Fujinon XF 18mm F2, Where is the Love ?… While Waiting for the XF18mm MK II

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Fujinon XF 18mm F2 Reviews? Not so bad... at BHphoto
Fujinon XF 18mm F2 Reviews? Not so bad… at BHphoto

No Love for the Original XF18mmF2?

When Fujifilm started with the interchangeable X-series line (the X-Pro1), they launched 3 lenses: the much-loved and bestselling XF35mmF1.4, the often underestimated XF60mmF2.4, and the Fujinon XF 18mm F2… a lens, that IMO, should deserve a higher reputation than it currently has.

The original XF18mmF2 is a nice pancake solution for a wide variety of photographs. In fact, the XF18/2 was also Nate’s choice for his One Year, One Lens World Travel, where he shot street, landscape, architectures and even portraits with it (although he says that for portraits “I have to get right in peoples faces to do the portrait style I like – it’s not always a comfortable situation.”)

And there are more people out there, who like the XF 18mm F2. For example, peterpoete prefers it over the XF16mmF1.4 and it is also one of the top 2 lenses for everydaygetaway. Full stories linked below:

A second try… the Fujinon XF18 F2 at peterpoete:

“This lens is a perfect companion for almost any type of documentary work. Since its purchase the XF18 was attached to my camera almost all the time and I have done a very wide variety of photographs with it. Many of the pictures I have taken with it simply were snapshots – some were more serious work, sometimes even very sad and heartbreaking like those for a short documentary about the memorial and museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. […]

This lens brought back the delight and joy to make pictures back in many of my days strolling around and searching for things worth to be seen – at least for me.”

XF 18mm F2 R, where’s the love? at everydaygetaway

Like most Fuji shooters I didn’t give much thought to the XF 18mm when I first got into Fuji. Most of the mainstream reviews had luke-warm to downright bad opinions about it, some even calling it Fuji’s worst lens.

Thankfully I listened to a few of the quieter voices out there and gave the 18mm a shot because I loved the 28mm FL on my 6D and a7S and I wanted something similar in size to the XF 27mm that I already had, but with an aperture ring… the extra stop of light was an added bonus.

So what is it about this lens that makes it rank in my top 2 favorite lenses for my kit? Well, let’s break it down…

The XF18mmF2 MK II Rumors

When we launched our monumental future X-Series Lens Poll, the Fujinon XF18mmF2 MK II was one of the most wanted lenses (currently #5 out of 30 lenses). Check out the results here.

The good news, Fujifilm is working on it. :)

XF 18mmF2: AmazonUS, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera, AmazonDE

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Development of Wide Dynamic Range and Global Shutter Technology for Organic Photoconductive Film Image Sensor – Panasonic

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The Endless Tale of the Organic Sensor

Do you remember when back in June 2013 Fujifilm and Panasonic announced together the development of the organic sensor? If not, then check out below all the articles we shared here on FujiRumors about the organic sensor in last 4 years.

The last thing I’ve heard from sources about it (in March 2016), was that they had issues with too much heat generated by the sensor.

I have still no word about when (or if) the organic sensor will (if ever) find its way into actual digital cameras. For sure they are having more problems than they expected, since in June 2013 X-guru Rico Pfirstinger expected it to be read for mass production within 2015… and it we still have no organic sensor.

And despite delays and issues, both, Panasonic and Fujifilm, continued to publish press-releases about the organic sensor development.

The last one comes from Panasonic and has been published on May 2017. It’s written completely in Japanese, except for the English part I’ll share here on FR:

We are trying to effectively offer greater value to customers and developing technology to dramatically enhance performance and functions utilizing the structural feature of organic photoconductive film (OPF) image sensors. In these sensors, the photoelectric conversion part and signal processing circuits are vertically stacked and they can be designed independently. We have proposed and developed a dual-sensitivity pixel utilizing this unique feature of the OPF CMOS image sensor. It realizes a simultaneous wide-dynamic-range image capture of over 120 dB without time distortion. Photoelectric-conversion-controlled global shutter technology has also been developed by only modulating the voltage applied to OPF. It has improved the tradeoff performance and realized a high-saturation signal up to 10 times larger than the conventional image sensors. These technologies enable high-speed, high-precision imaging without time distortion in high-contrast scenes, and will be applied to new imaging and sensing devices.”

The FR-reader, who spotted (and shared with us – thanks a lot) also reminds us what Image Sensor World (via 43rumors) said about this paper:

“[Panasonic is] describing, essentially, a way to control sensitivity on per pixel basis. It’s quite similar to the sensor presented at ISSCC 2017, but without the IR sensitivity.”

