Fast experience Fujifilm X-T4: What's good and worth upgrading compared to previous generations?

Fujifilm X-T4 is one of two cameras that the company launched in the first half of this year. Both products have different design languages ​​and uses, if the X100V is specialized for people who like to take photos of the street (streetlife) and travel thanks to the compactness and attached lens, the X-T4 is born. out for subjects with wider photography needs. So what is this camera good about and what are the improvements that are worth compared to the previous model?

Anti-vibration system in body (IBIS)

One of the most anticipated things has finally arrived on the X-T4. This 5-axis vibration reduction system has been used by Fujifilm on the X-H1 and is also controversial when it comes to making the body significantly larger. However, with the re-export of IBIS on X-T4, Fujifilm surprised me when the body is still "in good shape", almost not too much different from the previous life.

With IBIS, Fujifilm X-T4 will overcome the blur caused by hand shake when shooting at slow shutter speeds. Of course it is also very useful for users who want to shoot video on this machine and performance will be much better than the X-T3, which does not have any image stabilization capabilities inside.

Holding heavier hand, but not significantly

The first feeling on the hand of the X-T4 is HEAVY, partly because I was accustomed to holding the X100V last time and used to that lightness, partly because the X-T4 has IBIS and the new battery, so it is heavier. the previous X-T3. However, compared to the number, this new version only gained 70 grams more.

However, the thing I realized was quite contradictory, the device was heavier but held it firmly and I gradually got used to it within a few minutes. The reason for this is because Fujifilm has designed the grip on the front to be more protruding, thus creating the grip of the fingers deeper, stronger and so the feeling of the machine gradually diminishes.

My favorite type of photos is street photography and, you know, I have to walk a lot to catch the moments. Therefore, often the criteria to choose my "tools" for the shoot will be as light as possible, sometimes even holding a phone to take pictures. I am completely uncomfortable with the camera is too bulky and heavy because it will make my wrist tired, the inspiration to go from there off quickly.

And fortunately, the X-T4 has improved the grip, even the thumb area is very spacious, without inserting keys like in the X100V so everything is fine and I can still walk for a whole session with just Handstrap straps without wearing them on the shoulder.

Significant attention reduction when shooting

There are two reasons I chose a darker camera: one was to look "cool" and the other was less noticeable. And at this Fujifilm X-T4, I also realized that there was something else I loved: the quiet shutter. Why do you need a quiet shutter? For some types of food photography, portraits or architecture, landscapes . you may not need to pay attention to the loud or small shutter sound, but once you go out on the street, make sure the shutter has sound. Smaller would be a big advantage.

Not everyone is comfortable when photographing them on the street, especially the shutter sound is too loud will make them uncomfortable or distracting while working, feeling like being taken by the photographer himself. Therefore, the quieter the shutter times will be, the less detrimental it will be for me and at least make the opponent more comfortable.

Like the day of Buddha's Birthday celebration at Wenling Temple (District 5), people here are quite crowded but the atmosphere is quite solemn and quiet. It would be troublesome if you kept shooting at this place and the shutter kept shooting loudly, so the X-T4 made me a lot more confident in these cases.

With the new shutter, the X-T4 will be more durable: 300,000 strokes compared to the X-T3 at only about 200,000 times.

Easy operation

Another point I really like about the X-T4 is that almost all the necessary function keys are "exposed" to the outside, unlike the X100 series because of the compact priority so they need to reduce the keys.

Glad that Fujifilm finally has equipped with multi-directional rotation for their screens. That's what I am most looking forward to, rather than the touch screen. With the ability to rotate freely, users can layout many different angles and also very convenient for those who like to film.

Another small point shows that the company hit hard on the video recording experience on this X-T4 as the secondary dial under the shutter gear is changed to Still and Movie modes, enabling users to switch from taking photos to quick movie recording.

Focus fast, face detection is good, but there are still many confusing modes to choose from

Like the X100V, the speed of focus and face recognition on X-T4 is also very fast. The scenes of light and dark scenes and moving objects are still "captured" by this machine thanks to the combination of contrast and phase focusing systems (117 points or 425 points depending on the user's settings). . 

Having learned from the X100V learning experience, I was a little more confused when using this X-T4, but my personal opinion, the interface and the modes of Fujifilm are still very confused. Because they put so many options for users to customize, those who come from other systems or amateur users will feel overwhelmed at the beginning and do not know what to do in the next step.

So, if you want to use these products well, you need to learn a lot or ask from previous people to find the most suitable settings for your shooting style, otherwise it will be easy to "get lost" and The resulting image is hard to like.

On the contrary, thanks to its high customization, Fujifilm has specialties that other brands do not have

The beauty of Fujifilm cameras is their sensor and image processor give the skin tone very smooth, the contrast is quite soft so portrait or cuisine is very suitable. Besides, users can also intervene a lot in the color tone, film color renders such as Chrome Effect (X-T4 has additional Color Chrome Blue Effect) . so it makes the believers prefer retro style more.

It can be said that Film Stimulation is one of the company's great selling points from the time it was launched, helping users to get the classic tones like the old-fashioned film images. .

Fujifilm has been very clever when passing through the machine to integrate new colors to help users continue to explore, and this time the Eterna Bleach Bypass. However, I personally think this color is quite difficult to use, it simulates similar to the processing of old plastic films in which the silver coating on the film is retained. The resulting color will be reduced in saturation, quite light and not always applicable, perhaps movie shooting will be more suitable.

One of my favorite filters on this machine is Classic Negative or Classic Chrome, pushing EV down to -0.7 EV to prioritize shutter speed, and most of the images received do not need much post-processing.

Conclusion

With a selling price of $ 200 higher than its predecessor (at the time of launch), is the Fujifilm X-T4 worth the upgrade? This is not exactly the camera that brings the latest technology, some things X-T3 still has and can be used until now, are there any users who need IBIS or multi-directional rotating screen. Looking to it?

If you're not too important on the price point, spending a little extra to get a better experience from photography to video (thanks to IBIS and a rotating screen), the X-T4 is still worth the investment. And of course at this price, users will also be hesitant with many other products on the market, even with the same X100V launched in the near future.

But, both have separate uses. Fujifilm X-T4 is not "selective" like the X100V in terms of focal length, nor is it anomalous like the X-Pro3, the camera can say "every music goes up" and at least can be changed. Lenses depend on different types of photos.

As for me, X-T4 can become the best APS-C camera at the moment, provided Fujifilm invests more and adds new features, then it will be more attractive and worth upgrading. . I know that Fujifilm can do better than that, but maybe they want to keep "dripping" for the following product lines, Europe is also a bit unfortunate.