I was fairly big into photography in what feels like a previous life now. It was my first real journalism gig and I got to photograph a couple of my favourite things on a regular basis: fish and beaches.
I used an SLR in those days and still have it. I loved it but have found it too bulky to cart around on the regular, hence it spends more time in the cupboard than on outings these days.
So when the opportunity arose to check out the FujiFilm X-A7, which is a compact, lightweight 24.24MP camera, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Straight out of the box, it’s a seriously good looking bit of kit. Stylish seems like an odd term to describe a camera, but that’s exactly what the X-A7 is. A retro vibe which weighs in at a mere 320 grams combine to make it a pleasurable thing to carry around all day. And you could get away with keeping the body in one pocket and a lens in the other. Far gone are the days of me slinging an SLR around in a shoulder carry case.
Some of the cool bits of tech that I noted immediately were the touch screen an Bluetooth capability. I actually remember thinking how cool it would be to be able to take pics with my SLR and have them sent directly to my phone, for social media purposes. Turns out that’s a reality nowadays.
And it’s easy to use. Just pair your phone or tablet and the X-A7 can automatically transfer stills and videos via the free Fujifilm Camera Remote app. While I don’t do it, I reckon that’s pretty sweet for the vloggers and influencers out there.
Speaking of which, the camera records smooth 4K/30fps video and high-speed video, making it perfect for anyone who has a penchant for recording videos on the regular. The camera records up to around 15 minutes of 4K video and up to about 30 minutes of full-HD and HD video continuously. The HD High-Speed Video function records HD video at up to 4x frame rate to achieve smooth video even when replaying a fast-moving subject in slow motion.
Unfortunately for me, and the purpose of this review, I only tested out the 16mm F2.8. In saying that, it’s a sweet wide-angle lens and it’s super compact, which again, is nice if you want to travel light. It’s perfect for landscape shots and street work where you want to capture a lot of background, while not missing stuff in the foreground. It also focuses quickly, which is always nice for rapid shots.
The camera has a large 3.5-inch LCD monitor with the maximum luminous intensity of approx. 1,000 candelas to guarantee intuitive operability on the rear panel. Furthermore, this is the first X Series model that features a “vari-angle” monitor that users can adjust to any angles. It can be used in conjunction with the Portrait Enhancer Mode for self-portraits of advanced quality.
The sensor uses copper wiring to enable high-speed data readout, and features phase detection pixels across the entire sensor surface to enhance AF speed and accuracy. This enables AF tracking of a moving subject as well as Face / Eye detection AF with ease.
The X-A7 is a perfect choice for those who want to upgrade their photography from smart phone pics, offering a broad range of applications from casual snapshots of everyday scenes to travel photography and full-fledged videos.
