XE-2, XE-3, or X-E4... The Dilemma

pictograph wrote:

Threaded wrote:

pictograph wrote:

Threaded wrote:

The XE line is kind of interesting as it’s the only Fuji model that’s never really stayed the same. Initially it was the smaller, cheaper X-Pro alternative for those who couldn’t afford Fujis only other ILC, and that was still the case up until the XE2, but after that Fuji widened the range and, notably, introduced the XT1 which immediately sold like hot cakes and rather supplanted the X-Pro at the top of the line.

As Someone who purchased the X-Pro 1 and sold it at the first moment the XE1 hit the market and someone who can and could afford (and purchased before) much, much more expensive cameras, I tell you that a lot of people bought the XE1 because it was the same technology as the X-Pro1 but much smaller, lighter, and without the absolutely useless OVF…

Well no, you can tell me that’s why you bought it, and that’s fine. I’m sure some others did the same, equally many others loved the X-Pro. In truth though, Fuji had big problems with both cameras in terms of the performance and feature set not really being where they needed to be, and that didn’t start to resolve until the XE2.

The success of the XT1 lead to the XT10, which essentially repackaged the XE2’s internals but in a shape that was proving more popular and cheaper to produce (in China). By that time Fuji were so uncertain over the purpose of the XE that they didn’t bother designing a new one, and just reworked the same body with newer firmware to produce the XE2S.

Fujifilm did not just offer the same XE2 with changed firmware as a „new camera called XE2s“ but reacted to complaints of customers about some problems with the XE2… IIRC the XE2s offered much better AF performance than the XE2 that could NOT be solved by a simple firmware-update (though firmware updates were possible and were made for the XE2)…

You’re either misremembering or were mislead at the time, XE2 performance with the later firmware was entirely identical to the XE2S. The only hardware difference was a motion sensor in the S model to enable a full SR Auto mode (unavailable on the standard XE2). That and a very slightly revised grip.

The subsequent redesigns of the XE3 and XE4 just seem to reflect the fact that Fuji are still continually rethinking just where or if the XE still fits in the lineup. I’m sure both are good cameras in their own way, but they’re both quite distinct from the original and targeting different markets. Neither really seem like satisfactory replacements for the XE1 or 2 because, I guess, Fuji felt those replacements already existed elsewhere.

Evidently you do not know that Fujifilm officially did stop the XE line with the XE3 without any successor. For 6 months the XE line was dead.
But a lot of XE- customers protested and demanded to go on with the XE-line.

This sounds like you’ve been reading too much Fuji Rumors. Fuji “officially” said nothing about the XE line being stopped, there were rumours but nothing more.

Again, Fujifilm cared for their customers and reanimated the XE-line.

The idea that Fuji created the XE4 just to be nice or in response to some campaign is patently absurd. It exists because Fuji believe or believed it would sell and make them money. Clearly the differences from the XE3 indicate that Fuji weren’t entirely happy with that model and the way it was targeted, so they made changes, just as they did from XE2 to 3.

You are wrong:

No, I’m not. I was an X-E2 user when the S model and the new firmware came out, I’m very aware of the differences (or lack of them). There are the differences I’ve mentioned in terms of the motion detection sensor in the S and the auto mode, and that’s it other than cosmetics.

there were some hardware- changements from XE2 to XE2s that could not be solved by the firmware- update of the XE2.

There were not. Look at literally any report or review at the time. Find me one hands on report that claims better performance for the S over the standard model with new firmware. You will not find any.

There have been a lot of firmware-optimizations indeed, but….

If the XE2 would have been performance-wise identical to the XE2s there would not at all exist any need for an hardware-related upgraded Model.

Arguably there wasn’t, the XE2S certainly wasn’t a massive seller. But the E2 was long in the tooth and the S improvements, which had first been developed for the XT10 also based on the same platform, made for a convenient stop gap replacement. They obviously made some parts savings as they reduced the price slightly too.

Here just some features that could NOT be realized by the firmware-update of the XE2:

- the sensor of the XE2s had identical 16MP but was in fact a modified sensor, with better low-light AF (XE2: 2,5 EV, XE2s 0,5 EV).

Obviously untrue, there was only ever one X-Trans II sensor. The “modified” low light AF was down to improved AF algorithms, ie firmware. They did the same thing later with the X-Pro2 which got a similar low light EV bump, and more recently the XT3 received the same in its big AF update inherited from the XT4. Look up their firmware logs before you reply.

- much faster wake-up time

Firmware, the XE2 was improved too.

- 77 AF zones (XE2s) instead of 49 AF zones (XE 2)

Again, firmware. These are not physical points on a sensor as you imagine, they are entirely firmware based. They increased the AF points on the X-Pro2 in the same way, after the XT2’s release.

- better inner body design

These hardware-changements led to dramatically better AF performance compared to the XE2 and to much better high-ISO performance.

Prove it. Find one bona fide source claiming “dramatically better AF performance” over a firmware upgraded XE2, you will find none. Similarly high-ISO performance is identical, as you’ll see from any image comparison. The XE2S did allow access to a higher extended setting in jpeg (51200) but it was garbage, RAW performance and jpeg performance at any ISO below this was identical, because both the sensor and image processor was identical.

The XE2s has an OLED EVF. I did not find any information about the EVF of the XE2, but I am sure this would have been mentioned in bold if already existing in the XE2…

Look harder, it’s in the specifications at the back of the XE2 manual for example, it also had an OLED finder (come to that so did the XE1). There was speculation the part was changed in the XE2S (probably for cost/production reasons) but the spec is exactly the same.

Honestly, before you come back at me do some research. You are labouring under a misapprehension when it comes to the XE2S.

EDIT - for the record most of your claims can be easily disproved with a browse of the XE2 v4 firmware release notes found here - https://fujifilm-x.com/global/support/download/firmware/cameras/x-e2/

For example (my bold):

New AF System

(1) New AF system with Zone and Wide/Tracking modes for effortless capture of moving subjects. (*)
The AF System complements the fast and accurate 49-single-point autofocus system with new Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, which use 77 autofocus points across a wider area to substantially improve the camera’s ability to capture moving subjects.
(2) Improvement of AF accuracy.
Single-point AF divides the focus area into smaller sections to more accurately determine the distance to the subject for even greater focusing accuracy. The built-in phase detection pixels have the detection range of 0.5EV, an improvement from the previous 2.5EV, delivering phase detection AF performance that enables fast focusing in low-light conditions and on low-contrast subjects.