DO NOT MISS IT: Mega GFX100 Announcement Live-Blogging on FujiRumors.com on May 23!!!
The Fujifilm GFX100 will be announced on May 23 and I have no doubt that it will blow us away in terms of image quality.
Beta testers all around the world are part of our Fujifilm GFX facebook group, and ready to publish images there as soon as the embargo is lifted. Join the group, to be there when this happens.
And yet, you should not wait for May 23 to join the group, since current Fujifilm GFX50R and GFX50S owners are hyperactive in our group and share an astonishing amount of stellar images. A small selection can be found down below.
Honestly, looking at what Fujifilm GFX 50R/S owners deliver already today, the Fujifilm GFX100 will have a tough challenge: raise the image quality by a margin, that people will feel it’s worth to spend $9,995 for Fujifilm GFX 100 (price leaked by Fuji manager here) instead of $3,999 for GFX 50R or $5,499 for GFX 50S.
I doubt that will be case.
On the other hand, the Fujifilm GFX100 is not only about better image quality.
The 100 megapixel GFX will raise the medium format bar in several other aspects, too: it will offer 4K video, IBIS, 50% faster autofocus, a monumental EVF (that attached on GFX 50 will not give any benfit, sadly), a faster processor and more.
At the end of the day, the combination of all this might justify the $9,995 price tag.
But soon we will be able to make up our own mind.
And in the meantime, enjoy the selection of GFX images below.
Some of you think that talking about “mirrorless endgame” or “mirrorless war” is a bit too dramatic. And yes, I actually agree with that, but also not!
I explain:
“War” or “Endgame” suggest an epic fight with violent ending. That will definitely not happen. At least not with all camera brands.
While Samsung joined the mirrorless market spectacularly with the Samsung NX1 and left just as spectacularly, by capitulating overnight, other brands will quietly disappear, reducing their products cycles, their innovations, and one day, silently, just stop it all.
The harsh truth is: in a camera market shrinking that fast, it is not plausible to think that everybody will continue grow and prosper.
So we are in the endgame now.
The good news for us customers is: companies lower their prices, beef up their cameras, race for innovation, cover us with firmware love, and fight for every single one of us.
The Fujifilm GFX100 is coming on May 23 (live blogging on FujiRumors), and I have decided to collect all we know about it in this article.
It’s a mix of rumors and official statements made by Fujifilm managers.
For your convenience, I will link to the source (rumors or manager statement), so that you guys know if you should take something with a grain of salt or not.
Most of it comes from an amazing source, who shared with FujiRumors the official Fujifilm GFX 100 media slides:
Tony Northrup took a Fujifilm GFX 50R for his Barcelona trip and now published a review about it (video above).
I will sum it up for you below, but I would quickly like to correct a few errors he made.
He says the GFX sensor surface area is 30% bigger than Full Frame, but it is actually 70% bigger. This is not correct, and Tony makes the MF sensor sound smaller than it really is.
But today I’d like to focus on how to update your camera using the Fujifilm camera remote app.
In fact, a Fujifilm manager revealed here that way fewer people than expected (and hoped) update their camera using the App.
And since the manager looked pretty sad about it, I thought I jump in and help a bit by sharing a “How To” guide on FujiRumors.
The update via camera remote is honestly pretty intuitive and straightforward, but the main goal of this article is simply to create a bit of awareness for the in-App-firmware-update-method.
So, if your camera has bluetooth, give it a try, next time your camera gets some Kaizen love.
It’s again an interesting one, that also becomes very technical when it comes to analyzing the autofocus system and lets imaging-resource conclude that Fujifilm’s PDAF technology is arguably the most advanced on the market.
Down below you can find the key points and some images of the interview. The complete one can be checked out at imaging-resource here.
Market Future & Canon Predictions
Fujifilm totally disagrees with Canon’s prediction, that ILC business is going to contract by half over the next two years
Market will depend on innovation that will come
Fujifilm believes there is room for further grow
Some markets will decline, but other markets have still potential to grow (Asian market)
Full Frame
Customers should have different options
Currently full frame has 1/3 of the market by value
2/3 of market is predominantly APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, and some medium-format
other manufacturers focus on full frame, this might open opportunities for Fujifilm as long as they keep up innovating APS-C and MF
mainly X-T3 and GFX 50R helped Fujifilm to grow by 10% total volume growth
APS-C vs FF is not just about sensor size, but also the lens size, lens weight, overall cost, or the speed, the 4K movies
people judge the system more on the overall package
Fujifilm X-T3 vs X-H line
sold better than expected
Fujifilm X-T3 sold 40% better than X-T2 if you compare to same period since launch
X-T3 and X-H1 have cannibalized each other
with the new lower X-H1 price tag, X-T3 and X-H1 sit nicely next to each other
H-series and T-series will coexist for the future, but we need to clearly differentiate the lineup without confusing customers
Lenses
XF200mmF2 is not only for sports, but also for portraits for very creamy bokeh and concerts for example
GFX System
Fujifilm GFX 50R sales are above expectation and factory is very busy
Fujifilm GFX 100 design is almost final, very early firmware, and IBIS still does not work
GFX 100 megapixel autofocus: same sensor structure as the X-T3
GFX 100 has almost zero competition, because FF is only at 50MP and other medium format cameras are very expensive
Fujifilm thinks at multi-shot high-res shooting mode for GFX100, but has not decided yet
designing IBIS is a real challenge for big MF sensor
Fujifilm is still improving image quality via firmware
GFX100 launch in first half 2019 for around $10,000
Fujifilm GFX 50S most popular lens is the GF 32-64mmF4
Fujifilm GFX 50R most popular lens is the GF 45mmF2.8
GFX 50S owners have more lenses than GFX 50R owners
GFX owners complaint about the lack of more fast lenses for the system and Fujifilm is taking into consideration their feedback
Fujifilm listens to customers and tries to make their wishes happen, but sometimes their wishes become reality is very difficult and challenging
As bright as possible, as small as possible, as affordable as possible…
same team works on GFX and X. One R&D budget and depending on needs they are flexible to shift their focus
Autofocus
X-T30 has improved algorithm which will come to X-T3
CMOS sensor is always reading by lines. So it isn’t very suitable for horizontal phase-difference […] technically we can make a cross-type system but normally, subjects are more… and horizontally-arranged PDAF pixels support them better
Fujifilm could do vertical AF correlation, but hasn’t felt the need to do it
8% of pixels are phase detection pixels (high density), good for low-light and high-frequency subjects
signal and phase pixel are read separately
we used to have like 60 regions within each AF point, but now 240
depending on the light level, the X-T3 can “bin” PDAF pixels together (basically just adding their contents) to get a better signal/noise ratio, and so be able to determine focus even in very dim lighting. Depending on how you do this, you’ll trade-off some ability to see the finest details, but it can really help in very low-light conditions
The deadline is June. Since then, the Fujifilm GFX100 must hit the stores.
Currently Fujifilm is working hard on the firmware and I asked the source, who told us in October 2018, that Fujifilm wants to implement pixel shift multishot in the Fujifilm GFX100, at which stage the development of the pixel shift mutlishot is.
Here is what it told me:
sensor/pixel shift multishot is easier to achieve with Bayer sensors than with X-Trans
the Fujifilm GFX100 will probably not have pixel shift multishot at launch
pixel shift multishot should come later on via firmware update
With pixel shift multishot the camera shoots several images while shifting the image sensor and combines them to generate images with a higher resolution than is possible with regular shooting.
Michael The Maven published his full Fujifilm XF200mm f/2 video review. He praises this lens a lot and says it’s a step above anything Fujifilm has ever made so far.
In fact, he says the XF200mmF2 is so spectacular, that it does not make sense mounted on any current Fujifilm camera.
This is why he speculates that Fujifilm will release a professional APS-C flagship sports camera in not so distant future aimed to compete with the Sony A9.
Back in early 2017 (rumors of March 3, March 14 and April 14), we told you how Fujifilm was planing “the ultimate Fujifilm X“, a feature packed APS-C hybrid stills/video camera with IBIS, that could cost around $3,000 (if not more).
However, Fujifilm hesitated if such a camera would be successful, hence vastly revised the project (rumors of July 12, July 17 and July 24).
The result was the Fujifilm X-H1, an ergonomically fantastic camera with IBIS and a new ninja-shutter, but with the core specs and battery of the Fujifilm X-T2.
Rumors and Poll
Let me say it clearly: I have no indication at the moment that would allow me to say with confidence that Fujifilm revived plans for the ultimate Fujifilm X. Hence I can in no way confirm Michael’s speculation.
All that is sure is that Fujifilm had such plans in the past (2017), and Fujifilm can put that same project on the “to-do” list anytime again, just like it happened with the Fujinon XF33mm f/1.0, another project Fujifilm froze in for a few years, and then revived later on (also thanks to the pressure the FujiRumors community made).
Coincidence wants that a few days ago FR-reader Nathan contacted me with a survey suggestion, that fits perfectly into today’s article. Nathan wrote:
“I would like to purpose a simple survey for your readership. Should Fujifilm create a Fujifilm X-T3Pro to compete with the Sony a7000“
IMHO, a Fujifilm X-H2 with latest technology and bigger battery below $2,000 (vertical grip included) would be more than enough to satisfy the needs of wildlife and sport photographers and there is more urgent need for something like the Fujinon XF400mm f/4 to attract more of them into the X system.
But let me know what you think in the comments down below and feel free to vote the survey on if you would you like (or not) Fujifilm to revive plans for the ultimate feature packed (and expensive) Fujifilm X.
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