Fujifilm X-T200 Review

Released in the spring of 2020, Fujifilm’s X-T200 is the latest entry-level hybrid mirrorless camera to replace the X-T100 released in 2018. It continues the tradition of compact, classically styled affordable cameras aimed at new users and novices. And this release blends an updated design with a more versatile system. On paper, it borrows much of the feature set from the X-A7 and the higher-end X-T30.

And it now boasts superior autofocus, improved video, and a fully articulating screen. Yet surprisingly, it’s even more lightweight and compact. Fuji aims this entry-level camera at newcomers to the ecosystem looking for a budget-friendly option. And they also aim this camera to compete with Sony’s A6100, Panasonic’s G95, Nikon’s Z50, and Canon’s EOS M50. Today, we address its strengths and weaknesses and see how their latest entry stands up in this ever-competitive market segment.

What are some of the goods, bads, and uglies of the Fujifilm X-T200? 

Pros

Image Quality

It features a redesigned 24.2MP CMOS sensor without an optical low pass filter, a similar configuration as the X-A7. With this new sensor, Fuji opted to use copper wiring, instead of aluminum, which increases its readout speed. However, the sensor uses their Bayer array construction, not the higher-end X-Trans design. Even so, the image quality it produces is excellent for the class. And it’s a notable improvement over the X-T100. Images are sharp with ample details and contrast, bundled with Fuji’s acclaimed color science for a historic, yet natural appeal.

• It obtains 11 historic Film Simulation Modes, to mimic the look of classic Fujifilm.
• It obtains the new Clarity Filter.

The camera offers continuous shooting speeds of 8 FPS, a nice improvement over the predecessor’s 6 FPS maximum. And it provides a reasonable buffer of 20 RAW images before slowing.

Video Quality

It now obtains similar video capabilities as the X-A7, which represents a substantial improvement over the predecessor. With that, it now has full 4K support, shooting 4K UHD video up to 30 FPS and 1080p Full HD video up to 60 FPS. And it downsamples from a 6K readout to create genuine 4K UHD video without a crop.

The camera also offers competitive data rates of 100 Mbps for 4K or 38 Mbps for 1080p. Compared to the predecessor, which only provided 4K 15 FPS video, these are enormous improvements, and the camera’s now quite usable. Overall, the video quality it produces is excellent and closely matches the X-T30. Videos are sharp, with ample dynamic range, and natural color rendering that’s well suited for immediate sharing.

But, the camera does have several time limitations to keep in mind. In this case, 4K 30 FPS limits at 15 minutes and 1080p the industry-standard 29 minutes and 59 seconds.

It also obtains the Full HD High-Speed Rec Mode, which records Full HD videos at 120 FPS for 5x slow-motion. Shooting in this mode automatically slows the footage down to 24 FPS in-camera, and it’s a nice change over the predecessor 4x or 100 FPS maximum. However, you can only record for 6 minutes in this particular mode.

With the sensor’s new copper wiring design, the camera now provides 3.5x faster data readout speeds than the predecessor. And this added speed has significantly reduced the rolling shutter that occurs in 4K. This is a substantial improvement over the predecessor, but it’s not perfect.

It obtains the new HDR Video recording mode, which combines several videos of varying exposure to increase the dynamic range. It’s an excellent option when filming in tricky lighting conditions or backlit scenes, and helps preserve more details in both the shadows and highlights. Though, this mode only works in 1080p up to 30 FPS.

It offers the Countdown Video Recording feature, which displays a video countdown while recording. It’s helpful if you want to limit the clips to a set length for easier sharing online. And you can have 15, 30, or 60 seconds countdowns.

It offers a clean 4K signal via HDMI output. And it also acts as a webcam when connected to a computer.

Low Light Performance

It has a native ISO range from ISO 200 to 12,800, further expandable 51,200, the same as the predecessor. But, users can expect usable images up to ISO 6,400 with minimal processing.

