Fujifilm Manager: “70% of GFX Users Came from Full Frame. X-H and X-T Line Will Both Evolve in Future” – Hope for Fujifilm X-H2

May 24, 2019
News, Rumors
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Fujifilm GFX100

Fujifilm Channel X has published an 45 minutes interview with Fujifilm managers from Fujikina 2019. See the video above (sadly not so good audio quality) and a summary down below.

Fujifilm GFX 100: B&H Photo, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera, CalumetDE, ParkcamerasUK, JessopsUK, PCHstore

The Market

Fujifilm GFX100 market is not the traditional medium format market
GFX 50 already aimed to amateur customers in addition to high-end photography
70% of Fujifilm GFX 50R/S buyers come from full frame. So not only people switch from Hasselblad and Phase One to GFX, but also FF users
the GFX system expanded the larger format market, and GFX100 will continue to expand it
GFX100 should expand market also towards movie shooting photographer

The GFX100 strenghts

compared to full frame, GFX system has better image quality in terms of ISO performance, dynamic range and resolution
traditionally large format camera (including film) are big and for tripod use, but GFX system is smaller, and GFX100 has also IBIS, hence less need for tripod
GFX100 is about autofocus, mobility, quality

EVF

Fujifilm GFX 50 EVF works on GFX100, but GFX100 EVF on GFX50 will not work

GFX Lineup and GF lenses

GFX100 is not a replacement for GFX 50s/r. It targets different customers
GFX100 is more professional photographer centric
IBIS does not fit in GFX50 line-up, but Fujifilm is researching how to incorporate IBIS in smaller cameras
tilt shift will one of the future options, but Fujifilm has to do also other lenses
technically Fujifilm can do fisheye lenses. However, fisheye lenses are difficult to precisely design for light control, hence difficult to design in a way that it makes justice to the GFX quality. Fujifilm wants to release only lenses that match the high quality of the camera sensor
When asked if Fujifilm will make 1.4 lenses like on full frame cameras, Fujifilm said that of course “numbers” are a quite strong message to the market, but the GF 110mm f/2 has already nice bokeh. With wider aperture, lenses will become bigger and heavier. What is better, f/2.0 with very beautiful bokeh, or f/1.8 with slightly shallower DOF but also bigger and heavier lens?

Future Steps and Firmware Updates

After GFX 50S launch, the main request was improve AF speed. GFX100 addresses this
Next step is to make the GFX system smaller, lighter and cheaper to make it even more popular
Fujifilm GFX 50S/R can’t reach APS-C autofocus speed level, because the sensor is older, nor match GFX100 speed, since they have no PDAF
If Fujifilm can improve GFX50 algorithm, they will improve AF via firmware update
MF glass is heavier and hence need more powerful AF motors

Auto White balance Issue

Interviewer says the white balance on GFX is too red, whereas it is fine on APS-C X series cameras. Fujifilm replies that they did not get feedback from community so far about bad white balance. Actually they consider the white balance a strength. But if customers have problems, they will look into it

Full Frame Mirrorless Competition

Canon and Nikon are just shifting from DSLR to Mirrorless. DSLR is going down. Customers shift to mirrorless.
High end camera sales are rather flat, people shift from high-end DSLR to high-end mirrorless
Full frame is 35% of total market
in 2018, full frame camera sales have increased from previous year, but mainly not new customers, but DSLR full frame customers who bought into full frame mirrorless

APS-C vs Full Frame

The good thing is that customers start to look into mirrorless system, and take also Fuji into consideration, especially after the Fujifilm X-T3 launch, since customers look into stills/movie hybrid cameras
Customer think to go full frame with slightly bigger system, or a bit smaller APS-C sensor with a bit smaller bodies and higher movie specs
Fujifilm wants to challenge full frame from both sides, APS-C and MF, but not battle on the overcrowded FF field directly
APS-C and MF can’t always have totally the same functions, because smaller APS-C files have less data to process

Will IBIS on X-T line kill the X-H line?

Interviewer ask if there will IBIS come to Fujifilm X-T4 and Fujifilm X-T40? Fujifilm laughs and says what an X-T40 is :)
Interviewer asks if there will be a Fujifilm X-H2 at some point, or if the Fujifilm X-T4 will merge the X-H and X-T system into one camera
The interviewer thinks that if X-T series has IBIS, there is no need for X-H line anymore
The manager answers that customer buy X-H1 because of IBIS, but also because of bigger grip and better durability
The X-H and X-T camera concept is totally different, so both lines will be evolving in future
Fujifilm X-H1 is still selling, because there are customers who say they don’t need the latest specs, but IBIS is more important

Fujifilm X-Pro3, Firmware Updates, Lens Scratch

Interviewer says that X-H1 images have more noise than X-T2 images, but Fujifilm says it should be the same ISO performance, since they share the same internals and same noise reduction processor
Fujifilm X-Pro3? Fujifilm says they do not talk about the future
Fujifilm X-H1 and X-T2 are currently on the best level, but if better algorithm will be found in future, there will be firmware updates. However, internally Fujifilm has also to make decision on which models to focus when it comes to firmware updates: old models or newer/future models
Interviewer says lens body is easy to scratch and if Fujifilm will improve the body and make it more scratch resistant and competitor lenses are more durable. Fujifilm says it depends on the lens and more modern lenses are more durable. Also, depends on price of the lenses, lower price lenses have different coating over higher priced lenses

Fujifilm App

Interviewer requests landscape mode with the App. Fujifilm took note
WiFi module has a direction,, so depending on where you stand, connection can be more stable or not. Every camera has the WiFi unit placed differently. Fujifilm tests which directions give the strongest signal
Interviewers desires a smoother live view in app. Fujifilm says they will look to improve transfer speed