Various tidbits for you to check.

Let's start with some humor: Roger Cicala's Law of New Product Introduction. See the graph below (title says it all):

Next, don't forget that the Fujifilm XF 14mm f2.8 R will be released every day now, you can pre-order it at B&H | Adorama. We featured some reviews about this lens here and here. The lens is already available in Japan on eBay, so it won't take long!

And here comes the big piece of the post: A teardown of the Popular Fujifilm X100 at PetaPixel. The author writes:

[…] if you think the X100 is beautiful on the outside, it is breathtaking on the inside.

Ok, let's have a look…

Going on…

[…] The camera is a giant puzzle of miniscule parts. There were hundreds of hidden, miniature screws, rods, tape and dabs of glue holding it together. It was difficult to take apart to the point where it turned into a game. I’d stare at the thing for 10 minutes until I found that one screw hidden behind something that held everything together. It would be absolutely impossible for me to put this thing back together.

It's getting thougher…

And that's all the X100 is made of. Funny, uh? :-)

Last Thursday Fuji UK unveiled that the new Firmware updates for the XPRO1, X-E1 and 35mm X lens would be released on January 18th (Click here to see the cached site). But the firmware release has been postponed because of a small software issue that will be fixed soon. As a reminder here you have them:

Fujifilm X-Pro1 – firmware version: 2.03 Changes:
* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.
* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.

Fujifilm X-E1 – firmware version: 1.04 Changes:
* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.
* Shutter release button now works when an external remote release is connected.
* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.
* Audio performance has been optimised for the new Stereo Microphone MIC-ST1 (sold separately).

FUJINON XF35mm – firmware version: 2.02 Change:
* Improved accuracy of Auto Focus performance.

• USER REPORT: My road to the Fuji X100 by Miroslav Mosko –> read it here
• Fuji X20 (pre-order here) Hands-On by Photography Bay –> read it here
• More impressions about the Fujifilm [shoplink 682]XF 14mm f/2.8 R(specs&price)[/shoplink]  –> read it here
• A Quick Look At Capture One’s [shoplink 6136]X-Pro1 (specs&price)[/shoplink] Support — Thomas Fitzgerald Photography –> read it here
• The First Frost (with the Fuji X100) — Thomas Fitzgerald Photography –> read it here
• Goodbye Sony Nex 6 … –> read it here
• Proccessor: X Story | FUJIFILM –> read it here
• Fujifilm 16 Megapixels [shoplink 678]X-E1 (specs&price)[/shoplink] Compact Review by NeoCamera With Rating 4/4 – –> read it here
• Antarctica with the [shoplink 678]X-E1 (specs&price)[/shoplink] and E-M5 | Cyril Dhénin –> read it here

The brand new Fujinon XF lens XF 14mm F2.8 R is in stock on eBay in Japan for [shoplink 6300 ebay]$1,097 (click here)[/shoplink].

More pre-order option for the Fujinon XF lens XF 14mm F2.8 R (expected availability January 31 2013): B&H | Adorama. You may also want to check Rico’s post about using the 14mm clicking here.

Specs:

• Fast, Ultra Wide-Angle Prime Lens
• 21mm Focal Length Equivalency
• f/2.8-22 Aperture Range
• Molded Aperture Diaphragm Blades
• Great Perspective, Minimal Distortion
• Fits Fujifilm X-Pro-1 Digital Camera

Product description from B&H’s page:

The XF 14mm f/2.8 R Ultra Wide-Angle Lens from Fujifilm is designed for its X-Pro 1 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera System. This is the fourth prime lens Fujifilm has introduced for the X-Pro 1 and its widest focal length to date. Its 35mm focal length equivalency is 21mm and its angle of view is 89º. Landscape vistas, architectural shots, interiors and even street photography will benefit from the creative perspective and minimized distortion that this lens offers. Light is evenly distributed from the center to the edge of the frame and it retains excellent contrast and high resolution with little fall-off or distortion toward the edges. Its f/2.8 maximum aperture and wide angle mean fast shutter speeds are possible even in minimal light and fast, smooth autofocus is there when needed. The aperture diaphragm blades on all XF lenses are curved and the edge of each blade is rounded rather than cut-off creating a more pleasing effect to your image, especially in terms of the background bokeh. Focus distance and depth-of-field scales are printed on the focus ring to aid composition when emphasizing depth of field.

The XF 14mm f/2.8 lens offers high-quality optics and an extreme wide-angle perspective to explore your creativity with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 digital camera.