See Fujifilm’s Current IBIS Unit in Fujifilm X-T2 and Why the Fujifilm X-T3 Won’t Have IBIS

July 3, 2018
Rumors
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this is the Fujifilm X-H1 IBIS unit placed into the Fujifilm X-T2

Fujifilm’s Current IBIS

Some FujiRumors readers have a hard time to believe our rumor, that the Fujifilm X-T3 won’t have IBIS. And you always do good to doubt, since there are undoubtedly lots of fake and wrong rumors surfacing on the web all the time… but not here on FujiRumors ;) .

And yet, despite sharing about 100 rumors a year with a statistic accuracy of 95%+, you should always take also what we write with a grain of salt.

Hence, in order to give some substance to the rumor the X-T3 won’t have IBIS, I decided to give you 2 facts.

FIRST:

When the Fujifilm X-H1 was launched earlier this year, in a very interesting interview, Fuji guy Billy said:

“currently the IBIS system is quite large and that’s why the X-H1 itself is large“

Of course Fujifilm does not make the IBIS unit bigger than necessary. The IBIS on the Fujifilm X-H1 is the smallest Fujifilm can currently make without affecting image quality negatively and managing heat properly.

SECOND:

Is the Fujifilm X-H1 IBIS unit really too big for cameras like the Fujifilm X-T2 and supposedly the Fujifilm X-T3 (if it keeps the same size of the X-T2)?

I decided to take the technical sketch of the X-H1 IBIS unit shared by Fujifilm, and to put it into the X-T2.

As you can see above, the current IBIS mechanism sits very tight into the Fujifilm X-T2 camera body (probably it even protrudes slightly from the bottom), so it surely won’t fit into the X-T2.

Also, consider that some internal parts of the X-T2 would have to be organized differently to make space for IBIS, so simply stretching the camera a few millimeters won’t work.

At this point, with the current IBIS, I think we can trust Billy when he says that it wasn’t possible to make the Fujifilm X-H1 smaller.

The Future of IBIS

Fujifilm X-T3

Yes, Fujifilm could simply make the Fujifilm X-T3 noticeably bigger than the X-T2, but I believe that most Fujifilm X shooters, who fell in love with the Fujifilm X-T2, do consider it almost perfect in form and function as it is now and they might not want to sacrifice size for IBIS.

What they eventually want, is to get IBIS in a body of the same size of X-T2, but that’s currently not possible.

So Fujifilm had to create an all new X-H line in addition to the X-T line, in order to have much more “design-freedom“…

to make radical ergonomic changes, oriented towards the needs of videographers
to make a noticeably bigger camera to accommodate IBIS
strengthen the X-mount and body to make it ready for huge heavy glass like the upcoming XF200mm f/2
don’t annoy people, who love form and function of the X-T2

IBIS in Smaller Cameras?

Does it mean that only the Fujifilm X-H1 will have IBIS in the X-series line-up?

Well, at the moment yes, but the X-H1 represents Fujifilm’s first steps into IBIS (except for this camera). And when Fuji Guy Billy was asked if we will see IBIS also in smaller Fujifilm cameras, he said:

“I think as we learn to grow and develop, who knows where that technology will go.”

Overall I’d be very optimistic about this.

But it might be too early for the Fujifilm X-T3. Fujifilm’s first X-series IBIS unit, the X-H1, was launched just 5/6 months ago, and I doubt that in the next 2 months, when the Fujifilm X-T3 will be unveiled, they will have already miniaturized the IBIS unit enough to make it work into the smaller Fujifilm X-T3.

The Fujifilm X-T3 will be amazing, but the Fujifilm X-H1 is the camera you should get if you want IBIS.

Coming Soon (as reported here):

X-H1 body or with Grip (save $250): BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera
X-T2 body (save $400): BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera
X-T2 with 18-55 (save $500): BHphoto, AmazonUS, Adorama, Focuscamera
& More

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… have a fantastic day,