• VOTE: The Best & Worst Fujifilm Gear of 2025

With 2025 basically over and the internet is grading the Fujifilm year 2025.

For example, in a lengthy podcast, these are the grades of the PetaPixel team:

• Jordan: B-
  lots of repackaging of same tech. He likes X half concept, but not the camera. AF needs to improve
• Chris: B-
  no new lenses (admin note: that’s not correct). Autofocus has to improve
• Gordon: A
  a lot of releases in different formats. Squeezing last drops out of 5th generation. His guess: next year X-Pro4 will introduce new sensor
• Jaron: A
  Jaron agrees with Gordon. We got LUT’s. X half deserves praise for a company trying something different.

Fuji X Weekly graded every single release:

• GFX100RF: A+
• X half: B-
• X-E5: A
• GFX Eterna 55: A-
• X-T30 III: B+
• XF23mmF2.8: A-
• XC13-33mm: C
• GF32-90mm: A

Overall he gives it a B ranking.

And my votes?

I’ll rank it from best to worst.

• X-E5: A++++++…. taking a breath… +++++++++++

I might be biased… or maybe I am not? ;) It’s the most enjoyable Fujifilm camera I have ever used. Looks great, feels great, I love the film sim dial, trusted 40MP X-Trans V image quality. It’s my all-time favorite Fujifilm camera to date.

• XF23mmF2.8: A+

I own the XF27mmF2.8, which is awesome. But the XF23mmF2.8 from an image quality point of view is even better. Wonderful little lens

• GFX100RF: A

It makes a whole lot of sense that Fujifilm released a medium format version of the X100, and they did a great job. Some might want IBIS, a faster lens etc, but then you don’t get the compact size. And in my opinion Fujifilm did well to prioritize size, especially considering the massive flexibility of the GFX files.

• XC13-33mm: A-

So often I have seen people complaining Fujifilm does not care about affordable entry level, that everything is too expensive. Well, this lens addresses this huge criticism, and it does it with an astonishing image quality.

• X-T30III: B+

Again, this addresses the complain of the lack of entry level cameras with EVF in the Fujifilm ecosystem. Keeps the loved X-T30 form factor with X Processor 5 boost.

• X half: B-

The price is simply too high—on that, I think we can all agree. The concept itself may also be a bit too experimental for some, and that’s a fair criticism.

Still, I will always applaud Fujifilm when they dare to do something different in an otherwise increasingly monotonous camera market. This is their way of trying to offer a genuinely different photographic experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t—but at least Fujifilm is willing to try.

The X Half itself is highly divisive—some love it, others don’t. I haven’t had the chance to shoot with it yet, so I can’t pass final judgment, but there are definitely some features that intrigue me.

• GF32-90mm: C

Well, I guess it’s a good lens for filmmakers, maybe even a stunning lens. So the “C” is not for the lens itself, but for the need of such a lens: are there really so many filmmakers shooting GFX out there?

• GFX Eterna 55: D

I said I am worried…. and I still keep being worried about this project, especially since, unlike I hoped, I don’t see any benefits trickle down for other X/GFX cameras. Nothing wrong with the camera itself, but it looks like an R&D resources killer.

And You?

You voted your best and worst 2025 gear here (third party AF lenses included).

• VOTE: The Best & Worst Fujifilm Gear of 2025

Fujifilm has started publishing promo videos about some of their film simulations. You can see both videos in this article.

• Classic Chrome – Relive a Golden Age
• Provia – Vivid Memories

Also, a couple of Fujifilm X Photographers have also shared their Classic Chrome based film simulation recipes. You can take a look at their videos below, and if you particularly like a specific look, you will find the settings inside those videois.

A few weeks ago Fujifilm has also published their first official Film Simulation recipe called FRGMT BW, and it is baked into the menu system of the new Fujifilm GFX100RF Fragment Edition.

