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Fujifilm X-E4 Field Test: Compact, stylish and very capable APS-C camera
posted Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 10:05 AM EDT
Click here to read our Fujifilm X-E4 Field Test
Where the Fujifilm X-S10 is a lightweight SLR-styled mirrorless camera, the Fujifilm X-E4 is rangefinder-inspired. The new X-E4 is a compact, sleek and stylish camera. On the outside, it's a simple, minimalist camera. On the inside, the X-E4 includes the same 26.1-megapixel X-Trans image sensor as the flagship Fujifilm X-T4, paired with the same X-Processor 4. The resulting image quality is impressive, and the performance is good, too. After my hands-on time with the X-E4, I came away mostly impressed.
Getting back to the style and design of the X-E4. As I mentioned, it's simple. There aren't many buttons on the camera, and the design eschews the dual command dials of its predecessor, but the X-E4 includes nice dials on the top of the camera, and the touchscreen interface works well. The touchscreen itself is sharp and responsive. The EVF is good too, although it is a bit small, and the eyepiece isn't very comfortable during extended use. While the camera's design is good, the front and back are also perfectly flat without optional accessories, making it difficult to grip and hold.
Despite some usability concerns, the overall experience of shooting with the X-E4 is good. The 26MP image sensor captures high-quality images across an impressive ISO range. The X-E4 captures sharp images with good detail and impressive colors. Plus, Fujifilm's Film Simulations are fantastic. There are a total of 18 Film Simulations in the X-E4.
Autofocus performance is another strong suit of the X-E4. Subject tracking AF leaves a bit to be desired, but continuous autofocus works well if you can keep your subject within a zone or underneath one of the 425 autofocus points. The dedicated AF joystick works well in use, and you can use the touchscreen to move the AF point as well. Overall shooting performance is limited by the inclusion of a UHS-I SD card slot, but the camera is plenty fast for many situations. It's not an ideal choice for high-speed action photography, but it can handle wildlife photography and should be up to the task of some sports photography as well.
When it comes to video, the X-E4 is no slouch. The X-E4 records 4K UHD and DCI 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. Autofocus performance is generally pretty good, although the camera can hunt on occasion. Perhaps most impressively, the camera records Full HD video at up to 240 fps.
There's much more to discuss with the Fujifilm X-E4. To read my full thoughts on the camera, both good and bad, head over to our Fujifilm X-E4 Field Test. To view and download image samples from our lab, click here. To see real-world shots, including the images from our Field Test, visit the Gallery.