Top 3 Fujifilm Gear I’d Love to Buy in 2022

I think I can say that in 2021 I’ve done a decent part in supporting Fujifilm with my hard earned money, as here is the Fujifilm gear I’ve purchased:

For as much as Fujifilm made medium format accessible to the masses, buying into the 100 Megapixel GFX system still requires a significant investment. It’s worth every penny, but it’s not cheap.

So in 2022 I will try to contain my GAS as much as possible and be cautious with my purchases (do I hear you guys laughing?? ;) )

And yet, there is some gear I’d love to buy in 2022. And I mean gear that is either already announced, available or at least on the Fujifilm roadmap for 2022. So this is not about rumored gear.

  1. Fujinon GF 50mm f/3.5
    One of the main declared goals by Fujifilm is to make the GFX system smaller. A huge step in this direction was made with the Fujifilm GFX100S, which is already smaller than some full frame mirrorless cameras out there (see the Panasonic S1R) and about as big as the Canon R5. Sure, the GFX lenses are usually bigger, just as Full Frame lenses are usually bigger than APS-C lenses. Well, the Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 serves exactly the purpose to make the system smaller and mounted on my GFX100S, it could give me a very nice combo that I would probably end up carrying with me more often also for casual family stuff. And hey, I need 2 more GFX lenses to reach the average GFX shooters’ lens attachment rate* ;)
  2. Fujifilm X100V
    I mean, just look at it. It’s of a beauty matched maybe only by some Leica cameras. The only problem here is that I own the Fujifilm X-E3 with XF27mmF2.8 R WR, so the Fujifilm X100V would become a bit redundant in my lineup. And yet, it would not only be about its beauty. It also has the pull-up ISO dial from the X-Pro line that I totally love. Combined with WCL-100 II and TCL-100 II it would give me a compact and versatile leaf shutter mini-system. And just like the X-E4 it has that “invisible” tilt LCD screen that I could make good use of every now and then.
  3. Fujinon XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6
    You might know how much Iove my XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6, especially when mounted on my X-T4 (you can see the combo here on the Dolomites). But in 2022 I’d love to get a bit more into a photographic territory I haven’t explored much yet, wildlife photography. That’s why a bit more reach could come in handy then the one the 18-135 can offer me. There are some options here: from the XF200mmF2 to the XF100-400 to the XF150-600mm that is on the roadmap. And why not, also the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 could be a nice option. But taking into account prize and size, I think the  XF70-300mm f/4-5.6 could be a reasonable choice to start with. And for even more reach I could couple it with the XF 1.4x TC WR Teleconverter.

Bonus

Related Article

The Gear

*From the Interview “Fujifilm Manager: GFX Triumph and Full Frame Attack Strategy, Shrinking IBIS, AI Future, Fuji X-H2 Needs Breakthrough, COVID and More”

  • 70-80% of GFX customers were coming from non-Fuji cameras. Most probably from full frame DSLR cameras
  • GFX sells 50% better than Fujifilm predicted
  • GFX lens attachment rate: about 3 lenses per 1 GFX camera
  • Fujifilm X system has a lower lens attachment rate than GFX system
  • read more in this article

BHphoto Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras of 2021: the GFX Medium Format Consecration Continues

We are approaching the end of the year, hence we will be bombarded by 2021 top and flop gear posts and videos.

DPReview shared their top and flop gear already, and we reported about it here.

Now also BHphoto has put up their list for the top 10 mirrorless cameras of 2021.

Once again the latest GFX gear enters the ranking at the very high positions. But the GFX system gets its consecration not only in the year-end rankings, but also at the box office, where especially the Fujifilm GFX100S is causing headache to Fujifilm due to a high demand they simply can’t match.

And what about Fuji’s APS-C series? Well, things look good, very good for the X system in 2022.  Just keep an eye on the latest X-H2 rumors ;).

