I am not that kind of guy, who breaks into a place bypassing security checks…
I broke into photokina bypassing security checks 1 day ahead of the official opening, because I could not wait to deliver you the first images side by side of the XF33mmF1.0, XF16-80mmF4 and XF16mmF2.9 and first hands on video of the Fujifilm GFX 50R.
But let’s talk about it later and start with the Fujifilm managers.
images I took at photokina 2016… can you find Waldo
The Year of Mirrorless
This years’ photokina will probably the most exciting of the last 20 years.
We will assist to the death of DSLR’s (that’s it my friends, just accept it), and open the new era of mirrorless.
Paraphrasing the famous sentence from the movie Deadline we could say “that’s technology, baby, there is nothing you can do about it, nothing“.
Sure, the transition from DSLR to mirrorless won’t happen overnight. But that’s the trend. And that’s why Canon and Nikon are starting to get serious about mirrorless, too.
On this years photokina we will see the following new mirrorless cameras from Fujifilm:
In 2016, the by far busiest booth was the one of Fujifilm, but, between me and you, the most beautiful one was without a doubt the one of Leica (don’t tell Fuji, but I’ve spend hours (!!!) there).
This year, Fujifilm won’t have such an easy game to play like in 2016. The competition is strong, and that’s good for us customers.
The biggest problem?
Well, on the same Photokina days, there is also worlds largest beer festival, the Oktoberfest in Munich (I’ve never been there). So I stand in front of tough decisions: Oktoberfest or Photokina? Life can be so cruel!!!
As you know, Fujifilm has launched a dedicated Fujifilm Photokina microsite, where you can check out all the events planed for photokina.
Now they also published an official press release with all the details.
Well, actually not really all the details, since they don’t tell you that they will display also the Fujifilm GFX 50R, which will be announced on September 25 at 07:30 AM New York time :).
Yesterday we published the email of a Cameranu (a big and official Fujifilm retailer), who said to their customers, the XF16-80mmF4 will ship in November 2018.
I guess Camernu does not make up some stuff just to fool their customers and take early pre-orders. So I see two options:
UPDATE: Our sources told us that Cameranu is wrong and that the lenses will come in 2019 as written on the roadmap – full report here
A few days ago Cameranu (an important Dutch store and also an authorized Fujifilm dealer) listed the XF16-80mmF4 WR, the XF33mmF1.0 and XF16mmF2.8 at their store.
Officially, Fujifilm’s latest roadmap says the XF16-80mm F4 and XF16mm F2.8 will come in 2019, whereas the XF33/1 in 2020.
But there could be a pleasing surprise :)
After reading the article on FujiRumors, one of our readers contacted Cameranu and asked them more details about the lenses.
Well, the store answered, and the reader send me the screenshot of the stores’ email. It’s in Dutch, and here is what it says in short:
“The expected shipping date for the XF16-80mmF4 is November“
It is not super clear, but it seems that also the XF16mmF2.8 could ship this year.
Cameranu expects to get more details about these lens pretty soon.
If this information is accurate, then I guess we can expect the lenses (except for the XF33/1) to be annonced along with the Fujifilm X-T3 very soon.
I guess Camernu does not make up just some stuff to fool their customers. If they say this, then I am sure it is because their Fujifilm rep told them so.
And just like many of us are impatiently waiting for the XF 33mm f/1.0, it seems that stores can’t wait to finally start selling the “world’s first mirrorless lens with F1.0 maximum aperture and AF capability“.
In fact, EU store Cameranu has already listed as available for pre-order the XF 33mm F1.0, which, according to the Fujifilm roadmap, will be available in 2020.
Cameranu also listed the XF 16-80/4 and XF 16/2.8. Down below you can find the product description.
I remind you that, based on technical sketches delivered by Fujifilm, here on FujiRumors you can already find size comparisons between the XF16mmF2.8 and XF16-80mmF4 Vs. other Fujinon lenses.
I remind you that you can’t remove the lens hood on the XF 8-16mm F2.8, this is why you see it with lens hood at camerasize. And as FR-reader Panther says in the comments, “You don’t gain any size advantage by removing the lens hood, since the front elemt sticks out far anyway. It also helps protect the front element, so you can put it on a table front side down and the front element doesn’t touch the table.”
FR-reader Yoav (thanks), has continued to make several size comparisons of the new upcoming XF 16-80mm F4 and XF 16mm F2.8. I will share them all down below.
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