myself missing it. Thinking about it and in real word use, the joystick is much faster and easier to use anyway. The dpad does offer some customisability, and those who really need this much functionality and buttons set to various commands, Fuji still incorporate this in the X-T3 and the latest X-T4. Small changes, but I know users who used these functions on the previous models, so worth mentioning!

Another tiny change is the change of the SD card slot. This used to be a slide out and spring to open this. It is now a lever type mechanism, such as the X-T range.

These changes are small but from what I know this is so Fuji has the ability to make the already great weather sealing, even better. There are actually 73 points of sealing around this camera and this proved very useful when I was shooting in the pouring rain in Japan earlier this year. The camera performed beautifully and I would trust it to the same degree as I used to push my old Canon 5D Mark IV. Unfortunately, not all of Fuji’s lenses are weather sealed though. To make it easy, they label all the sealed lenses with “WR” right on the front. This stands for “Weather Resistant”. The older and slower f/1.4 lenses are not sealed, with the exception of the 16mm, while all of the newer f/2 lenses are. I know this is a review about the camera but just quickly, the f/2 and f/2.8 lenses are smaller, cheaper, faster to focus and with WR while the older f/1.4 and f/1.2 lenses are in some cases sharper, with more depth of field and producing a more characteristic look.

The X-Pro3 now includes Fujifilm’s latest 26 megapixel sensor with Back Side Illumination paired with the X-Trans III Processor. This is now the same as the X-T3, X-T4, X-T30 and X100V. The are considerable differences between all of them but to answer the inevitably question, yes, they do all deliver exactly the same image quality and output…it’s how you get to take to photo that differs. But without getting off topic, this new sensor is great! For an APS-C sized sensor, the low light and dynamic range featured here is truly remarkable. I am consistently getting 13-14 stops of DR with usable ISO ratings up to 12,800. Granted, the full frame rivals such as the Sony’s, Nikon’s and Canon’s can resolve much higher. However, I rarely push higher than 8,000 anyway and without making excuses, for an APS-C sensor with that much resolution, that’s very impressive. This is partly down to the BSI technology implemented and partly down to the impressive power and performance output of the X-Trans III. For weddings, gigs or any low light circumstance, personally I trust the X-Pro3 and this sensor entirely. The days are behind us when making a lens purchase based on how much light it lets in. The truth is, a lens could be an f/5.6 and it wouldn’t matter because the cameras ISO performance is so good, it doesn’t matter if you push it past 10,000 ISO. I believe a lens purchase decision should only be made now based on aesthetic qualities and the artistic look a shallow depth of field can give you, not based on how much light it lets it. The low light on these modern cameras, especially this one, is just that good! But, why no IBIS? Well, my guess is to keep the size, weight and cost down. These mirrorless cameras are renowned for being small and light. And this is especially apparent when looking at the X-Pro3’s bigger, scarier rival…the Leica’s M10. Fuji may have also opted to leave out an IBIS mechanism to keep the cost down. It already retailed at £1699 while the Duratect coatings were £1879. Include an IBIS sensor in there and I wouldn’t be surprised if we would be approaching £2000, which is full frame territory. One final and maybe selfish reason for leaving it out, may be to have an even clearer distinction between their models. The stabilised X-T4 came in at £1499 which is already quiet close to the baseline X-Pro3. This way there is clear distinction and differences.

The new X-Trans III Processor also allows for some pretty significant autofocus focus improvements. It now has 425 autofocus points covering 100% of the frame capable of shooting 11fps mechanical and 30fps with electronic shutter. Although, this does put a 1.25x crop on your images and can only be shot for 3 seconds at a time before the buffer runs out. If you will be taking advantage of this you may also be keen to know about the “Sports Finder” mode when in this crop setting. This shows you the frame lines through the EVF or LCD where the image will be cropped, just like through the OVF. This allows users to see as objects or subjects come in and out of a frame to precisely capture the exact moment your subject enters the frame. However, if you don’t like this idea, you can always just turn it off in the settings. On the topic of fast FPS action shooting, the X-Pro3 has 2 card slots, both the faster UHS-II type. These types of cards are recommended for this camera in order to get 100% of the features and potential of the body. I’ve seen some horrible horror stories with shooters using Lexar cards in Fuji bodies. I personally only recommended and use the Sandisk cards in mine.

If you own and use the XF 35mm f/1.4 and use it at f/1.4, then you can focus down to -6ev. Which is great and proven to be useful quite a few times in my testings. Although, why I understand how difficult this is for a camera to do and understand how it’s going to be a lot easier to do so shooting at an aperture such as f/1.4…why doesn’t this work with the other f/1.4 lenses and even the faster f/1.2 56mm? I am very curious and would love to know? Knowing how great Fuji are at updating their camera’s secs through free and easy to install firmware updates, this might be something we see in the future?

Another new addition to the X-Pro3, is the new “Classic Negative” film simulation which is meant to emulate the popular film stock “Superia”. I personally love this new simulation and use it as a starting place for 90% of my edits. Not only this but you can change things like the shadows and highlights within the jpeg setting before you even take the photo. And just like any other mirrorless, you can see these changes live though the EVF or LCD. To improve on this, Fuji added changes like clarity and curves, along with unique things such as grain amount and size. There is even a toggle called “Colour Chrome FX Blue” which gives a cool toned, cinematic aesthetic to your JPEG images and previews. Something else they added is the “Colour Chrome Effect” first seen in the GFX 50S. This brightens highlights and hues in the colours images and gives a unique look to your images. All these enhancements combined sometimes takes the camera a little while to compile and buffer the images to the card, especially if you’re writing both RAW and JPEG like I do to separate cards. Even more reason to go for the UHS-II cards!

I’ve found that adding the grain in my JPEG images on top of the Classic Neg film simulation, as well as lowering the contrast and slightly overexposing every photo, I can make every JPEG image look almost identical to a film image. This effect is even more apparent when using with the slightly soft, characteristic lens that is the 35mm f/1.4. I’ve even had a lot of fun adapting some of my M-Mount lenses which you can now set names and focal lengths to in the setting so your images have metadata attached to them. Very helpful when testing and comparing lenses!

With the X-T3 we saw the addition of USB-C. I’m pleased to say that the X-Pro3 also has this. It allows me and other photographers to use the camera out in the field and charge it in down time. Simply from a portable charger that a lot of us own for our phones, you can charge the camera on the go at anytime and anywhere. I’m liking the shift to USB-C for a lot of things. My headphones, laptop and now camera all charge with the same cable. The newer iPads also charge with USB-C now and I know so do the vast majority of android phones now as well. One cable to do everything…please!

However, as much as I like this feature and while the camera does come with a USB-C cable, it does not come with an actual battery changing brick nor does it even come with a plug to put the cable into. A lot fo people have a USB plug anyway but when I’m spending almost £1900 on a camera, I was a little surprised to find that it doesn’t come with one. That being said, you can find cheap alternatives on Amazon for no more than £15 and I’m presuming Fuji’s incentive behind this is to reduce waste in the world from people throwing out chargers, plus it saves them a lot of money as a company. I understand it, but it was a surprise to say the least!

Fujifilm cameras have always been very customisable. From the menus and the buttons, to the physical aesthetics of the camera. The X-Pro3 is now exception. Holding down the “Display/Back” button, quickly opens to custom controls menu in any of the latest Fujifilm cameras. On the X-Pro3, there are 9 different custom buttons/commands each with 8 different options you can set them to. You can truly set your camera up to your shooting needs and make it yours, something you’re familiar with and comfortable using in any circumstance. Personally, I find myself changing between my 7 different user profiles quite often. So I changed the “AE-L/AF-L” button to quickly bring up my menu to toggle between them with each one showing the name I assigned to it and a preview of the result in the EVF or LCD. Another button I change almost immediately when using a Fuji camera for the first time is the “Playback” button. I’ve set mine to the function button on the front of the camera. This way I can operate the camera one-handedly and almost just squeeze the body to playback my photo without even having to move a finger. This proves very useful when using the X-T bodies as the “Playback” button is located on the other side of the camera and therefore makes one-handed shooting an otherwise struggle.

The other way a lot of people (including myself) customise their Fuji’s is by additions of physical extensions and accessories. These include simpler items like straps, and range through to soft shutter release buttons, thumbs supports and hand grips. I’ve even seen some people give their cameras custom paint jobs with more drastic alterations such as stickers and new paint jobs to really give the camera a personal and unique feel. A lot of fun!

As mentioned in my previous Leica SL2 Review, I purchase and use cameras based off a lot more than just a spec sheet. The camera has to inspire me to shoot. I have to want to pick it up and use it. This is why Fuji as a company and brand along side Leica are a no brainier for me. Truth be told, when analysing my own technical requirements in a camera, likes of Sony and Canon etc, tick a lot of boxes for me. However when I pick up these cameras and actually use them for my style of photography, my list of requirements are totally different. Things like ergonomics, menu interface, colour science, lens choice, aesthetics and overall feel when shooting these cameras is worth so much more to me than low light performance at 25,600 ISO and eye-autofocus from 100 feet away that some other users and photographers may value higher than I do. Simply for me, this is why I love Fuji, for their cameras and company virtues. The battle between Full Frame and APS-C is long over and while I can definitely see disadvantages and advances to both, I think the gap is so minimal now, it doesn’t matter which one you go for or shoot with, you’re going to great fantastic results!

To conclude, the X-Pro3 is my favourite camera from Fujifilm. I consider it the flagship for APS-C photography specifically and not only just within Fuji but across all the brands offering APS-C rivals. While the GFX range obviously revolves much higher image quality, I still prefer using the X-Pro3. The user experience is second to none and something everyone should try at least once. If you’re a hybrid shooter or exclusively shoot video then I’d look more towards the X-T3 and X-T4. While the X-Pro3 does offer very good video performance with 4K 30p and 10bit 4.2.0, likes of the X-Ts offer features such as a full sized HDMI 4K 60p with 10 bit 4.2.0 and 4.2.2 external. Plus if you’re going for the X-T4 you gain IBIS, up to 180fps slow mo and the new “Eterna Bleach Bypass” film simulation. All of these options however offer 120fps 1080p slow mo and Fuji’s own F-Log. To summarise, Fuji has an option for everyone, with a complete and stunning lens line up designed and properly suited for each and every APS-C sensor they make. With a couple of quirks along the way, for the money, you really can’t go wrong!