FUJIFILM GFX 50R and X-T30 crowned Winners at the 2019 TIPA World Awards

 

Tipa Awards 2019

We already questioned a few times, if these awards make sense, by disclosing how the award business works. But for some reason many Fujifilm X and GFX still rejoice when they read about Fujifilm winning an EISA, TIPA or whatever else award.

So I don’t want to be the spoilsport here, let’s just ignore it all and rejoice once again :).

Oh, and btw, don’t take any award seriously, that does not assign a price to the stellar FUJIFILM XF 200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR.

Here are all the winners:

Cameras

Lenses

Other Awards

The Fujifilm winners:

Press Release

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Fujifilm Factory Visit: Manufacturing Fujinon XF Lenses and Fujifilm X/GFX Cameras

Pixel Village visited the Fujifilm factory in Japan. Above you can see the video, which I will let you start at minute 2:30 (the moment they enter the factory). Here are some info we get from the video:

  • 70 Fujifilm GFX 50R are assembled in an 8 hour shift
  • the leather fixing on the Fujifilm X-H1 took the Japanese worker 1 minute and 50 seconds
  • you see the red badge XF lens assembly line and manual lens elements alignment
  • some stuff was not permitted to be filmed, such as robots putting lens mounts together
  • they were surprised how much technology, work and passion is behind something that we take for granted
  • at the end Fujifilm asked in a feedback session what they could improve in their quality standards, but it would be like if the sun would ask how to make light

Down below you can see some screenshots from the video.

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Time To Decide: Up to $1,000 Fujifilm X/GFX Savings Ending TODAY

The Big Deals

You had a couple of weeks to think about it and to struggle with it, but now it is time to take a decision.

The huge Fujifilm X/GFX deals (save up to $1,000) will end March 30.

While Fujifilm offers deals about 2 or 3 times a year, traditionally the best deals happen between February/March, since the Japanese fiscal year ends in March, and Fujifilm tries hard to sell as much as possible to show up with better figures in front of investors.

The Fujifilm X-T30 bundle deals (save $300) will run until April 22.

The epic Capture One Pro 12 deal (save 50%) ends on March 31.

Capture One Pro 12 Deal of the Year

50% savings on Capture One Pro 12 in the following versions:

Official Fujifilm Deals (save up to $1,000)

PRIME LENSES

ZOOM LENSES

X CAMERA DEALS

GFX BUNDLE DEALS

All Fujifilm Camera Deals

All Fujinon Lens Deals

Third Party & Used Gear Deals

Third Party Lens Deals for Fuji X

Used Fujifilm Gear

Official Fujifilm Recommended Accessories

SD-Cards

Power Banks

Accessories and Apple Deals

Fujifilm Will Soon Announce Two Large Format Cine Lenses “Premista”

Nokishita just leaked the first images of the Fujinon 80-250 and 28-100 large format cine lenses.

These could be the Fujifilm GFX medium format cine lens version of Fujifilm’s APS-C Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9.

We remind you that the Fujifilm GFX 100 medium format camera will shoot 4K video.

Since the images have now been leaked, I expect the announcement of the new Fujinon premista lenses to happen within just a few weeks.

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RUMOR, NEWS and COMMUNITY

Product Images

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DPReview Fujifilm Managers Interview: “No Need to Open X Mount, AI and Global Shutter are the Future, GFX100 Within End of June”

DPReview interviewed Toshi Iida, Makoto Oishi and Shin Udono. Here are the main points (full interview at dpreview here):

Medium Format

  • Full Frame and Medium Format will coexist
  • GFX 50R sales look very promising
  • FF is 1/3 of market in terms of value, slightly growing
  • MF was 1%, but doubled after GFX introduction
  • 70% of MF buyers were coming from other brands, mainly DSLR, and the GFX is their additional system
  • 20% of GFX users are professionals, 80% non-professionals (especially GFX 50R users)
  • Fujifilm wants to increase professional base, also thanks to Capture One support and with future GFX 100
  • Fujifilm GFX 100 should show the potential of medium format
  • FF can reach 70-80 Megapixel
  • GFX lenses designed for 100MP resolution
  • Fujifilm GFX100 will be available before the end of June
  • Fujifilm GFX100 target is commercial photographers, fashion, landscapes, but also more general purpos
  • GFX 100 will shoot at 16bit RAW. Benefit noticeable mostly at low ISO and deep shadow detail. 4 times the amount of data, 14 bit lets you shoot faster, which is appropriate for APS-C

