Is Fujifilm X-T20 still good in 2025?
Immense amount of people are searching for Fujifilm cameras right now. In the relentless march of technology in camera market, every single camera made by Fujifilm is still a proper equipment for both amateur and professional use.
The Soul - X-Trans III
X-T20, made back in 2017 is still used by me as both professional and everyday camera. 24 megapixel sensor is fairly enough for most uses, especially that it is exactly the same sensor from more premium X-T2 and X-Pro2. All of cameras with X-Trans III handle colors and skin tones perfectly and if you are more into doing street or landscapes, you need to check for yourself how perfectly it handles cityscapes or skies.
Combining that with Fujifilm legendary film simulations and you will get not only excellent JPEGs, for fast, holiday pics, but you can also use them in RAWs, for a style burned into your photo.
All of that comes with one problem. On some software, like Lightroom, Fujifilm RAW files create so-called “worms” which may decrease visible resolution of the photo and can create problems while editing. They are mostly gone by slightly decreasing “Texture” slider in Lightroom.
The Joy - Body
Fujifilm is well known for their bodies, resembling analog cameras. While full bodies, like X-T2 are really good to handle, X-T20 is visibly smaller. If you have larger hands, it may be not very comfortable to handle, especially that the camera itself don’t have any handle, all you get is small thumb grip.
Body itself looks and is built in a fantastic way. Magnesium alloy gives that “premium feel” and the camera itself is pretty sturdy. I dropped it a few times and it still works perfectly! X-T20 doesn’t have any weather sealings, which may become a problem for some uses, yet I still used this camera in heavy rain (which I don’t recommend!) and didn’t have any problems with it.
The one best thing about using a Fuji is a lack of PASM dial. In smaller bodies, you get a dial for every exposure setting excluding ISO. Changing settings in this way is actually much faster, at least for me.
The Bad - Autofocus
Well, Fuji isn’t well known for their autofocus system. Or said in other way, Fuji is well known that their autofocus is bad. When in newer cameras it is at least good, in older ones, like X-T20 it is barely existing. When light is good, and subject is contrasty, it is very fast but still may not be accurate. If you want to take pictures in autofocus mode when it becomes a bit dark, you can basically forget about its existence.
X-T20 taught me how to use manual focus and I generally use it 95% of the time. Turn up the focus peaking, zoom in while taking the photo and you will be all set. Just don’t take your eventual Fuji camera for sports.
Quirks
Other than photography problems, videography may be a problem. You don’t have access to any Log profile or 10-bit recording and general video settings are limited, yet if you want to just record “something”, it will produce great videos, even in 4K which is slightly cropped.
X-T20, along with every other from the series, doesn’t come with IBIS. You need to relay on your hands only and small, light body isn’t helping much.
Battery life isn’t the best too, you can only do few hundred pictures on one battery, so buy spares and learn to turn off your camera when you are not shooting, it helped me at least.
Who is it for?
If you are amateur, starting photographer and you have ability to buy X-T20, go straight into it. It will teach you photography, give you first ups and downs, bring you first payments.
If you are professional, you probably know the answer, but if you are searching for smaller, everyday camera, X-T20 is still fantastic for street and travel.
It is still a fantastic choice, especially along Fujinon extremely good lens lineup, which is easily the best on whole APS-C market. If you just want to start loving photography, there is no better choice.
Support me on Ko-fi