From FULL FRAME to Fujifilm APS-C: Six Years Later As a Full Time Landscape Photographer

Back in 2015 Andy Mumford, a full time landscape photographer, switched from using a full frame system to the Fuji X system and in this video he talks about what effect it’s had on his photography, both professionally and personally.

The video would be worth to watch also just for the stunning images he shares (including some from around my home in the Dolomites). So go check it out.

I feel he nicely brings to the point what it means to shoot with Fujifilm cameras. And I also agree that if you don’t print enormous images, then 16 or 26 megapixel are more than enough.

I do love to print my images, too, and so far the largest I have hanging at my home is a 90x60cm (35×23 inches) image taken with the 24MP Fujifilm X-E3, which looks absolutely perfect, even when watched in “photographers mode” (meaning not watching from the normal distance as every non-photographer would do, but by going very close to it and basically pixel peeping with the eyes ;))

Also Andy, who rarely prints beyond 1 meter (39 inches) is totally fine with the current resolution Fujifilm cameras offer.

As far as his thoughts go, here is is summary:

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Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 XF Review: Sharpest Viltrox Fujifilm X Mount Lens coming for $469 in 2022

The Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 is on the official Viltrox roadmap since April 2020 and yes, I know that based on hints I got I said that it should be announced in November. Well, that evidently did not happen and I apologize to all of my readers.

I guess also Viltrox struggles with the worldwide parts shortage and in fact in today’s video, Damian, who is testing the lens right now, confirms that Viltrox had to postpone the release for this lens once again. Viltrox now told him they pushed it back to 2022.

The good news: the review samples are now out, so I guess it can’t be that long of a wait anymore.

Speaking of review samples, Damian is the first to publish his first look on the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 AF XF.

It’s a nice video which includes lots of samples and autofocus demos (for stills and video). So definitely check it out.

Personally I am happy to hear that Damian considers the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 XF the sharpest (and best) Viltrox XF lens so far with excellent autofocus (also face detection) and very usable in the center even at f/1.4 (a bit less usable in the corners wide open). The clicked aperture ring is a bonus for me although I’d have hoped for a bit of lighter lens (it weights 420g).

It’s not free imperfections, like a noticeable vignetting wide open and some distortion and chromatic aberration, but considering that many will mostly use it for landscape photography (and hence stop down anyway) and especially considering the price of $469, to me it looks like a good value for money lens.

Now let me say this.

I generally prefer Fujinon X (or GFX) mount lenses, and not because they are better in terms image quality (if a lens is more affordable, then I can accept to give up a bit of IQ), but if there is one thing that I love about the X/GFX system, then it’s the colors I get from it (with Astia being my favorite all-rounder film simulation).

And in my experience, whenever I use third party lenses on my Fujifilm cameras, the colors simply don’t come out the way I am used to (and love it) from the Fujinon lenses. In fact, this is one of the main reason why my Fujinon XF10-24mm has basically replaced my Samyang 12mm f/2 in my camera bag. Not because the Samyang is bad, not at all (look, I have taken some of my most loved images with it). But sometimes I can be terribly lazy with post processing my images, and I know the XF10-24mm will nail the colors the way I love it more than my Samyang 12mmF2 would, and hence spare me some time in post.

In short: if you love film simulations, like I do, native Fujinon lenses will deliver better results, or let’s say results that more faithfully reproduce the vibe and tone Fujifilm intended to give us with the various film simulations.

Ah, speaking of colors, Damian says that the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 XF colors are on the cooler side.

With all that said, I think Viltrox made a very smart move with this lens, as Fujifilm itself is not offering anything that can closely match the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 in terms of focal length and aperture. The closest competitor at this point is the Samyang 12mm f/2, which is smaller than the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 and also weather sealed (the Viltrox is well built, but not weather resistant). However, the Samyang is also slower and more expensive.

So overall a great addition for the X mount system and a lens that I am hugely interested in if it performs decently also for astrophotography.

We Got You Covered!

Some Images taken with my XF10-24mmF4 and Samyang 12mmF2

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Top 3 Fujifilm Gear I’d Love to Buy in 2022

I think I can say that in 2021 I’ve done a decent part in supporting Fujifilm with my hard earned money, as here is the Fujifilm gear I’ve purchased:

For as much as Fujifilm made medium format accessible to the masses, buying into the 100 Megapixel GFX system still requires a significant investment. It’s worth every penny, but it’s not cheap.

So in 2022 I will try to contain my GAS as much as possible and be cautious with my purchases (do I hear you guys laughing?? ;) )

And yet, there is some gear I’d love to buy in 2022. And I mean gear that is either already announced, available or at least on the Fujifilm roadmap for 2022. So this is not about rumored gear.

  1. Fujinon GF 50mm f/3.5
    One of the main declared goals by Fujifilm is to make the GFX system smaller. A huge step in this direction was made with the Fujifilm GFX100S, which is already smaller than some full frame mirrorless cameras out there (see the Panasonic S1R) and about as big as the Canon R5. Sure, the GFX lenses are usually bigger, just as Full Frame lenses are usually bigger than APS-C lenses. Well, the Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 serves exactly the purpose to make the system smaller and mounted on my GFX100S, it could give me a very nice combo that I would probably end up carrying with me more often also for casual family stuff. And hey, I need 2 more GFX lenses to reach the average GFX shooters’ lens attachment rate* ;)
  2. Fujifilm X100V
    I mean, just look at it. It’s of a beauty matched maybe only by some Leica cameras. The only problem here is that I own the Fujifilm X-E3 with XF27mmF2.8 R WR, so the Fujifilm X100V would become a bit redundant in my lineup. And yet, it would not only be about its beauty. It also has the pull-up ISO dial from the X-Pro line that I totally love. Combined with WCL-100 II and TCL-100 II it would give me a compact and versatile leaf shutter mini-system. And just like the X-E4 it has that “invisible” tilt LCD screen that I could make good use of every now and then.
  3. Fujinon XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6
    You might know how much Iove my XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6, especially when mounted on my X-T4 (you can see the combo here on the Dolomites). But in 2022 I’d love to get a bit more into a photographic territory I haven’t explored much yet, wildlife photography. That’s why a bit more reach could come in handy then the one the 18-135 can offer me. There are some options here: from the XF200mmF2 to the XF100-400 to the XF150-600mm that is on the roadmap. And why not, also the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 could be a nice option. But taking into account prize and size, I think the  XF70-300mm f/4-5.6 could be a reasonable choice to start with. And for even more reach I could couple it with the XF 1.4x TC WR Teleconverter.

Bonus

Related Article

The Gear

*From the Interview “Fujifilm Manager: GFX Triumph and Full Frame Attack Strategy, Shrinking IBIS, AI Future, Fuji X-H2 Needs Breakthrough, COVID and More”

  • 70-80% of GFX customers were coming from non-Fuji cameras. Most probably from full frame DSLR cameras
  • GFX sells 50% better than Fujifilm predicted
  • GFX lens attachment rate: about 3 lenses per 1 GFX camera
  • Fujifilm X system has a lower lens attachment rate than GFX system
  • read more in this article

Top 7 Critiques on Fujifilm that Are Absolutely Justified

I recently wrote an article, where I list 10 attacks on Fujifilm that do not make any sense.

In that article, I promised that I would also write an article about the exact opposite, meaning sharing a list of critiques on Fujifilm that I totally understand and I agree with.

You can find it down below.

And of course, feel free to add your own critiques on Fujifilm in the comments down below.

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34 Fujifilm Products Won the “Good Design Award” achieving the Most Awards for the Third Consecutive Year

Fujifilm has been awarded with 34 Good Design Awards for a wide range of products, from software, to X-Ray products to projectors and of course also X/GFX gear.

As for the camera gear, here are the winners:

Press Release

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Fujinon XF150-600mm and XF18-120mm Size Comparison with XF18-135 vs XF16-80mm vs XF200mm and More

What you see here is the most accurate size comparison possible based on technical sketches Fujifilm provided during the Fujifilm X summit that took place earlier today.

We compare:

Of course this is based on technical sketches, so don’t expect it to be 100% accurate, as things will change from here to the 2022. But so far, for a lens of that range, it does not look bad at all.

Also, if you read FujiRumors regulary, and if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that the Fujinon XF18-135mm lens is one of my favorite lenses. You can see samples I took with the XF18-135 on my instagram here and here and here and even more. Well, at the Fujifilm X summit, which we covered in detail here, Fujifilm announced the Fujinon XF18-120mm.

So based on the technical sketched delivered during the event, I have made an accurate size comparison between the following lenses:

Yes, it is longer than the XF18-135mm, but keep it mind that we don’t know its aperture now, and that Fujifilm said during the Fujifilm X Summit that this will be lenses that are suitable also for video, so I guess they will be designed with minimal focus breathing, silent autofocus, clickless aperutre ring and other features that are needed for video creators.

But if you shoot stills mainly (like me), I guess the XF18-135 or XF16-80 are still the better pick for you.

Apple Adds RAW Support for More Fujifilm Cameras Including Fujifilm X-T4 and X-S10 with MacOS Big Sur and iPadOS 14.5

FR-reader Moritz made me notice on Twitter here, that a couple of weeks ago MacOS Big Sur added uncompressed RAW support for additional Fujifilm cameras.

This means you can now edit RAW files from Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10 and more in all major image editing apps on iPad as well as apps on macOS that use the RAW engine provided by iOS (Apple Core Image RAW), such as Affinity Photo or one of my favorites, RAW Power.

Sadly not yet supported are the Fujifilm GFX100S and the original GFX100. Also the Fujifilm X-E4 is not yet included.

Down below you can find the fill list of currently supported X and GFX cameras.

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IN CROP WE TRUST: The Lens I Chose to Start my GFX System Adventure and Talking 102 Megapixel Crops & Prints

My First GF Lens

So guys, the decision has been made.

In the last second, I took advantage of the €500 rebate on selected Fujinon GF lenses and I bought the Fujinon GF32-64mmF4, which was your most recommended G mount lens for landscape photography. Thanks for helping me out with the decision :).

I still don’t own it, as like everywhere on the world, Fujinon G mount lenses are a rare good.

In fact, when I went to my local store, the store owner told me that since Fujifilm launched the GFX100S, sales for GFX gear went through the roof.  He also told me that for many of his customers, the Fujifilm GFX100S is their first GFX camera and this also pushes sales for G mount lenses. That’s why they run out of stock constantly.

So I had to put myself in line, and now I wait for a lens that is harvesting 5 star reviews all over the web:

In Crop we Trust

Now, if you have read my GF lens help article, you’ll know that over the last few years, I somehow shifted from privileging dramatic wide angle shots to focusing more on compressed landscape shots.

This is why I was hesitant between getting the GF32-64mmF4 or the GF45-100mmF4 to start with.

But here is the thing: I can’t get into my frame parts of a landscape scenery that are too wide for my lens (unless I stich). On the other hand, thanks to the power of the Fujifilm GFX100S and its 102 megapixel, I can crop the heck out of my images and still get usable and printable results.

Therefore, afraid to miss out on something beautiful on the wide end, I decided to go with the wider zoom, trusting the crop-power of my GFX100S to get a more compressed look.

In fact, I am now thinking that as a second lens, I’ll probably go for the Fujinon GF100-200mmF5.6, which I got my hands on in store, and it actually surprised me how light it is for its size. “Definitely portable” I thought. It will fit well and be easy to carry in my Photohiker trekking backpack.

But of course one step after another.

In early 2021, I already supported Fujifilm by buying the XF27mmF2.8 R WR (which you can see here), the XF80mm Macro, the Fujifilm GFX100S and the GF32-64mmF4. One more 2K lens right now would mean deciding between gear and marriage. ;)

But in not too distant future, I imagine my GF lens arsenal to look like this:

Yep, no fast lenses in the lineup for now, but I have a couple of f/1.2 and f/1.4 primes on the X system, so I’ll get plenty of bokeh out of that system when I need it.

So, the Fujifilm GFX100S and the GF32-64mmF4 will mark my first steps into the G mount system. Now all I need is to get those nice packages shipped, and I hope that maybe this summer I can already hike on the Dolomites with it.

Crop & Print

I love to print. From photobooks to single images.

And sometimes I print rather big.

But even my biggest print at my home (90x60cm / 35×23 inches) looks absolutely fantastic when taken with 24 MP.

So why the heck do I need a Fujifilm GFX100S, if my APS-C gear does a great job already?

The answer is: crop!

In fact, I assume that not only for me, but also for many of you, cropping is a very fast and effective post production step we sometimes take to improve our images.

So you get it: I don’t need to print bigger. But what the GFX system allows me to do better than any other system out there, is to still print big even images that are significantly cropped.

For example, this image I took at the Gardena mountain pass with my X-T4 and XF10-24mmF4 looks great on the web. But truth is that I had to crop quite a bit to get it how I wanted, hence mostly focused on the Sasslong. And while on Instagram it still looks great, I doubt I could print it as big as I sometimes like to print.

But if my starting point would have been 102 Megapixel instead of 50MP or 26MP, then I’d know I’d still retain so much information in my cropped image, that I could still make a huge epic print out of it.

With that said, every system has its Pros and Cons. The balance Fuji’s APS-C system offers remains unmatched to me compared to full frame of medium format. But the GFX shines in an area where I love to take pictures and to print: landscape photography.

This is why I bought the Fujifilm GFX system, and I look forward to finally capture the lovely Dolomites with it ;).

Fujifilm GFX100S

Fujinon GF80mmF1.7

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Fujinon X Mount Roadmap 2021/2022 Updated with Latest Rumored Lenses

The Hidden X Mount Roadmap

Many people complain that Fujifilm is not updating its lens roadmap.

And since I love my community to be happy, let me take over the job that Fujifilm refuses to do.

Also, in the comments to our earlier posts some fellow FR-readers asked me if, in the light of the latest rumors, the timeline for other lenses is still confirmed or if something changed.

So let me sum it up clearly in a sort of unofficial roadmap today, by listing all future X mount lenses that we rumored so far on FujiRumors.

Of course I am working to add more lenses to the list. So definitely stay tuned on FujiRumors.

The Future Looks Good

It’s a couple of years that Fujifilm hasn’t been so active on the Fujinon X mount lens front.

Look at what we got in the last few months (late 2020 / early 2021)

And that’s not even all for 2021. In fact, surely we will get the XF33mm F1.4 R WR. But will there be even more in 2021? FujiRumors is investigating and will let you know.

Also 2022 seems interesting, thanks to two highly desired MKII lenses and an intriguing Fujinon XF150-600mm. Plus, also for 2022 I am working on more, so expect updates.

The Latest Fujinon Lenses:

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