October 14 X Summit: Beyond New Gear, Fujifilm’s Spotlight on Design Might Steal the Show

If I should point out one single thing that really intrigued me to follow the just announced Fujifilm X Summit on October 14, then it’s the highlight Fujifilm put into the “Design” aspect of the event.

I mean, all the new gear is nice and good. But it could be the design aspect to really steal the show, just as it did in the past.

But let’s go with order.

The X summit on October 14 will take place at the Fujifilm’s design center “Clay Studio” in Tokyo.

Fujifilm said in the launch video:

The theme of the X Summit is “design”. From product design to engineering design, we will deliver new information to you from a design perspective. You won’t be disappointed with the X summit.

This theme opens up a lot of exciting possibilities.

Fujifilm could give us rare insights into how they develop and produce new gear, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their design philosophy and processes. From the initial concepts for a new product to the real-life challenges they encounter during development, all the way through to final production.

Now that alone would be very interesting to me. But I am a nerd for such things. And by the way, the best insight in terms of Fujifilm gear manufacturing we got so far is this one here.

But we could get more than that.

We might even see mockups or future concept designs that showcase Fujifilm’s vision for the evolution of their product line and maybe even get development announcements.

It happened already in the past, when Fujifilm displayed the moduar GFX design concept, or they made the Fujifilm X-Pro3 development announcement, or when they displayed the first design concepts and mockups of the Fujinon XF33mmF1.0.

They even showed us early GFX concepts including an X-T styled GFX (which btw showed us the hidden LCD screen concept half a year before the X-Pro3 development announcement) and much more.

And whenever Fujifilm has showcased potential design concepts for the future, those ideas have consistently overshadowed the actual products announced at the event.

Who knows, maybe we will even get first design hints to the Fujifilm TX-3 panoramic camera possibly coming in 2028 or the fixed lens GFX scheduled for 2025.

Emphasizing design could provide us with valuable insights into the direction Fujifilm plans to take with its future products.

But whatever Fujifilm will show us, this focus on design has the potential to be the most captivating part of the event.

I, for one, can’t wait to see what Fujifilm reveals, as I have a strong feeling it will satisfy my inner nerd and tech enthusiast… and who knows, maybe even give us a glimpse into the good stuff to come in future ;).

Fujifilm Says Autofocus Firmware Updates for X-T5, X-S20 and Other Models Coming This Year

When Fujifilm had their X Summit announcement, they promised us autofocus improvements via firmware updates for the Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2s and GFX100 II.

Many, me included, wondered why there was no mention of other 5th generation cameras such as the X-T5 and the X-S20.

Now, I was confident something would come also for those models, which is why I wrote here “I would not be surprised if the Fujifilm X-T5 and other cameras would get a bunch of improvements too“.

Well, it looks like my intuition was right.

Fujifilm has now pinned a comment to their October announcement video that we shared here and said:

Dear Customers,
Thank you for your feedback and comments on our AF system performance.
We’ve been working on X-T5, X-S20 and other models as well, to release the firmware within this year for improved user experience. We will communicate the details as soon as we have more information.
We appreciate your understanding.

So here you have it. Also the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-S20 (and other models) will get AF improvements this year.

What I am not sure is if lower end models will also get F-Log2 C and Timecode Synchronization, but I personally could not care less about those features on my X-T5.

Fujifilm’s November Firmware Update: Autofocus Fixes, New Features, and More Enhancements to Come (+ My Take)

Earlier today Fujifilm has shared a video with their “October announcements“. You can check out all details in this article.

Among the others Fujifilm promised firmware updates to come in November.

First off: they did say that they got lots of feedback from customers especially regarding the autofocus. Based on that feedback, Fujifilm is now working to improve the firmware. But there is more, so let’s check it out:

The Good

  • Firmware update coming in November
  • Cameras mentioned: Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2s and GFX100 II
  • Improved Subject Tracking while video filming
  • Face/Eye detection while video filming
  • F-Log2 C for wide color gamut
  • Timecode Synchronization by Ambient Lockit devices through wired connection

The Questions

  • are other 5th generation cameras (X-T5 & Co) also getting the improved AF while filming?
  • what about AF-C tracking in stills?

The Surprises?

It almost passed unnoticed, but Fujifilm also said that they are considering further enhancements. So it looks like we are not yet done with Kaizen love for 5th generation cameras.

What could it be?

Well, I don’t have that much anymore on my wishlist, but if I could pick one thing, then I’d like to get the fully automatic subject tracking of the Fujifilm X-S20. I also suggested Fujifilm how this could be implemented on other Fujifilm cameras in this article here.

Of course, feel free to share your wish with the Fujifilm community in the comments down below.

My Thoughts

Fujifilm (like many other brands) often tends to conceal significant bug fixes under the vague term “minor bug fixes.” This article dives deeper into the issue, offering real examples of what Fujifilm has masked with this phrase—some of which were rather embarrassing. Read more here.

This time, though, Fujifilm is putting a spotlight on the autofocus improvements. To me, this signals that they’re taking it more seriously than ever, with a firm commitment to finally getting it right.

It’s also evident that while Fujifilm recognizes the issues, they’ve chosen not to rush a fix like they did with the June firmware. Instead, they’re taking extra time—and probably conducting more thorough testing—to ensure this firmware update works as intended.

I guess they’re well aware they can’t afford to get it wrong this time and it looks like Fujifilm has embraced this challenge, as evidenced by the emphasis they placed on the upcoming autofocus improvements in the video released today.

But again: I believe it only when I see it.

And the Fujifilm X-T5 & Co?

We will see what happens in November, but I would not be surprised if the Fujifilm X-T5 and other cameras would get a bunch of improvements too. Maybe not everything the flagship X-H and GFX cameras will get, but it just makes sense that some of the improvements find its way down also to lower end models.

But again, that’s a pure speculation of mine, not a rumor whatsoever.

Overall, after today’s firmware announcement I am definitely more confident. Fujifilm Japan has spoken and finally addressed the issue publicly. But I have learned not to celebrate too early and wait to see what happens in November with the new firmware.

Fujifilm X Summit October 14: Unveiling Fujifilm X-M5, XF16-55mmF2.8 II and XF500mmF5.6

Fujifilm has just announced the X Summit for October 14 at 1PM GMT. So this means:

  • October 14 at 9 AM New York Time
  • October 14 at 3 PM Berlin Time

And thanks to rumors shared here on FujiRumors, we know what’s coming:

I have no information of other gear coming, although that’s always a possibility.

If you have nothing better to do on that day, well, just know that FujiRumors will be here covering the event. Feel free to join us. :)