Fujifilm X-H2 Teardown and Disassembly (for IR conversion): Solid, Uncompromising Construction optimized for Heat Dissipation

Fellow FR-reader Sven is specialized in IR and Astro conversions, and he recently did a fullspectrum conversion on his Fujifilm X-H2.

Here some excerpts regarding the teardown:

  • After a deep look under the hood, the design of this camera can be summarized as follows: Heat Management and Dissipation.
  • mainboard of the X-H2 reveals countless SMD components. With the amount of features packed into such a small camera, this is hardly surprising
  • the processor is covered with a heat conduction pad
  • The entire shutter mechanism is supported by small springs all around and has no direct contact with the body
  • this also explains why the camera’s shutter is relatively quiet and has this very special muted sound
  • The heat of the X-Trans V sensor is tapped directly on the back of the sensor via a delicate heat sink and conducted to a copper plate on the stainless steel chassis

As for the IR performance, they write:

  • Some modern sensors can show fine, mostly horizontal lines in the images. This is probably caused by PDAF pixels (“AF pixels”) on the sensor. These occur more often with strong IR filters and with very high-contrast processing. How does the X-H2 perform with an 830 nm infrared filter? With overly high-contrast processing, no lines or other artifacts are visible at 100% view (aside from noise, of course, induced by the high-contrast processing). The new sensor is a clear recommendation and can be used without restrictions.

As well as a firmware request:

  • Unfortunately, the X-H2 shares the same handicap as all X-Trans cameras. The manual white balance is always set without any problems, but the available range is not quite sufficient. […] Unfortunately, a warm magenta color cast remains in the camera and has to be corrected on the PC.
  • Fujifilm can actually do that, with their Bayer sensor cameras (X-A series and X-Txxx) it works without any problems
  • The X-H2 seems to work a bit better than the X-T3, but you can’t get rid of the color cast completely
  • In the unlikely event that a Fujifilm firmware designer reads this: Please expand the limits in both color axes in which manual white balance can be set. A little bit wider and the cameras internal white balance will work for infrared as well. Such a change can be distributed in a future firmware update in my eyes and should neither harm anyone nor cause too much work in programming.

Read the full article and see all the images at irrecams here.

Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Brown and Instax Square SQ40 Officially Announced – First Look and Pre-orders

Fujifilm has officially announced the Instax Mini EVO brown and the Instax Square SQ40.

Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Brown Pre-Orders at Amazon

Instax Mini EVO

You can now pre-order the new Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO brown at Amazon here.

The official announcement for the Instax Mini EVO brown will happen soon.

More Instax Gear Coming Today

Fujifilm X100V Orders Suspended at BHphoto, Blocked in Japan and What it Could Mean for the X100V Successor

X100V – A Success?

We know that the Fujifilm X100V has been an incredible success for Fujifilm.

A success that reflects also in the great feedback received from all over the web, for example:

Yep, you read it right: despite all the fantastic and super-hyped and hyper-popular gear Sony, Canon and Nikon have launched, the video that most people watched in all these years on DPRTV was the X100V review.

And not to talk of the great customer reviews it is getting all over the most popular stores:

But all this popularity and love came at a cost:

And, new today, even B&H Photo has given up at this point and has stopped to take any orders for the Fujifilm X100V.

On their website now, instead of an order button, you get a “Request Assistance” button and when you click on it it says:

Unfortunately, our supplier cannot provide an accurate timeframe so we have suspended backorders for this item.

X100V – A Failure?

Given the massive interest for the X100V and the inability for Fujifilm to deliver, the question that I now have is that this can be seen as a success or a failure for Fujifilm.

I mean, clearly Fujifilm can call it a success, as the demand is high. But they could have made so much more money, if only they were able to deliver the X100V.

And while to a certain degree it’s OK to have delays for a very popular camera, coming to a point where you totally block orders for over half a year with no outlook for the situation to improve, also signals a certain failure on Fujifilm’s side to demonstrate flexibility and creativity in adjusting plans and production properly.

Yes, they did try some curious solution like the use of Blockchain to optimize supply network of digital camera parts, but that was done 1 year ago and the results can’t be seen anywhere, with many Fujifilm cameras still not available or in some cases even discontinued, despite people having those cameras on order, as it was for example the case for the X-E4, a camera MANY of you guys ordered, but did not receive because Fujifilm stopped producing it.

And in fact, back in May, Fujifilm candidly admitted that they are still struggling with parts shortage.

So from this point of view we could see all this also as a failure, as Fujifilm can’t capitalize anywhere near to what they could have, if they’d have been able to organize a realiable parts supply for the X100V.

X100V Successor?

I know some will wonder what this means for the Fujifilm X100V successor (however they are going to call it).

I am working on the rumors and as soon as I have something reliable in my hands, I will let you know.

But imagine you are Fujifilm, you have an insanely popular camera in the house and all you have to do is to manufacture as many of them as possible to make lots of money.

If I was Fujifilm, then I would not be in any hurry to come out with a successor and just use every part I can get to make as many X100V as possible for as long as it will remain this popular. I mean, why keep aside parts for an eventual Fujifilm X200 or X100VI or however they are going to call it, if they can make great money with no need of further R&D investments today with the X100V already?

But again… that’s just my personal perception of this situation.

What matters is what our sources tell us in regards to the Fujifilm X100V successor. And for that, my friends, I invite you to stay tuned on FujiRumors.

The rumors… they will… drop… for sure.

Feeling Lucky?

“I feel lucky and will click the links to see if the X100V is in stock*” :)

*if you clicked, then really I’d love to have your kind of optimism

Fujifilm Adds New Color “Brown” to “INSTAX mini Evo” and USB-C Charging Port

Fujifilm Adds New Color “Brown” to “INSTAX mini Evo”

Introducing USB Type-C as a charging port on both the new “Brown” and existing “Black” variations for added convenience

TOKYO, June 15, 2023 – FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO, Representative Director: Teiichi Goto) announces the launch of a new “Brown” version of the “INSTAX mini Evo” (mini Evo), a flagship model of the “INSTAX” series of instant cameras, on June 29, 2023. Additionally, USB Type-C is used as a charging port on both the new “Brown” and the existing “Black” versions for greater convenience.

The mini Evo is a hybrid instant camera incorporating digital technology, and supporting the card-size “mini format film.” Released in 2021, it has been a global sensation since its launch thanks to its hybrid nature of analog and digital capabilities.  It comes with ten lens effects including “Soft Focus” and “Light Leak” as well as ten film effects including “Monochrome” and “Retro.” These two types of effects can be combined freely to create 100 different shooting effects so that users can express their emotions through INSTAX prints. The camera body sports a premium and classical look and is characterized by analog-like operability using the lens dial, film dial and print lever, designed with attention to detail such as operation noise. The dedicated app can be used to connect the camera to a smartphone to enjoy features such as printing images taken on the smartphone, and saving photos printed with the mini Evo as INSTAX-framed images in the smartphone for easy sharing on social media.

mini Evo’s user base will be further expanded with the addition of a new color “Brown”, which means users can choose between the colors while still enjoying the same functions, operability and premium and classical design featured in the original model.

The camera case “Brown” is released at the same time to complement the camera body’s new color variation.

Fujifilm will continue to expand the world of the “INSTAX” instant photo system that allows people to enjoy on-the-spot photo printing.

1. Product names, release dates and prices

Product name Release date Price
(1) Hybrid instant camera “INSTAX mini Evo”
Brown with USB Type-C		 June 29, 2023 Open
(2) Hybrid instant camera “INSTAX mini Evo”
Black with USB Type-C
(3) Camera case “Brown” for the “INSTAX mini Evo”