Fujifilm is on a bit of a roll this week with new cameras and lenses aplomb. This time it’s the new mirrorless X-E4.
Following on from the earlier GFX100S announcement we come rather more down to earth and much more affordable, but no less interesting, APS-C sized X-E4.
Fujifilm’s cameras are extremely well regarded. They are quite understated and possibly overlooked compared to the much more widely publicised models from Sony, Panasonic, and Canon. However they are no less capable and have many desirable traits that should make them a prime contender for anyone’s attention. Not least because the colour science on them is simply beautiful. The design of the camera bodies also invokes a much more classical period in time. The new X-E4 is no exception.
On first appearance you could easily be fooled into thinking that the new cameras take 35mm film rolls, but the externals bely some very sophisticated innards, which enable the new camera to lock focus in a blistering 0.02 seconds. It’s equipped with the company’s fourth generation image sensor and processing engine and is designed for people who want a compact, carry anywhere camera with maximum image quality.
The bare body alone weighs in at 364g, or 448g when it is fitted with the XF27mm R WR prime lens, which was also announced today.
The X-E4 features a 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, which is more than ample for most general photography purposes. Processing is taken care of by the X-Processor 4, which is featured inside the very well regarded X-T4. As is par for the course, Fujifilm’s USP, the film simulation modes are of course present.
We don’t know the type of focussing system that the cameras feature, whether that’s phase detect or contrast based, however the company claims that it can lock focus quickly in low light even down to -7EV. It is also capable of face and eye detection with the ability to track subjects.
The rear monitor on the camera is not fully articulating, however it can be flipped up 180 degrees meaning that it could easily be used for vlogging purposes, especially given the light weight of the camera in total.
The X-E4 can record 4K video up to 30p. This is oversampled from nearly 6K of picture data, with the final video file in-camera being recorded as 8-bit 4:2:0 100Mbps. However 4:2:2 10-bit colour is possible over HDMI to an external recorder such as the <drum roll> Atomos Ninja V. We bet you didn’t spot that one coming, again!
A nice addition is 240fps in 1080p. Quite what the physical resolution of this high speed footage is we shall see when we get our hands on one. Traditionally high speeds such as this suffer from drastically reduced effective resolution, but if Fuji has managed to keep a full 1080p with it then that is to be commended. Who doesn’t love a highly compact, go anywhere slo-mo camera?
The Fujifilm X-E4 will be available from the end of February 2021 and will retail at US850 or £799. If you purchase it with the new XF27mm f/2.8 WR lens the bundle is priced at US$1050 or £949.