With 2025 basically over and the internet is grading the Fujifilm year 2025.
For example, in a lengthy podcast, these are the grades of the PetaPixel team:
- Jordan: B-
lots of repackaging of same tech. He likes X half concept, but not the camera. AF needs to improve
- Chris: B-
no new lenses (admin note: that’s not correct). Autofocus has to improve
- Gordon: A
a lot of releases in different formats. Squeezing last drops out of 5th generation. His guess: next year X-Pro4 will introduce new sensor
- Jaron: A
Jaron agrees with Gordon. We got LUT’s. X half deserves praise for a company trying something different.
Fuji X Weekly graded every single release:
- GFX100RF: A+
- X half: B-
- X-E5: A
- GFX Eterna 55: A-
- X-T30 III: B+
- XF23mmF2.8: A-
- XC13-33mm: C
- GF32-90mm: A
Overall he gives it a B ranking.
And my votes?
I’ll rank it from best to worst.
- X-E5: A++++++…. taking a breath… +++++++++++
I might be biased… or maybe I am not? ;) It’s the most enjoyable Fujifilm camera I have ever used. Looks great, feels great, I love the film sim dial, trusted 40MP X-Trans V image quality. It’s my all-time favorite Fujifilm camera to date.
I own the XF27mmF2.8, which is awesome. But the XF23mmF2.8 from an image quality point of view is even better. Wonderful little lens
It makes a whole lot of sense that Fujifilm released a medium format version of the X100, and they did a great job. Some might want IBIS, a faster lens etc, but then you don’t get the compact size. And in my opinion Fujifilm did well to prioritize size, especially considering the massive flexibility of the GFX files.
So often I have seen people complaining Fujifilm does not care about affordable entry level, that everything is too expensive. Well, this lens addresses this huge criticism, and it does it with an astonishing image quality.
Again, this addresses the complain of the lack of entry level cameras with EVF in the Fujifilm ecosystem. Keeps the loved X-T30 form factor with X Processor 5 boost.
The price is simply too high—on that, I think we can all agree. The concept itself may also be a bit too experimental for some, and that’s a fair criticism.
Still, I will always applaud Fujifilm when they dare to do something different in an otherwise increasingly monotonous camera market. This is their way of trying to offer a genuinely different photographic experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t—but at least Fujifilm is willing to try.
The X Half itself is highly divisive—some love it, others don’t. I haven’t had the chance to shoot with it yet, so I can’t pass final judgment, but there are definitely some features that intrigue me.
Well, I guess it’s a good lens for filmmakers, maybe even a stunning lens. So the “C” is not for the lens itself, but for the need of such a lens: are there really so many filmmakers shooting GFX out there?
I said I am worried…. and I still keep being worried about this project, especially since, unlike I hoped, I don’t see any benefits trickle down for other X/GFX cameras. Nothing wrong with the camera itself, but it looks like an R&D resources killer.
And You?
You voted your best and worst 2025 gear here (third party AF lenses included).
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