Fujifilm Photography in Times of COVID-19 Quarantine, the FujiRumors Lockdown Diary and the Revival of the XF 55-200

I read somewhere, that about 4 billion people are forced to stay at home now to slow down and hopefully stop the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

In my country, the stunning Dolomites in Italy, we are locked in since over 1 month now. Of course I strictly follow the rules and never leave my apartment, except to buy food 1 or 2 times a week, and to quickly bring out my old dog in the fields just under my home.

Teaching Online

I continue to teach. Just online! With live streaming lessons, videos I upload on youtube [does this qualify me as a vlogger now??? ;) ], material I send to students via email and more. I try to do my best.

But the more I do it, the more I miss it to enter a classroom, write on a blackboard, smell the chalk, but most importantly, interact with my students.

But hey, these days there are people, who live far bigger challenges than me. So no complaint here. Just a wish that everything goes back to normal soon.

Lockdown Photography

The first weeks all went into figuring out how to do this online teaching. Trying different platforms for online live lessons, adapt my material to make it online teaching fit, figure out how to reach the various students best (some have only a smartphone, no computer, no printer, etc), and more practical issues to sort out.

But now that I have some sort of workflow, I can start thinking at my lockdown photography.

In my small rented apartment, I am running out of subjects rather quickly.

What I did now, is I started to take out my Fujinon XF55-200 lens, a lens I hardly use anymore since I own the Fujinon XF18-135mm (which never stops to surprise me, as you can see here).

The goal?

Get a decent shot of the little birds flying around my balcony, and the XF55-200 is the best lens in my arsenal for that. So it gets its revival now!

So far I have failed, though, not for the limits of the gear, but because of my lack of skills. But I have time to practice, improve, and I will upload an image on my instagram if I get a decent shot.

Inspiration

Another thing I like to do, is to check out all our facebook groups, and see how other fellow Fujifilm X and GFX shooters deal with these lockdown days and what they shoot.

I have picked out some images and shared them below. May them motivate you (and me) to stand up, and do the best out of this situation, also photographically speaking.

COVID-19 Image Roundup

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Fujifilm Drug Avigan (Favipiravir) For COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Treatment Tested Worldwide (USA included) and Offered for Free to 20 Countries

Last month we reported how Zhang Xinmin, director of the science ministry’s China National Center for Biotechnology Development, said that the Fujifilm produced drug Avigan “has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment” and how a Japanese health ministry source suggested the drug was not as effective in people with more severe symptom.

A few days later, Fujifilm published another official statement, where they announce the start of phase III clinical trial of “Avigan” on COVID-19 Coronavirus and the commitment to increase production.

Avigan is currently tested all over the world, including here in Italy, where I live. But also in USA and many other countries.

Moreover, Japan plans to provide the anti-flu drug Avigan for free to 20 countries hoping to use it to treat coronavirus patients, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday.

As a consequence, Fujifilm ramped up production of flu drug Avigan as possible COVID-19 treatment.

Fujifilm or not, let’s hope some cure comes up soon, or this unreal situation will keep up for a long time.

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via japantimes via fiercepharma via nypost

Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 Official Product Page Online

As we told you, Viltrox started taking pre-orders on the Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 AF lens.

They have also the product page up on their website since 1 week now, but apparently some missed it, so I share it now with all of you.

You can see the core specs of the lens as well as product images below.

The lens is available only in China for now, but I expect BHphoto & Co to get samples soon.

The other two Viltrox lenses, the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 and the Viltrox 56mm f/1.4, should follow later on.

Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 AF

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Game Over for Fujifilm X-E4, Fujinon XF 70-300mm, Tokina X Mount Lenses, New X-T3 Firmware, XF300 and XF500 Rumors & more Top March Articles

Here are the top 10 articles for March, which include a couple of breaking FujiRumors rumors.

As you can see, we never stop. So definitely stay tuned for more good stuff on FujiRumors.com.

  1. RUMOR: Fujifilm X-E line Canceled, Game Over for Fujifilm X-E4
  2. Fujifilm X-T4 vs Sony A7III vs Nikon Z6 IBIS and Video Quality Comparison by Max Yuryev
  3. Fujifilm X-T2 Firmware 4.32 Released
  4. New Firmware for Fujifilm X-T3, X-T30 and XF 16-80mm f/4 Released
  5. This PDF Lists 80 Fujifilm Film Simulation Custom Profiles You Can Try out Yourself
  6. Tokina to Launch Three Fujifilm X Mount Lenses in 2020
  7. EXCLUSIVE: Fujifilm Working on Fujinon XF 70-300mm X Mount Lens
  8. The Big Lens Roundup: Fujinon Lenses, Third Party Glass, Autofocus Adapter and More
  9. Fujifilm Manager: “The Fujifilm X-T4 is Bashing the Door Down Hard on Sony A7III users”, X-H2 and More
  10. Fujifilm XF 300mm F4 and 500mm F5.6 Patents Found

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Fujifilm’s New Coronavirus Test can Produce Results in 2 Hours

Fujifilm announced that they developed a new fast test for Coronavirus. The New York Times writes:

The SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Detection kit will be able to deliver results for the virus that causes COVID-19 faster than existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which presently take four to six hours, the company said.

Fujifilm said the new COVID-19 test will be released on April 15 in their press release (machine translated PDF)

I live here in Italy, and here there is a lot of talk about the urgent need for a fast, simple and affordable test to diagnose COVID-19. Many companies are working on it and I am happy to see Fujifilm is on it, too.

  • read here – Fujifilm Manager Explains Impact and Challenges of Covid-19
  • read here – FUJIFILM Starts Phase III Clinical Trial of Antiviral drug “Avigan” on COVID-19 and Commits to Increasing Production
  • read here – Fujifilm Releases Information of Avigan Tablet in Relation to Covid-19 Coronavirus
  • read here – China Says FUJIFILM Drug Avigan Works Against Coronavirus COVID-19 and Shares Jump up 15%

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via the New York Times

Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 Pre-Sale Started and Shipping April 21

After several delays, finally Viltrox is starting to sell their long awaited new Fujifilm X mount autofocus lenses, the Viltrox 23mm f/1.4, the Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 and the Viltrox 56mm f/1.4.

The first lens to be sold is the Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 for 1,799 Chinese Yuan ($250) and it will ship April 21. The other lenses will be released later on.

Viltrox already sells the successful and much loved Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 autofocus lens for Fuji X, but as opposed to the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8, these new Viltrox lenses have an aperture ring.

I expect the Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 to be available fore pre-order also outside of China very soon at BHphoto here, AmazonUS here and Adorama here (they also sell the Viltrox 85/1.8)

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via weibo

 

FUJIFILM Starts Phase III Clinical Trial of Antiviral drug “Avigan” on COVID-19 and Commits to Increasing Production

We reported a few days ago here, how Zhang Xinmin, director of the science ministry’s China National Center for Biotechnology Development, said that the Fujifilm produced drug Avigan “has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment”.

We also reported how a Japanese health ministry source suggested the drug was not as effective in people with more severe symptom.

Shortly after that Fujifilm has issued an official statement you can read here.

Now Fujifilm published another official statement, where they announce the start of phase III clinical trial of “Avigan” on COVID-19 Coronavirus and the commitment to increase production.

Fujifilm announces the start of a phase III clinical trial of influenza antiviral drug “Avigan Tablet” on COVID-19 and commits to increasing production

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Fujifilm Wins the Internationally Prestigious Red Dot Design Award with 23 Products

News is news, so I share it. But I wrote a very informative piece about these awards in the past. So, if you want to read how the business around (some of these) awards goes, check out this article.

Fujifilm wins the internationally prestigious Red Dot Design Award with 23 products

– In recognition of good design quality and functionality in products of various business fields
– High precision lens film for inkjet printing is awarded the “Innovative Product Award,” given to products with outstanding innovation potential

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Lens Rumors & News: Laowa Argus f/0,95 coming 2021, Lensbaby Velvet 28mmF2.8, Fuji X-T4 with Sirui 50mm Anamorphic Video

Here is a quick 3-news lens roundup.

  • Venus Optics Laowa Argus f/0.95

According to rumors shared at SonyAlphaRumors, the launch of the Venus Optics Laowa Argus f/0.95, which FujiRumors reported about it here, has been postponed to 2021.

As FujiRumors exclusively told you, the Argus line will include the widest f/0.95 X mount lens on the market.

  • Lensbaby Velvet 28mm f/2.8

Nokishita spotted the Lensbaby Velvet 28mm f/2.8 at kellards. The lens will be available also for Fujifilm X Mount. You can see an image above.

Here is the press release via 43rumors.

Lensbaby Velvet 28 is a 28mm, f/2.5 all-metal, hand-crafted art lens that captures tack-sharp detail beneath a layer of radiant glow. Velvet 28 also features exceptional 1:2 macro capabilities with a close focus distance of 2” from the front of the lens. Built with landscape, adventure, travel, and street photographers & videographers in mind, the Velvet 28 offers Lensbaby’s popular variable glow effects at a wide 28mm focal length. Lensbaby’s Velvet effect lenses add an ethereal mood to scenes. This unique, in-camera creative effect elevates imagery with depth, dimension and soulful expression. The Velvet 28’s close-focus capabilities, combined with effects varying from impressionistic at bright apertures to just a touch of velvety smoothness at darker apertures, provides a set of visual tools that will help creative shooters expand their vision of the world. One of Velvet 28’s key features is its 1:2 macro capability. It is an ideal in-camera effects lens for photographers & videographers who like to shoot wide, while also offering the versatility to capture closer details. The lens allows image makers to move seamlessly from shooting street scenes or capturing landscape, adventure & travel images to capturing details such as a subject’s clothing or wildflower blooms and butterflies in an alpine meadow.

Features

28mm Focal Length
1:2 Macro Magnification Ratio
Aperture Range: f/25 – f/22
67mm Filter Threads
Manual Focus

  • Sirui 50mm X-Mount F1.8 Anamorphic 1.33X

Cinema5D shared a sample video shot the Sirui 50mm X-Mount F1.8 Anamorphic 1.33X mounted on a Fujifilm X-T4. You can see the video below.

Now the lens is listed at Adorama here.

You can also find a blog post about it on Cinema5D here, where they say:

It’s a remarkable achievement not only for the price. The lens is very sharp, even when shooting wide open at f/1.8, which was totally unexpected for me. It’s well built from metal, and I can see this show up on a lot of low-budget anamorphic productions everywhere. Right now it’s a shame that there isn’t another focal length available, I would love to see a full set of these out now, but we are hoping that they will come.

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