The era of Fujifilm’s 24 megapixel cameras is over.
But I feel I need to say a few words about the Fujifilm X-H1, a camera that didn’t get the success it deserved, mainly for a very unlucky timing by Fujifilm: releasing the more powerful Fujifilm X-T3 just half a year later.
I have no idea how Fujifilm Japan thought this could work out well. Maybe they thought that IBIS alone is enough to keep the X-H1 attractive also once the X-T3 hits the market. But apparently they were wrong.
And yet, at its very last moments, the Fujifilm X-H1 lived moments of glory, by selling like hot cakes thanks to massive rebates.
Ok, I hear you say… Fujifilm X-H2 is coming.
Well, the Fujifilm X-H2 is on Fuji’s “to do” list, and it will come, but Fuji won’t release it in 2020.
X-H1 anyone?
The Fujifilm X-H1 is running out of stock, but you can still find it available in some stores, for example at Adorama here.
So, if you want to grab one, you better do it now.
Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s stir up the spirits, and for one more glorious time, jump fully into the sensor size debate.
The trigger?
And article by DL Cade form Petapixel, who had a talk with Richard Butler (DPR) and Bill Claff (Photons to Photos), about:
Why Full Frame is perceived as the “serious” format
What is the “ideal” sensor size
The first can be answered with the popularity of 35mm in the film era.
But in modern digital times, is full frame really the sweet spot? DL Cade, Richard and Bill answer the following in this article:
DL Cade goes for APS-C:
“I still believe there is a best sensor for “most people” and that this sensor is not full-frame. This sensor is APS-C. […] the performance to size to cost ratio falls into a sweet spot that neither Micro Four Thirds nor full-frame can match.
take the Fuji X-T3, which is a bit closer in price and weight to the a7 III, selling for only $500 less and weighing only 0.25lbs less. In the video department, the Fuji can already record 4K/60p 4:2:0 10-bit internally; Sony can’t even do that over HDMI. And it, too, shoots at a faster 11fps in 14-bit RAW, can capture up to 30fps electronically with an additional 1.25x crop, and benefits from a large selection of high-quality, compact lenses designed for APS-C.”
We would like to remind you that the Fujifilm X-H2 is on Fujifilm’s roadmap, but, as we already told you months ago, it is currently not scheduled for 2020.
I have not heard anything about Fujifilm anticipating the release of the Fujifilm X-H2 since our original rumor was posted, so for now I stick “not in 2020“.
And if you don’t trust me, then trust Fujifilm managers, who already said here, that both lines, the X-H and X-T, will continue to exist in future.
Take Fujifilm’s most successful camera line, the X-T1, X-T2 and X-T3, which remained intact in form and function for 6 years now, and annoy all Fujifilm X-T line lovers, by changing it.
Why do I say this?
Well, because if Fujifilm was to cancel the X-H line (as rumored by our forum member Jason here), this is what would happen, in an attempt to merge both lines into one.
Fujifilm would need an X-T4 with bigger grip (as the leaked specs would suggest), for better handling and operation with long lenses. So the sleek design of the current X-T line would have to make space to a more bulky grip.
And then there are the dials. Fujifilm X-T shooters love dials, so forget about the top LCD screen, but keep the exposure compensation dial.
The result?
A hybid camera, that would make both unhappy, X-T and X-H lovers.
Seen from this perspective, Fujifilm needs both camera lines, as this gives them design freedom.
expect a T4 about 1/3 of an inch thicker, and about 5-6oz heavier
On a good note expect 6k60 and 10bit internal
anamorphic ratio
fully articulating flippy…essentially an S1H but APSc with Fuji color and obviously much smaller
release end of 2020
I don’t know if this is correct. Surely IBIS sounds plausile, as Fujifilm managers repeatedly said, that they work on making the IBIS unit smaller, so that they can fit it into other (not X-H) X series cameras
Where I disagree, though, is Jason’s report that the Fujifilm X-H2 will never come. To my knowledge, the X-H2 will come!
X-LR is a Lightroom plug-in that reads Fujifilm’s Film Simulation from your RAW file and automatically applies corresponding profile when you import your images to Lightroom.
One big issue it fixed is that Adobe quietly introduced new film simulation profiles with a v2 suffix for the X-T3 and now the X-T30. This release addresses that change and supports any new Fuji cameras for which Adobe introduce v2 profiles.
It has other improvements too:
Supports Adobe’s v2 profiles for X-T3 and X-T30 cameras
Support for X-H1 Eterna film simulation
Extracts maker notes as custom fields
Can run a preset if the camera detected faces
Read ratings and film simulations from JPEG-only shots
Expert Mode
Incremental Lightroom slider values
Ranges of values – eg FacesDetected tag greater than 1 can apply a portrait preset
Notice how that they mostly focus on shooting experience, rather than pixel peeping. And honestly that’s kind of refreshing, as we usually are bombarded with charts, crops and comparisons when a new camera comes out.
Seen from this perspective, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 already achieved what it’s ment for: focus on feel and experience, rather than technical specs.
In case of Gordon (Cameralabs), he says the hidden screen helped him to review images and access menus way less than he normally does. He says:
Previously I always preferred the X-T series over the X-Pro series. But with the X-Pro3 I was surprised just how refreshing and enjoyable I found the experience, how little I worried about settings or features and how much I’d like to shoot with it again.
The Features
With that said, of course the reviewers also go over the new features of this camera.
For example, Gordon from Cameralabs shows samples of the new HDR plus mode, a feature that Gordon says “makes a really good job”. Press the shutter once, and the camera takes three images and combines them into one HDR image (see images below). It works used handheld.
Oh… and Gordon LOVES the new Classic Negative film simulation.
Now let’s cross fingers that all the X-Pro3 firmware goodness on the X-T3, X-T30 and GFX100.
As you know, the optical viewfinder on the “old” X-Pro2 had a build-in 0.36x and 0.60x magnification modes. So, when you use let’s say a 35mm lens, in order for your frame not be too small in the viewfinder, you could switch to the 0.60x magnification.
This is no longer possible with X-Pro3, as it has a fixed OVF magnification of 0.52x.
However, Gordon says that the overall much bigger optical viewfinder on the X-Pro3 helps to compensate for the lack of 0.60x magnification.
For your convenience, down below I have extracted and overlayed both viewfinder frames at 23 and 35 so you get a clear idea how big the difference really is.
With all that said, check out the Fujifilm X-Pro3 review roundup below.
The Fujifilm X-T2 is now marked as discontinued at BHphoto here and also at Adorama.
You can still find it in other stores, for example the silver version is still available at Focuscamera, but the inevitable is happening: as the X-T2 is no longer in production, the stock is now clearing out.
So we have to say goodby, to one of Fujifilm’s most legendary and important digital cameras, the Fujifilm X-T2.
Some of you might remember, how the New York Times reported here that Fujifilm sold only 700,000 cameras in the first 2 years of its existence.
X100, X-Pro1, X-E1, X10 and other cameras could never really go mainstream.
However, things changed starting from January 2014, with the Fujifilm X-T1. It was a big hit, and the Fujifilm X-T2 even topped its sales, becoming Fuji’s most successful X series camera ever.
The X-T line is what keeps the X series alive, and currently the Fujifilm X-T3 is going even better than any of its predecessors.
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