> probably around $400 or so. i need something reliable for on-camera and maybe some off-camera work too. Totally get the frustration with misfiring. I spent way too long messing with cheap units that made me want to scream during shoots. Last year I finally grabbed the Godox V860III-F TTL Li-ion Flash for Fujifilm for my own X-T4 and I have been so satisfied with how it performs. I did this outdoor wedding shoot last July and it just kept hitting perfectly every single time. The lithium battery is the real winner tho because the recycle speed is basically instant... no more waiting for that annoying whine while your subject loses their pose. It has a physical switch on the side to flip between TTL and Manual which is great when you are moving fast. I found it plays really nice with the Fuji hotshoe which can be a bit picky sometimes. If you want to learn more about shaping that light, definitely check out the Strobist blog or the Godox User Group on Facebook. Those guys have setup diagrams for basically every portrait scenario you can think of. Its a killer resource when you are starting to get serious.

• use the built-in modeling light to help your X-T4s autofocus lock on in dark rooms
• keep a spare Godox VB26A Lithium-Ion Battery in your bag just in case Honestly, having gear that actually fires when you click the shutter is such a relief. Youre gonna feel way more confident for that big project in two weeks.

> it just wont sync properly with my x-t4 honestly sounds like you're fighting a bad sync connection or just outdated tech. over the years ive shot with basically every fuji body from the x-t1 to the x-h2s and ive found that fujis ttl communication can be pretty finicky if you aren't using something designed specifically for their pins. for a $400 budget you really cant beat the godox ecosystem right now. in my experience the Godox V1-F Round Head Flash for Fujifilm is the best bang for your buck. the round head gives a much more natural fall-off for portraits than the old rectangular fresnel heads. it recycles in about 1.5 seconds at full power which is crucial when you're trying to keep the flow during a portrait session. plus the li-ion battery lasts way longer than any set of aa's ive ever used... it is a total game changer. since you want off-camera work too you should grab the Godox XProII-F TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. it lets you control everything from the camera hotshoe. i use this exact combo on my x-t4 and it hasnt misfired once in over a year of heavy studio use. if you want to save a bit of cash the Godox V860III-F TTL Flash for Fujifilm is also a solid choice with similar specs but a standard head. stick with the v1 tho... the light quality for skin tones and eyes is worth the extra few bucks.

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Youre a lifesaver honestly.

Building on the earlier suggestion, i honestly think you can get away with spending way less than $400 and still get professional results without those annoying misfires. i am a bit of a cautious shooter so i like gear thats simple and just works every single time. i have been very satisfied with this combo:

• Godox TT685II-F Flash for Fujifilm - this is a total workhorse. it uses AA batteries which i actually prefer over the li-ion ones sometimes because i can just swap them out anywhere if i forget to charge.
• Fujifilm EF-60 Shoe Mount Flash - if you are really worried about sync issues, going native is the safest route. it is basically guaranteed to work perfectly with your x-t4 pins.
• Godox XProII-F TTL Wireless Flash Trigger - since you mentioned off-camera work, this trigger has been rock solid for me. ngl i used to have sync issues too but once i switched to a dedicated fuji-spec controller everything just clicked. keeping it simple usually saves a lot of headaches during a shoot...