Fuji has announced a new camera to sit in its “budget” range of X series compact system cameras. It’s been a while since the X-A2 was announced, so we’ve compared the old with the new X-A3 to see five key differences that make this camera a worthy successor.

1. Fuji X-A3 Sensor

The X-A3’s predecessor, the X-A2, had a 16.3MP APS-C sensor. The size is the same for the X-A3, but there’s been a resolution jump to 24.2MP. Fuji says that the new sensor is “newly designed”, but it’s interesting to note that neither of them feature Fuji’s “X-Trans” design, instead they are conventional sensors. This helps to keep the price down and keep the X-A3 at the budget end of Fuji’s range.

2. Fuji X-A3 Screen

Fuji says that it has designed the X-A3 with younger photographers in mind, particularly those that are interested in taking selfies. The older camera, the X-A2, had a tilting screen, but Fuji has taken this one step further with the X-A3. It now has a 180 degree slide and tilt touch-sensitive screen. This means that if you tilt the screen to face forward you can still see the whole screen as it is elevated slightly above the top plate. The touch-sensitivity means you can adjust autofocus point, and scroll through pictures quickly.

3. Fuji X-A3 Body Design

Not only has the screen been slightly redesigned to help facilitate taking selfies, the rest of the body design has also been tweaked. Fuji recruited hundreds of young photographers to get the ideal shooting design for when using the screen in the forward facing configuration. The grip is shaped to make it feel comfortable when holding it frontwards. There is also a vertical command dial which is directly below your index finger when holding it this way to help making the taking the shot easier, and also helps to reduce camera shake.

4. Fuji X-A3 Electronic Shutter

The X-A2 only had a mechanical shutter, which facilitated shooting speeds of up to 1/4000. The new X-A3 has both a mechanical and an electronic shutter which now facilitates super fast speeds of up to 1/32000. This is great news for shooting outdoors with wide apertures, or for freezing super fast action.

5.  Fuji X-A3 Self-Timer Functions

More new additions for selfie-lovers come in the shape of new self-timer functions, including Smile Detection, Buddy Timer and Group Timer which can be used when the screen is tilted forwards. This means that the shutter will be automatically triggered when the subject smiles, two people come into the frame, or when a specified number of people enter the frame. This clever piece of technology is particularly useful as it means you can use the camera hands-free.

The Fuji X-A3 will be available from the end of September, with a retail price of £599 as part of a kit with a 16-50mm lens.