The Rise of Selfie Screens, The Myth of Them Being Better for Video and About Pleasing Youtubers instead of Customers

2020 Trend

These days everybody is making its list of the best and worst gear 2020, as well as best and worst trends of 2020.

And it’s on the latter one, the “trends”, that I would like to focus on today.

Because it is clear: one of the hot trends in the photography industry is putting selfie screens on cameras.

And guys, we have to talk about it!

I Am NOT a Selfie Screen Hater

To be clear: I do not hate selfie screens.

And in fact, during the various COVID-19 lockdowns, I often have to teach online and record my lessons, and the selfie screen is a true blessing!

A fully articulating screen is not the photography-evil of our times. It still works fine, it’s still flexible, and I have rather rapidly learned to accept it on my Fujifilm X-T4, sometimes even to love it (especially during my online lessons).

So, if you are one of those, who loves the fully articulating screen, I get it. Maybe I don’t love it as much as you do, but I could totally accept a selfie screen on cameras like the future Fujifilm X-H2 for example.

But….

But it’s getting a bit out of control, with selfie screens just popping up on so many cameras, that we have to talk about it.

And why is this happening?

Tony Northrup
“Selfie Screen? Pleasing Youtubers is Higher Priority than Pleasing Customers”
Vs.
Jonas Rask
“I have no count as to how many shots I missed becauseof the Selfie Screen”

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Fujifilm Managers Talk Film Simulations: Origins, Evolutions, Goals, Misunderstandings, Bold Classic Negative and Much More

The Japanese site dc.watch interviewed Fujifilm manager Kosuke Irie and Shinya Fujiwara.

They talk about film simulations in a lengthy, very detailed and technical way.

All in Japanese, which means we are in the hands of google translate. And sadly this does not always work out well.

I will share a summary for you down below, often just taken as google delivered it.

It will get nerdy… happy reading down below :)

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Fujifilm X-H2, X80, GFX100V, X-Pan, Monochrome and More – FR-Readers Wishlist Corner

Here is another roundup of wishlist shared by the FR-community to me via email at fujirumor@gmail.com.

Previous Wishlist Episodes:

As opposed to the last episode, this time we focus on camera wishes instead of lens wishes.

In this roundup, one particular and recurrent wish finds me totally agreeing with: the need for a Fujifilm X80!

I do hope Fujifilm will understand that the Fujifilm XF10 was not the X70 successor we were waiting for and that they will finally give us an X80.

I mean, Fujifilm should have been able to overcome these X80 issues by now!!!

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Fujinon XF27mm F2.8 MK II Coming Early 2021 with Fujifilm X-E4

Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 MK II

It had to happen this way!

According to our trusted sources, Fujifilm decided to launch the Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 MK II along with the Fujifilm X-E4. Both will be announced in early 2021.

This makes a lot of sense, as the XF27mm pancake prime is the perfect fit for a camera so small and portable as the X-E series.

I own both, the X-E3 and XF27mmF2.8, and I am looking forward to both, the X-E4 and XF27mmF2.8 MK II.

Will I buy both?

I don’t know yet.

I am so happy with my X-E3, that the X-E4 needs to have a couple of new nice features in order to convince me to get rid of my X-E3 for the X-E4. A simple tilt screen (please no selfie-stuff), a combined ISO/shutter dial as on X100V and X-Pro3, all the latest film simulations and autofocus algorithm… give me all that, and it will be hard for me to resist to it.

The new XF27mmF2.8 MK II instead needs just one thing: an aperture ring! Give me that, and I am all-in!

And even though I have no additional rumors about the XF27mmF2.8 MK II for now, I will probably sell my current 27mm just before the new one hits the market and the old one inevitably loses value.

It’s an act of faith: Fujifilm originally planned the XF27mmF2.8 to come with an aperture ring (as you can see in images we share in the past), and I have faith (no information, just faith) that Fujifilm will put the aperture ring back in the new 27mm.

DO NOT PANIC

Yes, I know, when Fujifilm released the latest X mount roadmap, the XF27mmF2.8 II was not included in the list of new lenses.

But you might have missed it, how, ahead of the new X mount roadmap, I warned you here: the XF27mmF2.8 MK II is coming, but won’t be on the new roadmap.

You don’t have to, but I strongly invite you to trust me: the XF27mmF2.8 MK II is coming, and today we know it will come along with the X-E4.

Trust me, guys ;)

Black Friday

Black Friday officially starts on November 27, but it looks like Amazon was rather impatient, and already put its Black Friday pages live.

