The Godox XPro II TTL Wireless Flash Trigger for Fujifilm cameras has just been launched.
The Xproll is upgraded in various aspects, including built-in Bluetooth connection, direct adjusting on Sekonic L-858 light meter, quick release lock, all-new Ul design, a smoother dial, and so on.
If it wasn’t for this ultra cheap accessory, my first travel with my new Fujifilm X-T5 could have been ruined (from a photographic point of view).
Here is what happened.
Destination: visiting my wife’s family in Hanoi, Vietnam, during Christmas Holidays.
While waiting for our bags at the Hanoi airport (after a humble 25 hours travel in the cheapest economy class seats), I took out my X-T5 and started to take some images. Then I asked my wife to hold the X-T5 while I handle the bags and bring them to the taxi.
Once we were in the taxi, rather exhausted from the long flight, my wife put the X-T5 on her lap. Arrived at her parents home, she totally forgot she had the camera on her legs, opened the door, got out of the car and the X-T5 tumbled down on the street.
When we collected the X-T5, we noticed major cracks on the screen.
But luckily I followed my own advice and did immediately apply a $3 touch sensitive screen protector on my X-T5 when I bought it.
This saved my X-T5 and once back home in Italy, I simply removed the broken screen protector using a dental floss and replaced it with a new one.
The X-T5 itself is still in perfect conditions and works like a champ. It’s a tough beast ;).
Lesson learned: don’t save on the wrong things. If you don’t have a self protecting fully articulating screen, then a screen protector is a must buy.
Now to the more pleasing part of the tale ;).
I didn’t get around a lot in Vietnam, as of course our main goal was to spend as much time as possible with her family and friends. So lots of the images I took are casual images capturing our daily life at home. Nothing of huge interest to share on FujiRumors, but for me personally the images that matter most.
But we did manage to squeeze in a 3 day trip to the nearby Ninh Binh province (to visit Tam Coc and Tràng An, where the movie “Kong: Skull Island” was filmed).
I traveled with the Fujifilm X-T5, the XF23mmF1.4 and my favorite travel zoom, the XF 18-135mmF3.5-5-6.
And I did put a little “challenge” on me: exit out of my film simulation “comfort zone” (mainly Classic Chrome and Astia) and try to use film simulations I haven’t used in a while.
This time around, I mostly used Classic Negative, mainly for street photography and cityscape, but also for some landscape images.
And I must say I really love the results and as a consequence I started to use it more often also once I got back home in Italy.
The lesson learned?
Well, I guess we all have film simulations we particularly love. And maybe in the past we used some film simulations that did not convince us and as a consequence started to ignore them.
But my tip would be to give that hardy used film simulation another try. You might find out you love it more than you initially thought.
It’s true, the Fujifilm X100V is hard to find these days.
But it’s actually much worst than that.
I took a look at all Fujifilm camera lines (the ones that survived, not the ones axed by Fujifilm), and we can see that the X100V enjoys great company when it comes to long waiting times.
What’s easy to find in stock are the higher end high profit margin top tier mainstream cameras.
This gives us two options on what is going on:
I don’t know you, but I’d go for Nr.2.
Now let’s look at the situation today.
X100V silver is expected to be in stock in fall 2023 at BHphoto. No time indication for the black X100V. You find only overpriced marketplace X100V cameras on Amazon. Out of stock pretty much everywhere.
X-Pro3 dura silver is expected in 2 to 4 weeks. No time indication for all other colors. Given that the X-Pro3 is slowly being discontinued, I am not very opmtistic about its future stock status.
X-E4 black is expected to ship in 6 to 10 weeks at BHphoto. No time indication for the other colors and kit combinations. We remind you the X-E4 was launched in January 2021 and the last time I’ve noticed the X-E4 in stock was back in October 2021. Not even the X100V has such a bad shipping record as the X-E4.
The Fujifilm X-T5 (both colors) is expected in 7 to 14 days at BHphoto. You can find it in stock at Amazon US and Adorama. There is 1 to 2 weeks waiting at Moment only for the black version.
The Fujifilm X-H2s is easy to find in stock. And you even get Capture One 23 for free if you buy it at Adorama.
The Fujifilm X-S10 is easy to find in stock.
The Fujifilm X-T30II is in stock in silver and the black one is expected in 7 to 14 days at BHphoto. It is in stock in both colors at Adorama here. You can find it in stock also via third party sellers at Amazon, and if you buy sold by Amazon it will ship in late February.
The Fujifilm X-H2 is expected in 7 to 14 days at BHphoto. Out of stock with no time indication given at AmazonUS, Adorama and Moment. I guess the huge chunk of 40MP sensors Fujifilm has available are used for the Fujifilm X-T5, so this inevitably means that it prolongs the waiting for the Fujifilm X-H2.
All good on the GFX front, with all cameras being easily available.
You can now find the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 listed also at Amazon Europe (already listed at Amazon US):
Of course you can also purchase it directly at the Viltrox store with international shipping.
Fujifilm has published its financial result for the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year 2022.
We remind you that the fiscal year in Japan ends on March 31. That’s why Fujifilm now launched massive lens deals to push the sales numbers before the final yearly report.
These are the results for the imaging division:
