CORRECTION: Fujifilm Spain Says Classic Negative Firmware for Fujifilm X-T3 is NOT Confirmed… and I Wouldn’t Lose Hope Yet!

False Alarm

Just yesterday we reported how Fujifilm Spain said that the next X-T3 firmware update will include Classic Negative film simulation.

Now Fujifilm Spain is correcting their statement. They deleted the comment they made on Instagram and they contacted the Spanish website Fujistas and told them:

We have no official confirmation as to whether the new firmware update for the Fujifilm X-T3 camera will include the Classic Negative film simulation mode

Fujifilm Spain told Fujistas that they confused X-T3 with X-S10 (the latter one has Classic Negative).

That’s a huge pity, but if I was a Fujifilm X-T3 shooter, I wouldn’t give up hope.

Is there Still Hope?

Implementing Classic Negative to the Fujifilm X-T3 is something Fujifilm can do rather easily, as it shares the same processor of the X-T4 and X-S10. And I strongly believe that at some point somebody at the Japanese Fujifilm HQ will have a momentary lapse of reason and give out the order to put Classic Negative into the X-T3!

My idea? (not rumor)

Fujifilm might just want to wait a little bit longer to bring Classic Negative to the X-T3, to protect even more X-T4 sales, which started shipping only 6 months ago in the middle of a worldwide pandemic putting the world under lockdown and causing a worldwide economic crisis… not the best conditions to launch a new camera.

Don’t get me wrong, the X-T4 is like all other X-Tx cameras a hot seller for Fujifilm, but given how amazing* 2020 was so far, it probably didn’t meet the very high target sales Fujifilm envisioned for this camera.

Giving the X-T4 a little “artificial” firmware advantage helps a bit to bring its sales more in line with what Fujifilm was expecting and hoping.

And guys, we all want Fujifilm to survive and possibly even flourish in the camera market, and hence we must accept a bit of Realpolitik because of that.

With all that said, once X-T4 sales are better and probably passed its peak [which I expect to be in early spring 2021], I am confident Fujifilm will give us Classic Negative also on the X-T3.

*sarcastic statement