Going out in the wild? Here are the 4 best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography that are particularly suited for capturing wildlife, birds and other wonderful displays of nature.
What makes a great camera for wildlife photography?
If you just want to know the selection of the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography, that’s below. If you want to know the rationale behind the selection, read on.
What makes a great wildlife camera are multiple factors. The good image quality is pretty much a given, but low light performance is a must. Why? Because if you want to shoot while something is moving, you need high shutter speeds, and if you are in a forest or another place where there’s not too much light, you will need to ramp up you ISO.
The better the low light performance, the better the image will look when the ISO goes up. Lastly you want lightning fast Autofocus and really ample frames per second. While shooting wildlife, you won’t shoot a picture but a series of pictures so that you can select the perfect shot of the bunch.
Some cameras offer mechanical shutter (there’s a physical thing blocking the sensor that goes up and down for the shot) and also electronic shutter, where the sensor is always open and the camera takes the shot when you press the shutter release.
You can get way higher frames per seconds that way but the issue is it might create a jello effect if you move the camera while shooting. When in doubt for wildlife, use electronic shutter.
All of the cameras below tick the right boxes, here they are:
Best Fujifilm cameras for Wildlife photography
| Name | FPS | Weather | Stabiliozation | Megapixel | Get it | |
| 1. Fujifilm X-T4 | 15/20 fps | Yes | YES | 26.1 | Check on ebay | |
| 2. Fujifilm X-S10 | 8/20 fps | NO | YES | 26.1 | Check Price | |
| 3.Fujifilm X-H1 | 14 fps | YES | YES | 24 | Check Price | |
| 4. Fujifilm X-E4 | 8/20 fps | NO | NO | 26.1 | Check Price |
Now that we’ve seen the overview of the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography, here’s what makes them so great, with image samples when available.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Pro DSLR qualities in a smaller body ✔️ Best in class stabilization ✔️ Max of 20fps burst mode ✔️ Weather sealed | ❌ A bit expensive |
Let’s start this list of the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography with the Fujifilm X-T4, the top of the line. This is a camera that rivals all of the mirrorless flagships from other brands and even their DSLR offerings, it’s that good.
The image quality is top notch, and the 26 megapixels give you ample room to crop and still haven plenty left to print large. The low light quality is really great and you can shoot upwards of the thousands of ISO and still have a clear, crisp image.
This camera can shoot wildlife at 15 frames per second, 20 if you use the electronic shutter. This is plenty for birds and other fast animals to freeze them in action. Your images are safe too because of the dual SD cards that automatically copy your images in case one fails.
The camera is pretty accurate knowing what you want to shoot with 425 autofocus points it looks at with phase detection. This is a more accurate focusing system than the contrast detection system in most cameras that looks at contrast to focus.
Wildlife by nature (pun intended) tries to mimic their environment so the X-T4 knows what you want to shoot even when it’s trying to camouflage itself. There is a best in class stabilization so your images are sharp even when you handhold.
There’s a sturdy grip, important for shooting nature and lastly there is built-in weather sealing just in case thi ngs get starting dicey out there. Overall if you want one camera that can handle everything you throw at it the Fuji Xt4 is the best of the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Minimalist design ✔️ Excellent image sensor ✔️ Simple operation ✔️ Lower priced | ❌ Limited control buttons |
The highest recommendation as the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography is the X-T4. But if you are on a budget and don’t mind a few sacrifices, this is a steal for those on a budget.
This essentially has the same sensor as the X-T4 but has less features and a simplified interface. There’s not as many dials on top of the camera so it’s perfect for those who just want a camera that shoots nice pictures without the fuss.
It doesn’t have weather sealing but it does have the same crucial phase detection that is so important for shooting wildlife. Since it has a similar sensor the same image quality is there with great low light capability.
It is stabilized so you can handhold longer, and it can shoot the same 20 frames per seconds with the electronic shutter. 8 frames per seconds if you use the mechanical shutter. This is still plenty to get the shot that you want in burst mode.
The grip is really sturdy and solid, important when you are shooting long lenses. If you do not care about manual controls and weather sealing that much, this camera is a steal for wild life photographers. It’s much more affordable than the X-T4 with comparable image quality.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Ergonomic grip suited for long lenses ✔️ Impressive image quality ✔️ Lower priced | ❌ Awkward placement of ‘Q’ button ❌ Discontinued |
Just because there is a new model doesn’t mean the old models stop being good. If you do not mind getting this used because it is discontinued, this is basically the previous generation of the X-T4. So you get a lot of the same features and it’s still one of the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography.
There is a lower megapixel count (24 vs 26) but this is still plenty of room to crop and print very big. There’s the dual SD card slot that safeguards your images in the wild if one gives up the ghost. Just like the X-S10 there is 100 less focus points than the XT-4 but that’s still more than enough, and it has the same phase detection needed to automatically focus accurately.
Just like the first contender it has shutter speed and ISO dials on top and a really cool LCD on top that always shows what your settings are. The other mirrorless that has something similar is the Leica SL2. The grip is really satisfying and the shutter release is on the grip itself, making it excellent when you have a long lens mounted.
Because long lenses are heavy, there’s stabilization in there too helping you have those tack sharp images. With 14fps this is plenty to get the exact shot you want by shooting in bulk. Lastly this is weather sealed so your gear is secured when things start getting bad out there.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ 26.1-megapixel image sensor ✔️ Compact body ✔️ Fast shooting capabilities ✔️ Great for everything | ❌ Small EVF ❌ Flat grip |
This will be the last recommendation as the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography. If you are looking for an excellent camera that is good for everything (with some wildlife thrown in) and doesn;t break the bank, this is it.
The X-E4 is more compact than its siblings so it’s more suited for everyday/street photography. For shooting wildlife here’s what you need to know: It is not stabilized, has only 1 SD card slot. But it is phase detection and has the same 424 focus points the Xt-4 has.
It can shoot the same 20fps electronic shutter but only 8fps mechanical shutter. It is the photographer that makes the picture so that is still plenty of fps to really get the shot you want.
Speaking of which, it’s pretty much an equal sensor in there so you are not losing anything image quality wise. It’s incredibly more compact than the XT-4 because the viewfinder is on the side of the camera allowing you to keep one eye open while the other eye is in the viewfinder.
This camera is much more streamlined in looks than the XT-4 and much more affordable without compromises in terms of image quality.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article about the best Fujifilm cameras for wildlife photography. The top choice, no punches pulled is the X-T4. It has everything from strong FPS to weather sealing. If you are on a budget and don’t mind a few sacrifices, the Fujifilm X-S10 is excellent.
If you do not mind used, the X-H1 is a previous champion that is still excellent to this day. Lastly if what you want is a regular camera that can also do wildlife well, then that is the X-E4. All of them have this in common: They are all excellent in terms of image quality. Happy shooting!