The Hidden Advantage Nobody Talks About – FUJIFILM 26MP vs 40MP

You all know I’m a big fan of Fujifilm’s 40MP sensor. In fact, when I put together my Fujifilm X-E5 wishlist, I said I’d happily pay more if it came with the 40MP over the 26MP.

But let’s be fair: the 26MP sensor paired with the X Processor 5 – as found in cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 – is a terrific combination with its own clear advantages.

Advantages of the 26MP Sensor

  • faster sensor readout → and all the benefits that come with it, such as less rolling shutter
  • less battery drain
  • more affordable

For a full breakdown, we’ve already written a comprehensive 26MP vs 40MP Pros & Cons article here.

Today, though, I’d like to highlight something interesting from two articles by Alik Griffin, where he compared files from his Fujifilm X100V (26MP) and X100VI (40MP).

At first glance, you’d assume the main reason to prefer the X100VI would be the higher resolution. But Alik points out something else entirely that makes the 40MP sensor shine. Something that is hardly ever talked about.

Alik noticed:

Resolution

  • on a tripod, the X100VI shows a clear detail boost over the X100V, even at higher apertures—enough to justify an upgrade for tripod work.

The Grain (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)

What really impressed Alik wasn’t just the resolution, but the character of the grain. Here are some of his observations:

  • the X100VI’s smaller, tighter grain is far nicer to work with than the older models
  • the slight resolution boost, combined with the finer grain and better overall fidelity, makes the upgrade worth it
  • nicer grain with cleaner skin tones and clearer colors
  • the X100VI preserves shadow detail better and avoids the color smearing
  • everything looks better—not only at ISO 6400, but even at lower ISOs
  • the X100VI’s grain has a better shape, making it easier to clean up with noise reduction
  • beyond the added detail, the tighter pixel pitch and improved grain deliver noticeably superior image fidelity

Alik has covered the comparison in full with lots of samples at his blog at alikgriffin here and here.

One more thing… there is this myth that more pixels are worst in low light. Top industry insiders and professionals disagree with this statement:

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The Best Fujifilm Communities

From Newcomer to Legend? Fujifilm X-E5 Skyrockets in FujiRumors Ownership Rankings

A while ago we tried to evaluate the success of the brand new Fujifilm X-E5 by launching a survey on which camera the FujiRumors community owns.

8,279 people dropped a total of 17,894 votes, and here are the results.

  1. X-T5 = 13%
  2. X100VI = 7%
  3. X-T3 = 7%
  4. X-T2 = 5%
  5. X-E5 = 5%
  6. X-T4 = 4%
  7. X-H2 = 4%
  8. X-Pro2 = 4%
  9. X-H2S = 4%
  10. X-T1 = 3%
  11. X-T30/X-T30II = 3%
  12. X-E3 = 3%
  13. X-Pro3 = 3%
  14. X100V = 3%
  15. X-E2/X-E2S = 3%
  16. X-H1 = 3%
  17. X-E1 = 2%
  18. X-T50 = 2%
  19. X-S20 = 2%
  20. X-E4 = 2%
  21. X-T20 = 2%
  22. X-S10 = 2%
  23. X-Pro1 = 2%
  24. X100F = 2%
  25. X-M5 = 1%
  26. X100 = 1%
  27. X70/XF10 = 1%
  28. X10/X20/X30 = 1%
  29. X100S = 1%
  30. X-T10 = 1%
  31. X100T = 1%
  32. X-M1 = 1%
  33. X half = 1%
  34. X-A1/A2/A3/A5/A7/A10/A20 = 1%
  35. X-T100 = 0%*
  36. XQ1/XQ2 = 0%*
  37. X-T200 = 0%*
  38. XF1 = 0%*
  39. X-S1 = 0%*
    *denotes 0,4% or less

So, in less than 1 month, the Fujifilm X-E5 has already surpassed legends like the Fujifilm X-T4 and caught up with one of Fujifilm’s most sold cameras ever, the Fujifilm X-T2. And right now it is just 2% points away from catching up with the Fujifilm X-T3 and X100VI.

If we were to group it in lines, these are the results.

  1. X-T* = 32.21%
  2. X100* = 15.20%
  3. X-E* = 14.61%
  4. X-H* = 9.98%
  5. X-Pro* = 8.56%
  6. X-T** = 8.41%
  7. X-S** = 4.18%
  8. X-M* = 2.25%
  9. X70 / XF10 = 1.24%
  10. X10/X20/X30 = 1.18%
  11. X half = 0.64%
  12. X-A* = 0.56%
  13. Other = 0.51%
  14. X-T100/200 = 0.47%

The Fujifilm X-E5 has pushed the X line close to the X100 line on the 3rd spot of the most owned Fujifilm camera lines by FR-readers.

Is this a success?

That’s too early to say. But it is a solid start, actually the best start of any X-E camera so far (and by far). And this makes me confident in the future of this camera line.

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Why This Guy Shoots ISO 500 Most of the Time — And Says You Should Too (If You Shoot Fujifilm)


 go to minute 10:28 of the video for the part where the useful feature to reduce editing is covered – includes sample images

Down below there are a few YouTube videos covering the DR expansion features on Fujifilm cameras.

In the first video, the guy straight out recommends you to shoot ISO 500 most of the time, which unlocks the DR400 feature.

In short: Fujifilm offers a few options to expand dynamic range:

  • DR200/DR400
  • DR Priority
  • HDR

They all work a bit differently and if you want to know all the details (as well as tips and tricks on how to make the best out of them), I can highly recommend Rico Pfirstinger’s excellent Fujifilm books.

I personally use DR200/DR400 most to get the most JPEG dynamic range in-camera which is perfect for travel or family shots where I don’t want to spend hours editing later.

Of course this requires me to shoot often at ISO 250 (DR200) or ISO 500 (DR400), but noise at those levels is negligible.

Also, I feel that with every sensor generation, Fujifilm has improved on how DR200/DR400 files look like (more natural) and with the 40MP sensor the results are the best so far.

Overall, the combination of Fujifilm film simulations, DR200/400 (and another feature that I might touch on in another article), are a game changer for me as far as reducing editing time on the computer.

Just to be clear: I still—and always will—shoot JPEG+RAW. As much as I trust the in-camera results for most of my needs, there are always a few images I might want to print. And for those, I like having the RAW backup, in case I need the full flexibility of a RAW converter to handle a particularly challenging shot.

Finally, as a reference, here are the minimum ISO requirements for the DR-function on different X-Trans sensors:

DR on 40MP (X-T5 & Co)
DR200 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 250 and above
DR400 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 500 and above

DR on 26MP (X-S20 & Co)
DR200 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 320 and above
DR400 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 640 and above

DR on 24MP (X-E3 and Co)
DR200 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 400 and above
DR400 is available at sensitivities starting from ISO 800 and above

The Videos

Fujifilm Announced Further Price Increases Coming August 30

On August 1st Fujifilm did increase prices on plenty of X and GFX gear.

We already warned you that further prices increases are planed, but at the time of that article we knew only about instax gear price increases.

Well, Fujifilm has now issued a statement (read below) to several news outlets such as PetaPixel and DRPeview.

The global marketplace continues to present business challenges, driven by the volatile market conditions facing manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike. With these changes and the instability of the marketplace, we have made the business decision to further adjust prices to accommodate for these global changes. As we navigate the current market situation, Fujifilm is doing all we can to work with our retailers and consumers to weather this storm together. We appreciate your continued support.

Last time the price increases ranged between 8 to 15%, with only one item seeing a hefty 43% price increase.

Last time the Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm X half were not affected by price increases, and it seems that also this time the X-E5 and X half won’t get any price hike.

How much could the price increase be this time?

Well, given that the Fujifilm X-E5 costs $1,699 and the its DSLR styled clone, the Fujifilm X-T50, costs $1,599, it could well be that the X-T50 gets a further $100 price jump, hence a further 6% price increase. But that’s a speculation of mine.

I guess US residents now have less than two weeks left to purchase their gear at current price and avoid even worst surprises.

List of August 1st Price Increases
(more price increase to follow August 30)

X Series Camera Bodies

GFX Series Camera Bodies

X Series Lenses

GF Lenses

Accessories

.

Fujifilm Dominates Japan’s MAP Ranking: X Half Leads Again, 4 Fujifilm Models in Top 10

For the second month in a row the Fujifilm X half is on top of the MAP camera ranking in Japan. And that, by a very large margin on the second placed camera.

Overall, out of the top 10, four cameras are coming from Fujifilm.

  1. Fujifilm X half
  2. Sony A7C II
  3. Nikon Z5II
  4. Ricoh GR IIIx
  5. Fujifilm X-M5
  6. Fujifilm X-S20
  7. OM System OM-5 Mark II
  8. Sony A7IV
  9. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
  10. Fujifilm X-T5
  11. Nikon Z50II

via Map Camera

Fujifilm X-T40/X-T30III: Finally Closing the Gap?

go to minute 5:53 of the video to hear the thoughts of Patrick about it

One of the critiques Fujifilm gets is that they have a confusing camera lineup with too many lines.

The Fujifilm X-T30III or X-T40 just fueled again this criticism, but I think this time they don’t deserve it.

First things first: Fujifilm has indeed likely canceled 6 X series lines already (or even 7, if we consider X70 and XF10 not part of the same line):

So we have a total of possibly six canceled lines.

And how many lines has Fujifilm introduced?

Well, 2 new lines have been introduced recently: Fujifilm X half and the Fujifilm X-T50,

Yes, also the Fujifilm X-T50 is a “new line”, because as we told you in this rumor, it does not belong to the X-T10, X-T20, X-T30 line since Fujifilm will launch a dedicated successor for that line (X-T40/X-T30III) in 2025.

And actually there will also be a third totally new line soon, and that camera is already listed at BHphoto here.

In short: Fujifilm has axed more lines than it has created new ones.

With all that said, I think launching the Fujifilm X-T40/X-T30III makes totally sense.

Why?

Well, because Fujifilm’s entry level line has basically been axed (except X-M line) and their other lower-end to mid-range models got an overall specs upgrade with a consequantial significant price increase (X-E5 and X-T50).

At this point in time, Fujifilm has no true entry level camera with viewfinder and that’s a problem if you ask me.

But how could a Fujifilm X-T30III/X-T40 look like?

Speculations (NOT RUMOR)

  • my realistic scenario: X-T30 II body with 5th generation processor and latest firmware
  • my hope scenario: X-T30 II body but with X-T100 alike unique screen mechanism – we reported here
  • my dream scenario: X-T50 body with 4th generation 26MP sensor

Since I think that price matters when it comes to the Fujifilm X-T40 or X-T30 III, I believe they’ll go for the first scenario I mentioned above.

But feel free to let us know in the comments what you think about all of this.

Some Fujifilm Gear Still for Sale at Old (and Lower) Price at Amazon USA – from Fujifilm X-T5, XF16-55mmF2.8II and More

The Fujifilm price increase came into effect today, but I just wanted to let you know that, in case you missed the deadline, some gear is still for sale at the old price at Amazon.

For example, the Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 II is for sale at lower price shippend and sold by Amazon. At other stores it costs $150 more now.

Same goes for the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 sold by Amazon at the lower old price as well as the XF33mmF1.4 sold by Amazon.

But there is probably even more gear still available at the old price, so make sure to check out the items you are eventually interested in.

Other gear is sold for old price at Amazon sold by third parties, as it’s the case with the XF70-300mm, sold at Amazon via official Fujifilm retailer True Modern Electronics.

You can also find the Fujifilm X-T5 at old price at Amazon via Dodd Camera, which is also an official Fujfiilm retailer.

You can check out the list of official Fujifilm retailers here.

I guess it’s just a matter of time until those stores will align with the new prices.

Full List of New Prices

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

It Happened: Fujifilm Price Increase Effective Today – New Prices Up 8-15% (One Item Up 43%)

We told you that Fujifilm will increase prices on August 1st, and so it happened.

Now that the new prices are official, I will list them all below and I will also add by how much (USD and %) the price increased (because some of you asked me that in the comments).

The price increases are between 8 to 15%, with only one item seeing a hefty 43% price increase. The 43% price increase is already visible at Adorama here, but other stores like BHphoto here and Amazon here still show the old price for now (I guess that will change soon).

I hope some of you have saved some bucks thanks to FujiRumors warning you ahead of the imminent price increase.

X Series Camera Bodies

GFX Series Camera Bodies

X Series Lenses

GF Lenses

Accessories

Last-Second Fujifilm Best Sellers – Before Prices Go Up in 2 Days (in USA)

A few days ago, we informed you that Fujifilm will raise prices on almost all X and GFX gear, and we also shared the full list of upcoming prices here.

I’ve now checked on what’s been selling best through FujiRumors affiliate links—and here’s the current top-selling gear, just two days before the price hike takes effect.

If there’s anything you’ve been thinking about getting, now’s the time to grab it at the current lower price.

NOTE: All the price increases listed below apply – obviously – only to the U.S. market. That’s why I’m sharing prices in U.S. dollars only—not in euros, yen, or any other currency. Will other regions see increases too? I don’t know. I have no info so far. My guess (not rumor) is that so far price increases are planed only for USA.

  1. Fujifilm X-T5
    BHphoto / Amazon / Adorama / Moment / BestBuy / Paul’s Photo
  2. XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR
    BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera / Moment / Paul’s Photo
  3. NP-W235
    BHphoto / Amazon / Adorama / Moment
  4. XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR
    BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera / Paul’s Photo
  5. X-S20 body
    BHphoto / Amazon / Adorama / Moment / BestBuy / Paul’s Photo
  6. XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II
    BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira / Paul’s Photo
  7. NP-W126S
    BHphoto / Amazon / Adorama / Moment

Of course the list is heavily influenced by the disastuous stock situation with Fujifilm gear – availability is tight, and many people are simply snapping up whatever they can still find in stock. For example, I bet that if the X100VI would be available anywhere, it would be on top of the list.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the usual retailers like BHphoto or Adorama, be sure to check Amazon as well. Several official Fujifilm dealers also sell through Amazon and may still have stock available.

X Cameras – New Price Starting August 1

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

Updated Price Increase List for Fujifilm Gear Starting August 1

We have now received an updated list of the Fujifilm price increases starting August 1st, which includes the new price for the 11 GF lenses missing in our previous report and also these accessories are added to the list.

NOTE: some stores say they won’t honor the old price for all gear ordered today but shipping after August 1st (we reported here). We don’t have statements of BHphoto & Co in this regard. In any case, it’s best to order now and get it shipped tomorrow, or at least hope your store will honor the current price. If you don’t find it in stock at BHphoto & Co, check out Amazon where many official Fujifilm retailers also sell their gear. You might have better luck there.

LIST OF PRICE INCREASES

X Cameras – New Price Starting August 1

GFX cameras – New Price Starting August 1

X Lenses – New Price Starting August 1

GF Lenses – New Price Starting August 1

Accessories – New Price Starting August 1