NIKON MIRRORLESS IS COMING…

So yes, they are finally doing it.

Nikon is coming with a serious mirrorless (FF… or even MF?) camera on August 23. And Canon will follow soon.

Unlike other occasions, where Nikon marketing terribly failed, this time I find the whole thing with the teasers a brilliant move. The only risk I see is that the final thing won’t match the high expectations, like when Nikon made all these Nikon DF teasers (and Kai made a funny parody of them).

Anyway, Nikon is confident, and promises “a leap into a new dimension that will last for the next 100 years“.

We know very little about the upcoming Nikon mirrorless camera. So let’s wait until August 23 before we discuss the camera more in-depth.

But what we can discuss now, is what Nikon’s and Canon’s move into the mirrorless world means for Fujifilm X and GFX lovers.

… FUJIFILM IS HAPPY…

Fujifilm managers said here that they welcome CaNikon Full Frame mirrorless cameras, because…

“[…] having those strong brands in the mirrorless marketplace increases general awareness of mirrorless, and that’s a good thing for the whole industry.”

Many people, who currently still think that DSLRs are the only real professional tool, might start to think differently, once they see that even Canon and Nikon start to cannibalize their own high-end DSLR market in favor of their new mirrorless offering.

And this is where Fujifilm (and other mirrorless manufacturers) have their opportunity.

If the message finally passes that “mirrorless is the future” (and it is the future), plenty of DSLR users (who are mainly APS-C shooters, as Fuji Guy Billy correctly said in his X-T100 first look here) will start to migrate to Mirrorless.

Maybe many will just go to CaNikon mirrorless, but at least Fujifilm has the chance to finally attract some of those mirroless-migrants to their X or GFX systems by offering already today:

• 28 APS-C Fujinon lenses
• 2 APS-C MK video lenses
• 3 APS-C flagships (X-T, X-Pro and X-H line)
• Plenty of APS-C mid range and entry-level cameras
• 2 Medium Format Cameras (GFX 50s and very soon an affordable GFX 50R)
• 6 Medium Format Lenses (more to be announced soon)

It remains to see if the mirrorless-migrants will be patient and wait years for Canon and Nikon to build up a complete new system, or if, since they have to change system and change lenses anyway (unless they use adapters), they will directly switch to more established and experienced mirrorless brands like Fujifilm (APS-C or MF) or Sony (FF),

… AND X/GFX SHOOTERS ARE HAPPY TOO!

What would Fujifilm be today, without the pressure they got from Sony, Panasonic and Olympus? Probably a much worst system than it is today. So, competition is a good thing.

That’s why I hope that the Nikon mirrorless camera will be a top performing camera and very rich in features, a real flagship!

It will motivate Fujifilm (and other companies) to work even harder and to invest even more money into their camera system, and hence improve and expand the Fujifilm system even faster.

So thank you Nikon… thank you Canon… for finally joining seriously the mirrorless side of life… just please, let it be awesome mirrorless cameras ;) .

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• Fujifilm GFX User Group
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• Fujifilm X-H User Group
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• Fujifilm X100 line Group

X-Trans Vs. Bayer

First and foremost, let me say that I LOVE X-TRANS.

But the fact that I love X-Trans, does not prevent me from discussing the big Bayer Vs. X-Trans debate, that has recently been fueled again by DPReviewTV in the X-T100 review and Tony Northrup in his X-H1 review, in the most objective way as possible.

So today’s question is: is there any reason why Fujifilm should go Bayer also on higher end APS-C Fujifilm X-series cameras?

WARNING

Some people do probably not have the 5 minutes of time it needs to read this article. They will read the headline, and arguing in favor or against X-Trans/Bayer by default :) .

So for those people, who refuse to read the article and don’t go beyond the headline, I will at least make a bullet-point list, in the hope they will read that one at least.

This is a super short condensation and simplification of more complicated subjects, and as such it is naturally an inaccurate list. Each point will elaborated and clarified in all its shades below.

X-Trans Pros

• less color noise at high ISO
• less moiré (an advantage that will become negligible once APS-C sensor go beyond 30MP)
• sharper compared to cameras with same pixel number and optical low pass filter, unless the processing in camera is very aggressive, like on X-A5 and X-T100
• more pleasing “film-like” grain at high ISO

Bayer Pros

• 20%-30% less processing power required (possible benefits listed below)
• cheaper to produce than X-Trans

Brutally short conclusion:

• X-Trans is better for image quality
• Bayer is better for features and speed, unless Fujifilm can compensate for the extra 20-30% processing power required by the X-Trans sensor with a more powerful processor (present in Fujifilm X-T3), new sensor tech for faster sensor readout (maybe stacked sensor) and better heat management (present in X-H1)

If you want, you can now start your 5 minutes reading time :)

Today Fujifilm released firmware updates for Fujifilm X-A5, X-A3 and X-A20 cameras.

• X-A3 Firmware Update Ver.2.21 – download here
• X-A5 Firmware Update Ver.1.10 – download here
• X-A20 Firmware Update Ver.1.11 – download here

Full details of the updates below.

I remind you that Fujifilm will release Fujifilm X-Pro2 ver.5.00 and GFX 50S ver.3.10 in July 2018. Full report here.

Fringer Smart Adapter

New Kit on the Shop

It had to happen sooner or later, and now it did: Fujifilm is offering the new XC 15-45mm PZ OIS zoom as a kit lens not only for its entry level Fujifilm X-A5 and Fujifilm X-T100, but starting from today also for the Fujifilm X-T20.

You can pre-order your kit today and it will ship on June 18.

• Fujifilm X-T20 (black) with XC 15-45: BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama
• Fujifilm X-T20 (silver) with XC 15-45: BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama
• Fujinon XC 15-45: BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama

We already reported that Fujifilm removed the XC 16-50mm MKII from their complete X series guide, which is very likely an indication that it is (or will be soon) discontinued. However, there is still the X-T20 with XC16-50 in stock and even up to $430 off (depending on the bundle) at the time of this post.

• X-T20 with XC 16-50 (save $100): BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama
• X-T20 with XC 16-50 + XC 50-230 + Grip (save $429): BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama
• X-T20 body (save $100): BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS, FocusCamera
• X-T20 + 18-55 (save $100): BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS, FocusCamera