“I can tell you… the future of the X-series looks very exciting” (Bert Stefani after his visit in Tokyo)

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Bert Stefani was part of the fellowship of the X-photographers selected by Fujifilm and invited to Tokyo in order to present them their own suggestions to make the X-series even better and more complete. They continue to share their experience on their blogs.

So, after Kevin Mullins (article here) now also Bert Stefani wrote about how the company listens to the feedback of customers to improve the X-system and he gives an insight of what’s going on behind the scenes. Read Bert’s blog post here.

“[…] What struck me most is that the technical part doesn’t seem the starting point in the development process. It’s not about: “let’s produce a sensor with as much pixels as possible”. Instead they start from what kind of colors, contrast and “feel” people like in pictures. And only then they start looking for a technical way to capture that. A fine example of this philosophy is the fact that one of the main guys in sensor development has been involved in the development of some of the iconic films that Fujifilm produced like Velvia, Astia and Pro. He moved from chemicals to microchips but his job is still the same: making sure the image is pleasing, has character and the right “feel” […].

We were presented with the question: “Which five lenses should we design next?”. This triggered a lengthy discussion. […]

Throughout our visit, we were given the chance to give feedback on top-secret prototypes in various stages of development, from early ideas to almost production ready products. We didn’t have to sign any NDAs or contracts but I’ll leave the honor of announcing new products to the people who design them with so much passion (so dear rumor sites, there’s no reason to keep e-mailing me). But I can tell you is that the future of the X-series looks very exciting. […]”

Now it’s our turn. As we’ll never be that lucky to be invited by Fujifilm to Tokyo, Fujirumors could be the place where you can raise your voice and let all your wishes arrive to the Fuji headquarters.

Feel free to give your own answer to the question at which five lenses should Fuji design next? Or what would be your dream camera? What should the next firmware bring?… the debate is open in the comments! And I know that someone in Tokyo will read it.

cheers
Patrick

P.S.: now lemme see if I can dig up something about the exiting X-series future for you  ;)

Follow Fujirumors tomorrow via facebook, twitter and RSS feed.

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FR-readers zone: travel-X, switch to the X and manual focusing with Fuji X-E1 and 35mm

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It’s Sunday! Time to share some of your great images and stories you sent me via email at fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook and twitter. Keep it up!

let’s take some awesome pictures today ;)

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Mehrdad

Dear fujirumor Team,

my name is Mehrdad Samak-Abedi and I am a semipro photographer based in Berlin, Germany. I found to Fujifilm in 2011 with the x100 and since then I realy appreciate the hightquality image quality the x cameras offer me. I own a x-pro1 and a x100s and prefer landscapes-, street- and urban-photography.

My [shoplink 16850 ebay]Canon 5D MkII[/shoplink] is finds the way into my bag only when I do studiowork and some of my professional stuff but the x cams are alwways with me and I really mean always.

Anyway, I wonder you might be interested in some of my free works and I would appreciate when you are considiring posting some of my pics via your rumorsite or facebook?.
My website
www.qimago.de

My 500px.com sets
http://500px.com/MehrdadAbedi/sets

95% of the shots in my profile/sets/stories are shot with a Fujifilm x camera.

By the way I frequently visiting your rumors site. Gooooood job!
And keep on posting news etc.!

Cheers

Mehrdad

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Giacomo

Hi there,
I just wanted to share my flickr account, I’ve been shooting for the last 2 years with Fuji Cameras, first with an X100 and starting last Jan with an X-E1+[shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f1.4[/shoplink]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90193008@N04/

hope you enjoy it

regard

Giacomo

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Geoff

Hi Patrick. A great resource you are providing in the Fuji Rumours site. Like others have stated, I too check back often, in fact daily. I bought into the Fuji system in January 2013 and have in the last month decided to sell off my FF Nikon and associated lenses as they had not been used in 7 months. I have a web presence dedicated to the imagery from my X system. www.xtographer.weebly.com

Geoff (XF 14mm)

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Photo Sama

Manual focusing with Fuji X-E1 and [shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f/1.4[/shoplink]:

“Hello, First of all thanks for your work on fujirumors… it’s realy helpfull. I contact you because I wanted to share with you my first samples with Fuji-XE1 and 35mm f/1.4 used in full manual. http://www.meghiref.com

I’m a canon user for years now with lenses from [shoplink 16844 ebay]17TSE[/shoplink] to [shoplink 16846 ebay]300mm 2.8[/shoplink], I also owned a [shoplink 16847 ebay]GF1[/shoplink] for the same raisons I decided to go for a fuji. And honestly the only missing steps for fuji today, is full frame and a true 35mm (like 23mm f/2). For marketing and investment return reasons, they will not reach my expectations soon. For 23mm if they launch a 23mm/2 they kill the Xhundred market, so it will be a near 40mm f2.8 (I can live with it), just as I can live with a [shoplink 16848 ebay]Cosina voigtlander 25mm f/4[/shoplink]. Witch is for me the best compact solution today with a 38mm f/4 equivalent.

OK let’s go back to our topic the 35mm in full manual mode, (applicable for street photography )

Why use manual focus when AF work well, (and improved since last firmware)? Because even the fastest AF ever will never be as fast as no AF. For me the goal of street photography is to be able to freez the moment without interacting with the scene. The main rule, what ever you shoot with, is anticipation. When you have to pre-focus (lock the af on your subject, you have to select the right AF point, to point the contrasted zone in your subject, then go back to the scene to compose and wait for the right moment. All this steps are sources of fail, and the one that make you 80% of time change the course of the scene, is when you turn your point your camera to the people you want to focus on.

Here is the process with full manual. ISO is auto, aperture is fixed, shutter speed also. Now compose you scene, and open both eyes to evaluate the distance of your subject wait the right moment and shoot, with this method you miss less than the half of your shoots, and people don’t even care about what you’re doing.( A positive point for X-E1 with his retro look you are considered as a film shooter…)
So now the point is that the 35mm 1.4 is not the most comfortable manual focus lens I had. the number of ring turns between to distances is too high. but here again it’s not impossible see pictures in the top link.

The easiest way is to set aperture to 4 or more, then set the distance between 5 and 10 meters, and shoot, shoot, shoot every thing will be in.
An other point is battery saving mode that turns of you camera… for this point practice the half shuttr button speed, when you feel the moment…
Last point, don’t be too attached to sharpness, you never watch a picture with a magnifier it’s the content (the moment) and the message that counts…

A special message for pixel peepers, … have break take a kitkat, and try manual focus without 100% zoom. you’ll sped more time living the moment ! Here we are hope this could be helpful for any one.
See you.

Photosama

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To switch or not to switch? LAST super-X-deals day. Save up to $1,125 (and persuade Chelsey ;-))!

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To switch or not to switch? That is the question Chelsey Wood struggles with… and many others out there too (read the comments in the last X-deal post here). The dilemma is the following: X-E1 and lenses or [shoplink 16816 ebay]GX7[/shoplink] and lenses? Chelsey is gravitating towards the [shoplink 16816 ebay]GX7[/shoplink] but said that you still have some hours to persuade otherwise :). So if you think Chelsey should not miss this occasion, feel free to share your reasons in the comments.

And what if Fuji releases the X-E2? lettherebelight said in the last post: “You can always sell the body but the deal on the lenses is awesome. You would probably come out even if you bought say an X-E1 kit with 18-55 and added a 35 f1.4 at the current discount then sold the body later and upgraded to the X-E1s/2 or X-Pro2 body.”

Or as Mike said: “Wow, that’s a great deal. Worth buying now and putting those lenses away to use with the X-Pro 2 next year!”

 

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