I feel like I called this a while ago back on the old place, but seems like the XE4 is officially discontinued now, at least as far as some retailers are concerned -
www.fujirumors.com/fujifilm-x-e4-discontinued-at-bhphoto-and-other-stores/
It’s a little early in the usual model lifecycle and comes after many months of being near impossible to find in stock anyway. Is it a victim of its own success, or has it just been a dud?
I think the camera has its appeal and often see people on the lookout for it. Is it more a parts shortage that forced Fuji to discontinue? Two years does seem like a short life for the model, but my first Fuji... the X-T200... was discontinued after only nine months or so.
Hopefully, it means there will be an X-E5 soon.
Maybe the 5 is coming. 26 or 40?
I would take an X-E2 with a tilt screen, joystick, better evf, ibis, and the 40mp sensor/processor.
Call that an X-E5 and I’m sold.
Release another stripped down range finder style and I’ll likely pass.
They could really merge the Xpro and the X-E line imo. You’d have to lose the silly flip down screen from the Xpro. And drop the optical viewfinder as there really is no reason for it now that EVFs are high res and 240fps.
It's possible that Fuji is consolidating its product line, making the X-pro4 compact enough that the XE designation is largely meaningless (or updating the XE5 with enough features that the X-pro line is largely redundant).
The X-E3 for me is still the better camera. I own two of them and the X-E4 only for a short while. Didn't like the difference in the control layout.
While there are folks who very much like the OVF on the X-Pro, I don't think it adds real value given today's EVF quality. If Fuji consideres streamlining their portfolio, hopefully it will be in favor of a new X-E model.
As a hardcore X-Pro fan I’d be strongly against them merging the two. Take away the hybrid finder and it’s not an X-Pro at all; I think Fuji understand that.
The X-Pro allows them to play in the same ballpark as Leica M and offer a premium, flagship photography-centric camera directed at a small but profitable niche.. it has halo value even for those who would never buy one, but might have their attention drawn to Fuji.
I think it’s the XE that’s always been in a bit of an awkward place in the lineup. Originally it was just the paired down, cheaper alternative to the X-Pro; but then it became clear that the XTx0 body style sold better. Since then I get the impression they’ve struggled a bit to define its purpose, culminating in the marmite XE4 which took away as much as it added to the last model.
From the outside looking in, it’s very difficult to determine whether the XE4 was permanently out of stock because it was selling so well, or because they weren’t making many. Discontinuing it now could be taken as confirmation of the latter.
There were rumours the X-E line might be continued when all that followed the X-E2 was the minor refresh in the X-E2s.
Still, soon after the X-E3 was announced.
From what I've gathered online, it feels like there was more enthusiasm for the X-E4 than there was the X-E3.
Sure, the enthusiast crowd and passionate X-E owners (myself included) were sceptical/critical of the new trajectory of the product line. But I feel like there was a larger buzz and demand for the X-E4.
Of course this is just reading tea leaves, but I'd be surprised and disappointed if this was the end of the line.
Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I rather expect Fuji to have run out of supply (like they have with other models in the past) before being ready to announce the successor.
And as much as I'd personally appreciate an X-E "Pro", i.e. an X-Pro with just an EVF, I don't see Fuji adding such a model, nor transforming the X-Pro into such a body. There are plenty of EVF-only bodies (albeit not rangefinder styled) in the mid and top range to choose from, while the hybrid viewfinder is a USP.
I don't think that Fujifilm will make such a drastic change with the X-pro or the X-E line that they combine the two.
From my understanding, both series will continue:
I have no clue why they call the X-E line "entry level". It is a full blown camera in a small body. Fuji's segmentation seems to be: X-E small; X-T large stills; X-H large hybrid/Video. The X-Pro and x100 are outliers that serve a niche market.
Only Fujifilm knows.
If I hadn't fallen in love with the X-pro 3 already, I'd probably be looking at the X-e3 due to it's size. The x-e4 though I am sure it's a great camera is a bit too minimalistic for my taste.
Dan
I had an X-E4 and like it quite a lot, but then thought about changing platforms and sold it. What a mistake, since I have never found a new one.
It seems like lack of parts -- perhaps the 26mpx sensor? -- must have been an important part of the amazingly low supply since most manufacturers want to sell merchandise. They could add IBIS, too, as it is about the same size as the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV that has it.
I highly doubt that.
The EVF is a cheapskate 2.36 Mill dots, so nothing special at all. A quality OVF is always being prefered, with 100% PoV, for my taste. But not possible into a mirrorless DSLM.
I got a BH notification that the XE4 is discontinued, but following Fuji’s pattern, they release the X-Pro and then the X-E, so maybe an X-Pro4 is coming this year?