Why I bought the Fujifilm X-T4.
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Premise!
I truly believe in the photographic path I’m on.
Over the past year, I’ve done around ten trips, visiting as many new cities across Europe and Asia.
As my ideas became clearer, the gear I needed to bring them to life grew as well…
Why I Needed a “One Camera Setup”
…that’s when everything started to stack up.
My first camera bodies, my first lenses, then vintage lenses to experiment with. Then another body, the Panasonic Lumix G80, with its lenses for more cinematic footage and for recording some of the videos you might have seen. And of course, all the extras: batteries, ND filters, UV filters, external hard drives for backups, SD cards… and so on.
Here’s the problem.
I live in Italy, and within Europe you can often find incredibly cheap flights. Sometimes as low as €40–50 round trip.
But only if you don’t bring checked luggage.
And that’s where things get interesting. Because the moment you add a checked bag, the cost can double. At that point, you’re essentially paying for another flight. And when you start thinking in those terms, it becomes hard to justify.
But my gear kept growing.
My main photography body has been the Fujifilm X-E4. Compact, reliable, perfect for what I do. (I’ve made a blog about the Fujifilm X-E4. You can read it here.)
But I still needed to carry at least two lenses with me: my 50mm equivalent and my 75mm equivalent.
Then comes the second body. Not essential, but extremely useful: the Ricoh GR III with its 28mm. Depending on the environment and how discreet I want to be, this camera can completely change the outcome.
And then, the third one: the Panasonic Lumix G80 with the 12–60mm zoom, mainly for video.
On top of that, all the video gear: the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, a neck mount, an external microphone, batteries for everything, chargers, SD cards…
At that point, one backpack is already full.
And unless I want to travel without clothes, something has to give.
The Need for a Workhorse
The X-E4 could’ve handled most of my needs, but it lacks one crucial thing: IBIS.
And for video, that becomes a problem.
So I needed a workhorse.
A one-man army.
A single setup that could replace three different cameras.
That’s when I chose the Fujifilm X-T4.
The Fujifilm X-T4 body. You can purchase the body here → AMAZON
I already loved the Fuji system. I love simplicity in cameras. So the choice felt natural.
But how can one camera replace three?
Simple: a zoom lens.
I paired it with the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS, which covers all the focal lengths I need and makes the setup incredibly versatile, especially for video.
The lens. You can purchase it here → AMAZON
Why the Zoom Changed Everything
I’ll go deeper into the zoom lens in a dedicated blog, but there are a few things worth mentioning.
Shortly after getting it, I found myself shooting two events in Milan: Carnival and a public demonstration.
Now imagine trying to capture that variety of characters and situations with a single focal length.
It’s not impossible. But it’s limiting. And often… a bit boring.
In chaotic environments, it’s not just the chaos that matters.
It’s also the details. The individual moments. The isolated gestures within the crowd.
A zoom lets you move between both worlds instantly.
Another huge advantage?
It removes the daily question:
“What lens should I bring today?”
28mm? 50mm? 75mm?
Now it’s all there. One setup.
Sure, the image quality isn’t identical to prime lenses. But it’s more than enough, especially if your final output is social media.
Most people, myself included, wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a blind test.
The Only Real Downside of this Lens
If there’s one downside, it’s the size.
It’s obviously not as compact as something like the other Fuji primes I’m used to.
But honestly… how could it be?
You’re trading compactness for versatility.
And in my case, that trade has been more than worth it.
