Fujifilm X-T4 Assessment: A Completely Balanced Digital camera

When the Fujifilm X-T4 was unveiled in February, I assumed we would lastly have the right digicam. It seemed to treatment each challenge I raised with earlier X-T flagships by including in-body picture stabilization, a completely articulating display screen, and (lastly!) a higher-capacity battery. Would there be nothing left to record underneath the cons part?

Not so quick. The enhancements are glorious, however a number of small quirks stay, one in every of which induced my digicam to easily cease working at an important second throughout a marriage shoot. At $1,700, the X-T4 can be a dearer digicam than any earlier X-T flagship — if cheaper than the Fujifilm X-H1 — placing it nearer to full-frame territory.

All of that is to say, the “excellent digicam” stays elusive. However don’t despair, Fujifilm followers. The X-T4 remains to be a class-defining mannequin and probably the most refined and feature-complete cameras at any worth.

Design and dealing with

Regardless of including a gimbaled sensor and a bigger battery, the X-T4 good points lower than 3 ounces over the X-T3 and remains to be a light-weight at 21.4 ounces with reminiscence card and battery loaded. I shot the digicam facet by facet with my private X-T2, and whereas it felt extra strong, the additional weight didn’t compromise the basic Fujifilm taking pictures expertise. That’s excellent news for Fujifilm’s core demographic of avenue photographers, though upgrading to the X-T4 isn’t expressly mandatory for such clients.

Moreover, the small inconsistencies within the match and end I observed in my preliminary hands-on with a pre-production digicam have fully vanished from this manufacturing mannequin. The supplies and controls all really feel glorious, with simply the correct amount of resistance within the dials. Fujifilm continues to ship probably the most satisfying tactile suggestions within the digicam business, and it’s a giant motive its cameras are so beloved — even when they’ve some usability quirks.

The drive mode dial has all the time been the purpose of confusion within the X-T line, with icons organized in an virtually nonsensical sequence. The X-T4 affords one massive enchancment: The film mode place has been faraway from the drive dial. As a substitute, you’ll discover a new film/nonetheless swap nested underneath the shutter pace dial. This can be a nice change, however the outdated drive mode dial remains to be imperfect.

For no matter motive, the primary place on the dial isn’t the anticipated single-shot mode. As a substitute, it’s the place you’ll discover excessive dynamic vary (HDR). On a number of events, I by accident switched to HDR mode, which I might frustratingly solely discover after snapping a photograph, questioning why it took so lengthy to course of. I missed a number of pictures due to this.

Am I nitpicking? Sure, however this was an actual drawback throughout a marriage shoot the place I didn’t have time to note the drive mode had been modified till it was too late — and it occurred a number of instances (For the lifetime of me, I can’t work out precisely the way it stored taking place, until I used to be by accident rotating it whereas adjusting the ISO dial, which is on prime of the drive dial).

The LCD display screen additionally leaves a lot to be desired. Whereas I respect that it now totally articulates, it’s nonetheless the identical 3-inch, 1.62 million-dot panel because the X-T3. It’s behind the instances, and noticeably lesser in comparison with the attractive, 3.5-inch, 2.78 million-dot display screen of the less expensive Fujifilm X-T200. Certain, there are some constraints on how a lot bigger it could possibly be given the quantity of actual property the X-T sequence dedicates to bodily controls, however there’s positively room to shrink the bezels and improve pixel density.

The digital viewfinder (EVF) can be unchanged over the X-T3, however the 3.69 million-dot decision nonetheless outclasses the Sony A6600’s finder and even the full-frame A7 III’s, each of which have 2.36 million pixels. A number of totally different “increase” modes alter efficiency to both enhance visibility in low mild, improve element, or change the refresh price, which ranges from 30 frames per second in financial system mode to 100 fps in body price increase mode.

This additionally impacts battery life. In financial system mode, the X-T4’s new battery is CIPA-rated for 600 exposures, a big leap over the X-T3’s 390. Even in increase modes, battery life doesn’t drop under 450 pictures. Nonetheless, over two batteries, I shot 1,800 images in increase mode — and most of these had been on the primary battery. In order all the time, real-life efficiency can simply exceed official rankings.

Nonetheless, an exterior battery charger isn’t included and the digicam as a substitute fees over USB-C. This in all probability gained’t have an effect on the informal photographer, nevertheless it’s a bit awkward for a digicam that appeals to fanatics and execs who typically must cost one battery whereas taking pictures with one other.

I can’t fault Fujifilm an excessive amount of for this one, although. It was probably a choice made to maintain the price of the digicam as little as doable. The X-T4 launched at $300 lower than the Fujifilm X-H1, but is a greater digicam in each manner aside from the dearth of a prime LCD show. And for individuals who want it, an elective dual-battery wall charger is accessible for $70.

Nonetheless photograph expertise

Past IBIS and the brand new battery, there are a few different enhancements the X-T4 brings for the nonetheless photographer. The shutter is rather more sturdy, rated for 300,000 exposures, double that of the X-T3. It will possibly additionally shoot in steady mode at 15 frames per second, a formidable feat for a mechanical shutter, matched solely by a lot costlier, skilled sports activities cameras (Digital shutter efficiency is unchanged at 20 fps or 30 in cropped Sports activities Finder mode).

What actually struck me was simply how whisper-quiet the shutter is. Whilst you can nonetheless use the digital shutter for a really silent expertise, it may not be mandatory anymore.

Because the X-T4 makes use of the identical 26-megapixel X-Trans sensor and X Processor 4 picture processor, there’s nothing new to say about RAW picture high quality. It’s superb, though excessive ISO pictures are actually noisier than these from one of the best full-frame cameras.

Nonetheless, this wouldn’t be a brand new Fujifilm digicam with no new movie simulation, and the X-T4 provides us Eterna Bleach Bypass. That is primarily based on the Eterna simulation launched with the X-H1 (which I actually favored), however mimics the movie improvement approach often known as bleach bypass. It makes a low-saturation, high-contrast picture that gained’t be a glance everybody enjoys, nevertheless it’s a novel in-camera impact that matches some topics and moods.

The larger contributor to picture high quality, although, is the IBIS system. Rated for six.5 stops of shake discount, it permits for a lot slower shutter speeds for use whereas hand-holding the digicam. Past guaranteeing sharper outcomes, in some circumstances, it may well additionally scale back noise as you possibly can go for a slower shutter pace as a substitute of elevating the ISO. I used to be capable of shoot all the way down to 1/8 second with a 50mm non-stabilized lens and nonetheless get sharp outcomes. After all, when you’re photographing a shifting topic, you’ll have a restrict on the slowest shutter pace you should use to freeze movement.

As with the X-H1, I might advocate setting stabilization to “steady” mode. This retains IBIS continuously energetic, which stabilizes the picture preview and helps you get excellent framing. That is particularly necessary for telephoto and macro pictures. In any other case, IBIS solely prompts the second you’re taking an image — this may avoid wasting battery life, however you’ll get a shaky preview picture.

If there’s one factor I might have cherished to have seen from the X-T4’s IBIS, it’s a high-resolution mode. I’m not an engineer, however my guess is that the advanced pixel association of X-Trans sensors would make it troublesome to make use of the identical pixel-shift approach utilized by cameras with commonplace Bayer sensors, like these from Olympus and Panasonic.

Autofocus efficiency is Fujifilm’s greatest but, and infrequently impressively quick, though this is dependent upon the lens getting used, with older lenses performing noticeably worse. I’m unsure why, however zone focusing gave the impression to be even quicker than single-point, and proved probably the most profitable mode for photographing a darkish dance flooring. In truth, I used to be genuinely impressed with how good the X-T4 was with regard to low mild autofocus. Fujifilm claims sensitivity all the way down to -6 EV, which is fairly unimaginable, and I imagine it.

