Given how well the Nikon D500 performed in last year’s test, this was a much closer result than we expected. However, the Fujifilm X-T2 consistently turned in better images with better detail and less noise in all the situations we put it in. The inclusion of the focus-selector joystick helped both in terms of selecting focus points and with navigation of menus, letting it bridge the gap in usability compared to the competition. And while it doesn’t have the biggest buffer, the ability to go for 42 frames at 14 fps is certainly sufficient when you add the scary accuracy of the camera’s autofocus system.
It’s also able to produce 4K videos with support for output to external monitors and audio monitoring, making a better all-rounder. The support for dual cards also gives it an advantage over the A6500 for professionals, as it allows for immediate in-camera backup of your images. Compared to the D500, it’s also about S$400 cheaper while offering the same level of weather sealing and robustness, so with all the right boxes checked, we declare the Fujifilm X-T2 the winner of this shootout.
Brett: “My image of Meron Benti on the cover of Middlebury Magazine is up for consideration at the American Society of Magazine Editors Best Cover Contest 2018, competing against the likes of New Yorker, Nat Geo, Essence, and numerous others. It’s a huge honor just to be included in the field. Relevant to your site is that I made the image with a Fuji X-Pro2 and 35mm ƒ/1.4 lens. The contest page is here: American Society of Magazine Editors facebook.” The Fujifilm Cover is this one.
Fujinon (and third party X-mount) Lenses
The amount of links I get from you guys is terrific, and I will give my best to feature you all. Today, amongst all the submissions and request I got, I will feature those who specifically talk about Fujinon lenses.
Yes, I know, a Nikon Manager said that “Professional Photographers don’t use Fujifilm”. And yet, for some reason, I keep up reading stories and seeing youtube videos about photographers switching to Fujifilm.
And speaking of switching… something against a few nice switch weekend stories? Nope? Then here are a few of them :)
And don’t forget to follow FujiRrumors on Facebook, RSS-feed, and Twitter… because the Fujifilm X-H1 is coming, and we are going to have lots of rumors and interesting news to share. Don’t miss them, and join us ;) .
From Canon to Fujifilm
As we reported in this roundup already, Mark Duffy borrowed a Fujifilm X-T2 from a friend and compared it to his Full Frame Canon 6D… and we already saw him quite surprised about the quality of the Fujifilm X-T2.
So his struggle began… should he do it? Should he really switch to Fujifilm?
Well, we got the answer in his recent video here, and yes, he sold all his Canon gear and is now shooting Fujifilm.
But before I highlight a few points he made, a special note goes to Mark’s unboxing video, which is by very far the best I have ever seen. Watch (and enjoy) it here at minute 0:39.
Some things he really likes about Fujifilm:
focus peaking for his landscape photography
the controls and functionality of camera/lenses
overal user experience
great menu and user interface
Canon looks like a dinosaur compared to the Fujifilm with highlight blinkies, focus peaking and Kaizen firmware update
the kit lens (XF18-55) is fantastic
Fujifilm cameras are underrated. Why don’t more people talk about? There is too much talk about Sony.
From Nikon to Fujifilm
Another guy, who is super happy to have switched from DSLR (Nikon) to Fujifilm is Gemini Connect.
He highlights also one aspect, which are the Fujifilm controls and the overall compactness, which makes him feel much more free than with his Nikon, and helps to boost his creativity.
At the end, my friends, somewhere inside we always remain kids. And it’s a well known fact that “fun” and “play” is the best way to trigger kids’ (and our) creativity.
And luckily, Fujifilm cameras are a whole lot of fun :)
his first Fujifilm was an X100S, and his Nikon DSLR’s started getting dust
compact size, doesn’t kill your shoulder, you feel free, especially with X100 series
brilliant JPEG’s thanks to Fujifilm film simulations… they basically photoshop images for you. Difficult to match the quality of film simulations by your own
shoots in low light very well
Given Fuji’s quality, I don’t see a reason for full frame
controls
I feel more free and creative with Fujifilm cameras
Panasonic has always been on the forefront, when it comes to the IBIS technology. Along with Olympus, they offer the best IBIS on the market, superior to the one of Sony.
But all that glitters is not gold.
IBIS has its downsides too, and at the recent launch of the Panasonic GH5S, they explained us why they decided to leave out IBIS from their new low light video monster.
Let’s start with an interview given by a Panasonic manager to Cinema 5D here:
“The Panasonic GH5s is a high-sensitivity camera, and such a camera is used more with a tripod rather than handheld. This is one of the reasons for there being no dual IS.
However, when shooting without a tripod, since our lenses are internally stabilised, we think it will be enough. When used handheld under low light conditions, a gimbal will be used by many customers. So we think there is no problem if no body IS is provided.”
Also, cameralabs explains here that the sensor of the GH5S is actually a bit bigger than conventional M43 sensors [because of multi aspect ration] so that the IBIS mechanism does not really fit into the GH5S.
