April was a month rich on rumors (shared exclusively for you here on FujiRumors) and firmware updates that you should definitely not miss. This is why this months’ top 10 article is particularly important.
There is only one non-rumor and non-firmware article that made it in the top ten, and it covers a wonderful software for Fujifilm X-Trans files: DxO PureRAW 3 and DxO DeepPRIME XD. Personally I also own DxO PhotoLab 6.4.
In addition to the usual top 10 articles, we will also introduce a new section with the top 5 FR YouTube videos of the month.
Let’s have a weekend chat… and try to give an answer to a question I often get.
The story is this:
Back in March Fujifilm Spain displayed this camera roadmap, where they show two more cameras coming in 2023.
So the question I get often these days is: is this really all we will get in 2023? Two cameras and no more?
I can understand your skepticism, especially considering that even during the Covid pandemic Fujifilm has launched an average of 3 to 4 cameras a year, as we calculated in this article.
And if Fujifilm really was to launch two cameras only, then FujiRumors readers already know which ones these will be:
First off: it is not clear if the roadmap displayed by Fujifilm Spain refers to X series cameras only (hence APS-C cameras) or if it includes also GFX cameras.
If it was for X series only, then it we would get 2 X series cameras (one of them being the X-S20) and at least one GFX camera (as we rumored here).
The Spanish website Fujistas, who shared the roadmap and was present at the event, actually reported on them as being “two X series cameras“. So that would mean two APS-C cameras. So there is one I never rumored before that would still come in 2023.
But even if Fujifilm Spain’s roadmap would include the GFX cameras, than I’d not be 100% sure that all we get are really only 2 cameras.
Why?
Because internal roadmaps get regular updates and are often changed depending on the need of the moment. Fujifilm might postpone a camera launch, but can also anticipate its announcement. This depends on lots of things such as their own state in terms of development of new models, but Fuji can also look at what competitors are doing and in case step on the gas and work on releasing new gear faster.
Same happens with lens roadmaps, which are public. Fujifilm can announce and even show mockups of roadmap lens (remember the XF33mmF1.0?) and then cancel or change it. Other lenses get delayed, other never appeared on any roadmap, but suddenly hit the market (lots of the MKII lenses for example).
That’s why I personally would take any camera or lens roadmap with a grain of salt.
If it really was the most up to date roadmap and it would include also GFX cameras, then FujiRumors basically already told you which cameras will come in 2023.
But if’s only for X series or not the most up to date roadmap, then this means I have still some work to do to find out which other cameras could come in 2023.
In any case, stay tuned on FujiRumors. As soon as I can tell you something reliable, I will post updates here on the blog and on my YouTube channel.
I can’t say with certainty that the codename stands for those two cameras, because it could be also another camera.
These codenames could also indicate other cameras.
But one thing I can say with 100% certainty: I am aware of Fujifilm X-Pro4 and Fujifilm GFX50R replacement rumors, but those are 100% fake clickbait rumors.
We recently reported about a comparison made between Canon R5 and Fujifilm X-H2, and we saw that the new DxO PureRAW 3 brings sensible benefits to the sharpness of the X-Trans files, whereas the same software does not really boost sharpness on the Canon R5 with Bayer sensor.
That’s why the reviewer ended up highly recommending to add PureRAW 3 to your Lightroom editing workflow in order to get best results.
Well, if you didn’t test it, then DPReview did that for you.
They call the new DeepPRIME XD support a win for Fujifilm X-series shooters and recommend it to make it your default option for high-ISO shots.
From my testing, the arrival of DeepPRIME XD for X-Trans looks to be a win for Fujifilm X-series shooters, just as it is for those on other platforms. Although it isn’t always going to be your best bet, it performs better than the alternatives frequently enough that if you’ve the time required for its processing, it’s worth making your default option for high-ISO shots.
It’s also worth noting that even when it struggles with things like text, you usually have to be looking at the image very closely to spot the defects. Viewed from a more typical distance, a DeepPRIME XD shot is going to create the impression of more detail and crispness, even if it’s to some extent an artificial invention. When not pixel peeping, that can make the overall image feel better even when a more rigorous examination might tell a different story.
You have to bear your subjects, the viewer and how they’ll be looking at your images in mind when deciding which algorithm to use.
The point here is that you have to bear your subjects, the viewer and how they’ll be looking at your images in mind when deciding which algorithm to use. And we’ll restate that we’ve only shown results at default settings; you can always dial back the strength of an algorithm to improve the results for any given shot.
Overall, I’ve found DeepPRIME XD to be a very useful tool and I’m thrilled that it’s now available for X-Trans shooters too!
So definitely give DxO PureRAW 3 and DeepPRIME XD a look especially if you are on a Lightroom workflow. And make sure to check out the full article and see the comparison images at DPReview here.
Maybe some of this (or something else) will drop on May 24. In any case we can be sure there will be surprises (as it is with every X summit). So definitely stay tuned on FujiRumors for the live blog.
