Fujifilm Manager: X100VI Production Boost in 4/5 Months and The Importance of Film Simulations

Sonder Creative had an interview with a Fujifilm UK manager Andreas Georghiades:

  • Fujifilm cameras deliver film-like look from a digital camera
  • it’s since about 2 years now that people come to realize that
  • not only X100, but also X-T30 and X-T5 enjoyed increased popularity because of that
  • Fujifilm increased X100VI production, but demand is just way bigger than Fujifilm could have anticipated
  • currently production is 15,000 units per month
  • Fujifilm is looking on how to increase production
  • increased production should be achieved 4 to 5 months from now (admin note: hence summer 2024)
  • stock is coming in regularly for silver and black
  • Fujifilm marketing strategy is a lot about film simulations and show people that Fujifilm has 90 years history in knowing how color works and should it should look

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These were the Best Selling Cameras in February at Japanese Stores

Japanese stores have listed their top selling cameras for February. The Fujifilm X-T5 is the only Fujifilm camera in the ranking.

■Yodobashi Camera

  1. Nikon Zf 40mm f/2 (SE) Lens Kit
  2. Nikon Z8
  3. Sony α7R V
  4. Sony α7C II
  5. Sony α7 IV

■Bic Camera

  1. Nikon Zfc 16-50 VR Lens Kit
  2. Canon EOS R50 RF-S18-45 IS STM Lens Kit
  3. Nikon Z50 Double Zoom Kit
  4. Canon EOS R10・RF-S18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
  5. Olympus PEN E-P7 EZ Double Zoom Kit

■Camera Kitamura

  1. Fujifilm X-T5
  2. Nikon Zf
  3. OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II
  4. Sony ZV-E10 Power Zoom Lens Kit (ZV-E10L)
  5. Nikon Z30 Double Zoom Kit

■Map Camera

  1. Nikon Zf
  2. OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II
  3. Sony α7C II
  4. Fujifilm X-T5
  5. Nikon Z8

■Fujiya Camera

  1. OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II
  2. Nikon Zf 40mm f/2 (SE) Lens Kit
  3. Nikon Zf
  4. Nikon Z8
  5. OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II Kit

Fujifilm Keeps Struggling: X-S20 and X100VI Orders Stopped (Again) in Japan and More Manufacturing Struggles (Instax Wide 300 included)

Fujifilm keeps struggling with the manufacturing of their gear… over and over again.

Just in February, orders for the Fujifilm X-S20 resumed in Japan after an extended period of unavailability. However, recent reports indicate that the camera is once again not available for order.

Also the Fujifilm X100VI is experiencing order suspensions in Japanese stores, despite only recently becoming available for purchase on March 28th.

And this is just the top of the iceberg.

The Fujifilm X-T5 was unavailable for many months in Japan.

Cameras like the Fujifilm X-E4 have been unavailable for most of the time, which makes me wonder why Fujifilm even bothered launching it considering that they discontinued the X-E4 before even being able to ship out lots of units that people actually had on order. The only ones happy with this situation are those who are reselling it at a higher price than its original MSRP.

Lots of lenses also suffered the same shortage (and still do), such as the lovely XF27mmF2.8 R WR and the versatile XF70-300mmF4-5.6.

Also Instax suffers, with Fujifilm announcing the suspension of orders for the INSTAX WIDE 300 in Japan.

Look, not all companies get all things right all the time. And Fujifilm has done (and is doing) its errors too.

But arguably the biggest error that they have done in the last 4 years is not being able to figure out how to ramp up production and make sure to actually be able to deliver products that people order.

Sure, Fujifilm has looked into solution, but they were all insufficient.

Dear Fujifilm: there is no “cheap” solution like Blockchain or whatever. If you want to sell more, you need bigger production capability and more workers. That’s it.

via asobinet (X-S20) via digicame-info (X100VI)

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Fujifilm Firmware Updates for X-T4, X-T3, X-S10, X-T30II and GFX50SII

Fujifilm has released firmware updates for Fujifilm X-T4, X-T3, X-S10, X-T30II and GFX50SII.

And because I know some of you might ask where the promised Kaizen firmware is (or when it will come):

  • SPRING 2024: major autofocus boost and more (such as red frame indicator) coming to several Fujifilm cameras
  • SUMMER 2024: Reala Ace and Frame.io coming to several Fujifilm cameras

All details and download links below.

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Fujifilm X-Pro4 not Coming in 2024: The End of Line or the Beginning of Something Very Special?

There is a Future…

As we told you from a beautiful lake before jumping into ice cold water: there won’t be any Fujifilm X-Pro4 in 2024.

Sadly many interpreted it as me saying that there will never be any Fujifilm X-Pro3 successor ever.

But as I told you from an ugly parking lot while waiting for my car to get fixed, I think that Fujifilm will never discontinue the X-Pro line, because it is a very prestigious line for Fujifilm. It was Fujifilm’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and as such it is symbolically very important for Fujifilm.

And recently Fuji Guy Billy seemed to confirm that a Fujifilm X-Pro3 replacement with 5th generation goodness will come. It will just take a bit of time.

And he also said: it has to be something very special.

… and it’s Very Special?

So if all the 5th generation goodness is ready, why does it still take so long?

Well, let’s see some possibilities

  1. SIMPLE ANSWER: there is parts shortage. Fujifilm decided to use those parts for cameras that are more successful (X100VI, X-T5, etc), and the Fujifilm X-Pro4 must wait until the peak demand for those cameras is over
  2. BILLY’s PATH: Fuji Guy Billy said the X-Pro4 has to be something very special. Could it be a new design experiment (for example a screen-less camera). A monochrome or XPan sensor? Will they get rid of the mechanical shutter and go for a 26MP stacked sensor? Anything else that could make it “special”?

I personally hope that the result of this long wait will be a monochrome Fujifilm X-Pro. But again, that’s just a mere and random wish of mine (no rumor).

Feel free to let us know what your best guess is in regards to what’s going on with the long awaited Fujifilm X-Pro4 and why it’s taking Fujifilm so long.

Fuji Guy Billy: “I Can See the Fujifilm X-Pro Moving into 5th Gen, but it Needs Something Special”, Talking X100VI, X-T40, Future Lenses & More

Vistek just hosted a Fujifilm X Summit After Show with Fuji Guy Billy.

They talk of course mainly about the Fujifilm X100VI, but also about other stuff, such as which lenses Fuji Guy Billy thinks Fujifilm should do in future, he talks a bit about the Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 (which thanks to our sources we have leaked here) and also talked about what he thinks about an eventual Fujifilm X-T30II successor (which we started leaking here) and the long awaited Fujifilm X-Pro4 (which we started leaking here).

Above you can see the whole 55 minutes video and below you get a summary:

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Fujifilm X100VI (vs X100V and Co) Dynamic Range Test Debunks Myth that Higher Megapixels Mean Lower Dynamic Range

There was one “negative” I’ve heard about the Fujifilm X100VI in several “thoughts” videos and blog posts about it: more megapixel means it will have worst dynamic range and high ISO noise performance over the X100V.

Sadly that’s a myth that is difficult to erase from the photography community, even if hardcore data shows that this is not the case. This is evident (again) in the data available to us today.

According to sensor measurement data of Bill Claff at Photons to Photos, the dynamic range performance of the Fujifilm X100VI is pretty much identical to the one of the X100V, even though it has 40MP as opposed to the 26MP of the X100V.

And if you’re concerned about high ISO noise, opt for the X100VI rather than the X100V. The higher megapixel count results in smaller color noise blocks compared to the X100V. This not only enhances the sharpness of your images but also allows for more effective noise reduction in post-processing, as discussed in detail here.

The real question is: why does the Fujifilm X-H2 have even better dynamic range than the X100VI at base ISO, despite using the same sensor, and why there are slight differences between various 40MP sensor cameras.

You can access the data and make your own comparisons at Photons to Photos.

Camera Model

Maximum PDR

Low Light ISO

Low Light EV
Fujifilm X100VI 10.44 3287 10.04
Fujifilm X100V 10.44 3728 10.22
Fujifilm X-H2 10.75 2854 9.83
Fujifilm X-T5 10.43 2230 9.48

Fujifilm X/GFX Deals Continue

LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT

New on Kickstarter

Amazon Refurbished Pages

Fujifilm Deals in USA

X Gear

GFX Gear

All Fujfiilm EUROPE Deals – End March 31

Special Mention (in UK):

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Fujifilm X100VI: Monthly Production Set at 15,000 Units – Can it Satisfy Overwhelming Demand?

Nikkei reports that the initial monthly production for the Fujifilm X100VI will be 15,000 units, equivalent to the Fujifilm X-S20 initial production, which faced shipping challenges.

But will it be enough to satisfy demand?

Because to my knowledge, the Fujifilm X100VI has garnered an unprecedented number of preorders, surpassing all previous Fujifilm models by a large margin.

And while this success is excellent for Fujifilm, the allocated 15,000 units per month may fall short of meeting the overwhelming demand. And with social media fueling the X100VI hype, the demand is not likely to slow down in the coming weeks and months.

I can comprehend if many of you, myself included, are growing concerned about the possibility of the X100VI experiencing shipping challenges similar to those faced by various other Fujifilm X gear in recent years.

But whether and how quickly preorders are shipped doesn’t just rely on the current production rate. It also depends on how well Fujifilm prepared in the months leading up. Let’s hope they’ve been producing plenty of X100VI units in recent weeks to avoid extended waiting times due to the high demand.

One certainty remains: the demand is exceptionally high. While this is undoubtedly positive for Fujifilm, I hope the impact on customers awaiting the shipment of the X100VI won’t be too severe.

And in fact, I just participated in the Fujifilm USA tech talk. During the session, the Fuji representative assured that the shipping situation for the X100VI will be an improvement compared to the “V.” However, given the overwhelming popularity of the X100VI, he advised preordering to secure your unit at the earliest opportunity.

vai Nikkei via dclife