Serene Automation has just announced support for select Nikon Speedlights, off-camera, with full TTL. Plus, for a short time, you can use your Nikon Speedlight with your X-series camera for about the same price of a new Fujifilm Flash! Check out their website for details, including which SB units are supported.

In his review Mehrdad Samak-Abedi said “I have a very positive experience with the RoboSHOOTs. Everybody who looks for wireless TTL flash for their Fuji X-system should have a close look at the MX/RX line.” Most of us in the X community know and respect Mehrdad’s work and contributions, including his interview in Fujifilm Magazine here.

Be sure to take a look at Mehrdad ’s great review of the RoboSHOOT system at www.qimago.de

I guess it’s my time to say something about the SonyA7rII. I was reluctant to write anything about it, even though I’ve tried the Sony A7rII for several days.

But today I could not resist for two reasons:

1. I have a bit of spare time & and I’m slightly drunk at home after an X-T1 Vs. Canon M3 shootout with Steve of CanonWatch.
2. I’ve read a very interesting article at Fujifilm X World.

You’ll read about the Canon M3 at CanonWatch later on, so let’s go directly to point 2, the Fuji X World post, which was the real trigger for this article.

“Image quality” over “Specs”

The article is about one of the most loved lenses amongst us X-shooters: the XF 35mmF1.4. It shows Fuji’s approach when they design a new lens, which can be summed up in this sentence:  “Image quality” over “Specs“

And it’s not just a good sounding slogan, it’s Fuji’s philosophy. Go and read it here… I’ll just quickly come to the point of the article:

When Fuji designed the XF 35mmF1.4 they had 2 choices: create the lens in a way that it will perfectly match the test criteria used for MTF charts, or don’t care about specs & charts and design the lens thinking at the real life use… and Fuji went for the latter one.

That’s why, today, looking at the MTF charts, the XF 35mm doesn’t seem much of a lens, but looking at the pictures X-shooters (including me) take with it every day, it’s pretty clear that Fuji has created a hell of a lens! Because, as Fujifilm said:

“There is something more than just the catalog spec.”

And that brings me to the Sony A7rII.

Fuji (X-T1) Vs. Sony (A7rII)

Prologue

These are just my very personal considerations. People with different ways of shooting, priorities & workflow will come to completely different conclusions… and that’s good so.

I don’t want to sound like a Sony hater, so let me say it clearly: the Sony A7rII has terrific specs, it’s a good camera, and overall I absolutely like the innovation Sony brings to the digital camera technology. They make the arguably best & most innovative sensors out there (sorry Canon)!

But today I won’t join the A7rII siren songs of the internet, and since I can’t cover every single spec (that would mean writing a book, not a blog post), I’ll focus on those aspects that I prefer on Fujifilm and try to explain why I’ve quickly lost my interest in the A7rII.

Admiringlight compares the X-T1 + Fuji XF 56mmF1.2 and the A7II + Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 (with the Contax G 90mm thrown in for fun)!

Admiringlight says, that these are all “stellar” optics and there is no clear winner (“we’re sort of splitting hairs at this level“). Here are some of hits findings:

Both, the Fuji 56 and the Zeiss Batis 85 are “exceptional” lenses. Thanks to the X-Trans sensor, the samples taken with the 56mm show less moire. Wide open the Batis is sharper in the corners. And what about the bokeh:

“Well, I think the Fuji’s bokeh looks nicer here. It’s subtle, but it’s smoother and the lower contrast is very pleasing, and the Fuji colors shine.”

XF 56mmF1.2 APD (save $300): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 56mmF1.2 (save $100): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline

NEW FUJIFILM lens & camera rebates

CAMERAS

X-T1 + 18-55 (save $100): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
X-T1 Black Body (save $100): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
X-T1 Graphite Body (save $100): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline

LENSES

XF 16mmF1.4 WR (save $150): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 56mmF1.2 APD (save $300): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 56mmF1.2 (save $100): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 14mmF2.8 (save $200): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 23mmF1.4 (save $150): AmazonUS  / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 50-140mmF2.8 WR (save $150):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 10-24mmF4 (save $150):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 35mmF1.4 (save $200):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 16-55mmF2.8 WR (save $150):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 27mmF2.8 (save $200): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 18mm (save $150): AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 60mm (save $200):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 18-135mm (save $150):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 55-200mm (save $150):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline
XF 18-55mm (save $100):  AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline

A source, who was right in the past (and contacts me anonymously using a nickname – thanks!), gave me an update about the latest X100T successor rumor here. The source says that:

– it’s true, the successor of the X100T will feature the same sensor of the X-PRO2.
– the X100T successor will have a newly developed lens!

At the moment, the entire X100 line (X100, X100S and X100T) features the same 23mmF2 lens (where you can attach the WCL-X100 Wide Conversion Lens and TLC-X100 Tele Conversion Lens).

The source did not gave me further details about the lens (and I’d be very grateful for any help I could get from sources out there).

Anyway, it’s still a long wait, before we will see any X100T successor, so it’s pretty safe to assume that the development of the new lens is not finalized as of yet. Fujifilm might be still discussing various options.

Now, it’s a fact that Fujfilm X-rays this blog and therefore Fujifilm will take a close look at your opinions in the comments and your vote in the poll. So, dear FR-readers, let’s tell the Fuji bosses in Tokyo, which lens you would like for the Fujifilm X200 (or whatever the name will be).

Maybe a faster lens? The same 23mmF2 lens, but with a better performance wide open (F2) at close distances? Or maybe even… an X100Z with Zoom Lens?

PS.: And if you want something smaller and cheaper, follow the rumors about the Fuji X70.

THE OWNERSHIP OF THE RUMORS

If you decide to share content published on this blog, you are very welcome to do so. But I’d really appreciate if you put a working link back to “www.fujirumors.com“. Although I try to understand your temptation to make it look like as it comes from your own sources and to skip the difficult part of the work by just copying everything (not only rumors) right after I share it on FR, please try to respect my hard work. So, share & discuss on your websites, but please put a visible and working link back to “FujiRumors.com“.

And if, as usual, you think this is all just clickbait BS, well, then I wonder why you continuously copy FR-content (often without quoting) and/or simply don’t delete my BS from your websites. You really don’t want to make traffic out of my clickbait BS rumors, don’t you ;-)?

have a great start in this new week,
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Fujifilm shows one of the FujiRumors Polls to the Press