Another important downside is mentioned by official Panasonic ambassador Tyler, who said at the TCSTV GH5S live stream here:
“Where in the cinema world do you see in body image stabilization? It’s just not a thing.
The reason is heat dissipation. […]
Panasonic did a poll with the shooters they have designed the GH5S for, and they said “look, we are going to put this on a rig, we are going to put this on a stabilizer, we don’t need IBIS. It’s going to affect our image.”
Having internal IBIS is going to increase the noise because of the heat. It’s just one more way to reduce noise in this camera.”
Less heat means less noise, and I’m sure many of us have already experienced this, when we shoot astrophotography out on a cold night, that ISO performance improves, due to the cold temperatures.
Just Turn IBIS Off?
If you don’t like the IBIS side effects, just turn it off, right?
It’s still not an optimal solution.
DPreivew writes in their GH5S first impressions here:
“From a photographic perspective it may seem odd to remove image stabilization from the camera but for high-end video shooting, it makes sense.
Sensor-shift IS systems operate by ‘floating’ the sensor using a series of electromagnets. Even when they’re ‘off’ they’re not locked in place, they’re simply set so that the electromagnets aren’t attempting to correct for movement. This has the side-effect that, which mounted on a professional stabilization rig, there’s a risk of the sensor being shaken around.
For high-end video work, Panasonic says its users would prefer to use dedicated gimbals and dollies, rather than internal stabilization, and that means physically locking the sensor in place to avoid unwanted interactions between these systems and a floating sensor.”
And indeed, if you watch the Swedish video I linked above at minute 3:15 (youtube link here), you will see here how the Panasonic GH5, even with IBIS switched off, keeps up moving mounted on a car, while the GH5S is perfectly stable.
What is Better, OIS Vs. IBIS
Canon & Nikonsay that OISis better than IBIS, because:
With OIS, each lens is optimally tuned to achieve reliable correction.
OIS allows faster and more accurate AF & exposure metering, because the image comes already stabilized to the camera sensor (an advantage you’ll notice especially in low light).
OIS is more effective with long telephoto lenses
And now we can also add two more Cons to IBIS
4. depending on the lens used, IBIS can introduce more or less vignetting
5. heat generated by IBIS introduces more grain to the images
But also IBIS has some strong PROs
if you often use slower non-stabilized lenses, IBIS is a very useful feature. I’m thinking especially at old glass users, like the X-shooters from the “old lenses for dummies” thread. They would suddenly have all their lenses stabilized.
You pay for IBIS just one time, while you have to pay the OIS for each lens you get
Allows you to use features like sensor shift to create high-resolution images (only if your subject is perfectly static)
Can be used in combination with OIS (if your camera manufacturer has the proper firmware to make them run together, which should not be the case of the X-H1… at least for the start)
Some say that IBIS also adds size, weight and costs to the camera body… but well, OIS adds this size, weight and costs to the lens.
These are just some Pros and Cons. A more in-depth comparison can be read at photographylife.
But if You want the Ultimate Image Quality…
At the end, OIS or IBIS, if you really want the ultimate and very best image quality possible, then any form of in camera or lens stabilisation has to be avoided whenever possible.
Personally, I have OIS switched off most of the time on my lenses, and only when I see it’s too dark and I don’t work on a tripod, and my lens is not fast enough, then I turn it on. But for as much as possible, I try to avoid it.
But don’t get me wrong… when I switch on OIS, I consider it a very useful feature, especially Fujifilm’s top notch OIS system.
Oh, and Remember…
And always keep in mind: both, OIS and IBIS, will only compensate the shakiness of your camera and NOT for the movements of your subject (leaves in the wind, persons, animals, cars etc).
To compensate for the “shakiness of the outside world“, in bad light, you simply need fast lenses, and luckily Fuji has many F1.4 and F1.2 lenses to offer
Do I want IBIS?
I confirm what I said back in 2015 here: Yes! Fujifilm should offer a camera with IBIS. And I’m glad Fujifilm will offer IBIS in the upcoming Fujifilm X-H1.
And I don’t care if CaNikon say OIS is superior, and I don’t even care if Panasonic says today that IBIS has some more downsides than the ones highlighted by CaNikon.
What I know is that it is still a useful feature in certain circumstances.
And last but not least, the market demands IBIS.
And if Fujifilm wants to survive in a market that is shrinking and where you fight for every single customer, then Fujifilm has to give photographers at least the option to get an IBIS camera… and luckily this option comes very soon with the Fujifilm X-H1.
As we reported here, the Fujifilm X-H1 will be powered by the very same X Processor Pro that it already inside the X-T2, X-Pro2, GFX 50S and more.
However, there was some speculation that the Fujifilm X-H1 might/will have 2 X Processor Pro’s… speculation that got even stronger, after we reported about:
But where does this speculation of the two X-Processor Pro chips come from?