 

 

The Power of Fujifilm Colors: Why I LOVE Fuji Colors and See Them in Action at Our Film Simulations Group

I don’t know you, but when I look at an image, the first thing I notice is not how sharp it is at 400% magnification or how grainy it is at 12800 ISO.

Nope!

What first grabs my attention are subject/composition and colors. Those are the main “WOW” factors for me.

And while for the first one (subject/composition) no Fujifilm camera can help you and it’s totally up to the photographer to compose a pleasing image, when it comes to colors, Fujifilm cameras can be quite a good support for us photographers, and certainly they are for me.

Since I switched to Fujifilm (after a long journey searching for “my” system), I have quite radically changed (and speed-up) my editing-workflow thanks to Fuji’s film simulations.

I still shoot RAW+JPEG, I still adjust exposure, add sharpening here and there and make some other tweaks. But the more film simulations Fujifilm was releasing over the years, the less I found myself in the need to laboriously edit the color part of my images in order to set the right mood.

Not to talk of all those times, when the JPEG is just right out of the box, and I don’t adjust anything at all.

So yes, for me, Fujifilm film simulation make a whole lot of difference and are one of the main reasons why I love Fujifilm.

In order to celebrate Fujifilm colors, I recently launched the Fujifilm Film Simulation group, which has reached 10+K members in a very short time.

In this group, images can be edited in all their parts (sharpening, shadow/highlight recovery etc), except for colors. The colors must come purely out of your Fujifilm camera (or be applied in post in Capture One / Lightroom).

It is also allowed to share images that use custom presets, which means take a film simulation and fine tune its settings in-camera (increase contrast, add grain etc), creating your own receipts to store as custom profile inside your Fujifilm camera. Those are very fun to try out!

Now, since I am in total lockdown again (see me here chilling with my dog and cat at home), I have a bit more time this weekend and I decided to use it to go though the images at our Fujifilm Film Simulation group and pick out some of the most liked shots for you.

You’ll see images taken with all kind of film simulations, but you’ll notice that Classic Chrome and Classic Negative turn out to be the most shared and liked ones (or receipts derived from those film simulations).

But also ACROS, Velvia, Provia and one of my favorites, Astia, are also present down below.

Feel free to check out the images below and to join the group if you want.

NOTE: if you join the group and share images, do not forget to tell us which film simulation you used in the description of the image.

I wish you a fantastic weekend,
Patrick

Film Simulation Images Roundup

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Fringer EX-FX (Pro) II Smart Autofocus Adapter Firmware 1.90 Released

Fringer has released firmware 1.80 for the Fringer EF-FX Pro II and Fringer EF-FX II smart autofocus adapters.

Fringer EX-FX (Pro) II – Version 1.90

  1. Added following lenses to the tested and optimized lens list:
    – EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM
    – EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM + 1.4X
    – EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM + 2X
    – EF 70-210/3.5-4.5 USM
  2. Fixed PDAF issues for some lens of the following models: Lens didn’t get recognized by the adapter due to different lens firmware version.
    – Sigma 24-105/4 ART
  3. Fixed a compatibility issue with X-T3 firmware 4.0: under certain circumstances, contrast AF may fail. This issue may also affect other cameras like X-T4 and X-S10.
  4. Fixed camera freeze issue on cameras equipped with X-Trans IV CMOS. When
    – In bright environment,
    – Adapting telephoto, ultra-fast or macro lenses,
    – Aperture is NOT wide open,
    – Subject is far away from current focus point and is so blur that phase detection doesn’t work,

Auto focus may fail. Sometimes, especially when using AF-ON button or touch screen to AF, it may freeze the camera. Even the power switch doesn’t work. This problem has been fixed. Affected cameras include X-T3 (firmware 2.0 or later), X-T30, X-T4, X-Pro3, X-S10.

As the bug fixes are important, upgrading is highly suggested.

Please visit the Fringer website here to download the new firmware and its release notes. Follow the instructions in the release notes to upgrade your adapter.

Fujifilm Digital Camera Range: Making Sense of the Line-Up, What Should be Dropped, What Should Stay… and Where is the X-H Line?

Fujifilm shared this Pyramid explaining their Current Camera Line-up
Fujifilm shared this Pyramid explaining their Current Camera Line-up

I already said it in my X-S10, Attack on Sony article: the Fujifilm X-S10 makes a whole lot of sense.

And yet, I do understand one of the critiques made to Fujifilm: their line-up is huge and potentially confusing.

