Fuji X-T3: Shockingly bad high ISO performance

Fuji snobs often claim that the Fuji X-Trans crop-sensor cameras are as good, if not better than the full frame competition from Nikon, Canon and Sony. But when you put the performance under the magnifying glass, there is a difference. Fuji APS-C cameras just cannot match the performance of full-frame cameras, that's not just fact, it's also common sense. Don't let the Fuji marketing fool you (learn about the ugly side of Fuji marketing), Fuji is just like everyone else not able to break the laws of physics. I hope this post helps to get some more sanity back into the conversation of crop vs. full frame, because there are people on YouTube talking a lot of nonsense (Fuji fanboys with no photography skill).

Fuji X-T3 is a big fail in ISO performance

DP Review published their X-T3 studio scene comparison in RAW, and if we compare the ISO performance to the ones of the Fuji X-T2, Sony A7III and the Nikon D750, we realize that the Fuji X-T3 is the worst of all four! Even worse than the predecessor Fuji X-T2!

Here are some screen grabs from DP Review, the X-T3 is right bottom, Sony A7 III is upper left, Nikon D750 is upper right, and the Fuji X-T3 is bottom left:

ISO 100
All cameras look clean now. The Fuji's are not capable of ISO below 160, these are the limitations of their crop sensors.

ISO 800
There's a noticeable difference between the X-T3 and the Sony and Nikon. The X-T3 is already the worst performer here, even the X-T2 is slightly better.

ISO 1600
The first noise problems of the X-T3 start to show. The sensor is reaching its limits. Ouch.

ISO 3200
The X-T3 noise is visibly worse than any other camera.

ISO 6400
Here both Fujis are totally falling apart, while the Sony and Nikon are still usable, albeit barely.

ISO 12800
The X-T3 is clearly the worst here.

ISO 25600

The X-T3 is once again clearly the worst here.

Conclusion

These images speak for themselves, the X-T3 ISO performance is sub-par. And don't let any Fuji fanboy tell you that this camera beats the new Nikon Z6, or the Canon EOS R, or any of the Sony full frame cameras. Fuji themselves are lying about full frame (see this article, and check the discussion in the comments), comparing their fast crop lenses to fast full frame lenses by equating 2.8 apertures (2.8 aperture on a crop is actually like 3.92 aperture on a full frame). The criticisms of Fuji are mounting lately (no pun intended), this article was just published on Peta Pixel: Was the Fujifilm GFX a Mistake? Should Fuji Have Gone Full-Frame Instead? The answer is maybe. Even if Fuji went Full Frame, they would not able to deliver a complete and competitive system to counter a Canon 5D Mark V, Nikon D850 or the Sony A7R III - they just don't have the engineering, technology, and resources to do so. Fuji will soon become even more niche.