What We Lost When Cameras Got Better — and How Fujifilm Is Trying to Give It Back

What We Have Lost

I remember…

I remember when at the age of 16 I bought my first Fujifilm Quicksnap camera.

We were going on a 4-day trip with my classmates to Siena.

And I remember how I cherished those 27 shots — how intentional I tried to make every single one of them. Every frame mattered so much to me.

The photos might have been flawed — soft, overexposed, touched by grain and blur. But the moments were flawless. I waited for them, guarded each frame, and only pressed the shutter when I felt that it truly mattered.

But somehow all of that went lost with the arrival of digital.

That sense of loss — of meaning, of connection — is exactly what YouTuber Gerald explores in his video “What We Lost When Cameras Got Better”. He looks back at what we unknowingly traded away when photography became effortless, and how we might get those things back.

We thought we were upgrading to digital.
But we weren’t — we were trading.
And this is what we lost in the exchange, according to Gerald.

Intentionality –

Film forced us to think before shooting because every frame was limited and costly.
Digital made shooting cheap and endless, which made each photo mean less.

Presence –

With film, you stayed in the moment.
With digital, we’re constantly checking screens, pulled out of the experience.

Anticipation –

Waiting to see developed photos made us value them more.
Instant previews make us forget instantly — memories don’t have time to form.

Imperfection –

Film had character: grain, light leaks, and “happy accidents.”
Digital and AI perfection removed uniqueness; everything looks the same.

Mindfulness –

Shooting film is a tactile, focused ritual.
You set ISO once, advance manually, and truly participate in the process.
Digital gives results; film teaches discipline.

Conclusion

Technology didn’t just upgrade photography — it also caused a trade-off.
We gained convenience but lost meaning.
Unlimited shots led to unlimited forgetting, while limitations gave us value.

How to Get It Back

You don’t need to abandon digital. Instead, adopt the film mindset.

By slowing down and paying attention, you’ll remember your photos — and the moments — again.

So What has Fujifilm to Do with This?

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Fujifilm X-T30 III Performs a Miracle: FujiRumors Comment Section Turns Positive!

It looks like the brand new Fujifilm X-T30 III just did something I thought was almost impossible: it made people happy, even on the comments here on FujiRumors 😊

Because, let’s face it — over the last few months (or even years), there’s been a lot of critiques in the comments on FujiRumors every time Fujifilm launched something new (often I feel rightful critiques, but often I think also not).

In short: Fujifilm has faced its fair share of criticism with almost every recent release.

So, when the X-T30 III dropped, I braced myself before opening the comment section — expecting yet another wave of disappointment.

But much to my surprise… that didn’t happen.

In fact, the more I scrolled, the more positive reactions I found (with some negatives here and there).

Let’s quote a few:

OreganoSpliff: Well, I’m finding it hard to talk s**t given what you get for the money

Marcio K: xactly what I tought to be – the X-M5 in the X-T30 body. For the price, very interesting.

Stefan: £829 in the uk is super cheap. Just £30 more than the XT30ii was at launch

italianbreadman: This is the best thing they’ve done in years

If I were to judge only from the comments, I’d say Fujifilm did a lot of things right with the X-T30 III — mainly by holding the price around that magical 1K mark.

As I said before, the X-T30 III finally closes a huge gap in Fujifilm’s lineup — and it seems that most people appreciate exactly that.

Will it be a best-seller?
Only time will tell.
But honestly — it has all the potential to become a big hit.

I’ll leave you with a bunch of new hands-on reviews and podcasts below.

Fujifilm X-T30 III vs X-T30 II – Here are the Main Differences

According to our sources, the upcoming Fujifilm X-T30 III will have lots in common with the Fujifilm X-T30 II: same body, so much so that at a first glance one might not see any difference at all.

However, there is one exterior and one internal difference.

On the outside, instead of the drive dial, you’ll get the film simulation dial with the FS1 to FS3 position, in which you can also store your personal film simulation recipes.

