Two days ago a fellow Fujifilm X Shooter contacted me, saying that his local store told him the following:
the Fujifilm X-T3 has been removed from the list of current Winter deals, hence the $500 rebate is gone
the Fujifilm X-T3 has been discontinued
So first thing I did was to check the Fujifilm deals page, and indeed, the X-T3 no longer showed up among the rebated cameras.
I then wrote this article, where I informed you about the X-T3 deal being removed and that a local store spread the news the X-T3 is now discontinued.
However, trusted sources immediately reached out to me and yes, they confirmed the removal from the deals list of the X-T3, but they also clearly told me that the X-T3 has not been discontinued but some X-T3 variations (kit combinations) maybe harder to find from now on.
Also, I have been told that the real reason Fujifilm removed the X-T3 deals is that the demand for X-T3 is very high and Fujifilm can’t keep up with it.
So it was important to set things right for you guys.
As a matter of fact, at the time of this post this deal is still listed, but only at Adorama here (deal removed also from Adorama). The same deal is no longer available at BHphoto. Most importantly, it has been removed from the official deal list page of Fujifilm USA (see screenshot above, where the X-T3 is no longer listed).
So what happened? Well, a FR-reader wrote me an email and told me this:
My local store told me that the X-T3 has been discontinued. Over the weekend they also apparently stopped the $500 rebate, that in the U.S. had the camera selling for $999. The sales rep told me the intent is to let any remaining inventory in the supply chain sell at a higher price.
Down below is the list with what remains of the Fujifilm Winter deals.
I was going through our massive Fujifilm X-T group to enjoy some images during my lockdown, when I noticed the link to a short movie called “2020“.
It’s about two roommates who attempt to survive 2020 on the mission to get some toilet paper.
This short film is a parody and love letter to the award winning movie 1917. And interesting for us Fujifilm X lovers, it was shot entirely on a Fujifilm X-T3 with a Zhiyun Weebill-S.
I thought this might be something you’d like to check out sometimes this weekend, in case you haven’t seen it already.
Speaking of 2020, down below an image I’ve shared on my instagram, that sums up pretty well how my work changed in 2020.
Ok guys, I hope you are all well and safe. Take your precautions and enjoy your weekend,
Patrick
Now he gave an interview to the amateurphotographer. Here are some excerpts:
COVID-19 affects on Fujifilm
Before the pandemic struck, there were more than 8,000 professional photography businesses operating in the UK alone
global demand for digital cameras has dropped by 40% since the start of April 2020 according to CIPA, but thanks to the performance of products like the X-T4 and X100V, Fujifilm is performing significantly better than that
Fujifilm also worked hard to supply medical imaging technologies to those on the front line, as well as working to realize the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and therapies at scale with pharmaceutical partners
Biggest Industry Future Challenges for Fuji: the drift towards full frame or the rise of smartphones?
biggest challenge is to ensure to keep innovating in R&D
Finding a real consumer demand’ is a key
provide a better experience of taking photos and videos
Customers don’t buy a sensor, but an experience
Fujifilm is not a company to simply follow the same path as others
Consumers demand more and are no longer wanting to invest in a product; they want a service and an experience.
The Market Differences over the Globe
X-T4, X-T3 and X-T30 are all popular around the world, and the X100V has been the bestselling high-end compact globally.
GFX is almost evenly split except in the Chinese market [admin note: I have been told the GFX100 sells extraordinary well in China]
piqued popularly of the X-A series in some Asian countries
Globally, instax is one of Fujifilm’s biggest consumer success stories
And Full Frame?
in the last two years the market shifted strongly towards full frame
for Fujifilm, APS-C is the best-balanced system
APS-C is the best answer for those downsizing due to the smaller, lighter lenses, as well as the camera body
GFX provides the best image quality without requiring a high level of investment.
Fujifilm X-S10
It was demand coming from customers used to DSLR cameras and from those who prefer to have more usability for video shooting
very rich features such as IBIS, 4K30p video with long recording time – but with a small weight of just 465g
X-S10 offers a very smooth transition for DSLR customers to enjoy the latest mirrorless technologies with the advantage of a smaller, handy size.
Weather Resistant Versions of older lenses?
WR versions of older lenses requires to completely re-design the inside structure, hence in some cases needs R&D from scratch
Should Fujifilm work closer with Sigma and Tamron?
I cannot be specific about our working relationships with other companies but we have received and understand our customers’ request.