Fujifilm Managers Interview: IBIS in Smaller X-T Body is Necessary, XF Video Lenses, Why No Full Frame, XF 33mm f/1.0 and More

Fujifilm Managers Interview

The French site Phototrend interviewed Fujifilm Managers Shinichiro Udono, Jun Watanabe and Takuya Noguchi at CP+ in Japan. Here are the key points of the interview. For the full interview check out phototrend (google translated).

Hybrid Market

  • hybrid market had already reached 48% of annual sales (in value)
  • in the second half of 2019, the hybrid market has already exceeded the 50% mark
  • the managers think in 2020 year it we will be around 55 or 60%
  • Fujifilm launched first hybrid in 2012
  • now Fuji has already has 31 XF lenses + 10 GF lenses (roadmap lenses included), so the Fuji system is well established in relation to new entrants, both in terms of lenses and a very wide range of products

Why many lenses close or same in focal length (for example XF35mmF1.4, XF35mmF2 and XF33mmF1.0)

  • we want to offer different options to photographers, not only in terms of focal length, but also according to the shooting style. That’s why we have many fixed focal lengths with different focal lengths and apertures. It’s our concept

XF Cine Lenses

  • when Fuji launched X-Pro1 seven years ago, focus was on still images, hence lenses for stills
  • Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR and Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR zoom lenses are very good lenses for video
  • maybe in the future Fujifilm will offer XF zoom and prime lenses with a mechanism optimized for video shooting
  • The current Fujinon MKX lenses cover alreary most of the needs of professional videographers
  • Fujifilm thinks of making XF lenses with better video performance, and not more MK lenses

Fujifilm X-H2, IBIS in Fujifilm X-T3

  • with the XH series, Fujifilm targets professional users, while with the XT series they focus on enthusiasts
  • IBIS: Fuji does not want to compromise on image quality so they need a bigger package for now to get excellent image quality and image stabilization
  • IBIS is currently not possible in cameras of size of Fujifilm X-T3
  • But in the future, Fujifilm believes that it is necessary to offer IBIS technology on more compact cameras (X-T line).
  • Fuji X-H1 size is not only due to IBIS, but because Fujifilm wanted to create larger body with better grip and ergonomics for Pros. Even without IBIS, the X-H1 would have the same size/style

Full Frame Fujifilm?

  • we do not really know what’s in our customers’ heads (laughs). But in our case, we also have the GFX medium format camera system
  • we believe that the combination of medium format and APS-C is the best option
  • Canon, Nikon or Sony offer great full format products
  • Fujifilm had an internal discussion on the sensor format they had to use
  • they did a lot of simulations with engineers. They decided not to go FF, because APS-C allows for a smaller system, also lenses are smaller and lighter
  • Fujifilm is a photography company and they really want customers to take more photos. If the camera is bigger and heavier, they will not necessarily want to take it all the time with them and we do not want that
  • we want our customers to take their camera everyday and enjoy photography. This is the concept of our APS-C system
  • but Fujifilm knows that some customers want a system with a higher resolution and a larger sensor. For them, we have a system with a larger sensor than the full format and it’s the GFX

Fujifilm X-T30

  • Fuji does not intend to stop X-T20 production. The X-T20 will be sold cheaper than the X-T30

Fujinon XF33mm f/1.0

  • the goal is to deliver a lens with the most beautiful bokeh effect
  • at f/1.0, the manual focus is very difficult and that’s why we made this lens with autofocus
  • we already had this idea in mind, but we needed the technology to integrate an autofocus system on such a bright lens

Fujifilm GFX 100 Megapixel and GFX50R

  • the GFX100 will have much faster autofocus than current GFX50S and GFX50R
  • it will have IBIS
  • Our development team is working very hard on IBIS, because the sensor is much larger and it is very difficult to control the movements of the sensor
  • 4K 30p without cropping
  • GFX100 target are professional photographers, especially in the world of fashion, advertising and portraiture. But since this camera is faster, we may be able to extend the audience
  • Fujifilm GFX 50R sales are bigger than expected. Many advanced amateur photographers are buying the GFX 50r, especially for landscape or street photography

Modular GFX (Report & Images & Videos Here)

  • The modular GFX body was of course only an idea, there was no technical research on how we could achieve this result
  • For the moment, we have no plan to develop a modular GFX. But once we have the right technology to produce this type of device, maybe we will consider that option
  • Fujifilm was surprised by the huge reaction there was about the modular GFX. Some customer misunderstood, and thought it’s an actual prototype and future product

Kaizen Firmware

  • software technologies evolve on a daily basis, and new features are developed
  • we are always looking for the benefit for the consumer, it’s our way of thinking
  • when a new feature is developed for latest sensor/processor, it is very hard to bring it to cameras with older sensor/processor. It requires much more complex work. It’s not impossible, but it depends on situatuin and development resources

Market Trend

  • SLR market, each year this market will shrink, by 10 to 20%
  • Fujifilm is in the hybrid market for 6 to 7 years, it’s a good thing more manufacturers are coming up with more products because it creates a strong message for the hybrid with customers

A few product images from the interview below.

 

Fujifilm GFX100 Pixel Shift Multishot not Available at Launch, but Coming Later via Firmware Update

Fujifilm GFX 100

The deadline is June. Since then, the Fujifilm GFX100 must hit the stores.

Currently Fujifilm is working hard on the firmware and I asked the source, who told us in October 2018, that Fujifilm wants to implement pixel shift multishot in the Fujifilm GFX100, at which stage the development of the pixel shift mutlishot is.

Here is what it told me:

  • sensor/pixel shift multishot is easier to achieve with Bayer sensors than with X-Trans
  • the Fujifilm GFX100 will probably not have pixel shift multishot at launch
  • pixel shift multishot should come later on via firmware update

With pixel shift multishot the camera shoots several images while shifting the image sensor and combines them to generate images with a higher resolution than is possible with regular shooting.

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Fujifilm GFX facebook group
Fujifilm GFX facebook page

Fujifilm GFX 100 official and rumored specs

Fujinon XF16-80mmF4 Fully Extended, Fujifilm GFX100 Controls, XF 33mmF1.0 vs XF 35mmF1.4 Size Comparison and More

CP+ 2019 Live Coverage

The CP+ 2019 live coverage continues. We have already covered:

Today we have:

  • close up shots of the Fujifilm GFX100
  • Fujifilm GFX50R + GF50mmF3.5 combo
  • images of the XF16-80mmF4 fully extended
  • images of the Fujinon XF33mmF1.0

That GFX50R with GF50mmF3.5 is a serious GAS trigger for me ;).

All the images shared below (and more) can be found at the Japanese sites dc.watch and sankei.

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Fujifilm XF 16-80mmF4 and Fujinon GF 50mmF3.5 to be Released This Fall – First Specs Online and Additional Fuji GFX100 Images

Fujinon Lenses

The FujiRumors CP+ 2019 live coverage continues, and this time I have found the answer to the question, when the Fujinon XF16-80mm f/4 and GF 50mm f/3.5 will be released at the Japanese site capa.getnavi here:

  • XF 16-80mmF4 – to be released in fall 2019
  • GF 50mmF3.5 – to be released in fall 2019

Those perfect travel lenses come to late for our summer trips. Digested this bad news? Then let’s move on!

The Japanese site also shared Fujifilm GFX100 images and media slides (in Japanese), but don’t worry, FujiRumors has already leaked them all (and even more in detail) a few weeks ago in this article.

I did translate all the Japanese slides, and there is nothing that we do not know already about the Fujifilm GFX100.. For additional GFX 100 images you can also check out the Polish site optyczne.

What I will translate for you, though, are the media slides of the lenses.

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Fujifilm GFX XG Concept vs Panasonic S1R, Sony a7iii, Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R Size Comparisons

Fujifilm GFX XG vs Panasonic S1R
Fujifilm GFX XG vs Panasonic S1R

Fujifilm GFX XG

Fujifilm has recently shown a couple of early Fujifilm GFX concepts. You can see them all here.

Amongst the others, there was the Fujifilm XG, an X-T styled Fujifilm GFX.

I was curious to compare its size to the one of current mirrorless full frame cameras, so I took the image shared by dpreivew, threw it into camerasize, and manually made accurate size comparison with the Panasonic S1R, Sony a7iii, Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R as well as the Fujifilm GFX 50R.

Fujifilm obviously designed all the early concepts keeping in mind that they have to accomodate a rather big shutter mechanism. The arrival of the global shutter should allow Fujifilm to make the camera sensibly smaller.

  • Size Comparison – Fujifilm GFX100 vs Sony A7III, Nikon D5, Canon 1DX, Canon EOS R, Nikon Z7, Nikon D850, Fuji GFX 50R

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