Your reviews are no-nonsense. While I may disagree with you at times on the JPG vs RAW issue on your website, but your usability reviews of cameras are 100% spot on, especially with someone with larger hands like me. I just wish you would review more third-party Sigma and Tamron lenses. They are producing some great options for Sony that are making the system overall way cheaper than Canon or Nikon, who are leaving their R and Z systems locked off. Great video!
I avoid the junk brands because while they often have swell optics when new, they just as often are bad buys long term because they often can’t be repaired after 7 years or won’t be compatible with new bodies you may buy in the future. The junk brands are only around because they impress the less experienced and have much higher profit margins so they are pushed harder by less scrupulous dealers. Thanks!
Your were right, Ken. I just bought a Fuji for landscape photography and I'm still not 100 % happy with the colors. My old Nikon D5100 had better colors. Sure, I can edit them every time in Capture One or go for a more "darker" style all the time but I don't want to do that. I love colorful landscape photos. Do you think I would be much better with the Z6 for landscape? thanks!
What’s wrong with the colors? I set my X100F to either Provia or Velvia and +1 for saturation and it takes beautiful photos much nicer colours than my iPhone 11 that everyone praises yet every photo has a dull grey cast.
Patrick771, you realize that you have MULTIPLE different film simulations built in that gives you more color options than you can shake a stick at!!! you need to learn your camera better. there is just about any color setting you can imagine BUILT IN with the camera.
@@patrick.771 Fuji has been making films for decades, they have a dedicated team of color scientists who’ve designed some amazing film simulations based on decades of experience and knowledge, they’ve put all that knowledge into the camera you hold in your hand, and here you are ignoring all those amazing film simulations and knowledge, and doing edits on your own. All I can say is LOL and good luck.
Great review Ken! Also can you review the new Fuji X-S10 please? Love how you explain and emphasize on the practical usability of a camera's buttons and other physical features than focusing only on the tech specs.
It does have a color histogram that can be use while shooting if you program a button to make it accessible. Manus are more complex than Nikon and Canon but like Sony provides more programmable features. Which programmable features are you willing to give up to get simpler menus? Thanks for the review.
I would change a title to 'Fujifilm X-T4 negatives'. I appreciate learning so many quirks, because nobody talks about them. But would be great to have some positives as well to have well rounded review.
As I covered first, it’s got mostly metal construction with loads of dedicated single-function dials and levers, and feels nice on hand. Those are why we buy these. Thanks!
I agree, seemed like a nit-picky review to me. The over all verdict seemed to be that this camera is subpar compared to what is available today. Good to know possible negatives but the skill of the reviewer is putting negatives into an appropriate context/perspective. Disclaimer: I am not a Fuji owner. Ken, still look to your channel as a helpful guide for considering camera purchases, thanks!
The menu is fine once you get used to it, but I do agree about the menu items going in reverse of intuition. I don't know if you use lightroom or Capture One. Capture One does high ISO far better.
Great review. Some of my tripss. Are you sure that buttons are metal, they feel like plastic. Is iso dial doesn't go below the native and above 12000 which is something that you will use most of the time. Below you lose dynamic range and above it's objectively unusable. Setting for the viewfinder is something that you will set only once in your lifetime so if it's not perfectly accessible what is the actual down side? Also the sensor stabilization works amazingly, you can actually take the camera in your hand and shake it and the image will stay still. It's like something from a sci-fi movie. And yes it's made in China and yes that's not Japan and of course it's not the same quality and quality control let's not kid ourselves. Card slots are backwards? Not really man :) but the card the door does feel a little bit cheap. As the LCD screen.
Now! There’s always some new camera coming tomorrow- but you can’t shoot with it today. The Canon EOS R5 just came out last summer and is now only recently in stock because demand is so high. Any new camera will be different, not replacing the Canon EOS R5. Thanks!
10:55 Thx ken!! The slow wake from sleep is actually a feature! 🤮 introduced with the xt3, fuji claims you hold the shutter to wake from sleep so that you don’t inadvertently tap the shutter and wake it. 😤 The xt2 didn’t do this. Ugh!!! Fine, the power button is there, it turns on FASTER than waking from sleep!!! Problem is, if you are in a custom mode, it reverts to standard whenever you turn it off!!! Aggh!!!!!
Hi Ken. I use the Canon 6D and M50. The 24-105 and 15-45 "kit" lenses respectively are wonderfully stabilized for stills, but not for video. I'm guessing that's where sensor-shift stabilization comes into its own. I refuse to buy a poorly supported gimbal, so that means I must lug a tripod or monopod for video - not bad, since I can carry camera and tripod with one hand and legs extended sideways and walk carefully and get Steadicam-like stable video. P.S. Thanks for recommending the 10-18 for APS-C. It is a BEAST for video with the M50.
