Top 10 April Articles: Fujinon X Roadmap Rumors, X-H2 Confirmed, Firmware Updates, X Mount is Open (Sigma?), Tokina for Fuji X

Here are the Top 10 most read articles in April, that, in case you missed, you should definitely go back and check out!

  1. Fujifilm Releases Several New Firmware Updates
  2. Fujifilm Manager Toshihisa Iida: “We Open X Mount to Third Parties. X-H Line Continues. No GFX Fixed Lens Camera & More”
  3. VOTE NOW the SIGMA Lens You Want for Fujifilm X
  4. Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 Pre-Sale Started and Shipping April 21
  5. Top 20 Fujifilm Manager Statments about Fujifilm X-H2, X100V/X-T3 Firmware, Monochrome, Open X Mount, Fixed Lens GFX and More
  6. Major Fujifilm X-T3 and GFX100 Firmware Update Coming May/June
  7. Hooray! Fujifilm X-E4 Shows Up in Internal Fujifilm Roadmap Again!
  8. Fujifilm Issues Official Statement Regarding Fujifilm X100V Overheating Reports
  9. Tokina to Launch Three Fujifilm X Mount Lenses in 2020
  10. Fujifilm X Lens Roadmap: Two Fujinon MK II Lenses Coming Between Now and March 2021 plus XF50mmF1.0 and XF70-300mmF4-5.6 [now we know all 4 lenses on the roadmap. Only to determinate which exactly the 2 mark II lenses will be].

Top 3 Runner Ups

  1. It’s a Triumph: FUJIFILM Wins Top 2 World Press Photo Awards and Even More… Despite not Being Full Frame ;)
  2. Fujifilm Manager: X100V/X-T3 Firmware, Fujifilm X-H2 will Come, Zero Monochrome Chances, 32 Megapixel Limit for Current XF Lenses & More
  3. FR-readers Wishlist Corner: Fujifilm X-TSony, Firmware Upgrade Suggestions, Lens Wishes and Much More

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Notification of Application of Public Medical Insurance to the New Gene Detection Kit “SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Detection kit” for Coronavirus that Greatly shortens PCR Test Time

We reported on April 3, how Fujifilm was developing a fast test for Coronovirus. Here are the latest updates form Fujifilm.

Notification of application of public medical insurance to the new gene detection kit “SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Detection kit” for coronavirus that greatly shortens PCR test time (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical)

translated from Japanese

May 1, 2020 FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.

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Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R with Aperture Ring Listed at Some Stores: A Dream Come True or a Sweet Illusion?

A FR-reader contacted me, informing me that it’s a while now that several stores worldwide list the Fujifilm XF27mm f/2.8 R, where “R” stands for “aperture ring”.

As a happy owner of the Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8, a MK II version of this lens with aperture ring would be a dream come true!

But you know, I run this blog since a long, a very long, time. I shared my Fuji passion on FujiRumors, when probably most of you didn’t even know the X series existed. And I remember everything of this long journey.

I remember also this:

Back in 2013, when the Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8 was not yet officially announced, Fujifilm showed 27mm mock-ups around at various photography fairs. The mock-ups had indeed an aperture ring, as you can see here.

But at the end, the final version came out without an aperture ring.

So what’s going on now?

Well, as much as I’d love to believe that this is some sort of leaked image of an upcoming XF27mm f/2.8 with aperture ring, at this point in time I believe more that this is just an error. Probably a pre-release mock-up rendering by Fujifilm, that found its way in the final specs sheets distributed to retailers and press, and hence kept circulating.

With that said, there will be two Mark II lenses coming in the next 10 months. If one of those would be the Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8 Mark II with aperture ring, that would make me very happy.

But so far, I do not know which are the two lenses… but it’s a work in progress ;).

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Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 First Sample Images

We told you just yesterday, that the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 is now available.

Now Viltrox also posted the first sample images of the lens. You can see them all down below.

You can find the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 at the Viltrox store here, but it should soon follow also on BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama and eBay.

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Viltrox Sample Images

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VILTROX Roadmap Shows Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 AF II and Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 Coming for APS-C

Viltrox has disclosed their roadmap.

Interesting for Fujifilm X shooters:

  • Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 AF MK II
  • Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 AF

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via Viltrox

Fujifilm X Lens Roadmap: Two Fujinon MK II Lenses Coming Between Now and March 2021 plus XF50mmF1.0 and XF70-300mmF4-5.6

You might remember, how back at the awesome Fujifilm X summit in February, the Japanese Fujifilm manager said there will be 4 new lenses coming within the next 12 months.

One of them is the Fujinon XF50mm f/1.0.

FujiRumors investigated, and told you already a few weeks ago, that another one will be the Fujinon XF70-300mm f/4-5.6.

And now, thanks to a trusted source, we can tell you that the remaining two lenses will be Mark II versions of existing lenses.

So, from now to March 2021 we will get:

Whenever I can, I will let you know, which one will be updated (I honestly do not know at this point in time). But don’t miss it when it happens, and follow FujiRumors.

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Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 now Available for $329 only

Viltrox just officially released the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X mount for $329 only.

As a comparison, the equivalent Fujinon XF 23mmm f/1.4 costs you $899. This means the Viltrox costs you 63% less than the Fujinon lens. Not a bad deal.

This is one of the four autofocus lenses Viltrox offers for the Fujifilm X system.

You can find the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 at the Viltrox store here, but it should soon follow also on BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama and eBay.

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Hooray! Fujifilm X-E4 Shows Up in Internal Fujifilm Roadmap Again!

