2017 was another exciting Fuji X year, and in order to cover it properly, I have shared almost 1,000 blog posts.
A lot of things happened, and maybe some of you might have missed something. So I have checked back all articles and selected some highlights for you. No FujiRumors rumors are included in this list.
It was not easy to pick out a few highlights… but below you can find the list month by month. Let us know what you consider the highlight of 2017.
SonyAlphaRumors leaked the images of the Laowa 9mm F2.8 lens, which will come soon for Fujifilm X, Sony E and Canon EOS M APS-C cameras. Below you can see some sample images, also leaked by SAR. One sample shows the distortion, which seems to be minimal.
Laowa lenses are made by the Chinese manufacturer Venus Optics, but as already highlighted by TheCameraStoreTV in their Best/Worst 2017 epsiode, we see more and more quality products coming from China, and they specifically mention Laowa lenses amongst those Chinese quality products.
Speaking of Chinese quality products, I own the small Chinese Sirui T-025x carbon Travel Tripod, which so far never let me down and I consider excellent value for the money. It might not last forever like a $1,000 Gitzo Tripod, but it’s really well made and you can buy 5 Sirui tripods for that money ;) . Recommended!
And then, think at Chinese drones or Godox speedlights and so forth. Sure, there is still a lot of cheap stuff coming from China, but we start to see some good products too… and Laowa lenses are definitely one of the best expressions of the Chinese photography industry.
So it’s great to see them offering soon native X-mount lenses.
DPReview just declared their favorite gear of 2017.
The big winner is Sony, with the best product of the year, the Sony A7rIII and more awards. Fujifilm does not win anything, but is Runner-Up in the Midrange ILC (X-E3) and Compact Camera (X100F) category.
If I should highlight just one thing that I (respectfully) do not agree with DPReview: I think the Fujifilm X100F would have made a much better “compact camera” award winner than the rather huge Sony RX10 IV.
Fujirumors is not only a great source for Fujifilm to get feedback about their products and early feedback thanks to rumors, but also a place that keeps the whole community excited and informed. And none of this would be possible without everybody, who helped me with the rumors and the news. Huge thanks to all of you for guiding me safly through the stormy Fuji waters.
The Facts
670 blog post published so far in 2017
84 rumors shared in 2017
14 rumors still to be verified (and 1 out of ranking)
65 correct rumors out of 69 verifiable rumors
4 wrong rumors out of 69 verifiable rumors
94% correct rumors
What To Expect From Fujifilm…
… and 2 Notes
The Ultimate Fuji X: I know that this camera was in Fuji’s plans, and I know they scrapped it in favor or the Fujifilm X-T2S (which is basically an “ultimate X light”). However, I decided to already move the ultimate X rumors in the wrong rumor section, because I need a public statement of Fujifilm that such plans existed to share it as a correct rumor (as it happened with the X-Pro1s)… and also because otherwise the wrong rumor section would have been empty :)
Fujinon 33mmF1: In January, I reported that the 33/1 has been scrapped. As a consequence, I launched a huge lens request poll, where the 33/1 became the most voted prime lens by the FR-community. The results might have convinced Fujifilm to think about it again, as a rumor recently suggested. Hence you will find 2 rumors down below… the one that says the 33/1 has been canceled, and the one that says there is a little bit hope again.
Australia’s leading photography magazine features the story of Star Photographer Markus Klinko. A very nice article, that you should check out at spaces.hightail… also because he now works with Fujifilm GFX (and occasionally X-T2) :)
Godox makes a nice “on camera” 1200ws flash, with the 2 AD600 on Markus’ belt. Together with the Bowens High Performance reflectors, that delivers a punch! Check out the short video here on youtube.
German Workshop in February 2018 in Norway at flipbook.schaake, martin-huelle and Fujifilm EU. There will be also a Fujifilm GFX, that all people, who participate, can try out for an entire day
I really hope you had (and are still having) a fantastic summer.
I hope you could travel, see new cities, taste new food, climb some mountains, play with the waves in the sea, photograph something that inspired you… and especially I hope you had time for your families, friends… and for yourself.