I'm not surprised. I briefly used a lowly iPhone SE with Freefly Movi stabilizer - it was wonderful but cumbersome; and now the tech is built-in. Have you seen the Apple iPhone contest winners? They are far more impressive than the winners of any other recent photo contest - Sony, etc. Link here: www.dpreview.com/photography/6623466856/slideshow-winning-photographs-of-the-2020-iphone-photography-awards. Just goes to show, if you want to win contests, bring your camera everywhere.
I really never liked the Fuji X-trans sensor, Ken if you still have that camera or even the X-T30 look at the video screen or view finder while your using the focal length dial on your lens and watch the screen flicker with light, this happens to all the X series Fuji, i call it exposure ramping, this is unacceptible while shooting video because it shows up in your video if you decide to change the focal length either zooming in or out it will show the screen flashing in your video.. I figure out why it does that, because in the Fuji X series camera's they have build in their main board a vignetting adjustment , so when you change focal length it's compensating for the vignetting changes that happen changing focal length, this is because they don't want you to realize their lenses are poor in vignetting.. here is a quick video i did on the Fuji X-T3 about this problem, go and check it out and let me know what you think maybe you can do a full video on this.. and this has nothing to do with variable aperture either because i tested this at F8 which is above the lens aperture changing while changing focal length, the lens i had on was a 3.5 to 5.6 which means once your at 5.6 or above your aperture should never change regardless of your focal length.. ruclips.net/video/-FWk9RsYoho/видео.html
Note that it’s the exposure changing. Try the same thing just panning from light to dark. Also turn off any auto dynamic range or other magic processing. Hint: I use my iPhone for all video; works so much better. www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-12-pro-max.htm Thanks!
@@KenRockwellTV Oh by the way, not all of them are off shore to china they are some that are made in Japan, you have to look at the back of the screen or by the sd card losts, and see which one is in your hands, so yes some of them are off shore to china but some are made in japan, you just have to get it from a camera store go in and look if it says japan then go for it it not then pass lol
@@KenRockwellTV I did that no exposure compensation was happening no ISO changes no Aperture changes at all, Fuji Even admitted that it needs to be addressed and it was what i said it was..
Fujifilm is the king of APS-C cameras and lenses. Its APS-C lineup of lens is very impressive and its cameras are good too. Sony has neglected for a long time its APS-C lenses for the shake of full frame and neither Canon or Nikon ever bothered to produce really impressive APS-C lenses or cameras. After the recent demise the micro 4/3 system for photographers (except videographers) the Fujifilm APS-C cameras and lenses are the best choice for those who prefer something smaller and lighter with great quality.
Thank you Ken. You’re one of the few reviewers who has always pointed out where a camera is made either in written form or in video. The X-T3 was made in Japan, sad that they offshored it to China now for this model. At least most of the lenses are still made in Japan.
X-T3 was first year X-T line was made in China... and the quality reflected it. I returned three for cheap and inconsistent dials.. in addition to a cheap pop-cap sound from the locking mechanism of the SS dial. I have this concern with the 4 and would love it if Ken could share with us his thoughts on that. The X-T2 dials were solid and consistent.. sounding ‘thick’ while those on 3 were trash IMO. The resistance was different from the ISO, SS, to the EC dial.
Where something is made says a lot about the company making it, as well as the man who chooses to purchase it. Other than that, you guys are really picky. I haven’t seen all the detailed defects you have, I’m mostly concerned about ethics and the culture of where somethings made. Today with cameras I see little material quality difference, it’s more in not supporting communist countries that enslave their people.
Easy menu system to navigate compared to the Sony labyrinth. Colours are fantastic compared to the very lifeless and sterile colours from Sony. Yes you can fix colours in post but having a good base is so much faster and enjoyable.
The Fuji menu system is insane, especially if you only shoot once in a while. Hurts my brain. Definitely worth spending the time to get the right options setup in your Q menu straight up, will save you time and headaches later. I thought I'd explore the Adv1/Adv2 modes and it took longer than 30secs to figure out so I just gave up. Sad that you need to consult the manual for basic things.
It's really a matter of time with the camera. It won't take long and custom settings, while a good thing shouldn't be relied on as it will only frustrate you further. Learn the menu. You'll be the better photographer for it. ; )
Let’s be honest. The top physical dials sell cameras but many Fuji users don’t use them. I can map SS/A/ISO to front command, SS (even EC I think) to rear command and likely have an A ring. I use the physical dials to give control to front/rear command dials. I love Fuji and will always own an X100something for kids/travel/walk around but my ‘main’ body may stop being Fuji if they don’t get their build quality back in order.
Coming from film and adapting manual lenses, I always use the dials - each to their own. Agree fully on one point though, not keen on Chinese build, not least because their CCP government has declared a trade war on Australia where I live.
Depends on what you're shooting and under what lighting conditions. I think if you're traveling and shooting something in darker times of the day or indoors, the stabilization helps a lot, but if you have moving subjects in low light, stabilization doesn't help, you need higher ISO setting, open up the aperture to get faster shutter speed.
