New Fujifilm and Topaz Deals…. or Why Fujifilm Prefers Mail-In Rebates over Instant Rebates (like the new up to $500 GF Lens Deals)

Topaz Deal

Topaz launched the new update on Gigapixel AI. It is also on sale until February 18.

🤖 Improved face refinement pipeline
Gigapixel AI will now do a much better job detecting human faces more often and delivering more realistic results. Tiny background faces especially should see a noticeable improvement in quality.

🖥️ Significant image quality improvements with Windows GPU
You’ll notice much better image quality across all models in Gigapixel AI when using GPU-powered Windows machines.

🧠 Reduced memory usage
We’ve streamlined how we cache and utilize image data through the entire editing pipeline, resulting in less memory usage and faster importing and exporting of image files.

⚙️ Lots of usability improvements and bug fixes
We’ve improved the post-processing resize algorithm, optimized how we compress JPG, PNG, and TIFF files when exporting, and squashed a bunch of annoying bugs.

Fujifilm Deals

Some FR-readers located in USA are a bit annoyed by the new trend of Fujifilm to offer cashback mail-in rebates instead of instant rebates (like the lastet GF lens deals with up to $500 savings).

Now, here in Europe cashback deals are the norm, but I can understand that for a customer getting the rebate instantly makes life a bit easier.

So why is Fujifilm USA following the steps of Europe?

Well, the reason is probably rather simple.

As you know, the Japanese fiscal year ends on March 31. Before that date, Fujifilm wants to show up in front of investors with the best sale figures possible.

One way to “improve” the numbers is to offer cashback deals, because:

  1. Fujifilm launches deals shortly before the fiscal year ends
  2. the deals boost sales
  3. customers initially pay full price for their gear
  4. Fujifilm will show up in front of investors with better sales numbers (it will result as if Fujifilm sold all their gear at full price)
  5. once the yearly financial report is out they will start to refund customers

This is probably also why Fujifilm writes that if you buy your discounted GF lens today, you will need up to 8 weeks to get your refund processed and delivered (hence you’ll get your money back in April, after the Japanese fiscal year is over).

Sure, then, in 2022, they will have to pay back the money and this will influence their next fiscal report. But that’s a problem for the following year. A problem that gear like the Fujifilm X-H2 will take care of, which hopefully for Fujifilm will sell very well. And if not, there is still the option for more cashback deals.

Look, if this helps Fujifilm, I am fine with it.

It’s really not that big of a deal to mail Fuji the invoice and the serial number and then wait a few weeks to get your money back. I literally just mailed them my latest purchase 3 days ago. Easy and smooth process.

Latest Deals per Category

GFX Gear

Buy within April 3 and submit your claim by May 3.

X Gear

Buy within March 27 and submit your claim by April 26.

Fujifilm GFX100S vs Canon R6: Is Medium Format Worth It? This Guy Says “No” (and My Thoughts)

Alex Barrera wonders: is medium format worth it?

In an attempt to figure out the answer, he shared a blind test using the following gear:

In the blind test, all images marked with “A” belong to one camera and all images marked with “B” belong to the other camera.

I did my the test myself, and honestly, right at the very first image comparison (see image below) I thought “oh please let “A” be the the Fujifilm GFX100S“. And lucky me, camera “A” is indeed the Fujifilm GFX100S.

Megapixel had not much to do with my preference. It’s a compressed youtube video, how could that matter. Megapixel matter more when you work with the files in post, or when you print.

My preference had more to do with the output of the Fujinon GF80mmF1.7 lens itself, which is very similar in terms of shallow depth of field to the RF 50mm f/1.2 L, but the bokeh looked just more pleasing in my eyes. Then there are other subjective elements like the colors (Provia in this case) and so forth. Overall, I mostly picked A (GFX100S).

But what about Alex? Is medium format worth it?

No, it’s not worth it, and here is why:

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

Fujifilm GFX100S Among Top Rented Gear 2021 at Lensrentals and Top 4 Stills/Hybrid Cameras

Lensrentals has listed their top rented gear for 2021.

There is only one Fujifilm gear in the list, and it’s the Fujifilm GFX100S, which Lensrentals calls their “personal favorite“.

Worth to note is that there are only 4 still (or hybrid) oriented cameras in the list, and the Fujifilm GFX100S is among them. The rest are mostly video cameras and lenses.

A pity only that those, who rented the GFX100S and then maybe wanted to buy it, very likely could not find any sample available, as that beast is mostly unavailable even 11 months after its announcement.

Down below you can find the full lists of top rented gear shared by lensrentals.

  1. Canon EOS C70 Cinema Camera (RF)
  2. Sony FX3 Full-Frame Cinema Camera
  3. Sony Alpha a1
  4. Sony FX6 Full-Frame Cinema Camera
  5. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (EF)
  6. RED DIGITAL CINEMA KOMODO 6K Camera Production Kit
  7. Nikon Z 7II
  8. Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM
  9. Leica Q2 Monochrom
  10. Aputure LS 600d Pro Daylight LED V-Mount Kit
  11. DZOFilm Pictor 20-55mm T2.8 Parfocal Zoom (EF)
  12. Fuji GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless
  13. Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM
  14. Sony FX6 Camera Kit w/ 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens
  15. DZOFilm Pictor 50-125mm T2.8 Parfocal Zoom (EF)
  16. Canon EOS C300 Mark II w/ Touch Focus Kit (EF)
  17. Blackmagic Design ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel
  18. SmallHD Cine 24″ 4K High Bright Pro Monitor

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via lensrentals

Fringer EF-GFX Pro Smart AF Adapter Firmware 1.10 Released

Firmware v1.10 is released for Fringer EF-GFX Pro (FR-EFTG1). Updating your adapter is highly suggested.

Main improvements include:

2021/12/16

Version 1.10

  1. Added following lenses to the tested and optimized lens list:
  2. Issue fixed: Lens names recorded in EXIF for the following lenses are not accurate.
  3. Bug fixed for EF85/1.4L IS: In some circumstances AF search may be very slow.
  4. Software switch functions added. When connected to a computer through a USB cable, there is a file named SETTINGS.INI in the root folder of the adapter. It’s in format of ordinary INI files. Don’t modify it unless you know how to do that. If you want to restore it to default, just remove it. The adapter will re-generate it when the next time it works on a camera body.
  5. Focus bracketing support added. By default, it isn’t turned on. To turn it on, edit SETTINGS.INI and change the value of “FocusBracketing=” from 0 to 1.

Be noted:

  • When setting focus range and begin position, don’t manually turn focus ring! Always use AF to drive focus point to the position you want. Or the focus bracketing function may not work properly.
  • When “FocusBracketing=” is set to 1 in the SETTINGS.INI, the adapter is set to native mode and some functions of the camera may change, such as the 35mm auto mode will not crop automatically, IBIS may not work properly any more, etc.
  1.  User option for power-off behavior added. On one hand, some lenses with external focus design such as some STM lenses may not be convenient to be stored in a bag when its AF isn’t on infinity. Moving AF to infinity automatically when powering off (or switching to playback mode) is preferred. On the other, some of them, e.g. EF85/1.2L II, may have very heavy front elements so that the experience of moving it to/from infinity every time switching the camera to/from playback mode is really bad. Thus, it’s better to let the user decide. We have added an option item named “PowerOffInfinity” to SETTINGS.INI. Default value (0): only some STM lenses, EF50/1.4, Sigma 70/2.8 ART, etc. will be moved to infinity when powering off/switching to playback mode. Value 1: all lenses will be moved to infinity.

Please download the firmware file and its release notes from the Fringer website here. Follow the instructions in the release notes or users manual to update your adapter. To understand the new features better, you may also refer to the new version of users manual.

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Black Friday is Over, but the Massive Fujifilm X/GFX Rebates Continue and New Topaz Deals

Black Friday is over, but not for us Fujifilm X and GFX shooters.

The deals are not many, but they are good, some of them really good.

The top 3 deals in my eyes are these ones:

The deals end on December 26, but note that the deal is not available for back orders. So it’s better to get yours as long as the gear is in stock.

Full List of Deals

Also, there is a new 25% discount on all TOPAZ products (Click here).

DPRTV Best and Worst Camera Gear 2021: Lots of Love for Fujifilm GFX100S and Fujinon XF MK II Lenses, but Best Stills Camera is…

In their usual very entertaining way, Chris and Jordan from DPRTV share their best and worst camera gear episode for 2021.

Instead of the best stills and hybrid camera categories (as they did last year), this year they axed the hybrid category and replaced it with the best video camera, which has been won by the DJI Ronin 4D. I wish they would have kept the hybrid category.

Also, there is not one overall best lens, but best lens for M4/3, APS-C and Full Frame. Medium Format is not contemplated in the lens options, so the stellar Fujinon GF80mm f/1.7 (which I use every now and then with very gratifying results) had no chance to participate to this years’ DPRTV selection.

