My first impressions of the Fujifilm X-E4. I got my camera with the XF 27/2.8 (mk1) and I think pancakes like this are perfect for the X-E4. They really make the camera look pocketable.
There is no charger in the package for some reason. The camera charges via USB-C, but the charger itself was not added. Apparently decided to save money. Also there is no flash! The X-E2 and X-E3 came with a charger and a cool retro flash.
As for the appearance, the camera seems even smaller than the X-E3. It even kind of reminds me of the Panasonic GX880. I mean, it's really the same size as a Micro 4/3. But the X-E4 is made of metal, has a viewfinder and a larger sensor. It is nice to hold the camera in your hands, no complaints about the workmanship, but next to the X-Pro2, the X-E4 looks a bit simpler and cheaper.
There is no grip, at all. It seems to me that Fujifilm decided to make the camera "modular" like the Sigma FP. So you can buy a finger rest, an extra grip, a pouch or a wrist strap if you want. I received my camera with an extra finger rest, so it's pretty comfortable to hold. I plan to add a wrist strap, then I think it would be really good.
The buttons on the X-E4 are few and far between, as well as the tilt wheel next to the screen and the focus mode switch. That said, the available buttons and knobs are pretty small. The joystick is rather short and the exposure wheel sometimes gets confused. On the X-Pro2, the knobs are larger, more comfortable, have a nicer stroke, and don't bunch up.
The lack of buttons is replaced by a touch screen that supports swipes. You can hang four functions on those swipes. But still, it is often necessary to go to the menu. By the way, the X-Pro2 has a non-touch screen which does not support swipes. As for the screen quality, it is excellent: it is bright, even in sunlight, and has great detail. It has a resolution of 1.6 megapixels, while X-S10 has the older generation screen of only 1 Mp.
The screen is made hinged, it can also flip in selfies. And this caused a problem - if you flip the screen 90 degrees and bring the camera to your belt, the picture flips. As they write on the forums, the only way to fix it is to put duct tape on half of the EVF sensor to make it less sensitive.
There are a lot of new items and functions in the menu, which I have not yet disassembled. However, it seems to me that menu became a bit cluttered and does not match the visual style of the camera. What is interesting is that I can save raw with lossy compression and the file size is only 21MB.
In terms of autofocus speed, I noticed some improvements compared to X-E3 and even X-Pro2. For example, the slow XF 35/1.4 lens is focusing about 20% faster and has less stutter in low light. The most noticeable change was in the tracking AF, it got noticeably better. For example, you can tap on the screen on the figure of a person - and the camera tracks its movement quite accurately, allowing you to take a lot of sharp shots.
The picture is also an improvement over X-Pro2 or X-E3. They added a little more detail (26MP) and interesting film simulations: Classic Negative, Eterna. There's some new dynamic range expansion mode. You can also turn on the Color Chrome effect, which darkens the colors and makes them thicker. The JPG picture is hard to fault - it's very good! You can just shoot in JPG on different films and have fun with it.
Overall, the camera gives a positive impression of the picture and the speed of the autofocus. In this respect, the upgrade is justified. There is even a wow effect: I can not believe that such a small box can give out such a picture. The camera really fits into a jacket pocket and any bag. But the ergonomics of the X-E4 will take some getting used to. You will need a finger rest or wrist strap for this camera. You also have to use swipes on the touch screen because there aren't enough buttons.
Clearly, it's out of the question to hang some kind of half-pound lens on this camera. The X-E4 is perfect for XF 18/2 pancakes, XF 27/2.8, and small fxes like 23/2, 35/2, 35/1.4, 50/2. I think it's an interesting option for an entry-level Fujifilm camera that you can customize to your liking. The X-E4 would be great for walking and traveling, you could probably use it to shoot video.
Centrale 1 by Ian, on Flickr
Centrale II by Ian, on Flickr
Bluey by -justTrev-
