I got feedback from trusted sources. They confirm everything what the new Japanese source told to Fujirumors and… now here is what we know:

DATE: On June 25 Fujifilm will indeed make an important announcement.

X-BODY: The question is, which X-camera will be launched first (the X-Trans or the non X-Trans body)? According to both, the Japanese and trusted sources Fuji will launch the “little sister” (X-M1?) of the seXy-one (X-E1). It will be a cheaper and smaller X-E1 without viewfinder (trusted sources) but with tilt screen (new sources).

LENSES: According to trusted sources, on June 25 Fujifilm will launch the 27mm lens (confirming this FR-post of April 15) and the new zoom lens. Trusted sources said it will be a 16-50 or 16-55 cheap zoom lens. The new Japanese source told me that it will be a 16-50 zoom lens (if the source is right also this time, I think I should upgrade it to “trusted source” .)

FIRMWARE: Fuji will update the firmware for the X-E1 and X-PRO1. With these new lenses in the pipeline, it’s possible that it will only add compatibility. If I remember well, Fujifilm talked of a major firmware update in July.

On June 25 Fujirumors will follow the announcement live. Follow us on facebook, twitter and subscribe the RSS feed, and you won’t miss anything!

stay tuned
Patrick

FIRMWARE: Fujifilm Philippines announced at their website that there will be a new firmware update for the X-E1 and X-PRO1 on the 25 of June. Let’s see what will be improved (or if it just adds support for the 27mm, which is rumored to be launched soon.)

NEW BODY: The new Asian source (who for first told me that Fuji is about to announce 2 new bodies ) just told me that the first mirrorless interchangeable-lens body could be announced on June 25. I remember you that Fuji is about to launch a new X-Trans body and a new non X-Trans body.  P.S.: Trusted sources told me that the upcoming very cheap non X-Trans X-body will be offered in many colours.

NEW LENS: Also 2 new lenses, on should be a 16-50/55 zoom lens and the 27mm f/2.8 could be finally released too! Source: FR post.
Exciting times for X-fans! Stay tuned on FujiRumors! We will as usual give you new rumors soon. And be sure to be online on June 25 as we will follow all the announcement live on FR!

1) Well, normally promotional videos aren’t the most exciting thing to watch. But this time Fujifilm has chosen Max Angeloni (riflessifotografici) for the promotional video of the 55-200. Just one sentence to present himself, another one for his city Rome, and then you will see Max working with the XF 55-200 in real life and many different conditions: interior shots, on the street, in the studio, in low light, you’ll see crops and hear about the strengths of this lens etc (Max really knows his job!)… and it’s all packed in a 2 minutes and 44 seconds snappy video and soundtrack appositely composed for this promo by Andrea Camilletti! Really not bad for a promotional video. But check it out by yourself by clicking here.

2) Jim Siano hands on the 55-200 here: “It is very sharp [...] Much has been made of Fuji’s focus speed with the X-series of cameras… DSLRs are light speeds ahead. At least on a positive note, the accuracy of the autofocus is great. [...] I can wholeheartedly recommend this lens for anyone with the X bodies that needs a zoom. As long as you are not anticipating shooting sports, this is a superb piece of engineering. And at US$ 699, it is incredible value.”

Marius: “Hi Patrick, Just wanted to let your readers know that the latest dcraw (v9.18) has support for X20 and X100s. Thus far this is only solution for the few folks using Linux exclusively. It’s possible this support will be included in Darktable and RawTherapee soon. Thanks for all the interesting bits on your website.” They told me that interpolation for all X-Trans sensor cameras is much improved.

Best of…

- Who’s the king of the advanced compact cameras according to techradar? It’s the X100S. “Its image quality is also good, but it is surpassed by that of the Fuji X-Pro1, which is capable of producing pictures that aren’t far off those from some full-frame cameras.” Check it here.

- And techradar has also the answer to the following question! Which of these 6 high-end compact cameras is the best? The competitors are the X20, Sony RX100, Panasonic LX7, Nikon P7700, Olympus XZ-2, Canon G15. Discover the winner here.

X100S

Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

- henrysmithscottage took his X100S and X-PRO1 to a trip in Baltimore. Read his considerations about these cameras here: “I have noticed, that compared to its predecessor the X 100, the X100s appears to have a decreased battery life.  This had been annoying to me before the trip, but I learned that if you keep the camera off (and not rely on the auto shut off feature), that the battery life was quite tolerable.  I did not need to change a battery over the three days of the trip (probably shooting 150 frames).”

- NY ist the Mecca for street photography, and rileyjoseph took some shots there with the X100S and X-PRO1 that you can check out here. “So will I be selling my dSLR and only using my X00s + X-Pro1? No. I will keep it for the times that I need a full frame, faster AF camera with the availability of a tilt shift lens. Primarily for when I am going to make a specific photo that would require it. It is a great tool. Great and heavy.”

- Roel has the X100S since two months now. Did he regret selling his X100? “As I started off saying in this article, I don’t want to have any regrets in life. Although I regretted selling my original X100, I have no regrets in purchasing the X100S and I will keep it in my bag until one of us dies.  It is an excellent fixed lens camera and I am sure it will give me many years of great service and images. Fujifilm has done a good job with their X series cameras.  In the beginning, new products (X10, X100 and X-Pro1 specifically) had a number of problems that needed to be sorted out, but now it seems that recent releases (such as the X-E1, X20 and X100S) have very few, if any initial issues – plus the Fujinon lenses are exceptional.  That is good news for all of us in the Fujifilm camp and I encourage them to keep innovating and listening to user feedback.” Read the whole review and see his shots here.

lenses

Fuji XF 55-200mm Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

- Tom Grill posted his hands on review (with many downloadable hi res image samples) of the new 55-200 here:

“Looks like Fuji produced another winner with the 55-200mm for its line of zoom lenses. It shows true professional qualities: no distortion, solid build, high resolution, image stabilization, and quick focus. This is a lot for a lens with a $699 price tag, much better than most zooms I have tested in this price range, and even better than some costing several times as much.”

image courtesy: aboutphography

- photogenykstudios posted his 55-200 impressions and samples here: “At $699 its not near as cheap as the 55-200 variations  from Tamron, Sigma and Sony. It is far better built though, and is stabilized. The IQ is also in a different league from the budget zooms. Its closest rival would be the Canon 70-200/4.  The Canon is faster at the long end (barely), has less range,  and costs more, so again the Fuji wins here.”

- sgoldswoblog tested the Zeiss Touit 12mm lens here.

“The 12mm has some bad features compared to the Fuji 14, it has softer corners at wider apertures, it isn’t optically corrected for distortion and it is expensive. There is no question that fans of the 20-21mm focal length shouldn’t really go for the Zeiss. So it’s a Turkey? No way, it’s a very fine lens with some different design choices from the Fuji, that’s all. If you want the widest possible UWA then go for this lens. By definition it is wider but it is also a fine lens in its own right and I still suspect the centre is a hair sharper than the Fuji.[...] The only reason this lens doesn’t deserve superlatives left and right is the existence of the Fuji 14mm. If the Fuji didn’t exist or was a little bit more average, the 12mm would be a must buy lens, as it is it’s a very good lens that’s not as good primarily because of variations in sharpness in the corners. However there is no question in my mind that a person wanting the widest lens available shouldn’t hesitate in buying the Zeiss instead of the Fuji 14.”

image courtesy: sgoldswoblog

Zeiss Touit 32mm in stock status check: USA: Adorama / BHphoto / AmazonUS / Uniquephoto / Pictureline / Europe: AmazonDE / ebayUK / PCHstore Brussel
Zeiss Touit 12mm in stock status check: USA: Adorama / BHphoto / AmazonUS / Uniquephoto / Pictureline / Europe: AmazonDE / ebayUK / PCHstore Brussel

_ _ _

And now I hope you enjoy this travel around the world with the X-series.

- Matt: “This was my second visit to Calcutta and I shot exclusively with the X-Pro1. I processed the Fujifilm RAW .RAF files in Lightroom and then put the “HDRish,” grunge effect using onOne Perfect Effects 4.” thedigitaltrekker

Matt

- Adam: “Some street photography with the Xpro1 Incase you’d like to check it out” Checked, liked, shared . Stop by this blog and see Adams beautiful shots taken in Vietnam here.

Adam

- Afton: “Dear Patrick, I recently arrived back from Seoul, South Korea, where I photographed throughout the country exclusively with the Fujifilm X-Pro1. I welcome you to please view my new work from my trip to Seoul that I posted on my blog. Please feel free to post as an example of what Fujifilm X-Trans can accomplish. I’d also be more than happy to share my experience shooting with the system. The colors, the details captured by the X-Trans, the shooting experience and handling of the X-Pro1 has confirmed with me that the Fuji X system will remain my professional photographic tool going forth. The latest of my work with the X-Pro1 can be found on my blog at www.aftonalmaraz.tumblr.com. All the best, Afton”

Afton

- Umit: “Hi Patrick, I live in Istanbul and I love this city. And now I take photos of its with my Fuji X100S. My blog address:
http://discoveristanbulwithx100s.com/ Do you share my tumblr on your website? Of course if you like my photos…
Thanks for fujirumors.com”

Umit

- Stefan: “Hi Patrick, in case you’re interested, I took my new X100S to my first trip to Albania and took a few shots, some of which can be seen here: I really fell in love with that little camera in the meantime, it’s a great tool that puts the fun back to photography – something I missed shooting my Nikon DSLR. cheers”

Stefan!

Fuji XF 55-200mm Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

image courtesy: martin-doppelbauer

Martin made a quite unfair comparison between the X-E1 with XF 55-200 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon 70-300 IS L. “But yet, Fuji claims itself to achieve the image quality of a full-frame camera. So let’s see“. You can read the whole comparison here (available in English and German). Some extracts:

“In direct comparison, I could not detect any significant drawback in the focus speed compared to the Canon 70-300 IS L at least in static, high contrast scenes. To run the focus from infinity to close range takes similar time on both optics. I already have noted the limitations of the X-E1 when recording fast-moving objects (birds in the air, or motor cycling, but also: Crawling babies head from the front) elsewhere. Because both the focus point and the viewfinder image freeze after the first shot in continuous shooting mode, there are little to no chances to get a good picture in such situations. Here, the DSLR is still unbeatable (and the EOS 5D Mark III shines in particular with its uber-autofocus anyway).

Somewhat disappointing is the vignetting of the XF 55-200 at maximum aperture. At least you can correct this well by software.

For a comparison of system resolution, I have run the X-E1 and the XF 55-200 against the EOS 5D Mark III with the excellent 70-300 f/4-5.6 L IS USM. Not quite a fair comparison, as I admit frankly, because the Canon lens costs easily twice as much as the Fuji zoom. And we don’t even talk of the camera body [...] Compared with the EOS 5D Mark III, however, Fuji’s zoom has a significantly lower resolution. The Canon 70-300 L resolves about a third more lines across the board, occasionally even 50% more. An equivalence to the Canon full-frame system is beyond question.

The XF 55-200 [...] convinces with a very solid overall performance. Across all focal lengths and apertures it has a good sharpness with minimal chromatic aberrations without significant weaknesses. Sure, it can not keep up with a very good full-frame camera and lens. But this is outweighed by price, weight and size.

Fuji XF 55-200mm Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

image courtesy: martin-doppelbauer

AmazonDE has just 8 X100S in stock now (click here). Act fast to grab them. In the meatime the X100S run out of stock again at AmazonUK.

found via dealsrunner

Fuji X100S: Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

cheers
Patrick

Reminder: Last days to stack the Fuji X-superdeal with the 4% reward at AmazonUS and BHphoto. The deals will be valid through June 29, but if you want to save as much as possible you have just three more days.

Adorama doesn’t have the 4% reward, but instead you get a lot of accessories (spare battery, SD-card and more).

Check the superdeals at AmazonUS here (price drop + 4%reward), BHphoto here (price drops + 4% reward), Adorama here (price drops + lots of accessories) and pictureline here.

X-PRO1 ($1199) + 14mm ($699) + 18mm ($299) + 35mm ($399) + 60mm ($349) + 18-55mm ($399) AND 4% reward (save $133,76) = $3210 (save about $1630)

X-E1 ($799) + 14mm ($699) + 18mm ($299) + 35mm ($399) + 60mm ($349) + 18-55mm ($399) AND 4% reward (save $117,76) = $2826 (save about $1620)

image courtesy: Zack Arias

Zack Arias announced it a couple of weeks ago, when he tested the X100S: “DSLR is dead”. And now, how is his life without the DSLR? What changed in Zack’s photography after he switched to Fuji? See his shots and read the whole blog post here. And if you plan to switch too, check out the X-superkit deals.

“I was recently asked on my Q&A blog whether I was switching to Fuji just to be different and not because they are better. I replied saying it is part of the equation. Not a large part. Not even half of the part, but yeah, that’s part of it. Who has a DSLR these days? Everyone. Moms, grandpas, clients, kids, that guy in accounting, everyone. Nikon this. Canon that. [...]

It’s mostly a mental departure from how I’ve done things for a long time and how much of the rest of the photography world works. It makes a difference with my clients and subjects as well. DSLRs are so generic these days that when you show up with something different like a Fuji or a medium format people take notice. They ask questions. These cameras start conversations. When I shot DSLRs I always heard about what camera my client or subject had. “Oh. You shoot Canon. I have a Nikon.” Etc. Etc. And then those conversations would take place. Not any more. “Wow. What is that? I’ve never seen one of those.” is now the opening line. [...]

When you change those tools there’s a mental change as well. The retro styling of the Fuji cameras isn’t just for show. There’s a reason cameras have been set up like those for decades. There’s a very practical reasoning behind dedicated aperture dials on the lens and shutter speed dials. I can “feel” where my settings are.

I say all of this to say I’m emotionally connected to my Fujis. I’ve never been emotionally connected to a DSLR. Ever. That connection matters. It’s not on a spec sheet. It can’t be tested in the lab. I look at my Fuji cameras and I want to go shoot. I want to make photos. They don’t belong in a bag. They belong on in my hand.”

Fuji X100S: Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay

You probably know Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” (wikipedia - your Amazon), where two homeless men are waiting for Godot, but he never arrives.

Well, we are not looking for Godot, but for the X100S. Announced at the 7th of January (but FR told you about it for first already weeks before), in stock for the first time in late March for a very short time, now it almost disappeared from stores. And so we are here, waiting for our pre-ordered X100S to come, but nothing happens.

And now this: I’ve checked the X100S status at Amazon every day. They said “in stock in 1-3 weeks”, “in stock in 1-3 months”, “in stock in 3-5 weeks” and now AmazonUS says “ITEM UNDER REVIEW” Here is the full text. What went wrong with AmazonUS?:

“Item Under Review: While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it’s described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We’re working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.”

btw, I also believe that Fuji was surprised by the high demand for this camera and has now problems to deliver the camera to the stores. As you know, Fuji announced to cut down the compact camera lineup by 50%. It’s a good news: let’s focus on the X-series and not waste energy into bottom-end models.

Fuji, concentrate your power on the X-series, everything else is just distraction!

We started with Godot and therefore we have to find an absurd final for this story: so, while nobody knows when the X100S will be in stock at AmazonUS, the guys over at dealsrunner.com just found it in stock at AmazonUK (shipped and sold by AmazonUK). And if you find them in stock too, subscribe to dealsrunner and spread the word!

curtain
Patrick

Fuji X100S: Amazon, Adorama, DigitalRev, J&R, Canon USA, B&H, eBay