Fujifilm APS-C is Dead? Nikon Z5, Sony A7III, Canon R6 vs the Fujifilm X Series Art of Balance

High End APS-C vs Entrly Leve Full Frame

First off let me say this:

I am a fan of competition. I want camera manufacturers to fight for customers, to work hard, to squeeze new tech into cameras as much and fast as possible for the most affordable price they can.

Hence, the more sub $2,000 full frame cameras hit the market, the more I am happy, that also Fujifilm ASP-C shooters like myself will profit from it in the long term, as this will push Fujifilm to work harder than ever.

So, I personally welcome the brand new Nikon Z5, the Sony A7III, the Canon EOS RP and also the Canon EOS R6.

But there is something I do not understand…

I blog on FujiRumors since almost a decade now, and over all these years, I have heard many times announcements of the death of the Fujifilm X series since the launch of the original Sony A7. And the same “Fujifilm APS-C is dead” voices come back today, after the announcement of the Nikon Z5.

Now, let’s look at a few facts:

  • after many years of death proclamations and multiple full frame mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm X is still here
  • not only “we are still here“, but even in times of COVID-19, Fujifilm is the only brand, that didn’t see a massive sales decrease (report here)
  • until 2018, in terms of worldwide mirrorless market share, Fujifilm came third very close to Canon, far ahead of Olympus, Nikon and Panasonic (report here)

So here is the thing: either customers are stupid, or they see it the same way as these industry insiders (DPReview included), who claim that APS-C is the sweet spot.

To be clear: the Nikon Z5, Sony A7III, Canon EOS RP and the Canon EOS R6 are all very nice cameras.

But there is one thing, that sets Fujifilm X apart from all those “entry level” full frame cameras: it can squeeze so much tech into sub $2,000 cameras, that other brands can not.

Or, in other words: their main selling point (full frame), becomes their main limitation, since if you want to deliver full frame cameras under $2,000, you have to cut costs on other sides.

Let me explain.

Entry Level Full Frame vs High End APS-C

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Fujifilm Summer Savings: Save up to $1,000 on X and GFX Gear

Just as predicted a few days ago here, now the new Fujifilm X and GFX deals started.

Lenses

X Bodies

GFX Bodies

Software Deals

You can use our checkout code “FUJIRUMOR” to get an additional 15% discount on all TOPAZ products (Click here). Here is the list of products and bundles:

New Fujifilm Summer Savings Start July 20 – Full List of Deals

New Fujifilm deals will start on July 20 in USA and Canada. Here is the full list of savings.

Lenses

X Bodies

GFX Bodies

Software Deals

You can use our checkout code “FUJIRUMOR” to get an additional 15% discount on all TOPAZ products (Click here). Here is the list of products and bundles:

New Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 Released, Will No Longer Damage Your Fujifilm X-Pro3

Back in May, Viltrox issued a statement that their X Mount AF lenses can damage the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and FujiRumors later on reported about a free return service Viltrox offered.

Now they are redesigning those lenses, so that they won’t damage your X-Pro3 anymore (see damage in this post).

Just a few days, Viltrox has also released a MK II version of the 85mm f/1.8. Now the updated Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 AF has been released too.

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Astrophotography with Fujifilm: Get Stellar Results with Fujifilm APS-C and Medium Format Cameras

I have received an email from a fellow member of our Fujifilm Astrophography facebook group, which said:

I was thinking you could perhaps share some of the pics taken on the FB group “Astrophotography with Fujifilm” that you manage. Lots of awesome pictures there! We often hear you need an expensive full frame camera or big telescope, but that’s just wrong, as this group suggests.

That would be great to attract more Fuji shooters to this group, it’s a very nice community where we help each other and learn from our experiences.

Astro can be daunting for the newbie, but it shouldn’t. Also, there aren’t a lot of Fuji shooters in the astro community, so I’m sure it could spread the virus — the good one!

Oh well, here it is.

Have fun and may this post inspire you to try your luck with the stars, too :).

Images Roundup

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Fujifilm X Webcam for Mac Released

Fujifilm X webcam for Mac has now been released. This software allows to run all tethering capable Fujifilm cameras as a webcam (all except X-T1, as that one has too old hardware).

The compatible Fujifilm cameras are: GFX100, GFX 50S, GFX 50R, X-H1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3, X-T2, X-T3, X-T4.

You can download Fujifilm X Webcam for Mac here.

Now, Fujifilm offers two different “webcam” solutions:

  • via Fujifilm X Webcam software for tethering capable X/GFX cameras
  • built-in directly in camera, for X-A7 and X-T200

We have listed the differences between both solution in this article.

