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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Price Increase on Fujifilm X/GFX Gear Starting November 10 in Japan

Fujifilm has announced price increases for lots of Fujifilm X and GFX gear starting November 10 in Japan.

The increases for X and GFX lenses vary between 8% to 30%, whereas there is still no clear indication on how much the price increase for X-T5, X-S20, X-H2 and X-H2S will be (currently marked as “open”).

I have not yet heard of any price increase coming outside of Japan, and I hope there won’t be any.

Down below you can find the press release as well as the full list of gear affected by the price increase.

Press Release

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Fujifilm Q2 FY2023 Financial Results: Significantly Increased Revenue from Digital Cameras Sales

Fujifilm has announced the financial results for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2023 (July to September).

Needless to say that Instax is the goldmine. But there was also a “significantly increased revenue from digital cameras“.

Revenue from digital cameras increased significantly, mainly due to solid sales of X-H2, X-H2S and X-T5 released in the previous fiscal year. Sales of X-S20, which was released in June 2023, also fared well. […] We will continue to offer attractive products by achieving overwhelmingly high image quality with the large format in the GFX Series and the best balance between image quality and size in the X Series.

Instax and Digital Cameras together did give the imaging business a significant boost.

Revenue and operating income increased by 19.5% and 85.5% year-over-year, respectively, due to brisk sales of instant photo systems and digital cameras.

And all this has been achieved despite Fujifilm being incapable of delivering all the cameras mentioned in the report for many months in certain countries (mainly Asia), and some experienced worldwide delivery problems (X100V).

Fujifilm cameras mentioned in the Financial Report:

via Fujifilm

Sony A9III: The Revival of Global Shutter and a Glimpse into the Fujifilm X-H3s?

The “Old” Global Shutter is Back

The Sony A9III has hit the market.

In the headline I wrote that this is the revival of the global shutter, simply because global shutter cameras are nothing new. In fact, cameras with older CCD sensors already featured a global shutter.

But as back in the days of CCD sensor cameras, the global shutter is not the answer to all problems, and as just everything in life it comes with its Pros and Cons. Let’s talk about it.

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A Look at Fujifilm 2024 :: It’s Over in 2023 :: Managers Talk Kaizen and X-E Line Future :: Gear Shipping Struggles and More :: Top 10 October Articles

Here are the top 10 articles for October.

  1. Fujifilm 2024: A Look Ahead Between Rumors and Speculations (X-Pro4, X100R, X-E5, X-T40, New XF Lenses, GFX Future)
  2. Fujifilm Manager: The End of Entry Level (X-E line?), X100V Successor, APS-C and GFX Full Frame Alternative, Market Share and More
  3. Fujifilm Manager Talk Kaizen, Telephoto Lenses, Why not Full Frame, X-E series Future, X100 Line and More
  4. RUMOR: Fujifilm X100V Successor Coming with a “New” Lens in Early 2024
  5. It’s Over my Friends: No More X or GFX Related Announcements This Year
  6. Fujifilm Digital Camera Sales Suspension Notice and Fujifilm Japan Apology
  7. SIGMA 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary: Ultra Compact Wide Angle Zoom for Fujifilm X
  8. Fujifilm X-E4 Second Hand Price Higher than Original Launch Price
  9. The Latest X Series Reviews: Sigma 10-18mmF2.8, Fujinon XF8mmF3.5, Fujifilm X-S20, X-H2, X-H2S, X-T5
  10. EXCLUSIVE: This is Fujifilm’s Next XF Lens!

For personal reasons I was not able to make videos this month, nor to really work full power on the rumors and the blog in general. Sometimes life has other plans and sets other priorities.

Good news: an important medical check just a few days ago went well, so now it’s time for me to crawl out of my hole and gain back the energy to give you guys what you deserve: rumors!

So stay tuned… I am back ;).

Fujifilm Facebook Groups

Viltrox TNP-W235 Battery for Fujifilm Coming Soon (and About the Advantage of Using Original Fujifilm Batteries)

Viltrox is going to launch its own NP-W235 third party alternative battery for the Fujifilm X and GFX system, called TNP-W235, as reported at the Chinese Weibo account 独立摄影师联合会.

So far this year the best selling gear on FujiRumors was the new SmallRig NP-W235 (which I own too).

The Viltrox TNP-W235 seems to use the same interface with a built-in USB-C port for direct charging and also the same power (2400 mAh).

The options in terms of third party batteries are substantial and often also of respectable quality.

The two brands I personally use as NP-W235 replacement:

However (and that’s valid also for other companies as far as I know), if you use third party batteries in your Fujifilm cameras, and that third party battery is cause of a problem (for example it swells up and gets stuck in the camera), then, even if your camera is under warranty, you won’t get the problem fixed free of charge. On the other hand, if you use the original battery, for as long your battery is under warranty, every problem caused by the battery itself to the camera will give you access to free warranty repair.

That’s why, if you want to go the 100% safe route during the time you camera is under warranty, you might want to stick with original batteries, so if any problem happens caused by the battery, it will be fixed under warranty.

In all my years using third party batteries, I had my first third party battery fail last year, where my Patona swelled up in my X-E3 and I had to fiddle around to get it out,

Battery Articles

Essential Accessories

Fujifilm Digital Camera Sales Suspension Notice and Fujifilm Japan Apology

Fujifilm Japan has just issued a notice and apology regarding the supply of mirrorless digital cameras in Japan.

This time the affected cameras by the still ongoing shortage in Japan are the Fujifilm X-T5 and the Fujifilm X-S20.

The situation is so bad, that Fujifilm Japan now even decided to suspend orders.

Also the Fujifilm GFX100 II experiences long shipping delays in Asia, as we reported here.

In North America and Europe the situation looks much better, with all the cameras mentioned in this article easily to find in stock.

Official Press Release

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Fujifilm X-E4 Second Hand Price Higher than Original Launch Price

I stand to my point: the Fujifilm X-E4 was not a failure.

The true failure was that Fujifilm was not able to manufacture and deliver it.

Fujifilm even discontinued the X-E4 while many still had one on pre-order and were patiently waiting to get it shipped.

So it happens that for all those, who wanted the X-E4, the only option now is to look around at the second hand market, where, as reported by asobinet, the price in some countries can be higher than what the X-E4 did cost brand new. And digitalcameraworld has an article up here, where they explain how they sold their X-E4 for more than what they originally paid for it new.

Now, recently Fujifilm France hinted that there is no market for the X-E line. But if that was the case, I wonder why people are buying it second hand and overpriced, similar to what is happening to the Fujifilm X100V.

Anyway, I strongly hope the X-E line will continue. It’s a great alternative to those who want an X100-alike experience (minus OVF) but with the possibility to change lenses. Although I don’t really change lenses much on my X-E3, where this lens lives glued on it.

I still love using my X-E3, as you can see in my video here, but it starts to show its age, especially now that I also own the X-T5 with a terrific boost in terms of autofocus and features.

I would probably jump on an X-E5 on day one if Fujifilm would ever make one, just to get access to the new autofocus power and more film simulations (Reala included). Better if with 40MP, but I could also live with the Fujifilm X-S20 solution, so the 26MP combined with the new X Processor 5.

So please, dear Fujifilm, don’t axe the X-E line. Give us an X-E5, produce it in decent numbers, and you’ll see you’ll be rewarded for that.

Read also:

Huge SanDisk CFexpress Type B Deal – Ends Oct. 23

There is a substantial rebate on SanDisk CFexpress Type B cards and the SanDisk PRO-CINEMA CFexpress Type B.

Some of the deals are marked as ending on October 23.

SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Cards are included in the list of officially recommended CFexpress cards by Fujifilm. But there are some differences between cards.

So, if you want access to all video codecs and formats, get these two cards.

Both the above will also allow you for stills bursts shooting, but the Pro-Cinema version will give you longer bursts than the Extreme Pro.

If video is not you thing, than any of the cards listed above is a great pick, as they are all officially recommended by Fujifilm (see here).