Quick take: Six-plus years after launch, the Fujifilm X-T3 sells used for around $500 and is still a great camera. It has 4K60, a fast sensor readout, weather sealing, good autofocus and the image quality my clients were always happy with. Its real limits are overheating and the 30-minute recording cap for long video. For most people, a used X-T3 and a good prime beats buying new.
A $500 Camera on Facebook Marketplace
I was browsing Facebook Marketplace and saw a couple of X-T3s listed for $500. I bought mine when it came out in 2018, and with gear obsession running the industry, I wanted to talk about how crazy it is that you can get a camera this capable for $500. I shot this walk on my X-T3 with an adapted Sigma 120-300mm F2.8, which I'm testing for a future video, so you can see how the autofocus does along the way.
Fuji's Autofocus Reputation
Fujifilm's autofocus has been a running joke for so long that it stuck, the way some car brands never escape a bad reputation. If you saw my firmware tests on the X-H2S, those concerns are mostly a thing of the past, in photo and video.
Even back with the X-T3, I did most of my work shooting sports, food and ads, and I didn't have autofocus problems or miss shots. Even now, with an aftermarket lens on an aftermarket adapter, autofocus held up well on this walk.
Why I Eventually Switched
The only reason I moved to another system was overheating. At World's Strongest Man in Sacramento, during the final run, the worst possible moment, the sun was beating down and everyone's cameras were struggling, but my X-T3s were the ones overheating. After that I invested in Canon R5 Cs when they were announced.
Without that, I'd still be shooting on a pair of X-T3s. I skipped the X-T4 because I didn't think IBIS was necessary, and for hybrid video work I actually prefer not having IBIS, since it can be unpredictable.
Why It Was the Perfect Tool
When the X-T3 came out, I switched to Fuji because of the value. It went head to head with Canon's first RF camera, the EOS R, and it had log and 4K60 when the EOS R didn't. 4K60 was huge for sports and for products, like slider shots or food being thrown around that you need to slow down.
People talk about Fujifilm's look, JPEGs and film simulations, but as a production tool it's still very powerful, and that doesn't get talked about enough.
What You Still Get for $500
4K60 video and log
A fast sensor readout, much faster than the X-T5, its real successor. I'd shoot sports on the X-T3, but I wouldn't on the X-T5, even with a grip.
A rugged, weather-sealed body
Focus peaking, which makes adapted and manual lenses easy
The features Fuji still offers today: focus, exposure and film simulation bracketing, double exposure and film simulations
A huge selection of used and adaptable lenses
A camera doesn't lose its pro features as it ages. Twenty or thirty years ago a professional camera shot three and a half frames per second. The X-T3 still produces the same great images it always did. It's just $500 now instead of around $1,500.
Its Limits
For long talking-head video you'll need an external recorder, because of the 30-minute recording cap from the old EU tax rules, plus there's the overheating issue. Those are specific use cases. If neither applies to you, it doesn't matter.
The Math vs a New Camera
An X-T5 is around $1,700 in the US. For less than that, you can buy an X-T3 (ideally used), your favorite prime and memory cards, and still come out ahead. I also don't understand how the X100V is still over $2,000 when an X-T3 with the 27mm pancake is about the same size and a much better camera all around.
My X-H2S and X-T5 were honestly luxury purchases. The R5 Cs were necessary for work, but if I didn't do video production for a living, I wouldn't need them either. My clients have always been happy with X-T3 images, and that's something chart tests don't capture.
Invest in Skills, Not Gear
This is part of why I started the Lens Layer podcast: to talk about the professional side of this work and interview people in the industry. A lot of us, me included, fell into the trap of obsessing over equipment instead of investing in our education. That money could go toward travel, lessons, spec work or free shoots that teach you something.
I can't stand influencers calling every product a game changer. Unless it offers something drastically different from what you have, it isn't. People say that if a purchase inspires you to shoot, it was worth it, but I think that's usually just a dopamine hit, and those fade quickly.
Final Thoughts
Six and a half years later, the X-T3 is still an incredibly good buy, a powerful video camera and a photo camera I'd put on par with today's flagships for most work. If you're shopping for a new camera, consider a used one, and let it be this. For more on buying used, see my post on the used Fujifilm GFX100.
Keep Reading
Gear in This Video
My Fuji gear
My Canon gear
Camera accessories
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links costs you nothing extra and helps support the channel.