Message to Source: Mega-Thanks! As an X-E line lover, you really made my day!!!

And since you contact me anonymously via nickname, I have something to ask you. I did read also the rest of the message. Thanks a lot for that. I am investigating, and I believe I know the answer to some of the things you told me, but not all.

If you want, you can contact me via email or personal message on social media. So I would tell you what I know (or think to know) and maybe you can confirm or not. You can also make a fake email if you prefer.

But if you prefer not, then of course it’s also fantastic help just to use the rumor box with your nickname. In that case, if I have something to tell you, I will try to do it via the blog, as I do today.

Regarding the other information you sent me: I will wait a little bit, just in case you decide to contact me, so I can share something with you, and we can decide together how to share. Otherwise I will proceed as usual, and share the information as I received it from you soon.

X-E4: I Am Back

Two months ago I told you that the Fujifilm X-E4 had been axed by Fujifilm.

Multiple sources confirmed this.

But I also told you that, if there is one rumor I hope you guys will one day sh*tstorm on me, because I was wrong, then it’s this one.

And guess what?

A highly trusted source decided to make my day (and the one of many other fellow X shooters), by telling us the Fujifilm X-E4 is now back on the internal Fujifilm camera roadmap!

So, actually the “X-E4 is dead” is technically not a wrong rumor.

In fact, the X-E4 has been really axed back in late 2019/beginning 2020. But Fujifilm put it back on the roadmap just very recently in April. And yet, unless a Fujifilm manager one day confirms, what I know is true, I will move the X-E4 rumor in the “wrong rumors 2020” list anyway.

Sh*tstorm or not, I really don’t care. I know the truth, and even more important is that the X-E line is back on the roadmap. This makes me happy!

And now let me grab my old dog and go out on the fields around my home with a smile on my face :).

Ah, Fuji… don’t forget the tilt screen this time ;).

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The Key to Happiness: my X-E3 + a Beer :)

FUJIFILM Postpones Announcement of Financial Results for the Fiscal Year 2020 due to COVID-19

Fujifilm just announced the postponement of the release of the financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020*. They need more time to make the report due to COVID-19.

They anticipate the inevitable: COVID-19 had a big impact on “some products“, and you can be sure cameras are one of those products.

The impact of COVID-19 is also seen on sales of some products and services. The effect on the performance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 is currently under review and shall be notified as soon as we identified matters requiring disclosure

Overall, though, Fujifilm is in a better position than Nikon for example, as Fujifilm is a very diversified company. Down below you can see the yearly stock performance of Fujifilm, Nikon, Canon and Sony.

Also Nikon and other companies have postponed the fiscal year results announcement.

* the Japanese fiscal year 2020 started on the 1st of April 2019 and ended on the 31th of March 2020.

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Press Release

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VOTE NOW the SIGMA Lens You Want for Fujifilm X

In a recent interview, Top Fujifilm manager Toshihisa Iida said that Fujifilm is opening X mount to third parties, and that Tokina will be the first company to offer autofocus lenses for the Fujifilm X system.

To be fair, Fujifilm had an exclusive agreement with Zeiss back in the days, when the Fuji X system was at the beginning (and almost nobody bought it). Fujifilm needed to extend their lens offering and they did it with the help of Zeiss, who released Zeiss Touit X mount trinity (with the first 1:1 macro lens for the X system among them).

But that cooperation failed, and Fujifilm went on making lenses for the X system all alone, never sharing protocols with anybody else again.

Fast forward March 2019, when pressed by questions, Top Manager Toshi Iida confirmed that Fujifilm does not need to share their protocols, as they offer lots of lenses already.

This statement raised strong reaction in the FujiRumors community, with hundreds of comments disagreeing with Fuji’s decision.

Shortly after that, Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki literally said in this interview: “Fujifilm customers would be our ideal customer, but Fujifilm does not disclose their protocols”.

And so, another wave of critics reached Fujifilm.

It seems Fujifilm listened, as just recently Fujifilm completely changed position, saying they will open X mount to third parties.

We like to believe, that all our critics helped Fujifilm to change their mind about this subject ;).

Now, it remains to see, what “opening X mount” means for Fujiiflm. In fact, I agree with Trenton, when he wrote in the comments to our previous post:

Only time could tell what that “open to third parties” means in reality. It could come loaded with prohibitive licensing costs. It could come with a non-compete clause.

For todays’ article, we will just assume, that Fujifilm will open for everybody, who wants to join, for a reasonable price. And that Sigma, who said that Fuji’s protectionism was the reason they can’t make X mount lenses, will now be on board and start releasing lenses for Fujifilm X.

Now the question is: which lenses should Sigma make first?

Of course Sigma has currently a massive lens selection.

I decided to check out the current Sigma mirrorless lenses offering that are listed at BHphoto here as well as all current Sigma lenses for DSLR cameras listed at BH.

Of course some lenses are for APS-C and others for full frame. I will list them all down below.

Now, the FujiRumors community is always extremely happy to help out managers to make decisions. So, in case Sigma is right now thinking at which lenses they should offer first for the Fujifilm X system, we launch a survey, so that you guys can tell them what you want, and Sigma can make their decision.

And if you think I am crazy… remember those times, when Fujifilm had no roadmap, and we launched a mega-survey with lens suggestions, and Fujifilm took 1:1 our top recommendations and put those into the roadmap?

Sometimes, those guys in Japan do listen ;).

Now, back to the survey.

We remind you that at Sigma, DG lenses are full frame lenses, and DC lenses are APS-C lenses.

Full Frame Lenses

APS-C Lenses

Vote The Poll

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