• Meet FRGMT BW – Fujifilm’s First ‘Official’ Film Simulation Recipe
• WINTER CHROME: Embrace the Cold Season with This New Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipe
• KODAK EKTAR 100 Film Simulation Recipe – Reinventing Color with FUJIFILM
• Film Pastel – A Lovely New Film Simulation Recipe
• This Recipe is Taking the Fujifilm Community by Storm – Classic Cuban Neg
• New “Hollywood Night” Film Simulation Recipe
• “Forgotten Negative” Film Simulation Recipe
• My Fujifilm X-E5 is Shipping… and These Are the 3 Film Simulation Recipes I Will You Put on the Dedicated Dial (for Now)

Classic Chrome Recipes

DGO vs DCG

After our in-depth article on Sony’s new DGO sensor, other websites have finally started to pick up the topic.

But their coverage is still incomplete — missing key details (and some serious drawbacks) that photographers absolutely need to understand in order to use this new technology to its full potential.

Why these points are being glossed over is unclear, especially since they’re crucial for Sony A7V users who could unknowingly lose up to 1 stop of dynamic range compared to the older A7IV if they’re not careful.

So let’s break down the pros and cons in a quick overview. And if you haven’t yet, give our main article a read — it clearly explains the difference between DGO (Dual Gain Output) and DCG (Dual Conversion Gain), which is essential to understanding this debate.

DGO advanatges

• Excellent dynamic range at low ISO

DGO limitations/downsides

• No DR benefit above ISO 400/500
• No DR benefit at all with electronic shutter
• Up to 1.5 stops DR loss with e-shutter compared to mechanical shutter
• the old Sony A7IV gives you about 1 stop more dynamic range than the brand new Sony A7V between ISO400-800 if you use electronic shutter, because on the A7V dual gain kicks in only at ISO1000 (vs ISO400 on A7IV

So, just be aware that there is no DR benefit when using electronic shutter and if you use ES in values between ISO400 and ISO800, you actually lose 1 stop of dynamic range over the older Sony A7IV

The Fujifilm Sensor Future

Sony is not keeping this technology to themselves.

In fact, the first mainstream hybrid camera to use a Sony DGO sensor wasn’t a Sony at all — it was the Panasonic S1II.

And since that sensor is already available on the market, I see no reason why Fujifilm couldn’t buy and use it as well.

So the real question becomes: what would you prefer for Fujifilm’s 6th-generation cameras — a DGO or a DCG sensor?

If you rely heavily on the electronic shutter, DGO might actually work against you. In the best case you get no benefit at all, and in the worst case you could lose up to 1 stop of dynamic range at certain ISO values.

But considering that high-end Fujifilm APS-C bodies already reach (for now) 15 fps with the mechanical shutter (compared to Sony’s 10 fps), the need for electronic shutter bursts is far lower on Fujifilm cameras anyway.

Personally, I’d be happy with either. I’m already “cheating” dynamic range via DR200/400, so both systems work for me. But if I had to choose, I’d take DGO if that still gives me access to DR200/400 — especially on GFX, where it could allow even higher pixel densities and higher base dynamic range, turning it into the ultimate high-resolution / high-DR platform.

My prediction?

I would not be surprised if DGO would soon become the industry standard. Nikon, OM System, Canon, Fujifilm — everyone will adopt it sooner or later.

But enough from me — let me know what you prefer by voting in the poll below.

Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) – The “Old” Tech

First things first: what exactly is Dual Conversion Gain?
Modern camera sensors — Fujifilm included — operate in two modes:

• Low conversion gain: used at lower ISO values
• High conversion gain: activated automatically at higher ISO values (for example, ISO 500 on the GFX100 II)

Let’s look at the Fujifilm GFX100 II dynamic range data using Photons to Photos data:

• ISO 400 → 10.49 stops DR
• ISO 500 → 10.91 stops DR
• ISO 640 → 10.62 stops DR

Why does dynamic range increase at ISO 500 and ISO 640 compared to ISO 400?

Because that’s the point where the camera switches into high-gain mode, which reduces read noise and produces a DR “bump.”

For years, this dual conversion gain jump was the key method to maximize sensor performance.

But that changed—recently, and dramatically—with the launch of the Panasonic S1II first, and now also with the Sony A7V.

Dual Gain Output (DGO) – The New Tech

With the Panasonic S1 II (Sony-made, partially stacked sensor) and now the Sony A7 V, something unusual appeared in the data: