As photographers, we are faced with many challenges. It could be the weather, it could be the light, but arguably the biggest of them all is trying to keep up with energetic kids! Miles Witt Boyer tells us how FUJIFILM X-T4 performed.
“I spend most of my life on the road shooting weddings and commercial work, and I’ve learned that nothing happens in front of my camera as fast as my little guy running,” chuckles Miles Witt Boyer, who wanted to see how X-T4 performed in an unplanned, spontaneous situation.
“My goal with the camera was simply to capture life with it,” he says. “My images aren’t of a ‘shoot’ that I booked. These aren’t clients, and this wasn’t a session. These are my kids, my family, my closest friends on a Sunday afternoon.”
Miles made the most of X-T4’s portable size and versatility by carrying it with him on a family trip, but it was when the kids got excited that the camera really came into its own. “The moment I started provoking my kids to have a little fun, I was blown away by just how capable the camera in my hands was,” he tells us. “It had all of the speed, all of the dexterity and maneuverability, while remaining understated, quiet, and comfortable.”
He goes on to praise the camera’s outstanding 0.02 second autofocus and intuitive controls, which ensured he always framed the perfect moment. “X-T4 grabbed it. The AF speed, the speed turning on, the familiar ability to get to the right exposure quickly, and the beautiful reliability in capture all just allowed me to focus on that moment.”
“It had all of the speed, all of the dexterity and maneuverability, while remaining understated, quiet, and comfortable”
X-T4’s autofocus was, in fact, one of Miles’ favorite features. “The ability this camera has to find focus in low light and be a reliable, beautiful option in mixed light is unmatched,” he says, telling us that outside this project, this capability also really helped when going into commercial projects. “I shot this camera with so much confidence at the very first event I took it to. Its AF is astonishingly fast and even when working with off-camera flash, I felt like Fujifilm has really gotten every detail right.”
He continues: “X-T4 speaks my language. It is so fast and so snappy, but feels just substantial enough in my hand that it’s safe. The image quality is unbelievable; the low-light performance is great. The new battery is a much-wanted upgrade and the new shutter is so beautifully silent. This camera felt like having a conversation with an old friend who has a new haircut. I knew it instantly, and when I picked it up there wasn’t anything that felt out of place. However the new, minute details that have been added just feel like a perfect complement to the work I’m doing with it.”
As Miles is predominantly a stills photographer, he also gave X-T4 to his team videographer to see what he thought of the camera’s movie functionality. “Having a cinema guy on my team is such a valuable thing for me. Though I don’t shoot video personally, the influence of having video around me all the time is undeniable and I love so much that this is the first camera we’ve ever both agreed on,” explains Miles. “The in-body image stabilization (IBIS) just blew him away. Being able to handhold this tiny camera and pull focus while moving is something that was an instant attraction to him.”
Overall, Miles feels that X-T4 has found the perfect balance between stills and video, a feat that he thinks is rarely achieved. “This is a true industry disruptor. I can only think of a few cameras since the digital transition that have done what I believe X-T4 does,” he enthuses. “It’s an amazing addition to my bag, sitting alongside GFX 50R and X100V now. On the video end of the spectrum, it wouldn’t surprise me to see X-T4 on large-scale production sets, but it’s also small, light, maneuverable, and so capable as an event camera for everything from concerts to small commercial projects,” he says.
“It feels right. It feels crafted,” concludes Miles. “This is a camera that is designed to inspire the hands that hold it, and it’s doing that in incredible ways.”
X-T4 is coming soon to your nearest FUJIFILM Authorized Dealer. Learn more and read the full specifications here.
“This is a true industry disruptor. I can only think of a few cameras since the digital transition that have done what I believe X-T4 does”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Miles Witt Boyer is a US-based wedding and commercial photographer whose personal approach to wedding photojournalism has earned him a strong reputation in the industry.
Website: mileswittboyer.com
Instagram: @mileswittboyer
Facebook: @MilesWittBoyer
Twitter: @MilesWittBoyer