I can't help but agree. I prefer my X-T3 to the X-T4. I prefer the xpro2 to the xpro3. I find the xe4 a downgrade of the xe3. And I regret greatly the removal of the d-pad on the x100v. I dislike selfie screens, I love my d-pad, and I don't want my bodies to get as bulky and heavy as full frame bodies.
Sadly I agree. Fujifilm are going the way Nikon did with their retro camera this year i.e. it didn't have the most important manual control: an aperture ring on the lens. Making it a joke/toy imho.
The Fuji joystick is crap for (some of) us who don't edit focus position much. I want up, down, left, right, not diagonals in the menu, which results in wrong directions. If I have to menu dive I want ease of use and speed. Not a fiddly joystick which leads to mistakes. It's fine when there are both options like on the groundbreaking XT3 (that camera was massive for video with it's specs). Fujifilm are going too minimal to seemingly cater to the smartphone crowd who like the minimal controls film cameras had and selfies. It takes the fun away from using Fuji. It's like Fuji forgot we now have autofocus and other innovations since 1970.
No grips and no focus lever is the wrong direction. They don't even provide a battery charger anymore
Fuji may lose the USP (unique selling point) if they carry on removing features like the D pad, focus mode lever (why remove such an integral part of the system? - for minimalism and to save a few bucks), going gripless makes bodies heavier and hotter and more expensive, because you have to hold the body uncomfortably and/or add extra grips.
The XE4 was a joke next to a new X Pro 2 for the same price ($1k, the XE needed the extras taking it over 1k for me). The XE4 wuth 27mm was also a joke next to the similarly priced X100V, which to be fair is a work of art and had a better grip than the F. You say it was a downgrade from the XE3, in that case it was a major downgrade from the solid XE2. The XS10 was a joke next to the now similarly priced XT3 for video if you don't need IBIS, there is a massive gulf in specs and controls and overall build quality.
The XH2 needs to be a workhorse camera. If it also sacrifices important controls it might flop. I want to use it with gloves on and in extreme sunlight, maybe in the dark and that means nice easy controls. People are already turning back to Nikon for more realistic colors and good ergonomics. If Sony tweak a couple of things (e.g. film sim options, better video specs, or aperture rings like Sigma are doing for them already) Fuji may not stand out. Sony are already doing full frame nearly the same size as Fuji cameras.
If Nikon or Sony have the video specs of the XH2 for a similar price, it will be hard to stick with Fujifilm for video. The colors aren't right imho. I love some of the film sims, but for video I prefer accuracy, and lots of people want that super Sony autofocus tracking. Fuji are sacrificing usability for penny pinching and trying to be too stylish (minimal). It simply doesn't make sense to buy crippled cameras like the XE4 and XS10 IMHO when there are older cameras which cost the same and have far better specs.
The XT3 is $1,099 at B and H. The XE4 is roughly the same with the necessary grips. The XS10 is almost the same. The latter two aren't in the same ballpark as the XT3. Nowhere near in anyway except for the IQ of photos. The EVF, controls, solid body, WR, everything is far superior. It even comes with a flash and battery charger!
Fujifilm are cool. But that's all. For landscapes and fine art only the medium format cameras make the grade imho. The XT3 with HLG H.265 400Mbps video was great in that amazing body. But since then it has been downhill with flimsy cameras and supposed flagships like the X Pro 3 and X100V both having unusually high return rates due to poor quality control.
There is a good reason they made an XT3 mark II. Even with stuff removed it easily beats the newer cameras. The XT3 is solid. At least Fuji recognize this. It's a shame so many people are happy with such inferior cameras like the XE4 and XS10. It's like Fuji start with a great camera (X Pro 2 for Xtrans 3 and XT3 for Xtrans 4), then spend a few years making worse versions, then they reduce the price of the great camera making the rest poor purchases for most people.
