I just came back from my work, when FR-source drphotorumor shared this information with me. As to expect, other lenses shown in the new roadmap will be weather sealed too: the 16-55mm f/2.8 and 50-140 f/2.8!
In the meantime also digicame-info is working restlessly. Over at his website (click here) he just announced some prices for the grips (in Yen, obviously). All in all, I’d expect the vertical grip to cost between $/€ 200 – $/€ 250.
Estimated retail price of the vertical position battery grip VG-XT1 of X-T1 for about 25,000 yen.
Estimated retail price of the hand grip MHG-XT of X-T1 for about 13,000 yen.
My friends, it’s coming, and I hope my students will aplogize me, when tomorrow I’ll go at work just a “little bit” tired. I’m ready with coffee and some good music in the background…. and a lot of excitement!
You’ll have to manage your impatience just for a few more hours. Soon everything will be real!
And you should not miss today’s X-pert corner first look at the 56mmhere.
Fujifilm is now pushing their next X summit all over their social media.
And on one of them, they show what looks like a very small camera in a trouser pocket, accompanied by the word “mobility“.
This is very likely a teaser for the upcoming Fujifilm X-M5.
And while we don’t see much of the camera, we can notice one little detail: besides being very compact, the Fujifilm X-M5 will feature a front command dial, which was not available on its predecessor, the Fujifilm X-M1, nor in any of its X-A line siblings as far as I recall.
According to reports from the Chiense Weibo account 独立摄影师联合会, three (3) Chinese lens manufacturers are developing autofocus zoom lenses, as reported here.
It’s unclear how many of them will be also for APS-C, but for sure at least one brand will be offering also an APS-C zoom lens.
In the Chinese prime lens world, we often see just the very same lens being re-branded over and over again. Let’s hope this won’t be the case with these zoom lenses, and that they all will be unique zoom lenses that not only differentiate from each other, but will also offer something not yet available in the Fujifilm X mount world.
That’s a legit question, also considering that, in rare occasions, updating the firmware can actually introduce new bugs (this happens with every brand, Sony, Nikon, Canon and Co. They all struggle with that).
So why update the firmware for a minor thing if your gear works just fine?
Well, unless your gear has a specific issue that the firmware update addresses, it’s generally a good idea to wait a bit before updating. Just to see if some issues come up with the new firmware.
I don’t do that, honestly. I update immediately. But I also don’t photograph weddings or do professional work with my gear (oh well, except for this wedding, but that one I shot for free).
And yet…
even if the firmware addresses a “minor bug”, I strongly recommend to update anyway sooner or later..
Why?
Well, because sometimes the bugs are not really “minor”.
For example: in 2020 Fujifilm released a firmware also for X-T4 and it gave us a “minor bug fix”. At that time I was in holiday in Southern Italy and I took some time to try to find out what it really fixed. Well, it turned out the minor bug fix was actually a major one, as it drastically reduced the exposure stepping in video.
This was a major complaint and a major bug fix, but Fujifilm did hide it behind the phrase “fix of minor bugs“.
Other times, the “minor bug” might be better called an “embarrassing bug fix”. In fact so embarrassing, that Fujifilm (but that’s valid also for other brands) doesn’t want you to know what it is, hence they don’t elaborate on that.
For example, I think it was the X-Pro1 that got a “minor bug” fixed, but what it really fixed was that the focus point worked “mirrored”, so if you moved the AF box to the bottom right of the frame, the camera would actually focus on the top left of the frame.
This is why ultimately I always recommend to update your gear, even if Fujifilm calls it just a smaller bug fix.
If you want, wait a couple of weeks and then see if there are reports here on FujiRumors or in Fuji Forums about problems with the firmware. And if there aren’t, update! What Fujifilm calls “minor” might not really be that minor in the end.
And in any case remember: if for some reason a firmware would break certain features of your camera, Fujifilm will release a free follow-up firmware fix and don’t charge you $700+ like Sony :D.
I speak four languages. This linguistic advantage allows me to encounter a multitude of perspectives and follow many more content creators than probably most of you.
And in my journey feeding my Fujifilm hunger on YouTube I stumble on just everything: from huge channels notorious for their clickbait titles and superficial knowledge of the Fujifilm system, to the hidden gems that, despite their depth of expertise, haven’t gained the recognition they truly deserve.
Over the years, I have learned to filter out those I trust from those I don’t.
One of the guys I trust is Andrea Cimini.
Who is that guy you ask?
A professional sports photographer using Fujifilm since many years now. And we actually shared his channel once here already:
While things have improved with the latest firmware, there are still some issues.
In a nutshell we could say: the older firmware of Fujifilm’s 5th generation gear is superior to the newer firmware.
Andrea Cimini for example explains how with firmware 1.00 in his X-H2S he got awesome results compared to the ones he is getting now with firmware 7.00.
