The Sigma 50mm f/1.4: the IQ of the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 for ¼ of the price!

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I’ve received an information from a new source, who had a conversation with Sigma. He asked them if they plan to release X-mount versions of their lenses. Well, in short, Sigma’s answer to this source was:

• The Fujifilm X-system market share is too small.
• Due the restricted market share, Sigma currently has no plans at all to release X-mount version of their lenses.
• Fuji should have adopted the M4/3 mount
• Fuji’s fault? By not using the M4/3 mount and offering their own X-mount, Fuji resigned X-shooters to a limited lens selection [Really? Take a look at that, Sigma]
  

That’s a bad news. Especially since over the last year, when Sigma managers were asked if they will offer X-mount versions of their lenses, they didn’t deny this possibility, giving answers like [quote from this video interview] “We always plan to expand our product line for mirrorless cameras. If possible, we would like to support as many systems as possible.” Also to DSLRmagazine Sigma said [google translated]: “I’m pretty sure the market for CSC will grow in the future, do not know how, but we have the belief that we must support as many systems as possible“.

After these statements, a slender hope arose amongst us X-shooters, but according to this information today, waiting for X-mount Sigma lenses is like waiting for Godot.

Now, it’s true that Fuji is not really a giant in the digital camera industry. However, over the last years the X-system grew and it now has a respectable number of followers. I’m convinced that, with the right lens offering & an interesting price tag, Sigma could make some nice money with us X-shooters, as also the Poll here could indicate:

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I do NOT agree with Sigma, when they say that, by not adopting the M4/3 mount, Fuji resigned X-shooters to a limited lens selection. Really? There is plenty of great Fujinon glass out there (and more coming soon). And manufacturers like Samyang, Zeiss, Lensbaby, SLR Magic & more have their X-mount offerings, too. As shown in the amazing complete X-mount glass overview, there are overall 56 X-mount lenses on the market and 6 more are coming soon.

Fujinon glass alone already covers most needs of photographers… and that’s maybe part of the problem for Sigma: all the great Fujinon glass that is already available on the market! It must be hard & risky to compete with it, also for Sigma.

Zeiss tried it with the Touit 12mm and 32mm, but completely failed. Those lenses were too close in FL to existing Fujinon lenses, optically great, but not superior (probably even inferior) to the XF glass and even more expensive than the Fujinons. Result: you can now get them for a fraction of their original price!

Samyang seems to be more successful when it comes to X-mount lenses. They are offering lenses that are still not covered by Fuji (like the Samyang 8mm fisheye) and their probably most successful X-mount lens, the Samyang 12mmF2, convinces with a very low price and good IQ. So no surprise that over at our Fuji X Forum, the Samyang 12mm thread now has 31,828 views and 133 comments… in just 4½ months!

So maybe we should add one more point to Sigma’s thoughts shared at the beginning of this post

• There is so many awesome Fujinon glass out there, that we are afraid to fail when we compete with it, just like Zeiss!

But competition is a good thing for us customers. C’mon Sigma, join the X-mount party and make some pressure on Fuji ;) . Combine the great IQ of your glass with an aggressive price, and you will find many X-shooters ready to invest into it.

And what do you think, should Fuji really have adopted M4/3 mount?

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There is already the first short review (with Samples!!) of the XF35mmF2 and the 1.4x Teleconverter online. You can find it at whitecubestudios! This might be one of those reviews that will quickly disappear from the web… so act fast and read it here :)

NOTE: The post has been modified and the parts about the upcoming Fuji Gear deleted. For the original post read the cached version.

About the 35mmF2 the reviewer just says:

“To be honest, I wasn’t too excited about this lens when it was handed to me…. But after the first few clicks I was hooked. It’s just the right focus length to get really nice compositions with the artist, the lighting, and other random elements on stage.”

About the 1.4x teleconverter he says:

“Obviously the pro is that…. You get a tighter shot. Butting wasn’t thaaaaatt much of a difference. It was nice to have but not really necessary. The not so obvious con is that it reduces the aperture to f4…. So it lets significantly less light in and reduces the depth of field. To compensate for the exposure you would need to bump up the ISO by a full stop… And I’m not sure if I like making that sacrifice.

So to our fuji peeps… If you’re reading this, either do something about the aperture reduction to it or give us a more significant zoom…. something like 2.5x would be nice…”

[NOTE: Over at the Fuji X Forum discussion to this review, FXF member quincy says: “But the guy who wrote the review seems not to know much about lenses, since he’s asking fujifilm to defy the laws of physics“]

Samples taken with the 50-140 + 1.4x teleconverter and 35mmF2 are included in the review!

Thanks a lot to the FR-reader, who passed me the link… and if you spotted this review via FujiRumors and want to report about it on your websites, please be kind enough to tell people that you’ve got this news via FujiRumors ;)

it’s coming soon… stay tuned,
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, Google+, RSS-feed and Twitter

Curiosity spotted by a FR-reader
in the latest AUS Fuji X rebates that go until January, the only lens that shows the aperture is the 35mm. Fuji AUS might be expecting a new 35mm by January!

Shared on May, 20, 2015: The updated Fuji XF lens catalogue showing all the upcoming lenses: 35mmF2, 1.4x teleconverter, 100-400 and 120mm

What we know: Fuji purchases its APS-C sensors from Sony.
What is rumored: There is a special agreement between Sony and Fuji (& other manufacturers), that allows Fuji to use the latest Sony sensor only 6 months after Sony itself implemented it in one of its cameras. Sure, the “6 months sensor embargo clause” is “just” a rumor, no matter how reliable the source are that shared the rumor. In this particular case I investigated the rumor together with Andrea of SAR. We both agreed that there is such a clause in the contract.

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Ok, you’ve read it on SonyAlphaRumors… Sony has delayed the release of the A7000 to February! So will the X-PRO2 be delayed, too?

Well, since some people seriously claim it’s in my interested to spread bad news so that I can make more traffic (weird, isn’t it?), today I’m happy to share a good news rumor with you (and I’m ready for the shitstorm from the same folks, who will now claim I spread good news just to make more traffic ;) ). And here it is:

The source, who was right in the past and told us here the X-PRO2 will come in January, confirms the rumor. And now even another anonymous source, who uses a nick name and was right in the past (thanks), confirms: X-PRO2 will come in January.

So what… is the 6 months sensor embargo agreement just a rumor-phantasy? I don’t think so. Here some possibilities:

1) the agreements between Sony & Fuji have changed in the meantime
2) as a FR-reader suggested to me via email, “Fuji and Sony probably negotiated a “What if” clause, covering some of the contingencies if Sony failed to deliver on time. I have to believe that the Fuji lawyers were sharp enough to demand that everything wouldn’t be business as usual if Sony breached.”
3) the X-PRO2 will feature an older Sony sensor
4) the X-PRO2 will feature a Non-Sony sensor
5) After years of X-PRO2 (and X-PRO1S) rumor hunting, I’m now in a state of delirium and spread random rumors about it.

Sure, still take the grain of salt… at least until a trusted source can confirm that the X-PRO2 will come in January! But I’m carefully optimistic, that it will come in January.

stay tuned,
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, Google+, RSS-feed and Twitter

According to a new source, both, the 1.4x Tele-Converter and the weather sealed XF 35mmF2 will be announced late October.

This is a new source, so take the grain of salt, but since Fuji itself said in May, that the XF35mmF2 will be available in November, an announcement within October makes sense… always if Fuji doesn’t decide to postpone everything in the last second.

NOTE: On Febraury 2015 Fujifilm said that the 1.4x teleconverter will work with the following lenses: XF50-140mm, XF120mmF2.8 R Macro, XF100-400mm!

stay tuned,
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, Google+, RSS-feed and Twitter

Hi X-folks,

today I’d just quickly inform you that we now have a first hint about the price of the XF 35mmF2 WR. According to a source, who was right in the past, the Weather Resitant XF35mmF2 WR will cost less than the XF35mmF1.4. The source did not specify, though, if it’s for the lens alone, bundled with the X-PRO2 or in both cases. Anyway, it seems that price will be very interesting :) .

If true, then that’s a good news … my credit card is ready… it will the perfect lens for my weather sealed X-PRO2. But please note that price & release are amongst the trickiest part of the rumors, since Fuji can change it anytime. You’ll be updated as soon as I get information from trusted sources.

When will it come? Well, I remind you how already back in May, Fujifilm was pretty clear about it: the Weather Resistant XF35mmF2 will be available in November.

stay tuned,
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, Google+, RSS-feed and Twitter

XF35mmF2 WR compared to XF14mm

X-T10 + 35mmF2 WR (via lesnumeriques)