Fujifilm X-T4: All the Camera You Could Need?

In a post from last year, I stated that Fujifilm had helped me to love photography again after purchasing an X-T3, says David Tillyer. I debated whether I should spend a little more and buy the newer Fujifilm X-T4, but I went with the slightly older and cheaper model. But should I have been bolder?

The Fujifilm X-T4 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that packs way more than its price would suggest. It features a 26-megapixel APS-C sensor and can shoot 4K video at up to 60fps and HD video at up to 240fps. Except for the 240fps video (the X-T3 tops out at 120fps), the X-T4 is mostly the same on paper as my X-T3, but there are a few crucial changes under the hood. The newer camera features a much larger battery and in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), a flip-out screen, and a mildly revised body design. 

For many, these additional features might not warrant the extra cost. They certainly didn’t for me when I bought mine in late 2020. But after a year of heavy use, I was starting to wonder if I had made the right choice. The battery life on the X-T3 wasn’t great for video, and my handheld footage was sometimes unusable. The photos, on the other hand, were and are superb. The Fujifilm range of cameras has something about them that most other camera makers can’t touch. The X-T4 brings nothing new to the party here, but that’s no bad thing. The only real difference I noticed when taking photos is that the X-T4 now features a dedicated photo/video switch that keeps the settings separate. This means that you can be shooting video and quickly grab a few stills and go straight back to shooting video without having to check (or forget, in my case) if you’ve got the right shutter/aperture/ISO settings.

The addition of a flip-out screen has been a welcome addition for some and something that puts others off. Personally, I like it, and it means that it opens the camera up to the vloggers of the world. It adds a level of flexibility for the solo shooter. It’s also much high resolution than the X-T3, so everything looks better on the screen. Chimping has never felt so good! But if you are a photo-only shooter, the flip-out screen might irk you. You might not get the benefit of the IBIS either. Of course, it adds stability for lenses that don’t have their own optical image stabilisation and adds to the ones that do, but it’s in video where it really shines. It allowed me to be more ‘run-and-gun’ with my shooting and also meant I could leave the bulky gimbal at home for some shoots. 

Overall the X-T4 isn’t a game-changer, but it does offer a decent improvement over the older X-T3. It isn’t for everyone, and that’s why Fujifilm still sell the X-T3. If you only take photos and have no interest in video, then the X-T3 is a far better value proposition. But if you’re like me and regularly shoot both videos and stills, then the Fujifilm X-T4 is the one for you. As a result of my time with the X-T4, I decided to add one to my kit. It hasn’t replaced the X-T3, but it will definitely complement it. 

Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 R WR LM Lens

Fujifilm also sent their new 18mm f1.4 prime lens with the X-T4 for me to try. This is a lens for someone who wants the best possible quality wide angle in the Fujifilm line-up. It’s been designed for the next generation of higher resolution cameras, so it has to be optically better than anything Fujifilm has made before in this focal length. It also features the latest and fastest autofocus motors, which has always been one of Fujifilm’s weaker areas. 

I instantly fell in love with this lens. It’s so sharp, even at the widest aperture, and it features such creamy pleasing bokeh (the out-of-focus parts of the image). It’s small and light, and everything falls nicely into the hand. I used it for a mix of photography and video, and it handled both with ease. 

It’s a lens that will definitely join my arsenal at some point and could provide Fujifilm photographers with a great alternative to the excellent 16mm f1.4 that isn’t up to modern standards when it comes to focusing. The 18mm should also be well suited to Fujifilm’s future cameras that will undoubtedly pack more tech and higher resolutions.