Written for Fuji Rumors by Rick Birt of romeobravophoto.com

*Note* This is a long post – I have a summary of pros and cons in my conclusion

As soon as the Hasselblad X1D-50c and Fuji GFX 50s were announced, I wanted one. The promise of Medium Format in a cheaper, and smaller package was incredibly alluring. For the past year my main camera has been a Fuji X-Pro2. I love it. I love the image quality, the colors, the size, and the Rangefinder styling. I also love Fujifilm’s Kaizen philosophy of constantly updating their camera lineup via firmware. All of these things influenced my decision toward the GFX. Luckily, my wife (Kelly Williams), and I were also given the opportunity to demo the Hasselblad X1D. The svelte styling, leaf shutter (ability to sync strobes at 1/2000s), and simple menus were all big pluses in the Hassy’s favor.

When we opened the boxes, we were woefully unimpressed by the Fuji GFX. Even though it kind of looks like a bigger X-T2, it’s actually kind of ugly in person. It almost looks like three different teams designed parts of the camera, and then they Frankenstein’d it all together in the end.

In stark contrast when we opened the X1D box, my wife said,

“We may have to buy two of these so we don’t fight over it.”

Similarly, we conducted two fashion shoots with these cameras. When we brought out the X1D, both models said

“Oh! A Hasselblad!”

Neither commented on the GFX.

Should this matter? My left brain says no. However, it does matter. What is this industry about? IMAGE. These tools are used to take images, because the world has placed value on images of pretty things. Don’t kid yourself, image is paramount in this business – especially in fashion and portraits.

Back to testing…

Workshop

• Workshop: Streets of San Francisco – November 3 – 5, 2017. All details at olafphoto

Cover Stories

• Fuji X-A3 First Shots: Giving the competition a run for their money at ISO 3200 at imaging-resource
• Switching Gear: From Canon to Fujifilm at phototraces
• The benefits of APS-C over full frame at the French site focus-numerique (translation)
• X-Pro2 + Mitakon 35mm F0.95 II. Three Weeks Postpartum And Rocking It at anthonythurston

Fujifilm X-T2 & More
BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama

• Fuji X-T2 in the hottest riding stuff you can buy (MTB sportsware)… scroll down and see the girl with the X-T2 at enduro-mtb
• Check out the portfolio of Anthony Thurston. Shot entirely with Fujifilm X-Pro2 (NSFW)… anthonythurston
• Robert has new blogs, all with the Fuji X-T2, up on his website at robertdoeleman
• The Legend of the Purple Hairpin | Fuji X-Pro2 at thetravelphotographer
• Chinese Opera shot with X-T2 at zackhedelic
• A short film in Batam shot with X-T2 at zackhedelic
• A prisoner of Alcatraz at olafphotoblog
• Tenderness A Simple (X-T2) shot from a Wedding in the Dordogne at f16.click
• Camera Swap Challenge – Fujifilm X-T2 23mm F1.4 vs Canon 5D Mark 3 50mm F1.4 w/ Maya at Xing Liu youtube
• Fujifilm X-T2 and XF16-55 f/2.8 is now my most favorite camera lens bundle at thinkdiff
• Fuji Mirrorless Camera System: What’s in my Bag? at Jesse Starr Youtube
• After the rain. (X-T2 + 50-140) at trevhillphotography
• The Virtual Film Camera Exercise at fernandogros
• A walk through the Retiro Park in Madrid with the Fujifilm X-T2 in Spanish at albedomedia (translation)
• Fujifilm X-T2 & 16mm f1.4 // video&vlog test in scotland incl. Mavic Pro Shots at Chris Perkles Youtube
• Bikinishoot with Simone // Fujifilm X-T2 56mm f1.2 & 23mm f2 at Chris Perkles Youtube
• Freestyle VLOG #3 – Vloging with the Fuji XT-2 PART 1 at dsphotoblog.com youtube
• Freestyle VLOG #4 – Vlogging with the Fuji XT-2 PART 2 at dsphotoblog.com youtube
• Freestyle VLOG #5 – Long exposures with the Fuji XT-2 at dsphotoblog
• What’s in my Camera Bag at chuqui
• Fujifilm: Is it a Little Like a…? (Part 4) at adambonn
• North to Norway with my Fuji X-Pro 2’s at gambofoto
• Early Spring At Elk Island at miksmedia

No Love for the Original XF18mmF2?

When Fujifilm started with the interchangeable X-series line (the X-Pro1), they launched 3 lenses: the much-loved and bestselling XF35mmF1.4, the often underestimated XF60mmF2.4, and the Fujinon XF 18mm F2… a lens, that IMO, should deserve a higher reputation than it currently has.

The original XF18mmF2 is a nice pancake solution for a wide variety of photographs. In fact, the XF18/2 was also Nate’s choice for his One Year, One Lens World Travel, where he shot street, landscape, architectures and even portraits with it (although he says that for portraits “I have to get right in peoples faces to do the portrait style I like – it’s not always a comfortable situation.”)

And there are more people out there, who like the XF 18mm F2. For example, peterpoete prefers it over the XF16mmF1.4 and it is also one of the top 2 lenses for everydaygetaway. Full stories linked below:

A second try… the Fujinon XF18 F2 at peterpoete:

“This lens is a perfect companion for almost any type of documentary work. Since its purchase the XF18 was attached to my camera almost all the time and I have done a very wide variety of photographs with it. Many of the pictures I have taken with it simply were snapshots – some were more serious work, sometimes even very sad and heartbreaking like those for a short documentary about the memorial and museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. […]

This lens brought back the delight and joy to make pictures back in many of my days strolling around and searching for things worth to be seen – at least for me.”