I shoot mainly landscape, so I usually use tripod for low light scenes. For whatever other shots I have till now found my lens' stabilization enough. But, ----
Just as a heads up, I remember people banging on about Fuji's frequent firmware updates - they were optimistic about new features, especially more film simulations. Sadly this has not happened in my experience 😢
Correct. Fuji is unique in adding features to discontinued cameras (excellent), but sadly the basic menu operations are so obtuse that I’ll admit that I often get lost - and I supposedly know what I’m doing.
Lol! Sounds like a rant not a review, have you tried opening the cf card slot door on a canon 1DX? That’s the definition of fiddlly, I found the Xt 4 a breath of fresh air, the menus system is not perfect I agree, but wow, the way you crucify it sounds a bit extreme ! It barely took me a couple of hours to get used to it, everything is pretty much where you expect it to be and I come from 20 years using Canon, have to admit Canon has the best menus by far, totally agree skin tones are amazing and the main reason I switched, but I am surprised you couldn’t find a decent film simulation to appease your landscape colours, there are plenty to choose from, otherwise Raw should be able to get you where you want to go. I get it though not everyone likes shooting raw, Like any new camera brand it takes time to get used, I felt this was more of a knee jerk reaction, maybe some frustration coming out as well. But thank you for the review you did mention some of good things which gives me confidence in my decision to switch. Especially knowing Fuji make the best APSc lens range by far! This alone should be the most important factor when choosing a system everything else you can get used but lenses quality is not something you should skimp on.
The Fuji colors don’t really align with ‘natural’ landscape colors. Ken.. don’t say cameras like iPhone that just get it right. I love my iPhone 12 PM but it’s off the chart with the sky blues.. & apparently worse when I turn the HDR stuff off. I take a shot..Look at image.. look at sky.. and think.. looks beautiful but it’s BS.
It seems like you're just trying to pick out on the very subtle things that you don't like. The diopter will only need to be changed once to fit your eyes, it doesn't really need to be large does it ? You can set the ISO to incrementally change on one of the dials too, much like the shutter speeds and aperture... Much like you do on your Canon, Nikon or Sony cameras. Fuji are one of only a few companies that put more dials on top. With ISO you'd need 3 times the amount of clicks if you want it incremental rather than full stops of light. Fuji have this set to full stops so you can fine tune without needing to take your eyes off of the viewfinder. You just use the dial on the rear or front of the camera. The menus aren't actually as confusing as you think. Select movie, it brings up just the movie menu. select the stills mode, it will only choose the stills settings in menu. No other camera in this price does this. The Xt3 flash was trash and didn't have nearly enough power to use for any professional work. Why do you ever need to shoot at ISO 51,200? Just because it can, doesn't mean you should. If you're shooting in low light, you'd probably be using a 1.4 aperture lens or an f2 at least. You can turn the noise reduction off as well. The stabilisation is mainly designed for video users not primarily for photographers. Why do you need stabilisation if you're shooting at 1/250th of a second which pretty much freezes action anyway unless you're using a 200mm lens and need this for nature and wildlife or even sports?
I've never found Nikon or Canon to have a better menu system than Fuji. Owned them all. Granted, more features add to the depth, but Fuji is clear. Sony? Not!
Why does a review need to be positive? If the xt4 is not worth the upgrade from the xt3 , and the xt3 not worth the upgrade from the xt2 , well then we looking at a huge price difference between the xt2 and xt4 🤔
Your criticism of the 'fidgety' diopter dial is really just nit-picking as you only need to adjust it once. Your eyesight is not likely to alter very often and a larger dial would be unsightly and superfluous to requirements
Ken Rockwell I am looking for the best camera within the XT4 price range for studio portrait photography, would this be a good choice? Or what else should I consider? Thanks
All the little things add up when you shoot a lot - and other brands don’t have those problems. I gave Fuji a pass back in 2010, but after ten years I’m getting impatient for a fix. Thanks!
yeah, I think we all feel the same about the review, I understand some people don't like working in certain systems, But Fuji wouldn't get this long if there weren't people loving the way they are and recognizing they have a lot of good things.
Gotta tell ya. Your B&W photos are fine, but your color photos? Oh, almost went blind. I've been a professional over 53 years now and I have to tell you, as professional landscape photographers, we would never, I repeat, NEVER over-saturate our photos in this way. Just horrible. I did a test about a decade ago. After looking at your landscape photos and reading how much you love these saturation, I went ahead and set up my cameras to your settings and took 10 photos of Landscapes in Russia. I then sent them to the agencies I used to shoot for. They didn't accept any one of them. Not one. Lucky for me I backed them up with another camera to my settings. They asked me what the hell I was doing and I explained I was just curious about using different settings. They laughingly asked me to please stick to my usual settings. Now, if you like the effects you're getting, fine, but please....tone it down? At least one or two steps on saturation? For God's sake. Thank you though Ken. You sometimes have very nice reviews. I'll wear sunglasses next time I look at your Landscapes. Smile
@Ken Rockwell oh...no problem. I, of course wasn't the only one who noticed. It's all good though. I need(ed) to follow the dictates of my clients and what is best for production. I'm not saying I shoot 'what is there and what I see'. I do edit, but just not so severely. Anyway, thanks for all you do.
