Fuji Guy Billy: “I Can See the Fujifilm X-Pro Moving into 5th Gen, but it Needs Something Special”, Talking X100VI, X-T40, Future Lenses & More

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Vistek just hosted a Fujifilm X Summit After Show with Fuji Guy Billy.

They talk of course mainly about the Fujifilm X100VI, but also about other stuff, such as which lenses Fuji Guy Billy thinks Fujifilm should do in future, he talks a bit about the Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 (which thanks to our sources we have leaked here) and also talked about what he thinks about an eventual Fujifilm X-T30II successor (which we started leaking here) and the long awaited Fujifilm X-Pro4 (which we started leaking here).

Above you can see the whole 55 minutes video and below you get a summary:

X100VI

  • the X100 line raised lots of interested right from its first version
  • no matter how much you are invested in other camera brands, you still can get the X100 in addition to that for taking photos of everyday life
  • X100 simplifies photography thanks to dedicated dials
  • X100VI is fully featured with 5th generation hardware, but simple layout with dedicated dials
  • hybrid viewfinder isn’t found in any other camera
  • WCL and TCL can resolve 40MP
  • X100VI weather sealed with filters
  • X100VI dynamic range with Flog 2 is about 13+ stops
  • X100VI readout speed similar to X-T5 (1/30s Billy believes)
  • IBIS was a challenge to develop for X100 line
  • has the flush LCD of X100V
  • major point of X100VI is design
  • that’s why no 3 way tilt screen, because otherwise the LCD would stick out from the body or the hinge sticking on the side
  • keep sleek design was more important
  • it’s a photography first camera
  • aesthetics is a key point of this camera
  • modern but with retro tactile feeling and cool looking
  • smartphones are helping because many who use phones to take pictures at some point step up to a real camera
  • the X100VI offers a tactile photography experience rather than the digitalized experience of phones
  • with a camera you think more at composition and the subject rather than taking pictures with your phone
  • Fujifilm sees the trend of people loving to shoot film again
  • film has a unique look, but it’s expensive
  • X100 line blew up also because it has film simulations
  • the fact that Fujiflm makes film makes film simulations so special
  • Fujifilm understands what grains look like in film
  • the designer developing film simulations is matching film and digitalizing it
  • Fujifilm can actually mimic film
  • the only company that could match this would be Kodak
  • you can play around with film simulations and fine tune them

Future Lenses

  • XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 is being developed
  • has a quite nice size
  • it’s not going to be the typical kit lens in terms of optical performance
  • weather resistant
  • what’s important in future lenses?
  • Fujifilm wants to improve the autofocus on lenses (speed and noise)
  • make minimum focus distance as close as possible
  • make sure that feel of aperture ring is consistent
  • wildelife and video lenses could be something to expand – see 10 lenses under study by Fujifilm
  • another question is which lenses need a refresh
  • X series is APS-C based, and portability and lightweight is big advantage
  • Billy personally also wishes for updated red-badged zooms that are smaller and still mantain great optical quality (with optical corrections and less software corrections)

Firmware love

X-T30II and X-Pro3 Successor

  • X-T30II successor?
  • all lines are getting bumped up to the 5th generation
  • X-S10 also got the 5th generation boost with X-S20
  • so Billy can see also the X-T30II getting a 5th generation replacement
  • same as with the future X-Pro
  • Billy can see the X-Pro line moving into the 5th generation as well
  • people have a passion for the X-Pro line and there is lots of talk about it
  • Billy says the X-Pro “needs to stand out a bit” and it needs to have “something special“
  • that’s why Billy says he thinks we probably will have to wait a little bit longer for that

Billy says the wait might be “a bit” longer for X-Pro4. I am not sure what you guys understand with “a bit”, but some might interpret it as coming just “a bit” later this year, maybe towards the second half or the end of 2024. But I can confirm there won’t be any Fujifilm X-Pro3 successor in 2024.

And let’s see what Fuji Guy Billy means when he says that it needs to have “something special” and “to stand out“. Fujifilm has shown that they definitely like to experiment with the X-Pro line. Maybe they will come up with an original design choice also this time. A screen-less X-Pro4? Or maybe use the stacked sensor and get rid of the mechanical shutter? A monochrome sensor with 5th generation processor? Or anything else that would make it truely unique among all X series cameras. Feel free to let your ideas soar in the comments.

What we will definitely get well before is the Fujifilm X-T30II successor, which will be Fujifilm’s next APS-C camera to be launched. And it’s interesting that Fuji Guy Billy says that just as the X-S10 got it’s fifth generation boost, also the X-T30II will definitely get it too. I’ll leave possible interpretations to you.

No talk about the Fujifilm X-E5 sadly. And also nothing about a Fujifilm X80.

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