Best Lens for M4/3

  1. Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro
  2. Panasonic/Leica 25-50mm f/1.7

Best Lens for APS-C

  1. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN
  2. Fujinon XF33 mm f/1.4 R LM WR: They are happy to see that Fujifilm is updating their older prime lenses

XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera / Moment
XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera / Moment
XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera

Best Lens for FF

  1. Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD
  2. Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM

Best Video Camera 2021

  1. DJI Ronin 4D
  2. Nikon Z9

Best Stills Camera 2021

  1. Nikon Z9: 3D AF tracking. Excellent dynamic range. 45 MP. Rugged and versatile and not the most expensive.
  2. Fujifilm GFX100S: they love image and build quality. Really premium medium format sensor with more approachable price point. Makes high end medium format accessible to a lot more people. You can’t find the camera anywhere, as everybody wants one.

Look, I own the Fujifilm GFX100S and I admire it. It stunns me over and over again. And if you want the best image quality, more then you could ever desire, then go for it. But as much as I admire it, I can’t fall in love with it as I do with my Fujifilm X gear, since it lacks of manual controls. To be clear, it is fast and stupidly easy to operate. But just not as fun. So Fuji, take the X-T form and function, and make a GFX out of it, pretty much like this prototype you’ve showen to us in the past.

And yet, it has captured some precious family memories at a quality I do not deserve :).

GFX100S: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Focuscamera / Moment

Worst Video Camera 2021

  1. Sigma fpL

Worst Lens 2021

  1. Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95

Worst Stills Camera 2021

  1. Sigma fpL

GFX100S

 

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Coming Soon: 7Artisans 25mm T1.05, 7Artisans 35mm T1.05 and 7Artisans 50mm T1.05 Cine Lenses

7Artisans is soon going to announce the following cine lenses for Fujifilm X mount:

  • 7Artisans 25mm T1.05
  • 7Artisans 35mm T1.05
  • 7Artisans 50mm T1.05

That’s some seriously fast cine lens! They look like the Cine version of the f/0.95 photo lenses:

Fellow Fujifilm X-T group member Malte already has these new Cine lenses in his hands and shared a post on the group here. His initial impressions:

What I can tell you today, this are the best build lenses I ever had in my hands. No focus breathing and the run of the focus and aperture ring is a dream…

Down below you can see some images he shared as well as the lens specs:

Thanks to Malte and you can check out his article at schlueter-enteprises.

We picked the best Black Friday Deals for you here.

Black Friday Pages

Fringer EF-GFX Video Demo Shows why PDAF is Important for Adapted Lenses vs CDAF

As we reported back in August, Fringer will officially release the Fringer EF-GFX smart autofocus adapter soon. Fringer also shared a video, showing the performance of the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 VC G2 on the Fujifilm GFX100S, which you can see here.

Now Fringer shared a small tests to show the importance of PDAF capability for adapted lenses as well as some sample photos taken by different lenses.

The gear used for the test is:

The Latest GFX Gear

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A Taste of More than Full Frame: Wedding with GFX50SII, X-T4 vs GFX100S, TTArtisan 11mm on GFX100S, Fujinon GF Lens Reviews and More

2021 was a definitely a GFX year, mainly thanks to the launch of the Fujifilm GFX100S and the Fujifilm GFX50SII. So let’s give this wonderful system a dedicated and major roundup.

GFX100S and GFX50SII

Other GFX cameraas and Lenses

  • williamchua – GFX100 + GF 250 mm f4 + 1.4xTC fantastic combination
  • williamchua – Dance Photography workshop with GFX 100
  • keithwee – Revisiting the Fujifilm GFX100 in 2021 and my beliefs on what makes a trustworthy reviewer
  • roycruz – The Everyday Medium Format Companion – Fujinon GF 50mm f/3.5 Review 2021
  • photoreview – Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR lens
  • newsshooter – Large format cinematography in a small package: Tokina Vista lenses on Fujifilm GFX100
  • blog.kasson – Copying watercolors with the GFX 100

TT Artisan 11mm Fisheye on the GFX100s

by FR-reader Neil

I have attached some images taken with the TT Artisan 11mm Fisheye on the GFX100s so that people can see what to expect. Images are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long side for ease of email. (full size can be sent by WeTransfer if required.)

  • Image 1. Straight Out Of Camera converted to jpeg – No Editing. You can see the dark corners and blue fringing in the top corners.
  • Image 2. Edited in Capture One Pro 21. Lens Correction >Distortion set to Maximum sorts out the corners but keeps the Barrel Distortion look.
  • Image 3. Affinity Photo – Lens Distortion (Go Pro Hero 3-Black) applied and it gives a good rectilinear fisheye look. (Thanks YouTuber for the Go Pro settings for this lens body combination.)

The rest of the Blacksmith in action shots using the 30mm and 45-100 are better looking images, these are to show the different stages of editing you can get with the TT Fisheye. It is a cheap, well built lens that is up there with the top brand names for image quality (but all Manual – no electronics.)

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GFX System Related Videos (GFX50SII Included)

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