Getting started with the Fujifilm X-T20 mirrorless camera

After shooting with my entry-level Nikon camera for the past 6 years, and after lots of contemplating, I closed my eyes and made the decision to buy a Fujifilm X-T20 mirrorless camera. I really enjoy shooting in analogue, although I don’t do it often enough, so to be completely honest with you, my initial reason for wanting to buy the Fuji was because of its vintage, retro look. And then, like a typical Modern Impulsive, I started convincing myself that I actually needed it. Anyhow, I’m going to take you through my process of switching over to mirrorless and my experience as a Fuji-newbie.

• Wow! The Fuji looks so stylish.
• Look at all the cool features.
• That price though?
• And I have a camera.
• But I need a Fuji!

Having something so new and expensive (for me anyway) sitting there on the table, waiting to be used, was an exciting and nerve-racking experience! That Silver Fujifilm X-T20 with XF 18-55mm Lens looked so pretty and compared to my Nikon, small.

I can’t emphasise enough how much I like the look and feel of this camera. Besides being super stylish, it has so many other features its user gets to enjoy. The X-T20 is really small compared to other cameras in its league, which took some getting used to. But after shooting a bit I got really comfortable with this delicate yet powerful piece of photographic equipment. Walking through the streets of Mozambique, I felt comfortable having it by my side and asking people if I could snap a photo. It came across as less intrusive; people hardly even noticed that I had a camera with me.

Tilting LCD & Touch Screen

At first, I thought that the screen just tilted out slightly but after my husband played around a bit, he showed me that it could actually tilt out completely! I hardly used the touch screen, because I kept forgetting to. So it’s something to get used to.

Filters & Film Simulation

Now this, I enjoyed! It gave me the opportunity to play around and with 8 filters and 15 different Film Simulation options, the possibilities are endless. But since I found my favourite film simulation quite quickly, I still haven’t explored all of them.

Video

For some reason, I forgot about the Fuji’s video mode. The image and sound quality are really good; you can change settings such as aperture and exposure compensation during recording and with cool video effect, I’m sure to shoot more video!

Technical stuff

The XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens is a very versatile lens. It is perfect for the travelling or street photographer, but also works perfectly for portraiture, and cityscapes to natural environments. And the large aperture *gosh! has the loveliest bokeh.

• Read the manual! I can’t stress this enough. It might sound redundant (and I still have to finish going through mine) but in the end, you’ll be so thankful.
• Don’t be scared to fiddle around. I was so scared of breaking the camera so I didn’t push any weird buttons, but after only 5 minutes of my husband playing with the camera, I learnt about the tilt-shift LCD screen and a flash! What a lovely surprise.
• Shoot as much as you can. The only way of really getting to know your camera (besides reading the manual) is shooting as much as you can. Take your camera with you wherever you go, and play with the different settings and modes.

Needless to say, I am very happy with the purchase of the Fuji X-T20. I still have tonnes to learn, many features to explore and figure out as well as having a new lens (Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R) on my wish list, but I know it’s going to be a fun and interesting ride.