Fujifilm’s budget-friendly compact mirrorless camera is getting a refresh. On Thursday, September 12, the company launched the Fujifilm X-A7, a $700 camera that tips the scales around a pound, even with the kit lens attached.
The X-A7 sees a new APS-C sensor, but it’s not an upgrade designed for added resolution. While the X-A7 has the same 24-megapixel resolution as the X-A5, the sensor houses 8.5 times more phase-detection pixels, improving the camera’s autofocus accuracy. Burst speed sits at a 6 fps, which is not uncommon for the camera’s price point. Fujifilm also engineered the camera with copper wiring to reduce noise and improve low-light image quality.
That same wiring update also helps improve data readout, which Fujifilm says creates smoother video with less rolling shutter distortion, common when recording action or when panning the camera. That should pair well with the 4K, 30 fps video, a continued feature from the earlier model.
Designed as a simplified camera to break into the X series with, the Fujifilm X-A7 also sports a handful of new shooting modes, including a new Bright Mode for more vivid colors. In the scene modes, the Light Trail option will help capture long exposures of moving lights for light painting or blurring headlights.
The X-A7 is a camera that’s as much about the compact body style as it is the interior technology. Weighing 11.3 ounces, the camera is one of Fujifilm’s smaller options and even adding the XC 15mm-45mm F/3.5-5.6 kit lens leaves the pair weighing around a pound. Despite the small size, the camera houses a battery rated for 440 shots.
The camera uses a 3.5-inch tilting touchscreen that should help photographers stepping up from smartphone photography. Wireless transfers to a smartphone or tablet are also possible along with wired transfers for larger files with an included cable for USB-C, Micro B, and Lightning ports.
While the resolution hasn’t changed in the last three generations of the series, the improved autofocus and data readout is a perk for the series. The Fujifilm X-A7 joins the A line as a camera that’s lighter in features and price than the more advanced T series like the X-T3 and X-T30.
The Fujifilm X-A7 is slated for an October 24 release, listing for about $700 with the kit lens.
