The Fujifilm X-E3 Rumor

NOTE: Long Term Rumor… so take it with the mandatory grain of salt.

• The Fujifilm X-E3 is again on Fuji’s “To Do” list.

Now please let’s make sure Fujifilm won’t change opinion again, and continue to SPAM Fujifilm here in the comments with requests for the X-E3 because….

… because your opinion matters to Fujifilm more than you might think… and here is a little story about it:

The Comeback of Fuji’s Forgotten Gem

For a long time, the Fujiiflm X-E3 was the forgotten gem in Fuji’s desk drawer and I was seriously afraid that it could be over for the lovely X-E line.

This is why, one day, I sat down with a glass of wine and waited for the inspiration to write a letter to Fujifilm. The result was the Love Letter to the Unborn X-E3.

And since the real strenght of FR is its huge community, along with the letter, I also launched a series of Polls, to see how much interested there is amongst FR-readers for an X-E3 (with tilt screen), compared to other X-series cameras.

Result: the X-E3 spanks them all! (see Polls below).

X-E Lovers of the World, Unite!

Ok… until now we were able to proof that Fujifilm reads this blog with such great interest, that they even display our Polls during official meetings with the press. So far it’s not surprising, since you guys are, by far, the biggest source of online feedback for Fujifilm and surveys launched here on FujiRumors usually get about 5,000 votes in just one day…  and Fujifilm just can’t ignore such a huge (and 100% independent) community and its feedback.

But can you guys also influence Fujifilm’s decisions?

Honestly, I think quite rarely… but apparently sometimes you can and you already did it in the past… with the Monochrome Fujifilm X-Pro!

At least that’s what a Fuji insider suggested…

Did a Poll on FujiRumors Decide the Future of the Monorchrome X-Pro?

So here is a short story about the monochrome X-Pro.

You might remember, how back in early 2015, Fujifilm Top Manager Toshihisa Iida said that he considers the Monochrome X-Pro a “sales opportunity for Fujifilm” and that it’s “technically of course possible, but it depends on the demand“.

“It depends on the demand“? Well, this called for a FujiRumors Survey ;)

I’ve launched a Poll a few days after Toshihisa statement, and, quite surprisingly (at least for me), the vast majority of X-shooters didn’t care about a monochrome X-Pro. [sadly, due to a bug, I lost all older Polls on FR, so you can’t see the results :-( ]

The rest is history: One year later, in early 2016, an important Fujifilm manager said, that every plan for a monochrome camera has been dropped… they prefered to give us ACROS.

Now you might say, that the Poll on FujiRumors had absolutely nothing to do with Fujifilm’s decision to drop plans for the Monochrome X-Pro… but you might be wrong.

I have it documented (with screenshots, too), that an important Fuji insider with excellent knowledge of Fuji’s long-term plans, was quite optimistic that a monochrome X-Pro could see the light of the day, especially after Toshihisa’s statement in early 2015. However, right after we launched the Poll here on FujiRumors, the very same Fuji insider saw the results and he publicy said that, given the bad results in the recent FujiRumors survey, he now has little hopes that Fujifilm will be motivated to make a monochrome X-Pro.

So, if written words still mean something, then the insider just confirmed that your voice (and votes) can influence Fujifilm’s decisions… or at least in case of the X-Pro monochrome your vote has very likely unmotivated Fujifilm to make it.

Did the same happen with the X-E3?

I don’t know, but I like to believe that all the love the X-E3 received here on FujiRumors in the last year, might also have influenced Fujifilm’s decision to give the X-E line another chance.

But at the end of the day, all that matters is just one thing: give us the Fujifilm X-E3, Fujifilm !!! :-)

stay tuned…
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

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THE RUMOR
Sony Stops 16MP Sensor Production

According to a new source (thanks), Sony just stopped the production of its 16 Megapixel sensors. As a consequence, so the source, Fujifilm is in the process of withdrawing all its 16MP cameras.

If true, then this is the end for 16MP X-Trans cameras… and some of those had a considerably short production life, as for example the Fujifilm X70 and Fujifilm X-E2s, which were launched just 11 months ago!

The source said that Sony’s decision surprised Fujifilm, since it came without much advanced warning (usually Sony gives a much longer advanced warning when it comes to end of sensor production, so that companies can adjust their strategy according to Sony’s sensor plans).

THE FACT
Fujifilm X70 Marked as Discontinued

Here is another puzzle piece, found by an attentive FR-reader (thanks), who followed the discussion about the X70 at kakaku.com.

Someone over there wrote an email to Fujifilm and asked why, at some Japanese stores, the X70 is no more available. Well, Fujifilm told him that the X70 has been discontinued. You can read the discussion at kakaku (translation).

And indeed, stores like yodobashi maked the black X70 as discontinued. And also at mapcamera you can’t find any X70 anymore (just accessories).

I’ve checked also EU/US stores and indeed X70 stock can be very limited or even not available, like at AmazonUK (silver version)

I remind you that also the X-T10 and X-E2 were marked as discontinued at the official Fujifilm site.

Fujifilm X70: USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / FocusCamera / Adorama / CANADA: AmazonCA / EUROPE: AmazonDE / AmazonUK / AmazonITA / AmazonFR / AmazonESP / PCHstore / WexUK / AUSTRALIA: CameraPro 

THE THEORY
by FujiRumors

If all said above is no coincidence, then here is what could have happend:

Fujifilm was surprised by the fact that Sony ends production, and decided to discontinue the X70 in order to use the remaining 16MP sensors for much more popular 16MP cameras like the X-T10.

Or maybe I’m reading too much into it, and the rumor + fact are not related to each other… I’ll let you know if, with the help of sources, I can find out something more.

stay tuned…
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

X-T10 (save $100): BHphoto / AmazonUS / FocusCamera / Adorama
X-T10 doubt XC kit (save $400): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama