Top Gear 2024

So we told: there are no more Fujifilm announcements in 2024

• IT’S OVER: No More X or GFX Related Announcements This Year

Maybe we might still get some third party manual of even autofocus lenses (maybe the X mount version of this lens here for example), but they’d come so late in the year that I prefer to include them in the 2025 list anyway.

The list includes only Fujifilm cameras and Fujinon or third party autofocus lenses (no manual focus), which are:

1. Fujifilm X100VI
2. Fujifilm X-T50
3. Fujifilm X-M5
4. Fujifilm GFX100S II
5. Fujinon XF 16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II
6. Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR
7. Fujinon XF 500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR
8. Fujinon GF 500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR
9. Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 X
10. Sirui Aurora AF 85mm f/1.4 X
11. TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 X
12. Meike AF 55mm f/1.4 X
13. Meike AF 33mm f/1.4 X
14. Brightin Star AF 50mm f/1.4 X
15. Sirui Sniper AF 16mm f/1.2 X
16. Sirui Sniper AF 75mm f/1.2 X

VOTE BELOW

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You can find all Black Friday deals at:

USA Black Friday Pages

• AmazonUS here
• BHphoto here
• Adorama here (up to 5x Bonus points)

EUROPE Black Friday Pages

• Amazon DE
• Amazon UK,
• Amazon FR
• Amazon IT
• Amazon ES
• Amazon NL.

Top Pick

• Fujifilm GFX100SII – save $400 only at Amazon US

SmallRig Deals

• SmallRig Leather Case Kit for Fujifilm X100VI – save 20%
• SmallRig L-Shape Handle for Fujifilm X100VI / X100V (Black) -save 20%
• SmallRig Leather Half Case Kit for Fujifilm X100VI (Black) – save 20%
• SmallRig NP-W235 USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery (Orange) – save 20%
• SmallRig NP-W235 USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery (Blue) – save 20%
• SmallRig NP-W235 Camera Battery and Charger Kit – save 20%

Software deals:

• Topaz Black Friday Deals – save up to 54% (end Dec.2)
• Lumunar Black Friday Deals – save up to 84% (end Dec.1)

Viltrox

• Viltrox has launched its Black Friday deals. You can get all details at the dedicated Viltrox Black Friday page here

Third party accessories:

• 25% off on LLano chargers at Amazon.
• 15% off on the ZHIYUN CINEPEER Weebill 3E at Amazon.
• Save big on Neewer accessories at Amazon.

SD and CFexpress cards:

• Up to 52% off on Sandisk fast V10 cards sold by Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama.
• Save big on Lexar SD/CFexpress cards at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama.

Storage deals:

• 15% off on the WD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive at Amazon and BHphoto.
• 39% off on the Crucial X10 Pro 1TB Portable SSD sold by Amazon and BHphoto.
• 47% off on the SAMSUNG T7 Shield 2TB Portable SSD sold by Amazon and BHphoto.
• 29% off on the SanDisk 8TB Desk Drive SSD at Amazon and BHphoto.
• 36% off on the SanDisk 4TB Extreme Portable SSD at Amazon and BHphoto.
• 20% off on the LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard Drive at Amazon and BHphoto.

The Fujifilm Q2 Financial Results (July-September 2024) have just been shared.

It’s yet another great report for Fujifilm’s imaging division.

Imaging:

• Strong sales of instant photo systems and digital cameras boosted revenue by 11.0% year-over-year to JPY126.5 billion and operating income by 29.2% year-over-year to JPY33.7 billion.
• In the Consumer Imaging business, steady sales of the “instax™” instant photo systems drove revenue higher.
• In the Professional Imaging business, revenue rose due to the strong sales of the latest models in the GFX and X series of digital cameras, which were released in June 2024, as well as the models released in the previous year.

In the Imaging segment, consolidated revenue amounted to ¥257.2 billion (up 17.4% year-over-year). Consolidated operating income amounted to ¥66.2 billion (up 33.8% year-over-year).

In the consumer imaging business, steady sales of the instax instant photo systems drove revenue higher. In September 2024, we launched the smartphone printer instax mini Link 3, which can print smartphone images on card-sized instax film. We will continue to expand the world of the instax instant photo system that allows people to enjoy on-the-spot photo printing.

In the professional imaging business, strong sales of digital cameras contributed to higher revenue. In June 2024, we launched the latest mirrorless digital camera models, FUJIFILM GFX100S II of the GFX series and FUJIFILM X-T50 of the X series, and two new lenses. We will continue to deliver products that appeal to digital camera users and the film industry with the GFX series, which offers overwhelmingly high image quality in a large format, and the X series, which offers the best balance between image quality and size. In addition, in September 2024 we launched the FUJINON HZK14-100mm, the third lineup in the Duvo lens series and the first wide-zoom lens in the series, which produces cinematic looks with beautiful bokeh and offers broadcast lens operation.

via Fujifilm

Koji Matsumoto, the president of Fujifilm Imaging, age an interview in Japanese to phileweb here.

In summary:

• X100VI, X-T50 and GFX100S II sales are strong
• The balance between supply and demand has collapsed, but it has recovered this year
• X100VI and others are still in a difficult situation “but we are gradually loosening back orders”
• Fujifilm’s CEO notes that smartphone ease-of-use has increased global demand for instant and mirrorless cameras [admin note: I guess he means that more people take pictures now than ever and now many smartphone users aspire to take even better pictures using a proper camera]
• the fact that demand has increased dramatically globally is the root of the problem of product supply. The supply is not keeping up. Fujifilm apologizes for the inconvenience

Nikkei has published the global sales number and market share of digital stills and video cameras sold in 2023. The numbers are based on data from CIPA and JEITA and have been reported by the Japanese website dclife.

Here are the numbers for 2023:

1. Canon … 3.34 million units (46.5%)
2. Sony … 2 million units (27.9%)
3. Nikon … 810,000 units (11.3%)
4. Fujifilm … 430,000 units (6.0%)
5. Panasonic … 260,000 units (3.6%)
6. OM Digital … 180,000 units (2.5%)
7. Ricoh Imaging … 60,000 units (0.8%)

Nikkei writes that the decline in the global market share of digital cameras is slower than before, and the demand for high-performance mirrorless cameras is increasing. Nikkei says “high-performance mirrorless is strong, and the market is recovering“.

This is more in less in line with the market share given to us by Techno Research System, which is limited to mirrorless cameras, though.

• Canon 41,2%
• Sony 32.1%
• Nikon 13.2%
• Fujifilm 8%
• Other brands 5.5%

Considering that Fujifilm has no dedicated video camera, nor DSLRs in offering, it is safe to assume that the vast majority of the 430,000 units are X and GFX camera sales. Not sure if the (almost dead) Fujifilm Finepix line is included in the list, but even if it would, it would be a negligable number.

Let’s put context to these numbers.

In 2023, Fujifilm launched 2 cameras

• Fujifilm GFX100 II
• Fujifilm X-S20

Moreover, in 2023 Fujifilm kept struggling to produce and ship what they had announced in previous years.

• X-T5 sales suspension in Japan in 2023
• X-S20 sales suspension in Japan in 2023
• Chronic shipping struggles for X100V
• X-E4 shipping debacle, discontinued in 2023 with harldy ever being in stock due to Fuji’s incompetence to produce what people actually ordered

The list could go on forever, but bare with me if I stop it here to avoid to turn this article into a rant.

All I’ll say is that the number, 430K, is way below of what Fujifilm could have shipped if only they figured out a proper way to produce more gear rather than relying on creative, flawed and no-cost solution like using blockchain to improve parts procurement.

They did not increase production (except now for the X100VI). They did not hire more workers. They did not expand factories. They just accepted things as they are and so we got to absurd situation like the one of the X-E4, which was launched in January 2021. I noticed the X-E4 in stock only once in October 2021 and then it was mainly out of stock everywhere until it got discontinued in 2023 while tons of people still had one on pre-order.

The Fujifilm CEO calls this a “normal” situation, but I have not seen other brands struggle as much with deliver as Fujifilm. Sure, it’s not all Fuji’s fault, as nobody could have thought that Fujifilm’s popularity would expload like this. But the years passed, and Fujifilm failed to adjust to the new high demand.

Anyway… it is what it is.

Fujifilm sold 430,000 cameras in 2023. But it could have been easily twice as much if they’d have been able to ship their gear properly worldwide.

Famous X Shooters and Fujifilm in Ads

It’s been a long time that I have not done a “famous X Shooter” roundup and a roundup of Fujifilm gear used in ads.

Today I am going to catch up with it by delivering a rather big one :).

Thanks to everybody who has passed what they’ve spotted around!

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, a renowned American singer, recently starred in a T.V. commercial where she is seen using a Fujifilm X-T3 camera! The commercial is for Nurtec ODT, a migraine medicine. You can see the full ad on YouTube here (screenshot above)

 _ _ _

Fujifilm US Manager Victor Ha had an interesting interview with CineD.

The interview is 1 hour and 20 minutes long. I strongly recommend you to watch it all. But if you are in a super hurry right now, here are the main takeaways:

X100VI Success

• a lot of the X100VI success has to do with luck and timing
• but also a lot of if has to do with the fact that the camera has gone through 5 generations
• a lot of people want to make high quality images. Sometimes they are not really photographers, but artists in other areas, chefs, or a different profession or something that requires high quality imaging
• in today’s world, no matter which you profession you are in, you do need a certain level of image quality that could exceed the phone
• a large number of people who bought the X100VI are new to the Fujifilm brand
• traditionally the X100 line always was also a camera that was grabbed by people who have other brands
• customer base has expended a lot into first time buyers, first time users, first time camera owners
• the X100VI is also a great product
• all these things came together
• Fujifilm has a great reputation in providing tools that are response to feedback of customers, and also balance it with what the market wants and what’s possible technologically
• X100VI is special because it is a combination between esthetics, design, tactile feel
• photographers (image makers) are moving towards the desire of having dedicated devices. You want to spend a certain amount of time engaging with a device where you can look through a viewfinder and there won’t be notifications popping up
• the job of camera manufacturers is to create devices that offer the best image quality possible in different sensor sizes and from entry level to professional market
• when asked about features like in-camera editing, Victor says the thought of it makes him sick. First, because the JPEG’s coming out of his camera are the best in the business. And there are some options in-camera like push and pull etc (admin note: via the internal RAW converter), so Fujifilm has at some degree on-device editing
• Fujifilm wants to offer users different ways to get images off the camera, and that’s evolved in the last couple of years (Camera to Could, new XApp, etc)
• but Fujifilm’s first mission is to provide the best image quality possible. For that you need a good lens, a sensor, processor, image science etc.
• Fujifilm is very pleased in seeing how Camera to Cloud is being adopted and they see continuous growth and more users try the service
• C2C is used by photographers and videographers
• WiFi congestion interfere and create problems with Camera to Cloud
• internal memory storage? Victor Ha says he would be reluctant to that. He was taught that it’s important to have physical backups. Also, in some cases taking a file from the card can be easier than getting it from the cloud. And taking the files through a cable when you do not have a reader is easier than pulling the card.
• manufacturers must understand that they need to offer different ways to get files off from the camera, not just one
• Victor is currently on a trip through Europe with his GFX100SII (+GF50mm and GF80mm) and shooting also street photography with it is very satisfying
• he did not use GFX so much before, but during this trip he got in deep love for that camera
• [when asked what if Hasselblad, now owned by DJI, comes out with an attractive MF camera] of course Fujifilm pays attention what other competitors are doing. Victor hopes that competitors come out with tools that challenge their tools.
• he believes that Fujifilm’s tools will always win in the end because “we have great fans, we have great image science, great colors, great optics“
• the industry needs to grow and make better tools. Fujifilm needs competition
• Without a vibrant and strong industry, lots of things will go away and nobody wants that

There is more to the interview, so make sure to check it out in full.

Just a few quick comments:

As far as in camera editing goes, for me the internal RAW converter is one of the big reasons why I stick with Fujifilm (Sony for example does not offer it as far as I know). Because truth be spoken: for hard core editing nothing beats the RAW file and a proper editing software. But I am often around with busses and trains to do my day hikes, and one of the things I love is when, on my way back from a long day of shooting, I can sit in the train, go through the images and pass some time having fun editing the images with the internal RAW converter. By the time I am home, I might have already edited enough images to a point that I feel completely happy with it and I can upload them on my phone and share them… and of course without the need of edit them later on with an editing software.

In the interview they talk about having kind of Lightroom like controls directly in camera, like on the Zeiss ZX1, but personally I think that’s an overkill. I’ll just use my computer for more heavy editing. I prefer to have the simplicity and immediacy of the internal Fujifilm RAW converter to do quick adjustments.

As for the internal storage, I think that would be nice to have, if that would allow for even faster writing speeds over a CFexpress Card, but only if there would still be a memory card slot for a backup. I probably would be too scared to go on vacation with internal storage only, and maybe get my files corrupted 1 or 2 weeks into the holiday. So Victor Ha makes a great point when he talks about having a backup solution somehow.

Camera to Cloud on the other hand sounds like a great idea that faces some real life challenges when it comes to the transmission of those files. I don’t know if any of you uses it. If so, please let us know your experience with it.