APS-C vs Full Frame

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These Are the Top Selling Fujifilm X/GFX Deals on FujiRumors – Last Week to Save up to $1,000

Top Selling Fujifilm Deals

So, the huge Fujifilm X / GFX deals will expire very soon, and I have checked what was the favorite gear the FujiRumors community decided to buy.

And to be clear: the results below are only about Fujifilm gear bought by the FujiRumors community and do not represent the overall sales for Fujifilm.

If you want to see which gear won the best-selling ranking overall in 2018, check out this article.

Top Software

A true migration to Capture One Pro 12 is taking place thanks to a huge 50% discount, which will end in March.

Top 5 Lenses

  1. XF 35mm f/2 (save $300 if purchased with X-T30)
  2. XF 50mm f/2 (save $300 if purchased with X-T30)
  3. XF 16mm f/1.4 (save $250)
  4. XF 56mm f/1.2 (save $250)
  5. XF 16-55mm f/2.8 (save $300)

Fujifilm’s f/2 lens line keeps up being your favorite, and you can get them discounted if bundled with X-T30. But the f/2 lenses sell strong also if not included in the bundle.

When it comes to lens deals only, the XF 16mm f/1.4 wins comfortably, followed by Fuji’s currently fastest lens (until the XF33mmF1.0 hits the stores next year) and the XF16-55mmF2.8, which, in combination with the Fuji X-H1 IBIS, is a fantastic combo.

Top Third Party Lenses

  1. Mitakon 35mm f/0.95
  2. Kamlan 50mm f/1.1
  3. 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4

The recent 1-day-deal on the Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 helped to push sales of this lens on the top.

Top 3 Cameras

  1. Fujifilm X-H1 (new retail price and additional $467 savings if purchased with vertical grip)
  2. Fujifilm X-T3 (save up to $200)
  3. Fujifilm X-T30 (save $300 on bundles)

It’s a head to head race between X-H1 and X-T3, with the X-H1 winning by a very small margin. The new low retail price on Fuji X-H1 definitely helped to push sales, making this camera, in my opinion, best value for the money in the current Fuji lineup.

I guess also the recent rumor, that we will not see a Fujifilm X-H2 anytime soon, helped a bit to facilitated X-H1 sales (I confirm this rumor).

The X-T10/20/30 line is notoriously (and undeservedly) a very low selling line here on FujiRumors. It is far behind the X-T3 and X-H1, and in 2018, even the Fujifilm GFX 50R sold better than the Fujifilm X-T20.

However, the recent X-T30 mega-deal on AmazonUS and the current X-T30 bundle deals helped a bit to push it on the 3rd spot.

Top GFX Gear

  1. Fujinon GF100-200 (no deal)
  2. Fujifilm GFX 50R (save up to $1,000 bundle deal)
  3. Fujifilm GFX 50S (new retail price)

Despite the lower new retail price on Fujifilm GFX 50S, the Fujifilm GFX 50R keeps up selling better than the “S”. Fujifilm managers said they were surprised by the 50R demand.

Top Accessories

  1. SanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB
  2. Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD
  3. Western Digital 6TB Elements Hard Drive

I also just bought the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD to charge all my devices on the road, including my Fujifilm X-E3. I am very satisfied with it. If you want to know which other Fujifilm cameras you can charge with, check out this article.

Fujifilm also recommends the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD.

