Fujifilm Upgrade advice

Dashing

Dashing

Messages
184
Name
Richard
Edit My Images
Yes
Hello!

I post on the fabulous Fuji owners thread too, but hope it’s ok to spark a discussion here instead;

My question today surrounds whether or not I should trade in/up my XT-30 for an XT-4.

For the past year I have been building a client base within the hospitality industry as a food photographer and social media marketer. (We’re called Lost in Cheshire, shameless plug). The XT-30 has been able to perform beautifully as food photography tends to be a little more relaxed and easy paced.

My quandary; Of late, I have sort of joined forces with a very large PR agency as their photographer (and my partner as their videographer). This work involves shooting portraits on location of their clients, products and when lockdown lifts/social distancing is relaxed they will need an events photographer.

Today on location with our celebrity client my little XT-30 couldn’t really keep up. I have been using CL/CH mode as I like to get people to move freely while I shoot. The XT-30 started strong but then started to drip slowly, shot by shot. Which forced me to pull out my iPhone because “I wanted to see what it looked like”. At least that’s what I told the client, in my head I’m screaming, “DONT YOU DARE DIE ON ME”.

My question really is this: Does the XT4 have more ‘oomf’? Able to last longer? I know I’ll already benefit from the enhanced auto focus as I’m missing a lot of shots. Should I perhaps look at the XT3? I’m not planning on shooting video, as mentioned that’s my partners domain and he’ll have the XT4 for that.

I also have questions regarding lens’ but I feel I’ve been wittering enough already. Would love some guidance from you lovely people [emoji16]
 
XT3 is a great camera and I came from Nikon FF to this. Sure, the AF on the nikon was better/faster but for portraits its been fine (and even for airshows too). Battery life is decent, not up to DSLR but just have a couple of spares. I would guess its better to handle too, especially i using bigger glass.
 
cambsno said:
XT3 is a great camera and I came from Nikon FF to this. Sure, the AF on the nikon was better/faster but for portraits its been fine (and even for airshows too). Battery life is decent, not up to DSLR but just have a couple of spares. I would guess its better to handle too, especially i using bigger glass.
Click to expand...

It’s a bit of a toss up at the moment between XT3 & 4.

I plan on buying the F1.0 50mm in the not too distant future. But I’m not sure it’ll be wasted or not able to reach its full potential on my XT-30.

Can’t seem to find any reviews that feature F1.0 with XT-30. Hmm.
 
The xt3 has just had a firmware update to bring the af closer to the xt4.
It can keep up with my springer spaniel puppy, so I’d have thought it would have no trouble with people.
 
I’ve been thinking about your position and reasoning for the xt4 without letting my biased hatred for it get in the way.

Firstly, I hate it because mine is stuck on a tripod (in my bag with a 55-200 on it for 99% of the time). I use it for landscapes and nothing else, I wish I’d bought the xt3. I hate the floppy screen, it’s an inconvenience to me and is turned face in most of the time.

However, for your use it may be perfect. You have one of the best hybrid cameras on the market so your partner can use it for videography. You’d get use from the ibis, eye/face tracking is much better than the xh1. It’s pretty sticky and the hit rate is good. But I’ve only used it for family occasions and not for any lively movement/toddlers/my livelihood. As David says, Sony’s eye/face tracking is the market leader. Battery life is a massive leap on the xt4 with the new battery plus you can use a grip for portrait work and have another battery, or run off a power bank when filming. The xt4 buffer will beat the xt30 for frame rate and it has dual slots uhs2 faster cards. It’s weather sealed and has a better grip too, but not as nice as the xh1. You need to go and try one to get a feel for it.

It may be the perfect camera for your work but if it was purely photo shoots of portrait work I’d take a look at Sony too if it was my livelihood. Take a look on YouTube, there’s some very prominent photographers using the xt4 for portraits. You’d probably love it for the food work too, and most likely enjoy the flippy screen ;)
 
bumper said:
I’ve been thinking about your position and reasoning for the xt4 without letting my biased hatred for it get in the way.

Firstly, I hate it because mine is stuck on a tripod (in my bag with a 55-200 on it for 99% of the time). I use it for landscapes and nothing else, I wish I’d bought the xt3. I hate the floppy screen, it’s an inconvenience to me and is turned face in most of the time.