There are indeed some lines, that in some occasions do not not differentiated themselves enough from each other.

But this is an issue Fujifilm realized and I feel that they are taking care of it, for example:

  • the Fujifilm X-Pro3 is a unique machine, with a concept, so far nowhere to find
  • Fujifilm is aware that the the Fujifilm X-H2 must differentiate stronger from the X-T* line in order to continue to evolve separately

Fujifilm understands the problem and is finding ways to separate the lines better.

And yet… there are some lines that should be dropped, in my opinion.

Let’s take a look it at, by using an official Fujifilm media sheet that has been sent to me, which shows a pyramid with all Fujifilm X series cameras listed and ordered by Fujifilm itself.

The Red Zone

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BREAKING: Fujifilm X-E4 Coming in First Quarter 2021

Yes, I know, the Fujifilm X-E line ain’t the most popular among Fuji X shooters.

But I love the X-E line, although I was rather unlucky with it, because…

Right now I own a lovely Fujifilm X-E3, which somehow I still didn’t destroy. ;)

Given my X series background, you can imagine how happy I am today, when I can report that the Fujifilm X-E4 is set for announcement in the first quarter 2021 (between January and March 2021).

So now you have them both, the 2 mid-range cameras to come and I told you a while back ago here: X-S10 and X-E4!

My personal wishlist?

  • X-E4 with X100V alike ultra-thin “invisible” tilt screen (no selfie screen, please)
  • X-E4 with combined ISO/Shutter dial of X-Pro3

And don’t forget, Fujifilm will give us also a brand new Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 MK II lens.

I hope this rumor made your day just as it did mine :)
Patrick

Amazon Prime Deals

Make sure to check out the dedicated prime pages down below to see all deals.

Top 10 September Articles: New Firmware Updates, X-S10 Rumors, Why Sony A7C does not Kill APS-C, Fujifilm X-H2 Breaktrough and More

Here are the top 10 articles for September.

Looking back it seems we had a fun month. But you know what… I have the feeling it will just get better from now on. ;)

And what about this… a fun experiment?

Write in the comments what you think will become the top 10 articles of October. Let’s see who will come closest to the real deal ;).

  1. Firmware Updates for Fujifilm X-T4, X-T3, X-T2, X-T1, X-H1, X-Pro3, X-Pro2, X-Pro1, X-E3, X-T20 and X-T30 Released
  2. Fujifilm X-S10 New Mid-Range Camera is Coming
  3. Fujifilm X-S10: Fuji’s First APS-C Mid-Range MILC camera With IBIS
  4. Sony A7c Full Frame vs Fujifilm X-E3 APS-C, or 7 Reasons why the New Sony A7c is Not an APS-C Killer
  5. Fujifilm Manager: GFX Triumph and Full Frame Attack Strategy, Shrinking IBIS, AI Future, Fuji X-H2 Needs Breakthrough, COVID and More
  6. Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4 Mark II Coming Soon
  7. Viltrox 56mmF1.4 vs Fujinon XF 56mmF1.2 First Image Quality Comparison
  8. Fujifilm X-S10 Coming October 15
  9. 4½ Great Reasons Why the Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 Exists (NOT Shallower DOF) and Differences to 56mmF1.2 (APD)
  10. 2019 Mirrorless Camera Market: FUJIFILM is Solid Third with 500k Shipments Behind Sony (1.65 million) and Canon (940k)

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DPRTV Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 Review: “Unique Bokeh Rendition, but use Standard Electronic Shutter, as First Curtain ES Distorts Bokeh”

The Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 R WR is overall enjoying very positive reviews.

Sure, there are always those, who might not be familiar with such an extreme lens, so they go out and shoot at f/1.0 at a bright sunny day in super high contrast scenes and then complaint because it shows some fringing or because you can’t work without an ND-filter.

Or when reviewers say the bokeh is not good, and then it turns out they used electronic first curtain shutter, which distorts the look of the bokeh (as you can see from the image above). You should always use the standard electronic shutter (or mechanical shutter) if your goal is to get nice bokeh.

So, some of the “flaws” reviewers notice, are actually not issues with the lens, but faults of those, who use a radical fast lens with the wrong settings in the wrong conditions.

It’s clear: if you go for such an extreme lens, you better know about photography and how to handle specialty lenses like this one.

One of those guys, who know how to master such a lens, are Chris and Jordan from DPRTV, who now have published their hands on review of the Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 R WR.

You can see the video and read a summary down below.

Video + Summary

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