Last Week Fuji X/GFX and Capture One Deals

Capture One Pro 12 Deal of the Year

50% savings on Capture One Pro 12 in the following versions:

Official Fujifilm Deals (save up to $1,000)

PRIME LENSES

ZOOM LENSES

X CAMERA DEALS

GFX BUNDLE DEALS

All Fujifilm Camera Deals

All Fujinon Lens Deals

Third Party & Used Gear Deals

Third Party Lens Deals for Fuji X

Used Fujifilm Gear

Official Fujifilm Recommended Accessories

SD-Cards

Power Banks

Accessories and Apple Deals

Software

Sigma CEO: “I Would Really Like to Make Fujifilm X Mount Lenses, but Resources are Limited and Other Projects have Priority”

Sigma CEO interviewed by lenstip
Sigma CEO interviewed by lenstip

Sigma Fujifilm

In a recent interview to lenstip, Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki said regarding making Fujifilm X mount Sigma lenses:

“I really would want to but, you know, our resources are limited and it’s all a matter of priorities. I really wish we could make a lens for the X mount system but right now, just because our resources are limited, we don’t have such a plan. We have too many ongoing projects.”

Here on fujirumors we shared a rumor, that Sigma wants to see an increase in Fujifilm market share, before they start making lenses for Fujifilm.

  • read here: SIGMA Will Make FUJIFILM X Mount lenses if X series Camera Sales Increase by 20%
  • read here: SIGMA Needs Bigger Fujifilm Market Share, TOKINA Designed X Glass Already but Stopped by Royalties, TAMRON is Vague

It seems we can definitely put aside hopes for Sigma X mount glass.

Not sure if it mitigates the pain, but you can for example use the Fringer Smart AF adapter, which supports the Sigma 50/1.4 ART, Sigma 85/1.4 ART, Sigma 17-50/2.8 OS, Sigma 50-100/1.8 ART, Sigma 24/1.4 ART, Sigma 135/1.8 ART, Sigma 100-400 and many more.

There are other interesting things to read and I will highlight my best of down below.

Foveon full frame camera coming?

“That is the basic plan but everything is possible. We might even use an APS-C sensor again.”

He sets his priorities:

“We will work more on full frame mirrorless lenses […]; then probably there will be mirrorless cameras with APS-C and then, full frame DSLR“

And how many engineers are involved in designing one lens?

“A typical team consists of 1 optical designer engineer, maybe 3 or 4 mechanical engineers, 1 or 2 software engineers and maybe 1 or 2 electronic engineers so not more than 10 people. In the next stages more specialists become involved: prototype engineers, production system engineers so, in total, several dozens of people are engaged in a production of a new lens. If you add the die design, I think it’s close to 100 people for one product.“

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Two Weeks Left to Save $1,000 on Fujifilm X/GFX and 50% on Capture One Pro 12

The Big Deals

I get asked this questions very often, so I will say it again now: the Fujifilm X/GFX deals (save up to $1,000) will end March 30. Only the Fujifilm X-T30 bundle deals (save $300) will run until April 22.

Also, the epic Capture One Pro 12 deal (save 50%) ends on March 30.

Capture One Pro 12 Deal of the Year

50% savings on Capture One Pro 12 in the following versions:

Official Fujifilm Deals (save up to $1,000)

PRIME LENSES

ZOOM LENSES

X CAMERA DEALS

GFX BUNDLE DEALS

All Fujifilm Camera Deals

All Fujinon Lens Deals

Third Party & Used Gear Deals

Third Party Lens Deals for Fuji X

Used Fujifilm Gear

Official Fujifilm Recommended Accessories

SD-Cards

Power Banks

Accessories and Apple Deals

Fujifilm Managers Q&A: Canon is Wrong, Full Frame only 1/3 of Market, X-T3 sold 40% Better than X-T2, Fast Lenses for GFX and More

Fujifilm Managers Interview

Just yesterday we shared a CP+ interview with Fujifilm managers here. Today it’s already time for another one, this time with Toshihisa Iida (the manager who said Fujifilm will never go full frame) and Makoto Oishi.

It’s again an interesting one, that also becomes very technical when it comes to analyzing the autofocus system and lets imaging-resource conclude that Fujifilm’s PDAF technology is arguably the most advanced on the market.

Down below you can find the key points and some images of the interview. The complete one can be checked out at imaging-resource here.

Market Future & Canon Predictions

  • Fujifilm totally disagrees with Canon’s prediction, that ILC business is going to contract by half over the next two years
  • Market will depend on innovation that will come
  • Fujifilm believes there is room for further grow
  • Some markets will decline, but other markets have still potential to grow (Asian market)

Full Frame

  • Customers should have different options
  • Currently full frame has 1/3 of the market by value
  • 2/3 of market is predominantly APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, and some medium-format
  • other manufacturers focus on full frame, this might open opportunities for Fujifilm as long as they keep up innovating APS-C and MF
  • mainly X-T3 and GFX 50R helped Fujifilm to grow by 10% total volume growth
  • APS-C vs FF is not just about sensor size, but also the lens size, lens weight, overall cost, or the speed, the 4K movies
  • people judge the system more on the overall package

Fujifilm X-T3 vs X-H line

  • sold better than expected
  • Fujifilm X-T3 sold 40% better than X-T2 if you compare to same period since launch
  • X-T3 and X-H1 have cannibalized each other
  • with the new lower X-H1 price tag, X-T3 and X-H1 sit nicely next to each other
  • H-series and T-series will coexist for the future, but we need to clearly differentiate the lineup without confusing customers

Lenses

  • XF200mmF2 is not only for sports, but also for portraits for very creamy bokeh and concerts for example

GFX System

  • Fujifilm GFX 50R sales are above expectation and factory is very busy
  • Fujifilm GFX 100 design is almost final, very early firmware, and IBIS still does not work
  • GFX 100 megapixel autofocus: same sensor structure as the X-T3
  • GFX 100 has almost zero competition, because FF is only at 50MP and other medium format cameras are very expensive
  • Fujifilm thinks at multi-shot high-res shooting mode for GFX100, but has not decided yet
  • designing IBIS is a real challenge for big MF sensor
  • Fujifilm has no idea about how many stops IBIS they will achieve [FujiRumors leaked internal press sheets that show they aim at 5 stops]
  • Fujifilm is still improving image quality via firmware
  • GFX100 launch in first half 2019 for around $10,000
  • Fujifilm GFX 50S most popular lens is the GF 32-64mmF4
  • Fujifilm GFX 50R most popular lens is the GF 45mmF2.8
  • GFX 50S owners have more lenses than GFX 50R owners
  • GFX owners complaint about the lack of more fast lenses for the system and Fujifilm is taking into consideration their feedback
  • Fujifilm listens to customers and tries to make their wishes happen, but sometimes their wishes become reality is very difficult and challenging
  • As bright as possible, as small as possible, as affordable as possible…
  • same team works on GFX and X. One R&D budget and depending on needs they are flexible to shift their focus

Autofocus

  • X-T30 has improved algorithm which will come to X-T3
  • CMOS sensor is always reading by lines. So it isn’t very suitable for horizontal phase-difference […] technically we can make a cross-type system but normally, subjects are more… and horizontally-arranged PDAF pixels support them better
  • Fujifilm could do vertical AF correlation, but hasn’t felt the need to do it
  • 8% of pixels are phase detection pixels (high density), good for low-light and high-frequency subjects
  • signal and phase pixel are read separately
  • we used to have like 60 regions within each AF point, but now 240
  • depending on the light level, the X-T3 can “bin” PDAF pixels together (basically just adding their contents) to get a better signal/noise ratio, and so be able to determine focus even in very dim lighting. Depending on how you do this, you’ll trade-off some ability to see the finest details, but it can really help in very low-light conditions

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Fujifilm Managers Interview: IBIS in Smaller X-T Body is Necessary, XF Video Lenses, Why No Full Frame, XF 33mm f/1.0 and More

Fujifilm Managers Interview

The French site Phototrend interviewed Fujifilm Managers Shinichiro Udono, Jun Watanabe and Takuya Noguchi at CP+ in Japan. Here are the key points of the interview. For the full interview check out phototrend (google translated).

Hybrid Market

  • hybrid market had already reached 48% of annual sales (in value)
  • in the second half of 2019, the hybrid market has already exceeded the 50% mark
  • the managers think in 2020 year it we will be around 55 or 60%
  • Fujifilm launched first hybrid in 2012
  • now Fuji has already has 31 XF lenses + 10 GF lenses (roadmap lenses included), so the Fuji system is well established in relation to new entrants, both in terms of lenses and a very wide range of products

Why many lenses close or same in focal length (for example XF35mmF1.4, XF35mmF2 and XF33mmF1.0)

  • we want to offer different options to photographers, not only in terms of focal length, but also according to the shooting style. That’s why we have many fixed focal lengths with different focal lengths and apertures. It’s our concept

XF Cine Lenses

  • when Fuji launched X-Pro1 seven years ago, focus was on still images, hence lenses for stills
  • Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR and Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR zoom lenses are very good lenses for video
  • maybe in the future Fujifilm will offer XF zoom and prime lenses with a mechanism optimized for video shooting
  • The current Fujinon MKX lenses cover alreary most of the needs of professional videographers
  • Fujifilm thinks of making XF lenses with better video performance, and not more MK lenses

Fujifilm X-H2, IBIS in Fujifilm X-T3

  • with the XH series, Fujifilm targets professional users, while with the XT series they focus on enthusiasts
  • IBIS: Fuji does not want to compromise on image quality so they need a bigger package for now to get excellent image quality and image stabilization
  • IBIS is currently not possible in cameras of size of Fujifilm X-T3
  • But in the future, Fujifilm believes that it is necessary to offer IBIS technology on more compact cameras (X-T line).
  • Fuji X-H1 size is not only due to IBIS, but because Fujifilm wanted to create larger body with better grip and ergonomics for Pros. Even without IBIS, the X-H1 would have the same size/style

Full Frame Fujifilm?

  • we do not really know what’s in our customers’ heads (laughs). But in our case, we also have the GFX medium format camera system
  • we believe that the combination of medium format and APS-C is the best option
  • Canon, Nikon or Sony offer great full format products
  • Fujifilm had an internal discussion on the sensor format they had to use
  • they did a lot of simulations with engineers. They decided not to go FF, because APS-C allows for a smaller system, also lenses are smaller and lighter
  • Fujifilm is a photography company and they really want customers to take more photos. If the camera is bigger and heavier, they will not necessarily want to take it all the time with them and we do not want that
  • we want our customers to take their camera everyday and enjoy photography. This is the concept of our APS-C system
  • but Fujifilm knows that some customers want a system with a higher resolution and a larger sensor. For them, we have a system with a larger sensor than the full format and it’s the GFX

Fujifilm X-T30

  • Fuji does not intend to stop X-T20 production. The X-T20 will be sold cheaper than the X-T30

Fujinon XF33mm f/1.0

  • the goal is to deliver a lens with the most beautiful bokeh effect
  • at f/1.0, the manual focus is very difficult and that’s why we made this lens with autofocus
  • we already had this idea in mind, but we needed the technology to integrate an autofocus system on such a bright lens

Fujifilm GFX 100 Megapixel and GFX50R

  • the GFX100 will have much faster autofocus than current GFX50S and GFX50R
  • it will have IBIS
  • Our development team is working very hard on IBIS, because the sensor is much larger and it is very difficult to control the movements of the sensor
  • 4K 30p without cropping
  • GFX100 target are professional photographers, especially in the world of fashion, advertising and portraiture. But since this camera is faster, we may be able to extend the audience
  • Fujifilm GFX 50R sales are bigger than expected. Many advanced amateur photographers are buying the GFX 50r, especially for landscape or street photography

Modular GFX (Report & Images & Videos Here)

  • The modular GFX body was of course only an idea, there was no technical research on how we could achieve this result
  • For the moment, we have no plan to develop a modular GFX. But once we have the right technology to produce this type of device, maybe we will consider that option
  • Fujifilm was surprised by the huge reaction there was about the modular GFX. Some customer misunderstood, and thought it’s an actual prototype and future product

Kaizen Firmware

  • software technologies evolve on a daily basis, and new features are developed
  • we are always looking for the benefit for the consumer, it’s our way of thinking
  • when a new feature is developed for latest sensor/processor, it is very hard to bring it to cameras with older sensor/processor. It requires much more complex work. It’s not impossible, but it depends on situatuin and development resources

Market Trend

  • SLR market, each year this market will shrink, by 10 to 20%
  • Fujifilm is in the hybrid market for 6 to 7 years, it’s a good thing more manufacturers are coming up with more products because it creates a strong message for the hybrid with customers

A few product images from the interview below.