Yesterday a trusted source told us, we should get ready for a new lens coming on May 18th (along with the X-T10). Well, it seems that it could be the XF90mmF2 lens.
In fact, the Austrian store foto-koeberl-graz has the XF90mmF2 lens listed on their website. No Price, no specs… just an expected availabilty: July 31!
Seems like we will have a nice Double Announcement on May 18th!
Talk to Rico (open forum for questions & feedback)
Rico’s Books at Rocky Nook – Fuji X Secrets Workshops – Rico’s Flickr Sets
—
Today, Fujifilm announced another major firmware revision for the X-T1: Version 4 introduces a new autofocus system with zones and object tracking based on pattern recognition. It’s also faster and more accurate, and it’s easier to use. Over the past weeks, I was able to gather practical experience with several work-in-progress versions of what’s coming in late June. I am happy to share these experiences in this article.
Before we begin, I’d like to respond to more than two dozen inquiries I have received regarding the proposed Fuji X Secrets workshops in Santa Barbara, CA. Here’s the deal: It’s happening! There will be a 2-day workshop on the weekend of July 18 and 19 at the offices of Rocky Nook (my publisher), and those of you who have already contacted me via email will get a heads-up to register before everyone else. For the best possible learning effect, only 8 places will be available, so if you haven’t already contacted me to express your interest, now is your last chance to do so. You can find out more about my workshops and my contact information here.
Firmware 4 offers several improvements with regards to usability, such as exposure compensation in manual mode with Auto-ISO, expanding the T setting on the shutter dial to cover the full range of available shutter speeds (30s – 1/32000s), getting rid of the macro button (you may want to reassign the button to select the new AF modes), displaying finer gridlines that obscure less of the actual scene, or replacing the term Silent Mode with something we can actually understand.
However, the most significant innovation in firmware 4 is the new autofocus system: It includes improved single-point focussing, introduces new zone focussing and finally offers “real” subject tracking over the entire sensor area. Click here for an overview of what’s new in firmware 4.
Here we go guys, the FW has just been announced, exactly on May 11, as predicted here on FR back in April.
Now all you have to do is to read the list of improvements, enjoy it and find a way to somehow manage your impatience until late June, when the firmware will finally be available for download!
“This update follows on from a previous major functionality improvement for the X-T1 introduced on December 18th, 2014 and shows that Fujifilm continues to listen to customer feedback to boost the performance of X-Series cameras, ensuring many years of continued use.“
Here is the list of improvements:
(1) New AF system with Zone and Wide/Tracking modes for effortless capture of moving subjects
(2) Improvement of AF accuracy (The built-in phase detection pixels have the detection range of 0.5EV, an improvement from the previous 2.5EV, delivering phase detection AF performance that enables fast focusing in low-light conditions and on low-contrast subjects.)
(3) Eye Detection AF
(4) Auto Macro mode
(5) AF improvement in the Movie mode
Other Improvements
(1) Improved Shutter Speed Dial operation
(2) Exposure Compensation control in Manual.
(3) Finer lines on the framing grid enhances visibility
(4) Name of Silent mode changed to avoid confusion
What a great sunny Sunday here in… the mountains ;) . I’ll try to go out and enjoy it, right after today’s third article is online (Posted Earlier Today: First REAL LIFE X-T1 image leaked – Full list of X-T1 firmware ver. 4.0 features).
But before I leave, I couldn’t wait to share this with you:
A top trusted source just dropped me an email and said: “Get ready for a New Lens on May 18th!!!” Although the source didn’t specify which lens will be unveiled, I guess that a quick look at the roadmap will help you to find the answer.
I guess they will take off the image soon, but for now, if you go to Flickr here, you can see the X-T10 in real life (wich XC16-50). It lookes exactly like the images leaked here in the last few days!
Enjoy it, before the photographer takes it off from his Flickr here
