While the industry has been gripped with the full frame showdown between Canon, Nikon and Sony, Fujifilm has just fired a volley of its own with an update to its high-end APS-C mirrorless camera body.

Fujifilm’s new X-T3 features a new back-illuminated 26.1-megapixel  X-Trans CMOS sensor with no optical low pass filter. According to Fujifilm, it’s the first backside-illuminated APS-C sensor with phase detect pixels across the entire frame. As a result, the camera has a lower base ISO than previous generations (ISO 160) and “dramatically” improved autofocusing from its predecessors.

Focusing is sensitive to -3EV and the camera refocuses and meters 1.5 times more frequently than the X-T2, helping it more tenaciously track moving subjects. Eye Detect AF is now capable of tracking subjects in AF-C mode and both Face and Eye Detect AF are available when shooting video.

Thanks to a new processor, the camera can churn through computations three times faster than earlier models, Fujifilm says. Continuous shooting clocks in at 11 fps using a mechanical shutter. Using an electronic shutter, you can hit speeds of 20 fps for up to 79 JPEGs or 36 RAW files. Opt for a 1.25x crop and electronic shutter and burst speeds top off at 30fps.

Fujifilm is trickling down the Color Chrome Effect from its medium format GFX-50S camera into the X-T3. The effect produces enhanced color gradation in highly saturated colors and can be applied to single frames or to images in burst shooting. There are 16 film simulation modes as well.

On the design front, Fujifilm has enlarged the  top-panel dials and rear-panel buttons.

Video Features

Fujifilm says the X-T3 is the first APS-C camera capable of recording 4K (4096 x 2160)/60P at 10-bit (4:2:0) internally for up to 30 minutes. You can also output a 4K/60p file at 10-bit 4:2:2 via HDMI.

The X-T3 can compress video in either H.264 or the newer, more efficient H.265 codec for bit rates up to 200Mbps. You’ll enjoy approximately 12 stops of dynamic range when using the F-Log color profile and the sensor’s read speed has been improved to reduce rolling shutter. There’s also a new noise reduction algorithm and 4K inter-frame noise reduction.

Full HD recording is available up to 120p for 6 minutes or 60p for 30 minutes. There is a mic and a headphone jack.

Additional Features

• 3.69-million dot EVF with a 100 fps refresh rate and lockable diopter
• a pre-shoot mode which begins buffering 10 images with a half press of the shutter
• 3-inch tilting touchscreen display with higher contrast and wider viewing angle
• lower base ISO for F-Log footage (ISO 640 vs. ISO 800)
• 1/8000 sec. mechanical shutter; 1/32,000 sec. electronic shutter
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy
• USB-C (3.1) connection
• 390 shot battery life
• two SD card slots

Fujifilm will offer the VG-XT3 vertical battery grip to complement the X-T3. The grip is dust and weather resistant and holds two additional batteries to bring your total battery life to 1,100 shots. The grip has a shutter release button, focus lever, AE-L button, AF-L button, front and rear command dials, Q button and Fn button. There’s also a metal hand grip (MHG-XT3) to improve the ergonomics of the camera when using large lenses. The battery and SD card slots remain accessible with the grip in place and the base doubles as a quick release shoe when using a dovetail mount on a tripod.

The X-T3 ships at the end of the month for $1,500. It is available for pre-order now.