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Fujifilm X Channel Episode 1: Camera Software Development, or Putting a Soul into X Series Cameras

Fujifilm Japan has launched the first episode of their “Fujifilm X Channel” series.

Fujifilm X Channel will cover 3 subjects:

  • X Lab: Product planners/developers talk about the essence of the X series and the inside story of development
  • X Talk: A photographer who loves the X series, talks about his impressions of the X series
  • Impressive Photograph: Photographer Minoko Orisaku teaches you some tips on various scenes in everyday photography

The first episode went online today, and it belongs to the X-Lab section. More precisely, they talk about software development.

Sadly you’ll have to rely on google automatic translation tool, as the series is in Japanese only, and Google has a hard time to translate it, with some funny results like Fuji cameras make people “accidentally drink“, “it’s difficult to lick the film” and “I wonder if anyone wants to sharpen their needs“.

So, if any Japanese FR-reader out there has the time and will to make a summary for us of the 10 minutes video, it would be greatly appreciated. Just drop it in the comments.

What I understood (maybe…):

Translated by FR-reader Hiko (thanks!)

Mr. Ueno (Product Planner)
  • This is our first discussion with the development group of X Channel, X Lab, with our 3 development managers.
  • Cameras are hardware and software — today we will discuss the software side of things, specifically image quality design, AF/AE design, and firmware.
Announcer
  • Starting with the X100 in 2011, we will reflect on the past 10 years of the X series, as told by the members of the development team.
Mr. Ueno
  • 10 years has allowed the X series to grow from nothing.
  • Perhaps there’s something that stands out to you, reflecting on the past.
Mr. Uchida (AF Dev)
  • Not so much from the X100, but it was the X-Pro1 that received numerous feedback which allowed us to improve, such as issues shooting moving subjects, why is there a macro button, etc.
  • Started out negative, but that allowed us to work through struggles and mature to the point we are at now.
Mr. Irie (IQ Design Dev)
  • Film sims represent the camera.
  • Starting in 2011, a new sim was released roughly every 2 years.
  • As of late, it’s been every year, and this has become a little tough.
Mr. Mizuta (Firmware Dev)
  • FW is necessary to manipulate the processor/sensor to allow desired AF, color, etc.
  • Pro1 had reports of the camera behaving oddly in certain situations.
  • I feel that the last 10 years have allowed us to finally reach the point where the FW is near completion from the start.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: Pro1 came out in 2012, but by 2013, 2014, it was a completely different camera. Hardware is the same, but there has been much improvement, which made me believe that the FW really completes the camera.
  • This is true, the camera here is not fully functional, and without the proper FW, this is just a decoration, a box.
  • I like to think FW breathes life into the system.
Mr. Ueno
  • I would like to hear about everyone’s best accomplishment.
Mr. Uchida
  • The start was rough — the Fuji colors and image quality are there, but couldn’t take anything that’s moving, which limited the scenes that could be captured.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: Yes many users commented on this a lot — even if the colors are there, if the focus failed, it’s all for nought.
  • AF was bad, but when I tried to take moving subjects, it was more than that, like EVF delay, blackout, button response, etc.
  • I realized that the overall experience needed improving, which led the basis of our kaizen.
  • This was realized in the X-T2.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: it’s clear AF has made the biggest leaps. The improvement was substantial, and many photographers today still use T2 as long as very fast AF is not needed.
  • That is why the X-T2 is my best accomplishment.
Mr. Irie
  • T2 wasn’t my best, but would like to comment that it was a huge leap and felt this could last for the next 10 years.
  • I wanted to buy it, but due to full pre-orders, employees were told not to buy it.
  • My best accomplishment was Classic Chrome with the X-30.
  • At the time, my process was to create a look that I wanted to convey, rather than recreating the look of a film.
  • Without the name of the film in the name of the simulation, I wanted something that just looks “cool.”
  • Many said Fujifilm was a Happy Color.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: During the film marketing days, photo developers commented that Velvia/Provia was nice, but when you take photos of Europe, it turns into Hawaii.
  • And thus I accepted the challenge to make something cool, the development of CC.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: it became popular with Europeans and some started to solely use CC.
Mr. Mizuta
  • In the beginning it was just trying to meet everyone’s needs, and how to best compile them together.
  • It was about 7 years later and with the X-T3 that I felt that I had come into my own, and receiving approval from some, I felt I could see what people desired.
  • I feel that T3 was the camera that really brought the developers together to solve issues, e.g., if the exposure was bad, was it the shutter, sensor, processor, mainboard, algorithm — we all worked together.
    • Mr. Irie comment: I agree, in the beginning, many of us just requested certain features that we wanted, and then left you to deal with it. T3 development brought all of us together for solving problems.
    • Mr. Ueno comment: The amount of FW is inundating, and I know a manufacturer should not be saying this, but a 100% perfect FW is probably not possible. Of course we strive for 100%, but certainly bugs can sometimes be present. The key is how quickly we can resolve the issue.
Mr. Ueno
  • Today was a discussion of software, but cameras cannot operate on software alone.
  • The common aspect of cameras for everyone is probably the lens, as color can change, AF speed can change.
  • Working together with the hardware is what finally allows the power of the camera to show 100%.
  • Knowing just software is not enough — everyone must know the hardware as well.
  • This is perhaps what makes creating cameras challenging, but also fun.
Announcer
  • Part 2 will come next week.

