FR-Readers Wishlist Corner: XF 135mm F2 LM WR, Fujifilm X-E5 Pro, GFX72H, Special Edition X100V, XF 50-140mm F2.8 MKII, Medium Format X100 and More

It’s Christmas time. Time for wishlists and dreams.

And here on FujiRumors this means wishing and dreaming of gear that, if not this year, Santa Claus will hopefully make find us under the Christmas tree for 2024.

So here is a selection of wishes that I have received from FujiRumors community and that I now I am happy to share with all of you. Feel free to let us know if there is something among it that you’d really love to get.

I sort of made my own wishlist too, where I talk about three cameras that would push Fujifilm overnight exactly where they dreamed to be by 2019. Dear Fujifilm, listen to me, and Canon, Sony and Nikon will tremble!

Feel free to read (and watch) it all down below.

by anonymous

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Top 3 Cameras Fujifilm Should Make for Instant Success (X and GFX)

We recently told you that Fujifilm is preparing a huge start in 2024:

Now, of course most of the talk and speculations in our previous articles was gravitating around successors to existing camera lines.

And it makes a whole of sense to focus on refreshes of current cameras, nothing prohibits us to dream big and think and completely different cameras.

So what I will do is to share three cameras that I think would turn out to be an instant and massive success for Fujifilm.

And I am not talking of weird and risky concepts. I am talking of cameras that would sell very well for sure in my opinion.

So, let’s go through them and let me think what you think about.

Also, feel free to drop your own ideas in the comments.

Top 3 Cameras Fujifilm Hasn’t Made Yet

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Internal Fujifilm GFX100II Slide Claims 97% Eye AF Accuracy with GF55mmF1.7 in Studio Use

One of the questions is how accurate the Fujifilm GFX100II eye autofocus is.

A kind source decided to answer this question, and passed me an internal Fujifilm slide about the Fujifilm GFX100II, which shows that, for portraits and coupled with the Fujinon GF55mm f/1.7, Fujifilm has calculated a 97% autofocus accuracy.

This is of course for portraits. We are not talking about the accuracy when tracking any athlete running at full speed or something like that.

But I guess the most realistic scenario for the combination GFX100II and GF55mmF1.7 is anyway portraits or not really fast moving subjects (people at a wedding etc).

New GF Lenses

GFX Deals

Big Fujifilm Winter Deals in Europe: Save BIG on X-T5, X-H2/S, XF150-600, XF50mmF1.0, GFX Gear and More

Fujifilm has launched big new X/GFX deals in Europe.

As for UK, WexPhotoVideo has a dedicated deal page for Fujifilm products here.

If you buy at AmazonDE or AmazonIT, then make sure the gear is also shipped and sold by Amazon to qualify for the cashback.

X Deals

GFX Deals

RAW File Converter EX3.0 adds Fujifilm GFX100II Support

RAW File Converter EX3.0 adds Fujifilm GFX100II support.

RAW FILE CONVERTER EX 3.0 powered by SILKYPIX Ver.8.1.14.0 – download here
The software update Ver.8.1.14.0 incorporates the following issue:

  1. Applicable models for the “RAW FILE CONVERTER EX 3.0 powered by SILKYPIX” are added.
    Applicable Model : FUJIFILM GFX100 II

Latest GFX Gear

GFX Deals

Fujifilm GFX100 II: The Truth about ISO 80 and the 30% Increased Dynamic Range

ISO 80 and Dynamic Range

We have just covered the talk about the the new sensor of the Fujifilm GFX100II and the up to twice readout speed.

At the end of that article, when I listed the reasons why to get the GFX100II instead of the GFX100S, I wrote the GFX100II has 30% (or 1/3rd of a stop) better dynamic range.

And since I noticed this is another thing that some people struggled with, I decided to elaborate now more in depth.

After testing the dynamic range, Jim Kasson (linked below) agreed that yes, dynamic range is increased, but not by 30%. Jim says:

At ISO 80 those folks at Fujifilm have dropped all the data below the nominal black point, slicing off the left half of the histogram, and cutting the measured read noise in half of what it would normally be. […] You’ll still get slightly improved FWC — but I don’t measure the claimed 30% improvement — and decently low read noise. So it’s an improvement, but not a huge one.

Now, whatever Fujifilm does in terms of software, that has been measured by Jim and I won’t argue that. And it is true that this does make ISO80 dynamic range look crazy good.

But what Fujifilm at the end of the day said, is that there is a 30% dynamic range increase.

What does this mean?

Well, 30% expressed in stops means about 1/3rd of a stop improvement. As a reference, 1 stop increase means doubling the amount of light you let in on the sensor.

So the misunderstand is simple: if the GFX100S has let’s say 14 stops DR, it does not mean that Fujifilm claimed the GFX100II has 18 stops dynamic range (+30%), but 14,3 stops of DR (+1/3). And moreoever, in the X summit the 30% increase is mentioned in the video section of the summit, and Fujifilm has not been clear if it applies also to stills.

What I can say, is that 1/3 DR increase for stills what a Fujifilm rep told me personally during a Fujifilm event. He told me Fujifilm Italy made its own measurements once they got the camera from Japan, and at base ISO they noticed a 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop DR increase.

Now, why did Fujifilm say 30% instead of 1/3rd of a stop, even though they mean the same?

Well, I guess it just sounds better saying 30% rather than 1/3rd of a stop, but of course it can create confusion.

So yes, at base ISO the new Fujifilm GFX100II will give you the better dynamic range over the GFX100S. Also Jim confirms this. But not by a very large margin. Fujifilm says it is 1/3rd of a stop for video, and Fujifilm Italy told me they measured that too for stills.

Jim Kasson Articles:

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Fujifilm GFX100 II Engineers and The Truth About the “New” Sensor and “Up to Twice” Readout Speed

Fujifilm GFX100II

Over the past few weeks, many have contacted me asking why I don’t talk about the reports that claim:

  • the Fujifilm GFX100 II sensor is not new
  • the Fujifilm GFX100 II does not read out at twice the speed and faster readout speed is achieved only with software tricks, meaning dropping down at 12 bit when in 8 fps mode

The answer is simple:

When Fujifilm published their first Fujifilm GFX100II development story episodes, they said they would talk about the GFX100II sensor in future episodes.

This is why I decided to wait, hear Fujifilm’s position, and then write an article that is as comprehensive and complete as possible.

And I am happy I waited, because in the 5th X Lab episode dedicated to the GFX100II, we get some helpful insights in the inner workings of the sensor (full episode with summary below)..

But before we dive into it, let me express my admiration for Jim Kasson’s brilliant work in analyzing the inner workings of the GFX100II and to Petapixel for bringing his findings to the attention of the larger public.

I decided to wait for more details coming from Fujifilm before reporting about it, but maybe they would not have disclosed those in such detail, if Jim would not have done his great work, and Petapixel made a huge buzz out of it.

The Truth in a Nutshell

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Some Fujifilm X/GFX Gear is Now as Cheap as Ever

Fujifilm has currently a huge black Friday sale running in USA.

You can check out the full list of deals at B&H here.

Probably on their lowest price ever the XF50mmF1.0, the XF150-600mm, as well as substantial rebates on other gear.

Record rebate also for the Fujifilm GFX100S.

X Cameras

X Lenses

GFX Gear

GFX Deals in EUROPE – end Nov. 13

Fujifilm GFX50S II No Longer in Production and Fujifilm’s Biggest GFX Error Exposed

The first stores in Japan have started to mark the Fujifilm GFX50S II as no longer in production, as reported by the Japanese website asobinet.

No longer in production does not mean you won’t find samples anymore around tomorrow. It is more likely that there will be still stable stock for quite some months ahead.

And yet, this news induces me to share some thoughts about the GFX50SII and the GFX system overall.

The GFX50SII was launched back in September 2021.

During these two years, it was often sold with a $800 discount (as right now), showing that the GFX50SII struggled to sell nearly as well as Fujifilm hoped.

The main drawback: the GFX50SII used the old non BSI sensor of the original GFX50S (and the even older Pentax 645Z)  in times when Fujifilm already offered the GFX100 and GFX100S with modern BSI sensor and 100MP. I guess most people decided to go for the more modern and higher resolution models.

In my opinion, the GFX50SII could have sold much better if only Fujifilm would have kept the retro dials layout of the original GFX50S. It would have differentiated it much more from the rest of the lineup.

And overall, the lack of a proper retro styled cameras in the GFX lineup is one of the big mysteries of our time. It’s Fujifilm’s biggest error and an enormous missed opportunity. Especially in times where there is no significant development on the sensor area, the one thing that can really boost sales for a new camera is offering a different shooting experience, which in the GFX world would mean to offer something different than the usual PSAM layout.

Make no mistake: my Fujifilm GFX100S is giving me great joy and it is extremely easy to operate. That’s not the issue. But if Fujifilm would make the camera with exactly the same GFX100S specs but with an X-T layout, I would sell it and go for the Fujifilm GFX100T (imaginary name).

I hope somebody at the higher ranks of the Fujifilm Japan HQ is reading these lines (and they do, they even use FujiRumors surveys for internal meetings).

I know, Fujifilm, you consider PSAM the “safe” approach, as it is more mainstream. But unless you drop a 150MP GFX or a 100MP stacked sensor GFX, you will keep struggling to sell GFX cameras (or be forced to give them huge rebates).

If you decide to stick with the current 100MP BSI sensor (no matter how much you optimise its circuits, AD converters, microlenses, etc), then the best thing to do to create a camera that sells like hot cakes is to offer a different photographic experience. And that camera is called Fujifilm GFX100T or alternatively also the GFX100R.

Trust me on this Fujifilm. Do it, and we will throw our money at you… and my money will be the first to fly to your bank account.

Fujifilm BLACK FRIDAY Starts NOW with Massive Rebates on X and GFX Cameras and Lenses

Before we start with the black Friday Fujifilm deals, maybe some of you will remember Michal Krause.

He is the fellow FR-reader who wrote one of the most successful and appreciated guest posts here on FujiRumors (with LOTS of great images!)

Well, Michal has launched the English version of his book: Capture One Effectively – The Complete Guide to Capture One Pro 23.

You can read more details about the ebook at this page here.

Black Friday

Fujifilm has currently a huge black Friday sale running in USA.

You can check out the full list of deals at B&H here.

The deals include rebates on the X-H2 and X-H2S and lots of lenses.

Probably on their lowest price ever the XF50mmF1.0, the XF150-600mm, the XF200mmF2 as well as other lenses.

X Cameras

BONUS OFFER: Purchase a qualifying X Series body (X-H2, X-H2S, X-S10) or kit product along with a LEXAR 2000X 256GB SD Card and receive $100 off the combined purchase price!

X Lenses

GFX Gear