Face and eye monitoring is usually correct however stays an space the place Fujifilm has room to enhance. It’s not fairly as delicate as Sony’s and Canon’s newest methods and requires the topic to be bigger within the body earlier than it kicks in. Face detection additionally struggles in decrease mild, particularly when photographing folks with darker pores and skin. Fujifilm additionally has no particular animal-detection autofocus mode.

Video expertise

The Fujifilm X-T4’s video mode is basically the identical because the X-T3, recording 10-bit 4K at 60 fps as much as 200 megabits per second, or at 30 or 24 fps as much as 400Mbps. The one new function is that Full HD video can now be shot at 240 frames per second, albeit with a crop, for as much as 10X slow-motion playback. You’ll get higher high quality at decrease framerates, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable choice to have.

However the function that basically provides to the video mode is, once more, the picture stabilization. In an impromptu however excessive take a look at, I recorded a macro shot of a fly that landed on my leg, holding the lens mere inches from it, and the end result seemed extremely clean.

I used to be additionally fairly impressed with face and eye-tracking throughout video, much more so than when taking pictures stills. The X-T4 had no bother staying locked to my face as I moved all through a room, and focus transitions had been clean and pure.

On the draw back, the elimination of the headphone jack feels fully at odds with a digicam that has in any other case grown friendlier to videographers. That is one thing that the X-T3 and even older X-T2 each provided. Past the USB adapter that comes within the field, you may as well add an everyday headphone jack through the use of the vertical battery grip — however that can run you an additional $330.

Within the wake of the Canon EOS R5’s overheating scandal, it’s in all probability necessary to level out that the X-T4 may be very a lot nonetheless a small, fan-less, hybrid mirrorless digicam, not an expert video instrument. Video high quality is superb, however when you want a reliable machine that may preserve churning out 4K/60 footage in any setting, this isn’t the digicam for you.

In a fast indoor take a look at, the digicam simply hit the 20-minute restrict for 4K/60 video earlier than the warmth warning indicator turned on.  I used to be solely capable of file about one minute into the following clip earlier than the digicam shut down for overheating. I’ve seen different assessments that put this time restrict a lot decrease, like when taking pictures underneath direct daylight.

When you don’t want 60 fps, you need to get rather more file time. Even after the digicam shut down from overheating, I switched to 4K/24 and was capable of instantly file one other 20 minutes. The digicam remained heat to the contact throughout this time. (Notice: in each 4K/60 or any 400Mbps mode, clips are restricted to about 20 minutes as an obvious precaution towards overheating. At 30 fps and 200Mbps, clips are restricted to the usual 29 minutes, 59 seconds.)

So it will not be a cinema digicam alternative, however the X-T4 remains to be one of many prime mirrorless cameras you should purchase for video. High quality is spectacular, and there are quite a few superior options together with all-intra compression, Eterna and F-log profiles, true 24p and 180-degree-equivalent shutter speeds, and 4:2:2 10-bit HDMI output (the inner 10-bit recording is 4:2:0).

Full body numbers

I’ve one other nitpicking concern to lift. In the midst of taking pictures the “first look” at a marriage, the X-T4 simply stopped. “Body quantity full,” it informed me. I assumed it was a glitch. I turned the digicam on and off, however the issue persevered.

Luckily, I had a second digicam on me, in any other case, I might have been lifeless within the water at a important second.

Seems, this isn’t a glitch — it’s merely the results of Fujifilm’s file-numbering system. The digicam counts as much as 9,999 exposures earlier than it has to reset the counter. When it does so, it begins a brand new folder. The folders begin at quantity 100 and go up by one till maxing out at 999. This implies you need to get 899 folders of 9,999 photographs every earlier than encountering the “body quantity full” error. That’s 8,989,101 images. So, like, this shouldn’t be an issue. Ever.