You can read the entire (Japanese) publication “Development of Simultaneous-Capture Wide-dynamic-range Technology and Global Shutter Technology for Organic Photoconductive Film Image Sensor” in this PDF here.

And now, as promised, all the episodes of the long organic sensor story :) – just click READ MORE

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All In With the Fujifilm GFX :: GF110mm… the Must Have G-mount Lens :: DPReview GF23mm Sample Gallery… and More (GFX zone)

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Fujifilm GFX

So it happens, that almost 7 months after its launch, the Fujifilm GFX 50s is ranked as the #69 best selling mirrorless camera. To me, that does not sound bad at all.

The Fujifilm GFX 50s is just the beginning of something new and awesome in the medium format world, just like the Fujifilm X100 and X-Pro1 were the beginning of something new and awesome in the APS-C world.

But while it took Fujifilm a couple of years to finally launch a mature product and have huge success in the APS-C world (X-Trans2 cameras and especially X-T1), I think that the next iteration of Fujifilm’s medium format cameras, the Fujifilm GFX 100S (or however they will call it) will already be a 100% mature product, especially if it will feature Sony’s 100MP BSI sensor that Sony officially announced at the CEBit here.

But until then, the Fujifilm GFX 50s is already a great tool, and a whole lot of fun to use today.

Join the 14,000+ strong GFX facebook group, and incredibely helpful community creating infinite GFX content. For fast, reliable, and 100% GFX news and rumors follow the Fujifilm GFX facebook page.

Fujifilm GFX 50s: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS

And now… one of the most appreciated sections of the GFX roundups: the images.

I know it means a lot to you guys if I share your work on FujiRumors. As photographers, you can need any visibility (and improved SEO google search results) you can get on the web, and I know I can help with it.

More visibility can also mean more clients for you guys.

This is why I keep it up, of course giving you all the credit you deserve for your great work, even if these image roundups are a really very time consuming activity for me. But I really want to support your as much as I can.

Rich Legg
shared here
Ruger, Bloodhound. GF120

_ _ _

Alan Aurmont
shared here
“Dorothy”
Shot on GFX+110 but this particular photo could be shot on any camera+tele combo

_ _ _

Damien Lovegrove
shared here
GFX50s with 32-64mm zoom lens and a splash of flash.

Push READ MORE to Enjoy a Stunning Set of Images
(NSFW Included)

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** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Metz WT-1 Trigger Coming also for Fujifilm

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Metz WT-1 Triggers at BHphoto
Metz WT-1 Triggers at BHphoto

Metz just release their Metz WT-1 trigger for Sony. And over at their facebook page here, they said they will release the Fujifilm version “as soon as possible“.

I remind you that

  • A new firmware for Metz Mecablitz M400 enables Fujifilm remote flash mode (Auto HSS and Wireless TTL) – read here
  • the new Cactus V6II firmware just added support for Metz M400 for Fujifilm (TTL Group Metering, TTL Ratio and More) – read here

Metz Mecablitz M400: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS.

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TheVerge Fujifilm X-T20 Review: “Fujifilm’s Mirrorless Cameras are Simply Better… the Fujinon XF Lens Ecosystem is Unrivaled”

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The Verge reviewed the Fujifilm X-T20… and it’s a very positive review.

But the parts of the review I want to highlight today here on FujiRumors are not the many qualities of the X-T20 (most of all the incredible IQ in a $900 camera), but something most of us X-shooters already experience since a long time: the pure pleasure of shooting with Fujifilm cameras.

So what are you waiting for… get an X-T20, and join the X-side of life :)

I didn’t understand the pervasive appeal of Fujifilm cameras until I spent some quality time with one […]

No alternative camera system feels as sound an investment of my money as Fujifilm does. […]

It’s tough for me to decouple the pleasure of shooting with the X-T20 from its eventual results. The process of capturing images with this camera is more satisfying than any other I’ve known (except maybe Fujifilm’s own X-Pro2, which I’ve only flirted with). […]

Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras are simply better. Our reviews of these cameras tend to devolve into emotional expositions about passion for the art of photography, but ultimately Fujifilm just wins on all the practical fronts that matter. The X-T20 has the best viewfinder, best ergonomics, and best image quality in its price class. The Fujinon XF lens ecosystem is unrivaled. If there’s any problem for this camera, it’s in convincing people that it’s worth trying — because I’m confident that once they do, they’ll fall in love with it just as I did.”

You can read the whole review at TheVerge.

Fujifilm X-T20: USA: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, PCH AUS: CameraPro

And then I Thought: “Stop Waiting for the X-E3, and get the X-T2/Zero (X-T20)” … Did Fujifilm Hit the Sweet Spot with the X-T20?

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