Overall this is a great revision to the X-E series of cameras. I really enjoyed my time with the camera, although it was short as I was only able to use it during the day. My wife who owns an X-E1 had it for the remainder of the night as we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific Photographers night. For her, the camera was familiar but seriously faster in all aspects. The photos here from the aquarium are a small selection of the shots she took that night.
The Fujifilm X-E3 is actually the 4th generation of the X-E Line of cameras for Fujifilm. The X-E1 is what started it all for me and my love of this brand of cameras. The original X-E1 produced the image quality I desired and was significantly smaller and more lightweight than my Nikon D800 and D4 Setups. While the X-E1 had the early stages of Fujifilm's autofocus systems, it would acquire focus relatively fast. The continuous autofocus system was so terrible that I wondered why they even had a C on the autofocus selector switch.
The X-E3 has long surpassed the original contrast AF of the X-E1 and now uses the significantly better Phase Detection AF. The focus speed of this camera is lightning quick and able to track subjects is on par with the X-Pro 2. The new system supports up to 325 Autofocus points while The previous generation X-E2 cames maxed out at 49.
Bluetooth has finally been added for some nice new features. The camera can now automatically connect to your phone or tablet and transfer photos. This works by creating a queue of photos while the camera is on and once the camera is turned off, the photos will start transferring to your phone or tablet.
The sensor has been upgraded to the newest X-Trans III 24mp sensor. The boost in resolution is a welcome upgrade and offers more dynamic range higher image quality throughout.
The ergonomics of the camera have seen a major change as the camera becomes smaller than the previous iterations. While I originally loved the size of the X-E1, the X-E3 is brinks on the edge of being too small for my hands. Fujifilm has helped add a nicer grip to the camera by increasing the size of the nub at which your thumb rests. This allows the camera to feel secure in your hand.
Other noticeable changes are to the button layout of the camera. A Joystick has been added for controlling the focus points with ease. Buttons have all been moved to the right side of the camera. The pop-up flash has been removed. A front dial has been added.