Focusing Performance

With the redesigned sensor comes a substantial update to the camera’s autofocusing system. And it now obtains Fuji’s latest 425 point Hybrid AF system with support to -2.0EV. At 425 selectable points, the camera has nearly 4x as many AF points as its predecessor, which only offers 91 points. Plus, these points cover 100% of the imaging area, further improving the speed and responsiveness.

Fuji’s also enhanced the overall performance by placing on-sensor phase-detection and updated both the Face and Eye-detection algorithms, which have greatly improved its overall tracking performance. Additionally, they’ve also added the Main Subject Recognition, which prioritizes a subject when shooting in large groups. Overall, focusing is greatly improved and closely matches both the X-T30 and X-T3. And the camera confidently tracks subjects as they move across the frame, even when wearing accessories, and it rarely hunts to confirm focus.

It offers several focusing aids to help manual shooters, including Focus Check, the manual focus indicator, magnification, and peaking.

Display & Viewfinder

It obtains the same 2.36M dot OLED electronic viewfinder from the predecessor with a 0.62x magnification. While unchanged, the viewfinder remains on par with the standards of this segment. And it’s reasonably sharp, accurate, and detailed.

But, new for this release is a large 3.5-inch vari-angle touchscreen LCD. Not only is it 16% larger than the predecessor 3-inch screen, but it also boasts double the resolution at 2.76M dots plus free-angle articulation. And at 3.5 inches, it’s among the most massive screens of the segment. While the predecessor pivoting design was helpful, it pales compared to a vari-angle screen, which is ideal for the versatility they offer for both stills and videos.

And it’s also ideal for front-facing selfies or vlogging. Fuji’s even added the 16:9 aspect ratio, making it easier than ever to correctly frame videos. And they’ve doubled its brightness to 1,000 candelas, so it’s easily bright enough to use outdoors. Overall, taken together, these are substantial improvements. The screen’s sharp, bright, and responsive. And it’s arguably class-leading at this price.

Since it’s a touchscreen, it provides several touchscreen operations. These include touch AF, AF touch pad, touch shutter, pinch to zoom, swiping in playback, and full menu navigation. Fuji’s made great leaps in touchscreen functionality here over the predecessor.

Like the X-T4, you can also adjust both the brightness and color (WB) of both the EVF and rear display.

User Interface

It obtains Fuji’s latest user interface and menus, which offer a new updated and modern look and feel over the predecessor. And like the X-A7, they’re also fully touch-enabled. Overall, newcomers and existing users should find them intuitive and quickly mastered. The menu items are nested further into the menus than before, but it shouldn’t be problematic for most users.

It obtains the Advance Photography Mode on the Mode dial. This gives you access to the camera’s advanced shooting functionality, i.e., light painting, in one convenient location and saves time digging through the menus.

It also obtains the Advanced Filters mode on the Mode Dial, giving you quick access to the camera’s filters.

It has two dedicated function buttons, Fn1 and Fn2. These buttons can also act as a focus or exposure locks for back-button focusing. It even has two on-screen function buttons on the rear display, T.B Fn1, and T.B Fn2. And you have access to 45 mappable options. Plus, there’s also a dedicated function dial, which defaults to change exposure compensation. But it’s context-sensitive and changes various settings depending on the mode.

In addition to the standard Scene position on the Mode Dial, it now has the Advanced SR Auto mode. This mode offers a variety of automatic functions where the camera optimizes the shooting settings automatically. It’s an excellent option for beginners and novices that simplifies capturing high-quality images.

• Like other recent releases, both still and video settings are independent, making changes seamless.
• It obtains the customizable My Menu setting from the X-A7 so that you can save a preset menu of your favorite menu options. And it becomes the default once configured.
• It obtains the Quick (Q) menu, allowing you to customize a list of your most used shooting settings.

Physical Layout & Ergonomics

Physically, the camera follows a similar body design and retro aesthetic as the predecessor. But, it’s even more compact and lightweight, now weighing just 370g, including battery and SD card. And Fuji’s managed to reduce the camera’s weight by 80g (17%) over the previous model, which is easily noticeable in hand. Yet, despite reducing body size, it’s clear they’ve paid attention to the fine details. Not only does it remain attractive and handsome, with the sleek two-toned finish modeling classic designs, but it also offers superior ergonomics.

And they’ve protruded both the rear thumb rest and front grip, making the camera far more comfortable. Frankly, the camera provides a ludicrous grip for its size. And it’s exceptionally comfortable for those with larger hands. Plus, it balances quite well with large lenses, without needing an optional front grip accessory.

With the larger rear screen, Fuji’s also had to modify the camera’s physical layout. In this case, they’ve replaced the top Fn button with the On/Off toggle. They’ve also redesigned the shutter button, which now has a wrapped command dial. But, arguably, the biggest change is the removal of the 5-way d-pad. Instead, it’s now replaced with an AF joystick, helpful for AF point selection or navigating the menus. The AF joystick also has an interesting press-in feature, where pressing it zooms in on the current focus area. Clever.

Overall, Fuji has made substantial improvements to the design of this camera. And the addition of the front grip and protruded rear thumb rest greatly enhance the day to day usability. Plus, the updated control scheme simplifies the physical layout without reducing the functionality.

• Like the predecessor, there’s a dedicated video record button for quick access whenever needed.
• It has dual control dials to control Shutter Speed or Aperture.

Niche Features/Extras

It features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE connectivity to transfer images wirelessly, geotag, or remotely control the camera via the Camera Remote app.

It features the new Digital Gimbal function, a form of electronic stabilization that reduces handshake. And the camera uses a gyroscopic sensor and software algorithms to determine the changes necessary. However, enabling this feature does come at the cost of a crop. Nevertheless, considering it’s the first Fujifilm camera to offer the feature, it’s quite helpful when filming handheld. It also obtains the Digital Image Stabilizer, which is slightly less aggressive and best suited for handheld static shots.

• It has a built-in pop-up flash.
• It obtains the Portrait Enhancer, which smooths skin tones and textures for more flattering portraits.
• It has multiple exposures, and the camera combines two separate exposures automatically.
• It offers the Bulb mode to shoot long exposures, light paint, or record star trails. And the shutter remains open for up to 60 minutes.
• It has built-in panorama.
• It has a built-in interval timer function to capture time-lapses. And you can customize the number of shots taken.
• It obtains the Time-Lapse Movie Mode, creating 4K 30 FPS or 1080p 60 FPS time-lapse movies in-camera.

It obtains the new Light Trail shooting mode, first introduced on the X-A7, to adjust in-camera settings specific to these images and it shows a preview as the exposure develops.

It has a USB-C port, which supports charging. And Fuji supplies a headphone adapter with the purchase letting you monitor audio when recording. And you can adjust the headphone levels via the menu. Also of note, the included adapter is well-engineered, robust, and doesn’t get in the way.

It has a microphone input and you can adjust the levels via the menu, enable the wind cut filter, attenuator, limiter, or low cut filter. This a substantial improvement over the predecessor, which offered a 2.5mm port in comparison.

• It has a fully silent electronic shutter.
• It has built-in HDR.
• It offers the new Cut & Edit function, letting you trim recording videos, reducing the replay duration, and file size. This mode is ideal for sharing videos on social media.
• The AF assist illuminator doubles as a tally lamp when recording.

The camera obtains Fuji’s extensive suite of bracketing options, including auto exposure (AE), ISO, film simulation, white balance, HDR, and dynamic range bracketing.

It obtains several lens correction options, including Distortion Correction, Color Shading Correction, and Peripheral Illumination Correction.

It obtains the Photobook Assist, letting you create books of your 300 favorite photos.

It offers extensive in-camera editing, including RAW conversation, red eye removal, rotate, crop, and more.

