About Kaizen, the (Disappointing) Fujifilm X-T20 Firmware… and the Sexiest Fujifilm Camera Ever Made, the X-E3

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Fujifilm X-E3

So, Jordan gave FujiRumors a shout-out on the latest TheCameraStoreTV live stream, saying he thinks the X-E3 is the sexiest camera Fujifilm has ever designed and that I can publish this statement on Fujirumors. Well Jordan, just done :)

TCSTV starts talking about the X-E3 at minute 26:50 of this video.

Fujifilm X-E3: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS

Fujifilm Firmware Updates

TheCameraStoreTV dedicated their latest live stream mainly to the topic “firmware updates”, and they mention also the firmware updates for Fujifilm cameras. They praise Fujifilm’s Kaizen philosophy, but Jordan also adds a consideration/specualtion, which I would like to highlight today here on FujiRumors.

Jordan was talking about the X-Pro2 (min. 9:00), and about how, at launch, it had no 4K video, despite being capable of it*, simply because Fujifilm did not consider video shooters to be the target of the X-Pro2. They also mention the lack of tethering, which will also come to the X-Pro2 with firmware ver. 4.00 in December 2017.

The question now is: why didn’t Fujifilm give us tethering and 4K on the X-Pro2 right at its launch?

At min 09:57 Jordan speculates:

My chief concern is that I would hate see companies hold back features at launch, so that they can make a big splash when they announce a big firmware update later, and give that camera a second life of marketing

So is Fujifilm doing this on purpose? Jordan and Chris clearly say “we don’t know“. It’s just a speculation they make.

X-T20 Firmware… Why not on Par with X-E3?

And speaking of firmware updates…

As you know, in November, the X-T20 will get a nice little firmware update, which will allow you to use the touch screen also in EVF mode.

But I wonder, why won’t the X-T20 get also the improved AF-system, the RGB color histogram and the live view highlight alert already present in the Fujifilm X-E3?

  • Maybe Fujifilm just wants to “help” X-E3 sales at its launch by giving it, for now, a little “firmware advantage” over the X-T20. And who knows, maybe, sometimes in 2018, when X-E3 sales slow down, they can give to the X-T20 a second marketing life with a Kaizen firmware update that brings it on the par with the X-E3.
  • Maybe it’s not so easy for Fujifilm to pack the X-E3 firmware into the X-T20 and Fujifilm has to do some extra coding work… hence, they need more time.
  • Maybe it’s not possible… for whatever reason

Anyway, I would like every Fujifilm camera to be always packed with everything possible as soon as possible. No camera should be “castrated” via software for market (or marketing) reasons. So if possible, whenever it’s ready (if that’s even possible), please Fujifilm, bring the X-T20 on par with the X-E3.

*Reminders:

  • Fuji Guy Billy said here that “the X-Pro2 is over-engineered and a lot of potential is not harnessed yet”, and he teased new firmware updates
  • Fuji Guy Billy said here that “4K in X-Pro2 is possible. I’m fighting with Japan for that”
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Fujifilm GFX 50S Wood Grip-Base by JB camera designs

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The new JB camera designs wood grip-base has just been announced.

The external dimensions are about 150 × 15 × 63 mm. Weight is about 77 g (including mounting screws)

You can check out all JBcameradesigns products at AmazonUS here and at their website jbcameradesigns.

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Travel Smart, Travel Light, Travel Fujifilm X

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Vietnam Travel — Hanoi / Sapa / Halong (filmed with X-T2) at zackhedelic

My Travel X Switch Story & More

Many years ago, I was hiking for a few days, alone, from Albania to Montenegro, crossing the spectacular, wild and remote Albanian Alps starting from the fascinating Koman lake, crossing the rural (and electricity-less) villages of Valbona and Theth and then all the way to Gusinje.

I warmly recommend you this trip. Albania is probably the most underestimated travel destination ever in Europe (and one of the cheapest, too). Great sea in the South, majestic mountains in the North. Go there, you will love it.

Anyway…. it was a hard walk. I slept in my tent on high passes, walked up to 9 hours a day, ate food some kind shepherds gave me… and along all the way I carried my heavy Canon gear with me.