Same goes for Thierry Gibralta, who compared X-H2S firmware 1.03 vs 7.00, and you can clearly see that, side by side, the 1.03 firmware is much more solid, with great tracking, little to no pulsing and definitely a very solid autofocus that can be easily trusted.
And it’s also this initially solid autofocus, that convinced Andrea Cimini to buy the Fujifilm X-H2S for his sports photography.
The Problem in Depth
Now, since I guess many of you do not speak Italian, I will sum up the video of Andrea in bullet points. But if you can, watch the video (and follow him).
in the last year, the firmware updates of Fujifilm were not reliable
when he tested the X-H2S with firmware 1.00, he was stunned and thought Fujifilm finally caught up with the best
he tried the X-H2S at several sport events and in one bicycle race with 400 people participating
he took 2,300 pictures and only 27 were out of focus (98.8% in focus)
over time, the more he updated the firmware, the more the autofocus got worst
with eye detection, some times the eye detection says the eye is in focus, but it is not
the hit rate at 10-15 fps drops a lot
in sports photography, when in 5 to 8 fps, the hit rate is between 80% to 95%
in sports photography, when in 10 to 15 fps, the hit rate is between 30% to 50%
if the situation in sports photography are particularly difficult (backlight, inside a forest, etc), the hit rate drops further
linear motor lenses don’t focus so “linear” in video. He compares the 16-55mm with LM vs the 18mm with LM and the 16-55 is smooth, but the 18mm is jerky
firmware 7.00 improved things and the hit rate went up. But it’s still not where it was with the initial firmware
So why does he still stick with Fujifilm?
best value for money ratio
he shares a chart where he compares a Sony and Fujifilm system, and a Sony system would cost him 5,000 Euro more than a Fujifilm system
moreover, he grabbed the flagship Fujifilm X-H2S vs the non-flagship Sony A7IV
The X-H2S has better EVF, better LCD, faster bursts, better video specs, etc.
With Sony A7IV he would make an upgrade in terms of Autofocus, but a downgrade on pretty much all the rest
He ends up saying that Fujifilm Italy contacted him asking all the details about the problems he is encountering, the settings etc, and that they would forward everything to Fujifilm Japan.
He still believes in the brand, there are lots of reasons he wants to stay with it (which he quickly lists in the video). So please Fujifilm, do something about the autofocus.
The Easy Solution
So, Andrea Cimini and Thierry Gibralta have shown that the first iterations of Fujifilm’s 5th generation autofocus was solid and significantly superior to what we have now.
Solid tracking, incredibly high hit rates at fast fps, smooth focus transitions with little to no pulsing and so forth.
So the solution could be actually a pretty easy one: Fujifilm should take that older AF algorithm and just put it back into their 5th generation cameras.
But as of now, the choice users have is: should I upgrade to the latest firmware to get all the other goodness that Fujifilm has generously given us for free (Reala Ace, red frame indicator, etc), or downgrade at my own risk, give up on Reala Ace & Co, but have again the great autofocus of almost 2 years ago?
I made the choice for myself already. I upgraded. But I don’t really shoot critical sports photography. And for my use, the latest X-T5 June firmware has fixed the issues that arose with the April firmware. In fact, I used it for a family travel in Rome and Tuscany and it worked just great for me. So I rather keep Reala & Co, as the autofocus is good for my type of use.
And honestly, I do not recommend anyone to make DIY downgrades. If anything goes wrong, you won’t be covered by warranty.
The way to go is to ask Fujifilm to give us the autofocus solidity they once already had. Take that older algorithm and give it to us. And then, build up even better from there.
This is probably one of the most exciting rumors of the year. At least for me, but I guess also for many of you.
Are you read for it?
Well, then have fun reading the rumor below.
Because I know many of you are waiting for exactly this lens.
Why?
Because the original MKI version is certainly loved and used by many, but it starts to show its age.
And now that third parties entered with their own, similar offerings, it was time for Fujifilm to refresh it.
And they’ll do it!
Because according to our trusted sources (THANKS!!!), Fujifilm is working on the successor of the Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 lens.
The Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8, also called “the brick” among fellow X shooters, is a fantastic lens and a true workhorse for many fellow X shooters our there.
However, at this point in time it is also an older lens in Fujifilm’s lineup.
And given that there is strong competition now in that segment, see for example the Sigma 18-50mmF2.8, an update to the Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 is definitely not only welcome, but also needed.
Stay tuned on FujiRumors if you want to know more about it ;).
The patents have been spotted by the Japanese website asobinet.
And remember, Fujifilm has also patented this foldable smartphone, so that one has to come soon, too :).
More seriously: Fujifilm recently said they have 10 lenses currently under study. Look up at those to see a more realistic list of lenses that might come at some point.
Here are the top articles for January. And because it was a rumor-intese month, I extend the list to the top 15 articles, as opposed to the usual top 10.
