Japanese Fujifilm Managers: X-Pro and X-E line Not Stopped, X-Trans is Here to Stay, PSAM vs RETRO, GFX Sports Photography and More

image courtesy: Phototrend
image courtesy: Phototrend

At the last CP+, the French Website Phototrend had the opportunity to talk to Japanese Fujifilm manager Jun Watanabe about the X series and to Japanese Fujifilm manager Makoto Oishi about the GFX series.

Down below you can find a quick summary. For the full French version check out the articles at Phototrend here (X series) and here (GFX series). Plus a little rant at the end.

X series

  • Fujifilm can not confirm if X-Pro4 will arrive soon or not
  • X-Pro line is not stopped
  • X-T and X100 series do not satisfy all customers who want a “pure photography” experience
  • Fujifilm is studying different possibilities
  • feedback and expectations are high for the next X-Pro
  • X-E line is not stopped
  • sports photography is a difficult market
  • other brands are long established there and for Fujifilm it’s new terrain
  • Fujifilm can not confirm anything about eventual future lenses for sport photographers
  • Fujifilm has received great feedback about the latest autofocus system, but they will continue to improve
  • renewing older lenses is something that Fujifilm has in mind
  • XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 [admin note: will replace the XF18-55mmF2.4.8]
  • Fujifilm is not considering any option other than X-Trans for their APS-C cameras
  • its unique matrix offers the advantage of combining high definition and suppression of moiré and chromatic aberrations
  • for X100VI, Fujifilm has developed the smallest and thinnest IBIS unit to date
  • the X100VI IBIS wiring has been moved to the side – see here
  • IBIS system uses data from the image in addition to the gyroscope (motion blur is analyzed from the live-view image)
  • the grip of the X100VI is a tenth of a millimeter deeper than X100V for a better grip

GFX series

  • GFX100II market return (sales) is very good, not only among professional photographers, but also filmmakers and directors
  • GFX100II sales exceed Fujifilm’s expectations
  • GFX100S is still very popular because Fujifilm has lowered its price
  • GFX100S still very popular in some markets like China
  • professionals go for GFX100II, enthusiasts for GFX100S
  • Fujifilm never looked at its market share in medium format segment
  • other manufacturers have no announced so many new products, so Fujifilm thinks they are Nr.1
  • some expect a faster 50MP GFX. But Fujifilm thinks high definition is more popular
  • there are lots of FF cameras offering 50/60 megapixel, so offering 50MP now has become almost banal
  • Fujifilm focuses on improving the 100MP sensor performance
  • for professionals ergonomics are very important
  • first GFX cameras had dedicated dials but now they switched to a easier to operate PSAM dial layout
  • Fujinon GF 500 mm f/5.6: it’s time for Fujifilm GFX to approach wildlife and sports photography
  • normally APS-C lenses are compact than FF and MF (hence also smaller AF motors)
  • but regarding telephoto lenses, size primarily depends on diameter and aperture. Regardless of whether it’s for APS-C, FF or MF, the fundamental construction of telephoto lenses, particularly on the front lens side, is the same
  • Fujifilm tries to make the GF500mm as small and light as possible to obtain faster autofocus
  • tilt-shift lenses are the most difficult to design
  • Fujifilm started to develop its GF tilt shift lenses back in 2019
  • why not retro? High end high speed cameras need to be operated quickly, hence PSAM. Also good for hybrid shooters for video

Let me just say that I strongly, vehemently, vigorously and fervidly disagree with Fujifilm in regards to what they said why they stick with PSAM on their GFX lineup.

First: the GFX system is not know to be blazing fast and immensely popular among high end sports photographers. I actually feel the GFX system would be the ideal system to use a retro layout.

Second: maybe Fujifilm should watch my video so they learn how to operate their own cameras.

They will find out that one can operate their retro styled cameras exactly as any PSAM camera out there. It’s a marvellous and ingenious design that gives us photographer the best of both words: retro if I want to have fun shooting or want to actually operate the camera already before turning it on, and PSAM if one needs to make lots of adjustment all the time on the fly.

Retro Fujifilm cameras offer both options. PSAM cameras force you into one way to operate the camera.

And in my opinion not offering retro styled GFX cameras anymore is one of the all time biggest mistakes Fujifilm is doing.

C’mon Fujifilm, look at what is selling best in your X system. You’ll see that retro X cameras outsell PSAM cameras by very far. And Nikon had a colossal success with the Nikon Zf lately. It’s clear that in times where every camera is just so good, what people really look for is to have a different photographic experience thanks to dedicated vintage dials.

The joy of shooting sells better than any specs boost you can show off on paper.

An example?

The X100VI sells like hot cakes. The revolutionary global shutter ultra modern high speed blazing fast Sony A9III is selling way below Sony’s expectations (you could always find it in stock everywhere all the time because demand is not high… ask your local retailer).

Make sure to read/watch below:

This Independent Movie was Shot on Fujifilm X-T4 – Do We Really Need a Dedicated Fujifilm Cinema Camera?

Johnnie from CineD is probably one of the nicest persons I have had the pleasure to e-meet in all these years of blogging.

And I know he truly loves Fujifilm and uses Fuji cameras for his personal and professional work.

But there is one thing where I respectfully disagree with him: Fujifilm does not need to make any dedicated video camera, as Johnnie also recently asked Fujifilm for. And I tell you why.

The absence of a dedicated video camera in Fujifilm’s lineup, allows Fujifilm to pack everything they can in terms of video specifications into their hybrid mirrorless cameras. This strategy avoids any potential internal competition with a separate cinema camera lineup. In contrast, companies like Sony and Canon may restrict certain specs and features in their hybrid cameras to safeguard the sales of their dedicated cinema cameras.

In short: if Fujifilm would offer cinema cameras, you could forget the X-H2S and X-H2 to be such powerful hybrid cameras. Or in future the Fujifilm X-H3 and Fujifilm X-H3S.

Indeed, the Fujifilm X-T4 already proves to be an exceptionally robust hybrid camera, as demonstrated today, thanks to an email I have received from fellow FR-reader Angel, which I share below.

by Angel Alvarez

My name is Angel Alvarez, my team and I just finished post production on an indie feature that we shot entirely on the Fujifilm X-T4 (save for 1 drone shot). A camera that I got excited about because of your website.

I could write pages on how I find the color rendering from Fuji much better than that of Blackmagic or even RED cameras, but to summarize; the X-T4 performed greatly and far exceeded my expectations. Granted, I encountered a few problems with it, but it was to be expected given the amount of stress we put it through.

I’d like to share with you a few frames from our film as well as a couple BTS stills that I’ve attached to this email.

You can also find the trailer below.

This film is a labor of love that took three years to complete. I hope I’m not overstepping, but if you enjoy what you see, and you think it’s worth your time, we’d be extremely grateful if you could do a post about it.

Fujifilm to Launch Three Cameras within First Half 2024 – But the Biggest Release is Another One ;)

Best News First: the Biggest Release is…

Yes, we are going to talk about the three cameras. But first you need to know this.

There is one release in just a couple weeks that will overshadow everything else Fujifilm will launch.

Well, at least for me.

Because my second son will be “released” in the next couple of weeks, too :)

But don’t worry guys.

There shouldn’t be any schedule conflict with the X Summit on February 20 (unlike with my first sons’ birth, when Fujifilm made its mega announcement literally just hours after he was born and I had to live blog right after I came home sleepless after his birth).

So I am ready to cover it all non-stop here on FujiRumors.

* NOTE: if on Feb.20 you decide to pre-order the X100VI using our affiliate links, FujiRumors will invest the earnings in diapers :)

Big 2024 Start Confirmed

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

CONFIRMED: Fujifilm X100VI Announcement on February 20 (and More?)

So Fujifilm just officially announced the next Fujifilm X Summit for February 20.

And according to our sources, for sure we will get the Fujifilm X100VI on February 20.

Will we get even more?

Well, at the moment I don’t know it. But what I know is that Fujifilm has LOTS of stuff in the pipeline for the first months of 2024.

In fact, we confirm: Fujifilm will announce more cameras in the first months of 2024 than in the entire year 2023. Which means “3 or more” cameras.

We also told you that the successor of this camera here is the next MILC camera to be launched, as we reported here.

And last but not least, we already leaked the images of the next XF lens that Fujifilm will launch, which will be the replacement of this lens here. If you want you can see the images here plus read additional specs here.

Finally, there are lenses on the official Fujifilm roadmap for 2024 and other gear that could come (but we don’t really have solid rumors about them for now). We shared a big Fujifilm 2024 overview here.

I will try to figure out exactly what will come.

But for sure I can tell you now: the Fujifilm X100VI is scheduled for February 20 announcement.

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Fujifilm X Summit on February 20: What’s On Top of Your Wishlist? X100V Successor, GFX100SII, New Lenses and What Else – VOTE NOW

We told you that the next Fujifilm X Summit will take place on February 20, 2024.

I thought it could be nice to see what your top wish is as far as announcements goes.

So I took all the Fujifilm gear listed on our Fujifilm 2024 overview and made a survey out of it.

To be clear, I am not saying that everything in this list will come in 2024. Some of it will come for sure, some of it has only been vaguely hinted by Fujifilm managers, and some are just mere wishes and hopes of the FujiRumors community.

To see more in detail which gear will surely come, which maybe, and which one probably not, check out our full Fujifilm 2024 overview article.

With that said, now drop your vote :).

On February 20, 2024 I would like to get:

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