Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-03-07)

8 7 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Fujifilm

X-T

Fujifilm’sAPS-Cmirrorless

flagshipgainsin-bodyimage

stabilisationandafully

articulatedscreen.Andy

We stlake takes a close look

FUJIFILM’Ssingle-digitX-Tseries

modelshavelongbeenfavourites

of seriousphotographers,thanksto

theirenviablecombinationofsuperb

imagequality,robustweather-sealed

constructionandintuitivedial-led

handling.Indeedin mostrespectsthe

currentX-T3is oneof thefinest

APS-Ccamerasonthemarket.About

theonlysignificantpointagainstit is a

lackof in-bodyimagestabilisation

(IBIS),whichis increasinglybeing

appreciatedasinvaluableforstillsand

videoshootersalike.Fujifilm

introducedIBIStwoyearsagoonthe

X-H1,butitsbulkierbodynever won

quite the same acclaim.

Ataglance

£1,549body-only

■26.1MPA PS-CX-Trans

CMOS4 sensor

■ISO160-12,

(ISO80-51,200extended)

■ 15 framesper second

shooting

■5-axisin-bodyimage

stabilisation

■3in,1.62m-dotfully

articulated touchscreen

Mode

switch

Thesmallswitchbeneath

theshutterspeeddialnow

selectsbetweenstilland

videorecording,ratherthan

changingthemetering

pattern.

Bigger

battery

TheX-T4getsa new,

higher-capacitybattery,with

the2200mAhNP-W

providinganimpressive

500 shotspercharge.

USBcharge

Thebatterycanbe

chargedviatheUSB-Cport

in approximatelythree

hoursusinga 3A(or

higher)supply.

Eyepiece

Theviewfindereyepiece

hastobesqueezedfromthe

sidestoremoveit,which

shouldmeanit’slesslikely

togetknockedoff.

Fujifilm’ssecondbigchange

is unlikelytobeasuniversally

welcomed,becausetheX-T4has

adopteda fullyarticulatedside-hinged

screen.Thishastheadvantageof offering

a broaderrangeof angles,andin

particularcanbesettofaceforwardsfor

selfiesorvideowork.Howeverit’sslower

tousethantheX-T3’striple-hingedrear

LCD,andincompatiblewiththe

L-bracketsfavouredbymanytripodusers.

Anotherkeyupdateis a new

mechanicalshutterthatofferscontinuous

shootingat upto 15 framespersecond,

whichFujifilmclaimsis thefastestof any

mirrorlesscamera.It’sratedto300,

actuationsandis super-quiet,with30%

loweroperationalnoisecomparedtothe

X-T3.ThefirmsaysthatupdatedAF

algorithms and a rapid 0.02sec focus

EntertheX-T4.This

newmodeltakesmostof

thefeaturesthathavemade

theX-T3sopopular,butadds5-axis

IBISwithoutdramaticallyincreasingin

size.It’sjust2mmwider,5mmthicker

and68gheavierthanitspredecessor,

whichis a smallpricetopayforgaininga

claimed6.5stopsof stabilisationwhen

usingFujifilm’swiderangeof non-OIS

lenses.Opticallystabilisedlensescan

stillbeused,of course,withtheOIS

correctingangularshakeasusual,and

theIBIStakingresponsibilityfor

rotationaroundthelensaxis,along

withup/downandleft/rightmovements.

WithOISlensesFujifilmspecifies

between5 and6.5stopsoverall

stabilisation,equatingtoanincreaseof

up to a stop over the lenses alone.