The X100VI Madness Continues: Half a Million Preorders Reported – in China Only! – UPDATED

I don’t know if I should call the reports coming from China “good” or “concerning”.

Because the Chinese Weibo account Camerabeta reports that pre-orders for the Fujifilm X100VI in China have exceeded 480,000 [Updated: some point out that these are entires for the X100VI lottery, but the post of Camerabeta speaks of “orders”]!

And other reports speak of 580,000 preorders in China, as reported by the Japanese website asobinet here. This aligns somewhat with the observation made by joedidder in the comments here, indicating that there are accounts of 349,000 individuals attempting to pre-order the X100V from a single website in China during its launch. UPDATED: Asobinet reports that the number are not pre orders, but they are entries into a lottery to purchase the camera with no commitment other than creating an account to join the lottery. And also joedidder corrected his report and said it was for the lottery. Camerabeta instead says 480,000 are solid pre-orders (I don’t know where he gets this number from).

We remind you that the yearly production capacity for the X100VI is of 180,000 units (15,000 per month).

This leaves me conflicted about whether to categorize this as “positive” or “concerning” news.

I mean, for Fujifilm it’s certainly a luxury problem to have. But, if reports from China are accurate, it could imply an extended wait for customers before their X100VI cameras are shipped.

And also, chances would be very high at this point to revive the same absurd situation, where the only way to get our hands on a new or used X100VI would be to highly overpay for it.

I hope Fujifilm has made tons of X100VI ahead of launch, so that they can ship out pre-orders in a reasonable time.

via Camerabeta

Fujifilm at work to match the gigantic demand for Fujifilm X100VI

CineD Fujifilm Manager Interview: Why China, X100VI Production Doubled over X100V and More

CineD interviewed Japanese Fujifilm managers. Of course they talk mainly about the Fujifilm X100VI. Here is the recap:

  • X100VI is for photo enthusiasts, for people who love film cameras, and also young people or people who love gadgets because it is a fashionable camera
  • internal ND filter can be minimized because X100VI is a fixed lens camera
  • internal ND filter is challenging for interchangeable lens cameras
  • in front of sensor there is the shutter and IBIS unit, so it is difficult to implement ND filter in terms of space and size with MILC cameras
  • supply for X100V was 7,500 units
  • X100VI has 15,000 monthly production
  • it’s made in China
  • quality of made in China or Japan is the same
  • Fujifilm has biggest capacty in China
  • lots of the components come from China or surrounding countries
  • this helps to secure production capacity
  • when Fujifilm made 7,500 X100V per month, they thought that would be enough (but wasn’t)
  • now they hope 15,000 a month will be enough to supply demand
  • no plans for a Fujifilm cinema camera
  • they can’t talk about future products, but the global shutter technology is of course interesting, especially on the cinema side
  • more products will come and next X summit will be in Sydney

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Fujifilm X100VI Sets Historic Pre-Order Records: “I Have Never Seen Anything Like This” says Fujifilm UK General Manager

X100VI – Making History

Amateur Photographer has asked Fujifilm manager Theo Georghiades, as well as store owners, how things are going with pre-orders for Fujifilm X100VI.

Here is what they say

  • Fujifilm X100VI experiences unprecedented success
  • General Manager of Fujifilm UK, Theo Georghiades, says the X100VI is making “”our biggest preorder numbers in history“”
  • The manager adds the X100VI is “Fujifilm’s biggest ever launch in terms of numbers. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
  • WEX Photo Video says the X100VI is “on course to break all records for WEX“

It looks like the Fujifilm X100VI is making history, not just for Fujifilm, but across all brands.

In fact, in a video of SonyAlphaRumors here (also embedded below) Andrea (certainly not a Fuji fanboy) is saying that the Fujifilm X100VI is gathering 50x more preorders than Sony A7CII and Sony A7CR combined.

While this is great news for Fujifilm, potential buyers might have to brace themselves for extended wait times. And on ebay massively overpriced Fujifilm X100VI have already started to appear.

You can read the full article at AmateurPhotographer.

Fujifilm X100VI Sparks Frenzy at CP+: Enthusiasts Queue for 30 Minutes for a Hands-On Experience

The Fujifilm X100VI excitement is reaching new heights!

As CP+ unfolded today, reports from the Japanese website dc.watch have unveiled an astonishing scene – a 30-minute queue forming just for enthusiasts to get their hands on the Fujifilm X100VI.

It’s downright unbelievable, especially considering this frenzy occurred on a regular workday (Thursday). One can only imagine the pandemonium expected over the weekend.

Having attended several photography fairs myself, including twice at the largest photography fair in the world, Photokina (2016 report here – 2018 report here), where manufacturers typically unveiled their top-tier offerings, I’ve toured booths from Canon, Nikon, Leica, Fujifilm, Sony, Hasselblad, and more. Never, in all my experiences, have I witnessed a 30-minute queue just to touch & try out a new camera.

The buzz surrounding the X100VI is nothing short of extraordinary. The anticipation and demand for this camera seem to have surpassed anything seen before.

Fujifilm X100VI: Monthly Production Set at 15,000 Units – Can it Satisfy Overwhelming Demand?

Nikkei reports that the initial monthly production for the Fujifilm X100VI will be 15,000 units, equivalent to the Fujifilm X-S20 initial production, which faced shipping challenges.

But will it be enough to satisfy demand?

Because to my knowledge, the Fujifilm X100VI has garnered an unprecedented number of preorders, surpassing all previous Fujifilm models by a large margin.

And while this success is excellent for Fujifilm, the allocated 15,000 units per month may fall short of meeting the overwhelming demand. And with social media fueling the X100VI hype, the demand is not likely to slow down in the coming weeks and months.

I can comprehend if many of you, myself included, are growing concerned about the possibility of the X100VI experiencing shipping challenges similar to those faced by various other Fujifilm X gear in recent years.

But whether and how quickly preorders are shipped doesn’t just rely on the current production rate. It also depends on how well Fujifilm prepared in the months leading up. Let’s hope they’ve been producing plenty of X100VI units in recent weeks to avoid extended waiting times due to the high demand.

One certainty remains: the demand is exceptionally high. While this is undoubtedly positive for Fujifilm, I hope the impact on customers awaiting the shipment of the X100VI won’t be too severe.

And in fact, I just participated in the Fujifilm USA tech talk. During the session, the Fuji representative assured that the shipping situation for the X100VI will be an improvement compared to the “V.” However, given the overwhelming popularity of the X100VI, he advised preordering to secure your unit at the earliest opportunity.

vai Nikkei via dclife