Cons

Image Performance

Sadly, it doesn’t obtain Fuji’s full suite of film simulation modes. And, strangely, they’ve decided to remove Acros, Etnera, and Eterna Bleach Bypass. It seems this will be a separating characteristic between various X-T camera lines. So, if you want these profiles, you’ll have to consider a higher-end model.

Video Capabilities

It lacks several advanced video-centric features from the X-T30 or X-T3, including zebras, F-Log, and 10-bit video.

While Fuji has redesigned the sensor, it still suffers from rolling shutter when panning. Thankfully, they’ve greatly reduced the effect, and you can easily correct the remaining distortion in post-processing.

Battery Life

It uses the long-standing W126S battery, but battery life is below average for a mirrorless camera. Fuji rates the camera to deliver 270 shots per charge under regular use, 450 when using the ECO Mode, or 80 minutes of continuous 4K video. Typically, 350 photos and 90 minutes of video are standards for the class.

Ergonomics

Like many compact cameras, both the SD card and battery live in the same slot underneath the camera. And, as always, this positioning makes quickly changing them tedious when using a tripod. The positioning of the tripod thread also blocks the battery compartment. So, you’ll have to remove it to change either.

Lacking Features

Due to size, it uses the smaller HDMI Type-D micro connector, which isn’t the most reliable connection for using external devices.

It doesn’t offer the 4K burst mode of the X-T100. Instead, you’ll have to rely on the camera’s continuous high burst mode when shooting sports, action, and wildlife. And it also doesn’t obtain the 4K Multi-Focus Mode for focus stacking either.

It lacks weather sealing, dual card slots, and in-body image stabilization. But, as an entry-level camera, these are quite rare features at this price point.

It doesn’t obtain the Movie Silent mode of the X-T4, which would help prevent recordings from capturing camera setting changes.

Is this a good beginner camera?

Yes.

It’s an excellent camera for beginners and newcomers to the Fuji ecosystem. Fuji has made enormous improvements to its user interface and menus over recent years. And as the latest camera of the line, it offers the best interface to date. The updated touch interface and simple control scheme creates quite an intuitive experience. And the camera is more than capable of long-term growth and developing your skills.

Is this a good camera for you?

Yes.

This camera is an excellent option for vloggers, with its fully articulating screen, mic and headphone ports (via an adapter), digital gimbal, and confident AF system. And it’s quite the package at this price point.

This camera is also a reasonable choice for videographers, particularly for run and gun shooters. However, it doesn’t offer many advanced video-centric features for power users, such as F-Log, Zebras, Eterna, and 10-bit via HDMI. For cinematographers and budding filmmakers, consider the X-T30 or X-T3 cameras instead. But, for normal day to day users, this is an excellent video camera for the price.

With it’s 8 FPS burst, it’s reasonably capable for sports and action. But, at only 20 frames before slowing, the buffer’s rather shallow. So the X-T30 is the better choice for sports and wildlife photographers.

This camera is an excellent alternative for those looking at the X-A7 if you want it’s viewfinder and manual controls. Otherwise, both cameras are largely the same.

For current Fujifilm owners, this camera is an excellent b-camera or travel companion. It obtains much of the feature set form the higher-end X-T30 without its higher-end price. And, as a package, it’s certainly capable.

Current X-T100 owners should consider the upgrade, particularly if they want the updates to autofocus, video capabilities, better touch implementation, and improved ergonomics. The only slight loss otherwise is the missing 4K burst features. But, otherwise, this camera is a worthwhile upgrade.

In the end, Fujifilm’s X-T200 is a powerful camera in the entry-level segment. And it’s a strong choice for beginners and newcomers looking to upgrade their smartphones. As a package, it packs several high-end features into a compact and easy-to-use system. And the improvements to the touch functionality creates quite an intuitive camera. Overall, the X-T200 delivers considerable value for the money and is a worthy consideration.

Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Photography PX Published October 11, 2020