Fujifilm X-T2
A weather-sealed APS-C body with real dials, bought used for less than a decent lens costs.
Pros
- Weather and dust sealed, so Pacific Northwest rain is a non-issue
- Film simulations produce JPEGs you can actually use straight off the card
- Dedicated aperture, shutter, and ISO dials
- 24.3MP X-Trans III sensor with strong dynamic range
- Dual SD slots for overflow or backup
Cons
- No IBIS. You need stabilized glass or a gimbal for video
- 4K caps at 15fps, which is useless for motion
- X-Trans files need compatible RAW processing; old Lightroom versions struggle
- 340 shots CIPA. Carry a spare battery in the cold
- EVF blackout during bursts is annoying
The X-T2 came out in 2016 and has been replaced twice since. It still turns up in adventure kits, and the reason is boring: it gets the fundamentals right and it does it with physical controls you can work wearing gloves. At what used bodies go for now, it's hard to argue with.
Sensor and Color
The 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III uses a non-Bayer color filter array. Fujifilm claims this gives more film-like rendering with less moire and false color. Whether the pattern itself is responsible is a debate that has been running for a decade and I have no interest in settling it. What's not up for debate is that the color science on top of it is distinctive and needs less correction in post than most of what I've used.
That suits Pacific Northwest shooting, where you're mostly working with flat overcast light and a lot of green. Classic Chrome handles mixed outdoor scenes with a restrained contrast curve. Velvia oversaturates, which sometimes works on wide landscape frames and sometimes doesn't. Acros in low light gives you black and white files that hold shadow detail without turning to grain.
Film Simulations in Practice
The practical value is that you can pull the card and have finished-looking JPEGs. For documentation work, logging a trail condition or recording a campsite or getting a shot of the truck somewhere, that's a real time saving. Shoot RAW+JPEG and you keep both options open.
Physical Controls
Top-plate dials for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation, plus an aperture ring on most XF lenses. You can read the whole exposure triangle without waking the camera. Moving between an open meadow and forest canopy, changing ISO by feel without taking your eye off the scene is worth more than it sounds like.
Weather Sealing
Rated for weather and dust resistance, which around here means you can shoot in drizzle and steady rain without covering the body or cutting the day short. It is not waterproof. Sustained downpour or a dunk is not covered. Pair it with a sealed lens, the 16mm f/1.4, the 23mm f/2, or the 55-200mm, and the system holds up to a wet trail day.
Video
4K is capped at 15fps, so it isn't usable. 1080p60 works for slow motion. This is a stills camera and should be judged as one. If you need video, look at the X-T4 or X-H2 instead.
Lens Pairing
The XF 23mm f/2 R WR is the obvious adventure lens: sealed, small, fast enough for low light, and a field of view close to what your eye does. The 16mm f/1.4 is better glass at the cost of size and money. The 55-200mm covers wildlife and compressed landscape without much weight penalty.
Verdict
The X-T2 keeps showing up because of build, controls, and rendering, not specs. If you shoot stills, want weather sealing, and would rather turn a dial than open a menu, it's still a good body at a used price that makes the decision easy. Know about the video limitation before you buy and you'll be fine.