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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RUMOR: Fujifilm to Launch Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 Mark II

Fujinon XF 27mm f/1.4 MK II

Here is the fact: a Fujifilm manager said back in February 2020, that, within the next 12 months, there will be 4 new Fujinon X mount lenses.

FujiRumors has investigated, and thanks to our sources we were able to tell you back in May here, that two existing Fujinon X mount lenses will be updated.

Now we can unveil (thanks :)) what the new MK II prime lens will be: the Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8 MK II.

I know, this will divide many of you.

Personally, as a happy owner of the Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8, a MK II version of this lens would make me very happy.

Just, dear Fujifilm, don’t make the same error you did in the past, and don’t forget to put an aperture ring on it, and keep it as you showed us in the XF 27mm mock-ups of 2013 here.

I included the XF27mm in my “5 most underestimated Fujifilm X-series products” trilogy, and Antonio calls it “the best unnoticed lens on fuji world“

With that said, here is the updated FujiRumors X mount lens roadmap.

XF 27mm Curiosity

If you are a long time FR-reader, maybe you’ll remember the FR-birthday quiz I made back in 2016.

In that quiz, we discovered that the XF27mm f/2.8 was the second best selling Fujinon prime lens of all time until December 2015 (find out who was the best seller here).

Let’s hope the new version will repeat that big success.

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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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Schedule Now Your Personal 1-On-1 Chat with the Fujifilm’s Tech Team

Fujifilm is offering (since April) one-on-one chats with its techs if you have questions. Among the people you’ll be able to talk to, there is Michael Bulbenko, professional markets training manager at Fujifilm North America.

The calls will be 30 minutes long.

Here is what you have to do, to schedule your call:

  1. Pick a Day: Choose a date and time that fits in your schedule
  2. Choose the Topics: Fujifilm will do their best to pair you with the best tech based on your choices
  3. Have a Chat: Check your email for a confirmation of your Tech Time. Make sure to add the appointment to your calendar

To book your space, check out Fuji’s Tech Time page here.

The service is available also in some EU countries, where you need to log into your Fujifilm-Connect account to arrange chat.

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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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FR-readers Wishlist Corner: Fujifilm X-H2 Dream Features, Fujifilm X-E4 Survey, Fujinon XF 135mm F3.5 and More

I apologize, because…

… I try and I think I succeed to reply to every single one of the 20+ emails and personal messages I get every single day.

However, not always I am able to give you the comprehensive reply you’d deserve, for a simple reason: time!

In fact, I have day job as a teacher and I run FujiRumors totally alone. Hence, in order to be able to reply to everyone with the limited time I have left, sometimes I just must give a shorter reply, even if often your emails would deserve a comprehensive answer.

Now, some of the most interesting emails I get, are those, with input, ideas and wishes for future Fujifilm products.

And since also to those emails, often I can’t reply as comprehensively as I’d love to, I had the idea to share them with the entire FujiRumors community, and extend the discussion to all of you.

Last time we discussed:

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

Today I’d have selected a few more of those wishes.

So, if anyone reading this is interested, feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments.

You have wishes about the Fujifilm future, too? Well, then write me at fujirumor@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Patrick

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Wishlist Roundup

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Canon Declares DSLR Dead and Goes All In with Mirrorless with Canon EOS R5, Canon EOS R6 and New RF Lenses

So it happened. Canon has just declared that DSLR is dead.

Well, they did not explicitly say it, but it’s clear where they are pumping all their R&D now and that Canon is ready to finally cannibalize their DSLR sales. It’s a historic day for Canon.

In fact, they just had a massive mirrorless announcement. Launched today:

For an overview, check out:

Nice to see Canon catching up. Welcome to the mirrorless club :)

Feel free to share your thoughts about the new Canon gear in the comments.

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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RUMOR: Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 Coming 2020 for Around $1,500

I have received word (thanks), that the price of the Fujinon XF50mm f/1.0 should be about $1,500.

Of course the price is one of those things, Fujifilm can change until just a few days before official launch, so take it with a grain of salt for now. But the fact I share it today, means I got multiple confirmation that Fujifilm is targeting that price.

Curiosity: just recently a fellow X-T group member here, asked people how much they think the XF50mmF1.0 will cost. Lots of people guessed a price around $2,000. So for many the rumored price tag will come as a pleasant surprise.

As Fujifilm managers said in various interviews (such as here), the Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 will come in 2020.

In previous coverage about the XF50mmF1.0, such as in this dedicated XF50mmF1.0 article, we got some initial specs:

  • weight under 1 kilo
  • minimum aperture f/16
  • 77 mm filter size
  • more beautiful bokeh than the XF56mm f/1.2
  • first autofocus demo (contrast AF only) at minute 43:07 in the live stream video
  • the final lens will of course support also PDAF

Back in February, Fujifilm managers officially said there will be 4 new lenses within the next 12 months, and thanks to our sources we know that they will be:

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