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Fujifilm will introduce a new Film Simulation called „Classic Chrome“ (SRP)

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A few months ago, there was an anonymous source with nick name, who shared a correct rumor about the X-T1 with us (SRP = source right in the past). This source just wrote me for the second time and told us that Fuji will launch a new Film Simulation called „Classic Chrome“.

That’s all the source said. So for now… take it with… a grain of salt.

If true, I think we will see this film simulation coming with the X30 and X100T… and maybe it could also be one of the features introduced in the rumored upcoming X-T1 firmware update. But that’s just my personal guess for now, so DO NOT take it as a rumor from a FR-source.

Oh, and feel free to share this rumor whereever you want, just make the courtesy to quote the source and to put a link back to FR. I have nothing against it to be quoted ;-)

stay tuned… and share rumors with Fujirumors (if you have some),
facebook, google+, RSS-feed and twitter

P.S.: And in case you just came back from holidays and didn’t read FR in the last weeks, then here is a little rumor roundup and reliability rating for you. Also a rumor check-up of 2014, which will have a big update after photokina I suppose.

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“Crop Sensors vs Full Frame :: Crop Or Crap, Math or Moment” (video by Zack Arias)

Zack Arias posted a video on youtube here (Crop Sensors vs Full Frame), where he talks about the different sensor sizes. His full article is up at dedpxl here.

Look. Some of the trolls out there are going to think this is a Fuji sponsored message. It isn’t. While Fuji is a client of mine and I have done work for them they sure as hell don’t keep food on my table or a roof over my head on any sort of regular basis. I don’t get shit for saying this stuff or making blog posts like this. I’m simply relaying my experiences working with all sorts of cameras in all sorts of situations. And in preparation for making this blog post I have done a lot of pixel peeping at newer APS cameras from Nikon, Canon, Sony, and the rest and I feel confident saying… APS sensors kick ass these days. Across the board. Whatever you are shooting..”

And in case you missed it, he also posted his X-T1 review at dedpxl:

I have zero regrets about selling all of my Canon gear and going Fuji. Zero regrets. I do miss the longer telephoto but, lo and behold, what just got announced for the lens lineup? A 90mm f2. I wonder who could have requested that over and over and over again? This camera can hold its own for just about anything but professional sports photography. It’s a fantastic travel camera. It would be great for events and weddings. It is lovely for portraits. Wouldn’t mind a faster sync speed than the 180th that it has but I jump to the x100s or the Phase when I need that fast sync. […]  PS – Dear Fuji. I’m still wanting an X-Pro2. Don’t forget about that. I would, however, trade the X-Pro2 for an X medium format. Just sayin’.”

miXed zone: X-T1 tested in outer space, Zack’s X-T1 review, 18-135 roundup, photographic projects, Iridient update and more

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Still a few X-M1+16-50 left at Newegg for the insane price of $399! Check it out here.

Photographic Projects

image courtesy: spoon-tamago

– Zack: “Famous flower artist Makoto Azuma recently sent a bonsai plant into space (see here). The camera used to record the amazing journey? A Fuji X-T1. If you look at the photos on his blog (http://azumamakoto.com/?p=5051) about 3/4 down the page you can see a daylight shot of a camera hanging upside down in front of a bouquet of flowers, with the unmistakeable button layout and eyecup of the X-T1. How’s Outer Freakin’ Space for a test of weather sealing? If you need further proof, Fujifilm is listed as one of the sponsors for the shoot.

– Life’s a Florida Beach at kagecollective. Kagecollevtive also added their 8th member, Kevin Mullins, from the UK. They now have members from Canada, the US, the UK, France, Belgium, Denmark, Scotland and Australia. Read more here at http://www.kagecollective.com/kevin-mullins-joins-kage.

– Origami Collective: “Hello Patrick, Its Jorge from Ledesma Photography just wanted to pass on that I’ve founded an all inclusive Fujifilm Photography Collective titled Origami Collective. Our focus is Street, Travel, and Documentary Photography. Our current roster of Photographers includes: Brian Kraft, Neill Soden, Sam Burton, Jorge Ledesma, Marco Larousse, Damien Lovegrove, Gianluca Polazzo and perhaps a few other Fujifilm X Photographers as well coming real soon.”

– You can now visit X-shooter’s Paul Crespel (streetphotographyGotchaStreetPhotography book) permanent (and free) exhibition in Milan. For more details about this exhibition and the upcoming ones, check out his blog here. He also shared with me his stream of thoughts. I’m sure you’ll find some controversial ideas in this paper, but since I like unpopular statements, I’ll share the whole PDF file here on my dropbox account. From the use of Photoshop and Post-Production to the definition of “professional” photographers and much more. Here an excerpt from the chapter IS PHOTOGRAPHY ART?:

For me, photography is not art. Photography is “theft”. Nothing more. The photographer simply “steals” an image of something that is already in front of him or her using a mechanical device, much like using a photocopying machine. Arguing that adjusting lighting, creating the right pose, etc., is art, is unfounded… it is simply the technician using his acquired skills of the trade to do his job correctly and to the customer’s satisfaction.”

