The Revenge of the Fujifilm X-T4: Declared Best Mirrorless Camera by Germany’s Most Prestigious Consumer Organisation (and X100V Best Compact)

Who is…

If I am looking for unbiased, objective and competent reviews about anything electronics related, I often look at recommendations of Stiftung Warentest, a “German consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way. It was founded on 4 December 1964 by the Federal Republic of Germany as an independent foundation under civil law*”

Stiftung Warentest even gets €3.5 million a year from the German state as “compensation for the fact that it does not carry any advertisements in its publications because this could compromise its independence*“.

In short: those guys are not been flown around the world by companies in order to possibly get favourable reviews ;).

And now let’s come to today’s story, which we start with the easy one, the X100V.

Fujifilm X100V

Stiftung Wartentest declared the Fujifilm X100V the best fixed lens compact camera. That’s an easy one, as there is simply nothing that comes near to the X100V in terms of price, features and performance in this segment.

Fujifilm X-T4

Out of all the mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras they tested, Stiftung Warentest declared the Fujifilm X-T4 their best allrounder camera, with a rating of 1.4 (max 1.0). You can read their test in German behind a paywall at their website here.

This is a nice “revenge” for the Fujifilm X-T4, a camera that has been a bit mocked by Fujifilm itself in their Fujifilm X-T5 launch promo ad.

Now, you know my take on this:

the Fujifilm X-T4 had to carry the flagship burden, hence it was forced to be exactly how it is (bigger, heavier, etc). But now that the X-H2/s finally came out, the Fujifilm X-T* line could go back to its roots again with the wonderful Fujifilm X-T5, hence it could become smaller, lighter, offer a 3 way tilt screen and overall just be more photography centric.

If it wasn’t for the selfie screen, I could have loved my Fujifilm X-T4 almost as much as I love my X-E3. But sadly even after years of use, I simply could not grow fond of it, even though I occasionally could appreciate the advantages of a fully articulating screen (even for photography only).

So I am happy to see the Fujifilm X-T4 getting this important recognition.

It is still a wonderful camera, and for some even preferable over the Fujifilm X-T5. And right now you can also get it with a discount.

Oh, and in the 12th position of this ranking we find the Fujifilm X-E4 ;).

* source – wikipedia

X-T5 USA Pre-Orders

Fujinon XF30mmF2.8 Macro Pre-Orderrs

  1. USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama
  2. Worldwide: AmazonCA / Amazon of Your Country
  3. UK: AmazonUK / WexUK / ParkCameraUK
  4. EU: AmazonDE / AmazonIT / AmazonFR / AmazonES  / CalumetDE / FotoErhardt / Fotokoch / PCHstore

X-T5 Other Countries

Fujifilm Financial Results for Q2 FY2022: Instax Beats Nikon and Brisk Digital Camera Sales Push Imaging Division YOY Revenue (+23.7%)

Fujifilm has published the results for the second quarter of the 2022 fiscal year (July 1 to September 30, 2022).

The main digital camera launched in these months was the Fujifilm X-H2s, which Fujifilm says sold “strong”. The results for the high resolution Fujifilm X-H2 will be visible only in Q3 of FY2022, since it started shipping only in late September/early October.

Instax

Instax keeps rocking.

Instax alone made more revenue (¥119.1 billion) than Nikon’s Imaging Products Business (¥114.5 billion).

A special mention goes to the INSTAX mini Link 2 and the INSTAX SQUARE Link.

Digital Cameras

Good results also for Fuji’s professional imaging division with a revenue of ¥64.3 billion (+18.6% YoY).

Forecasts

Given the good numbers, Fujifilm changed their previous FY2022 forecasts (announced in August) for the imaging segment (numbers in billions of yen)

  • Revenue Forecast: from 360.0 to 390.0 (revenue for FY2021 was 333.4)
  • Operating Income Forecast: from 42.0 to 52.0 (operating income for FY2021 was 37.0)

And the best has yet to come for Fujifilm, with the sales of the Fujifilm X-T5, which will push the revenue of Q3 and Q4.

R&D

R&D expenses for the first half of the fiscal year were 4.8 billions of yen (was 4.1 in first half of FY2021). So a good sign also here, as Fujifilm seems to be gradually increasing the R&D resources for the imaging solution.

Summary

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Top Fujifilm X Camera Wish for 2023 – Vote Now

Fujifilm has been incredibly productive in 2022 and gave us 3 higher end cameras and 4 XF lenses.

But this can that stop us from wanting more, right?

So here is a survey about which camera you guys would like to see in 2023.

It’s a pure wishlist, no rumors.

In fact, I will also include the Fujifilm X-T5s in this list, a 26MP stacked version of the current Fujifilm X-T5, even though our sources told us Fujifilm has no plans to make such a camera. But it’s about what we wish for here, not what will really come. So let’s include also the Fujifilm X-T5s.

And sorry guys, entry level is dead Fujifilm told us… so no entry level on the list.

Which Fujifilm X Series Camera Would You Like to get in 2023?

View Results

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X-T5 USA Pre-Orders

Fujinon XF30mmF2.8 Macro Pre-Orderrs

  1. USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama
  2. Worldwide: AmazonCA / Amazon of Your Country
  3. UK: AmazonUK / WexUK / ParkCameraUK
  4. EU: AmazonDE / AmazonIT / AmazonFR / AmazonES  / CalumetDE / FotoErhardt / Fotokoch / PCHstore

X-T5 Other Countries

Fujinon XF30mmF2.8 1:1 Macro: A Smart Lens, a Stunning Performer and a Temptation vs XF80mmF2.8 1:1 Macro

Launched on the same day of the Fujifilm X-T5 and hence inevitabely overshadowed by it, the Fujinon XF30mm f/2.8 1:1 macro probably did not get the coverage it deserves here on FujiRumors.

Sure, we have covered everything there is on the internet about it in our launch live blog here. But we haven’t really spoken about it since then, except for the fact that the demand for it is quite high leading to possible shipping delays.

So what’s my take on this lens?

Well, I must say that the Fujinon XF30mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro is definitely a GAS trigger for me. So small, so portable, so capable. It has a minimum focus distance of 10cm from the sensor, which means you can focus as close as 1.2 cm from the front element of the lens.

And as Brandon Remler shows in the video below (starts at 2:37), the close focus capability of this lens opens up some possibilties such as shooting slides by popping them on a slide viewer light box, bring the lens close over it, it will fill the screen and you have a high resolution file of it. Sure, you can do this also with smartphones, but this way you simply get much more quality out of your old slides.

So will I get one?

It surely is a more portable solution over my stellar Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro.

But the XF80mm f/2.8 is so good, it would be hard for me to get rid of it in favor of the XF30mmF2.8. Although on the other hand I am sure the XF30mmF2.8 would definitely find its way more often in my camera bag as it is much smaller and lighter.

So I believe I might get the Fujinon XF30mm f/2.8 macro and also keep the Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro. Then, after a few months make a decision on which one to sell.

If you make Macro photography on a professional level or simply want the best tool possible for it, then I think the Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro is still the way to go.

But if you want a good allrounder lens with its smartly chosen 30mm focal length and the added benefit of its incredible close up performance, the the Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro is the way to go.

Fujifilm Announces Possible Supply Delay for Fujinon XF30mmF2.8 R LM WR Macro due to High Demand

Notice regarding supply of Fujinon lens “XF30mmF2.8 R LM WR Macro”

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your continued patronage of Fujifilm products.
The following products, which will be released on November 25th (Friday), have received more reservations than expected, and it may take some time to deliver the products.

We will do our best to deliver it as soon as possible, so we appreciate your understanding.

It’s Over – Time to Vote Your Top Fujifilm (Related) Gear 2022

click the image to find out what is FujiRumors' Top Product
click the image to find out what is FujiRumors’ Top Product

Top Fujifilm Related Product 2022

Well, not bad at all Fujifilm!

3 higher end cameras coming out and 4 XF lenses.

We certainly can agree upon the fact that Fujifilm wasn’t lazy in 2022!

And since during the last X summit the Japanese manager said that this was the last X summit of the year (hence there won’t be any more announcements), we can already vote on what was, according to you, the top Fujifilm related product of 2022.

In the survey I will also include the Sigma 18-50mmF2.8, which might not be available yet, but as latest leaks suggest, it should come shorty. And we pretty much also know how it performs optically, as it is already available for Sony E mount and you can read the reviews at B&H Photo here and at AmazonUS here.

So feel free to vote the survey down below:

My Top Fujifilm Related Product of 2022 was...

View Results

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Fujifilm Patents Fujinon XF 300mmF2.8 OIS, XF 400mmF4 OIS, XF 600mmF6 OIS (APS-C) and Fujinon GF 300mmF2.8 OIS (Medium Format)

Do you remember when Fujifilm patented the Fujinon XF300mm f/4 and XF500mm f/5.6 a couple of years ago?

And despite my warnings telling you not to expect such lenses soon (if ever), there are still a good amount of people who believe these patents are a strong indication for that gear to come soon.

So I will never be tired to make disclaimers: in 99,999% of the cases those patents never see the light of the day in a real product.

In fact, in over a decade of covering patents here on FujiRumors, I have seen 1 patent out of hundreds become real… and that patent was actually found only after Fujifilm released that gear.

Does this mean that covering patents is useless?

Yes… if you see it from the point of view of gear to come in future. You better look at our rumors for that purpose.

Any yet, these patents are a nice way to let us discuss on what Fujifilm should do in future and if such lenses would be appreciated among the Fujifilm community.

So down below are one by one all the latest patents.

Patents

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After Summit Wishlist: Fujinon XF70mmF2 and XF23mmF2 MKII Mock-ups

 

After Summit Wishlist

This is the thing with FujiRumors: when new gear is announced, we admire it, we enjoy it, but we also start right away to look into the future at all the gear that will come.

But before we talk about that, I thought a nice way to kick off the next chapter in the book of rumors was to share a wishlist of a FR-reader.

In this case, it is Pablo, who contacted me shortly before the imminent X summit, but given the mega-buzz we had in the days ahead of launch, I could not publish it.

So when Pablo writes about the X summit “coming soon”, this means he refers to the one we just had.

But it makes no difference, as his wish is as valid today as it was before the X summit… and you can read it down below.

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

Fujifilm X Summit Nov. 2 at 9AM New York Time: What We Know Will Come (and What I Hope)

Are you guys ready?

FujiRumors certainly is, ready to deliver you an epic announcement day on November 2 at 9AM New York time.

So what will we surely get?

I mean… X-T5… it can hardly get more exciting that this!

And yet, as we have learned from the past Fujifilm X Summit, Fujifilm always has some surprises during X summits that not even FujiRumors saw coming.

So what could Fujifilm launch that FujiRumors never rumored? (and to be clear I have no rumors about)

Well, here is what I hope for (NOT RUMOR):

  • Fujifilm X App: there are rumors and even official Fujifilm slides leaked here on FR, but I have no information on it come along with X-T5. And yet, I certainly hope for it
  • new film simulation: usually with the introduction of new sensor and processors, Fujifilm also launched new film simulations. But this did not happen with the X-H2s and X-H2. So again, I have no rumors, but I hope Fujifilm will give us one on the X-T5
  • richer lens roadmaps: if you take a look at the latest X mount roadmap and GF mount roadmap, they are very poor on future lenses. I hope Fujifilm will release new roadmaps richer in lenses
  • Kaizen Firmware: given the huge effort put into completely re-writing their autofocus algorithm starting introducing a massively improved face/eye AF and subject/animal detection, it is no surprise that there hasn’t been much time and money left to update older cameras with the latest features. But now that it is done, I hope Fujifilm will reassure us that more Kaizen firmware will come in future and that they will make a statement about it during the X summit
  • Mock-ups: what Fujifilm likes to do is to show mock-ups of upcoming lenses. And despite FujiRumors already having made a size comparison of the XF8mmF3.5 with other Fujinon lenses and sort of hands on mock-ups of the upcoming Tilt Shift G mount lenses are already to be seen at BHphoto here, I hope they will show us the latest mock-up version
    – Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 Tilt-Shift Lens
    – Fujinon GF 30mm f/5.6 Tilt-Shift Lens

So, that’s my top 5 hopes. And what about you?