Fuji XT4 in 2023?

[Dustin]

I’ve greatly enjoyed this forum’s advice over the years. I’ve owned a Fuji XT3 since 2020 and it has been perfect for what I need it for. My needs were good color science because I hate color grading beyond a few tweaks, decent AF, 4k 10 bit, good or decent slow motion and two card slots. There are others but these are areas I was keen on improving from having a Sony a6500. The only areas I lost were better AF from Sony (although XT3 is good enough for my needs) and IBIS. Now I have very shaky hands so I really did enjoy the ibis. With the XT3 kit lens OIS, I’ve found it nearly as good as at least Sony’s IBIS; very useful! The problem is when I use other lenses such as the Viltrox f1.4 primes I own. This begs the question, is the Fuji XT4 IBIS in video, worth selling my XT3 for? I really love the fuji ecosystem and picture profiles, I think the AF is fine but I figured if worth selling, I’d only be out a few hundred with the difference of a mint used one on EBay and my selling price. Any thoughts on the ibis on the fuji XT4? I know it’s no Panasonic, should I be considering them? How is the color science? Appreciate everyone’s opinion.

[Dustin]

Forgot to add- I do have a gimbal and hate using it. Not for me. For the family vacation, random shoots I do, not a fan of bringing another bulky item in my bag if I’m backpacking around a city or beach etc.

[MrSMW]

Had the XH1 and went to the XT3 trading IBIS for 4K 50p…and that is where it began to go wrong for me with Fuji…

Put in a preorder for a pair of XT4’s at the start of 2020, but then Covid stalled that plan.

Then the S5 came along and made a lot of sense as a sideways move more or less re. continuing with 4K 50p but gaining full-frame stills.

With hindsight, would I have made that switch? No, I would have stayed with Fuji and followed it through to either XH2 or XH2s which is where I would otherwise be now.

Personally and if you could swing it, I’d be trading my XT3 for an XH2S if video is more your thing, or XH2 if the priority is stills. Pure hybrid, there’s a case for each. Or both.

 

[Dustin]

40 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

Had the XH1 and went to the XT3 trading IBIS for 4K 50p…and that is where it began to go wrong for me with Fuji…

Put in a preorder for a pair of XT4’s at the start of 2020, but then Covid stalled that plan.

Then the S5 came along and made a lot of sense as a sideways move more or less re. continuing with 4K 50p but gaining full-frame stills.

With hindsight, would I have made that switch? No, I would have stayed with Fuji and followed it through to either XH2 or XH2s which is where I would otherwise be now.

Personally and if you could swing it, I’d be trading my XT3 for an XH2S if video is more your thing, or XH2 if the priority is stills. Pure hybrid, there’s a case for each. Or both.

 

Always helpful man! I’ll review again that model. Was also looking at the XS20 but I don’t need 6k. Looking to only be out a few hundred tops with selling my XT3 and buying a new body. Main draw is IBIS but if the ibis isn’t any good on Fuji, might as well keep what I have? I’ve recently found a method of stabilizing in Davinci again that I was happy with but still.

[MrSMW]

I always forget the XS20 exists…

I think I’d pick it over an XT4 today?

[Dustin]

30 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

I always forget the XS20 exists…

I think I’d pick it over an XT4 today?

I saw the price tag of the camera you mentioned. Not quite the bucks I’m looking to shell out but I think I may put my XT3 on eBay soon once I figure out an upgrade path within a few hundred. XS20 is a contender. Figure I could sell my XT3 for $850 plus sell my gimbal I’ve never used for $100 and minus eBay fees, be around a few hundred or so from $1,200 range or less. But may look into the XT4 if the ibis is the same… just question whether at this price point that’s the best IBIS, WITH the color science, WITH useable auto focus. I think yes? I am never going back to Sony that’s for sure

[Dustin]

Anddd that was quick. I’ve put the ole XT3 on the bay. Sold my gimbal too in a record 15 minutes. Keeping the kit lens and we’ll see how much cash I end up with once the camera is sold, and I’ll probably get either a XT4 or newer XS20 if I can find one. But leaning XT4. Don’t need the latest; just wanted to have IBIS. Nothing crazy just smoothing out my handheld movements.

[ac6000cw]

There's an interesting IBIS comparison including the XH2, R7 and S5II and several micro4/3 cameras here: 

 

[Dustin]

6 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

There's an interesting IBIS comparison including the XH2, R7 and S5II and several micro4/3 cameras here: 

 

Thanks for sharing! Interesting test but I don't think I'd want to go to M43 at this time. Torn between the X-S20, X-T5 or saving some cash and getting the X-T4. Don't want to be out more than a few hundred or so after selling kit.

[ac6000cw]

1 hour ago, Dustin said:

Interesting test but I don't think I'd want to go to M43 at this time.

I didn't think you would, but I was surprised at how bad the Fuji XH2 was (even in IBIS + DIS mode) and how good the Canon R7 was, compared to the others.

[Dustin]

25 minutes ago, ac6000cw said:

I didn't think you would, but I was surprised at how bad the Fuji XH2 was (even in IBIS + DIS mode) and how good the Canon R7 was, compared to the others.

Wow, that adds another into the mixture. Just finished cutting a little home film of a trip I took, shot in Eterna profile. I’m not a fanboy of any brand, I’ve had Nikon then Sony now Fuji. The Fuji had had the most natural colors of any brand and for my purposes; seems like the eterna just nails the look I want SOOC. But Canon AF is better from what I remember, decisions! Just need my XT3 to sell!

[MrSMW]

Eterna SOOC has to date been my favourite look also.

I’ve tried to replicate it with Lumix and tried several ‘Eterna’ LUTS, but nothing has come close.