XF 18-135mm

Pre-orders: USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / – EUROPE: wexUKwexDE / PCHstore

– First Look at the Japanese site camera.itmedia.co.jp (translation).

– Wandering Around the Area with a New Lens at brandonremler: “It’s great to have a new lens to use on my walks around town.  The new XF18-135mmWR is a nice range for daylight walks when a large aperture isn’t as critical.  This is the first lens in the Fujifilm line up to include water resistant features matched for the X-T1 body. The lens is image stabilized so if I need to go to a lower speed I was easily able to hand-hold.”

– Samples at the Japanese site dcfever.com (translation).

slrlclubreview posted a series of videos on youtube. Check out the OIS here, AF test here, and the flare resitance here.

X-T1 or X-E2?

– FujiFilm’s Mirror-less Madness: Hands on with FujiFilm’s X-T1 and X-E2 (Firmware 2.0) at photofocus: “I know I already covered this, but if I had to get one, I’d get the X-T1, in fact, I’m very much contemplating replacing my 5D with this camera. I say that mainly for my style of shooting and how much I typically access settings on the fly. I also like having the security of weather-sealing. Those who are familiar with what I write know that I’m not a big fan of the dust here in Vegas. I don’t need a flash, but many of you do or would prefer it. To those, I’d recommend the X-E2 to you. There are some extra features that I enjoy that are on the X-T1 that aren’t on the X-E2: dual view mode (lets you see the big image and a smaller magnified view for manual focusing), bigger electronic viewfinder, two wheels to adjust settings (one on the back and one on the front), a little more real estate for a grip and a flip out LCD (just cool to have, although I never use them).”

 Fujifilm X-T1
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– Zack Arias’ X-T1 review Yep. It’s A Fuji at dedpxl: “I have zero regrets about selling all of my Canon gear and going Fuji. Zero regrets. I do miss the longer telephoto but, lo and behold, what just got announced for the lens lineup? A 90mm f2. I wonder who could have requested that over and over and over again? This camera can hold its own for just about anything but professional sports photography. It’s a fantastic travel camera. It would be great for events and weddings. It is lovely for portraits. Wouldn’t mind a faster sync speed than the 180th that it has but I jump to the x100s or the Phase when I need that fast sync. […]  PS – Dear Fuji. I’m still wanting an X-Pro2. Don’t forget about that. I would, however, trade the X-Pro2 for an X medium format. Just sayin’.”

– Fuji X-T1 and 18-135mm Water Test video at youtube here.

– X-T1 Autofocus performance in one splash at instantart: “Here I tried 10 sessions of shots, and in 7 of the I keeper 5/6 photo evey 10, and in three of them the Fuji can’t lock focus at the right time, but when it starts to lock the focus it is like a machine gun.

– Why I Bought A Fujifilm X-T1 at masonmarsh: “The camera is a joy to use, the images flawless as long as they don’t include foliage. I can carry it all day and never tire of using it. It has wifi, so I can travel with it and an iPad and leave the laptop at home. It eats batteries, but they are small and cheap. It has silly buttons and aperture rings, but they aren’t so bad. For most of what I want to do, the Fuji is my camera of choice. It’s far from perfect, but it just might be perfect for me right now. That Canon bag is so damn heavy!”

– Kelly Simonz’s Blind Faith – live at Tokyo Kinema Club at matthiaslambrecht: “I shot the concert with my Fuji X series gear, using the X-T1 with the XF 56mm/F1.2 and the X-E1 with the XF 14mm/2.8. I was curious if the Fujis would hold up to a real world stress test like this, and it’s almost anticlimactic how little trouble I had. The older X-E1 has some autofocus issues in the dark, so I stuck the wide angle on it to reduce the amount of focus hunting; and the X-T1 nailed most of the shots without any problems. As usual, quick access to ISO / shutter speed / aperture dials was a lifesaver.”

– Fuji X-T1 visits a french coastal town at wimarys: “I often shoot landscapes and have found the color palette excellent and the lenses on par with anything produced by Nikon. Thanks to the excellent color registration of the Fuji XT1 16 megapixel X-Trans CMOS II sensor, there is plenty of information in thee RAW files for you to play around with afterwards. You’ll be able pull lots of shadow detail out too as long as you stay under ISO 1600

– Life with a Fuji X-T1 at anthonyowenjones: “Whilst it’s possible to read into this that this is just a reflection of the truism – the best camera is the one you have with you (and there is a large element of that) it’s slightly more than that.  I am taking my camera out a lot more not just because it’s easier to do but because I also have more confidence it’ll be worth my while.  Somehow my X-T1 has made photography fun again and if photography is fun, then I’m more likely to take photographs.  Which is, really, how it should be.”

– On vacation with Fujifilm X-T1 + 14mm + X100s at larsauthen: “So – what will be my travel setup next time, for travelling as light as possible without missing anything? Two camera bodies for sure, the X100s and X-T1. The 14mm is a no brainer, that one has to come with me. The XF23mm I will leave at home because of the X100s focal lenght. The 35mm will stay home too most likely. The 56mm will come with me of course. Maybe, just maybe, I will get a 55-200mm lens too. But then again – it all begins to get heavy. So, we’ll see.”

– Civil War Reenactment 2014 at photonate.

– Stockografie und die Fuji X-T1 in Peking at stockografie (tranlsation).

steves-digicams review: “I have to give Fujifilm a lot of credit for creating a unique digital camera design in the X-T1, the company’s latest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The Fujifilm X-T1’s overall design contains a host of dials and buttons that allow you to make changes to the camera’s settings without ever having to scroll through a series of menu commands on the display screen. This design gives the X-T1 a retro look that will remind you of film SLR cameras from a few decades ago. Certainly experienced photographers will love the ability to change the shutter speed and ISO settings through dedicated dials, rather than through on-screen menus.”

– Light, Form, Function – Breaking Symmetry at bokeh-monster.

– Fuji X-T1 (with 35mm) Doubts at rachelrufferblog: “The first is that I have the 35mm lens, which from my research is one of the first lenses Fuji came out with for the X system. So it is SLOW. And quite loud. I’m really not a fan. It also does a lot of back and forth trying to focus, even if the focus was basically where it should have been and maybe just needed fine tuning. Yep. Let’s focus all the way to 0.1 m and back again. Unbelievably frustrating.”

– Wedding Photojournalism with the Fuji X-T1 at albionrow: “The bottom line is that this is a camera that has changed the way I work. Not in huge ways, but in a myriad of smaller ways, that all add up to a feeling of refreshed creativity and, I think, a better result for my clients.”

– What’s in the Bag – Italy for a Month at daveburnsphoto.

TCL-X100 / WCL-X100
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 – Review at markkitaoka: “Also since the TCL-100 is a teleconverter, no EXIF data exists to alert Adobe Lightroom of the lens correction data which defaults to 23mm. I’m hoping that they can take the Lens selection information we change in the Fuji menu and use that selection to correct any lens aberrations in the program. Other than those two little niggles, I highly recommend the TCL-100 for anyone who wants 15mm more reach or loves taking 3/4 portraits with the X100 or S models.”

– Fuji TCL-X100 review Part 1 at thomasalanphoto.

– Canon 1DX with Sigma Art 50 vs. Fuji X100s with TCL at markkitaoka: “For those who may be sneaky, I’ve removed the EXIF data. It’s quite remarkable what the little Fuji paired with the TCL X100 can do. After all it’s only about a $6,049.00 difference at suggested retail! Smile or no smile, which is which?”

Zeiss Touit 50mm
Pre-order at Adorama and BHphoto

–  Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 macro lens – hands on review at aboutphotography-tomgrill: “In terms of sharpness, this is a professional grade lens, sharp everywhere, even in the corners with wide open aperture — exactly what I would expect from Zeiss. For anyone seeking an exceptional macro lens for a Fuji X-series or Sony Nex system camera, this is it. If you are thinking of adding this lens to your system, I suggest you put yourself on a pre-order wait list soon. Once photographers discover the quality of this lens, it is going to sell out quickly.” For his shoot-out Zeiss 50 vs Fujinon 56 click here.

Rokinon (Samyang) 8mm Fisheye Version II / Samyang 12mm
pre-order: BHphoto

– Samyang 12mm f/2 NCS CS review at musicphotographer: “The Samyang 12mm f/2 NCS CS quickly became one of my favourite lenses, and they did a great job with this lens, keeping the price low and at the same time keeping the build quality on a very high level. The image quality it’s simply superb for such a lens from f/4 onwards, and very good even straight from f/2. If  you love to shoot landscapes at nighttime and you have a mirrorless, that’s a dream lens for you, but in general it’s a great lens for any landscape photographer, having the advantage to have good image quality and a very fast aperture.”

XF 56mm f/1.2
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– Fujifilm Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 R Lens Review at findingrange: “If you need a short-tele lens, there is not a doubt in my mind that the XF 56mm F1.2 is a “must-have” for the X Series system.  At F1.2, it’s a very fast lens,which not only allows you to isolate your subject and surround it with a creamy background, it also allows you the flexibility of using a lower ISO setting in dim lighting.  But it doesn’t stop there; the XF 56mm F1.2 performs superbly when stopped down, which only adds to its versatility.  The compact dimensions and it’s relatively lightweight construction for a lens of this focal length and speed make it very easy to carry anywhere. Lastly, this is a very well built lens.  If you’re in the market for a short-tele, don’t hesitate to buy the XF 56mm F1.2.  In my opinion, I think this is seriously one of the best X Series lenses currently out.

XF 10-24
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– The Fuji 10-24mm – one month at paulmellingphotography: “I’m no pixel peeper so I couldn’t tell you if this lens is as good as others when you enlarge the image by 500 percent or whatever. If you want the ultimate quality for advertising or the like then you have plenty of options.  I can’t imagine any situation where the quality of these images will let me down unless it’s due to user error.”

X-E2
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– Street Photography in Zürich mit der Fujifilm X-E2 & Fujinon XF 18mm at oz50 (translation).

X100S
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– Voyage, Voyage with the X100S at olafblog: “Why the Fuji X100S? We have written extensively about this gem of a camera and why, in our view, it is still the best digital camera on the market. The greatest appeal lies in its size, simplicity and fixed lens. I walk around looking innocent and people don’t even notice when I take photographs. Many view me as a non-threatening tourist with his little point-and-shoot.”

–  Omar Z. Robles: “I wanted to share this blog post about my recent experience shooting an entire wedding with my fuji x100s. Thanks. For images and post visit the folioing link: omarrobles”: “Shooting exclusively  with the x100s allowed me to get in and out of places all around the city, swiftly for almost over 8hrs. And yet, I was not feeling overworked. I had so much energy, I even ended up editing the whole wedding that same night. Oops, I almost for got to mention, I also shot the whole thing in JPEGs, yes I did. This shortened my editing immensely. Now, just the  day after, the couple can happily enjoy their images and I can go back to more shooting and creating.

X-PRO1
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– Standing on Higher Ground at littlebigtravelingcamera: “In my case it also helps with the viewpoint. Sometimes I feel I’m too tall for a good shot in Asia because I’m not shooting at eye level. For that reason alone I hope that the Fuji X-Pro 2 will have a tilt screen. If not I think I will get the X-T1.” For the article “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoesclick here.

– Fuji X Pro 1 – Street Photography at streetframe: “I bought the Pro 1 just as the X-T 1 was weeks away from the shop shelves, I wouldn’t swap it for the world. You see there is function, if your shooting sports then perhaps other cameras should be in your bag, maybe there are better cameras for all sorts of things, but I shoot street style, I want my camera to look the part, be discreet. I want the camera to inspire me, I want to feel like I know the secret to enjoying my photography, I want to be part of a scene that excites me.”

– London with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at rachelrufferblog.

lenses

– Andre Heid: “I wrote an article about how to increase the magnification Ratio of the XF60mm lens.” Read it at lichtklicker.

– Fujifilm Fujinon XC 16-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS review at lenstip: “Taking all the pros and cons, presented above, into account, the purchase of the tested lens for its suggested price, amounting currently to 1699 PLN, would be ludicrous. Fortunately nobody has to buy it separately as it is offered with the Fujifilm X-A1 and X-M1 cameras if you pay a little bit extra. It cooperates very nicely with both of these bodies, providing a quite universal focal length range – especially that wide angle of view, which you cannot find in 18-55 mm instruments. What’s more, it generates sensibly sharp photos no matter what focal length you employ. It would be foolish to demand more from a kit lens, added almost for free to a camera body.”

– Fujinon XF27mm pancake lens! at oncamphoto: “The shooting experience is really unique, you can shoot one handed, it fits inside your coat pocket, you can just relax about your shooting & not feel that pressure to perform or shoot everything you see. It feels less serious to carry & i think that reflects on your mindset when you head out to shoot, you really enjoy yourself.  Its actually that setup that you will just love carrying & if you see something interesting the 27mm is going to deliver without a doubt.”

– Long lens love affair – Fuji X-T1 and the 55-200 at andygallacher: “It’s also a piece of kit that doesn’t take up too much room or look too intrusive, an important factor for me given some of the places I end up in. It’s not a lens that screams ‘expensive’ and it certainly isn’t a back breaker. But the Fuji 55-200 certainly is well made and more importantly has produced some lovely images on both the X-Pro1 and X-T1.”

– Fujifilm 27mm Love at flixelpix: “This isn’t a technical review but more of a hat tipping to a lens that serves me very well but rarely gets any credit on the pages of FlixelPix. At around £350 it is one of Fujifilm’s most cost effective lens that offers remarkable image quality, compact form factor at amazing value for money. If you are looking for a low cost lens that offers both versatility and a compact form factor then look no further than the Fujinon 27mm.”

 Acessories

– [shoplink 23904]MHG-XT[/shoplink] Large Hand Grip for Fuji X-T1 at nathangilmer: “I am a big fan of this grip and love using the X-T1 more than ever. Pictures of it on my X-T1 with the 23mm f1.4 are posted below.”

Iridient 2.4.4

– Iridient Developer 2.4.4 was released and includes one Fujifilm specific fix for potential crashes with some EXR HR mode RAF images from the Fujifilm F600EXR. This bug likely impacted several other EXR compact models as well, but was reported specifically from an F600EXR user. This update also fixes a recently introduced bug which would cause the ICC output profile to not be embedded properly when exporting to JPEG. The new Iridient Developer 2.4.4 version can be downloaded here: http://iridientdigital.com/products/rawdeveloper_download.html

Instax Share SP-1 Printer

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Fujifilm Instax Share SP-1: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / [shoplink 23847 ebay]your eBay[/shoplink] / DigitalRev (worldwide shipping)

In the firmware update, the X-A1, X-M1 and XQ1 got direct instax Share WiFi support. So there is no need to upload the images first on your phone and from there on the printer. Why this feature didn’t made it into the X-series best seller X-E2 and X-T1 is a mystery for me.

However, is the [shoplink 23847]Instax Share SP-1 printer[/shoplink] worth the money? Here are two reviews about it.

1) ephotozine recommends this printer because of his compact size and good prints and concludes that “the Instax SP-1 is quite a unique little wireless printer, that’s highly portable and works with any smartphone with wireless capabilities. It’s quick to print, and no-fuss, credit card sized Instax images are great to share with friends and family right there on the spot.  Film is relatively cheap to buy at around £12 for two packs of ten photos, and the beauty of the wireless printer is that all your friends can use the printer from their respective smartphones, allowing you to capture your day from all angles. A great product that will no doubt make the younger generation very happy.”

2) Mehrdad’s review can be read in German at qimago (translation). From the (google translated) conclusions: “The Instax Share is a great toy and brings a certain flair to the images. We have installed in our home a little photo wall. Visitors, family events, Selfies, the favorite pictures of my wife and find their way to this wall. The Instax Share It’s now not only faster but somehow with a certain flair.”

Fujifilm updated the lens roadmap… but nothing new for FR-readers ;-)

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Fujifilm just updated the roadmap here. Nothing really new for Fujirumors readers. As rumored moths ago, there will be a 16mm f/1.4 and a 90mm f/2. The Super-Telephoto should be a 120-400, according to new sources. I’ve added the rumored roadmap at the bottom. Also updated, the right&wrong rumor list in 2014 and the reliability rating.

So what’s new? Well, Fuji gave us an expected availability for the lenses and it seems that the new primes (90 and 16) won’t be weather resistant. Also, the 16-55 seems to have no OIS anymore.

“FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) is pleased to release an updated road map for X mount interchangeable lenses.

A large-diameter medium telephoto lens (the XF90mmF2 R) features for the first time on the development road map for end 2015. The next available lens will be the XF50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR. Following on from the XF18-135mm lens, this will be Fujifilm’s second weather resistant lens designed to partner its X-T1 camera.

Other updates to the road map include the previously announced “Ultra-wide angle lens” being confirmed as the “XF16mmF1.4 R” with a guide launch date of mid 2015. And the planned launch of the XF16-55mmF2.8 R WR lens moving to Spring 2015 and the Super Tele-Photo Zoom lens to Winter 2015.

Highly regarded for their outstanding image quality, resolution and well-built bodies, the unique X mount lens range now includes super-wide angle to super-telephoto range lenses and a large-diameter lens with rich bokeh and high resolution.”

the rumored roadmap

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

Fujifilm X30 with 2/3-inch sensor (trusted Japanese source)

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I know, other rumor sites reported rumors of an X30 with a 1“ sensor (or bigger). But according to our top trusted Japanese source, that’s not correct. The sensor will remain a 2/3 one. I have no reason to doubt what the trusted Japanese source told me.

Let’s start it again, the rumored specs list:

(TS= trusted source / NeS =New Source / AS = Anonymous Source / SRP = source who was right in the past, but not yet trusted / ORS = other rumor sites)

  • 2/3 sensor (TS)
  • announcement at photokina (ORS)

Reminder: the rumor of a release on July 3rd was spread by a forum member of dpreview. FR just reported about it.

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well Robert, I’m working on it ;-)

If you can help me to find out more, feel free to contact me completely anonymously via rumor box (and maybe give yourself a nick-name, so that I can eventually identify you in future if you decide to share some more rumors) or drop me an email at fujirumor [at] gmail.com.

P.S.: if you click the “READ MORE” button, you’ll see a list with all the rumors spread in 2014 arranged by reliability. You’ll also be able to check what turned out to be correct and what was wrong this year.

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

xjrumo confirms: X100S successor announcement at photokina, better AF and EVF + 24MP

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Let’s start with little rumor summary about the X100S successor.

February: Back in February (click here) I’ve spread the first rumors (of a new source) about the X100S successor giving the following specs: 24MP X-Trans sensor, faster AF than X100S, tilt screen, new fixed lens, new EVF, better than X100S, but not as much as X-T1, wider detection area.

May: Then, in May, mirrorlessrumors confirmed that the camera will feature an APS-C X-TRANS sensor and also said that it will be announced at photokina (September).

July: Now, also the usually well informed xjurmo confirms the specs: 24MP ASP-C sensor, better EVF and faster AF.

The Name: If you remember, I told you here that a new source shared a rumor with FR that I couldn’t publish because it said: “Please confirm it with your other sources first as marketing department might change the plans“. I did my homework and had a talk with our top trusted Japanese source. And it confirms: Fuji has plans to call the X100S successor X100T. So I shared the rumor. Now xjurmo’s source said that the name could be X100T or X200. So maybe the final word has not yet been spoken? However, he confirms that both option are/were on Fuji’s table.

The rumored specs list so far is the following:

(TS= trusted source / NeS =New Source / ASwN = Anonymous source with nick-name / AS = Anonymous Source / SRP = source who was right in the past, but not yet trusted / ORS = other rumor sites)

  • X100T (TS + NeS)
  • 24MP (NeS + ORS)
  • X-Trans Sensor (NeS + ORS)
  • faster AF than X100S (NeS + ORS)
  • tilt screen (NeS)
  • new fixed lens (NeS)
  • new and better EVF (NeS + ORS)
  • wider phase detection area (NeS)
  • announcement at photokina (ORS)

cheers,
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Coming Early September: Nissin i40 Flash for Fujifilm X-series (TIPA awarded as Best Portable Lighting System)

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Hi all,

as you may remember, a forum member at dpreview said that the small and powerful Nissin i40 for Fujifilm X cameras will be available in October. Well, according to a FR-source, it will happen earlier.

The actual availability date will be various between countries, but the first lot of flashes will be in stock at authorized dealers around early September

The Nissin i40 is a new great super compact powerful and flexible flash with ergonomics of the Fujifilm EF-X20. It recently won the TIPA Award 2014 for the“Best Portable Lighting System”.

“The small (3.35 x 2.4 x 3.35 inches) and lightweight (203g, without battery and soft box) Nissin i40 is available in models dedicated (TTL) to Canon, Nikon, Sony, Four thirds and Fujifilm models, and can cover a lens angle of view from 24-105mm, with additional coverage to 16mm with the supplied diffuser. The Guide Number is 40 at the 105mm setting (meters/ISO 100) and 27 at 35mm. An innovative LED illuminator sits where smaller fill flash modules were in the past, and the light can be used for both still and video recording with 9 steps of output. The i40 offers rear, front curtain and high-speed sync, wireless slave and can be swivelled up to 180 degrees right and left and 90 degrees vertical.”

I wish you a great weekend,
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P.S.: if you click the “READ MORE” button, you’ll see a list with all the rumors spread in 2014 arranged by reliability. You’ll also be able to check what turned out to be correct and what was wrong this year.

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Fuji patents evolution of the “real-image zoom optical viewfinder”.

 photo ovfzoom_zps0188fb01.jpg

This is one of the (many) Fujifilm patents you can check out at freepatentsonline here (PDF file here). It was published back in April (04/29/2014), Filing Date or the Patent: 01/02/2014

It seems to be an evolution of the “Real-image zoom viewfinder” already present in the X20 viewfinder. There is plenty of technical stuff to read at freepatentsonline, but petapixel sums it up saying that “the viewfinder would be able to optically zoom in synchronization with the varying focal length of a zoom lens.” And, at least looking at the image of the patent, this viewfinder should find its way into future compact Fuji Point&Shoot cameras.

But what’s the advantage of this specific “real-image viewfinder” compared to the one of the X20 (which delivers 85% coverage and a 20° horizontal apparent field of view)? Well, I do not know, and it must be hidden somewhere in the very complicated description of the patent.

So will maybe the X30 feature an upgraded “real-image zoom optical viewfinder”? That’s the question I’ll now send directly to our sources ;-)

But it’s good to see that Fuji continues to work on the OVF technology. It’s definitely a good news for OVF lovers. However, no OVF in the world will give you the possibility to see in real-time how your final shot will be (WYSIWYG), which is very useful, especially when you have to act fast and there is not the time to take a shot, check the result on the LCD, change the exposure, take another shot, check the image again, make adjustments and so on. With an EVF you look through the viewfinder, turn the dial, see immediately the result in the EVF… and “click“.

But what do you think? Do you prefer the EVF or the OVF? 2 alternatives, one answer. And feel free to list your PROS and CONS for a OVF or EVF in the comments.

Oh, and I know, a hybrid viewfinder would make us all happy. So, dear Fuji, don’t forget it in the X-PRO2 :-)

Between the X-T20 and the X-E3, I'd buy the...

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And just for fun. Here is how Fuji explains the “real-image zoom viewfinder“. It’s all one sentence, so be concentrated:

“A real-image zoom viewfinder substantially consisting of, in order from an object side, a variable-magnification objective lens system having a positive refractive power, an erect optical system, and an eyepiece lens system having a positive refractive power, wherein the variable-magnification objective lens system substantially consisting of, in order from the object side, a first lens group that includes a first lens having a negative refractive power and a reflective member arranged in this order from the object side and is fixed during magnification change, a second lens group that has a positive refractive power and is moved during magnification change, and a third lens group that has a positive refractive power and is moved during magnification change, the erect optical system has at least one reflective surface for converting an inverted image formed by the variable-magnification objective lens system into an erect image and is fixed during magnification change, the eyepiece lens system has a positive refractive power and is fixed during magnification change, and conditional expressions (1), (2A) and (3) below are satisfied at the same time:
1.5<U2/U1<3.0 (1),
1.76≦|f2/f1|<2.0 (2A) and
1.0<f3/f2<5.0 (3), where U1 is a distance from an object-side lens surface of the first lens to a most object-side lens surface in the second lens group along an optical axis in a state where zoom setting is set at a telephoto end, U2 is a difference between the distance from the object-side lens surface of the first lens to the most object-side lens surface in the second lens group along the optical axis in a state where the zoom setting is set at the telephoto end and a distance from the object-side lens surface of the first lens to a most image-side lens surface in the third lens group along the optical axis in a state where the zoom setting is set at a wide-angle end, f1 is a focal length of the first lens group, f2 is a focal length of the second lens group, and f3 is a focal length of the third lens group.”

via freepatentsonline / photographybay / petapixel

The Big Rumor Check-Up 2014: The right, the wrong and the still to come (with reliability rating)

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Hi there,

2014 is almost 6 months old, and I thought it’s time to check back the rumors I’ve published in order to see what turned out to be correct, what was wrong, and especially to tell you how reliable the remaining rumors are.

For me, this is a good opportunity to make a rumor overview of the past half year and to answer to all those readers who dropped me an email asking me how reliable rumors published in the past months are.

Rumors NOT included: rumors from other sites and blogs, as I simply reported about them and never confirmed them with my sources (like digicame-info saying the X30 would come in February/March, the 18-135 price [it was published by a store], Fujifilm Bangladesh announcing a new X-mount camera, the freepatentsonline stuff, Dominik Fusina publishing his fake X-W1 and a few more).

And here they are. I added very low, low, medium or high rating to the rumors. I hope this helps you to get an orientation in the rumor jungle.

enjoy your day,
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HIGH RATING

X100T successor of X100S

XF16mm 1.4

XF120-400

X-PRO2 with APS-C sensor

No more X-PRO1S, all R&D placed into the X-PRO2

X30 coming in summer (so there is time until September 20)

MEDIUM RATING

XF 35mm MKII (As Fuji has first to complete its lens lineup, it could take a while before the 35 MKII hits the market… and Fuji can change plans in any moment regarding this lens.) PLEASE NOTE: This rumor was not reported accurately by other sites (as petapixel and mirrorlessrumors). They quote FR, but say that the lens is “coming soon”. Which I never said. None of my sources ever told me a release date. In fact I said on May 5th: “I do not know when it will be launched nor which improvements we can expect, but, as you may guess, I’m restlessly working on it.”

Faster AF for the 35mm MKII (This rumor is separated from the first 35MKII rumor, as it comes from another source and was posted in another article)

X200 with 24MP, tilt screen, improved AF and wider detection area (Medium rating as I think that some, but not all the specs will be correct. The name has changed almost for sure to X100T).

Button Upgrade for the early produced X-T1’s with mushy buttons.

X-PRO2 available in 2015

LOW RATING

X-T1P release with 4K viewfinder in July [An upgrade (or special/limited edition) is possible, but not anytime soon. And, as soon as also drphotorumor says that this rumor is not correct, I’ll downgrade it to “very low rating”. As soon as/if the top trusted Japanese source and/or the good old source tells me that this is wrong, I’ll move it into the wrong rumors 2014 list]

XF 90mm (same as the 35 MKII here, the release of this lens is everything else but imminent, so a lot can change. Plus: I do not have any confirmation until now about it from trusted sources or sources who were right in the past)

VERY LOW RATING

Sigma X-mount coming at photokina

Medium Format Fuji (there are several anonymous sources telling me that this rumor is wrong. But I will post an update only when a trusted source speaks. And if they say, as to expect, that it is not correct, I’ll move it into the “wrong rumors” list)

_ _ _

And now let’s check the 2014 rumors

NOTE: You will see for example some X-T1 rumors (and others) listed sepratately. This is due the fact that there was, for example, a source telling me of a tilt screen, while another told me at a different time about the price and so on.