On the inside, you’ll still find the trusted X-Trans IV 26MP sensor, but this time coupled with the new X Processor 5.

Of course this means a certain performance boost for the X-T30 III, such as 6K 4:2:2 10bit recording (X-T30II shoots 4K max), the better autofocus algorithm with all sorts of subject detection modes, more film simulations (all 20 currently available) and more.

I guess those are the main differences: not many, but relevant ones.

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RUMOR: New Firmware Might Finally Bring the Fujifilm Feature I’ve Been Begging For

Now, usually I’m not the kind of website that publishes unconfirmed rumors… or worse, makes them up just to drive traffic.

And while I’ll never start inventing rumors, I’ll make a small exception today when it comes to publishing an unconfirmed one.

Why?

Well, with a rumor accuracy close to 100%, I think I’ve earned the right to take a tiny risk once in a while.

Now, I really, really hope this rumor turns out to be true — it’s one of the features I’ve been vigorously requesting from Fujifilm for quite some time (see video above).

So, here’s the rumor:

According to an anonymous source, Fujifilm is working on a firmware update that will bring the wide panorama mode also to 40MP cameras!

Now, I truly hope this source is accurate — and not just playing with my feelings 😉.

But if it is true, then a huge thank you to the anonymous tipster! Sadly, I won’t be able to recognize you next time (no nickname given), but if you’re reading this, feel free to reach out again anytime you’ve got something exciting to share with the Fujifilm community.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome Camera Development Announced

Ricoh GR Goes Monochrome

Back in 2024 I told you that Ricoh would announce the Ricoh GR IV monochrome in 2025.

The rumor was instantly declared a fake clickbait by the “rest of the internet” (as you pointed out). But it looks like it was not a fake – so huge thanks to our source for sharing, once again, accurate information with us.

In fact, Ricoh just announced the Ricoh GRIV monochrome development, with shipping possibly still in 2025, just as our sources told us.

Also the Ricoh GR IV HDF (high diffusion filter) has been announced, but unlike the Monochrome version, which is a first for the Ricoh GR series, the Ricoh GR HDF version already existed in previous iterations of this line.

Here on FujiRumors wer are very strong supporters of a monochrome Fujifilm camera.

I’m confident the new Ricoh GR IV Monochrome will be a huge success. It’s a pity that Fujifilm doesn’t seem to recognize the enormous potential a monochrome Fujifilm camera could have.

Press Releases

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Fujifilm Manager Sets Bold Goal: Overtake Nikon and Climb to No.3 — X-E5 Is Leading the Charge

image courtesy: phototrend
image courtesy: phototrend

French Fujifilm managers gave an interview to the French website Phototrend. Here is the summary:

Market Share

  • 12% of the market share in value of APS-C sensor hybrids
  • Including compacts like the GFX 100RF and X100VI (the best seller), Fujifilm reaches about 13–14% of the French global photo market
  • Excellent dynamic, Fujifilm is progressing in each segment
  • Fujifilm wants to become Nr.3 on the market

Since Nikon is currently the No.3 brand, Fujifilm France aims to surpass them. And, as we’ll see below, the Fujifilm X-E5 appears to be leading that charge in 2025.

Fujifilm X-E5 Sales and About Taking Risks

  • X-E5 has clearly been biggest success of the last 12 months
  • Fujifilm is offering a wide range of cameras, from X half to X-H2S, catering to different needs and budgets for young smartphone photographers seeking an upgrade
  • GFX100RF sales far beyond expectation. A great start and now sales stabilized but is curve remains healthy
  • GFX100RF has found its place between Leica Q3 or the Sony RX1R III
  • X100VI still not that easy to find, although some retailers have stock
  • X half is a bet, a new concept. For generations used to vertical format
  • Instax Pal failed in Europe. But you have to innovate and try some risks. Sometimes it will work, sometimes not
  • The GFX Eterna 55 combines this optical expertise with a cinema ambition. Fujifilm targets short movies productions with cinema quality
  • The €1500–€2500 hybrid segment is saturated, so the challenge is to either move toward more accessible models like the X-M5 or elevate the offer with tools like Eterna
  • Instax still successful, with Instax Mini 12 being the best seller. Instax Mini EVO also still selling well
  • Instax Wide EVO is also selling well
  • Instax cameras that let users preview photos before printing haven’t reduced film sales—people now print only their best shots, and they often print it multiple times to share with others

