Fuji X100T Technical Info

by Mike Tomkins

Same sensor and processor...

At the heart of the Fujifilm X100T are the exact same 16.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS II image sensor and EXR Processor II image processor as in 2013's Fuji X100S.

...but greater sensitivity

The Fuji X100T retains its predecessor's sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 6400 equivalents, but this can now be expanded a little further at the upper range. The expanded range now runs from ISO 100 to 51,200 equivalents, where the X100S topped out at ISO 25,600 equivalent. And you now get a choice of three Auto ISO positions, allowing you to define variant limits for each, and then quickly recall the Auto ISO mode whose limits match your current needs at any given moment. Handy!

Performance is similar, but burst depth varies

Although the sensor and processor combo not surprisingly derive the same performance of about six frames per second (with an available 3fps rate if you don't need full-speed shooting), JPEG burst depth is said to have fallen somewhat.

Fuji rates the X100T as good for 25 JPEG frames at full speed, down from 31 frames in the earlier camera. However, at the lower speed, you should now be able to manage to shoot until card space or battery power run out, where in the past there was a buffer limit of 44 JPEG frames.

We ran some quick tests in the lab to try to confirm Fuji's buffer numbers, but got results very similar to the X100S: 16 best quality JPEGs, 7 RAW and 7 RAW+JPEG frames before the camera slowed down. The 16 JPEG buffer matches our X100S results (and dropping quality down from Fine to Normal made no difference), however RAW and RAW+JPEG buffer depths fell by one frame. The X100T's top burst speed was however a touch faster in the lab, at just over 6.0 frames per second versus 5.7 for the X100S. Buffer clearing was also a little faster when shooting RAW and RAW+JPEG files with the same UHS-I card, at 5 and 7 seconds versus 8 and 11 seconds respectively, but keep in mind buffers were a bit shallower. Both cameras took only 3 seconds to clear after 16 JPEGs.

X100T autofocus and shutter lag performance was essentially the same as the X100S, within a few percent. Refer to our Fuji X100S Performance page for details.

Exposure control tweaks

There are some very worthwhile tweaks to exposure control in the Fuji X100T. Although the overall mechanical shutter speed range of 1/4,000 to 30 seconds plus a 60-minute bulb mode is unchanged, as is the aperture range of f/2.0 to f/16.0, the latter can now be addressed directly in 1/3-step increments from the aperture ring around the lens barrel.

The exposure compensation range available from the top-deck dial is also wider, ranging a full 3EV either side of the metered exposure, instead of the X100S' +/-2EV range. And, exposure compensation can now be set in Manual exposure mode.

Finally, spot metering can now be coupled with autofocus, such that the metering location follows the active autofocus point.

More control changes

There are other control changes, too. One of our least-favored controls on the X100S was the easily-bumped dial which encircled the four-way controller, and that's thankfully gone. Taking over from it in the Fuji X100T is a true, rolling rear dial that replaces the dial-like interface element which fell under your thumb on the X100S. That control wasn't actually a dial, even if it looked like one, but rather a left/right rocker that doubled as a button. The new, true dial should be more intuitive.

And since replacing that control would've removed a button, another has been added -- a dedicated Delete button. The Drive button of the X100S, meanwhile, has been repurposed as both a Function and Wi-Fi button. Otherwise, the controls are similar, although the locations have been reshuffled somewhat.

Note, though, that the four-way controller buttons are no longer screen-printed with their Record mode function. These are among a total of seven buttons which can be customized to your own personal tastes. You can also now customize the Q menu, surfacing more options that you want quick access to.

Get a grip!

Although there's been a fair bit of change to the body, the Fuji X100T accepts the same optional leather case as did its predecessor. There's also a new accessory grip, though, which we're presuming will be specific to this camera. It attaches to the base, and should make for a more comfortable, secure handhold. It also adds a tripod mount directly beneath the optical center of the lens, and allows battery and flash-card changes without removing the grip itself.

Get your photos on your phone

And yes, we did mention Wi-Fi above. That's another brand-new feature for the Fuji X100T, and one which makes it more relevant in the smartphone age. Now, without extra accessories -- other than your Android or iOS phone itself, of course -- you can both share images almost instantly with friends and family on social networks, and control the camera remotely, complete with a live view feed to make sure everything's just as you want it when you trip the shutter. You can also geotag photos via Wi-Fi, although this relies on your phone's GPS receiver and so will likely lessen its battery life.

A refined finder...

There have been several changes made to the unusual hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder of the Fuji X100T. It's still based around a reverse galilean optical finder with bright frame display and a high-resolution 2,360k-dot, 0.48-inch LCD panel, but now provides a more accurate 92% coverage in optical viewfinder mode, up from 90% in the earlier camera. And we've confirmed optical viewfinder coverage has indeed improved to 92% (see our optical viewfinder coverage test images below).

X100T OVF coverage = ~92%	X100S OVF coverage = ~90%

The really big change in optical viewfinder mode, though, is that the camera can now insert a small electronic viewfinder "window" in the bottom right of the image, shielding just this section of the OVF view from incoming light. This allows the camera to provide an electronic preview of the point of focus, while surrounding it with a sharp, lag-free optical view of your subject. The best of both worlds, in other words. And although we have no spec for this, parallax correction is also said to be better, allowing for more accurate framing using the optical finder with closer subjects.

In electronic viewfinder mode, meanwhile, lag is said to have been reduced, and a new Natural Live View shooting display added. This allows you to preview your subject without effects like film simulations or a preview of exposure levels, helpful when trying to frame a hard-to-see subject in low light. And the electronic viewfinder brightness can now be adjusted automatically, as well, saving you the trouble of tweaking it manually as ambient light levels change.

Electronic viewfinder dynamic range has also been improved, making it less likely that subjects will be reduced to solid white, clipped blobs devoid of detail.

...and a much better LCD monitor

When we reviewed the X100S last year, we felt its LCD monitor to be something of an afterthought, compared to the oh-so-clever hybrid finder. Well, we're glad to say that's no longer the case. The Fuji X100T now sports a somewhat larger and much higher-resolution display, which is great news -- especially if you like "chimping", or sharing images with friends and family right after capture as you all huddle around the camera's screen.

The new display still isn't the largest or highest-res around, but at a 3.0-inch diagonal and 1,040k-dot resolution, it's definitely a much better choice than the earlier camera's 2.8-inch, 460k-dot panel.

Finally, face detection

Although the X100S sported a cool Hybrid autofocus system that combined both contrast-detection and phase-detection from dedicated focus pixels on the image sensor -- a technology first developed by Fujifilm and since imitated by many rivals -- we still had a couple of concerns with the system in that camera. Firstly, we found it rather slow and inaccurate in low light, and secondly we were surprised by the omission of face detection capability, something which has been available for years, even on entry-level cameras.

Well, with the X100T, Fujifilm has now added face detection capability that will help locate subjects within the image frame, then ensure the point of focus is placed where it typically should be, right on the face of the dominant subject.

Also new to the X100T is a multi-target auto area autofocus mode that can recognize a subject spanning multiple focus points, then use those points together when determining focus.

Super-speedy electronic shutter

In most respects, other than the aforementioned increase to the camera's upper expanded sensitivity limit, the Fujifilm X100T's exposure system is similar to that of its predecessor. Exposure modes include Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority and Manual, and they're set intuitively by either dialing in a variable with the camera's physical controls, or setting that variable to the Auto position.

So, for example, if you set the Aperture ring around the lens to 'A', but set the shutter speed to 1/2,000 second, you're shooting in Shutter-priority. You can also set the shutter speed dial to the T or B positions for Time or Bulb shooting, respectively, and dial in exposure compensation using a dedicated dial with a +/- 3EV range. And of course, as a camera aimed at the knowledgeable photographer, there are no consumer-friendly niceties like scene modes here.

There's one rather cool change, though. As well as the standard shutter speed range of 1/4,000 to 30 seconds plus bulb, the Fuji X100T now provides an electronic shutter function. This will take you all the way out to a staggering 1/32,000 second, helping to freeze the action with really fast-moving subjects.

Creative options

Probably the handiest new creative feature of the Fuji X100T is its new interval timer function. You can control the interval, number of shots, and start time.

There's also a new Classic Chrome film simulation, a function first seen in the Fuji X30, and said to offer "muted tones and deep color reproduction".

More versatile movie capture

Although the upper resolution limit of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel; 1080p), built-in stereo microphone, and standard 2.5mm microphone jack (rather smaller than the 3.5mm found on most cameras, but adapters are readily available) are all unchanged, there are a couple of tweaks to the Fuji X100T's movie mode. First of all, you can now also record at HD (1,280 x 720 pixel; 720p) resolution. You can also opt for frame rates of 50, 25, or 24 frames per second, as well as the 60p and 30p rates of the earlier camera. And unusually, you can now shoot movies while framing using the optical viewfinder, not just the electronic viewfinder.

Connectivity and storage

Like its predecessor, the Fujifilm X100T includes USB 2.0 High Speed data and HDMI high-definition video connectivity, but the latter now uses the more-common (on cameras, anyway) micro (Type-D) connector, rather than the earlier camera's mini (Type-C) connector. And the micro USB port is now compatible with Fuji's RR-90 Remote Release. The Fuji X100T now also gets a 2.5mm jack that serves double duty as an external stereo microphone input and a wired shutter release input. (The X100S also supported an external mic, but it needed to connect to the USB multi port via a proprietary adapter.)

Storage is also tweaked a little, with the earlier camera's Secure Digital card slot (compatible with SDHC, SDXC, and UHS-I cards) retained, but the internal memory boosted from 24MB to 55MB -- enough for a few shots if you leave your card at home by mistake. (It happens to the best of us!)

Power

The Fuji X100T still uses the same NP-95 lithium-ion battery pack as its predecessor, and has the same rated battery life of 330 frames to CIPA testing standards. The number of shots per charge can be increased up to 700 when OVF Power Save mode is enabled, however it's not clear if that's an improvement over the X100S, as it too has that mode.

The X100T's battery can now also be charged in-camera via USB, however a dedicated BC-65N battery charger is still included in the bundle.