Back in March of this year we reviewed the Fujifilm X-A7 mirrorless camera, and whilst we liked it on the whole, a couple of things for us let it down, primarily the lack of viewfinder and the lack of brightness in the LCD.
We have been playing with the Fujifilm X-T200 interchangeable lens mirrorless for a few weeks now and frankly, it is chalk and cheese.
It has the same sensor as the X-A7, but there the similarity ends as far as the real world goes. Oh, on paper the performance is technically the same, but the functionality available is w-a-y better we think.
Yes there is a viewfinder, and yes, the large 3.5” touch screen LCD can be seen on a reasonably sunny day and yes, as I said, it has an X-mount system of interchangeable lenses.
Tick, tick and tick.
Video / Web cam support
For video people, there is also a mic input and headphone jack so the vlogger – of which now there are MANY more than when we reviewed the X-A7 in March due to this damn beer virus are well catered for.
There is also an HDR video mode and eye / face detection. 4K is supported too.
Fujifilm has also seen fit to make the X-T200 capable of USB web cam support, and via the built in mini HDMI port we also successfully incorporated it into our Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro system as “camera 3” (cam 1 is a Panasonic X-1000, cam 2 is a Panasonic PV100 and cam 4 is our live PC output in case you are interested. Cam 3 normally interchanges between a GoPro 7, Panasonic HC-V180 or whatever else takes our fancy at the time).
The controls are also laid out better than the minimalist X-A7 too.
You can buy the X-T200 with a kit lens (15mm – 45mm is the standard and what we received)) or body only which is handy if you already have some X-mount lenses.
The attached photos show the layout, so I’ll dispense with the standard descriptive prose.
Customisation
One thing we did like is the ‘Q’ icon in the on screen controls, and brought up by touching an arrow on the right hand side of the screen. Tapping the Q icon brings up a list of settings superimposed over the live lens feed that can be customised to your taste and needs.
We found that out of the box will suffice for most users, but having that customisation is a bonus and those who like to dabble will be happy with this feature.
Power
Out of the battery (rated at 90 minutes of video or 270 shots) we managed around 70 minutes. We assume constant playback and reviewing of footage affected this. Our recommendation would be to carry a spare battery accordingly, although there is USB-C charging so also having a portable power pack is an added benefit.
Speaking of video, at this level of camera don’t expect any supercharging of frame rates (such as 50 or 60p) nor is there any in-body stabilisation; offsetting that is an impressive low light capability though.
Conclusion
It’s a Fujifilm camera, and for those who think the image output is THE most important thing, no more needs to be said. Fujifilm lenses are universally regarded as up there with the best of the best.
A couple of functions that are desirable are not there (stabilisation being a reasonably major one but hey, that’s what tripods in all their myriad of guises are for) but overall, for the price – around AUD$1299 for the body and lens) this is a damn fine little camera for the market it is aimed at.
Sure, it has not been fine tuned for the vlogger market like say the upcoming Pana G100 or Sony ZV1, but if you want an all-around mirrorless / interchangeable lens camera, the Fujifilm X-T200 should definitely been on your “must have a look at” list we think.
Film, Video & Virtual reality 
One thought on “Review: Fujifilm X-T200 Mirrorless”