Firmware Update Breaks Camera and Photographer Gets Asked $700 for a Fix… and a Fujifilm Bug Reports Article

The Flawed Firmware

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.

For example when a firmware in April made Autofocus worst. Of course we did report about it on FujiRumors and said this is very annoying and Fujifilm released a bug fix firmware in June which certainly vastly improves things, but still is not on par with the situation before the faulty firmware as we reported here.

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.

The Canon R series “Err. 70 unable to shoot” freeze and lock-up issue is apparently so popular that it even got its own meme.

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.

by Michele – The Cause of the Freeze

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.

Always, the camera will tacitly be in RELEASE mode if AF+MF* is enabled (Fujifilm acknowledges this, see attached screen shot from page 158 of the Fujifilm X-T5 Owner’s Manual).

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

Manufacturing Fujifilm’s Best Retro Dial: Complicated, Irrational, Expensive but Pure Photographic Pleasure

The Brilliant Dial – a Complicated Joy

When yesterday we published the comments of Fujifilm CEO, who said that it is very difficult to mass-produce Fujifilm cameras with retro dials, there were some who said that making a retro dial is just as quick and easy as making a PSAM dial.

Is it true?

Well, the CEO was referring to the production struggles of the Fujifilm X100VI, which uses the combined ISO/Shutter dial first introduced on the Fujifilm X-Pro2.

So let’s look at that dial. Is it really as easy as making a PSAM dial? Here is what Fujifilm writes about it:

Realizing the [dial] mechanism and manufacturing process were not easy.

Firstly, […] there are 22 positions in total, quite a lot of number for an internal dial. […]

Secondly, the dial is electronically linked. The analog dial operation is converted digitally to know exactly what the setting is.

And Lastly, this mechanism has to be weather-resistant.

In order to meet the requirement, the Shutter speed / ISO dial required 38 parts for its composition. This number is the fourth largest after the finder, shutter unit, and mount.

This is not only about number of pieces, some parts required highly tech solution to manufacture the piece.

For example, in order to achieve the accurate 22 positions, the piece needed to be very precise and durable regardless of its complicated form. This piece is realized by a method called Metal Injection Molding (MIM). It is not cost friendly, but the this method realizes the metal part to be durable even in its complicated form.

Why do we spend so much time on this one dial?

Unfortunately there is no economic and rational answer to that question. But it was something that the developing team of X-Pro camera had always dreamed of achieving. And it was also something that the passionate X-Pro users strongly wished for.

So please, don’t go around saying that making a dial like the one on the Fujifilm X100VI is just the same as making one for any PSAM dialed camera.

There is no other digital vintage-looking camera out there that uses that dial. And the reason why is explained above: it’s complicated, it’s expensive, and it makes no sense from a manufacturing efficiency point of view.

But we are lucky that Fujifilm thinks differently.

Fujifilm does not think that niche products with niche ergonomic solutions are just a waste of R&D. Fujifilm has such a massive photographic culture that they understand that cultivating a niche means cultivating the true passion for photography.

That’s why we get cameras with such a unique (and expensive) dial, and why I believe it absolutely possible that there will be ultra-nice products like the Fujifilm TX-3 in 2028.

And that’s why, even if slower refresh times, Fujifilm will give us the Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm X-Pro4.

And speaking of Fujifilm X-E5, personally I hope it will have such a dial too, although I have little hopes since it is so expensive to make, and I guess Fujifilm does not want that camera to become too expensive.

With that said, you can read the full article about the combined ISO/Shutter dial development here.

Fuji’s Vintage Cameras

Fujifilm CEO Says Retro Cameras are Difficult to Mass-Produce, Gives Production Insights and Talks Brand Power

Recently Fujifilm published their (excellent) financial results for the imaging solution.

Now they have also published the Q&A sheet, where the Fujifilm CEO answers to a range of questions, including the production issues with Fujifilm cameras.

In short: there are the usual struggles with semiconductors, but in addition to that, he also explains that mass-producing retro-styled cameras is difficult, because the process of creating a classy design “is close to handmade“. Also, they misjudged the demand for Fujifilm X100VI. They doubled the production capacity, but that’s not enough. They are working to match the huge demand (as we already reported, production increase should be achieved by the end of this summer).

I find the part of the challenges with retro camera production particularly interesting. And I guess also why most brand either do not offer vintage styled cameras at all, or, if they do, they release them in significantly lower numbers compared to their more mainstream PSAM models.

And of course: what takes more time to produce is also more expensive to produce. So, from that point of view, it makes little sense for companies to release retro-styled cameras.

But what I love of Fujifilm is that not only they do offer them, but they offer quite a few of them.

In fact, as we could already see, Fujifilm offers more X series camera lines with Retro dials than with PSAM dials. The only problem is that some of them (X-E and X-Pro) do not get refreshed as often as the PSAM models, which therefore gives the impression that Fujifilm is offering more PSAM styled cameras.

But the Fujifilm X-E line will get a refresh, the Fujifilm X-E5 is coming next year. And you bet, there will also be a Fujifilm X-Pro4 at some point.

With that said, I leave you with the relevant transcript of the Q&A below.

Fuji’s Vintage Cameras

Q&A

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

Latest and Greatest vs. Oldie but Goldie: this Fujifilm Roundup Has it All

Mixed Zone

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.

Latest & Greatest

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

Capture One Adds Reala Ace Support

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.

This is the Lens of the Fixed Lens GFX Camera Coming in 2025

Today we have an update to a rumor we shared earlier this year.

So, we told you that Fujifilm is working on a fixed lens GFX camera.

Of course there are lots of questions we are investigating with our sources, and probably one of the biggest question is which lens it will use.

I told you a while back that I got conflicting reports regarding the lens it will use and that I want to give you an answer only once I am sure about it.

Well, guided by our sources (THANKS), we can now say with certainty that it will be a 28mm equivalent lens.

So the lens itself will give you a wider field of view than what you find for example in the lovely Fujifilm X100VI.

As far as the aperture goes, also here I do not have 100% solid confirmation. But I got contacted by a source, who was right in the past (message to source: yes, you used that nickname in the past, so keep using it in future if you decide to contact me again. Thanks!).

According to that source, it will be an f/3.2 lens. I guess the source ment f/3.2 on GFX, hence f/2.5 depth of field equivalent in full frame.

But again, this time I share the aperture without having it multiple confirmed by trusted sources. However, if the source is right, it will be elevated to the “trusted source” status. But until then, please take it with a grain of salt.

I’ll give you updates on the aperture as soon as I have them.

Another message to the source: I hear announcement will be in 2025. I will look again into it. If you want, you can also contact me 100% anonymously via Signal. I will also try to get the other info multiple checked as soon as possible. Thanks so much again for the help.

From Near-Perfect to Imperfect: Exploring Fujifilm’s Latest Autofocus Issues and a Surprisingly Simple Fix

The AF Issues Seen from a Pro Sports Photographer

Back in April, a flawed firmware update triggered many YouTubers to release videos about how bad the Fujifilm autofocus is.

Fujifilm did release a “fix” in June.

So all good now?

Well, not really.

While things have improved with the latest firmware, there are still some issues.

In a nutshell we could say: the older firmware of Fujifilm’s 5th generation gear is superior to the newer firmware.

Andrea Cimini for example explains how with firmware 1.00 in his X-H2S he got awesome results compared to the ones he is getting now with firmware 7.00.

Same goes for Thierry Gibralta, who compared X-H2S firmware 1.03 vs 7.00, and you can clearly see that, side by side, the 1.03 firmware is much more solid, with great tracking, little to no pulsing and definitely a very solid autofocus that can be easily trusted.

And it’s also this initially solid autofocus, that convinced Andrea Cimini to buy the Fujifilm X-H2S for his sports photography.

The Problem in Depth

Here is a summary:

  • in the last year, the firmware updates of Fujifilm were not reliable
  • when he tested the X-H2S with firmware 1.00, he was stunned and thought Fujifilm finally caught up with the best
  • he tried the X-H2S at several sport events and in one bicycle race with 400 people participating
  • he took 2,300 pictures and only 27 were out of focus (98.8% in focus)
  • over time, the more he updated the firmware, the more the autofocus got worst
  • with eye detection, some times the eye detection says the eye is in focus, but it is not
  • the hit rate at 10-15 fps drops a lot
  • in sports photography, when in 5 to 8 fps, the hit rate is between 80% to 95%
  • in sports photography, when in 10 to 15 fps, the hit rate is between 30% to 50%
  • if the situation in sports photography are particularly difficult (backlight, inside a forest, etc), the hit rate drops further
  • linear motor lenses don’t focus so “linear” in video. He compares the 16-55mm with LM vs the 18mm with LM and the 16-55 is smooth, but the 18mm is jerky
  • firmware 7.00 improved things and the hit rate went up. But it’s still not where it was with the initial firmware

So why does he still stick with Fujifilm?

  • best value for money ratio
  • he shares a chart where he compares a Sony and Fujifilm system, and a Sony system would cost him 5,000 Euro more than a Fujifilm system
  • moreover, he grabbed the flagship Fujifilm X-H2S vs the non-flagship Sony A7IV
  • The X-H2S has better EVF, better LCD, faster bursts, better video specs, etc.
  • With Sony A7IV he would make an upgrade in terms of Autofocus, but a downgrade on pretty much all the rest

He ends up saying that Fujifilm Italy contacted him asking all the details about the problems he is encountering, the settings etc, and that they would forward everything to Fujifilm Japan.

He still believes in the brand, there are lots of reasons he wants to stay with it (which he quickly lists in the video). So please Fujifilm, do something about the autofocus.

The Easy Solution

So, Andrea Cimini and Thierry Gibralta have shown that the first iterations of Fujifilm’s 5th generation autofocus was solid and significantly superior to what we have now.

Solid tracking, incredibly high hit rates at fast fps, smooth focus transitions with little to no pulsing and so forth.

So the solution could be actually a pretty easy one: Fujifilm should take that older AF algorithm and just put it back into their 5th generation cameras.

But as of now, the choice users have is: should I upgrade to the latest firmware to get all the other goodness that Fujifilm has generously given us for free (Reala Ace, red frame indicator, etc), or downgrade at my own risk, give up on Reala Ace & Co, but have again the great autofocus of almost 2 years ago?

I made the choice for myself already. I upgraded. But I don’t really shoot critical sports photography. And for my use, the latest X-T5 June firmware has fixed the issues that arose with the April firmware. In fact, I used it for a family travel in Rome and Tuscany and it worked just great for me. So I rather keep Reala & Co, as the autofocus is good for my type of use.

And honestly, I do not recommend anyone to make DIY downgrades. If anything goes wrong, you won’t be covered by warranty.

The way to go is to ask Fujifilm to give us the autofocus solidity they once already had. Take that older algorithm and give it to us. And then, build up even better from there.

B&H Strikes Back at Amazon: Huge Deals Including 15% Rebate on Viltrox X Mount Lenses

If you need one more proof about how competition is a good thing for us customers, then check out this.

Amazon has just launched its huge Amazon Prime deals.

But B&H Photo does not want to leave the deal show to Amazon alone, and has launched its own huge 2 days deals.

Worth a special mention, there is a 15% rebate on pretty much all Viltrox X mount lenses. I’ll list a few below

More BHphoto Deals

Amazon Prime Selected Deals

Refurbished Deals – save 20%

Amazon US is now offering a 20% discount on selected Fujifilm Open Box gear, as you can see from the screenshots above. As far as I could find, the items on offer are:

Storage Media

Batteries & Chargers for Fujifilm

SmallRig Deals in USA

General Deal Pages

Amazon Prime is in FULL SWING with TONS of GREAT DEALS now also in USA

 

Now the Amazon Prime deals are running also in North America.

I will share below a couple of deals that are potentially interesting for photographers and especially for us Fujifilm photographers.

I did get myself the SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 4TB. It’s my first Samsung External SSD, but from what I have read it is a very good one.

Amazon Prime General Deal Pages

Selected USA Deals

Storage Media

Batteries & Chargers for Fujifilm

Third Party Autofocus Lens Deals

Note: You have to use the general discount code PRIMEDAY24 to access the rebate.

SmallRig Deals in USA

Amazon GERMANY

Amazon UK

Amazon IT

Amazon FR

Amazon ES

Fujifilm X-T50 Bug Fix Firmware Released

Now that was fast!

Last time there was a bug, Fujifilm needed two months to issue a fix. This time they needed 2 days. Now that’s what I call an improvement ;).

Anyway, the Fujifilm X-T50 bug we reported here has now been fixed. Happy download!

Firmware Details

Fujifilm X-T50 ver. 1.02 – download here
The firmware update Ver.1.02 from Ver.1.01 incorporates the following issues:

  1. The firmware bug is fixed that the error message, “THIS FIRMWARE IS NOT FOR THIS MODEL TURN OFF THE CAMERA” is displayed on the LCD during the firmware update from Ver.1.00 to Ver.1.01 for specific serial numbers and the firmware update cannot be performed.

    Note-1: Refer to the “Notice and apology to FUJIFILM X-T50 users” for the details.
    Note-2: Although there are no differences of features and performance of the camera itself between Ver.1.01 and Ver.1.02, all X-T50 users can update this firmware (ver.1.02) even who had already completed the update to Ver.1.01.