Nonetheless, as Fujifilm later defined to me, the digicam might be tricked if a reminiscence card is inserted that already has a high-numbered folder on it. Seeing as this was a press digicam handed round amongst a number of reviewers, all of whom would have been utilizing reminiscence playing cards that had been in different cameras, I can see how this occurred.

Most photographers won’t ever run into this challenge, however a cursory google search revealed a number of discussion board posts and not less than one YouTube video on the subject; so it does occur. That is one thing that appears simply fixable, however the conduct has been round since not less than the X-T1. Why doesn’t the digicam simply verify the cardboard for which folders are current and robotically create a brand new folder if a reputation is accessible? Provided that there actually are 999 fully full folders on a card ought to the digicam cease taking pictures.

Whereas I hope Fujifilm addresses this, there’s not less than a fast solution to verify in case your digicam is about to hit the body quantity restrict: Snap an image, play it again, and take a look at the quantity within the higher proper nook. If the prefix is 999, start panicking. (Or simply observe the steps within the handbook to reset it, however word that this does contain formatting a card.)

And full-frame numbers

At $1,700, the Fujifilm X-T4 forces a comparability to full-frame cameras. The wonderful Nikon Z 6, which is underneath $1,800 on the time of writing, will supply higher low-light picture high quality and comparable 5-axis stabilization (as will the even cheaper new Nikon Z 5). The Sony A7 III brings the same spec sheet, plus the addition of Sony’s glorious Actual-Time Eye AF, for slightly below $2,000.

Nonetheless, neither of these cameras match X-T4’s pace nor its video capabilities. They’re additionally bigger and heavier, particularly as soon as you’re taking bulkier full-frame lenses under consideration.

There’s a notion that exists in clients’ minds about full-frame. It’s seen because the true photographer’s format, whereas smaller sensors are one way or the other lesser. I feel the truth is totally different from such perceptions, however the notion nonetheless exists. Spending near $2,000 on a digicam that isn’t full-frame rubs some folks the incorrect manner, and I feel which will relegate the X-T4 to area of interest standing.

I hope I’m incorrect about that. After spending a number of weeks with this digicam, together with a 10-hour marriage ceremony shoot, I haven’t as soon as been left wanting for a bigger sensor.

Our take

We’re nonetheless left with out the right digicam, however I’ve no drawback calling the Fujifilm X-T4 one of the best digicam you should purchase, due to its balanced function set and total commendable efficiency.

What I actually respect is that regardless of all of the tech, new options, and quicker efficiency, the X-T4 hasn’t forgotten its historical past. It’s nonetheless a category act, elegantly designed for the pictures fanatic with an consideration to element rivaled solely by Leica. You don’t simply shoot it for the outcomes, however for the enjoyment of the expertise.

Is there a greater various?

The Sony A6600 is one other nice APS-C digicam, one which occurs to be cheaper at about $1,400 for the physique. It’s plenty of digicam for the cash, however the X-T4 nonetheless comes out forward in a number of areas, together with burst taking pictures, video high quality, shutter pace vary, and EVF decision.

However the X-T4’s strongest competitor could come from its personal workforce. Proper now, the Fujifilm X-T3 is simply $999 due to a producer rebate. It’s nonetheless a incredible digicam, and a steal at that worth, when you don’t want IBIS, 15-fps steady taking pictures, or a fully-articulating display screen.

How lengthy will it final?

The X-T4 is a finely crafted, weather-sealed machine that ought to simply final for years, particularly given the brand new shutter rated for 300,000 exposures. What I’m much less positive about is after we’ll see a alternative. The X-T3 is about to show 2 years outdated, which is usually after we anticipate a brand new mannequin. With the X-T4 having been introduced simply six months in the past, it complicates issues. The X-H2 can be nonetheless rumored to be in improvement. It will not be too lengthy earlier than Fujifilm one-ups itself once more.

Must you purchase it?

Sure. Even with a pair remaining nagging imperfections, I’ve by no means loved taking pictures a digicam greater than the Fujifilm X-T4.

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