Increasing Prices

  • price has increased and except for X-M5 there is no sub-1K camera anymore
  • second hand prices are under 1K, it’s a great, sustainable and ecological alternative

Third Party Lens Bundles

  • retailers can sell XF23mmF2.8 as a kit with other Fujifilm cameras
  • the only thing Fujifilm wants to make sure of, is that retailers do not bundle third party lenses with Fujifilm cameras

The 2025 Best Seller

About My Fujifilm X-E5, Therapy Sessions, and the Art of Letting Go!

Yes guys, I own the Fujifilm X-E5.

And many have already reached out to me asking why I haven’t reviewed it yet on FujiRumors or if I ever will share a review about it.

Well, I’ll tell you below why I don’t think it makes sense to review it.

But if you want my opinion, let me share the three main problems I encountered with the X-E5.

Problem 1.

I needed half a day to convince my Fujifilm X-E3 to let go of the XF27mmF2.8 R WR — her lifelong companion.

After a complex psychotherapy session (yes, we talked it through), I gently explained that sometimes we just have to let go and move on. Sometimes growth requires change. And if she truly loved the XF27mmF2.8, she’d set it free — let it explore new resolutions, new autofocus algorithms, new X-Trans relationships that would help it grow in ways she never could if always stuck on the X-E4

Problem 2.

The Fujifilm X-E5 looks so perfect — clean lines, flawless build, an aura of quiet confidence — I was honestly terrified to scratch it. It felt like holding a piece of art instead of a camera.

But then my X-E3 gave me a therapy session. She reminded me that the marks we carry are proof of a fully life lived. She said: “you can’t protect your X-E5 from scratches without also protecting yourself from the joy of using it“.

I knew my Fujifilm X-E3 stole that line from one of the best books I’ve ever read, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, in which Jonathan wrote “you cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness“. But I somehow forgot about it, and it is nice that my X-E3 reminded me of that.

Problem 3.

Problem 3 required a group therapy session with a secret Fujifilm community — a place where we meet only to discuss and cry about the nonsense things Fujifilm does.

You’ll find people there who still haven’t emotionally recovered from last year’s autofocus firmware fiasco (finally fixed after months of collective suffering). Others are still clinging to hope for an X-Pro4 or X80, wondering why on earth Fujifilm poured tons of R&D into “GFX Eterna” instead. Then there are those waiting since 65 months for their pre-ordered Fujifilm X100VI and even a special support circle for those permanently traumatized by years of using the old Fujifilm Camera Remote app. We’ve all endured our share of pain.

My personal breaking point? Discovering that my new favorite EVF display setting — the “Classic Display Mode” — had simply vanished. Gone. For hours I frantically searched menus, reset settings, questioned reality. Nothing.

Only through the combined wisdom of the Fujifilm group did we uncover the truth: if you enable “Semi-Transparent” in the “Surround View Mode”, the Classic Display Mode disappears.

Why? No idea.

Some things in life just defy logic… and this is one of them.

So Why No Review?

It makes no sense to review perfection. ;)

Or as a fellow Fujifilm brother wrote in his Amazon X-E5 review, it deserves six out of five stars. I couldn’t have said it better myself — that’s exactly my rating, too.

So I’ll leave the formal reviews to those who make a living dissecting specs and pixel-peeping at 300%.

Honestly, I haven’t even watched a single X-E5 review since I own it. I couldn’t care less. Whether people praise it or tear it apart doesn’t matter to me. I own it. I love it. And that’s my review.

Get Yours

Sorry, But the Fujifilm X-T6, X-Pro4, X-H3 (and Friends) Won’t Arrive in 2025

A few months ago, we estimated—based on Fujifilm’s historical sensor/processor refresh cycles—that the next sensor generation would likely arrive in late 2025 or early 2026.

To be clear, that wasn’t a rumor, just a data-driven speculation.

Following that article, some speculated that November 2025 could be the right moment, since Fujifilm has historically launched some of its most important cameras in that month (such as the X-T5).

But today I can confirm: the 6th generation platform will not be launched in 2025. So you can now rule out “late 2025” as a possibility.

That also means we won’t see the Fujifilm X-T6, X-Pro4 (or X-Pro5, X-Pro6), X-H3, X-H3S, X-T60, X-E6, X100VII, GFX100III, GFX100SIII, or GFX100RFII this year.

And yes, I know plenty of supposed “spec leaks” about these cameras are floating around—but they’re all fake, as we explained here.

Bottom line: it’s all AI-generated nonsense, stuffed with random specs. Every day there’s a new “upcoming” Fujifilm camera announcement.

Some of these videos gather tons of views and lots of comments, so I want to stress it once more: it’s fake.

And yes, I sometimes feel like a lonely Don Quixote, tilting at the windmills of fake rumors with little hope (illusion) of winning this battle. But what matters is staying true to yourself and bring excitement in the Fujifilm community only when it is real, verified, and worth celebrating. So I’ll leave the fake rumors to others. Shall they boost their traffic and make money by misleading people with all sorts of fake rumors. We’ll stay out of this game.

Anyway, the wait for the Fujifilm X-T6 and friends might be a bit longer than we’d like, but it’s much easier to stay patient when you’ve got the ultra-awesome Fujifilm X-E5 in your hands ;)

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The World Looks Better in Fujifilm Colors – You Don’t Believe Me? Then See for Yourself!

Gear Detox – a Waste of Time?

From time to time, we should be reminded that light, moment and inspiration matter more than megapixel, specs and AF speed.

I mean, I am the first to admit that I also enjoy talking about gear here on FujiRumors. It’s fun—there’s just no way around it. :)

But the words we speak here, the chats we have… I don’t print them big, frame them, and hang them on a wall. I don’t print and frame the spec sheet of the latest camera.

What I do print instead are the images I’m most happy with.

And that’s what this post is about—a little roundup of photographs shared by you, the Fujifilm community. It’s a chance to pause the gear talk for a moment and just enjoy what really matters: the images.

And look… I know. These image roundups don’t get many views. They take a ton of time to make. They don’t boost traffic. I guess that’s why no rumor sites make them.

But I decided—I don’t care.

I’ll do an image roundup now, and I’ll try to do more in the future. Because they matter to me. And maybe to a few of you, too.

In a world where others make up rumors in a vile attempt to grab your attention and profit from your good faith, we go the opposite way: we don’t share the endless stream of dubious and fake rumors we receive. Instead, we focus on what matters—enjoying photographs.

I might lose time. I might lose traffic. But I’ll be proud of this article… and of the amazing Fujifilm community that is capable of creating such wonderful images.

The Best Fujifilm Communities

Film Simulation Power

For today’s image roundup we take a look at images shared at our immense Fujifilm Film Simulation Group.

You’ll see the power of Fujifilm colors in action. Enjoy :).

_ _ _

by Emanuele

📸 Fujifilm x100VI
📍 Venezia, Italy
🎞️ Last Summer Roll

_ _ _

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Fujifilm Wants You To Believe X-T30 II is in Full Production and No X-T30 III is Coming in October

Fujifilm X-T30 II Discontinued? The Confusion Explained

For a short time, B&H Photo marked the Fujifilm X-T30 II as discontinued (it’s now back to showing “out of stock”).

