Big test
Big test FujifilmX-E4 PRICE: £799 FUJIFILM.EU/UK
SPECS
› Price £799 body only, silver and black finishes. X-E4 with XF27mm f/2.8 R WR £949. X-E4 body with X-E4 Thumb Rest and X-E4 Metal Hand Grip £899. X-E4 Thumb Rest £59. X-E4 Metal Hand Grip £79 › In the box Camera, NP-W126S battery, USB cable, headphone adapter, strap, body cap, manual › Sensor 26.1-megapixel (6240x4160 pixels), X-Trans CMOS 4 › Sensor format APS-C, 23.5x15.6mm › Lensmount Fujifilm X › ISO range ISO 160-12,800, expandable to 80-51,200 › Shutter range Mechanical shutter 15mins-1/4000sec, B to 60mins, sync 1/180sec or slower. Electronic shutter 15mins to 1/32,000sec › Drivemodes Up to 8fps with mechanical shutter. 10/20fps with electronic shutter, no crop. 10/20/30fps with electronic shutter, resulting in 1.25x crop. 10/20/30fps in pre-shot mode with 1.25x crop and electronic shutter › Exposure system TTL 256 zone, multi, spot, average and centre weighted. PASM modes › Exposure compensation Auto exposure bracketing – up to nine shots at +/-3EV › Monitor 3in touchscreen LCD, tiltable, 1.62m dots, 100% coverage › Viewfinder 0.39in OLED EVF with 2.36m dots › Focusing system Intelligent hybrid contrast/phase AF. Face/eye detect › Focus points Max 425 points. 3x3, 5x5 and 7x7 from 117 areas within 13x9 grid in zone AF. 18 areas Wide/Tracking AF › Image stabilisation No › Video 4K DCI 4096x2160 (29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p) 200Mbps/100Mbps up to 30mins approx. 4K 3840x2160 (29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p) 200Mbps/100Mbps up to 30mins approx. Full HD 2048x1080 (59.94p/50p/29.97p/25p/24p/23.9/ 8p) 200Mbps/100Mbps/50Mbps up to 30mins. Full HD high-speed rec (240p/200p) 200Mpbs up to 3mins › Movie format MOV and MP4 › Connectivity USB-C, HDMI micro Type D, 3.5mm microphone/remote release. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi › Other key features Film Simulation modes (18), multiple exposure (up to nine frames), grain effect, HDR, dynamic range, advanced filters › Storagemedia 1x SD card › Battery NP-W126S, 460 stills › Dimensions (wxhxd) 121.3x72.9x32.7mm › Weight 364g with battery and card › Contact fujifilm.eu/uk
The X-E4 is the first in the series to have a tilting monitor. Yet it doesn’t compromise size or an impressive feature set, making this a great candidate for a carry-around compact camera, with the huge potential of interchangeable lenses
no issues – the lightweight X-E4 avoids prevent neck strain. The exposure compensation dial is click-stopped, but not firmly, and just like other Fujifilm X Series cameras, there is no lock. The compensation range is +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps, plus there’s a C setting that delegates setting compensation to the front input dial. This dial dislodges easily as the camera is pulled out from a pocket or bag, occurring several times throughout the test. I’d be tempted to tape it
preferred ways of shooting, but I was perfectly happy carrying the camera in one hand. I just had the security of a Novo wrist strap, in case of an incident. Bringing the camera to the eye for a shot, while switching it on with the forefinger, is performed in a single fluid movement, without having to alter grip or use the non-shooting hand. With such instinctive handling, this is a lovely camera for capturing fleeting moments. If you prefer a more considered approach, hanging the camera around your neck, there are
COMPACT-IN-WAITING The X-E4 is the perfect companion to carry, just in case you stumble across unexpected photo opportunities on the go (right) profile is essentially rectangular with rounded corners, and it’s noticeable that there’s no contoured handgrip for the fingers to grasp, nor any raised thumb grip. If this body shape could potentially pose an issue, Fujifilm offers solutions. The X-E4 Thumb Rest slips on to the hotshoe and has a lip for the thumb to rest against. This accessory costs £59, while at £79, there’s the X-E4 Metal Hand Grip. Third-party brands are also offering similar solutions. For this test, I used the X-E4 without the optional thumb grip or L-plate. Each photographer has out-of-camera JPEG shots; the latter achieved in tandem with Fujifilm’s ever-popular Film Simulation modes. What’s assembled around the sensor is very different frommodel to model, so while certain components are shared, menus and aspects of handling each have their own character. Nonetheless, the X-E4 is as compact as previous X-E models. That is impressive, considering it’s the first X-E camera to have an articulating monitor – one that tilts for low- or high-level shooting, but also faces forwards for vlogging and selfies. At its base, in a side-by-side comparison with the fixed screen X-E3, the X-E4 is about 3mm deeper, ignoring any protrusions. Looking down, the X-E4 body
WORDS AND IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
IT DOESN’T MATTER whether it’s cars, TVs or cameras, brands put in place a marketing strategy that covers different budgets and needs. In terms of Fujifilm and its popular X Series, you could say – very broadly – that the X-Pro series is for the purist; the X-T family for the DSLR convert; the new X-S range tempts brand swappers, as well as newbie mirrorless owners. Finally, the X-E series targets those who want the experience of an X Series model in a portable form, without sacrificing the option of interchangeable lenses. With that said, please give a warm welcome to the X-E4, a 26.1-megapixel camera boasting a tiltable monitor. Once Fujifilm has a new sensor/image processor available, it’s traditionally deployed across several cameras. The X-E4 uses the same fourth-generation X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor and Processor 4 combination as the X-Pro3, X-T4 and X-S10 – all cameras we have previously tested. As such, we already know it is a very fine performer, providing superb Raws and
WITH SUCH INSTINCTIVE HANDLING, THIS IS A LOVELY CAMERA FOR CAPTURINGFLEETINGMOMENTS
34 Photography News | Issue 89
photographynews.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook