Fujifilm’s Biggest Mistake (Northrup): Medium Format Distraction and Lack of Fast APS-C Zooms to Compete with Full Frame

Tony and Chelsea Norhtrup posted a video about the biggest error the various camera manufacturers do.

  • they don’t offer full frame. You have to jump to medium format
  • they need better autofocus
  • Fujiiflm saw youtube channels comparing their APS-C cameras against FF cameras
  • as a consequence, Fujifilm became too obsessed about sensor size and launched a medium format system
  • but Fujifilm launched their MF system in a time when the whole camera market was going down due to the rise of smartphones
  • by launching a new mount, they split all their R&D and marketing
  • their mounts are not compatible
  • they should have just stick with APS-C at this point and focus all their R&D for their APS-C system, giving us more X mount cameras and lenses
  • Fuji wanted to become a big contender, but they ended up being a niche (a niche the Northrup’s appreciate)
  • but to get work done, they pick a full frame Sony, Canon or Nikon
  • he’d shoot Fuji if they’d offer an XF50-100mmF1.8, as he’d get similar results to a full frame 70-200mmF2.8
  • he wants focusing speed of Sony and Canon, background blur, low light capability
  • all that does not need a bigger sensor, just bigger and faster lenses
  • Fujifilm misunderstood reviewers, and gave us medium format sensor instead of faster APS-C lenses
  • instead of making huge lenses for medium format they should have made huge lenses for APS-C

My own two cents?

GFX – a Distraction?

Offering medium format was a brilliant long term move and I have elaborated why here.

But yeah, I can’t see the future. Nobody can. So Tony’s opinion is just as valid as mine. The future will tell.

Two System, Less Cameras and Lenses for APS-C due to limited R&D

Maybe I am not so much into other brands, but I don’t feel like Fujifilm is releasing less gear than other brands.

The real issue was more that so far not many third party brands released AF lenses for Fujifilm, but that has been solved in the meantime.

But in some way it is true. No GFX system could potentially mean more resources for X mount. But I think this is also why Fujifilm waited so long before offering a second sensor option. They did want to wait that their APS-C lineup is rich in lenses and once well covered, they can free up resources for other projects.

Lack of Fast Lenses

First off, let me say that there are many fast Fujinon XF lenses such as the XF200mmF2, XF8-16mmF2.8, XF50mmF1.0 as well as all the nice f/1.2 and f/1.4 primes.

But what about the f/1.8 zooms he’d wish for the X system? Well, that brings us to the next point.

High ISO

In the past, pushing your digital cameras to high ISO was something we absolutely wanted to avoid, as the performance was so bad. To avoid to go too high with ISO, we did indeed need fast glass for low light photography.

But that was the past. Today, ISO performance on digital cameras is vastly improved, which means you don’t need to try to desperately avoid high ISO with super fast and expensive glass. Nope, you can also push ISO up much higher than you ever could in the past.

What this means is that you can put smaller, lighter and more affordable lenses on your camera, as you can compensate the slower aperture with a higher ISO value.

Down below I will share a video of an extreme low light recovery I made of my wife overlooking the hills of Ronda in Andalusia, Spain (we made our honeymoon there). She basically went from almost invisible black to nicely visible in clean colors (thank you X-Trans for that high color fidelity) and in my eyes also very contained levels of noise, which make the image pleasing and usable.

But what about Bokeh? Let’s talk about it.

Bokeh

Not enough background blur? Well, this one is easy to answer. I’ll just share an image down below. And it’s not even the fastest lens Fujifilm has to offer (you can get even more radical with this one).

Autofocus (and Computational Photography)

True, Sony and Canon have better autofocus. But the point with autofocus is, that once it is near perfect, there is not much to improve anymore. Fujifilm just needs to catch up with Sony and Canon, and then the “autofocus war” will be basically over, since there will be little room for further enhancements.

Where there is much more room for improvement, is computational photography. And this is an area where smaller sensors simply are superior to bigger sensors. In fact, if done wisely, it could be even lead to a Renaissance of the M43 system (as the Panasonic GH6 shows with its terrific high res handheld mode). And certainly APS-C has a potential advantage here over full frame or medium format.

 

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Voigtländer Nokton 23mmF1.2 X Additional Specs and Images

Yesterday we reported how Cosina, in addition to the current Voigländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 X, is about to launch also the Voigländer Nokton 23mm f/1.2 X.

Now Cosina has published the main specs and a new product image (see above) of this lens at their website in Japanese, which I now report here on FujiRumors machine translated.

A large aperture quasi-wide-angle lens with the latest optics using one double-sided aspherical lens and two abnormal partial dispersion glass. Although it is a compact size, it has excellent resolution from the aperture opening, and large blur due to the large aperture of F1.2 can be obtained.

Just as the 35mm version, also this one has electronic contacts to transfer certain information such as EXIF data.

I love the look of this lens, and actually also of the Voigländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 X. And although I am tempted to get one, I so far have not treated myself with one, since I’d pay for features (the electronic contacts) that do not work on my Fujifilm X-E3.

This is why I got the much more affordable TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4, which you can see attached to my X-E3 here.

At the bottom of this article you will also find which Fujifilm X cameras are currently supported.

Specs & Supported Cameras

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

New Voigtländer Nokton 23mm f/1.2 for Fujifilm X Coming Soon

Voigtländer Nokton 23mmF1.2 X

Last year, Cosina launched the Voigtländer Nokton 35mmF1.2 X, with no autofocus, but with electronic contacts which allows for transfer of EXIF data and more (more details at the bottom of the article).

Now Cosina will also launch the Voigtländer Nokton 23mm f/1.2 APS-C lens for Nikon Z and Fujifilm X mount.

Also in this case, there will be electronic contacts but not autofocus.

It’s nice to see that Cosina understands us Fujifilm X shooters (or most of us) better than what Sigma does, and did put the effort to design the X mount version with an aperture ring. I wish the new Sigma X mount trinity would have an aperture ring too. But it’s no dealbreaker in my eyes. I shot my 27mmF2.8 without aperture ring for long and with great joy (but I replaced it now with the new XF27mmF2.8 with aperture ring).

For me, shooting Fujifilm is not only, but also about the experience. This is also the reason why I got the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4. It’s the look and feel of it, attached to my X-E3 or X-T4, that simply makes me enjoy shooting with it every now and then.

And surely the new Voigtländer NOKTON lenses for Fujifilm X hit the same nerve, with a lovely vintage design and the bonus of electronic contacts that make it an appealing option for X shooters.

Personally, though, the Voigtländer options is not on my radar, because my Fujifilm X-E3 camera is not supported (yet). The full list of supported X series cameras can be found at the very bottom of this article.

New from Sigma

via dc-watch and digicame-info.

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Voigtlander NOKTON 35mm F1.2 X – Important information regarding data communication: There are restrictions associated with different camera models.

  • Transfer of EXIF data possible  – (note * 1) (note * 2)
  • Focus magnifier (focus peaking) –  possible Distance display possible
  • Distance display – possible
  • Image stabilization – possible on all models with an image stabilization
  • function Parallax compensation – only possible with X-Pro3 Body

Communication compatible models und Firmware (note *3)

  • Body Firmware X–H1 v1.10 or later
  • X-T4 v1.00 or later
  • X-T3 v1.00 or later
  • X-T2 v4.10 or later
  • X-Pro3 v1.00 or later
  • X-S10 v1.00 or later
  • X-E4 v1.00 or later
  • X-T30 v1.00 or later

Sigma DC DN vs Fujinon XF Size Comparison

As we told you a few weeks ago, Sigma will announce X mount lenses “soon”. I never gave a date (and hence I never said they would be announced today, Feb.9), but I confirm everything I said so far, hence that they will come “soon” and that Sigma will start their X mount adventure with these three lenses:

Assuming that Sigma will not design completely new lenses, but use the current design and just adapt the mount to make it fit on X series cameras, I have made a couple of comparisons already.

One spec that is maybe better seen on images rather than expressed in numbers, is the size of the lenses.

So I used the camerasize.com database to compare the future Sigma X mount lenses to their Fujifilm X mount counterparts.

Note that I’ve mounted the Sigma lenses on a Sony A6600 and the Fujinon lenses on an X-Pro3, since that way both lenses have their mount pretty much perfectly aligned. And of course, camerasize has the Sigma lenses with lens hood, but it’s really not a massive effort of imagination to “think away” those lens hoods.

For the full specs comparison, you can click the links below:

Related articles:

 

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Sigma vs Viltrox X Mount AF Lens Specs and Price Comparison

When we recently compared the upcoming Sigma X mount lenses to their Fujinon XF counterparts some people wrote me that the comparison is unfair, as the Sigma should be best compared to other third party AF lenses, mainly the Viltrox X mount counterparts.

So shall FujiRumors satisfy your desires.

Hence, once again I used the B&H Photo comparison tool to run over the specs and compare Viltrox to Sigma (I ignore the Tokina X mount trinity as those lenses are identical to the Viltrox lenses, just they cost more).

NOTE: This comparison is based on the rather reasonable assumption that Sigma will re-use the design of the current Sigma DC DN lenses and adapt its mount to Fuji X, rather than designing all new lenses with new optical design and ergonomics (hence add an aperture ring).

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Viltrox 13mm f/1.4

  • the Sigma is 4,2% more affordable than the Viltrox lens
  • the Sigma is 3,5% lighter than the Viltrox
  • the Viltrox has better close focus distance capability (22cm vs 25cm)
  • the BHphoto Comparison Tool has not yet added the specs for the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4

At that wide range the difference between 16 and 13 is quite substantial, hence this could be called an unfair comparison.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Viltrox 33mm f/1.4

  • the Viltrox is 17,6% more affordable than the Sigma lens
  • the Sigma is just 1,8% lighter than the Viltrox
  • the Sigma has better close focus distance capability (30cm vs 40cm)
  • full specs comparison here (filter size, optical design etc)

Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Viltrox 56mm f/1.4

  • the Viltrox is 39% more affordable than the Sigma lens
  • the Sigma is 3,4% lighter than the Viltrox
  • the Sigma has better close focus distance capability (50cm vs 60cm)
  • full specs comparison here (filter size, optical design etc)

Gear Mentioned

Compared: Sigma 16mmF1.4 vs Fujinon XF16mmF1.4, Sigma 30mmF1.4 vs XF33mmF1.4 and Sigma 56mmF1.4 vs XF56mmF1.2

We told you regarding the upcoming X mount Sigma lenses, that we don’t believe they will suffer the same faith of the X mount Zeiss Touit Trinity.

The main reason: the Zeiss Touit X lenses were more expensive than their Fujinon XF counterparts but did not offer a better image quality that would justify the price jump.

On the other hand, the Sigma X mount lenses will come in at a sensibly lower price tag than their Fujinon XF competitors and probably at the same time offer a very good image quality, too.

Well, today I’d like to go a bit more in depth and compare also some of the other specs thanks to the very useful B&H Photo comparison tool.

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR

  • the Sigma is 55% more affordable than the Fujinon lens
  • the Fujinon is 7.5% lighter than the Sigma
  • the Fujinon has better close focus distance capability (15cm vs 25cm)
  • full specs comparison here (filter size, optical design etc)

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Fujinon XF33mm f/1.4 R LM WR

  • the Sigma is 58% more affordable than the Fujinon lens
  • the Sigma is 26% lighter than the Fujinon
  • both have the same close focus distance capability (30cm)
  • full specs comparison here (filter size, optical design etc)

Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN vs Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R

  • the Sigma is 52% more affordable than the Fujinon lens
  • the Sigma is 31% lighter than the Fujinon
  • the Sigma has better close focus distance capability (50cm vs 70cm)
  • full specs comparison here (filter size, optical design etc)

Given the gentle price and probably also the great performance, I believe the Sigma X mount lenses could potentially be an attractive option for many Fuji X shooters.

What I believe could be the biggest “deal breaker” is not that they are too close to existing Fujinon lenses, but that all the Sigma lenses mentioned above do not have an aperture ring, which is something many of us love and consider a key part of the Fuji X shooter experience.

At least for me it’s like this, so much so that I sold my original XF27mmF2.8 to get the new XF27mmF2.8 R WR just to have an aperture ring on the lens.

But other than that, I am happy Sigma joins the X mount with whatever lenses they want and I look forward to more in future.

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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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Fujifilm X-H2 Announcement in May and Celebrating 10 Years of Fujifilm X Series

So now we know it:

As we reported earlier today, Fujifilm has announced the 5th generation X series camera to be launched in May 2022.

No more than that.

However, FujiRumors readers know it since May 2021 already: the first X series camera to feature an all new sensor and processor will be the Fujifilm X-H2. And actually, not only one, but two Fujifilm X-H2 will come in 2022.

Sure, that’s the huge news of the day.

However, I allow myself to bother you for the second time this Sunday, to hightlight something that otherwise probably would pass unnoticed.

In fact, Fujifilm has released a couple of videos to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Fujifilm X mount (the X-Pro1 was launched in January 2012), and in addition to the Fujifilm X Summit in May, they also annouced a new video project called “Reflections” and a #10YearsOfXMount hashtag campaign.

So we have the following:

  • Fujifilm X Summit in May: 5th generation Fujifilm X Series cameras – Fujifilm X-H2
  • Video Project “Reflections”: Fujifilm would like to feature X-users who they came to know during their 10 year journey. The first video will be released on the 26th of January.
  • #10YearsOfXMount hashtag campaign: Fujifilm will set a theme each month, and you can share a photo about that theme on your social media using the hashtag. The theme for January is “my best photo” (you know which one is mine)
  • GFX Challenge Program (we reported here): Fujiflm will select 50 projects, then narrow it down later on to 15 and in the final round 5 projects will be selected

What we know from previous teaser is that Fujifilm will launch a stacked BSI X-Trans APS-C sensor.

In the same video (you can see below), the Fujifilm manager also says:

  • X-Pro1 was announced 10 years ago on January 9, 2012
  • customers feedback was very positive especially due to the X-Trans sensor and high quality lenses
  • Since then, Fujifilm as introduced about 30 camera models and over 40 lenses

You can also find other celebration videos down below as well as chech out the dedicated Fujifilm X 10th anniversary website.

Also the Fuji Guys and X Photographers started sharing their celebration videos. You can see them all down below, and I will add more videos to the article once they go online.

Fujifilm X-H2 Rumor Recap

 

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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