I think I’ll have another go this Winter whilst waiting to see if an S2H/R turns up or whether I go back to Nikon. Not that Nikon will give me Eterna, that’s more a stills-orientated thing…

[IronFilm]

If I was you, I'd swap out your camera for a X-S20 (or perhaps wait a few more months, until a few more X-S20 show up secondhand). 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1765968-REG/fujifilm_16781852_x_s20_mirrorless_camera_black.html/overview

https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/05/24/fujifilm-x-s20/ 

[Dustin]

5 hours ago, IronFilm said:

If I was you, I'd swap out your camera for a X-S20 (or perhaps wait a few more months, until a few more X-S20 show up secondhand). 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1765968-REG/fujifilm_16781852_x_s20_mirrorless_camera_black.html/overview

https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/05/24/fujifilm-x-s20/ 

Well that is one I’m eyeing! I think I might go for it since the XT3 has sold and if something comes out better I can always flip it. The raw video features have me thinking too. Crazy.

[Dustin]

Ok, two days from this post, I have an X-S20 on the way. Looking forward to trying it out. 

[D Verco]

Late, but I support xs20 over anything else, unless you have the budget for xh2s 

[Dustin]

 Just wanted to conclude this thread. Thanks for those who championed the XS20 over the XT4. I think I will enjoy using it for the next few years to come. After about a day or two of minimal time to play and review some clips as well as setup, here are my initial thoughts.

Cons first. It has taken a bit of getting used to the lack of extra buttons and dials (more on that later). SD card is back to the prosumer style over the XT3 of being buried in the battery slot. Viewfinder while quality seems usable to me, I find the actual viewfinder a bit small but also no nice eye cup and I think using a 3rd party eye cup would also cut out functionality of the few extra function buttons that for some reason is right near the EVF.  I would prefer more navigational buttons over using combo of touch screen/single joystick, plus the actual menu/back buttons are physically small for someone with large hands. I need more testing but finally, I don’t like that when using my Fuji 2.8-4 kit lens, IBIS is automatically enabled when using OIS lenses. Now I’m going to assume based on what I’ve read it’s using a combination  and perhaps need to test turning off OIS and using ibis, but I wish you could turn this off and JUST use OIS. The camera doesn’t come with a traditional battery charger but rather a usb c cable and wall adapter. Since my camera came with a free second OEM Fuji battery, I’ve opted to purchase the Fuji two battery charger as well. Finally, apparently shooting H265 10 bit 4:2:2, I can’t figure out a way to make those files play in QuickTime on my MacBook Pro running Catalina. I’ve been using macs for the last 10+ years so I’m used to plugging in my SD card and space bar playing through the files. Was a small bummer I had to open resolve to play the files but maybe there is something I can do to fix?

Initial Pros: Some of this will contradict above, however I do love the smaller body size! The added grip fits like a glove, and I think allows more stabilization; even though I think the XT line looks better. While I miss the physical shutter speed/ISO and other functions, I’m finding so far I don’t really need them. Camera has built in ISO button and a Q button where I’ve expanded the full menu to just hit this Q button when I need to change almost anything involved in filming from frame rates, to Resolution to picture profiles to IBIS etc. Additionally, the touch screen has many useful areas from selecting items to even touch functions for turning off/on customizable things. This helps take away the above con  about lack of physical buttons I feel. 
 

So far in the way I use IBIS which is not vloggy whipnpan, or running following an actor, but rather just handheld slow static shots - it seems to work great. More testing is needed, but for tripod like shots, or slow movements like I prefer to use, looks good to me. 
 

Overall I think this was a worthy upgrade from my XT3 and I’m glad I sold it and bought this to get additional shooting options, possibility of FLOG2, and while certainly not the best, at least ability to use IBIS.

[MrSMW]

Enjoy!

[Dustin]

Jumping back on this thread in hopes Fuji users can help me. I’ve noticed some weirdness using the XS20 camera this weekend indoors shooting family clips that I need some help on:

1) upon booting the camera on, the screen froze up and wouldn’t let me page down to another menu. Turning the camera off seemed to not change the screen, it was still on. I then had to remove the battery to get screen to go off. I did notice I got a write error on my Sony Tough v60 128gb card before the first time this happened. But in casual shooting I’ve not encountered this.

2) On my XT3; my above mentioned Sony 128gb v60 card seemed to do fine shooting 4k 400mb. I can’t remember what codec I shot, think I went long gop and 400mb. Yet on the XS-20 shooting all-I at 360mb really seems to eat up card space. Not shooting open gate 6k either. I wonder if it’s because the XT3 I was storing pictures on one card, video another? Also sometimes clips are a bit sluggish, is this due to the read/write speed? I’ve ordered a Lexar 2000x professional 128gb v90 card I got on a sale hoping the faster read/write speeds and v90 will help resolve camera weirdness? It is one of the recommended ones for my camera, as I realized the other Sony one was not on the recommended list.

Basically, has anyone experienced above camera frozen screen issue and what cards are you using/how much can you shoot with what codec you are using?

[Dustin]

For what it’s worth, I’ve reformatted the card. Hopefully no weird issues. Noticed Bluetooth was randomly on so I’ve turned that off. Also noticed sometimes on the XT3 if boost mode wasn’t on weird things would happen so I left it on, gonna try keeping that on as well. Only getting 45 minutes of 4k or 6.2k footage at 360mbs. Could have sworn I had more time using 400mpbs on the XT3, but alas that camera is sold so I can’t reference. Maybe I was shooting 200mpbs and I can’t remember.

For casual shooting, switching to 200mpbs should still be fine right?