HIGH DEMAND :: Notification on Limited Delivery of GFX 50S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera System

 
February 22, 2017

Dear valued customers

Due to high interest in the FUJIFILM GFX 50S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera system, we will require some time to fulfill demand. We expect to see the situation start to improve by the end of March. We apologize for the delay and ask you for your kind understanding.

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, CalumetDE AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

Fujinon GF63mmF2.8: USA: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro
Fujinon GF32-64mmF4: USA: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro
Fujinon GF120mmF4 Macro: USA: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

Fujifilm GFX :: The True Story About a Secret Meeting (and Test) That Convinced Fujifilm to Go Medium Format

A Secret Meeting

Today I would like to share with you an insight story, about the probably decisive moment, that convinced Fujifilm to go Medium Format.

I’ve been told this story back in mid 2015 by a trusted source while chatting on Skype, soon after my first Medium Format rumor. Today I got an email from the very same source, who told me that I’m free to share the story with all of you guys… and I’m happy to do that right now :-)

For this story, we have to go back to sometimes in 2014.

Imagine the scene:

A confidential meeting amongst the most important people at Fujifilm. The big question in the room: should we go Medium Format?

At that time, Fujifilm was looking closely at the Medium Format Pentax 645z. The camera sold better than Pentax expected, and many reviews praised it. TheCameraStoreTV said back in 2014 about the Pentax 645z here, that it has the best IQ for stills they have ever seen.

But TCSTV also made a final and important remark: the newest Full Frame sensors, like the one on the Nikon D810, could narrow the IQ gap between FF and MF.

So was it worth for Fujifilm to go Medium Format?

The Decisive Test

Fujifilm decided to make a test, that will help them to decide if Medium Format will have a future or not. And it was as simple as that:

Fujifilm took a RAW file of the Medium Format Pentax 645z and processed it using their unique image X processing engine. And guess what? The image quality Fujifilm got out of the Pentax RAW file was already superior to the original Pentax image simply by applying their own image processing algorithm.

This realization laid the foundation for Fujifilm’s decision to go Medium Format… but it was not enough!

Fujifilm wanted more

A better processing engine was not enough for Fujifilm…

They also decided to make some hardware related tweaks to the Medium Format sensor. So they customized the microlenses in front of the sensor and optimized the silicon process. This will allow Fujifilm to improve the overall image quality even more.

At the end of the day, Fujifilm’s magic trinity (processor – customized MF sensor – GF lenses) will very likely raise quite a bit the bar for Medium Format 33×44 sensors… and the gap to Full Frame should be more significant again. But to be sure of that, we have to wait and see how that GFX beast performs in real life. And it’s not a long wait anymore… January 19 is just around the corner… and I’m ready for the live blogging ;)

So this is the true behind the scenes story, that convinced Fujifilm to go Medium Format. And very soon, a few years after that test, the Fujifilm GFX will finally be reality.

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, CalumetDE AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

stay tuned, fellow X-shooters :)
Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

Join 8,200+ Members at the Fujifilm GFX Facebook Group

TheCameraStoreTV Best & Worst Camera Gear 2016 :: Fujifilm X-T2 Best Mirrorless :: Medium Format Digital Mirrorless “Best Trend”

It’s one of the most expected videos of the year by TCSTV… the Best and Worst Camera Gear of 2016. Some mentions go also to Fujifilm:

BEST CAMERA

  • #3: The Fujifilm X-T2 makes it on the 3rd overall position: Huge improvement on Video and Autofocus. Very well thought out camera. The Fujifilm X-T2 is the only mirrorless camera mentioned in the top 3. Its big mirrorless competitors, like the Sony A6500, did not make it on the list. (min 11:00)
  • #2: Pentax K1
  • #1: Nikon D500

APS-C is well represented in this list ;)

BEST TRENDS

  • Medium Format Digital Mirrorless. They love the concept. It’s cool to see a lot more people get access to it (min 7:30)

Full video at TCSTV youtube here

Fujifilm X-T2: USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / CANADA: AmazonCA / EUROPE: AmazonDE / Calumentphoto DE / AmazonUK / AmazonITA / AmazonFR / AmazonESP / PCHstore / WexUK / AUSTRALIA: CameraPro

 

“Fujifilm GFX as Affordable as Possible. We Want to Expand the Use of Medium Format to Current Full Frame Users!” – Fujifilm Manager Interview

*** Join 4,000 Fellow GFX Fans on the dedicated GFX Facebook Group ***

The Interview

Cinema5d shared a 16:00 minutes long interview with Fujifilm Manager Takeshi Ueno. It is mainly focussed on video. You can see the full interview at cinema5d. A few excerpts:

  • Fujifilm thinks that their APS-C cameras satisfy 80% of its customers. But landscape photographers requested higher resolution. So they developed the GFX.
  • Target User: Professional photographers, mainly fashion or commercial, portrait photographer in photo studios or landscape and architecture stills photographers.
  • Due to the performance of the sensor (sensor readout not fast enough), it can’t shoot 4K, but Full HD. […] The camera is ment 80-90% for shooting stills. […] But with the next generation of sensor (with 100+MP), Fujifilm would like to improve video functionality, including 4K.
  • Lens linup: “The MF sensor is large, the image circle of the lenses should be big. Light need to hit the sensor in a uniform manner, so accuracy is required for the manufacturing process. They need a higher degree of design and assembly accuracy than on current lenses. We will be trying to produce this kind of lenses. […] We will mainly be developing bright prime lenses for the line-up. Special considerations are resolution and smoothness. […] Lenses are the key to bringing out the performance of the sensor, otherwise the potential of the sensor is wasted.”
  • Fujifilm is designing lenses with enough resolution for a sensor withj 100+ megapixel.
  • “Currently, Medium Format is very expensive. We would like to expand the use of medium format to more people, such as full-frame users interested in medium format. For users like these, we would like to introduce it at the most affordable price possible.”

 

Medium Format :: Leaf Shutter or Focal Plane Shutter? – POLL *** And What Will Change with the Global Shutter

ok, before I sell a kidney, let’s try it this way…

Focal Plane Shutter Vs. Leaf Shutter

The last 10 days where really busy “Fujifilm GFX” days here on FujiRumors. And all the specs we have heard are nice and good, but the biggest talk is definitely about the focal plane shutter (compared to the Hasselblad X1D leaf shutter).

But first, let’s just quickly wrap up the PROs and CONs of leaf and focal plane shutters:

Focal Plane Shutter:
+ faster shutter speeds wide open
+ adapting third-party lenses (GFX works with leaf shutter lenses and regular lenses)
+ cheaper, smaller & less complex lens design
– bigger camera body
– limited sync speed for flash work

Leaf Shutter:
+ smaller camera body
+ higher sync speeds
+ more quite then focal plane shutter
– lenses are bigger and more expensive due to the build in leaf shutter mechanism in every lens
– adapting third-party lenses (X1D works only with leaf shutter lenses)
– slower shutter speeds wide open

Everyone of you has obviously his/her priorities, so depending on what your needs are, you might prefer a leaf shutter or a focal plane shutter. Just drop your vote in this Poll and let us know.

*Fujifilm Reads You!
See the original FujiRumors Poll, that Fujfiilm used in an official presentation to the Press

I prefer a Medium Format Mirrorless Camera with...

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

_ _ _

Global Shutter

Ok… did you vote the Poll? Well done!

Now, this is a rumor site, and it’s in my nature to always look ahead at what the future could bring us. And today I’d like to talk more clearly about something, that I’ve already hinted in this Hasselblad Vs. Fujifilm article…. the global shutter. [The Global Shutter keeps the virtues of the electronic shutter – no shutter sound and ultra fast shutter speed – and at the same avoids motion blur – no rolling shutter effect – ].

The Global Shutter is no science ficition thing. Sony already uses it since 2015 for their security camera business and also Panasonic has announced its development in an official press release of March 2016.

The question is not “if” it will come also for professional high-end cameras, but “when”. And if we can trust this rumor, then we could see it become real in 2018/2019.

Once companies will start implementing the global shutter in their cameras, then Fujifilm will be able to get rid of the mechanical shutter, and build an even smaller and more compact Medium Format camera… Hasselblad X1D small. With one more advantage: the lens design can remain the same of the current GF Lenses: no leaf shutter, less complex, smaller… and cheaper.

And if the global shutter works well also for flash work (and it should), then also the leaf shutter should become obsolete.

If all this becomes true in the next few years (and my crystall ball says this is very likely), then we will look back and maybe also those, who consider the lack of leaf shutter an error, will change opinion on that… and just be happy they got great Fujinon GF glass for a cheaper price (and more compact) then it would be with leaf shutter.

And for the immediate future, Fujifilm will offer to those, who absolutely need leaf shutter for their flash work, an adapter for Hasselblad HC leaf shutter lenses (with autofocus support)…. so the best of both worlds: leaf shutter or focal plane shutter… you use what you need.

Medium Format Fujifilm GFX 50S :: Full Press Conference Video + Additional Coverage (and NEW Images) + NEW INSTAX 1:1

shared at the Fujifilm GFX Facebook Group

Time to make some order.

Fujifilm just announced the Fujifilm GFX 50S, a 50MP mirrorless Medium Format Camera. It will be launched along with 3 lenses in early 2017. Overall Fuji has 6 lenses in the raodmap.

  • Standard prime “GF63mmF2.8 R WR” (equivalent to 50mm in the 35mm format)
  • Wide-angle standard zoom “GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR” (equivalent to 25-51mm in the 35mm format)
  • Mid-telephoto macro 1:0.5 “GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR” (equivalent to 95mm in the 35mm format)
  • Fast aperture mid-telephoto “GF110mmF2 R LM WR” (equivalent to 87mm in the 35mm format)
  • Ultra wide “GF23mmF4 R LM WR” (equivalent to 18mm in the 35mm format)
  • Wide “GF45mmF2.8 R WR” (equivalent to 35mm in the 35mm format)

Fujifilm said that some lenses can resolve over 100MP. To me, this means that it is “future proof” for when the Fujifilm GFX 100S will hit the market, the 100MP successor to the current 50S version.

But let’s get back to the present.

The Fujiflm GFX 50S will cost less then $10,000 with lens and viewfinder (that’s Fuji’s “commitment”). The viewfinder is interchangeable. You can attach a tilting EVF to it.

Fuji has released the official Press Release here.

FXF Admin Andreas has made available all official product images of the GFX and lenses here.

There is a dedicated Fujifilm GFX Facebook group here.

Here are some new tidbits shared by other sites, who where present in the press conference.

And as rumored, Fujifilm also announced the new Instax Square Film :) Press Release here

image courtesy – engaged

 

image courtesy – focus numerique

image courtesy: focus numerique

*** LIVE *** Fujifilm PRESS EVENT :: Medium Format GFX and more ** Refresh This Page for Latest Updates!

OFFICIAL PRODUCT PAGE / PRESS RELEASE / FIRST LOOKS
(Please refresh this page to see the latest updates)

Fujifilm GFX

bildschirmfoto-2016-09-19-um-18-02-24

lenses

Join the Fujifilm GFX facebook group now :)

OFFICIAL PRODUCT IMAGES DOWNLOAD HERE

LIVE FUJIFILM GFX INFORMATION IN SHORT:

  • GF lenses can resolve over 100MP
  • Standard prime “GF63mmF2.8 R WR” (equivalent to 50mm in the 35mm format)
  • Wide-angle standard zoom “GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR” (equivalent to 25-51mm in the 35mm format)
  • Mid-telephoto macro 1:0.5 “GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR” (equivalent to 95mm in the 35mm format)
  • Fast aperture mid-telephoto “GF110mmF2 R LM WR” (equivalent to 87mm in the 35mm format)
  • Ultra wide “GF23mmF4 R LM WR” (equivalent to 18mm in the 35mm format)
  • Wide “GF45mmF2.8 R WR” (equivalent to 35mm in the 35mm format)
  • 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS Sensor
  • 51.4 MP
  • 1/4000 shutter speed
  • interchangeable Viewfinder + tilting viewfinder
  • tethered shooting
  • shutter speed dial
  • ISO dial
  • joysitck for faster AF selection
  • available early 2017
  • no pricing fixed… but target is with body + 63mm + viewfinder under 10,000 dollar
  • LCD on the top

OFFICIAL FUJIFILM GFX PAGES by FUJIFILM:

LIVE STREAMS & BLOGGING:

NEW INSTAX Square Format

And as rumored, Fujifilm also announced the new Instax Square :) Press Release here

Fujifilm GFX FULL PRESS RELEASE

CLICK READ MORE

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Medium Format Fujifilm: Pros, Cons, Challanges… and How is it Goint to End for Fujifilm? – POLL

medium-format-fuji

First let me say this: I applaud Fujifilm for being brave, innovative, and to dare the step into the Medium Format Mirrorless market, right after the Hasselblad X1D. No matter how this is going to end, I’m proud of you, Fuji :)

But will the Medium Format camera be worth the R&D invested into it? I guess at this stage, not even Fujifilm can be sure of anything.

I see some CONS, like the very limited market* for such a camera. Sure, it might an affordable MF camera, but it’s still expensive for many out there. Moreover, the future MF sensor development depends on Sony (that’s where Fuji buys the MF sensor). The risk I see here, is that Fujifilm will rock out one awesome lens after another, but if Sony does not invest R&D into creating newer versions of the MF sensor, then, in 3 or 4 years from now, we will have a nice range of Fuji XG lenses, but still the “old” 50MP sensor without phase detection pixels.

I see some PROS. So, for example, I have no doubts that the 50MP MF Sensor in this camera (in combination with the Fuji glass and processor) will deliver a shockingly good image quality. And as Fuji has shown in the past, they can rock out quite some awesome lenses in a short period of time. Moreover, MF Mirrorless is an unexplored market. Except Hasselblad, there are no other players in this field.

And I also see a Challange: SPEED: Medium Format cameras are not known to be speed monsters, and I guess those, who buy this camera, don’t really plan to use it for Sports Photography. But anyway, the faster, the better, and I hope Fujifilm will be able to give us a decently snappy camera.

So let’s see what your crystal ball says, and how you think Fuji’s MF adventure is going to end. And of course, feel free to motivate your choice in the comments.

cheers
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

Fuji's Medium Format Adventure will be...

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

*FR-reader CodeWarrior shared in the comments to this rumor, the Overall Digital Medium Format Market is very limited. That’s at least what Leica said in this Forbes interview when talking about their Medium Format Leica S-System: “There are no industry-wide figures, but we think the core medium format market is roughly 6000 units per year – worldwide, for all brands.” It remains to see, though, if mirrorless MF cameras can expand this market.