XF 18mm F2 R, where’s the love? at everydaygetaway

Like most Fuji shooters I didn’t give much thought to the XF 18mm when I first got into Fuji. Most of the mainstream reviews had luke-warm to downright bad opinions about it, some even calling it Fuji’s worst lens.

Thankfully I listened to a few of the quieter voices out there and gave the 18mm a shot because I loved the 28mm FL on my 6D and a7S and I wanted something similar in size to the XF 27mm that I already had, but with an aperture ring… the extra stop of light was an added bonus.

So what is it about this lens that makes it rank in my top 2 favorite lenses for my kit? Well, let’s break it down…

The XF18mmF2 MK II Rumors

When we launched our monumental future X-Series Lens Poll, the Fujinon XF18mmF2 MK II was one of the most wanted lenses (currently #5 out of 30 lenses). Check out the results here.

The good news, Fujifilm is working on it. :)

XF 18mmF2: AmazonUS, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera, AmazonDE

Fujifilm GFX

So it happens, that almost 7 months after its launch, the Fujifilm GFX 50s is ranked as the #69 best selling mirrorless camera. To me, that does not sound bad at all.

The Fujifilm GFX 50s is just the beginning of something new and awesome in the medium format world, just like the Fujifilm X100 and X-Pro1 were the beginning of something new and awesome in the APS-C world.

But while it took Fujifilm a couple of years to finally launch a mature product and have huge success in the APS-C world (X-Trans2 cameras and especially X-T1), I think that the next iteration of Fujifilm’s medium format cameras, the Fujifilm GFX 100S (or however they will call it) will already be a 100% mature product, especially if it will feature Sony’s 100MP BSI sensor that Sony officially announced at the CEBit here.

But until then, the Fujifilm GFX 50s is already a great tool, and a whole lot of fun to use today.

• All in with the GFX and new stuff! at matrichardson
• Fujinon GF 110mm f/2: The must-have G-mount lens at brennanjanderson
• Fujifilm GF 23mm F4 sample gallery at dpreview
• Cosplay Portraits from the Hong Kong Ani-Com 2017 – Fuji GFX at f8photography
• Fujifilm GFX 50S – Day 1 at dylangoldby
• Fujifilm GFX 50S – Day 2 at dylangoldby
• M lenses on the Fuji GFX at valentino-photography
• Fringer Contax 645 lens adapter for Fujifilm GFX at dc.watch (transaltion)
• Spotlight Series: Karen Hutton at Fuji Guys youtube
• Ichigo Sugawara, photographer from Japan, visits northern part of Sakhalin to capture portraits of people in the area with the GFX at Fuji Guys Youtube
• Fujifilm GFX 50s test at the Italian web magazine tomshw

Join the 14,000+ strong GFX facebook group, and incredibely helpful community creating infinite GFX content. For fast, reliable, and 100% GFX news and rumors follow the Fujifilm GFX facebook page.

Fujifilm GFX 50s: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS

And now… one of the most appreciated sections of the GFX roundups: the images.

I know it means a lot to you guys if I share your work on FujiRumors. As photographers, you can need any visibility (and improved SEO google search results) you can get on the web, and I know I can help with it.

More visibility can also mean more clients for you guys.

This is why I keep it up, of course giving you all the credit you deserve for your great work, even if these image roundups are a really very time consuming activity for me. But I really want to support your as much as I can.

Rich Legg
shared here
Ruger, Bloodhound. GF120

_ _ _

Alan Aurmont
shared here
“Dorothy”
Shot on GFX+110 but this particular photo could be shot on any camera+tele combo

_ _ _

Damien Lovegrove
shared here
GFX50s with 32-64mm zoom lens and a splash of flash.

Push READ MORE to Enjoy a Stunning Set of Images
(NSFW Included)

The Verge reviewed the Fujifilm X-T20… and it’s a very positive review.

But the parts of the review I want to highlight today here on FujiRumors are not the many qualities of the X-T20 (most of all the incredible IQ in a $900 camera), but something most of us X-shooters already experience since a long time: the pure pleasure of shooting with Fujifilm cameras.

So what are you waiting for… get an X-T20, and join the X-side of life :)

“I didn’t understand the pervasive appeal of Fujifilm cameras until I spent some quality time with one […]

No alternative camera system feels as sound an investment of my money as Fujifilm does. […]

It’s tough for me to decouple the pleasure of shooting with the X-T20 from its eventual results. The process of capturing images with this camera is more satisfying than any other I’ve known (except maybe Fujifilm’s own X-Pro2, which I’ve only flirted with). […]

Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras are simply better. Our reviews of these cameras tend to devolve into emotional expositions about passion for the art of photography, but ultimately Fujifilm just wins on all the practical fronts that matter. The X-T20 has the best viewfinder, best ergonomics, and best image quality in its price class. The Fujinon XF lens ecosystem is unrivaled. If there’s any problem for this camera, it’s in convincing people that it’s worth trying — because I’m confident that once they do, they’ll fall in love with it just as I did.”

You can read the whole review at TheVerge.

Fujifilm X-T20: USA: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, PCH AUS: CameraPro

And then I Thought: “Stop Waiting for the X-E3, and get the X-T2/Zero (X-T20)” … Did Fujifilm Hit the Sweet Spot with the X-T20?