That's a whole lot of criticisms from a supposedly flagship Fuji APS-C camera. With regards to the Q-Menu, I'm guessing, it was designed by Japanese, that's why when you roll the scroll bar, it does the opposite.
Flip-out screen - yuck. I like the Z50 solution better. With the Z50 you can flipdown and with a L-bracket mounted on a tripod you can see yourself on the video (see z50 creator's kit). Best of both worlds IMO.
Exactly what Fuji wants you to think. Just look however and you’ll see it’s dumped to China: www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/images/x-t4/D3S_6845-card-slots.jpg and the full written review is at www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/x-t4.htm Thanks!
I’ve been reading Ken Rockwell articles for years. I had no idea he had a RUclips channel.
Thank you! Hint: videos here are simply summaries of my KenRockwell.com written reviews.
Just found this out today myself. Subbed , thanks Ken you rock
thanks for the review and pointing out many things which nobody talks about. On one thing I disagree: I love fuji colours for landscape too.....
It’s all art. Thanks!
Your reviews are no-nonsense. While I may disagree with you at times on the JPG vs RAW issue on your website, but your usability reviews of cameras are 100% spot on, especially with someone with larger hands like me. I just wish you would review more third-party Sigma and Tamron lenses. They are producing some great options for Sony that are making the system overall way cheaper than Canon or Nikon, who are leaving their R and Z systems locked off.
Great video!
I avoid the junk brands because while they often have swell optics when new, they just as often are bad buys long term because they often can’t be repaired after 7 years or won’t be compatible with new bodies you may buy in the future. The junk brands are only around because they impress the less experienced and have much higher profit margins so they are pushed harder by less scrupulous dealers. Thanks!
@@KenRockwellTV fair point. There is a reason that my Nikon AIS lenses still work so well
Ken Rockwell the best most detailed review site I've ever seen thank you so much
Thank YOU!!!
Your were right, Ken. I just bought a Fuji for landscape photography and I'm still not 100 % happy with the colors. My old Nikon D5100 had better colors.
Sure, I can edit them every time in Capture One or go for a more "darker" style all the time but I don't want to do that. I love colorful landscape photos.
Do you think I would be much better with the Z6 for landscape? thanks!
Yes! Return the Fuji and go for Nikon or preferably Canon. See also www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/nikon-vs-canon-vs-sony-full-frame.htm Thanks!
What’s wrong with the colors? I set my X100F to either Provia or Velvia and +1 for saturation and it takes beautiful photos much nicer colours than my iPhone 11 that everyone praises yet every photo has a dull grey cast.
Patrick771, you realize that you have MULTIPLE different film simulations built in that gives you more color options than you can shake a stick at!!! you need to learn your camera better. there is just about any color setting you can imagine BUILT IN with the camera.
@@orion7741 Film simulations are absolutely useless when you shoot landscape in raw and edit 100 % of your photos in post.
@@patrick.771 Fuji has been making films for decades, they have a dedicated team of color scientists who’ve designed some amazing film simulations based on decades of experience and knowledge, they’ve put all that knowledge into the camera you hold in your hand, and here you are ignoring all those amazing film simulations and knowledge, and doing edits on your own. All I can say is LOL and good luck.
Extremely helpful presentation given a measured unbiased informative understanding of the XT4
Ronald Sand thanks; I try
Fuji colours are some of the best in the business plenty of adjustments available as well cheers
Thanks!!
Great review Ken! Also can you review the new Fuji X-S10 please?
Love how you explain and emphasize on the practical usability of a camera's buttons and other physical features than focusing only on the tech specs.
Whenever I get my hands on one. Thank you!!!
It does have a color histogram that can be use while shooting if you program a button to make it accessible. Manus are more complex than Nikon and Canon but like Sony provides more programmable features. Which programmable features are you willing to give up to get simpler menus? Thanks for the review.
Thank you!
I would change a title to 'Fujifilm X-T4 negatives'. I appreciate learning so many quirks, because nobody talks about them. But would be great to have some positives as well to have well rounded review.
As I covered first, it’s got mostly metal construction with loads of dedicated single-function dials and levers, and feels nice on hand. Those are why we buy these. Thanks!
Ken Rockwell I really appreciate you took Your time to dig into details and gave us so thoriugh review! My comment is about balance of good vs bad :-)
I agree, seemed like a nit-picky review to me. The over all verdict seemed to be that this camera is subpar compared to what is available today. Good to know possible negatives but the skill of the reviewer is putting negatives into an appropriate context/perspective. Disclaimer: I am not a Fuji owner. Ken, still look to your channel as a helpful guide for considering camera purchases, thanks!
The menu is fine once you get used to it, but I do agree about the menu items going in reverse of intuition.