Again… if any Japanese speaking FR-reader could make a summary for us, would be awesome!

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Fujifilm X-T4 vs Sony A7III vs Panasonic S1H, Fuji X-T4 from a Sony User Perspective, X-T4 for Wildlife Photography & Much More

Available Now here – JYJZPB NP-W235 2250mAh Replacement Battery for Fujifilm, 2-Pack Camera Batteries with Battery Charger for Fujifilm X-T4 

Fujfiilm X-T4

The Fujifilm X-T4 hit the market a few months ago, but overall passed a bit unnoticed, as, you know, the world was busy handling with other issues in the last few months.

But the X-T series is and remains the one camera line, that gives Fujifilm the biggest financial success, and as a consequence the camera line most X shooters own.

So, today we dedicate a roundup to the Fujifilm X-T4, a camera that is giving great satisfaction to owners (me included).

In today’s roundup, we have:

  • X-T4 feedback we received from FR-reader Tom
  • comparisons with Sony A7III and Panasonic S1H
  • a review from a Sony user perspective
  • a review of X-T4 for wildlife photography
  • and much more

Some of the videos come with handy FujiRumors-made summary ;).

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→ Top X-T Community: Fujifilm X-T facebook group
→ Top X-T Page: Fujifilm X-T Page

The Big Roundup

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Fujifilm X-T4 Firmware 1.02 Improves Autofocus with DC Motor Fujinon Lenses (+ Last Spaces for Rico’s Fuji X Workshop)

As you know from this interview with Fuji Guy Billy, there are different types of autofocus motors for camera lenses, such as:

  • stepping motors
  • linear motors
  • DC coreless motors
  • ultrasonic type of motors

Of course each of these 4 motors has its Pros and Cons, you can read about it here.

Today we want to focus only the DC coreless AF motors, which are the best option if you have to move fast and big glass elements without making the lens too big. Some lenses that employ the DC coreless AF motor are the glorious Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 and the XF23mmF1.4. Of course it’s used also in not so fast lenses, such as one of my favorites mounted on my X-E3, the lovely XF27mmF2.8.

NOTE: FYI: 35/1.4 has a stepping motor

Why do we talk about it today?

Well, we recently shared a Fujinon XF video autofocus review by Philip Bloom, where he showed that the XF56mm F1.2 performs very bad.

The test was done before the recent Fujifilm X-T4 firmware 1.02, which officially improved IBIS (by a large margin, as shown here) and fixed a few bugs.

What Fujifilm did not tell us, but luckily X guru Rico Pfirstinger told us, is that Fujifilm X-T4 firmware 1.02 also improved autofocus performance with lenses sporting a DC coreless AF motor.

It would be great if Philip Bloom could repeat his test with the XF56mmF1.2. He should notice a significant improvement.

Speaking of Rico…

Rico is offering online workshops (in German). They are usually sold out quickly, with long waiting lists on top of it. But it happens that there are a few last spots left for 2 of them.

Keep in mind, the workshops are in German language.

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Last Day to Save up to $1,000 on Fujifilm X and GFX Gear and Get Capture One 20 for Fujifilm for Only $58

This is offcially the last week for the big Fujiflm spring savings on Fujifilm X/GFX gear. You can see the full list of deals here.

GFX Gear

X Lenses

X Cameras

Capture One Deal

Ends in a few hours (6PM New York Time):

Topaz

You can use our checkout code “FUJIRUMOR” to get an additional 15% discount on all TOPAZ products (Click here). Here is the list of products and bundles:

Think Tank

Software

All Fujifilm Deals

Used Fujifilm Gear

Official Fujifilm Recommended Accessories

SD-Cards

Power Banks