It’s finally here! Even if Fuji hasn’t a great name in the video world, things started to change gradually in the last few years as the XT-3 and the XH-1 took the market by surprise. Those cameras demonstrated that Fuji has more than enough know-how and production capabilities to roll out decent cameras for filmmakers.
Now that the brand new Fuji XT-4 is here, camera comparison expert Max Yuryev puts it to the test by comparing it to two of the most popular cameras for shooting video – the Sony A7III and Nikon Z6.
Keep in mind, that we’re seeing some footage from a pre-production model of the XT-4 here. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t expect any significant differences from the final version of the camera that most of you will get in your hands. But why should we be so eager to compare the footage from this particular camera?
Well, one of the special qualities of Fuji is that their sensors are developed in-house while most other camera makers are using chips manufactured by Sony and a few other third-party companies. In fact, the Nikon Z6 has the exact same sensor as the A7III. But, anyway, let’s take a look at the comparison.
When evaluating the 4K footage of all three rivals, video detail looks nearly identical between the three, although the Nikon applies a ton of sharpening in-camera, which makes the footage look more detailed at first glance.
It’s important to notice that when shooting in 4K, the XT-4 needs to crop the sensor slightly, going to 1.18x, resulting in a roughly 20% smaller area.
But even if there’s this crop, the detail level is still very high. Even peeping at 400% zoom, there isn’t significant detail loss. Kudos to Fuji for keeping the bar so high in that regard.
Switching to 1080p yields a similar result. Again, the detail stays high on the X-T4, while Sony and Nikon need some sharpening to compensate. Peeping in at 400% will only confirm that impression. If you aim to shoot in 1080p mostly then you should opt for the Fuji offering without a doubt.
Some of us will take advantage of the high frame rates these mirrorless cameras can achieve: all three can shoot 120fps but at different bitrates. Again, there’s another win for Fuji in this test since it has the highest bit count of the three rivals. The Sony hits a lowly 19Mbs, the Nikon goes a little bit higher at 26Mbs, and finally, the XT-4 annihilates them at 40Mbs.
On top of that, if you need tho go higher in frame rates, the XT-4 can get to whopping 240fps in Full HD! That’s twice the frames the other two can do, and still has a higher bitrate than the A7III, holding up at 20Mbs.
As for the IBIS test, there’s no way we can show you the difference through a picture. Take a look at the video to get the real gist of the thing, but again the Fuji X-T4 stays on top.
If you combine the in-body stabilization with some tweaking in post, you can get some gimbal-like footage, while the Nikon and Sony rivals are not holding up at all. That goes also if you flip the camera and try to vlog. The IBIS in the XT-4 gives us a much more stable image.
So, in conclusion, if the XT-4 is such a great camera, why are we not seeing everyone trading in their camera for a Fuji? Well, as we said earlier, there’s history missing on Fuji’s side. A lot of filmmakers have a lot of glass and gear, so it’s not easy to take the leap and change your camera system completely.
However, if you’re starting out now and you’re planning to build up your gear pack from scratch, you should definitely consider the X-T4 as a viable choice since it’s one of the best mirrorless cameras for shooting video you can currently get, especially in this price range.
[source: Max Yuryev]
Order Links:
- FUJIFILM X-T4 Mirrorless Digital Camera (B&H, Amazon)
- Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera (B&H, Amazon)
- Nikon Z 6 Mirrorless Digital Camera (B&H, Amazon)
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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