I don't know if you use lightroom or Capture One. Capture One does high ISO far better.
I always shoot JPG and use Photoshop CS6 from 2010. kenrockwell.com/tech/raw.htm Thanks!
11:35 map the Playback to button on front.. never have to leave EVF to review images.
Thanks!
For anyone shooting Fuji JPEGs.. set NR to -3 and Sharpening to + 1 of 2. Trust me.
I’ll have to try that. Thanks!
Why particularly that? Why not -4 and -4 they recommend
Do the ‘top’ portion of physical top dials feel hollow?
I forget. Often other makers like the Nikon Df just have a vanity layer of metal that covers a mostly plastic knob. I can’t remember with the xt4.
Great review. Some of my tripss. Are you sure that buttons are metal, they feel like plastic. Is iso dial doesn't go below the native and above 12000 which is something that you will use most of the time. Below you lose dynamic range and above it's objectively unusable. Setting for the viewfinder is something that you will set only once in your lifetime so if it's not perfectly accessible what is the actual down side? Also the sensor stabilization works amazingly, you can actually take the camera in your hand and shake it and the image will stay still. It's like something from a sci-fi movie. And yes it's made in China and yes that's not Japan and of course it's not the same quality and quality control let's not kid ourselves.
Card slots are backwards? Not really man :) but the card the door does feel a little bit cheap. As the LCD screen.
I forget; but the tiny buttons are plastic. Thanks!
Great review as always.
Thanks!
Ken, the camera can't reliably focus on a moving dog in a grass field. Until Fuji offers a firmware update for Bird/Animal Eye focus, it is a NO GO!
Correct! Fuji’s have always sucked for trying to shoot action. Stick with a DSLR or Sony or Canon Mirrorless. Thanks!
Would you buy the Canon R5 right now (April 6) w 100-500m lens (BIF), or wait for a future Canon R1 or Nikon Z9? $$ not the issue.
Now! There’s always some new camera coming tomorrow- but you can’t shoot with it today. The Canon EOS R5 just came out last summer and is now only recently in stock because demand is so high. Any new camera will be different, not replacing the Canon EOS R5. Thanks!
10:55
Thx ken!!
The slow wake from sleep is actually a feature! 🤮 introduced with the xt3, fuji claims you hold the shutter to wake from sleep so that you don’t inadvertently tap the shutter and wake it. 😤 The xt2 didn’t do this. Ugh!!!
Fine, the power button is there, it turns on FASTER than waking from sleep!!! Problem is, if you are in a custom mode, it reverts to standard whenever you turn it off!!!
Aggh!!!!!
I remember when I worked in marketing and we often turned defects into features. Don’t fall for it. Thanks!
Informative review and you cover the good and not so good; unlike fanboy reviews with no substance.
Just telling it like it is. Thanks!
@@KenRockwellTV more than I can say for fanboy AP....
Hi Ken. I use the Canon 6D and M50. The 24-105 and 15-45 "kit" lenses respectively are wonderfully stabilized for stills, but not for video. I'm guessing that's where sensor-shift stabilization comes into its own. I refuse to buy a poorly supported gimbal, so that means I must lug a tripod or monopod for video - not bad, since I can carry camera and tripod with one hand and legs extended sideways and walk carefully and get Steadicam-like stable video. P.S. Thanks for recommending the 10-18 for APS-C. It is a BEAST for video with the M50.
Try an iPhone. My 11 pro max hand held makes video that looks like its shot on rails. No kidding; best stabilization I’ve ever seen.
I'm not surprised. I briefly used a lowly iPhone SE with Freefly Movi stabilizer - it was wonderful but cumbersome; and now the tech is built-in. Have you seen the Apple iPhone contest winners? They are far more impressive than the winners of any other recent photo contest - Sony, etc. Link here: www.dpreview.com/photography/6623466856/slideshow-winning-photographs-of-the-2020-iphone-photography-awards. Just goes to show, if you want to win contests, bring your camera everywhere.
I love, love, love my Fuji’s! I also shoot Nikon and Canon, yup I love them all!
Yes!! Thanks.
I really never liked the Fuji X-trans sensor, Ken if you still have that camera or even the X-T30 look at the video screen or view finder while your using the focal length dial on your lens and watch the screen flicker with light, this happens to all the X series Fuji, i call it exposure ramping, this is unacceptible while shooting video because it shows up in your video if you decide to change the focal length either zooming in or out it will show the screen flashing in your video..
I figure out why it does that, because in the Fuji X series camera's they have build in their main board a vignetting adjustment , so when you change focal length it's compensating for the vignetting changes that happen changing focal length, this is because they don't want you to realize their lenses are poor in vignetting..
here is a quick video i did on the Fuji X-T3 about this problem, go and check it out and let me know what you think maybe you can do a full video on this..
and this has nothing to do with variable aperture either because i tested this at F8 which is above the lens aperture changing while changing focal length, the lens i had on was a 3.5 to 5.6 which means once your at 5.6 or above your aperture should never change regardless of your focal length..
ruclips.net/video/-FWk9RsYoho/видео.html
Note that it’s the exposure changing. Try the same thing just panning from light to dark. Also turn off any auto dynamic range or other magic processing. Hint: I use my iPhone for all video; works so much better. www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-12-pro-max.htm Thanks!
