Fujifilm’s XT series of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras tend to get the most attention, especially the top-end Fuji X-T4 and X-T3, but the XE series of rangefinder cameras are also interesting. The Fujifilm X-E4 is a replacement for the Fuji X-E3 and features the latest 26.1MP CMOS 4 APS-C X-Trans sensor and X-Processor 4 chip.
X-Pro cameras are often viewed as headliners of the XE series because they have a similar design. However, the Fuji X-Pro3 , for example, has a hybrid viewfinder that combines an optical viewfinder with an electronic one. The Fuji X-E4 is a little more traditional as it only has an electronic viewfinder.
Fans of the XE series loved the size, controls and style, and the picture quality has always been excellent. But since the release of the X-T3 , the first Fujifilm camera to use a newer 26MP sensor, the XE series has been lacking in updates unlike other Fujifilm camera lines. Therefore, the appearance of the X-E4, announced with the latest technology, is a welcome development. Let’s take a closer look at the camera features in the Fujifilm X-E4 review.
Fujifilm X-E4 review
Fujifilm X-E4 Design
As you can see for yourself, the new Fuji X-E4 is strikingly similar to the X100V camera . The X-E4 combines a lightweight design with the versatility of an interchangeable lens camera. The appearance of the X-E4 has become more angular, but also sleeker with “sharper” edges. It looks modern and classic at the same time retro – as is the case with many Fujifilm X-series cameras.
The new model weighs 364g, compared to 337g for the X-E3 and 478g for the X100V. If you look closely, the new X-E4 is much flatter and sleeker than its predecessor and the current X100V. The body is substantially flat at the front and back, with no handle or thumb rest built into the camera itself. A textured leather-like coating covers nearly all camera surfaces for a comfortable grip.
The sleek block shape makes the camera extremely compact and portable. For use with longer or heavier lenses, Fujifilm offers the MHG-XE4 screw-on grip and TR-XE4 thumb rest. The stop is inserted into the hot shoe.
Control elements
In terms of buttons and controls, the Fujifilm X-E4’s camera is a bit more specific than its predecessors. At the back, it doesn’t have a thumb wheel, just one control dial on the front. Fuji also ditched the dedicated “Auto” switch on the top of the camera. Instead, Fujifilm added a “P” (programmed automatic) mode to the main drive. The pleasure of using the dials is retained and the convenience is increased.
Also on top, the X-E4 has a dedicated exposure compensation dial. There is also a separate user-defined function button. The “Q” Quick Menu button has now also moved to the top plane, although on the X-E3 it was located on the thumb rest.
Almost the entire rear of the Fuii X-E4 is taken up by a large 3-inch LCD touch screen. It is now articulated instead of fixed. The size remains the same as before, although the resolution is slightly increased to 1.62M dots, up from 1.04M dots on the old model. The electronic viewfinder is similar to the previous one. It’s a 0.39-inch OLED panel.
Autofocus and performance
There is practically nothing new here. Many X Series cameras are based on the same sensor and processor. Therefore, the new Fujifilm X-E4 has generally the same performance parameters. Those. It is a similar hybrid AF system with 2.16 million pixel phase shift detection. These pixels form up to 425 focus points distributed over the entire surface. The camera also has a high-precision tracking autofocus function.
The Fuji X-E4’s burst shooting is not as powerful as the more expensive models, despite the same processor. The fastest rate is 8 frames per second with a mechanical shutter. The same X-T4 produces almost twice as many frames. The electronic shutter corrects the situation, bringing the performance almost to the level of older brothers.
Video
The Fuji X-E4 camera is, as expected, very similar to the X-S10 in terms of video performance. It offers uncropped DCI 4K / 30p recording, 200Mbps bitrate, and 1080p video at up to 240p. However, one of the main differences between the X-E4 / X-S10 and more expensive Fuji cameras like the X-T4 is the lack of 4K / 60p recording capability.
However, despite the lack of this specification, the X-E4 is a perfectly capable camcorder despite its compact size. Besides DCI (4096 x 2160) 4K, it can also shoot 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) at up to 30p resolution and output 10-bit 4: 2: 2 video over HDMI. Internal recording is set to 4: 2: 0 8 bits.
Video is recorded using Long GOP compression. The X-E4 also supports F-Log recording and offers in-camera F-Log View Assist (BT.709). It helps with exposure settings in this ultra-flat recording mode. The X-E4 supports Face and Eye Detection AF for movie recording. Continuous recording time is limited to approximately 30 minutes per clip.
Connections and power
Fuji’s X-E4 camera offers a modest number of wired options. However, it now features the more common 3.5mm microphone input, rather than the 2.5mm micro-jack on its predecessor. The X-E4 also has a USB-C port instead of a Micro-B USB 2.0 port. The USB-C port supports charging and data transfer.
You can also connect headphones through this port, thanks to the included USB-C to 3.5 mm mini-jack adapter. Finally, there is also a Micro HDMI Type-D port that supports 4K 4: 2: 2 10-bit video output. The X-E4 has one SD card slot, which, surprisingly, is still only UHS-I compatible. The memory card slot is located in the same lower compartment as the battery.
The X-E4 uses the same NP-W126S lithium-ion battery as the X100V and several other Fujifilm X-series models. According to Fujifilm specifications, the X-E4 has a CIPA rating of 380 shots per charge.
Conclusion
The Fujifilm X-E4 seems to fit well with the X-series, being the smallest and lightest X-Trans 4 sensor to date. It’s nice to see that despite being compact, the camera has a tilting screen that can be rotated 180 ° to be visible in front of the camera. Most importantly, the X-E4 is equipped with the acclaimed 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4. Together, they create stunning images on many other Fuji cameras, including the excellent X-T4. Let’s hope that our “baby” will meet all expectations.
