Fuji X-t4 Price
Yi Pressimone
Fujifilm says the X-T4 is intended as a sister model to the X-T3 rather than a direct replacement, but there are enough differences between the two that some users might wish to upgrade. And there may be people looking at the X series afresh, wanting to know which is the better choice.
But, of course, the X-T3 has been on the market long enough that its price has dropped, so anyone looking to buy for the first time might be tempted to save a fair chunk of money by going for the unstabilized camera. So what are the differences that matter?
Image stabilization will be the decisive factor for some photographers, but not all. Given Fujifilm's lens lineup is primarily built around stabilized zooms and fast primes (the same approach that's worked well for Nikon and Canon's DSLR systems), many photographers are likely to conclude they don't need a stabilized camera body.
Stabilization is probably a feature that offers the most benefit to videographers. Unlike lens IS, in-body IS can correct for camera roll, and in our experience so far, it's sufficiently effective to allow the X-T4 to be used without a tripod or gimbal. This pairs nicely with the excellent video spec shared by both cameras.
For really ambitious video work, the X-T3 mounted on a gimbal is arguably the more powerful combination (especially now Fujifilm has added the ability to control the camera from the gimbal), but for ad hoc video shooting, the X-T4's stabilization is a major benefit.
Battery life is another big differentiator between the two cameras. The X-T3 could already be charged and operated by connecting a power bank to its USB-C port, so it was easy enough to keep topped-up, such that its battery capacity wasn't a major limitation for most users.
Video shooters, who need to know their battery won't cut out mid-shot, and photographers who need to travel light and not carry an external battery, will be the main beneficiaries of the X-T4's larger capacity W235 battery.
Interestingly, the X-T3 achieved its pretty respectable 390 shots-per-charge rating by dropping the brightness and refresh rate of its screen after 12 seconds of inactivity: a behavior the X-T4 calls 'Economy' mode. A like-for-like comparison would be that the X-T4 delivers a 600 shot rating if compared to the X-T3's default mode, or 500 while providing a better user experience.
The difference in performance is immediately apparent in tracking mode, with a single AF reticule sticking much more tenaciously than the 'cloud' of AF points did in the past. We've not been able to fully test this yet, as we're told full production X-T4s won't be available for a while, but it's a very promising sign: Fujifilm's autofocus has generally been very good at assessing subject distance, the main shortcoming has been the ability to stay locked onto the correct subject (hence us generally recommending using a focus zone, rather than tracking mode). Concerns about AF drive speed on some lenses persist, but we're looking forward to testing an X-T4 with the likes of the 50-140mm F2.8 LM.
Meanwhile the X-T4's face and eye detection systems have been improved, particularly in terms of how they're operated. Like the X-Pro3, the X-T4's face detection works pretty well and lets you drop out of face detection mode simply by operating the AF joystick. This means you can leave the camera in face detection mode most of the time, if you wish. The Face Selection mode is also pretty effective, letting you use the joystick to choose between faces or press it inwards to drop back to your underlying AF mode.
The X-T4 includes the additional processing options introduced with the X-Pro3, including Color Chrome Effect Blue, Classic Negative film simulation and the Clarity parameter. On top of this it adds the Eterna Bleach Bypass film sim and more fine-grained control of the camera's response curves.
The X-T4 also gains the option to re-process Raw files as 8 or 16-bit TIFF files, for situations in which you intend to post-process your images, but prefer the in-camera color and detail rendering to anything you can get from a Raw converter.
Your position may differ, but personally I tend to feel that once I've got Provia, Astia, Eterna and Acros I've got all the options I need. So, while these new options will add some value to the new camera, they wouldn't sway my own buying decision.
The X-T4's base movie shooting spec is very similar to that of the X-T3. It's a testament to how good the T3's video capture was that it's still one of the most video capable hybrid cameras on the market, so long after its launch. With internal 10-bit and 60p capture, it's still probably the most powerful 4K shooter this side of Panasonic's latest GH models.
The other small change that makes a big difference is the Log Preview Assist mode. This doesn't go as far as Panasonic's mode, which lets you import LUTs onto your camera but, more like Sony's implementation, gives a loosely graded preview, which makes it much easier to check your shots in both preview and playback modes.
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