FujiRumors already told 2 years ago that 7Artisans started to work on autofocus lenses for Fujfiilm X.
Well, it looks like the development is finally done and those 7Artisans AF lenses are already out for testing, according to reports shared at the Chinese social media account on Weibo 独立摄影师联合会 here.
The French website Phototrend had the opportunity to interview Franck Bernard, Director of the imaging division at Fujifilm France. You can read the full interview here and the summary below.
I’d like to make some considerations.
Fujifilm X-E Line
The French manager hinted that they dropped the X-E line, but that pretty much does not fit with the hints recently a Japanese Fujifilm manager gave us here. And also Fuji Guy Billy mentioned here the X-E line as a line that would continue (unlike X-T***, X-A* lines, which btw were just Fujifilm branded Xacti cameras since a long time anyway, as we reported here).
Fujifilm X100V successor
No, it’s not too early to talk about it.
Third party Lenses
The French Fujifilm manager said they are neutral towards third party lenses. Although I remember Fujifilm managers inviting Sigma managers and talking about Sigma lenses for example here. So this gives me the impression Fujifilm is quite positive overall towards third party lenses.
The French manager said they think they have the quality to compete with third party lenses. This depends. The newest third party lenses from Viltrox & Co are quite phenomenal for the price. Maybe here and there they might not match the quality of the top of the line most modern Fujinon XF lenses, but there are quality options also from third parties.
The real and most important factors, for me, to use as much as possible native Fujinon lenses are two:
These are for me the two main reasons why I mostly stick with Fujinon XF and GF glass, although I own third party lenses for both systems, too.
My Personal Gear
A few months ago we wrote a dedicated article about “Fujifilm patents”, where we dig deep into every single patent ever registered since the existence of the Fujifilm X series.
And we saw: out of 67 patents, not a single one became a real product until now.
I made this huge effort to go through 10+ years of articles on FujiRumors and find every single patent ever shared, because I noticed the tendency by many in the X shooter community to take such patents as rocksolid indication of what is Fujifilm will launch in future.
My goal is to Invite you to take these patents for what they are: products that in 99,9999% of the cases will exist only on paper.
With that said, today we have three more patents to add to the list as they have been spotted by the Japanese website asobinet.
Given the lovely Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3, I see no urgency for the Fujinon XF 18-300mm f/3.5-6.5 OIS.
The Fujinon XF 16-150mm f/4-6.5 OIS might be a bit too close to the Fujinon XF18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR and one of my favorite X mount lenses, the XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
Fujinon XF 16-200mm f/3.5-6.5 OIS could be the only that could make sense to me as a meaningful addition to the X series lineup.
But forget patents, follow the rumors.
And the rumors say, that the next XF lens we will get is the replacement of this lens here.
We just told you that there will be no more Fujifilm announcements in 2023.
And since in terms of new gear we are done for this year, lots of people started asking me what is coming in 2024.
Now, I am working on it, and we have shared already something.
For example we told you that the next XF lens to come is the replacement of this lens here.
More rumors will follow.
But as you know, on FujiRumors we will not make up a single rumor just to make traffic, nor share anonymous rumors we receive in which I don’t trust.
We prefer to share less rumors, generate less traffic, make less money, and value your time with less, but accurate rumors.
But until more rumors drop, I thought we could also make one single article where we talk about the current state of the rumors and also make speculation on what could or we would like to come in 2024.
Yes I know.
I am aware that in the first half of 2023 Fujifilm has registered a camera with the code name FF230002.
And I am aware that never before Fujifilm needed more than 4/6 months to release a camera after its registration has been spotted.
This is why 99,9% of people out there are so sure there will be another Fujifilm announcement this year.
Maybe in November, as that’s a great month to launch new gear (Fuji’s most important camera has been launched November last year for example).
But this ain’t gonna happen, according to our sources.
In fact, we have been told (thanks!!!), that as far as 2023 goes, this was it. There is no new gear coming in 2023.
I mean, yes, the two GF tilt shift lenses still have to hit the market. But of course our sources mean that there won’t be any further announcements this year.
This means that we will also NOT get the next Fujinon XF lens that we already rumored a couple of weeks ago, in 2023.
So all we got (and will get) in 2023 is:
Some great stuff dropped in 2023 for both systems, but certainly there was more to rejoice for GFX users rather than X series users this year.
But before the X series users start moaning, just a quick reminder on what we got in 2022:
Sure, we always wish for more. But over the last 2 years I think we can agree that there has been quite some decent stuff for both systems.
And what about 2024?
Well, for that, my friends, you’ll have to follow FujiRumors.
Rumors, that will be shared exclusively for you here on FujiRumors.
Fujifilm Facebook Groups
