The Fujifilm X-T4 is here! It's official. In an event held in San Francisco last Wednesday, Fujifilm publicly introduced the new iteration of the X-T series.
I currently own the X-T2 (2 of them), and I was in Tokyo on the day of the X-T3 launch. But I skipped that upgrade. I wasn't shooting much video back then; therefore I didn't need most updates of that version.
I do video now and intend to do it even more, so an upgrade makes a lot of sense.
And the Fujifilm X-T4 features are quite exciting as well.
Fujifilm X-T4 Features
I'm sure you have already seen all the specs on the many websites and YouTube videos covering the announcement. But let me recap a few of them.
- In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), the 5-axis virtually gives an extra 6.5 stops (with most lenses) + digital stabilisation
- 240 frames per second (in Full HD), 60fps in 4K, 4:2:0 10bit internal
- F-log assist: use film simulations with F-log
- 30 photos per second, blackout-free electronic shutter burst, or 15fps with mechanical shutter
- Improved autofocus with face and eye detection
- New battery which allows for more shots with one charge
- New film simulations (and I'm a fan of Bleach Bypass already)
This is what I most look forward to.
There's one other update in the Fujifilm X-T4 everybody is talking about: the flipping screen or “vari-angle” LCD display. I can see how this can be a welcome addition to vloggers, selfie enthusiasts and the like.
Me, not a big fan at the moment. Of course, I haven't used it yet, so I can't moan about it. But anything protruding out of the camera like that feels like getting in the way of my photography.
Perhaps even slowing me down? Assuming you need to take it completely out on a side to start articulating it takes more time than simply tilting it.
But I'll let you know once I try it.
What's missing (for me)
One feature I was eager to see included is the pixel shift functionality.
In a nutshell, a camera with pixel shift takes 4 photos in rapid sequence, shifting the sensor 1 pixel each time and then blending them together to create a Super-Res photo. The output is a lot larger than the native resolution.
It's been implemented in the GFX100 recently, so I was hoping for this to be in the X-T4 as well. Particularly as the sensor here is still “only” 26 megapixels. All main competitors are full-frame and/or have a higher resolution, so this could have bridged the gap.
Many photographers using the Fujifilm X-T cameras shoot landscapes and like to see their images printed pretty big. Therefore, a bump in resolution with pixel shifting would have been much appreciated.
I'm sure it can be added via firmware updates, so I really hope this is still in the cards for the Fujifilm X-T4.
update: there's been a few issues with the model I purchased, something you may be interested to check.
Availability and Price
Officially, the X-T4 will ship at the end of April. The coronavirus outbreak is causing major delays, as China is in lockdown right now. It might be delayed even further, and only a short supply will likely be ready initially.
If you're interested, you better pre-order it now from your favourite retailer.
The Fujifilm X-T4 is priced at £1599 in the UK. As much as I believe this is a fair price for the camera, I need to point at competitors again and reiterate why I think the lack of pixel shift is a big deal.
It is almost the same price as a Nikon Z6, which is 24Mp but full frame and has Pro-Res Raw video. It has the same resolution as the Sony A7iii, but again, it is full frame and had these same Fuji specs already two years ago.
- 26.1MP APS-C CMOS 4 image sensor
- 6.5 stop In-body Image Stabilisation (IBIS)
- 18 Film Simulation modes
- 15fps continuous shooting in burst mode
I wish the update was a tad juicier on the still photos side. I'm still very excited about the update, just not over the moon.
More items will impact the final cost. For the first time, a battery charger won't be included. And the batteries have changed, so you can't use old chargers, which means additional costs for these as well.
If you don't have them already, you'll also need faster UHS-II SD cards to handle more frames per second and the 4K video.
- High-speed performance—leverages UHS-II technology (U3) for a read transfer speed up to 300MB/s (2000x)
- Captures high-quality images and extended lengths of Full-HD and cinema-quality 4K video
- Backwards compatible with UHS-I devices
- Designed for durability
Additional information
If you have to read another blog about the Fujifilm X-T4, read Jonas Rask.
Jonas is the official product photographer of the Fujifilm campaigns, so he knows a thing or two about the cameras ;)
The photo I used at the beginning of this article was shot by Jonas.
Myself, I'll add more content after I start using it.
Hopefully soon :)
In the meantime, I leave you with the promo video from Fujifilm:
Will you buy the Fujifilm X-T4?
