Fujifilm Managers: “We are Aware of the Many Requests for Fujifilm X-E3. Rangefinder GFX is an Option. GF Lenses Design Challanges & Future”

Dpreview Interviews Fujifilm Managers

Dpreview interviewed Fuji Guy Billy (Manager for the Technical Marketing and Product Specialist Group) and two more Fuji Managers, Makoto Oishi, manager of Fujifilm’s Sales and Marketing Group and Yuji Igarashi, general manager of Fujifilm’s Electronic Imaging Division.

They talk about the latest big Fuji announcements. If you are in a hurry, here some of the highlights:

  • GFX TARGET: Fashion, commercial and landscape photographers. And especially when it comes to landscape, it’s not just professional photographers, but also amateur photographers. The tonality and dynamic range also mean it’ll appeal to wedding and architecture photographers.
  • NEW GF LENSES (besides the 6 already announced): We have some ideas but haven’t decided yet. For example maybe a wide-angle zoom for landscape photographers or maybe something like a 200 or 250mm and so on. We want more feedback from users about what to make next.
  • AUTOFOCUS: Some of the first [GF] lenses have linear motors, whereas the 63mm has a different motor, more like the one used in the 23mm F2. The autofocus speed is already very good: we haven’t had any complaints. Instead we’ve had some users surprised by how fast the contrast-detection system is. From a technical point of view, maybe in the future we might incorporate phase-detection pixels. On the other hand, we’re already developed advanced CDAF algorithms.’ There’s no image quality cost to using phase detection.
  • GF LENS DESING CHALLANGES: As the sensor becomes bigger, that means chromatic aberration becomes bigger: it’s proportional to the size. In GFX we’ve minimized aberrations optically and the used digital compensation only to refine then final result, and it depends on lens
  • GFX 50R RANGERFINDER?: The GFX 50S is one style: the ‘S’ means ‘SLR-style.’ Another way to do it would be a rangefinder style camera. Maybe an ‘R’ could be a rangefinder: we’re always considering other options and possibilities.
  • X100F: The X100 series presents a great opportunity: the body size means it works as a second camera for anyone: not just Fujifilm users. If they fall in love with your system then maybe they’ll consider your cameras in future.’ […] X100 is about design. Even making it a couple of millimeters thicker to incorporate a touchscreen or tilt screen would make a big difference. It could change the design completely
  • X-E3: ‘XE is an important series for us,’ Oishi says: ‘There are so many XE1, 2 and 2S users in the world. We are always thinking about the next model, whether that’s XT, XE or X-Pro. Obviously we can’t confirm anything at this point but we are aware there are many requests for this type of camera [see these FujiRumors Polls]

So there is hope for the X-E3… and I like it to believe we, the Fujirumors community, were able to make enough pressure on Fujifilm in all these months… as we already did with other products in the past apparently.

You can read the whole interview at dpreview here.

Go To New Zealand (or Guernsey) to Learn How To Master Your Fujifilm Camera at Rico’s Ultimate X-Secrets Workshops 2017

X-guru Rico Pfirstinger is offering some great X-workshop also in 2017.

English speaking X-shooters can join the workshop at the end of November in New Zealand. All the details here. The same workshop will be offered in German also in November here. If you can’t wait that long to learn how to master your X, and you speak German, check out his Guernsey workshop at the end of May here.

Current list of Fuji X Secrets workshops: click here

Also, check out his Fuji X-series ebooks at RockNook here and AmazonUS here (now also in printed version). You will find many precious information & tips about your X-series camera. And if you buy the X-T2 ebook, you can get it with a 40% discount by clicking on this link and using code “FRXT2” (available in PDF, ePub, and mobi (Kindle)… DRM-Free).

LibRaw Adds GFX, X100F, X-T20 Support ** Download GFX, X100F, X-T20 RAW Files ** 50/2 No Noticeable Vignetting or Distortion

LibRaw GFX, X100F, X-T20 Support

LibRaw contacte me and told me that FastRawViewer 1.3.8 Release Candidate and RawDigger 1.2.18 Beta now support Raw files from X100F X-T20 GFX 50S. Note that compressed RAW for GFX 50S is not supported yet.

They told me that they would be very much interested in any feedback from FujiRumors readers.

Download GFX, X100F and X-T20 RAW Files
… first feedback about XF 50mm F2

So now you just need the RAW files. They can be found at photographyblog. Go to the X-T20 sample page, X100F samples page and GFX sample page (file size over 100MB) then scroll down to the RAW images.

FR-reader Bjoern checked out the recent RAW samples of the X-T20 (with 50mmF2) and X100F and here is his feedback

“I have taken a quick look at the X-T20 RAW samples using Libraw, which does not apply any automatic corrections during development (Like Vignetting and distortion compensation) and it seems like there is no noticeable vignetting and distortion even at f/2! This is a big difference to the 35mm f/2, whose images look like shot with a pinhole camera when they are uncorrected and are distorted really badly, unfortunately (see photozone).”

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro
Fujifilm X-T20: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro
Fujifilm X100F: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro
Fujifilm XF50mmF2 WR: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

Fujifilm To Launch Professional Fujifilm GFX and X Cameras Service in Europe March 1 (Other Countries Soon, Too?) – PRESS RELEASE

Join 5,000 GFX Fans and official X-photographers at the Fujifilm GFX Facebook Group

Fujifilm GFX and X series cameras PRO Service

So, once again, the rumor was correct… Fujifilm will indeed launch a professional service, and below is the full press release.

But note that the press release is for EU only (big markets like Germany and UK first). However, the last sentence of the press-release seems to indicate that other countries will follow:

“Fujifilm is aware that professional photographers may also work outside Europe and will be in close touch with repair centres in other major territories to ensure qualifying photographers are afforded a similar high level of service.”

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

Fujifilm Press Release

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