It all started with an interview a Fujifilm manager gave here in February 2017, where, at the launch of the GFX, he said:
“The GFX has the same processor as the X-T2 and X-Pro2, actually it has got two of those processors”
I know, some people believe he actually ment “dual processor” (the current X-T2/Pro X Processor Pro is a dual processor), but at least in the way the manager said it, it really sounds like he ment 2 separated X Processor Pro.
UPDATE: However, in the description of the video, after the first reports here on FR they added:
“In the video it’s said that the camera had a dual processor which is incorrect. The early plans for GFX was to have a dual processor but it’s been confirmed that it actually has a single processor.”
So one (dual) processor only. At least this is the official statement. Probably the manager just mixed up dual with two at the end.
So far I couldn’t find any official proof of the fact that the Fujifilm GFX 50S has two processors. Fujifilm does NOT mention this in any of their official specs sheets. And that’s strange to me… I mean, if Fujifilm really put two processors into the GFX, then why not share it proudly in public? Why should Fujifilm hide such a feature? Of course I can’t exclude the fact that the GFX has 2 processors (as the Fujifilm manager said)… I just wonder why Fujifilm does not share it publicy in the official spec papers.
The (Possibly) Real Reason
Now back to the Fujifilm X-H1…
I can’t exclude the fact that the Fujifilm X-H1 will have 2 processors, as I can’t exclude anything at this stage. Let’s wait for the full specs at the official announcement on February 14… maybe Fujifilm will tell us more by then.
But my humble and very personal opinion so far is that the rumored AF and EVF black-out improvement comes from the better heat dissipation the bigger Fujifilm X-H1 body allows.
Better heat dissipation means Fujifilm can make the X Processor Pro run to its very limits, without worrying about overheating.
But that’s all just specualtion for now. We will know more on February 14. And until then, make sure to follow FujiRumors on Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter.
First off: I have been told this by a new source a few weeks ago, and I say huge thanks to this source.
However, it’s my habit to try to double/triple check rumors from new/anonmyous sources, in order to keep the rumor hit rate over 90% (where it currently is).
So far I still can’t confirm this specific rumor, but after the recent rumor, that the X-H1 will have a basically black-out free EVF (despite sharing the same sensor and processor of the X-T2), I was debating if sharing or not… and now I decided to share, for the reason I’ll mention below.
Fujifilm is very likely doing some major coding work on the software, in order to take the most out of the camera’s potential.
The bigger body could also allow far better heat dissipation, and as a consequence Fujifilm can really squeeze the last drop of power out of the X Processor Pro, without having to worry about overheating issues.
Almost black out free EVF… even better Autofocus than the X-T2… the Fujifilm X-H1 is not only be Fuji’s best video camera (IBIS, internal F-log and 4K), but probably also an ideal camera for sports photography… especially in combination with the XF200mF2 (mock up here), which will also be released in 2018.
2017 was another exciting Fuji X year, and in order to cover it properly, I have shared almost 1,000 blog posts.
A lot of things happened, and maybe some of you might have missed something. So I have checked back all articles and selected some highlights for you. No FujiRumors rumors are included in this list.
It was not easy to pick out a few highlights… but below you can find the list month by month. Let us know what you consider the highlight of 2017.
Why? Because one of the most asked questions I get via email is more or less like this:
“Hey Patrick, I am switching to Fujifilm. Which lenses do you recommend to start with?”
or
“Hey Patrick, next month I will travel to destination XY. Which lenses should I bring with me?”
I always have a hard time to answer these, because I tend to recommend lenses that I like and prefer for my way of shooting. And of course different lenses are good for different types of photography. And different people prefer different lenses.
So I had an idea.
I can escape the responsibility of making all alone lens recommendation in future, by launching a few polls here on FujiRumors, so that all of you guys can vote your own two favorite lenses.
So, if I get the question again via email in future, I will still be happy to give my humble advice, but I can also link to this post, so that people can have a larger feedback, than just my own.
Well, they also published the results for camera rentals.
In their “Most Popular New Photo & Video Gear of 2017” list, we can find the Fujifilm X100F ranked Nr.5 and the Fujifilm GFX 50S ranked Nr.19.
It’s a little step forward compared to 2016, where we had the Fujifilm X-Pro2 ranked Nr.13 and Fujifilm X-T2 Nr.19.
Back to the Fujifilm X100F…
This camera was an unexpected success, and Fujifilm had a hard time to ship all orders, as they admitted here.
Surprisingly, though, there wasn’t much buzz around the Fujifilm X100F this year, overshadowed by the almighty Fujifilm GFX 50S and other popular Fujifilm cameras, like the X-T2.
However, here on FujiRumors, over the entire year 2017, I always dedicated regular and specific roundups to the Fujifilm X100F, because this camera simply deserves it. It’s a compact little powerhouse, and I still have to find the one X-shooters, who regrets to have bought it.
For all the 2017 rankings, you can check out lensrentals.com
