*A message to the source: Thanks a lot. You have been instantly elevated to the elite team of trusted sources. If you want, you can contact me again anonymously and give yourself a nickname, so I can eventually recognize you in future if you decide to contact me again. Thanks so much!
Fujifilm said they are aware of the “comments” of the Fujifilm community regarding the latest autofocus issues and they promised firmware updates to fix that.
The fix will come in November for their flagship Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2 and GFX100 II cameras, but also other fifth generation cameras such as the X-T5, X-S20 and “more” will get firmware updates this year, as Fujifilm officially said here.
Sure, it takes time. But to a certain degree I can understand that.
Fujifilm knows they have to get it right this time, so they’re likely testing the firmware more rigorously than ever, which is surely costing a lot of time and money.
But the big question is: how well will the autofocus firmware really work?
Well, maybe we might not have to wait until November to see these autofocus improvements in action.
In fact, we could get our answers as early as October 14 with the launch of the Fujifilm X-M5.
Why?
Well, Fujifilm has been aware of the autofocus issues for months now. They already began addressing them with a firmware update back in June. Since then, they’ve continued working on the improvements, so the firmware must have evolved significantly from the June version.
And I’d not be surprised if the first camera to actually incorporate the enhanced autofocus capabilities won’t be the X-H2s, X-H2 and GFX100II in November, but the Fujifilm X-M5 coming on October 14.
After all, why not equip the brand-new Fujifilm X-M5 with the most up-to-date firmware available, especially since it’s a fresh release that requires a new firmware anyway? And maybe that’s also why Fujifilm has published a X-M5 teaser poster where they write big “fast autofocus“.
If that turns out to be the case, if the X-M5 is indeed the first camera to feature the new AF algorithm, then by October 14, we’ll already have a glimpse of how well the latest autofocus firmware performs.
Earlier today Fujifilm has shared a video with their “October announcements“. You can check out all details in this article.
Among the others Fujifilm promised firmware updates to come in November.
First off: they did say that they got lots of feedback from customers especially regarding the autofocus. Based on that feedback, Fujifilm is now working to improve the firmware. But there is more, so let’s check it out:
The Good
Firmware update coming in November
Cameras mentioned: Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2s and GFX100 II
Improved Subject Tracking while video filming
Face/Eye detection while video filming
F-Log2 C for wide color gamut
Timecode Synchronization by Ambient Lockit devices through wired connection
The Questions
are other 5th generation cameras (X-T5 & Co) also getting the improved AF while filming?
what about AF-C tracking in stills?
The Surprises?
It almost passed unnoticed, but Fujifilm also said that they are considering further enhancements. So it looks like we are not yet done with Kaizen love for 5th generation cameras.
What could it be?
Well, I don’t have that much anymore on my wishlist, but if I could pick one thing, then I’d like to get the fully automatic subject tracking of the Fujifilm X-S20. I also suggested Fujifilm how this could be implemented on other Fujifilm cameras in this article here.
Of course, feel free to share your wish with the Fujifilm community in the comments down below.
My Thoughts
Fujifilm (like many other brands) often tends to conceal significant bug fixes under the vague term “minor bug fixes.” This article dives deeper into the issue, offering real examples of what Fujifilm has masked with this phrase—some of which were rather embarrassing. Read more here.
This time, though, Fujifilm is putting a spotlight on the autofocus improvements. To me, this signals that they’re taking it more seriously than ever, with a firm commitment to finally getting it right.
It’s also evident that while Fujifilm recognizes the issues, they’ve chosen not to rush a fix like they did with the June firmware. Instead, they’re taking extra time—and probably conducting more thorough testing—to ensure this firmware update works as intended.
I guess they’re well aware they can’t afford to get it wrong this time and it looks like Fujifilm has embraced this challenge, as evidenced by the emphasis they placed on the upcoming autofocus improvements in the video released today.
But again: I believe it only when I see it.
And the Fujifilm X-T5 & Co?
We will see what happens in November, but I would not be surprised if the Fujifilm X-T5 and other cameras would get a bunch of improvements too. Maybe not everything the flagship X-H and GFX cameras will get, but it just makes sense that some of the improvements find its way down also to lower end models.
But again, that’s a pure speculation of mine, not a rumor whatsoever.
Overall, after today’s firmware announcement I am definitely more confident. Fujifilm Japan has spoken and finally addressed the issue publicly. But I have learned not to celebrate too early and wait to see what happens in November with the new firmware.
Fujifilm has won awards. But not so many this time.
Maybe Fujifilm finally came to reason and understood that it does not make sense to waste lots of money into paying for winning nonsense awards.
We remind you: using the RedDot award logo for one product and one year costs thousands of dollars (something between 4K and 8K). You can actually check out yourself how much each RedDot award costs here (in addition to the registrations fees that have to be paid upfront).
There were times in which Fujifilm won 23 RedDot Awards. That’s an expensive price to pay to brag with meaningless awards.
And my hope is that, instead of using the same screen we find on the X-S20/X-H2 etc, Fujifilm will give a comeback to the unique tilt/flip screen of the Fujifilm X-T100. I will never understand why Fujifilm dropped that concept as it allows to go in “selfie mode” but still retain the option of a simple tilt-screen function, with the screen remaining nicely centered to the camera.
I think that screen it would have made the X-S20, X-H2 and X-H2S an even more appealing camera to many. So I think Fujifilm missed an opportunity there.
But again, that’s not a rumor, just a hope of mine.
Another curiosity: the Fujifilm X-A and X-M line, as well as the X-T*** line, where Fujifilm branded cameras, but actually manufactured by the Xacti Corporation. And as it is well known, all Xacti made cameras have all been discontinued.
Now, I have not heard that Xacti is back, so I suppose (not rumor) that this time the camera will be made by Fujifilm. But that’s not a rumor, just a speculation. Maybe it will be another Xacti made but Fujifilm branded camera. We will soon see.
Nikkei has published the global sales number and market share of digital stills and video cameras sold in 2023. The numbers are based on data from CIPA and JEITA and have been reported by the Japanese website dclife.
Here are the numbers for 2023:
Canon … 3.34 million units (46.5%)
Sony … 2 million units (27.9%)
Nikon … 810,000 units (11.3%)
Fujifilm … 430,000 units (6.0%)
Panasonic … 260,000 units (3.6%)
OM Digital … 180,000 units (2.5%)
Ricoh Imaging … 60,000 units (0.8%)
Nikkei writes that the decline in the global market share of digital cameras is slower than before, and the demand for high-performance mirrorless cameras is increasing. Nikkei says “high-performance mirrorless is strong, and the market is recovering“.
Considering that Fujifilm has no dedicated video camera, nor DSLRs in offering, it is safe to assume that the vast majority of the 430,000 units are X and GFX camera sales. Not sure if the (almost dead) Fujifilm Finepix line is included in the list, but even if it would, it would be a negligable number.
X-E4 shipping debacle, discontinued in 2023 with harldy ever being in stock due to Fuji’s incompetence to produce what people actually ordered
The list could go on forever, but bare with me if I stop it here to avoid to turn this article into a rant.
All I’ll say is that the number, 430K, is way below of what Fujifilm could have shipped if only they figured out a proper way to produce more gear rather than relying on creative, flawed and no-cost solution like using blockchain to improve parts procurement.
They did not increase production (except now for the X100VI). They did not hire more workers. They did not expand factories. They just accepted things as they are and so we got to absurd situation like the one of the X-E4, which was launched in January 2021. I noticed the X-E4 in stock only once in October 2021 and then it was mainly out of stock everywhere until it got discontinued in 2023 while tons of people still had one on pre-order.
The Fujifilm CEO calls this a “normal” situation, but I have not seen other brands struggle as much with deliver as Fujifilm. Sure, it’s not all Fuji’s fault, as nobody could have thought that Fujifilm’s popularity would expload like this. But the years passed, and Fujifilm failed to adjust to the new high demand.
Anyway… it is what it is.
Fujifilm sold 430,000 cameras in 2023. But it could have been easily twice as much if they’d have been able to ship their gear properly worldwide.
It’s time to dedicate some space here on FujiRumors to your wishes and ideas as far as future Fujifilm cameras goes.
Hence, down below are a few emails with Fujifilm camera wishes I have received.
And yes, I have also received lots of non-camera wishes, which I will share in another future FR-reader wishlist roundup.
As for the rumors… guys, don’t worry… there will be plenty of them. ;)
Oh… and the Fujifilm X-E5, Fujifilm X-M5 and Fujifilm X50 you see above are all just renderings I made. But if somebody out there has the real images (of any upcoming camera or lens) and wants to share the joy with the FR-community, feel free to drop me a message.
A firmware update was released, and after some users installed it, they noticed the firmware was flawed and the camera is now buggy. So far, nothing new. This just happens.
But when one of these photographers contacted customer service, the representatives acknowledged that the issue could have been potentially caused by the firmware update. Despite this, they are asking customers to send in their cameras for repairs, which will cost (at least) $700.
That’s a shame and should not happen.
And luckily it does not happen to Fujifilm shooters, because this is what happened to a Sony shooter, whose Sony FX3 got apparently broken by firmware 5.00 (see video below).
The video made by Camera Nerds Media runs you through this unreal experience (including recorded calls with customer service).
Camera Nerds Media also went on various Sony forums and he saw that many other FX3 users got the same issue with firmware 5.00. He ends up saying:
I don’t think users should be responsible for faulty firmware updates. That is crazy. […] Now my camera does not work and I lost lots of functionality and I am required to pay for that.
[…]
I posted about this on a bunch of Sony Forums, and the overall theme is that nobody updates the firmware on their Sony cameras because it is historically unreliable and a lot of problems can happen”
To be clear: Camera Nerds Media is a Sony shooter and not a secret agent paid by Fujifilm or Canon or whoever to trashtalk Sony.
Sh*t Happens
Why this intro?
Well, it’s simple: we are used to look at our own garden (the Fujifilm world) and we rightfully moan when something goes wrong there.
But here is the thing: we are so focused on our own world, that we don’t see what’s going on elsewhere.
The Sony issue we reported about today is just one of many. I saw posts with freezes on Sony camera and users have to remove the battery to make the camera work again.
So yes, it’s good to moan, when something goes wrong in the Fujifilm world. But we should be at least aware that modern cameras are high tech computers with lots of complicated coding inside, and that every brand stumbles on that. That’s just normal.
What really matters is how brands react to those issues.
Fujifilm releases free firmware updates to fix errors, whereas in the story we shared today, we can see that this is not always the case with Sony cameras.
Fujifilm Bug Reports
But let’s go back to our little Fujifilm garden.
When I posted the article about a rare bug that drives me nuts, other fellow Fujifilm X shooters wrote me with their own bug reports.
And because I pay full price for my gear and have no connections to Fujifilm, I can freely report about those bugs here on FujiRumors, in the hope Fujifilm Japan will read this (they will), and possibly even release a fix in the near future (of course for free ;) ).
If you have your own bugs to report about, feel free to drop it in the comments.
I have the GFX 100S II and it happened to me it froze too a couple of times in the past month and yesterday I found when it happens:
Using the camera in portrait mode, but turning it 90 clockwise, not counter clockwise (as natural it is)
I know it happened in other models like the GFX 100 II, do you know if that bug has been resolved?
UPDATE: I took the camera to the store where I bought it and the seller said he would contact the Fuji rep about that. Then he sent the camera to be repaired. It Looks like there is an electronic problem, that is what he said to me a few days later. Hopefully the camera will be back soon.
by Cipulot – The Disappearing Indicators
I am sharing with you a pretty interesting thing that is happening with my X100VI with the latest 1.11 fw.
In particular, out of nowhere, in the OVF mode, the indicators stopped being shown even if I had them selected in the settings (video below).
Funnily enough, though, if I enable large indicators, they still do not show up, but if I half-press the shutter, they pop up and then go away as soon as I take a shot/release it.
I tried disabling them, re-enabling, power cycle, and even removing the battery, but the issue persists.
I forgot to mention that even when pressing the DISP BACK button multiple times, the issue persists, even tho that should fix it usually.
UPDATE: As a last effort I reinitialized the camera and it went back to working order. [if you encounter this issue too, reset your camera]
by Alan – the Silent Focus Priority Override in AF-MF
Your July 10, 2024 post entitled “This (Rare) Fujifilm Bug Drives Me Nuts…” got me thinking about the one Fujifilm bug that most bothers me. Actually, mine is more than a bug… because mine interacts with a known Fujifilm autofocus issue that can produce more out-of-focus images than expected. Combined, the bug and issue have the potential to badly effect the AF experience of users and, I expect, reviewers.
The Bug: With AF+MF* enabled, the camera will, without warning, override FOCUS/RELEASE PRIORITY** if it has been set to FOCUS.
Potential Bug Remedy: At the very least, Fuji should grey-out the RELEASE/FOCUS PRIORITY menu option when AF+MF is enabled.
The Issue and its Importance: The potential advantage of AF+MF* is paradoxically counterbalanced by the potential disadvantage of RELEASE PRIORITY**.
Fujifilm’s competitors allow their users to manually fine tune autofocus (with focus aids such as peaking and magnification), while maintaining control of when the shutter will release in AF-C or AF-S modes (ie, with or without autofocus confirmation/acquisition).
For example, if AF-C loses a bird amongst leaves, manual override will be necessary to regain focus. The rest of the time, when manual override isn’t necessary, the camera should be allowed to acquire focus before releasing shutter, should the user so desire.
Please feel free to post my note on FujiRumors if you think that it would be of interest.
* XT-5: MENU > AF/MF SETTINGS > AF+MF = “OFF
** XT-5: MENU > AF/MF SETTINGS > RELEASE/FOCUS PRIORITY
I guess it is a bit normal that we are drawn to the latest and greatest, the newest and most shiny stuff.
But truth is: there is PLENTY of wonderful gear out there that has its age, but still delivers wonderfully.
And look guys, I know what I talk about, because I did just photograph a family day trip on the mountains with my X-E3 today ;).
So I thought about making a roundup of a different kind: include all the latest and greatest stuff (the 5th generation cameras and the newest lenses), but also the older gear we hardly ever talk about now (4th gen. cameras or older and older lenses).
I hope there will be something among it that you’ll appreciate as much as I did.
Capture One has announced that REALA ACE support has been added in Capture One 16.4.4 for the following Fujifilm cameras: GFX100II, GFX100SII, X100VI, X-H2, X-H2s, X-S20, X-T5, X-T50.
You can download the latest Capture One 16.4.4 here and view the release notes here.
Of course I have the perpetual license, so no Reala Ace for me.
At the end I’ll have to give up on the idea to stick with perpetual licenses. I will start to rent my editing software. But I am not sure it will still be Capture One.
