Capture mountain moments

The FUJIFILM X-T4 is the top prize in our UK Mountain Photo of the Year Competition, but what does it offer the hillwalking photographer? Let’s take a look…

WEIGHT & SIZE

The body of the camera weighs 607g. Compare that with the camera that Trail’s photographer Tom Bailey lumps around (the 890g Canon EOS 5D MkIV) and it’s clear that the significantly lighter Fujifilm is going to be a more comfortable carry than your average pro-spec DSLR. It’s a more compact unit too, taking up far less space in your pack, meaning it’s more likely to join you out in the hills.

CONTROLS & HANDLING Although the rear menu buttons and touchscreen controls require fingertip precision, the main functions of the camera – including focus, aperture control, shutter speed changes, ISO settings and exposure compensation – are all pleasingly easy to access. What’s more, we tested these in thick gloves, and they’re still perfectly useable.

WEATHER RESISTANCE We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the British mountains can be wet. The X-T4 features enhanced weather resistance at 63 key points on the body to protect it from dust and moisture ingress. It will also operate in temperatures down to -10°C, enabling it to be used in some of the most challenging environments.

BATTERY DURATION

One of the downsides of cameras with an electronic viewfinder is that batteries drain faster than in those with an optical viewfinder. However, the newly improved battery that comes with the X-T4 is capable of shooting up to 600 images on a single charge. That should be enough for even the most snap-happy hillwalker.

IN-BODY IMAGE STABILISATION

A lightweight camera isn’t much use if you have to carry a tripod as well. The new In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) offers a remarkable 5 stops of stabilisation. Use the

X-T4 with 18 out of the 29 available Fujinon XF lenses (including the XF18-55mm kit lens that comes as part of the prize) and that increases to 6.5 stops. All this means you’ll be able to shoot handheld images in low-light conditions that would otherwise require some kind of physical support to prevent camera shake blurring the photo.

ADAPTABLE SCREEN VIEW

The rear LCD screen (which also offers touchscreen control) can be flipped out and rotated to face up, down and even forward, making it possible to frame the perfect shot from a variety of angles (including selfies if that’s your thing).

FILM SIMULATION Back in the days of film cameras (if you don’t remember those, ask a grown-up) FUJIFILM Velvia and Provia transparency films were the first choices for many landscape photographers due to their saturated colours. The X-T4’s iconic Film Simulation modes replicate these and a range of other film types, allowing you to achieve the perfect hues and tones that your creativity requires.

MOVIE MODE

If you remember film, you may also remember when cameras just took photos. That’s no longer the case as video is now the expected norm too, and the X-T4 handles movie-making every bit as well as it does shooting stills. The dedicated still/movie lever on the top of the camera makes switching between the two modes simple – even while wearing gloves.