Fuji Xe4 vs Xt30 ii

I want to buy my first camera and I have narrowed my choices to Fuji xe4 and Fuji xt30ii. I primarily use it for photography. I am in love with the xe4 but I am not sure about the technical difference in terms of photography betweem xe4 and xt30 ii.

If its xe4, I am getting the body+accessories and I am confused about 27mm and 35mm lens. So i'd appreciate suggestions in this too.

For your first camera, get a zoom lens, not a prime lens. That will let you experiment with different focal lengths. Only buy a prime lens once you know which focal lengths you like.

As for the differences between the X-E4 and X-T30, they are technically identical and only differ in shape and buttons/dials. The pictures they take are identical.

Choose whichever fits your hands and style.

One of the major differences between the cameras is the location of the viewfinder. The X- Es have it in the corner, the X- Txxs in the center. You should also examine the control set and see which one has more direct controls with dials. I believe they both have touch screens. Regardless, the differences are mostly in how you use the camera. The output should be the same.

Fuji makes several different 35mm lenses. The 35mm f/1.4 is one of the very early Fuji lenses. It gives you beautiful images, but the autofocus is quirky and it's noisy. Mine makes a snippy-snappy noise like a pair of scissors. It can also sometimes have a loose aperture ring. But it is so good optically, and of course it has a larger maximum aperture so it is very useful in low light. The 35mm f/2 is a more modern lens. Its autofocus is faster and more accurate, it is weather sealed, and since it has a smaller maximum aperture, it is smaller and lighter. It is quite sharp , and gives an image which some find more clinical and less interesting than the output of the 35mm f/1.4.

The 27mm f/2.8 is a true pancake lens, designed to be small and flat and very light. It has a shorter focal length than the 35mms, so it offers a wider field of view, more like that of the human eye. The 27mm is sharp and yields a very appealing image, but it has a larger maximum aperture and a longer minimum focus distance than either of the 35mms. Note that there are two versions of the 27mm. The current version, the WR, is weather resistant and has an aperture ring, making it much more fun and involving to use. The two versions are the same optically. If you buy the 27mm with the X-E4 in a kit, the lens should be the WR.

You will hear a lot of recommendations that you should always buy a zoom lens first. There are some very valid arguments for this, I suppose, but I say if you definitely want a prime lens, get a prime lens. The two types of lenses are very different to use and there are those who find zoom lenses clunky and dull.

I have my 27mm on an X-T10 and it is still pretty small.

void_and_null wrote:

I want to buy my first camera and I have narrowed my choices to Fuji xe4 and Fuji xt30ii. I primarily use it for photography. I am in love with the xe4 but I am not sure about the technical difference in terms of photography betweem xe4 and xt30 ii.

Both cameras are essentially identical in terms of features, sensor etc. Both are small and light.

The X-T30 II has a built-in flash, this will make your camera slightly more versatile. The X-T30 II also has more buttons than the X-E4.

A third camera you should consider is the X-S10. It is again essentially the same camera but with sensor based image stabilisation (IBIS). It also has a flash built-in and many buttons.

All these three cameras cost the same btw, and they have the same EVF.

So I would suggest the following:

a) if you value clean design and very small, and don't mind loosing flash and IBIS go for the X-E4

b) if you need small and need a flash then go for the X-T30 II

c) if you don't mind a slightly bigger body (but one that is in fact still small!) then go for the X-S10, this will give you a flash and IBIS too

If its xe4, I am getting the body+accessories and I am confused about 27mm and 35mm lens. So i'd appreciate suggestions in this too.

27mm is a great all-round focal length. The 27mm prime is sharp, very small. I wish it would focus a little bit closer.

The 35mm focal length is slightly narrower. The 35mm 1.4 lens is a marveleous optics, you can use it as your only lens, and the rendering is just fantastic. Sometimes when I take a picture with a different lens I say to myself "I wish I would have used the 35 1.4 instead". This does not happen with the 27mm pancake. The two f2 versions of the 35mm may be other options but I can't say anything about them because I never used them.

I find that I can easily replicate the results I get from the 27mm pancake by using the 18-55 kit lens. At this focal length the zoom will be at aperture f/3.5 instead of f/2.8 but this is a minor difference, and is in fact outweighted by the 18-55 kit lens focusing closer and also having optical image stabilisation in the lens which is both surprisingly effective and useful

So my suggestion is to get your camera with standard zoom kit lens (such as the 18-55) for versatility and also get the 35mm f/1.4 lens as this will give you images that you cannot replicate with the zoom lens.

If you prefer a tiny small camera go for the 27mm pancake lens. This will be a fun combination.

As both the cameras offer no image stabilization, I decided on the most compact and went for the X-E4+27mm kit - but I already knew that I wanted a compact body and that many of my images are shot at 40mm-equivalent length, meaning I would get the 27mm even if I decided to buy another camera.

Think about a zoom if you aren't sure on focal length - playing to find oneself preferences is important.

void_and_null wrote:

I want to buy my first camera and I have narrowed my choices to Fuji xe4 and Fuji xt30ii. I primarily use it for photography. I am in love with the xe4 but I am not sure about the technical difference in terms of photography betweem xe4 and xt30 ii.

If its xe4, I am getting the body+accessories and I am confused about 27mm and 35mm lens. So i'd appreciate suggestions in this too.

Both are great cameras and functionally equal in terms of quality. You need to decide if you are more a range finder style or a slr style. Now the harder part is … CAN YOU find either in stock anywhere.

One thing to bear in mind is whether you are a right or left eye shooter. I have the X-E3 (so the camera that came before the X-E4) and I find it difficult to use. I'm a left eye shooter so the rangefinder style isn't great. I also find the EVF to be small with a short eye point. Finally, the exposure compensation dial is not to my liking.

So I'd go in a store and hold both in your hands, look through the EVF, take some practice shots. Whichever feels natural/comfortable is the one to go for.

void_and_null wrote:

I want to buy my first camera and I have narrowed my choices to Fuji xe4 and Fuji xt30ii. I primarily use it for photography. I am in love with the xe4 but I am not sure about the technical difference in terms of photography betweem xe4 and xt30 ii.

No difference.

If its xe4, I am getting the body+accessories and I am confused about 27mm and 35mm lens. So i'd appreciate suggestions in this too.

The XE4 comes with the 27mm so that makes the choice easy. If you don't like the lens you can sell it for a $100 profit and switch to a 35.

It's a no brainer. 🙂

I got it!!!!