@@KenRockwellTV Oh by the way, not all of them are off shore to china they are some that are made in Japan, you have to look at the back of the screen or by the sd card losts, and see which one is in your hands, so yes some of them are off shore to china but some are made in japan, you just have to get it from a camera store go in and look if it says japan then go for it it not then pass lol
@@KenRockwellTV I did that no exposure compensation was happening no ISO changes no Aperture changes at all, Fuji Even admitted that it needs to be addressed and it was what i said it was..
Fujifilm is the king of APS-C cameras and lenses. Its APS-C lineup of lens is very impressive and its cameras are good too.
Sony has neglected for a long time its APS-C lenses for the shake of full frame and neither Canon or Nikon ever bothered to produce really impressive APS-C lenses or cameras.
After the recent demise the micro 4/3 system for photographers (except videographers) the Fujifilm APS-C cameras and lenses are the best choice for those who prefer something smaller and lighter with great quality.
Thanks!!
Cool review man. Your voice reminds me of Saul Goldman 👊
Whew, at least not my brother Sam Rockwell!!! Thanks!!!!!
Like his technical camera reviews but he unfortunately reminds me of Ralph Nader who also loved to contradict himself on every product.
Thank you Ken. You’re one of the few reviewers who has always pointed out where a camera is made either in written form or in video. The X-T3 was made in Japan, sad that they offshored it to China now for this model. At least most of the lenses are still made in Japan.
X-T3 was first year X-T line was made in China... and the quality reflected it. I returned three for cheap and inconsistent dials.. in addition to a cheap pop-cap sound from the locking mechanism of the SS dial. I have this concern with the 4 and would love it if Ken could share with us his thoughts on that. The X-T2 dials were solid and consistent.. sounding ‘thick’ while those on 3 were trash IMO. The resistance was different from the ISO, SS, to the EC dial.
Where something is made says a lot about the company making it, as well as the man who chooses to purchase it. Other than that, you guys are really picky. I haven’t seen all the detailed defects you have, I’m mostly concerned about ethics and the culture of where somethings made. Today with cameras I see little material quality difference, it’s more in not supporting communist countries that enslave their people.
@@TracyClark thank you. I forgot they started making them in China starting with X-T3
The xf prime len I bought is made in the Philippines. Fuji is cutting cost.
So XT4 vs what’s coming with nikons Z6/7 with 2 slots??
Beats me. Z7 and Z6 and Z50 are just Nikons first tries. Thanks!
Ken Rockwell gotta love you. By the way why is vintage hiding so appealing.
Easy menu system to navigate compared to the Sony labyrinth. Colours are fantastic compared to the very lifeless and sterile colours from Sony. Yes you can fix colours in post but having a good base is so much faster and enjoyable.
Thanks!
Yeah but Fuji menu graphics look like Windows 95.
And the sony looks like MS-DOS...
I sold my Fuji gear and I am sticking with my Nikon F and Z system. It didn't make sense using two camera systems anymore on a fixed income.
Thanks!
The Fuji menu system is insane, especially if you only shoot once in a while. Hurts my brain. Definitely worth spending the time to get the right options setup in your Q menu straight up, will save you time and headaches later. I thought I'd explore the Adv1/Adv2 modes and it took longer than 30secs to figure out so I just gave up. Sad that you need to consult the manual for basic things.
Or go on You Tube and find some one to walk you through the menu
You shouldn’t need to do that; it should be obvious. Having a sloppy menu system loses photos when you have to stop an wonder versus just setting it.
I agree. This is a great reason not to buy a Fuji camera. Beware.
It's really a matter of time with the camera. It won't take long and custom settings, while a good thing shouldn't be relied on as it will only frustrate you further. Learn the menu. You'll be the better photographer for it. ; )
You do it once. What's the problem?
Let’s be honest. The top physical dials sell cameras but many Fuji users don’t use them. I can map SS/A/ISO to front command, SS (even EC I think) to rear command and likely have an A ring. I use the physical dials to give control to front/rear command dials. I love Fuji and will always own an X100something for kids/travel/walk around but my ‘main’ body may stop being Fuji if they don’t get their build quality back in order.
Thanks. Yes, I skip Chinese made products.
Coming from film and adapting manual lenses, I always use the dials - each to their own. Agree fully on one point though, not keen on Chinese build, not least because their CCP government has declared a trade war on Australia where I live.
I shoot stills only. Do I at all need in body image stabilization?
No, buy a tripod.
NO!! It doesn’t even work any better than not having it. Forget about it. Thanks!