BHphoto Explora – Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras of 2021

  1. Nikon Z9
  2. Sony A1
  3. Fujifilm GFX100S
    Not too long ago, the thought of a 100MP camera sounded like very wishful thinking, considering 36MP was high-res and 24MP is still a go-to standard for many cameras today. FUJIFILM’s GFX 100S isn’t the first 100MP camera, it’s not even FUJIFILM’s first, but it represents the first time 100MP has been available sub $10K and in a camera body that’s portable and reasonable for walkaround shooting use. It redefines medium format and breaks down the barrier that’s made medium format, especially high-resolution medium format, so inaccessible for virtually everyone until now. What’s even more impressive about the GFX 100S is that it has also benefitted from full-frame and APS-C mirrorless development, too, and features many of the same imaging assets you’d expect from other current cameras, like IBIS, DCI 4K 30p video, and even phase-detection AF. Unlike medium format cameras of the past, which were notoriously slow and outdated in performance, but you’d suck it up for the amazing image quality, the GFX 100S doesn’t need these excuses anymore as it meshes high-resolution medium format quality with current mirrorless performance.
  4. Canon R3
  5. Sony A7IV
  6. Fujifilm GFX50SII
    Accessible and medium format are no longer mutually exclusive terms with the GFX 50S II; the second-gen compact medium format mirrorless with a new integrated design and the same 50MP sensor that put the GFX system on the map. Late summer saw FUJIFILM release the second generation of their first mirrorless medium format camera, the GFX 50S II. Compared to what a conventional second-gen camera is, though, this new GFX trended in a new way, with a focus on becoming even more accessible than the first generation of cameras, meaning medium format is now a realistic consideration for people shopping for full-frame systems. And with that in mind, the GFX 50S II presents a truly interesting choice for photographers who value image quality above all other camera specs. Beyond value alone, the GFX 50S II also saw some physical changes, bringing it in line with its 100MP sibling and featuring a fully integrated viewfinder and forgoing the more modular nature of the first GFX 50S.
  7. Nikon Zfc
  8. Sony ZV-E10
  9. Sigma fp L
  10. Panasonic Lumix GH6 (or GH5 II, for the time being)

You can read the full list here at B&H.

Which Film Simulation is Best (and Worst) for Low Light Photography?

There is a misconception out there.

And the misconception is that Fujifilm film simulations are something good only for pure JPEG shooters. But that’s far from true.

When I photographed the wedding of my friend I did shoot everything in RAW (I explained which gear I used here), but when it was time to edit everything in Capture One 21, I did not waste any time with color grading the images. I just scrolled over the various film simulation options in Capture One, saw in real time which color gives me the best mood, clicked on that film simulation and that’s it. Done that, I started to edit the images to taste (except for the colors).

I’ve explained in this article which film simulations I’ve used most in my wedding editing (curiously a film simulation that I’ve rarely used until I’ve shot the wedding).

So that’s how I see it: also hardcore RAW shooters can take huge profits from Fujifilm film simulations.

But it is also true, that in many cases the JPEG output of Fujifilm cameras is that good, that you can skip the RAW editing right away.

It happened to me recently when I was in Ferrara with my family. I took my images in RAW+JPEG and when we were going home by train, I just used the internal RAW converter to try out some film simulations on certain pictures, stored them directly on the SD-card, and once home all I did was to load them into my computer, and that was it, my holiday images look great without any editing effort.

And here comes the connection to the video we share today.

If you are like me, and about 80%* of the images you keep are simply JPEG images (*thanks to the amazing Fujifilm JEPGs, with my previous gear I mostly edited the RAW files), then it might be of interest to know which film simulation works best in which context.

And Chris from Pal2Tech (one of the must follow channels for Fujifilm shooters) tested which film simulation works best (and worst) for low light photography (if you shoot in JPEG).

Chris’ video has been cross posted to petapixel here, where the conclusions is:

  1. Monochrome is much less noisy than ACROS at all higher ISO ranges. In going through my testing, it seems pretty conclusive that Fujifilm adds some additional grain and/or noise to ACROS to help give it that unique look. The problem is, at much higher ISO values, it can start to fall apart at bit. If you are planning on shooting with ACROS, I would not go above 3200 ISO. Also, I’d definitely make sure the grain setting on your camera is turned off.
  2. PROVIA, VELVIA, ASTIA, ETERNA, Pro Negative High and Sepia all performed well and had roughly the same good performance at higher ISO values. Of this group, PROVIA was the overall winner when you start pixel peeping at 300% or above.
  3. If you are shooting at ISO 3200 and above, I would avoid Bleach Bypass, ACROS, and Classic Negative. Once you go above ISO 6400, I would not use any of those three film sims if I wanted to keep my noise to a minimum.
  4. Most interesting of all were the winners. And they were Pro Negative Standard and ETERNA. If you are planning on shooting in low light at very high ISO values, you may want to give them a try. Both Pro Negative Standard and ETERNA gave me the overall best and consistent results.