However, for your use it may be perfect. You have one of the best hybrid cameras on the market so your partner can use it for videography. You’d get use from the ibis, eye/face tracking is much better than the xh1. It’s pretty sticky and the hit rate is good. But I’ve only used it for family occasions and not for any lively movement/toddlers/my livelihood. As David says, Sony’s eye/face tracking is the market leader. Battery life is a massive leap on the xt4 with the new battery plus you can use a grip for portrait work and have another battery, or run off a power bank when filming. The xt4 buffer will beat the xt30 for frame rate and it has dual slots uhs2 faster cards. It’s weather sealed and has a better grip too, but not as nice as the xh1. You need to go and try one to get a feel for it.

It may be the perfect camera for your work but if it was purely photo shoots of portrait work I’d take a look at Sony too if it was my livelihood. Take a look on YouTube, there’s some very prominent photographers using the xt4 for portraits. You’d probably love it for the food work too, and most likely enjoy the flippy screen ;)
Click to expand...

Why don’t I buy an XT3 and we just swap? I’d do that for you because I’m just that nice [emoji16]

I jest.

I’ve just convinced the other half to go Fuji and not Sony (XT4 is his first camera purchase). We’d like to stay within the same eco system so we can swap lenses with one another.

I love the aesthetic of the Fuji cameras and the colours that come out of it.

I think you’re right though, I’ll invest in a lens first and see how the dinky XT30 holds up while having a sneaky test on the XT4 that’ll be in the house...
 
I would definately consider an upgrade to a Sony A7iii with an 85mm 1.8 and probably paired with a Sigma 24-70mm 2.8, if its paid gigs and you are losing shots, i think th eye af alone is worth the extra cost, i love the fuji cameras and lenses, but have to give the benefits to the Sony.
 
Dashing said:
Why don’t I buy an XT3 and we just swap? I’d do that for you because I’m just that nice [emoji16]

I jest.

I’ve just convinced the other half to go Fuji and not Sony (XT4 is his first camera purchase). We’d like to stay within the same eco system so we can swap lenses with one another.

I love the aesthetic of the Fuji cameras and the colours that come out of it.

I think you’re right though, I’ll invest in a lens first and see how the dinky XT30 holds up while having a sneaky test on the XT4 that’ll be in the house...
Click to expand...

I keep threatening to sell mine but I’m holding out to trade it in on a xh2:cool:

It makes sense to both run the same system for batteries, lenses etc.. Test your partners xt4 then decide, I think you’ll like it and it’d suit your style of work.
Keep the xt30 as a second back up camera.
 
Forgot to say, have you seen the cost and size of the new f1 50? It’s fecking humongous :oops: :$
Take a look at the 56 and 90 or look in the Fuji thread at the viltrox lenses and spend the saved lens cash on the xt4 body.
 
IMG_6936.JPG

As if my camera needs weren’t enough, today’s shoot is for an artificial grass company and the camera is doing great.

I think I’ll take your advice and try new lenses on the xt30. If the XT4 is blowing my pictures away I’ll have another look at the body.

Thanks [emoji16]
 
Dashing said:
It’s a bit of a toss up at the moment between XT3 & 4.

I plan on buying the F1.0 50mm in the not too distant future.
Click to expand...

There is a staggering difference in price given that the X-T3 has just been given what is essentially the X-T4 AF system via firmware. I just bought a couple of new X-T3s for £850 each from Amazon UK, the cheapest UK price for an X-T4 is £600 more (per camera!)

IS isn't a deal breaker for me by any means and it was only really that and battery life that seemed to be a meaningful difference for what I do (weddings, motorsport etc), certainly not enough to go from £1700 to £2900 for two cameras. That £1200 saved is very nearly a 50mm 1.0!
 
Dashing said:
Today on location with our celebrity client my little XT-30 couldn’t really keep up. I have been using CL/CH mode as I like to get people to move freely while I shoot. The XT-30 started strong but then started to drip slowly, shot by shot
Click to expand...

What you're describing here is what happens to any camera once the buffer is filled. The speed at which it then drops down to and recovers is dependent on card write speed. The X-T4 has a buffer about twice the size/depth of the X-T30 but can also shoot almost twice as fast so if you just mash the shutter on both in CH mode, you're going to hit the slow down at the same sort of time point. I think they both utilise UHS-II cards so write speed will be the same. You can of course use CL and throttle the X-T4 back a bit to try to avoid the buffer but it might be worth considering technique here too as you will hit the same problem again sooner rather than later. I say this as an X-T4 owner and big fan of it. There are many great things about it but it might not be the silver bullet to deal with the problem you describe.
 
gad-westy said:
What you're describing here is what happens to any camera once the buffer is filled. The speed at which it then drops down to and recovers is dependent on card write speed. The X-T4 has a buffer about twice the size/depth of the X-T30 but can also shoot almost twice as fast so if you just mash the shutter on both in CH mode, you're going to hit the slow down at the same sort of time point. I think they both utilise UHS-II cards so write speed will be the same. You can of course use CL and throttle the X-T4 back a bit to try to avoid the buffer but it might be worth considering technique here too as you will hit the same problem again sooner rather than later. I say this as an X-T4 owner and big fan of it. There are many great things about it but it might not be the silver bullet to deal with the problem you describe.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I needed to hear and had come to the same conclusion.

