Zakaj je Fujifilm X-T4 moj popolni fotoaparat

Naj pred tem člankom povem, da popoln fotoaparat ne obstaja. Nikoli ne bo. Vendar pa se bo v vsakem trenutku našla popolna kamera za vas. Lahko je tisti, ki ga imate, lahko je tisti, h kateremu težite, morda je celo tak, ki se ga ne zavedate.

Zame trenutno in glede na vrsto fotografije, ki jo delam, je Fuji X-T4 moj popolni fotoaparat. Če ste se nekaj časa zadrževali po svetih dvoranah Light Stalkinga, boste vedeli, da sem malo ljubitelj Fujija. Začel sem z X100s leta 2013, napredoval do X-Pro1, X-T2 in zdaj X-T4. V nedavnem članku o izogibanju FOMO polnega formata sem namignil, zakaj želim X-T4. Zdaj, ko sem ga imel v lasti tri mesece, bom razložil, zakaj deluje zame.

Video zmožnosti

Očitno je to spletno mesto za fotografije, zakaj torej začenjam z videoposnetkom Fuji X-T4? No, jaz sem tako imenovani hibridni strelec. Snemam tako fotografijo kot video, predvsem za stock agencije. To pomeni, da potrebujem kamero, ki mi bo omogočala enostavno delo, kakovostne fotografije in tudi visokokakovosten video 4K.

Zdaj sem prepričan, da se zavedate, da je to, kar sem opisal, najsodobnejši brezzrcalni fotoaparat. Čeprav bodo vse brezzrcalne kamere zagotavljale spodoben izpis 4K, specifikacije posnetkov 4k niso enake.

Zame sta dve ubijalski video funkciji, ki ju ima X-T4 v primerjavi z večino svojih tekmecev, vključno s številnimi dražjimi modeli polnega formata. Prva je možnost snemanja 4K pri 60 slikah na sekundo. Drugi je, da to storite v 10-bitni različici.

Zakaj je 4K/60 pomemben

Imeti 4K/60 je zelo pomembna funkcija. Ne samo, da vam daje svilnato gladke posnetke, ampak tudi, da je posnetek mogoče upočasniti na polovično hitrost in zelo enostavno stabilizirati, ko ga držite v roki ali uporabljate kardan. To vam lahko omogoči, da naredite nekaj zelo kinematografskih premikov kamere, kar posledično ustvari zelo prodajne posnetke.

Pomemben je tudi 10-bitni vidik. Pravzaprav ni samo 10-bitni, ampak tudi z bitno hitrostjo do 400 Mbps. Ta kombinacija daje zelo podrobne posnetke, ki jih je enostavno spreminjati, kar zmanjšuje tveganje artefaktov in pasov v postprodukciji.

IBIS, ročno snemanje videa

Druga odlična lastnost je uvedba IBIS ali stabilizacije v telesu. To je dokaj pogosta funkcija pri sodobnih brezzrcalnih fotoaparatih, vendar je za snemanje videoposnetkov zelo uporabna funkcija. V kombinaciji s stabilizacijo objektiva so lahko rezultati v video posnetkih prav osupljivi. During a recent shoot in Kyiv, the battery on my gimbal had failed. I was able to get steady clips using a 300mm equivalent lens, handheld, using a combination of IBIS and lens stabilization. Had I been using my older X-T2, I would not have been able to continue as a video shoot.

If there is one last great video feature that X-T4 has, it’s the video/photography mode switch. This means that if I switch to shooting stills, I still retain all my video settings when I switch back. I did not realize just how important this was until I did my first video shoot. One of the biggest problems with being a hybrid shooter is the need to maintain the 180-degree shutter rule when shooting video. Switching to stills, you often need a different shutter speed. The video/photography mode switch solves this issue in one fell swoop.

The Fujifilm X-T4 For Photography

Whilst video is my moneymaker, photography is my passion. The same can be said for the Fujifilm system. When Fuji started to deliver the X series in 2010, it was clear that they wanted their cameras to be photographer’s tools. By this, I mean that they wanted to maintain the film tradition of having the main exposure controls as large tactile dials and rings.

They also wanted their images to have a film feel to them. In my opinion, they have very much succeeded, particularly with their film modes such as Velvia and Astia.

The great thing about these film modes is that you can still shoot in RAW then apply the mode in post-production to get that ”Fuji look”, but tuned to your own needs.

In terms of megapixels, the X-T4 is not going to win any awards, but then for me, it does not have to. The 26MP sensor is more than enough for both stock stills but also for large format prints. Yes, it’s APS-C but I rarely shoot stuff that needs an ultra-shallow depth of field, and even in low light, X-T4 has proved more than capable, both for photography and video.

The RAW files are full of detail and easy to process, an important consideration when editing a lot of stock images. There is still some talk of the “worms” in post-production by some photographers, but I have rarely found this to be an issue, and when it does occur, I reduce the default sharpening to 0, then resharpen as the final step. This always eliminates the issue.

Size Is Everything

The last aspect that makes Fujifilm X-T4 my perfect camera is the size. When I moved to Fuji, I did so from the Nikon D3 and the holy trinity of f/2.8 lenses. That was a backbreaking kit especially when spending hours wandering a hot, humid city.

The Fuji system is so much more compact and light. The body is half the weight of my D3 and probably less than half the dimensions. The same is true of the lenses. Two of my four lenses are f/2.8 and they are tiny compared to the Nikon’s equivalents.

The ergonomics of X-T4 are also improved compared to my X-T2. The body is ever so slightly larger but more importantly, the grip is significantly better. It stays much more comfortable in the hand, when shooting, compared to X-T2.

As I mentioned at the top, there will never be a perfect camera. A camera that does all things well for all types of photography. However, for me, at this moment, Fujifilm X-T4 is perfect for what I do.