Thank you for clearing me out of a great confusion into which I was induced by all these marketing. 😂
Depends on what you're shooting and under what lighting conditions. I think if you're traveling and shooting something in darker times of the day or indoors, the stabilization helps a lot, but if you have moving subjects in low light, stabilization doesn't help, you need higher ISO setting, open up the aperture to get faster shutter speed.
I shoot mainly landscape, so I usually use tripod for low light scenes. For whatever other shots I have till now found my lens' stabilization enough. But, ----
Just as a heads up, I remember people banging on about Fuji's frequent firmware updates - they were optimistic about new features, especially more film simulations. Sadly this has not happened in my experience 😢
Correct. Fuji is unique in adding features to discontinued cameras (excellent), but sadly the basic menu operations are so obtuse that I’ll admit that I often get lost - and I supposedly know what I’m doing.
Sony does have backwards SD cards
Yip. Thanks.
could you suggest better menu ergonomics?
Yes! Look at canon for the right way. T!
The dials are perfect!
That’s the best part! Thanks!
Very informative and helpful.
Thanks!
Compare with Xpro3 ?
See www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/compared.htm#inter thanks?
Basically same camera different shape
The good thing about having raw is you can fix the colours in the post processing stage for your nature and landscape photos.....
Yes, but I prefer cameras whose colors don’t require any fixing in the first place, like Nikon, Canon and iPhone. Thanks!
Love my xt4
Thanks!
Lol! Sounds like a rant not a review, have you tried opening the cf card slot door on a canon 1DX? That’s the definition of fiddlly, I found the Xt 4 a breath of fresh air, the menus system is not perfect I agree, but wow, the way you crucify it sounds a bit extreme ! It barely took me a couple of hours to get used to it, everything is pretty much where you expect it to be and I come from 20 years using Canon, have to admit Canon has the best menus by far, totally agree skin tones are amazing and the main reason I switched, but I am surprised you couldn’t find a decent film simulation to appease your landscape colours, there are plenty to choose from, otherwise Raw should be able to get you where you want to go. I get it though not everyone likes shooting raw, Like any new camera brand it takes time to get used, I felt this was more of a knee jerk reaction, maybe some frustration coming out as well. But thank you for the review you did mention some of good things which gives me confidence in my decision to switch. Especially knowing Fuji make the best APSc lens range by far! This alone should be the most important factor when choosing a system everything else you can get used but lenses quality is not something you should skimp on.
Thanks!
Not good for landscape? What , it has great colors for landscapes
We all have different tastes. Thanks!
that's funny, the X-T3 is good for landscape. So is the X-T4. Just because you don't use it that way is your issue.
He must not have tried 'Velvia' for landscapes.
@@briannickson6631 Velvia probably or definitely best landscape emolsion ever
The Fuji colors don’t really align with ‘natural’ landscape colors. Ken.. don’t say cameras like iPhone that just get it right. I love my iPhone 12 PM but it’s off the chart with the sky blues.. & apparently worse when I turn the HDR stuff off. I take a shot..Look at image.. look at sky.. and think.. looks beautiful but it’s BS.
It seems like you're just trying to pick out on the very subtle things that you don't like.
The diopter will only need to be changed once to fit your eyes, it doesn't really need to be large does it ?
You can set the ISO to incrementally change on one of the dials too, much like the shutter speeds and aperture... Much like you do on your Canon, Nikon or Sony cameras. Fuji are one of only a few companies that put more dials on top. With ISO you'd need 3 times the amount of clicks if you want it incremental rather than full stops of light. Fuji have this set to full stops so you can fine tune without needing to take your eyes off of the viewfinder. You just use the dial on the rear or front of the camera.
The menus aren't actually as confusing as you think. Select movie, it brings up just the movie menu. select the stills mode, it will only choose the stills settings in menu. No other camera in this price does this.
The Xt3 flash was trash and didn't have nearly enough power to use for any professional work.
Why do you ever need to shoot at ISO 51,200? Just because it can, doesn't mean you should. If you're shooting in low light, you'd probably be using a 1.4 aperture lens or an f2 at least. You can turn the noise reduction off as well.
The stabilisation is mainly designed for video users not primarily for photographers. Why do you need stabilisation if you're shooting at 1/250th of a second which pretty much freezes action anyway unless you're using a 200mm lens and need this for nature and wildlife or even sports?
These little things all add up when you shoot all day, every day. Thanks!
I've never found Nikon or Canon to have a better menu system than Fuji. Owned them all. Granted, more features add to the depth, but Fuji is clear. Sony? Not!
Great! We all see some things differently. Thanks!
That ISO dial sigh... good thing we have the command dials.
Is it just me, or did they botch this one? Thanks!
Why does a review need to be positive? If the xt4 is not worth the upgrade from the xt3 , and the xt3 not worth the upgrade from the xt2 , well then we looking at a huge price difference between the xt2 and xt4 🤔
They’re all pretty Much the same. See kenrockwell.com/tech/is-it-worth-it.htm and www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/compared.htm#inter thanks!
Your criticism of the 'fidgety' diopter dial is really just nit-picking as you only need to adjust it once. Your eyesight is not likely to alter very often and a larger dial would be unsightly and superfluous to requirements
Thanks! All the nits add up.
As a Nikon shooter I'm quite impressed with my new small and light X-T2 run and around camera. Your review is too negative
Thanks!
Very good! Thank you! :)
Thank YOU!!
13:07 Sony A7iii has reverse card slot too.
Geesh, I know. Thanks!
Why do you praise it for portraiture, it seems this is the
only thing you recommend?
Correct. I don’t like the way the pictures look -dull colors and contrasts as shot out of the camera - for anything other than portraits and people.
Ken Rockwell I am looking for the best camera within the XT4 price range for studio portrait photography, would this be a good choice? Or what else should I consider? Thanks
I prefer Canon full frame DSLRs. I use my 5DS/R. Others is 5d mark III or mark Iv. Does this help?
@@KenRockwellTV Yes!
I only shoot nature and my plants, trees, bugs in macro, etc look awesome to me, this is subjective
Good review but why no toilet photos?
Nothing caught my eye. Maybe next time, thanks!
Menu system all over the map, sorta like this pacing of this review. LOL
Ha! Thanks!
I do not agree with you on:
-build-in flash
-build quality
-menues
-ISO dial
Thanks!
The reviews seems to be more of a complaint LOL! It really shows that you don't like the camera! 🤔
All the little things add up when you shoot a lot - and other brands don’t have those problems. I gave Fuji a pass back in 2010, but after ten years I’m getting impatient for a fix. Thanks!
yeah, I think we all feel the same about the review, I understand some people don't like working in certain systems, But Fuji wouldn't get this long if there weren't people loving the way they are and recognizing they have a lot of good things.
if you don't like this camera you always can send it to me ;)
Grrrr. I prefer my Canons, but that’s just me. All the little things irk me when you shoot everyday. Thanks!
Gotta tell ya. Your B&W photos are fine, but your color photos? Oh, almost went blind. I've been a professional over 53 years now and I have to tell you, as professional landscape photographers, we would never, I repeat, NEVER over-saturate our photos in this way. Just horrible. I did a test about a decade ago. After looking at your landscape photos and reading how much you love these saturation, I went ahead and set up my cameras to your settings and took 10 photos of Landscapes in Russia. I then sent them to the agencies I used to shoot for. They didn't accept any one of them. Not one. Lucky for me I backed them up with another camera to my settings. They asked me what the hell I was doing and I explained I was just curious about using different settings. They laughingly asked me to please stick to my usual settings. Now, if you like the effects you're getting, fine, but please....tone it down? At least one or two steps on saturation? For God's sake. Thank you though Ken. You sometimes have very nice reviews. I'll wear sunglasses next time I look at your Landscapes. Smile
I’m an artist. That’s the way I see things. I’m not trying to duplicate how it looks. Thanks for noticing!
@Ken Rockwell oh...no problem. I, of course wasn't the only one who noticed. It's all good though. I need(ed) to follow the dictates of my clients and what is best for production. I'm not saying I shoot 'what is there and what I see'. I do edit, but just not so severely. Anyway, thanks for all you do.
Most lens made in Japan, but camera body made in China or other countries.
Thanks! Earlier products made in Japan, more recent ones offshored.
That's a whole lot of criticisms from a supposedly flagship Fuji APS-C camera. With regards to the Q-Menu, I'm guessing, it was designed by Japanese, that's why when you roll the scroll bar, it does the opposite.
Because Nikon's entry level Z50 can do the same as this Fuji flagship
Agreed, I think they forgot to make it work appropriately as you change the language selection. Thanks!
Nah, for ibis part, ken, you should try olympus once
I shot Olympus in the 1960s-1990s. Great for 35mm. Thanks!
…or get any Sony & be a skeleton w/ a sunburn IQ. Or get worse AF w/ a Canon. It’s your choice Fren!
Thank goodness I was just kidding I hope you’re so sweet dreams talk about me being in a great mood today hope.
Flip-out screen - yuck. I like the Z50 solution better. With the Z50 you can flipdown and with a L-bracket mounted on a tripod you can see yourself on the video (see z50 creator's kit). Best of both worlds IMO.
Agreed. Thanks!
XT4 video autofocus is unreliable.
Sorry, I never shoot video with any APS-C or full frame camera; never found any as good as my iPhone at video.
We shoot stills bro
I thought it was made in Japan
Exactly what Fuji wants you to think. Just look however and you’ll see it’s dumped to China: www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/images/x-t4/D3S_6845-card-slots.jpg and the full written review is at www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/x-t4.htm Thanks!
Decent review but comes across as arrogant
Sorry. It’s work to be humble all the time. Thanks!
If "OK Boomer" needed a video definition, here ya go...
Thanks again and for all your thoughts on your own and how.
@@KenRockwellTV no problem! Glad I could help!