But also during this summer, FujiRumors worked restlessly on the rumors and news… and it was so busy, that you might have missed a few rumors and news during your summer break.
So I thought it could be useful to give you guys an overview of what happened over the summer in the Fuji World… also in the hope this can somehow mitigate your pain for going back at work… at least a bit… because AWESOME FUJI TIMES are coming :)
Elinchrom to Release a Fujifilm Specific HS trigger at the End of 2017 (Q4)… says a new source – read here
Metz WT-1 Trigger Coming also for Fujifilm – read here
Between all the good news, there is also a bad one: Serene Automation (Roboshoot triggers for Fuji cameras) has “temporarily suspended operations.”. More here.
Moreoever, Fujifilm wisely designed the G-system thinking at the long-term. The imminent breakthrough (some predict it at least within 2020) in the camera market of the global shutter, will make leaf shutter lenses (and DSLR’s) basically obsolete… that’s called innovation ;) .
But global shutter and lens roadmaps are a thing of the (not so distant) future. We should not forget that the Fujifilm GFX is already today quite a beast… and although not the prettiest camera on the world, the Fujifilm GFX 50s might well be, already, the best Medium Format camera out there today :)
So let’s dive into today’s roundup… and don’t forget to….
German Pro-photograher Deniz Saylan tested the Fujifilm GFX 50s vs. Leica S. In short he says that:
“Leica S has very bad AF and not very accurate. The GFX instead is more accurate and delivers sharper results even if used at slower shutter speeds compared to the Leica S. Better noise performance of the GFX. Better handling for GFX. Leica S loses the battle agains the Fujifilm GFX. The GFX is not perfect, but “impressive” and makes fun… and the clear winner against the Leica S“
And I’d add also that the GFX is much cheaper than the Leica S ;) . To read it the full feedback (in German), go to this comment on facebook.
Fujifilm GFX Vs. Hasselblad X1D
Photographylife reviewed the Fujiiflm GFX 50s and inevitably compared it to the Hasselblad X1D. And the winner is… ;)
“After months of use of both camera systems, I came to the conclusion that the Fuji GFX 50S is a far better camera to invest in when compared to the X1D-50c. Not only because of its superior feature-set (more responsive EVF, faster and richer AF system, tiltable LCD screen and a very robust menu system with tons of options), but also because it proved to be a more reliable tool. Top that with better overall image quality (see the previous page for ISO invariance tests), vastly superior battery life, ability to adapt third party lenses and far less blackouts and lags in comparison, and I really don’t see any area where the X1D-50c is functionally better. The X1D-50c is a beautiful camera without a doubt, but that’s pretty much its only strength. It has an unbearably long start-up time, poor battery life, poor feature set and constant bugs, making it a very frustrating camera to work with.”
You can read the whole Fujifilm GFX 50S Review at photographylife:
Mike Leung shared here
Point me to heaven
Giant Playground, Keetmanshoop, Namibia
GFX 50s, GF23 F4
Fujifilm GFX
In my last Fujifilm GFX roundup, some of you guys noticed that all images I shared were taken with adapted glass on GFX.
Sure, if all you care is the ultimate sharpness and clinically perfect image output, go for any of the Fujinon GF lenses. They are nothing but perfect and will just blow you away (just as X-mount glass does).
But maybe, sometimes, what you want is not the ultimate sharpness, but a certain “character”, a certain “look”, a unique rendering only some old vintage glass can give you.
And it seems that the Fujifilm GFX 50s is just the perfect system, if you want to breathe life into your old glass. It’s fun, it’s flexible (also thanks to the focal plane shutter), and it’s the most affordable medium format system in the known universe.
And hell yes… I do think I should really start again my GFX fundraising campaign, because otherwise I’m afraid that when I’m back teaching, things like these will happen all over again ;) .
Enough said, Patrick, let FR readers enjoy some good GFX stuff… so here it is :)
Damien Lovegrove Monochrome studio portraits at prophotonut