Not only that—B&H even sent out an email to customers waiting for the X-T30 II, saying the camera had been discontinued and suggesting alternatives. (I have the screenshot if you’d like to see it 😉).

And usually, when a store marks something as discontinued, it’s because the manufacturer told them there won’t be any more unit coming so they should not offer it for sale on their store anymore.

At that point, it looked like a clear case: B&H had “officially discontinued” the X-T30 II, and we reported it as such.

But then Fujifilm stepped in. In comments given to Petapixel, Fujifilm stated:

  • the X-T30 II is an “active part” of Fujifilm’s lineup and still being produced
  • no hints to any X-T30 II successor have been given to Petapixel

Where We Stand

I run a rumor site. I don’t have the luxury of firing off emails to Fujifilm HQ and getting official statements on demand. I have to work with what’s in front of me. And in this case, we had:

So yes, in the article we wrote: “B&H Photo has now officially discontinued the X-T30 II.”

Petapixel later called our report a “false rumor” and “inaccurate.” Fair enough—they can confirm things directly with Fujifilm, while I can only report what retailers are showing. That makes them inherently better positioned to be “more accurate.”

But fact is: we never shared the X-T30 II discontinuation as a “rumor.” We simply reported what we saw listed on B&H Photo, backed up by the emails they themselves sent out.

Still, I’ll offer an apology—not because our reporting was wrong (B&H really did list and email the X-T30 II as discontinued), but because some readers misinterpreted it as an official Fujifilm announcement. We clearly showed the screenshot and explicitly wrote in the article that B&H had discontinued it, not Fujifilm. If that distinction was overlooked, then it’s not because the facts were inaccurate, but because the article was read in a way it was never written. And yes, I’ll take responsibility for making things clearer next time, even though also publishing screenshots and quoting B&H directly can be misunderstood.

The real problem was for readers who only saw the headline. I started it with “Fujifilm Clears the Way for X-T30 III”, which wasn’t a factual report but my editorial interpretation of why B&H removed the X-T30 II from their website. If someone stopped at the headline and didn’t check the screenshot or read the full article, it’s understandable how they could misunderstand. Once I realized this, I updated the headline to include “at B&H Photo”, making it clear in the headline what the article and screenshot already showed: the discontinuation refers to the retailer—not Fujifilm.

I will take this as a lesson for the future, and thanks to PetaPixel for pointing this out: it’s not enough to make a 100% accurate report. I also have to make clear that every type of reader, from the one who reads full articles to the ones who barely fly over the headline, get the correct message.

But Let’s Get Serious Now 😉

If the X-T30 II is truly such an “active” product, why has Fujifilm Japan de-listed nearly all models from their website, leaving only the silver kit—and that one is out of stock since a long time?

Why is it almost impossible to find in stock anywhere else?

Is the X-T30 II selling like hotcakes, matching the demand of the X100VI or X-E5? Or is Fujifilm quietly phasing it out?

From where I’m standing, that hardly looks like a thriving lineup.

And here’s the key point: the Fujifilm X-T30 III is coming in October. No matter how strongly Fujifilm denies it, our sources confirm it’s happening.

And what is Fujifilm actually doing right now? Are they using the remaining X-T30 II parts to produce as many units as possible before the X-T30 III launch—or have they already started X-T30 III production, repurposing parts that might otherwise have gone into the X-T30 II?

Fujifilm CONFIRMS X-T30 III possibility ;)

And take a close look at what Fujifilm actually said to Petapixel. They didn’t say, “The rumors about the X-T30 II are false because the X-T50 is its successor.” What they said was that they have no indication of an X-T30 II successor. In other words, for the first time, Fujifilm is essentially admitting that the X-T50 is not the X-T30 II’s successor—leaving the door wide open for a true replacement.

And that successor is coming soon.