Hi everyone!I've been happily shooting with a Fuji X-E1 for the past 10 years. But now it's time for an upgrade. The question is to what. I thought of just getting the newest iteration of the X-E body, but it seems there is now a plethora of Fuji options (X-E4, X-T30 and X-S10) and new contenders from Canon (M6 MkII) and Sony (A6400, A6600 and A7C). I would therefore very much appreciate your advice.I mostly document my time in the mountains (examples below). It's obviously a lot of landscapes, but also people (portrait type) and some action (skiing). The body + general zoom lens (or prime) needs to fit into a 8x12x15 cm waterproof bag (with some stretch, see image below, the 50-230mm barely fits), so the X-T3 and X-T4 are out. Tripods and longer / bigger lenses stay in the car.The X-E1 obviously works fine, but the 16 Mpx prevents larger prints and the AF is only good for single-spot focus (a PITA when trying to catch anything fast with cold fingers). I use out-of-camera JPG:s a lot, but for prints I usually edit RAW files. I would like to try my hands on some video clips, but stills are more important.This leaves me with the following thoughts.X-E4: Good size, but lack of grip could be a problem (especially with gloves on).X-T30: Only slighly bigger in size, but with decent grip.X-S10: IBIS is tempting for video and low-light stills, but is it too big and will it be impossible to operate with gloves? Especially the chunky exposure compensation dial in the other Fuji bodies is prizeless.M6 Mk II: Good size, has a small grip and should have a much more usable continuous / tracking autofocus than the Fujis (which would help with the skiing action), but the lack of built-in EVF could make it impossible to shoot anything on sunny days in the snow... JPG:s should be nice too.A6400 & A6600: Both are acceptable size and the main differentiators between them seem to be price, weight, IBIS and weather sealing. But will I like the JPG:s and will it be too much of a hassle to change a setting, even if the AF rocks? Or am I just prejudices based on "common perceptions"?A7C: It's very tempting to get a FF camera in this size and weight class, but will it be overkill? There seems to be a good selection of small-enough lenses available to fit my dry-bag and I can have as many big lenses waiting in the car as I want. The same hesitation as above regarding JPG:s and usability apply. At least it has a chunky exp. comp. dial on top!All in all, it seems the safest bet would be the X-T30, but with the exception of the larger prints, could I really do something significantly more with it compared with the X-E1? Specs wise the Sonys are very tempting, but I am skeptical since I have no experience with them... And the Canon could be very perfect until you get the sun from the wrong angle!Oh, the joy and agony of gear.Any thoughts on how to proceed?

From those images I can't see any reason to buy a new camera.  (I don't take such advice myself of course.)Operating with gloves has long been a Fuji weakness, there is an add on grip though.  I'd not buy Sony or Canon APS-C.  Sony I think has weaker lenses and Canon seems like a plain dead end after the R mount's arrival.At present you'd go from 16 to 26 Mpix, which gives you about a 40% bigger print size.  Do you want that?  Your first image comes up well to that size with Gigapixel.  The X-E4 will have better AF than your current camera, is what you are used to and uses the same lenses.  Your X-E1 is pretty much valueless so staying with Fuji means a free backup camera, same battery as well.I've been very happy with my X-E2 then X-E3 (a pointless upgrade BTW).  If the X-T30 is small enough then it is an excellent camera.The one thing you will gain is the fully auto switch, which will produce pretty good results most of the time.  On my X-E3 it only saves JPGs, dunno if it will save raw in auto on newest cameras, but even if not it is a really nice feature.If you really want big images in the hills look at stitching.So I'd buy the E4 or T30.  Not sure which, probably the E4 with the 27/2.8 if you don't have that lens already.

Some great photos there.If you are happy with XE series, upgrade inside the same series.

It is a myth you can’t print large with 16mp. Any of those photos in your post could easily be printed to 20x30. How big do you want? Also, there isn’t any camera that is easy to use with gloves on, although a bigger body like the XT1-XT4 line with a bettery grip will provide easier handling than an XE1-XE4. Maybe think about an XT2 with grip: is lightweight, compact, easy to use, has a flip screen and 24mp.

Canon EOS M system: There are GREAT lenses for the EOS-M system and they are really nice and small. If size is your primary concern, it may be the system for you since those fine lenses are so nice and small.However... Having shot with the EOS-M system myself for the past two years, I feel that the system is pretty much in a dead end now. Canon doesn't seem to have a viable roadmap towards newer cameras with better sensors that have less noise. Images quickly get very noisy on my EOS-M5.If you ever want a lens longer than 200mm, then you have to step out of the EOS-M lens system into much bigger EF lenses with an adapter (unless you are OK with the manual focus only Samyang 300mm prime mirror lens).The shooting experience itself with Canon is to me not as nice and pleasant as with the Fuji bodies that I have but that's a matter of personal taste.The AF in the M6 mkii is certainly said to be very good by everyone who has that camera. But the Fuji AF in their recent bodies might be good enough for your use?So with these caveats, my personal recommendation would be not to get into EOS-M, but of course, you should make your own judgement based on the facts.And comparing cameras for size, once you start adding some lenses I think that they're all going to be pretty comparable in size, even the X-S10 with its more protruding grip -- the extra depth of the grip is likely not going to be noticeable with most lenses you'd add?Check sizes on here and add lenses to suit your shooting preferences:https://camerasize.com/compact/#829,864,869,816,ha,t

I tried an XT30 for the first time today and was very impressed. Felt great in-hand, with a more rubbery grip than the XT3 which is harder and far heavier. The XT30 is only slightly heavier than an XE, but less compared to the heaviest XE (4th).The flip up screen is really quick and easy to use (unlike the newer sleek one which you have to dig out). The size difference is only a few mm and I would prefer the ease of use for the extra size (might go in multiple directions like the XT3 too, which I used a lot). That, a flash in the body and the rear and front grip make it far more attractive than the XE4 imo. The XT30 just felt right, practical, really solid. And it looks nice enough to consider the silver version.I prefer left EVF but the flip screen, weight and grip makes up for not having that. Plus the extra control dial on top should come in useful. It's really convinced me to consider central EVF cameras again after ruling them out after the XT3, which was too heavy for a long day with the 18-55mm for me.The XT3 was an enormous upgrade from the XE3. Photos had a lot more crunch and loved the extra controls, amazing EVF and JPG options. The XT30 has the same IQ as the XT3 and many similarities in a smaller lighter body. But a few people have said it's a bit small for their hands.I am also considering the XT20 as that has a D pad and the Xtrans 3 24mp is quite close to the Xtrans 4 26mp, plus it's still 50% more MP than the 16MP sensors. The XT30 doesn't have Classic Negative and probably other new film sims, which is also a reason I am considering the XT20 too. Acros and Classic Negative are my favorites. I assume the XT20 also has the nice rubbery grips, which might be better than the deep Sony smoother ones with gloves. The shutter is cramped but a prominent shutter release button will fix that.But for animals and other tracking focusing the Sony A6400 is tempting. But like you say, probably wouldn't like the controls and JPGS, despite the A6400/A6100/A6600 apparently havjng much nicer colors than the first trio. So may as well consider older Sonys too if shooting raw only as they will all have faster focus than Fuji.The A6500 might be a good option with it having IBIS. But the standard Sony lenses aren't good, so will need heavier ones like the Sigmas. I haven't looked at Canon but may have a peek now.For me, upgrading from an XE2. The front runners at the moment are the XT20/XT30 and A6400/A6500.

a_c_skinner wrote:From those images I can't see any reason to buy a new camera. (I don't take such advice myself of course.)Operating with gloves has long been a Fuji weakness, there is an add on grip though. I'd not buy Sony or Canon APS-C. Sony I think has weaker lenses and Canon seems like a plain dead end after the R mount's arrival.At present you'd go from 16 to 26 Mpix, which gives you about a 40% bigger print size. Do you want that? Your first image comes up well to that size with Gigapixel. The X-E4 will have better AF than your current camera, is what you are used to and uses the same lenses. Your X-E1 is pretty much valueless so staying with Fuji means a free backup camera, same battery as well.I've been very happy with my X-E2 then X-E3 (a pointless upgrade BTW). If the X-T30 is small enough then it is an excellent camera.The one thing you will gain is the fully auto switch, which will produce pretty good results most of the time. On my X-E3 it only saves JPGs, dunno if it will save raw in auto on newest cameras, but even if not it is a really nice feature.If you really want big images in the hills look at stitching.So I'd buy the E4 or T30. Not sure which, probably the E4 with the 27/2.8 if you don't have that lens already.Hehe, thank you, I think once every 10 years is an acceptable upgrade interval, even if not strictly necessary.It's a good point that 16 to 26 Mpix is already 40% larger, that's probably enough for me. I have some 60*100 cm prints on my walls now from the 16 Mpix sensor. They are watchable from a couple of meters away, but I would definitively prefer a better DPI and the ability to crop. I also have to check out this Gigapixel software, it looks very handy to get more out of my current images. Thanks for the tip!What I'm really wondering is how much better the AF is in the newer Fuji bodies compared with my X-E1? It would be a real benefit if I could just point the thing at the skier with AF in auto/continuous tracking, fire of some bursts and expect to get at least half of the frames in focus with something like the XC 50-230mm. How's your experience with faster-moving subjects?As for the APSC systems of Sony and Canon, I have to confess that I'm not so worried about the lens selection... They both seem to have what I need already, so the biggest nuisance would be to sell off my current lenses (18-55, 50-230, 27/2.8 and 35/1.4) and buy new ones (not impossible, but a hassle). However, what undeniably would be a massive temptation is a potential Canon A7C equivalent.But you're right, what I should do (when this COVID nuisance eases off a bit) is to find a shop and try out the E4, T30 and S10 with my favorite gloves and waterproof bag. For the Sony's I would probably need to find someplace to rent to really get a feel for them...Thanks for your advice! Helps to get this process out of my head.

Joel_O wrote:...What I'm really wondering is how much better the AF is in the newer Fuji bodies compared with my X-E1? ...Its light years ahead of the XE1. Especially with the older Fuji lenses in SAF. I would guess 50 times faster. Seriously, the difference is huge.

Joel_O wrote:What I'm really wondering is how much better the AF is in the newer Fuji bodies compared with my X-E1?Big improvement from X-H1 to X-T3 with newest firmware (which puts it on par with the X-E4 and X-S10, and above the X-T30).Coming from an X-E1, the improvement must be even bigger.It would be a real benefit if I could just point the thing at the skier with AF in auto/continuous tracking, fire of some bursts and expect to get at least half of the frames in focus with something like the XC 50-230mm. How's your experience with faster-moving subjects?Not sure my experience is relatable to yours when using continuous tracking! I don't have the same lenses.As for the APSC systems of Sony and Canon, I have to confess that I'm not so worried about the lens selection... They both seem to have what I need already,I have no experience with the Sony system but for Canon, consider that:- You'd trade the 50-230mm for a 55-200mm lens so you will lose a bit of reach on the long end mostly.- The Canon EF-M 18-55mm is a bit lacklustre in image quality in my personal experience, and the EF-M 15-45mm gets a lot of criticism online for large copy-to-copy variation. A lot of people feel that it doesn't deliver sharp images.- For the primes you are probably well covered, although there is no 27mm prime there's a 28mm f/3.5 macro prime that also does well for general purpose photography and is very nice and small, and there's the 22mm f/2 which is highly regarded by those who own it.- Many Canon lenses have a switch you need to pull, then turn the lens, before the lens can be used. This is to make the storage size of the lens smaller. However if you do store them in their smallest state it will slow down your shooting a bit from the moment you grab the camera to the moment you have the shot. Also, not suitable for thick winter gloves.I don't know what the impact on the lens will be if you do not store it in its retracted state.Good luck with making your choices!

You take lovely images and changing cameras will not change this.  For print size the most important factors are image quality which is a result of photographer skill, then lens and last camera body.  A newer body can print a bit larger though not as much as one would expect.Operating any camera in the cold with gloves is tough.  If conditions don't allow taking gloves off for a moment to take a photo, then a good pare of photographers gloves makes a huge difference though there not as warm as quality mittens.  You could ware photographers gloves under mittens or thin liners under either.  I'm glad spring is hear as it's so much easier not to have to deal with gloves.Morris

I’m going to vote X-S10. I think in these scenarios you will appreciate the security of the grip. The body itself is tiny. And the fact that you can save not just IQ settings but AF and exposure settings on C1-C4 means that perhaps you will find useful the ability to switch more settings with just one knob twist than is possible on the other bodies. IBIS, for sure. And the ability to face the LCD inward during transport for protection.I’d recommend the X-T4 even more (for weather sealing, battery life and better EVF) but it sounds like it might be too big. And you’d not get the same great hold on it that you can the X-S10.Edit: one more reason for X-S10 - the ability to record video clips quickly with the Record button without touching a single other knob or switch

Hi!Small disclosure: I have A7II and currently switching to Fuji. I wanted small ILC camera with lightweight lenses and great colours, which will not cost me a ton of money (I'm not a pro photographer, it's my hobby). Maybe my thoughts will be helpful.Sony FF:First question is which lenses do you plan to have and how big is their weight and cost. IMO really good Sony FF lenses are big or/and expensive. If you find a small lens, most likely it will be not the best quality (distortion, vignette, etc) or too dark or it has no AF. Smallest tele zoom lens with good quality weights about 840g.Particularly A7C has not so good viewfinder, at least this is what I heard of. Also it is quite pricey for such setup. I think A7III is better, but it is of course heavier and bigger. Personally I dislike fully articulated screens.You mentioned you use SOOC JPG's a lot and this might be an issue with Sony. Try to find some SOOC jpegs and raws at the internet and play with them, or even rent it if you can. After Fuji I think you will dislike them. If you want good color from Sony, you need to spend significant time to post processing. When I bought X100F I was shocked by its awesome colours and how easy PP becomeAlso your pictures are already great and FF will not improve it so much as you might think. Yes, it will be a bit more detailed when compared to crop camera with same resolution, but that's all, to see bigger changes you need something like A7R_ plus expensive lens. About DR - latest crop cameras have enough DR for everything.Sony crop A6XX0:Similar average colours as in FF lineup and they don't have such native lenses selection as Fuji has. Maybe Sigma's primes are as good as Fuji's. I guess here Sony wants you to buy FF and push you in this direction.Canon M:Lenses lineup is smaller than Fuji's and I didn't like colours. Also the future of Canon M lenses it quite unclear as I know(?). Lack of EVF was crucial to me - especially when you shoot on bright sunny day.Fuji:You don't have to buy all lenses again, so it seems the most reasonable option for you.X-E4: I planned to buy X-E4, but after I've seen missing controls and old small EVF from X-E3, I decided against it. Also it is too expensive for what it offers. You will most likely add a grip and with any grip it will be about 450g, which is already not so lightweight as was advertised. With gloves it might be not easy to operate, because it seems to have pretty small buttons. Between X-E4 and X-T30 I would choose the latter.X-S10:I don't like unmarked dials and to me it was too similar to other dslr style cameras (I love RF style). I often shoot with tripod and don't really need IBIS. And fully articulated screen. To me this camera is more suitable for video work. Also grip adds some bulk to body (IMO). Might be a good option for you if you don't mind dials and screen. It is still lightweight camera and grip will surely help with tele lenses.X-T30:X-T30 seemed to be the best and cheapest solution to me, but I wanted RF style.. and why not to have WR as well, especially because it was going to be my only camera for everything from landscapes to travel. Also a question with Q button position - many people complaint.X-Pro2 / X-Pro3:I were thinking a lot about XP3 screen design and how it will work with tripod... Used XP2 prices were a bit too high to buy it and I wanted flip screen. New XP3 was also too expensive, I just couldn't justify its price (almost like A7C!). I were bouncing between XT30 and X-Pro3 for good 2 months until two weeks ago I found X-Pro3 in new condition for 3/4 of its retail price. XP3 is a bit heavier and bigger than X-T30, but it is still lighter than my Sony, plus it has proper but not too big grip, all dials and WR. AF is much faster than on X100F, don't have anything else to compare with.

Great pics. I'd go with the XT30 to take advantage of the better AF (vs the X-E1) with your current lenses. Would steer clear of the X-E4 and the X-S10 as I think both cameras somewhat deficient with respect to ergonomics and at least for me, would be a horror show if wearing gloves.

Geekapoo wrote:Great pics. I'd go with the XT30 to take advantage of the better AF (vs the X-E1) with your current lenses. Would steer clear of the X-E4 and the X-S10 as I think both cameras somewhat deficient with respect to ergonomics and at least for me, would be a horror show if wearing gloves.Lol, X-S10 has the best ergonomics of any camera imo currently available👍Or do you know something I don't, unlikely!What exactly would be horror show?The joystick's are simplicity itselfThe ev dial is not too stiff, not too looseThei incredible gripThe full support for manual shooting with front dial and rear dial and the lens ringThe 4 fully programmed pre-set settings on the twist of a dial.There is probably no other camera that is as easy and adaptable as the x-s10 with or without gloves!

rattrr75 wrote:I’m going to vote X-S10. I think in these scenarios you will appreciate the security of the grip. The body itself is tiny. And the fact that you can save not just IQ settings but AF and exposure settings on C1-C4 means that perhaps you will find useful the ability to switch more settings with just one knob twist than is possible on the other bodies. IBIS, for sure. And the ability to face the LCD inward during transport for protection.I’d recommend the X-T4 even more (for weather sealing, battery life and better EVF) but it sounds like it might be too big. And you’d not get the same great hold on it that you can the X-S10.Edit: one more reason for X-S10 - the ability to record video clips quickly with the Record button without touching a single other knob or switchYes, X-S10. best ergonomics with or without gloves available today!

And-roid wrote:Geekapoo wrote:Great pics. I'd go with the XT30 to take advantage of the better AF (vs the X-E1) with your current lenses. Would steer clear of the X-E4 and the X-S10 as I think both cameras somewhat deficient with respect to ergonomics and at least for me, would be a horror show if wearing gloves.Lol, X-S10 has the best ergonomics of any camera imo currently available👍Or do you know something I don't, unlikely!What exactly would be horror show?The joystick's are simplicity itselfThe ev dial is not too stiff, not too looseThei incredible gripThe full support for manual shooting with front dial and rear dial and the lens ringThe 4 fully programmed pre-set settings on the twist of a dial.There is probably no other camera that is as easy and adaptable as the x-s10 with or without gloves!I owned the X-S10 for a few days and really disliked the camera. Yes, the IBIS was wonderful as was the grip. Thought I'd be ok with PASM..and I was. What I really disliked was the loss of the D pad, loss of MSC switch, drop in EVF quality (vs XT3) and ncreased reliance on the tiny joystick.Obviously,  camera ergo/UI is a very personal thing.  Having owned an XPRO1, XPRO2, XT20 and the XT3 (which I love), I have a good frame of reference with respect to Fuji APS-C cameras. Wonderful to hear that you think the X-S10 has the best ergonomics..this is why Fuji has so many body styles. Personally,  I think the X-S10 ergonomics is pretty poor to the point that I would not shoot with the camera even if given to me for free. JMHO. Both of our opinions about the X-S10 are quite valid.  Cheers.

The important thing is to have your gloves on a cord of some sort when you take them off.  And some thin inner gloves.

Tim van der Leeuw wrote:Joel_O wrote:What I'm really wondering is how much better the AF is in the newer Fuji bodies compared with my X-E1?Big improvement from X-H1 to X-T3 with newest firmware (which puts it on par with the X-E4 and X-S10, and above the X-T30).Coming from an X-E1, the improvement must be even bigger.OK, thank you. That sounds encouraging, although I'm still not 100% convinced I can trust continuous tracking AF to keep up with a skier. With the X-E1 I've had to prefocus and use a small aperture to get anything usable and I would like to avoid that with my next body.- Many Canon lenses have a switch you need to pull, then turn the lens, before the lens can be used. This is to make the storage size of the lens smaller. However if you do store them in their smallest state it will slow down your shooting a bit from the moment you grab the camera to the moment you have the shot. Also, not suitable for thick winter gloves.I don't know what the impact on the lens will be if you do not store it in its retracted state.Good luck with making your choices!Thank you also for your insight into the canon M system lenses (and ability to compare with Fuji)! I did not know this last bit about having to manually pull out the lense before usage. It certainly sounds like an unnecessary extra hassle, especially when shooting "as part of the group", not wanting to slow others down.Can I ask what your experience with the 11-22mm EOS M lens is? Is it any sharper than the other zooms and does it also have to be pulled out?As someone else also said, I guess I've been somewhat underestimating the value of the small high-quality glass that Fuji makes.Although, the reviews of the sigma primes are good for Canon M mount (and Sony also supposedly has some good glass (even if they might be bigger))...I think I just need to get my hands on these other brands and try them out before I'll buy a Fuji for the next 10 years.

Yup, absolutely, always have my mittens on a cord and a thinner pair (or liners) underneath. It's still cold and clumsy compared with bare hands!