Below you’ll find my recommendations for the best Fuji X-T4 settings for any high-end video production. Use them when capturing the highest image quality is critical.
I have been a fan of the Fujifilm X-T4 for a long time and have purchased it before commented here. I’m also currently filming Filming a feature film with a cameraso I learned a lot about its advantages through real-world use.
The Fujifilm X-T4 is truly a great camera in almost all conditions. But to really get the most out of it, you need to make sure all the settings are dialed just right.
Let’s take a look at each of the main camera settings, along with my recommended configuration. Please keep in mind that this article only focuses on video and does not cover any photography-specific settings.
Fuji X-T4 movie mode
The Movie Mode menu on the X-T4 offers the following formats:
- Full HD 16:9 (1920×1080)
- 2K/Full HD17:19 (2048 x 1080)
- 4K/Ultra HD 16:9 (3840 x 2160)
- 4K/DCI 17:9 (4096 x 2160)
Although I firmly believe that only determination does not equal better imagesusing the X-T4 I still choose to shoot at the highest resolution: 4K/DCI 17:9 (4096 x 2160).
This is an obvious choice as it gives you the most post-production material.
I rarely master a project in 17:9 because I almost always end up with mailbox Some other aspect ratio photos I took in post. That said, 17:9 is still great for capture as it gives me a larger canvas to work with.
If you’re confident that you’re mastering your project to 16:9, you may want to shoot in 4K/UHD 16:9. It’s not that wide, but saves you an extra step in post by not having to rebuild it in the timeline.
The HD/2K setting also works well if you don’t have enough memory cards handy. But for narrative or commercial production, be sure to choose one of the 4K options.
Recommended settings: 4K/DCI 17:9 (4096 x 2160)
bit rate
In the Movie Mode menu, you can also specify the bitrate to use. Depending on your format, you will have the following options:
The lowest bit rate setting (50Mbps) is not available in 4K, and the highest bit rate (400Mbps) is not available in HD.
No matter what format you use, use the highest quality settings. For 4K UHD/4K DCI, this means 400Mbps.
Recommended settings: 400Mbps
Frame rate
The Fuji X-T4 offers a variety of frame rate options, depending on the resolution/compression settings you use.
That said, the only two we need to focus on here are 24p and 23.98p. Like other cameras, it has a frame rate of about 24 frames per second if you want the most traditional film look.
On the X-T4, the 24p setting will record at 24 frames per second, just like shooting film. This is a great feature, but you may find that 23.98p is a better choice. Mainly because 23.98p is a more commonly used frame rate in the post-production process.
To simplify things and avoid any technical difficulties, I usually recommend setting the camera to 23.98p. There is almost no difference from true 24p visuals.
Recommended settings: 23.98p
File format
There are three options for file format selection on the Fuji X-T4:
- H.265 (HEVC) 4:2:0 10-bit internal/4:2:2 10-bit external
- H.264 (.MOV) 4:2:0 8-bit internal/4:2:2 10-bit external
- H.264 (.MP4) 4:2:0 8-bit internal/4:2:2 10-bit external
If you’re recording to an external device, you’ll of course benefit from richer 4:2:2 / 10-bit color, which you can’t get internally.
Most of the time I shoot with the X-T4, but I don’t use an external recorder and have absolutely no problem with 4:2:0 color. While 4:2:2 is nice, the difference is actually not significant compared to 4:2:0. Adding a bigger recorder to my rig defeats my purpose Keep things small.
Regardless, H.265 (HEVC) is the best choice for internal recording.
The only real drawback to this codec is that it’s difficult to edit natively. You’ll almost always need to transcode it to ProRes (or a similar format) before editing. But the extra step in the workflow is well worth it. Capturing 10-bit color can make a world of difference – especially when working with more complex color grades. The only way to get it is to use H.265.
Recommended settings: H.265 (HEVC)
movie compression
There are only two compression type options in the movie compression menu. They are:
Simply put, All-Intra records each frame individually – just like you would shoot on real film or a high-end movie camera. Long Gop uses more processing to blend the frames together. This helps reduce file size, but affects overall image quality.
For best results, All-Intra is the way to go.
Recommended settings: full frame
F-Log / HLG recording
The F-Log / HLG recording menu allows you to select the color space to record.
- whipping
- HLG
- film simulation
F-Log and HLG serve similar purposes. They flatten contrast and color during capture so that you retain as much dynamic range and color information as possible. Then in the post you can use Color grading LUT Convert them to a more standard color space – Rec 709 for example.
F-Log and HLG are both powerful tools, but I prefer using F-Log to keep editing simple. Most editing and color grading platforms now automatically recognize F-Log and convert it to Rec 709.
Alternatively, you can choose to record using Film Simulation mode:
- provia
- virvia
- Asian software
- classic chrome
- Hello
- pro-negative standard
- classic negative
- eternal theater
- Eternal Death Bpass
- Across
- monochrome
- tan
These movie simulations are really effective and fun. You’ll lose some dynamic range through the baked look, but that may be a worthwhile trade-off for you. It all depends on how you plan to use the camera and how much work you want to do in post-production.
For me, I almost always shoot in F-Log. I usually recommend you do the same.
That’s because I want to have as much control over the image as possible in post. While I do like the look of Fujifilm simulations, I can easily replicate them myself in DaVinci Resolve.
Recommended settings: whipping
Fuji X-T4 Film Simulation
We briefly touched upon film simulation above, but I’d like to expand on it further here. If you do choose to “bake” the look into the original footage via video simulation, some will look better than others.
This is largely a subjective artistic preference. So I recommend trying out all the settings and seeing what you like. But overall, my favorite videos are:
- provia
- Astya Software
- eternal theater
Of the three, Provia is usually my first choice. It’s very middle of the road, but that’s why I like it. Not too stylized, but it still has bright colors and just the right amount of contrast.
Astia Soft is great for creating a more subtle, dreamy look. Eterna Cinema provides a low-saturation but natural film aesthetic. A lot of people are fans of Classic Chrome (I like it too), but it’s a little too stylized for my needs. I usually want to leave more room for post-production of a shot.
Recommended settings: Provia / Astia Soft / Qinianhua Cinema
Image Stabilization Mode (Image Stabilization Mode)
The Fujifilm X-T4’s image stabilization is pretty good, although not an industry leader. You’ll find better image stabilizers on a few select mirrorless cameras, but none are perfect.
Fujifilm X-T4 offers three different image stabilization modes:
- IBIS (5-axis in-machine stabilization)
- OIS (optical lens stabilization)
- DIS (Digital Stable)
You can use any one of these modes, all three, or none. Of course, to use OIS, you’ll also need to pair the camera with a Fuji lens with built-in stabilization.
Although the X-T4 has image stabilization, I would only recommend using stabilization under very specific conditions. This applies to almost every other camera as well, even those with better IS than the X-T4.
If you plan on doing any kind of pan or tilt while shooting handheld, IS will be exposed. It will work smoothly for a few seconds and then snap out of its original position. This is less noticeable on wide-angle lenses, but still there.
The only time I recommend using IS is when shooting handheld with no movement at all. If you want your footage to look like it’s locked to a tripod, that’s okay. In these cases I have only used IBIS (no OIS or DIS) and have been pleased with the results.
Recommended settings: OFF/IBIS – only for “locked” lenses
Zebra crossing settings
The Fujifilm X-T4 is equipped with a zebra pattern feature to assist you with your exposure. Zebra pattern can be turned on or off, and the setting range is 50% – 100%.
Whether you use zebra crossings and what percentage you set them to is entirely up to you. Some people like to expose for skin tone, others for highlights. This difference will (among other things) change the zebra setting you decide to use.
For me, I actually don’t like using Zebras at all. The onboard LCD screen and EVF on the X-T4 are very accurate. I find the zebra stripes distracting when working and prefer a clearer image with my eyes. This isn’t technically the right way to do it, but I get good results quality-wise.
Recommended settings: Variable by preference
white balance
A quick note on white balance.
The Fuji X-T4 lets you dial in white balance manually or automatically using one of its white balance presets. On most other cameras I always use manual settings. Presets are often poorly calibrated, causing the image to need to be warmed up, cooled down, or tilted on the tonal axis.
But the Fuji X-T4 is an exception. Maybe it’s the fabled Fuji color science, but whatever – the on-camera white balance presets work really well.
This is especially true for daylight environments and nighttime indoors with tungsten lighting.
That said, in many situations I prefer using the manual white balance setting on the X-T4. Especially when using mixed color temperatures.
If you’re in good lighting conditions, I recommend trying the presets first and then relying on manual controls in more difficult situations.
Recommended settings: White balance preset or manual setting
Fuji X-T4 close settings
I recommend that you turn off the four additional settings, or set them to factory defaults. They are:
- tone curve
- clarity
- High ISO noise reduction
- dynamic range
Regardless, each of these settings will degrade your image quality. I’ve never found any benefit from using a tone curve or extended dynamic range settings. Theoretically, they could create unwanted digital artifacts, and I’d rather tweak those elements in post.
Clarity and noise reduction settings are the same. I recommend carefully manually adjusting these two parameters as you go, rather than using the in-camera tools.
Recommended settings: close/factory
Best movie settings for Fujifilm X-T4 camera
I hope this article is helpful to those who are new to the X-T4. This is an amazing camera and I never doubted using it, even on mine Latest feature films.
If there are any other settings you’d like me to cover, please let me know. I can update this article as needed. Just leave a comment below!
Be sure to check out my free Fuji F-Log color grading LUT here.
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