I wasn’t sure if the XT4 could “keep it up” for longer than the XT-30. Sounds like it could, but I would probably be better off just learning when the right time to pull the trigger would be rather than a spray and pray type method [emoji23]

ukaskew said:
There is a staggering difference in price given that the X-T3 has just been given what is essentially the X-T4 AF system via firmware. I just bought a couple of new X-T3s for £850 each from Amazon UK, the cheapest UK price for an X-T4 is £600 more (per camera!)

IS isn't a deal breaker for me by any means and it was only really that and battery life that seemed to be a meaningful difference for what I do (weddings, motorsport etc), certainly not enough to go from £1700 to £2900 for two cameras. That £1200 saved is very nearly a 50mm 1.0!
Click to expand...

Very valid point.

I also detest the poor native Fuji phone app so I’ll be carrying an SD card bank, which would mean the second SD card slot in the xt4 is almost redundant too.
 
Don’t just base your choice on the buffer capacity of the cameras. The xt4 offers much more than your current body, especially for the work your doing and for future event work. Weather sealing, best Fuji tracking, great battery life and let’s not forget ibis. You won’t always be shooting plastic grass and food, you’ll need to move with no tripod and shoot people and capture the moments that’ll make you money and get you more business. The extra card slot is also an insurance policy for when that card goes tits up not as an overflow for the buffer.

I own a few Fuji bodies, I love my xh1 and v but if I had to choose one to use for a living photographing people it’d be the xt4. That says something because I bloody hate it.
 
bumper said:
Don’t just base your choice on the buffer capacity of the cameras. The xt4 offers much more than your current body, especially for the work your doing and for future event work. Weather sealing, best Fuji tracking, great battery life and let’s not forget ibis. You won’t always be shooting plastic grass and food, you’ll need to move with no tripod and shoot people and capture the moments that’ll make you money and get you more business. The extra card slot is also an insurance policy for when that card goes tits up not as an overflow for the buffer.

I own a few Fuji bodies, I love my xh1 and v but if I had to choose one to use for a living photographing people it’d be the xt4. That says something because I bloody hate it.
Click to expand...

Can you stop talking so much sense please.

You’re making my head spin [emoji23]

I’ll test the XT4 and see how it feels. I think it’s due to arrive tomorrow...
 
bumper said:
I own a few Fuji bodies, I love my xh1 and v but if I had to choose one to use for a living photographing people it’d be the xt4. That says something because I bloody hate it.
Click to expand...
Why do you hate it?
 
Dashing said:
Can you stop talking so much sense please.

You’re making my head spin [emoji23]

I’ll test the XT4 and see how it feels. I think it’s due to arrive tomorrow...
Click to expand...

It is your livelihood Richard. If the tool makes work faster and easier you’ll earn more money, faster and easier(but not easy).

I can see a fight starting about who’s using it first :ROFLMAO:
 
Only a suggestion, what if you added a dedicated Battery Grip, this would enhance battery life and overall speed I'm sure...! And possibly faster/quicker SD cards.

Which lenses are you using for your food photography etc...? Just curious.... Cheers

mac
 
Last edited:
I don't love the fold out screen especially but it does give more flexibility overall at the expense of convenience for most still usage. It doesn't seem so long ago that almost no high end cameras had any kind of screen articulation so I'll take it as it comes!

I have been finding it very useful recently when using the camera as a web cam though.
 
So the other half’s XT4 and 16-55 f2.8 came today... I have size envy...

I’m going to get the XT4. I don’t know why I’m trying to talk myself out of it.

I’ve been earning a living off of my xt30 and kit lens (15-45mm) since March. I think I deserve an upgrade..

Now lens. Not sure if I go straight for the f1.0 or 56 1.2 & the 90mm - watched some reviews on that one today. Both seem like really solid lenses for food, product and portraiture.

Any more advice folks?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top