The French website photorend interviewed several Fujifilm managers at CP+:
In short:
Phototrend asks: “was skipping full frame the key to Fujifilm’s success“?
the managers answer: “I think the current trend has nothing to do with whether or not we avoid full format. The key factor to our success is that we launch attractive products and services that meet the expectations of our customers.”
among the younger generations and women, the sales volume of Fujifilm products is increasing. They want to capture images that stand out from those taken with a smartphone
The key to our success lies in the attractiveness of our products.
China is the engine of Fujifilm’s sales and is at the top of all the countries where we market our products
Demand for X100VI continues to grow. Fujifilm is making progress in matching demand
a large format version of the X100 would be very different from the X100
“even if we had to develop such a product, I don’t know how much bigger or heavier it would be compared to the X100 series.”
Fujifilm believes that the cinema market is growing strongly, that’s why they make GFX Eterna. This market is therefore just as important to Fujifilm as photography.
when making MK II lenses like the XF16-55mmF2.8 II, the goal Nr.1 is to improve image quality and resolution, followed by reducing size and weight, and then optiomize autofocus and ergonomics.
the goal is to maximize the benefits of the APS-C system with compact optics.
Fujifilm does not consider the Fujifilm X-M5 an entry level camera. It is essential for Fujifilm to attract new users.
As far as GFX for sports goes, currently Fujifilm is working on increasing bursts rates and optimizing autofocus to make sports photography more accessible to GFX shooters
the Fujifilm manager says he would love to see stacked sensor technology arrive to GFX. But he doesn’t know how much it would cost… “it scares me a little“!
Fujinon GF/XF 500mmF5.6: sharing the design is a brilliant idea (except for rear optical parts of the lens, where design is different due to different sensor size).
For fixed-focal length telephoto lenses, the size is determined by the aperture and focal length, not by the size of the sensor.
AI can be used for image quality, autofocus, stabilization, video, automatic white balance, exposure, distortion compensation, subject detection and more
For Fujifilm it is important to have direct communication with its customers
“Of course, we cannot meet all market demands—we also have to take commercial considerations into account—but we prioritize our customers’ expectations.”
Now in an interview with the French website phototrend, he reiterated his wish by saying:
We don’t have a project that goes in this direction (making GFX glass) at the moment
But, to be honest, it’s one of my dreams to make a lens for medium format, because there are so many passionate photographers in this field
So it’s in my wish list. But for now, we don’t have a plan for that, maybe in the distant future
Of course, the main focus is on the Sigma BF, but they also discuss the new lenses, including the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7, about which the Sigma CEO shares his thoughts:
To be completely honest, I’m not a big user of all-in-one versatile zooms. But the demand is huge. If you go to Kyoto, you will see that many people use this type of lens. So we decided to produce it, because our customers were waiting for it.
That’s it as far as the Fujifilm related part goes.
I guess ultimately it is a matter of market share: if the GFX system will grow strong enough (and Fujifilm allows it), Sigma will deliver, just as they did with the X mount system.