Press Release

Valhalla, N.Y., July 21, 2017 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, is pleased to announce the re-launch of the long standing Fujifilm sponsored Masterpiece Award on August 1, 2017. This award will be available to all members of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), State and District Affiliates in the United States and Canada, as well as, IPC of PPA and National PPA print competitions.

The Fujifilm 2017 Masterpiece Award will be awarded to a PPA members residing in the U.S.A and Canada in each of three separate categories – wedding, portrait and illustrative – whose work best represents the specific category of photography.

“With over 80 years of heritage in photography the Masterpiece Award underscores Fujifilm’s commitment to supporting and recognizing photographic excellence. Fujifilm is proud to honor photographers who strive to create images of excellence and distinction, and to be working with Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to recognize these incredibly distinguished professionals,” said Manny Almeida, Imaging Division President, FUJIFILM North America Corporation.

Honored photographers will be named in a national press release to be issued by Fujifilm. In addition, the Fujifilm 2017 Masterpiece Award recipients will receive a crystal glass trophy, a certificate of award, and a lapel pin.

For more information including full guidelines, please visit: http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/photofinishing/paper_lab_products/masterpiece.html

• Fujifilm Masterpiece Award Guidelines
• 2017 Masterpiece Award Application

via FujifilmUSA

Hireacamera interviewed Fujifilm Manager Theo Georghiades (who is also one of our friends at the GFX facebook group)… go to minute 27:17.

Theo gives us an inside view about the history of Fujifilm and talks, for example, about why Fujifilm at a certain point felt like, with their compact digital offering, they were disconnecting from PRO photographers (whom they were always strongly connected to with their film cameras).

So they tried some paths (also partnering with Nikon), and at the end they decided to go all alone with mirrorless (the X-series).

• Fujifilm was the frist to come out with a high end compact camera, the [shoplink 59478 ebay]Finepix 4700[/shoplink], the first super CCD camera.
• They also had the first camera with removable memory
• Fujifilm focussed on digital compact cameras initially, but they felt they were losing the connection to professional photographers. Theo says: “we were always in touch with the professionals” (Fujifilm always had high end film products)
• They started focussing on high end digital cameras with interchangeable lenses
• When they moved into the DSLR market, they partnered with Nikon
• At some point the question arose: “do we start a system completely on our own“
• they looked at mirrorless cameras
• They worked on the Fujifilm X100, a high end compact camera
• The X100 was needed to test the water
• Given the big interested, they continued, offering an interchageable camera, the X-Pro1 (discussion for X-Pro1 started a few months after X100 launch)

The interview starts at minute 27:17 and you can check it out at Hireacamera youtube here.

On July 22, Fujifilm will celebrate the 1 year anniversary of their Wonder Photo Shop in New York city. More about it in the press release below

In case any FR-reader will be there, say hello to the Fuji folks, and feel free to share the impressions (and rumors ;) ???) of the day via email at fujirumor@gmail.com.

Side note:

Maybe Fujifilm should do it a bit like Apple, not only when it comes to designing and crafting beautiful and solid gear, but also when it comes to offering to their customers a world wide network of dedicated Apple Fujifilm stores (and service providers). In fact, there are currently only 8 Wonder Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shops worldwide:

• New York
• Tokyo
• Barcelona
• Bogota
• Istanbul
• Auckland
• Kuala Lumpur
• Shanghai

But what do you think… would you like a wide spread network of dedicated Fujiflm Stores? Or is it something Fujifilm should not put too much time and money into it?

FUJIFILM CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE WONDER PHOTO SHOP IN NEW YORK CITY

The latest version of Adobe Camera RAW (9.12) and Lightroom CC 2015.12 (6.11 for the standalone version) is out.

Fujifilm related bug fix:

• Fixed an issue where images taken with extended ISO on the Fujifilm GFX-50S were too bright.

Fujifilm related lens support:

• Fujifilm X Fujifilm WCL-X100 Wide-Angle Conversion Lens
• Fujifilm X Fujifilm WCL-X100II Wide-Angle Conversion Lens
• Fujifilm X Fujifilm TCL-X100II Tele Conversion Lens