X-Trans Vs. Bayer

First and foremost, let me say that I LOVE X-TRANS.

But the fact that I love X-Trans, does not prevent me from discussing the big Bayer Vs. X-Trans debate, that has recently been fueled again by DPReviewTV in the X-T100 review and Tony Northrup in his X-H1 review, in the most objective way as possible.

So today’s question is: is there any reason why Fujifilm should go Bayer also on higher end APS-C Fujifilm X-series cameras?

WARNING

Some people do probably not have the 5 minutes of time it needs to read this article. They will read the headline, and arguing in favor or against X-Trans/Bayer by default :) .

So for those people, who refuse to read the article and don’t go beyond the headline, I will at least make a bullet-point list, in the hope they will read that one at least.

This is a super short condensation and simplification of more complicated subjects, and as such it is naturally an inaccurate list. Each point will elaborated and clarified in all its shades below.

X-Trans Pros

• less color noise at high ISO
• less moiré (an advantage that will become negligible once APS-C sensor go beyond 30MP)
• sharper compared to cameras with same pixel number and optical low pass filter, unless the processing in camera is very aggressive, like on X-A5 and X-T100
• more pleasing “film-like” grain at high ISO

Bayer Pros

• 20%-30% less processing power required (possible benefits listed below)
• cheaper to produce than X-Trans

Brutally short conclusion:

• X-Trans is better for image quality
• Bayer is better for features and speed, unless Fujifilm can compensate for the extra 20-30% processing power required by the X-Trans sensor with a more powerful processor (present in Fujifilm X-T3), new sensor tech for faster sensor readout (maybe stacked sensor) and better heat management (present in X-H1)

If you want, you can now start your 5 minutes reading time :)

Fujifilm 2017 Rewinded

2017 was another exciting Fuji X year, and in order to cover it properly, I have shared almost 1,000 blog posts.

A lot of things happened, and maybe some of you might have missed something. So I have checked back all articles and selected some highlights for you. No FujiRumors rumors are included in this list.

It was not easy to pick out a few highlights… but below you can find the list month by month. Let us know what you consider the highlight of 2017.

Wow… now that’s an ambitious goal.

Fujifilm just published their new medium-term management plan, called VISION2019, covering a three year period from the fiscal year ending March 2018 (FY2018/3) to the fiscal year ending March 2020 (FY2020/3.).

And regarding their imaging division they write:

• In digital cameras, work toward capturing No.1 market share in the premium mirrorless camera market, promoting the X Series that continues to evolve with outstanding image quality, fast speed and mobility, alongside the medium-format GFX Series that uses a large sensor, 1.7 times bigger than that of full-frame cameras, to pursue the pinnacle of image quality.
• Reinforce the lineup of its highly reputable interchangeable lenses to continue to achieve increased revenues and profits in the mirrorless system business as a whole.
• Broaden the lens business by expanding the lineup of 4K broadcast lenses, launched ahead of the rest of the world, as well as the lineup of lenses for the fast-growing new video production market, including online video.
• With regard to the “INSTAX” instant camera and film, expand the sales of existing products and promote its square-format products for greater proliferation. Expand printing service solutions with added convenience, e.g. incorporating AI, to boost printing demand from smartphones to maintain the upward trend in profits.
• FY2020/3 targets: 380 billion yen in revenues, 45 billion yen in operating income and 11.8% in operating income ratio

The competition is obviously very strong, especially from Sony, who are dominating, as we can also see from the AmazonUS mirrorless bestseller charts. But it’s good to see Fujifilm so confident about their present and future products, such as the sensor stabilizied Fujifilm X-T2S and of course the Fujifilm GFX 100S.

And you know what would sound really PREMIUM, too? That XF33mmF1.0!

Now, I want you to get quickly to the comments down below, so I won’t copy & paste the entire long press release here on FujiRumors. But if you want to read more, also about the medical, documents & co solutions and goals, check out the Fujifilm page here.

• Fujifilm X gear I own
• Fujifilm GFX gear I own
• Instax Gear I own
• Photography Accessories I own
• Apple Gear I Own
• Full List of Third Party AF X mount lenses

I recently wrote an article where I basically run through the entire history of Fujifilm Kaizen firmware updates.

I ended up inviting Fujifilm to keep up their Kaizen spirit.

Now, I have no idea how things will develop in future.

But I have wishes and hopes. And I thought that, after a long time, it might be high time to share again our firmware wishes.

• Vote Your Top (Realistic) Fujifilm Kaizen Firmware Wish (2024)
• Fujifilm publicly asks which firmware the community wants next (2019)

I certainly hope for the fully automatic subject detection mode to come to all 5th generation cameras (and I showed Fujifilm how easy that could be implemented).  I am not a video guy, but why no waveform monitor, vectorscopes and anamorphic mode on all 5th generation cameras? I want more cameras with touch-to-track autofocus in video. And please, panoramic mode on 40MP cameras would be nice too.

And why shouldn’t the Fujifilm X-T50 and X-M5 also be able to store custom recipes on their FS1/FS3 positions? And what about direct to Instax print option?

Also, it never hurts to get some autofocus boost. I mean, for what I do, it’s already amazing. But being 85% as good as other brands is not good enough these days. It’s time to match other brands in terms of AF performance.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You’re welcome to share your wishes in the comments below.

Just in case later I decide to turn them into a survey, it would be helpful if you upvote existing comments that already include your wish, and post a new comment only if your idea hasn’t been mentioned yet.

• Follow FujiRumors on Patreon, Facebook, Instagram, RSS feed, Youtube, Flipboard and Twitter

The Best Fujifilm Communities

• Fujifilm Film Simulation Group
• Fujifilm X-T Shooters Group
• Fujifilm X100 Shooters Group
• Fujifilm GFX Shooters Group
• Fujifilm X-Pro Shooters Group
• Fujifilm X-H Shooters Group
• Fujifilm X-E Shooters Group
• Fujifilm X Third Party AF lenses Group
• Fujifilm Astrophotography Group
• Viltrox X mount lenses Group
• Fujifilm X-S shooters Group

Spooky Halloween is here… 🎃

It’s the night when ghosts rise from their crypts — and it reminded me that Fujifilm, too, has (or had?) a rather unnatural power: the power to bring its cameras back from the dead with a little bit of firmware Kaizen magic.

Cameras that refused to die.

Or better yet: cameras that Fujifilm simply did not allow to die — resurrected again and again through firmware updates that breathed new life into them.

Scary times in which those who wrote excellent Fujifilm camera manuals were doomed to rewrite them over and over again — slowly driven to madness by Fujifilm’s relentless Kaizen spirit, as they struggled to keep up with all the new features added to cameras that refused to stay dead.

So let’s talk about those times.

And let’s talk about where we are now and what has changed (if anything).

🧟 So it Began – The First Resurrection

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?