One day I woke up on a mountain peak between Valbona and Theth. I left my tent to admire the sunrise in absolute peace. And thinking at all the way I still had to go with all the Canon gear, I took a decision: from now on I’ll travel light!

When I arrived back home I started looking at mirrorless cameras and bought the [shoplink 44354 ebay]Olympus Pen E-P1[/shoplink]… the first of a long series of mirrorless cameras, until I finally stumbled on the Fujifilm X-series.

And that was it… that was love… a love I needed to share via FujiRumors.com :)

So yes, for me, it was all about size/weight, when I decided to switch to mirrorless…. and Fujifilm’s APS-C line just hit the sweet spot between image quality, size, ergonomics and aesthetics.

Remembering all this, I’d like to dedicate a special roundup to those of you guys, who also chose Fujifilm as their favorite travel gear. I hope you will enjoy the stories and the images down below as much as I did :)

  • 25 Countries in 18 Months with the at 5050travelog
  • A photographic trip through Italy at alessandromichelazzi.com Part 1 and Part 2
  • Is X-Pro 2 the perfect camera for travel photography? X-pro 2 complete field test in Sri Lanka in French at cyrilbezzina (translation)
  • With Fujifilm on the road… at peterpoete
  • Traveling With The Fujifilm X-T1 and X100S On Vacation at KentuckyMan30 Youtube
  • Cambodia Revisited (X100F / X70) at spode

 

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Nikon Manager Says: “Professional Photographers don’t use Fujifilm. Nikon FF Mirrorless, because Full Frame is the Trend”

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Recently Nikon gave an interview to the Chinese site xitek (translation) – via mirrorlessrumors

There are few controversial statements, I would like to share here on FujiRumors, because some of their observations touch upon Fujifilm.

  • Nikon talks about their future mirrorless cameras and they say it will be full frame, because “FF is the trend“

I’m not sure we can speak of a trend.

The worldwide by far largest camera manufacturer, Canon, has introduced 3 times as many APS-C cameras in the last 2 years than FF cameras. And their mirrorless system is also APS-C.

Sony is pushing its FF system, true, but they are still releasing APS-C bodies too, which, by the way, at the AmazonUS best seller ranking sell usually better than the A7 series. So to me that’s not really a trend to full frame.

  • Nikon customer base is very broad, from novice to enthusiasts to prosumer to professional, that’s Nikon’s advantage

Sure, they have a large customer base, but this does not guarantee success. I mean, Nikon, do you remember what happened to Nokia?

I don’t think current Nikon shooters, who are right now considering to try a mirrorless system, will just sit and wait for the day that Nikon finally releases their full frame mirrorless. It’s the era of eBay… selling gear and switching systems has never been so easy.

In fact, in some countries (like USA and Germany) Sony has already surpassed Nikon in the full frame market (read here).

And despite their large customer base, Nikon had to completely drop the (already announced) DL line (read here). So the equation “large customer base = sure success” does not always work.

Moreover, Nikon had to cut 10% of its Japanese workforce (read here) and they reported “extraordinary losses [due to] sluggish and shrinking markets of digital cameras in the Imaging Products Business”.

On the other hand, Fujifilm’s imaging division is consistently making profits and growing.

  • Olympus, Sony, and Fujifilm can only cover a small part of that [market]. So far there is no professional using their products – translated by Petapixel

So, Pros don’t use Fujifilm X series cameras or the Fujifilm GFX medium format system? No comment…

Conclusion

To me, Nikon makes the best DSLRs on the market. And I always hoped for Nikon to make a serious mirrorless camera as soon as possible, because competition is a good thing for customers. The more, the merrier. So I’m looking forward to their mirrorless camera and I am sure it will be awesome.

But some statements in this interviews are, in my opinion, wrong… and maybe even a tiny bit arrogant.

If I was Nikon, I’d make my step into mirrorless with a more humble spirit, taking competition seriously and learning from lessons in the past, where giants (like Nokia) quickly lost their customer base because they did not keep up fast enough with the changing market.

It’s good that Nikon is so confident about their products and their future, but they better don’t underestimate other companies, like Sony and Fujifilm.

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