Fujifilm Manager Talk Kaizen, Telephoto Lenses, Why not Full Frame, X-E series Future, X100 Line and More

Share
image courtesy: Phototrend
image courtesy: Phototrend

DPReview met up with Yuji Igarashi, Professional Imaging Group Manager, and Makoto Oishi, Head of Product Planning in Stockholm for the launch of the Fujifilm GFX100 II.

Here is a recap and below the link to the full interview.

Kaizen & Customer Feedback

  • Fujifilm has never changed its position on firmware updates
  • it’s just difficult to implement features launched with new sensor and processor to cameras with older hardware generation
  • it would require complete re-engineering of the firmware, which would require lots of resources
  • Fujifilm has priorities on how to use their resources
  • sometimes it’s not even technically possible to put certain new features on older cameras
  • but within the same generation of hardware, Fujifilm will do whatever is possible in terms of firmware updates
  • at the beginning, Firmware requests were more about fixing stuff, as initially X cameras were not perfect. Now the request is more about adding new features via firmware
  • the Fujifilm X and GFX system wouldn’t be where it is now without customer feedback

Sports and Wildlife and Telephoto lenses

  • first MILC was X-Pro1, stills oriented camera. Now they expanded also their offering in terms of video and speed (speed = stacked sensor X-H2S)
  • Fujifilm is adding focus for sports and wildlife, as Fujifilm is not yet known for that.
  • X-H2S is oriented towards that segment and “in terms of lenses, we’re also introducing more longer lenses”
  • we will continue to cultivate [the sports and wildlife segment]

X-E series

  • DPR asks if there is a future for the X-E series. The answer was:
  • “We haven’t lost focus on any of our existing range, so we’re always thinking about what will be next for us“

Stills

  • Very positive about X-T5
  • Fujifilm has a large customer base for stills photography
  • it’s important to listen to that segment of customers
  • sometimes though there are tough choices to make
  • when collecting feedback for X-T5, feedback was 50:50 for articulating vs 3-way tilt screen. Fujifilm went ot 3-way tilt screen

Frame.io

  • they talk about the easy to use Frame.io platform
  • at the moment main Frame.io users are videographers
  • there is potential also for stills

Full Frame, Why Not?

  • “The whole philosophy that we have is making sure we offer value to our customers. So I think we can do that with GFX, with its bigger sensor and large format, but also with the more compact APS-C size, which is also a very capable system. We can be confident and say, for these two lines, we can offer something that other brands cannot offer.”

GF500mm F5.6

X100V

  • Fujifilm tried to react by increasing production, but the demand keeps growing so it’s hard to catch up
  • X100 line has always been popular, that’s why there is a fifth generation of it
  • it was the first Fujifilm camera to get to the fifth generation
  • it’s by far Fujifilm’s most popular product

You can read the full interview at dpreview here.

Follow FujiRumors on

Fujifilm Facebook Groups

Share

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases