Fringer EX-FX (Pro) II Smart Autofocus Adapter Firmware 1.70 Released

Fringer has released firmware 1.60 for the Fringer EF-FX Pro II and Fringer EF-FX II smart autofocus adapters.

As requested by many users, Fringer finally found a Sigma 500mm F4 OS Sports lens and optimized it. Fringer says it performs very well on X-Trans IV cameras. A good choice for wild life!

The main improvements of firmware v1.70 include:

Version 1.70

  1. Fixed PDAF issues for some lens of the following models: Lens didn’t get recognized by the adapter due to different lens firmware version.
    – Tamron SP 15-30/2.8 VC A012
  2. AF performance of following lens has been improved further.
    – EF24-70/2.8L
    – EF24-70/2.8L II
    – EFS17-55/2.8 IS
  3. Added following lenses to the tested and optimized lens list:
    – SIGMA 500/4.5 EX DG APO HSM
    – SIGMA 500/4 DG OS HSM SPORTS
    – SIGMA 500/4 DG OS HSM SPORTS + 1.4X
    – SIGMA 500/4 DG OS HSM SPORTS + 2X
    – SIGMA 14-24/2.8 DG HSM Art
    – TAMRON SP70-300/4-5.6 Di VC USM A005
  4. Introduced smooth video AF for the following lens:
    – SIGMA 14-24/2.8 DG HSM Art
  5. Fixed IBIS issues on X-H1 and X-T4:
    – ZEISS Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZE

You may download new firmware and its release notes from the Fringer website. Read the release notes or user manual to understand how to upgrade.

via Fringer

Camera GP Japan 2020 Awards: Sony Wins Big and Fujifilm GFX100 Grabs the Editors Award

The Fujifilm GFX100 won the Camera GP Japan 2020 Editors Award, said to be the most prestigious camera award in Japan.

Now, I don’t know much about this specific award, but overall I wrote an article in the past about the dubious meaningfulness of such awards. But hey, better to win something than not to win.

It is totally subjective, but personally I rejoice much more when other awards are won, for example when photographers using Fujifilm cameras win hands down at the 2020 Word Press Photo awards.

Think at this:

None of the Fujifilm X shooters creaming off all the top awards at the World Press Photo 2020 used the most powerful camera on the market: an X-Pro2, an X100F, an X-H1 and others. But each of these cameras has its character, its peculiar look and feel, build ergonomically around the different needs of different photographers, and hence the tool many chose, to go out and grab award winning images.

Personally I also prefer to use a camera that fits my shooting style, rather than one with the power of a playstation, as I know I will get better results out of the first one.

This is also the reason, why the Fujifilm GFX100 made me salivate on specs level, but personally (as a guy, who does not make a penny out of his photography) I would not buy one, at least not until it looks like this Fujifilm GFX concept.

When I picked up the Fujifilm GFX100 and tested it, it was the first Fujifilm camera I ever hold in my hands, that I had to spend time just to figure out how to operate it.

You know what I mean?

I mean, give me an X-Pro2, X100V or X-T4, and thanks to their intuitive layout and manual controls, I can shoot right away, without any need of a manual or even setting up anything at the menu.

Specs are nice and good. But esthetics, ergonomics, feel and usability are more inspiring for me than mere specs, and therefore help me to keep my passion, fun and inspiration for photography high and fresh.

With that said, here you get it: the list of Camera JP Japan 2020 winners.

The big winner is Sony.

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Fujifilm Press Release

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Fujifilm EU Deals: Save up to €600/£500 and Fujifilm GFX 50R Gets New Lower Retail Price

Fujifilm USA is offering a bunch of great rebates on Fujifilm X and GFX gear. Full list here.

But also here in good old Europe we have some serious deals going on, that can vary on the country.

The main course of the meal is a €600/£500 rebate on lenses if you purchase a Fujifilm X-T3 or Fujifilm X-T4 (check if available in your country, too).

And, instead offering deals on the Fujifilm GFX50R, like in USA, Fujifilm EU decided to give it a new, permanent lower retail price of €3,499!

 

Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 First Look Review

Damian Brown got his hands on the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 already. Here is what he thinks about the lens:

  • loose aperture ring. He moved it accidentally during shooting. Not really a dealbreaker, but he does not like it
  • click-free aperture ring (like the Viltrox 33mmf/1.4)
  • metal lens hood
  • STM focus motor. Nice option for video shooters
  • he used the lens on the Fujifilm X-T4
  • 52mm filter size
  • feels solid and well built
  • manual focus ring is well dampened, smooth
  • you can control the aperture with command dial if you want
  • vignetting is relatively strong. You better stop down a bit to get rid of it
  • lens is sharp
  • renders colors nicely
  • smooth and nice bokeh… can be swirly occasionally. Bokeh has character
  • autofocus is more than fast enough for him, and very accurate most of the time
  • video focus seems pretty smooth
  • occasionally he noticed focus breathing
  • very good build quality, sharp images, smooth video autofocus, and lives up to the standard set be the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 AF

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Download for Free: 10 Fujifilm X Passion Magazines and Fujifilm X Tips and Tricks

Need something to read?

You get 10 editions of the Fujifilm X Magazine for free. Check out all details here. [UPDATE: I just noticed that the link leads to an empty page now. I contacted the guys at the Fuji X Passion magazine and asked if they can put the offer up again. I hope to get reply soon and will let you know UPDATE 2: Deal activated again for a limited time]

Also, Ken has published his 3rd edition of the Fujifilm Tips and Tricks ebook, which you can download for free here.

Pre-order Rico’s book The Fujifilm X-T4: 150 X-Pert Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Camera.

 

MORE eBOOKS

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Top 20 Fujifilm Manager Statments about Fujifilm X-H2, X100V/X-T3 Firmware, Monochrome, Open X Mount, Fixed Lens GFX and More

With the Fujifilm X-T4 about to hit the market (and actually already shipping in some), Fujifilm managers all over the globe are giving tons of interviews to make the world ready for the best camera it has ever seen to date: the Fujifilm X-T4 :).

Of course, I pre-ordered it, too :)

Now, for your convenience, I always provide a practical summary of all manager statements in my various article, and yet, with so many interviews, there might be some statements you might have missed anyway.

So I thought I filter out those statements, that I consider most relevant, and put them all into this article.

However, there is so much more interesting stuff to read, and so I strongly recommend you to check out all the original articles. I will provide all links below.

Manager Statements

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FR-readers Wishlist Corner: Fujifilm X-TSony, Firmware Upgrade Suggestions, Lens Wishes and Much More

Here on FujiRumors I get many, really many thousands of emails and personal messages a year.

There is no team behind FujiRumors. It’s me, Patrick, that’s it. And I try to reply to every single one of you, in my spare time from my day job.

I feel very privileged that such a large community comes together here on FujiRumors… but with huge fellowship, comes also huge responsibility and work.

Hence, for as much as I try, sometimes I am not really able to answer you all in a super-comprehensive way.

But I think everybody gets a reply, and surely I read ever single message I receive.

Among those messages, there are many, who express lens wishes, firmware wishes, improvement ideas and all possible things.

Today I decided to collect many of those messages I get, and put them all in one big FujiRumors readers wishlist roundup.

I would like to honor your participation as good as I can, and this little wishlist roundup, is a little sign, that whatever you tell me, I listen…. and I share :).

Have a wonderful Sunday,
Patrick

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FR-readers Wishlist Roundup

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FUJIFILM Updates RAW File Converter EX and FUJIFILM Tether Plugin PRO for GFX for Adobe

Fujifilm has updated RAW File Converter EX and Tether Plugin PRO for GFX.

RAW FILE CONVERTER EX powered by SILKYPIX – download here

The software update Ver.8.1.5.0 incorporates the following issues:

  1. Applicable model for the “RAW FILE CONVERTER EX 3.0 powered by SILKYPIX” is added.
    Applicable Model : FUJIFILM X-T4
  2. Compatibility with Mac OS is from OS X v10.9 to macOS 10.15.

FUJIFILM Tether Plugin PRO for GFX” for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC / 6 – download here

The software update Ver.1.16.0 incorporates the following issues:

  1. RAW RECORDING setting can be set from the computer.
  2. DYNAMIC RANGE setting can be set from the computer.
  3. For Windows: It can be used only on Windows (64 bit).

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Major Fujifilm X-T3 and GFX100 Firmware Update Coming May/June

Let me first say things how they are.

Fujifilm NEVER announced any major firmware update for Fujifilm X-T3. The rumor of a Kaizen X-T3 update has been published here on FujiRumors a few months ago. And it was only a rumor.

Pressed by questions, Fujifilm managers later on just vaguely answered that such a firmware is “under consideration“.

Another thing is the huge update for Fujifilm GFX100. That firmware has been promised by Fujifilm back in February here. The main course of the meal: pixel shift multishot for 400 megapixel images.

Anyone salivating? ;)

Now back to the rumors.

According to our sources, both, the Fujifilm X-T3 as well as the Fujifilm GFX100 firmware updates should be released in the first half of 2020 (which May/June).

I asked if it could come out already in April, but my sources are sure it won’t be April.

And now a mandatory warning!

While I am 100% sure Fujifilm’s current plans are the ones I said above, after almost a decade of my life dedicated to Fujifilm blogging, I can tell you that if there is one thing, that can experience sudden plan changes at any time, then it’s firmware updates.

Fujifilm has a deadline, but especially with firmware updates, those can change quickly. The firmware will be released, only when ready.

And yet, the plan is to come out with both, X-T3 and GFX100 firmware within the first half of the year.

That’s it for now.

But if you want more, just keep us following us ;).

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