“VISION 2016”: High-end X-series cameras in Fujifilm’s Medium-Term Management Plan!
THE HARD BEGINNING
Just 3 years ago a lot of people were sceptical about the X-series’ future… and they had very good reasons for that. From it’s start on, the Fujifilm X series lost money. At the beginning, the best selling X-series camera was the Fujifilm X100 (sold 130,000 times). But hey, every beginning is hard. The system was new, it was not mature enough to meet the need of photographers, and it still had to find its place in the market.
FROM THE HOPE TO THE ENTRY LEVEL FLOP
Something changed with the arrival of the Fujfilm X-E1 and a couple of months later the Fujifilm X100S, which were not really a big success, but at least Fuji was able to sell a decent number of them… and I dare to say, the Fujifilm X100S could have sold MUCH better, if there wouldn’t have been those biblical shipping times… the DDR (or GDR) delivered their Trabants faster than Fujifilm their cameras :) .
But, for some reason, Fujifilm decided to attack also the entry-level market and launched the XF1, the XQ1, the X-M1, the X-A1… a debacle for Fujifilm. Lot’s of R&D resources put into a deep, black hole!
THE NAKED TRUTH
And in November 2013 the New York times published here the naked truth: Fujifilm sold, overall, just 700,000 X-series cameras! The X-series was a super-small niche with an uncertain future.
THE REBIRTH … or … THE FUJIFILM X-T1
However, Fujifilm reacted, stepped on the gas and released the Fujifilm X-E2 just one year after the Fujifilm X-E1. The camera sold pretty good for Fujifilm standards… but the real winner was and still is the Fujifilm X-T1. It sold so well, that, as Fuji says in their latest report, it saved the imaging division and kept it profitable (along with instant cameras & instax film)!
THE FUTURE
It seems that now Fujifilm is looking with more optimism at the future. In an interview at the photokina in September 2014 here, Fujifilm Senior Manager Mr. Toshihisa Iida said: “Over the past few months I’ve been getting more confident“.
And today Fujifilm published their Medium-Term Management Plan called “VISION 2016”, where they say that they will “focus on high-end digital cameras “X Series” and expand sales of highly profitable interchangeable lenses“.
I just hope that the name “VISION 2016” does not refer in any way to the Fujifilm X-PRO2… we want it in 2015 ;).
Expire November 29
XF 56mm f/1.2 (save $150): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 23mm f/1.4 (save $200): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 14mm f/2.8 (save $200): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 35mm f/1.4 (save $100): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 60mm f/2.4 (save $150): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 10-24mm (save $200): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
XF 55-200mm (save $150): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
X-T1 body (save $100): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
X-T1 + XF18-55 (save $100): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / Pictureline /
X100S (save $200): BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama /Pictureline X-PRO1 + 18mm (save $300): Adorama / X-E1 + 18mm (save $300): Adorama / X-M1 + 18mm (save $300): Adorama / X-E2 + XF18-55: Adorama