After noticing that DPReview removed their flawed XF150-600mmF5.6-8 sample gallery, I invesitaged the issue and found out that the reason for the removal was the use of not yet firmware compatible X-T4 with the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 (now confirmed by DPReview itself).
In that article, I also asked DPReview to apologize for the error and inform their community that what they saw did not reflect the real performance of this lens.
For me the story ended there, my job was done, and the next move (if any) was up to DPR.
Well, I am happy to report that DPR made its move. And hence it is fair from my side to report about it.
In the sub-section of the forum dedicated to Fujifilm cameras, Richard Butler of DPR opened a thread where he released the following statement here:
In the build-up to Fujifilm’s launches this week, we shot a series of samples with the 150-600mm F5.6-8. These were created using an X-T4 so that the X-H2S could be shot separately, allowing us to provide more samples and more information for our readers at launch.
It was only after publication we were told that the lens will not work to its full ability until firmware updates have been issued. Upon finding this out, we made the decision to take the gallery down.
We want everything we publish on DPReview.com to be valuable to our readers, which means ensuring it is both accurate and meaningful (in this case, by being representative of the lens). We apologize for falling short on this occasion.
Richard Butler
Technical Editor
DPReview.com
So what, story closed?
Well, that’s DPReviews statement, we take note of it and we certainly appreciate they went public with it (although maybe it would nice to have it on the same place, where the gallery was published, hence on the front page. But hey, no nitpicking here, that’s also fine in the sub-forum. Important is that their community is informed somehow).
There is just one sentence in that statement that, if we want to be really precise, sounds a bit off to me:
It was only after publication we were told that the lens will not work to its full ability until firmware updates have been issued.
According to our information, when Fujifilm sent DPReview the new gear, Fuji also gave them clear instructions, which included the instruction not to use any other camera on the XF150-600mm except for the X-H2S.
So, according to our sources, DPR was actually immediatly informed about it, but for some reason the instructions Fujifilm sent to them somehow got lost or not heard or misunderstood or missed or whatever.
And then, sure, after the flawed gallery went online, Fujifilm did contact them and informed them (again) about the issue with the X-T4 on XF150-600mm.
Final Word (I promise) ;)
Look, I have no reason to doubt what my sources told me. In fact, I totally trust them and I am sure it is accurate.
But I also have no reason to doubt that Richard Butler has genuinely found out only after the fact that the X-T4 could not yet be used on the XF150-600mm.
All I would like to say to Richard is that I can assure him instructions were given, and I understand that the DPR team is a large one, with lots of busy activities and pre-production gear to test and handle, and that there is the opportunity that at some point somebody inside that large team did not handle Fuji’s instructions the best way possible, hence they got lost somewhere, and unaware of the instructions, DPR started testing the lens on the X-T4.
I allow myself to give Richard this possible scenario, as I believe it is not unlikely that this is what happened. It could be useful to know this to eventually look into it and potentially find ways to make sure that such misunderstandings don’t happen again.
That’s really all.
And Richard: I look forward to the new sample gallery, the new reviews and whatever DPReview is working on, as DPReview is a huge reference point also for us Fujifilm X and GFX shooters.
with love from Italy
Patrick