It’s fair towards my sources not to put everything together in the same pot and simply say “X-T1”, as every rumor listed here comes from a different source and was posted in different articles and could have been right or wrong.

Obviously the same goes for the wrong rumors. I don’t simply say “18-135 announcement”, but shared all 3 wrong release dates separately, so that they result as 3 errors and not as one.

CORRECT RUMORS IN 2014

– XF 18-135 coming June 16th

– X-E2 deal

– X-E2 firmware update with X-T1 EVF refresh rate coming soon (correct, it came a few days later)

– TCL-X100 will be out end of May (correct. It’s available since then in Japan, now also in Europe. Still out of stock in USA)

– TCL-X100 will cost €250 and be a bit cheaper than the WCL (correct. AmazonDE sells the silver version for €249, while the discounted WCL still costs €269)

– TCL-X100 will cost $350/400 (correct, it costs $350 at Bhphot & Co)

– TCL-X100 coming second half of April (correct, announced April 22)

– Lightroom 5.4 coming next week

– February/March lens deals with confidential Fuji document

– With the next update, Adobe will support X-Trans film simulation

– X30 won’t come in February/March as rumored by digicame-info

– Image and size comparison of the 10-24 with a protype 18-135 (real image)

– XF 16-55 and 50-140 will be weather sealed

– X-T1 announcement in January 28th at 4:30 AM London Time

– Improved WiFi for the X-T1

– UHS-II SD card slot, but no double SD-card slot + 8fps with AF tracking (Fuji originally planed a dual SD-card slot. When the first X-T1 image leaked here on FR, it even looked like a dual SD-card slot, but the Japanese source said it has just a single SD-card slot)

– X-T1 will cost $1300 / €1200

– First images of a prototype X-T1

– Firmware update for Zeiss will add PDAF support

– Tilt screen for the X-T1

– The name of the weather sealed X will be X-T1

– X-T1 will have the best EVF on the market

– black X100S will have a retail price of about £1000, about the same as silver version (the final retail price in UK is RRP £1099.99 for the black and £1049 for the silver version, according to wexUK. But now both are sold cheaper).

– XF56mm announcement at January 6th

– black X100S will be the only “new” X-camera presented at CES

WRONG RUMORS IN 2014

– XF 18-135 announcement on Memorial Day (wrong, but, as Rico said in his first look, the announcement has been postponed at least two times, so actually the date could have been origianlly correct, but the source did not know about the updated release date. NOTE: I excluded the rumor of an 18-135 f/3.5-4.8, as this was a typo by Fujifilm at the CP+ (see this image), and I just reported about it.

– XF 18-135 will come in May (I’ve shared this in Janaury. But what was right in Janaury, is wrong now. As we know from Rico, the release has been pushed back at least two times. Announcements are a very tricky part of rumors).

– XF 18-135 in stores in February

– X-PRO2 with FF sensor (wrong, and corrected a few weeks later by the top trusted Japanese source)

Digital Medium Format Camera from Fujifilm coming by the end of summer? (new + anonymous source)

 photo FUJIGF670W_zps24f76c44.jpeg

Tell me, why go “just” Full Frame? According to a new and also an anonymous source, Fujifilm will launch a digital medium format mirrorless camera.

Of course, for now, be very careful with this information and take it with the usual grain of salt. That said, here is what the 2 sources told me:

New Source

Fuji will launch a digital Medium Format camera by the end of summer.

Anonymous Source

Fuji is working on a digital medium format mirrorless camera. The prototype is said to look like a [shoplink 12882 ebay]X-PRO1[/shoplink], with hybrid viewfinder, but more of a size of the Fuji GF670. The prototype is using the same Sony CMOS sensor present in the Pentax 645z.

_ _ _

It’s a tough battle in the fiercly contested mirrorless market! Latest rumors suggest that also Sony will launch a Mamiya 7 style MF camera (source-SAR). But, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going! And Fuji seems to be ready to face the challenge.

Keep in mind that the Sony and the Fuji rumor are both still NOT confirmed by trusted sources.

However, if the rumors are true, then also Fujifilm has some trump cards to pull out of its sleeve. A Medium Format digital mirrorless camera, the rumored X200, X30 and the X-PRO2. (OMG, lots of rumors I have to work on! ;-) )

Ok, I’ll put my best also into this rumor and see if I can confirm the MF Fuji ASAP. Of course, feel free to help me and to make my work a bit easier. If you decide to share some information, you can do it completely anonymously via rumor box (if you don’t mind, use a nickname, so that I can eventually recognize you in future), or contact me via email at fujirumor [at] gmail.com.

stay tuned for more
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