And if you love Fujifilm colors, then… join our 100% pure Fujifilm Colors Group.

Panasonic Unveils 35MP Organic Super35 CMOS Sensor with Global Shutter and Great Dynamic Range

The organic sensor has reached a mythical status.

In fact, 8 year after the joint Panasonic and Fujifilm announcement, where the organic sensor was first unveiled to the masses with great optimism and claims of glorious performances and dynamic range, we haven’t seen anything coming to the market, expect for a camcorder prototype shown by Panasonic back in 2019.

Probably like many of you, I just stopped hoping that such a sensor would ever see the light of the day.

And yet, today we have to add another chapter to the organic sensor novel.

In fact, Panasonic has just announced the first 4k/8K Super35 global shutter organic CMOS sensor during the “4th 4K / 8K Video Technology Exhibition”

Here are Panasonic’s claims (google translated):

  • replaces the silicon photodiode that has been used as the light receiving part of the conventional CMOS sensor with an organic thin film that has a larger light absorption coefficient
  • wide dynamic range and global shutter
  • In a general back-illuminated CMOS sensor, if a high resolution and a wide dynamic range are realized, a global shutter cannot be installed, and if a global shutter is installed, the resolution and the dynamic range are reduced, which is a trade-off
  • The organic CMOS sensor has a dynamic range four times that of a general CMOS sensor
  • the global shutter also adjusts the voltage applied to the organic thin film to control the photoelectric conversion efficiency
  • technological development for practical use is making great progress
  • color reproducibility is high
  • As a next-generation technology for organic CMOS sensors, there is an ultra-WDR technology in which two sensitivity detection cells, a high-sensitivity cell and a high-saturation cell, are provided in one pixel.
  • With this, the dynamic range can be 100 times that of an organic CMOS sensor and 400 times that of a general CMOS sensor.

Well, we knew about all the dynamic range claims and the global shutter already. Today we got a bit more insights on how it works and especially one sentence revived my hopes after all these years:

technological development for practical use is making great progress

So let’s hope that we will soon see the first cameras with such a sensor and that they were able to sort out the main problems with this sensor: heat generation and battery drain.

Will this be the sensor of the Fujifilm X-H2?

I don’t know, but I don’t think so.

Maybe it will initially find its way into larger bodies of camcorders, which can handle heat generation better. At a later stage maybe also mirrorless cameras will feature this sensor.

Best Deal on Capture One 22

Save 20% plus additional 10% (with code FUJIRUMORS) by pre-upgrading to Capture One 22 now. No better deal will come to upgrade, not even at Black Friday. This is the best price.

The Organic Sensor Novel – A Summary:

  • June 2013: Fujifilm and Panasonic announced the organic sensor development
  • December 2014: Our sources told us here, that there is a crucial problem to be solved with the organic sensor: heat generation (and battery drain)
  • December 2014: Top Fujifilm Managers confirmed, that the organic sensor is “still well ahead of us.”
  • October 2015: 43rumors broke the rumor here, that it will still take a 2 or 3 years before the organic sensor will be ready for mass production.
  • February 2016: Panasonic announced that, along with Fujifilm, they are developing an organic sensor with global shutter and impressive 123dB (!!!) dynamic range.
  • February 2016: Fujifilm management says: “We don’t have any specific plans of incorporating an organic sensor into our products at the moment, but yes we are observing the progress of this technology. As of today, there would be No benefits to using an organic sensor. Our X-Trans III sensor is superior to the currently available organic sensor.”
  • February 2017: Panasonic announces the world’s first organic CMOS image sensor with electrically controllable near-infrared light sensitivity. However, unlike in previous press-releases, this time Fujifilm isn’t mentioned.
  • February 2017: Fujifilm Announces Development of World’s fastest Organic CMOS Circuit For Multi-bit flexible Temperature Sensor
  • August 2017: Development of Wide Dynamic Range and Global Shutter Technology for Organic Photoconductive Film Image Sensor (Panasonic)
  • Febraury 2018: Panasonic Announces 8K 36 Megapixel Global Shutter Organic Sensor… and Time To Stop Sony’s Sensor Hegemony
  • October 2018: Panasonic Says Organic Sensor Cooperation with Fujifilm Continues. Mass Production Will Take a Bit more Time
  • September 2019: Panasonic shows first Camcorder featuring 8K organic sensor

via digicame-info via monoist

Top 7 Critiques on Fujifilm that Are Absolutely Justified

I recently wrote an article, where I list 10 attacks on Fujifilm that do not make any sense.

In that article, I promised that I would also write an article about the exact opposite, meaning sharing a list of critiques on Fujifilm that I totally understand and I agree with.

You can find it down below.

And of course, feel free to add your own critiques on Fujifilm in the comments down below.

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

How I Learned To LOVE The Fujifilm X-Trans Sensor and Get the Most Out of It… and I Can’t Believe it’s Not Film [ X-Trans Roundup ]

 

X-Trans Roundup

In our photographic journey, we start, we struggle, we learn, we advance, we re-consider, we get frustrated when things don’t work out and excited when we make a leap forward.

And yes, for us Fujifilm shooters, X-Trans is one of those things we had to learn to handle in our photographic journey.

And since we know that X-Trans is here to stay (the Fujifilm X-H2 will feature an X-Trans sensor – or at least one of the two X-H2’s coming), we better learn to make the most out of its strengths and be aware of possible limitations and how to work around those.

Now, you know what I think about the X-Trans sensor. If not, check out:

So yes, I love it! I love the fact that Fujifilm will keep the X-Trans sensor in their APS-C cameras. And judging from this survey, the vast majority of you guys is happy about this, too.

One of the X shooters happy with the X-Trans sensor is Edward Thomas, who, in the video linked below, explains how he learned to love the Fujifilm X-Trans sensor and what he likes about it. The key points of his video and the video itself can be found down below.

I will also share two additional videos, one about how to make the most out X-Trans files and another one with a Fujifilm film simulation recipe.

Last is a short video of me editing a heavily underexposed image taken with my X-E3 of my wife during our honeymoon in Andalusia (here is Cordoba), while were enjoying the sunset from the wonderful town of Ronda. It’s one of those pictures that should not be possible according to some, as it is only APS-C ;).

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Fujifilm X Lab “Secret” Development Story of Fujinon f/1.4 lenses and More “Full Power” Lenses Coming in Future (also Zooms)

In episode 22/23 of the Fujifilm X Lab series, Fujifilm managers and engineers gather together to talk about the inside story and what they call the “development secrets” of the new generation fast f/1.4 prime lenses, the “XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR“, “XF23mmF1.4 R LM WR” and “XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR“.

Episode 22 is dedicate to the Fujinon XF18mm f/1.4 R LM WR whereas episode 23 focuses on the Fujinon XF23mmF1.4 R LM WR and  Fujinon XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR.

It’s once again in Japanese and we rely on the automatic Google translation tool, which is far from optimal. I went through this pain for you and summed it up below. However, if any Japanese FR-reader has the time and would like to make a better translation for us, feel free to drop it down in the comments or send it over to me at fujirumor@gmail.com.

With that said, down below are the key points of the video as we as the video itself.

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Top 10 Attacks on Fujifilm (That Don’t Make Sense): Full Frame Desires, GFX Facts Distortion, Kaizen Death, X-Trans Flaws, DOF and more

Criticizing and attacking Fujifilm is quite popular on the internet, and down below I will talk about possible reasons why it is like this.

Sometimes these critiques are justified, but sometimes I feel these attacks are unjustified.

Let’s talk about it now.

10 Critiques To Fujifilm

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Fujifilm X Summit Talk with Jonas Rask, XF 33mmF1.4 vs XF35mmF1.4, Fuji Guys GFX50SII Unboxing and More

It seems like an eternity, but it was just a bit more than two weeks ago, that Fujifilm launched plenty of new gear (that they will ship sometimes in 2023 ;) ).

So let’s use this weekend to catch up with some coverage that has been shared since them. You can find it all down below.

But before that, in case you just came back from holiday and wonder what the heck you might have missed, here is a recap of previous Fujifilm X summit coverage articles:

Fujifilm X Summit – Review Roundup

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **