Meet the Fujifilm TX-3 XPan Digital Camera (Concept)

One of the most read articles back in 2020 here on FujiRumors was the guest post titled “The X-Pan Rebirth of Fujifilm X-Pro1“, where a reader modified his X-Pro1 into an X-Pan digital camera.

And every now and then the wish of a digital Fujifilm X-Pan camera surfaces again in the Fujifilm community such as here, here and here.

Well, today we have another request for a Fujifilm X-Pan camera coming from Pavel and shared over at his youtube channel SuperSuperka (video below).

He so severely wants a digital XPan Fujifilm camera, that he made a very nice rendering on how he imagines it to be.

He called his rendered X-Pan camera the Fujifilm TX-3, of course inspired by what Jonas Rask called “the most beautiful camera ever created“, the Fujifilm TX-1. He wrote me:

Some notes about the concept. It has GFX sensor cut in half, which gives just perfect match to Xpan proportions
Logarithmic response pixels are not commonly used, but are used in technical tasks. What they can do is to not mimic film but to have native film-like look.
Arca-swiss is the bottom of the body. No additional plates needed. OVF with phase-detect autofocus.
I used 28mm which with this sensor is a bit wider FOV then original 45mm on Xpan. Like, say, 40mm on Xpan.

Quite frankly, at this point, if Fujifilm was to adventure itself in a crafting a unique niche digital camera, then I’d personally find a digital X-Pan much more appealing over let’s say a monochrome Fujifilm X camera.

What about you? Feel free to vote the survey down below.

I would prefer...

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Top 10 Fujifilm X Camera Flops and 10 Errors Fujifilm Should Avoid in Future

Top of the Flops

We did talk about the top 10 most important cameras of Fujifilm in the last 10 years.

But not all was successful that Fujifilm did.

So why did some cameras fail?  Bad timing? Bad specs? Too strong competition? Killed by Kaizen? Complicated usability?

Let’s look into it today, because knowing the errors of the past, will help to avoid to make the same errors in future.

Let’s start!

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Top 10 Most Important Fujifilm Digital Cameras of All Time

How can I start this article.

Maybe like this.

I was solo hiking through Eastern Europe. In my bag, a tent, food, water, a few clothes. And my DSLR gear.

One morning I woke up very early at the top of the Popluks mountain in Albania, left my tent and enjoyed the sunrise all alone on the mountain peak. It should have been my last day on one of the best kept secrets in Europe, the Albanian Alps. Next stop: a 12 hours long hike all the way to Montenegro through lonely mountains and valleys of rare beatuy.

And I tell you this: when I arrived at my destination, the town of Gusinje in Montenegro, I was exhausted and I promised myself: I need to travel lighter. I need lighter gear.

So I went mirrorless.

Panasonic, Olympus, Sony, you name it, I tried them all. But it became soon clear to me that I was not only looking for lighter gear, but also for gear that I had fun to use.

And exactly in that moment of my photographic journey, 11+ years ago, Fujifilm launched the Fujifilm X series. Then, 10 years ago, the Fujifilm X-Pro1 was announced, introducing the X mount in the photography world.

And that was it. That was exactly what I was looking for.

The rest is history. I fell in love. I needed to share this love. I started FujiRumors.

So I wondered, how can we sum up this long Fujifilm X journey (which is basically just as long as my personal journey with Fujifilm) best?

Well, since Fujifilm is celebrating 10 years of X mount this year, I thought I could make a list of what I consider the top 10 cameras of this Fuji-decade. But, shall it be allowed to me, I will start with the X100, which is technically older than 10 years. But I think you’ll agree it makes sense to add to this list.

Attention: we are not (only) talking about the most successful cameras, but also about what I consider the most important ones, beyond the success they had (or not).

  1. Fujifilm X100 – the original
    That’s the camera that started it all. And it gave us a clear indication on which way Fujifilm would go: great looking cameras with manual controls and overall vintage feel.
  2. Fujifilm X-Pro1
    This was Fujifilm’s first mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses. Iconic. Beautiful. The start of X-mount.
  3. Fujifilm X-T1
    If you ask me, my heart, I’d say X-E1 (as I love the X-E series). But that line was never a huge seller. The real first big success for the Fujifilm X mount was the Fujifilm X-T1. It was the first camera that was able to go a bit more mainstream compared to X-Pro1 and X-E1.
  4. Fujifilm X-T10
    The X-T10 was a huge hit and helped Fujifilm to break through mid-range market in a way the X-E line could not. A very successful series for Fujifilm, started by X-T10.
  5. Fujifilm X-H1
    True, it was not a big success, but it set the base for a platform that will earn lots of success in future. That’s why I put it on the list. Guys, just wait to see what a beast the Fujifilm X-H2 will be, and then you’ll agree with me. Be patient, May isn’t that far anymore.
  6. Fujifilm X-T3
    A mega success for Fujifilm that not even the release of the Fujifilm X-T4 could stop. According to my knowledge, Fujifilm’s all time best seller.
  7. Fujifilm X100V
    Announced 8 years after the original X100, it was a terrific success for Fujifilm and it brings a much needed redesign of the lens as well as an “invisible” tilt screen. It’s my biggest GAS temptation along with these 2 more Fujifilm items. And please, don’t trigger my GAS further in the comments. I have a marriage to take care of ;)
  8. Fujifilm GFX50S
    Enter medium format: Fujifilm’s first digital medium format camera with a sensor about 70% fuller than full frame. Now that we arrived at the Fujifilm GFX100S, which is even smaller than some full frame mirrorless cameras out there, we can say that the GFX50S (hence skipping full frame) was an incredibly smart move by Fujifilm.
  9. Fujifilm GFX100S
    It has to be on the list, as it is such a terrific success for Fujifilm. Not even in their best dreams they’d have hoped for as many sales as the GFX100S generated. The only problem: Fujifilm has a hard time producing as many cameras as the market requests, yes, even now, 1 year after its announcement. And please, stop to say nonsense like “it should not have had IBIS” or stuff like that. This nonsense often comes from the same people praising OIS. So aren’t both, OIS and IBIS, serving the very same purpose. And more importantly, can’t you simply turn off both if you don’t like them?
  10. Fujifilm X-Pro3
    Arguably the most controversial on the list, as this camera is designed for the niche and therefore was never planed to make massive sales. But here is the thing: while Fujifilm has indeed released the X-S10 and GFX100S with more “mainstream” oriented ergonomics, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 shows that Fujifilm cares also about niche and does not run only after the mainstream. They still want to offer all sorts of different photographic experiences by changing the ergonomics among various camera lines. So don’t panic guys, Fujifilm ain’t dropping retro at all. Whoever creates panic about this, is just out for clickbait. The X-Pro3 is Fuji’s statement for their continuing commitment to retro and vintage controls.

So that’s my list. Feel free to change and modify it as you want in the comments.

  • Must Read for X100 Lovers – “Don’t Touch that Camera!” the Story About the Inspiration Behind the Fujifilm X100 Series Design

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Top 10 Gear to Look Forward in 2022 and Your Top Wishes for 2022 (Anything Goes – Almost)

Coming 2022 (For Sure)

So what can we look forward to in 2022?

Well, here are the 10 things we can be sure to enjoy this year (even if some of them are “just” rumors until now).

  1. Fujifilm X-H2
  2. Fujifilm X-H2 – no joke, twice
  3. Fujinon XF150-600
  4. XF 56mm f/1.2 MKII
  5. XF 18-120mm
  6. Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 AF X Mount
  7. GF 20-35mm – possible aperture range shared here
  8. Sigma X mount lenses
  9. More AF X mount lenses from Tamron
  10. TTArtisan 32mmF2.8 X autofocus mount lens

Your Fujifilm Wishes for 2022

Ok, I can hear your questions:

Well, some of those questions I think Fujifilm managers quite categorically already answered in the past, such as the monochrome questions and full frame question. But hey, managers also categorically said that X mount is not compatible with IBIS, and look, at the end we got IBIS, and it is even one of the best in the industry.

I am also working on some other of those questions, and I already have first answers that I won’t share just yet as I want to have it not only twice, but multiple confirmed. I can’t go wrong when I share certain things ;).

But we will talk about all that soon enough.

What I would like from you now, is that you share your top wishes for 2022 in the comments. Anything goes, as long as it has something realistic to it. So for example, wishing for an X-E5 when we just got an X-E4 is not very realistic. Also a big and heavy Fujinon XF600mmF2 probably won’t make much sense, unless you would pay any amount for it and train a lot to be able to carry it around.

Other than that, from cameras to firmware or lenses… whatever your heart desires and wishes, feel free to share it in the comments down below.

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Chip Shortage Delays Nikon Z9 Delivery to October 2022 – Bad News also for Fujifilm (and Fujifilm X-H2)?

The worldwide chip shortage and the camera high demand is pushing the next stock shipment for the brand new Nikon Z9 to October 2022 according to various Japanese retailers as reported by SonyAlphaRumors.

We are talking about a flagship camera, on which Nikon totally relies on to recover from their dramatic market share decline (Nikon is behind Fujifilm in the mirrorless camera market and with DSLR included is way behind Sony and Canon).

Moreover, SAR also says that Sony has postponed most of their new camera launches to the second half 2022.

So the fact that Nikon won’t be able to ship the latest orders of their single most important camera for many months to come should put all camera manufacturers into high alert, even Fujifilm.

If the chip shortage is really going to last that long, then I wonder how this will affect also planed Fujifilm announcements for 2022.

And here is where we have to talk about the Fujifilm X-H2.

Fujifilm X-H2 Announcement

We know one thing for sure (thanks to our sources): the next camera Fujifilm will launch is the Fujifilm X-H2.

Let me say it again: no other X series camera is planed between now and the Fujifilm X-H2.

Considering that the last “real” X series camera announcement was the Fujifilm X-E4 back in January 27 (I refuse to consider the Fujifilm X-T30II a “new” camera, as it basically just an X-T30 on firmware steroids, and the Fujifilm X-T3WW is an X-T3 without charger), we are now waiting since almost 1 year for a new X series camera to come.

That’s a whole lot of time.

Given the long wait, I hope Fujifilm was somehow also able to organize enough chips for the Fujifilm X-H2 in order to announce it as soon as possible, ideally in early 2022 (as most of you speculate).

And considering how important the Fujifilm X-H2 is for Fujifilm, I am sure they’ll do everything they can to release the X-H2 as soon as possible.

But these are crazy times, and I highly doubt Fujifilm has at this point set any solid announcement date for the Fujifilm X-H2 yet.

And quite honestly, would anybody of us be surprised if the Fujifilm X-H2 would materialize only in the second half 2022? I guess not, considering the circumstances.

But let me be clear at this point: I still hope for an early 2022 announcement for the X-H2. It’s not a rumor, just a hope. I just say that if it would come later, I personally would not be overly surprised by that, even if that would mean that Fujifilm hasn’t launched a new X series camera in 1.5 years or more.

Solution for the Worst Case Scenario

If the chip shortage would force Fujifilm to postpone the launch of the Fujifilm X-H2, then I hope that they will at least make some sort of “development announcement” as they did for the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

In fact they partially already did it also for the Fujifilm X-H2 when they said that in 2022 there will be a stacked BSI X-Trans sensor for Fujifilm APS-C cameras. Sure, the X-H2 was not mentioned, but trust me, the Fujifilm X-H2 will be the first X series camera to sport such a sensor.

But that’s not enough.

In case of a longer delay (which I hope won’t happen), my hope is that Fujifilm will make a more solid and concrete Fujifilm X-H2 development announcement, in which not only they could show us mock-ups (as they did with the X-Pro3), but also give us a more solid date as far as the announcement goes.

For many professional photographers, having a perspective on where a certain system is going and developing, can be a reason to stick or switch to that system (or away from it). Hence, Fujifilm can’t keep silent for too long on the Fujifilm X-H2 front.

Sure, FujiRumors can contribute a bit to keep the buzz going thanks to the rumors shared by our sources, which help to keep confidence in the X series future (and hence keep people into the system and making others curious about it). Just take a look at the rumors below, and you’ll understand that Fujifilm is planing big things for 2022. But at some point also Fujifilm has to come forward more decisively than they already did.

With all that said, I hope there won’t be any need for a development announcement and that the Fujifilm X-H2 will come soon enough.

Fujifilm X-H2 Rumors Recap

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Top 7 Critiques on Fujifilm that Are Absolutely Justified

I recently wrote an article, where I list 10 attacks on Fujifilm that do not make any sense.

In that article, I promised that I would also write an article about the exact opposite, meaning sharing a list of critiques on Fujifilm that I totally understand and I agree with.

You can find it down below.

And of course, feel free to add your own critiques on Fujifilm in the comments down below.

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FujiCast with Fujifilm Manager: X-H2 Talk, Monochrome GFX, Amazing 2022 for Fuji, Kaizen Talk, “Tonygate” and More

Fujicast is back with new episode #197 and #198. Also again on the podcast, Fujifilm UK manager Andreas Georghiades.

Not so surprising, as Japanese Fujifilm managers confirmed it already a few times: there will be a Fujifilm X-H2 one day. It’s probably Fuji’s way to facepalm publicy when they read the fake rumor the X-H line had been canceled ;).

They also talk about the Tony Northrup video, where Tony does not look overly optimistic to Fujifilm’s future.

Down below you can find the podcast as well as a summary.

Tonygate:

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Fujinon XF200mmF2 Lens Removed from BHphoto but NOT Discontinued

Fujinon XF200mmF2 – Discounted but Not Discontinued

Ok, let me set something right.

BHphoto has completely removed the Fujinon XF200mmF2 R LM WR from their website. You’ll be redirected to a page that says: “The page your requested is no longer available. We have redirected you to a simlar page for your convenience.” I tried to check a google cached version of the page, and when I add the XF200mmF2 to the cart, it then tells me “some item(s) are no longer available at B&H“.

The situation is not much better at other stores. AmazonUS says here “Currently unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock” and Adorama says here that it is “Temporarily On Backorder“.

According to a FR-reader, BHphoto is sending out emails telling customers that the XF200mmF2 is discontinued:

B & H has sent me an email saying that the fuji xf 200 mm f2 has been discontinued and they no longer carry it.

So what is happening? Is it really discontinued?

I did investigated this, and I can 100% safely say that the lens is not at all discontinued. So I do not know why BHphoto is not listing the lens anymore.

What I know is that given the worldwide $/€ 2K discount on the XF200mmF2, as to expect, the lens sold out almost everywhere. And I’ve warned you already back in May that such a discount is ridiculous for a lens that was already short on stock before this epic deal.

Now the inevitable happened: it’s out of stock basically everywhere and who knows when Fujifilm will be able to ship current orders.

So, if you are interested in this lens, place your order. You’ll get it at some point. Fujifilm is still manufacturing it and will for a long time. But you better arm yourself with patience.

The XF200mmF2 Problem

The Fujinon XF200mmF2 is arguably one of the very best lenses Fujifilm ever made.

As we reported here, when Fujifilm designed it, they didn’t care about size and price. All they wanted to achieve, was the best image quality and a fast autofocus.

But Fujifilm managers told us that it did not sell well. In fact, given the struggles the XF200mmF2 faced on the market, Fujifilm is wondering if it makes any sense at all to continue to develop and manufacture long prime lenses, that will just result in a loss of money for Fujifilm.

My guess is that people overall tend to prefer zoom lenses that cover that 200mm range, and there are quite some of them in the Fujifilm lineup (and more will come in future).

Sure, none of them is optically on par with the close to perfect Fujinon XF200mmF2, but they are all very decent lenses anyway and deliver an image quality that will be totally satisfactory for the vast majority of Fujifilm X shooters. And they all come for a significantly more affordable price tag.

What About the XF300mmF4 and XF500mmF5.6?

Speaking of long primes…

Back in March 2020, we reported about two Fujinon XF patents showing a Fujinon XF 300mmF4 and Fujinon XF500mmF5.6.

And although I am aware that some folks gave it as 110% certain that those lenses will come in 2021, we warned you in January 2021 that those lenses won’t come in 2021. And quite frankly I have no idea if they will ever come.

We invite you to check out or latest and most updated 2021/2022 rumored Fujifilm products timeline to see what is coming (and what not).

The Future Needs…

So what will the future bring?

Well, you might remember how back in 2019, Fujifilm launched a survey on which lenses we’d like to receive in future.

FujiRumors took 1:1 the lens suggestions Fujifilm made and made this poll out of it that saw 20,000+ people voting on it.

Guess what?

All the long telephoto prime lenses ended up at the very bottom of the ranking, showing that there is simply not enough interest for such lenses.

My take?

Well, I think the XF200mmF2 is maybe not long enough (although with the 1.4x TC it is basically an XF300mmF2.8 lens).

What  I believe could be worth Fuji’s R&D and become much more successful is a Fujinon XF400mmF4 lens. And with 1.4x TC you’d have a XF560mmF5.6 lens. That lens, I believe, could guarantee Fujifilm decent sales.

So, let’s hope Fujifilm won’t give up on telephoto prime lenses. They are needed. For a niche, sure, but definitely needed.

GFX Gear

X Gear

LOVING X-TRANS: Landslide Victory for Fujifilm X-H2 with X-Trans V vs Bayer in Survey

Recently we reported that the Fujifilm X-E4 will be the last X series camera featuring an X-Trans IV sensor, and that the next camera to come will be the Fujifilm X-H2 in 2022.

However, at this point in time we can’t say if the Fujifilm X-H2 will feature an X-Trans sensor or an Bayer sensor.

To be honest, I have received an anonymous tip about it (thanks a lot!!!), but as usual here on FujiRumors we try to give it a quick double check first before sharing.

Until then, here are a few thoughts.

Personally I love the X-Trans sensor for its better performance at high ISO (better looking grain, less color noise), the sharpness boost it delivers and more.

But I am also not a blind fanboy and I am well aware that also the Bayer sensor has its significant strengths, such as 20 to 30%a lower power consumption which leads to less heat generation, meaning you can push the camera more in terms of recording times for example. Also with Bayer sensors, stuff like digital image stabilization and pixel shift is easier to achieve. And last but not least, Bayer is more affordable!

I have elaborated in depth the Pros and Cons of Bayer and X-Trans in this article.

So, while I am in the group of people, who hopes the Fujifilm X-H2 will get an X-Trans sensor, I would totally understand if Fujifilm would go Bayer instead.

The thing is this: reading the comments, I always thought I am in the minority when it comes to the X-Trans vs Bayer debate, meaning I read more comments of people who want to get rid of X-Trans than comments of those, who want to keep it.

But a recently survey I’ve launched here, shows it is completely the opposite.

Of the Fujifilm X shooters reading FujiRumors

  • 51% want a Fujifilm X-H2 with X-Trans
  • 24% want a Fujifilm X-H2 with Bayer

The rest of the readers are either fine with both options (18%) or have not yet formed a final opinion on this (7%).

That’s a landslide victory for Fujifilm X-Trans!

And while I am with you guys on this one, if Fujifilm decided to go Bayer, it would probably not be the biggest of all drama, if they were able to take the most out of the advantages it offers, not in terms of image quality, were X-Trans is superior, but in terms of implementing new features such as digital image stabilization, pixel shift and more.

Finding out which sensor it will be, is my top priority (thanks again for the anonymous tip at this point).

The answer, my friends, will be shared hopefully sooner rather than later here on FujiRumors.

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Fujifilm X/GFX Timeline 2021/22, Fujifilm X-H2 Rumors, End of X-TransIV, Can Fuji X Lenses Cover Full Frame Sensor – Top 10 May Posts

May was another month rich of rumors (so was April).

Let’s hope our sources will help us to make June just as exciting as the whole 2021 was so far in terms of breaking rumors.

Now let’s look at what you should not have missed in May.

  1. Fujifilm Product Timeline 2021/2022: About X-H2, GFX50SII, XF150-600 and More (And What Will NOT Come)
  2. Fujifilm X-H2 in 2022 Will Be FIRST X Series Camera with New Sensor and Processor
  3. No More Fujifilm X Series Camera Coming in 2021
  4. IT IS OVER: Fujifilm X-E4 is Fuji’s Last X-Trans IV Camera
  5. TESTED: Can Fujifilm X Lenses Cover a Bigger Sensor?
  6. Fujinon X Mount Roadmap 2021/2022 Updated with Latest Rumored Lenses
  7. This Guy Sold All His Full Frame Gear for the Fujifilm X100V, Firmware 2.00 Tests and More – X100V Roundup
  8. Let’s Be Clear: Fujifilm’s Next X Series Camera will be Fujifilm X-H2 and There Won’t be Fujifilm X-T40 or X80 Before that
  9. DPR Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 Review: Gold Award!
  10. Fujifilm X-H2 with 8K DCI/UHD Video Coming 2022

All top 10 Posts so Far

  • Top 10 in April – Fujinon X Mount Roadmap Updated, Fujifilm X-H2 with 8K, Fujinon XF23/56 MKII & More
  • Top 10 in March – Fujifilm X-H2 in 2022, Fujifilm GFX50SMKII in 2021, XF 33mmF1.4 in 2021, Top 5 Forgotten X Mount Lenses & More
  • Top 10 in February – Firmware Updates, Sony A7III vs Fujifilm X-T4, Nostalgic Negative Explained, Sigma X Mount and More
  • Top 10 in January – What We Expect from Fujifilm in 2021 :: Fujinon XF 150-600mm Rumors :: 70% Fuller Sensor than Full Frame & More

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