DPReview Fujifilm Managers Interview: “No Need to Open X Mount, AI and Global Shutter are the Future, GFX100 Within End of June”

DPReview interviewed Toshi Iida, Makoto Oishi and Shin Udono. Here are the main points (full interview at dpreview here):

Medium Format

Full Frame and Medium Format will coexist
GFX 50R sales look very promising
FF is 1/3 of market in terms of value, slightly growing
MF was 1%, but doubled after GFX introduction
70% of MF buyers were coming from other brands, mainly DSLR, and the GFX is their additional system
20% of GFX users are professionals, 80% non-professionals (especially GFX 50R users)
Fujifilm wants to increase professional base, also thanks to Capture One support and with future GFX 100
Fujifilm GFX 100 should show the potential of medium format
FF can reach 70-80 Megapixel
GFX lenses designed for 100MP resolution
Fujifilm GFX100 will be available before the end of June
Fujifilm GFX100 target is commercial photographers, fashion, landscapes, but also more general purpos
GFX 100 will shoot at 16bit RAW. Benefit noticeable mostly at low ISO and deep shadow detail. 4 times the amount of data, 14 bit lets you shoot faster, which is appropriate for APS-C

APS-C vs Full Frame

Fujifilm is positioning APS-C against full-frame
APS-C is faster and more responsive thanks to smaller sensor [FujiRumors explains it here]
APS-C focus is on speed and image quality and versatility

Video

Lens Design

Fujifilm’s philosophy is to minimize digital correction and maximise optical quality of lenses. Downside of analogue correction: cost and size
digital correction has impact on IQ, for example resolution. Chromatic aberration correction also reduces total resolution
Fujifilm starts designing lenses with no analogue correction only, but if too big, too heavy, they start with software correction, until they find a balance
Compared to first generation X lenses, Fujifilm has learned and developed technologies to make lenses smaller without compromising image quality

Production

Fujifilm still depend on craftsmen, but for example to make resolution adjustments to lenses, they have introduces some automation, for more accurate adjustments to the barrel
With more focus on video, also the lens focus system has been made more suitable for video shooting

X100 line

Number one request is better glass, since the current lens is a 2010 design [DPReview speculates X100F successor will come with new lens]
X100 shooters are split between wanting a tilt screen and no tilt screen
People don’t want to change style and size
Some want 4K and weather sealing
X100 is a symbolic line

Closed X Mount

Fujifilm does not think they need to open up the mount to third parties, since they already offer 31 lenses
if third-party manufacturers reverse-engineer AF lenses for X mount, that’s good from a customers’ point of view [looks like they won’t sue Viltrox for making the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8]

Next Big Thing in Photography

Global shutter would give more design freedom and no rolling shutter
Computational and Artificial Intelligence technologies would let photographers „just press the button and let the camera do everything“

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