Pro Moviemaker Sept/Oct 2020 - Newsletter

FUJIFILM X-T4

F or many years, the gold winning blockbusters continue to be made with cameras using sensors of this size, which are large enough to allow longer lenses for shallow depth-of-field and are amazing at fighting off noise at high ISO. In recent years, the majority of Oscar nominations used Super 35 sensors, which shows how incredible they can be. But the world is changing, and around half of the Oscar-nominated films in 2020 were shot on sensors of 35mm or bigger. That’s the ones that weren’t actually shot on real 35mm film, that is. Hollywood is often slow to accept change. But full-frame cameras are taking over, in everything from mirrorless cameras to cinema cams, and at lots of price points. Starting at £1220/$999 for the Canon EOS RP, £1550/$1400 for the Nikon Z 5, £1750/$1999 for the Sony A7 III or £1800/$1800 for the Sigma fp, which can shoot video Raw. So the £1549/$1699 Fujifilm X-T4 sits standard for digital movie cameras has been the Super 35-sized sensor. Oscar- right in the middle of all those full- frame cameras, despite only having an APS-C sized sensor, which is roughly Super 35 size. But to write it off as outclassed because of its smaller sensor would be to ignore its many charms and excellent performance as both a stills and video machine. If you genuinely shoot both, as many professional photographers moving into moving images do, then it’s a

very capable tool with an impressive video spec. It builds upon the success of the X-T3, which was the first of Fujifilm’s range to benefit from a new sensor and processor that made it even better than the more video-focused X-H1, despite lacking in-body stabilisation and the reinforced lens mount and body construction. Like the X-T3, the X-T4 uses the same sensor and can also record DCI 4K and UHD video in up to 60p and output 10-bit 4:2:2 files to an external recorder or capture 10-bit 4:2:0 internally using the H.265 codec at up to 400Mbps bit rate when shooting UHD or DCI 4K in 24,25 and 30p. In 4K/60p mode, there is a slight 1.18 crop. All that is the same as the X-T3. And it records 4K for around 30 minutes, or 20 minutes for frame rates about 30p. It’s not a fan-cooled Panasonic S1H, for sure. But the biggest news for sport shooters is that, where the X-T3 could record at up to 120fps for super-slowmotion 1080p HD with a 1.29x crop, the X-T4 now shoots in 240fps for up to 20x super slow motion. And its AF systemworks at this high frame rate, allowing you to lock on to moving subjects and follow the action. It’s addictive, and opens up a new creative avenue for shooting anything in motion. The AF in video mode is very good, too, using phase detection points to make it quicker and more reliable, with face tracking as well as all-area or specified-area focusing.

IMAGE The X-T4 builds on the success of the X-T3 as a very capable tool with impressive video spec

“The X-T4 shoots in 240fps for up to 20x super slow motion. And its AF systemworks at this frame rate”

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