Fujifilm just announced at their global website here that because of the “increasing demand for high-performance lenses” they now started the operation of a new optical lens factory in the Philippines. The goal: “the production to 18 million lenses a year by FY2015, […] The total investment for the new factory is 2.3 billion yen.”
After the X-M1 and the XC 16-50 / XF 27mm (produced in Thailand and China) Fuji now expands also in the Philippines. It seems that Fujifilm products will be less and little “made in Japan”. But I hope that now the company won’t annoy customers with long waiting times anymore (a lot people are still waiting for the X100S and XF 55-200. Bad news for aficionados to the “made in Japan”, but good news for all those who switched to the X (or plan to switch) and do not want to wait eternally for new cameras or lenses.
34 Responses
While “Made in Japan” is highly desirable just because the Japanese have such exacting standards, as long as the quality control is top notch it shouldn’t really matter where they make lenses. That said hopefully they’ll continue to make their high end glass in Japan, for all we know this place is primarily to churn out lenses for their point and shoot line.
Slightly disappointed. I was hoping that they will produce their stuff in Japan.
This is good news indeed. In addition to lenses, some teleconverters would be nice.
Add to the list for voting 16-135 and 18-200
I wonder if they also have more lens designers! 🙂
ps. If the quality standards have been set right, then it’s good where-ever it’s made.
A Lens can be labeled “made in japan” even if only the last step of manufacturing was done in japan.
Ever wondered why Tamron lenses are made in japan while they have a plant in Taïwan ? Fuji has a lot of subcontractors and many of them are probably outside japan. So for me this new plant ils not necessarily a bad news, it means Fuji tries to decrease the costs. I only hope they won’t reduce quality or quality controls at the same time.
Lots of votes for the 56mm F1.4 OIS, but there’s already a 56mm F1.2 R on the roadmap. I’m guessing all those votes are more for the 56mm to be available than any wish for OIS.
Otherwise the top 5 makes sense, or actually the whole top 12 is quite interesting. 🙂
No wait, scratch that. A 14-35mm f/2,0 is way too ambitious, this is not Micro Four Thirds. Sure sigma did the 18-35/1.8 but that was already a huge stretch, adding a superwide on top of it is going to tip the scale and ruin the whole thing in multiple ways. Mission Impossible.
Many of these lenses are not overly realistic… In particular when You think about their size compared to the body. Add full frame and we end up with something larger than dslr. Why go mirrorless then ?
Indeed indeed, it’s easy to write down and then complaint afterwards when it’s too big, too heavy, too expensive, too slow or too plastic. Come on people it’s a craft not magic ! 🙂
They can make zillions of “XC” lenses out of this plant in the Philippines, as long as the top notch “XF”lenses are still made in Japan.
I could care less about where a lens was made.
The quality of a lens, both its optical and build qualities, are first and foremost determined by its design. A lens that is designed on a budget is never going to be great.
The overall quality of the lens that I will hold in my hands will also be determined on how the manufacturing process was designed. This is a broad subject, it ranges from specifying the required tolerances, how much quality control you do, how much time you spend training the employees etc.
Once you have made those decisions then the location of the plant is a moot point. You can make crap lenses in Japan and great lenses in China, whatever you like.
I didn’t vote for the 70mm F2 you have listed because I want it to be faster.
We have a 56mm F1.2 on the roadmap and an 85mm F1.2 in your ‘wish list’, so why only F2.0 for a 70mm?
I think it would be wiser to buy a x100s, with the all the shooting advantages the leaf shutter and high speed flash sync offer, rather than buying a 23mm f2.0 lens.
Surprised there isn’t more demand for a high quality TS lens, it’s my number one reason to wait for the next X-Pro version. I would not need interchangeable lenses otherwise, I plan on using speedbooster and 24mm samyang TS lens, if Fuji would make one I’d be VERY happy.
Question re: tilt-shift. Does anyone knoiw if a kipon t/s adapter and MF lens will work with the focus peaking firmware upgrade? If this is the case, I’m not sure why people will wait for a samyang or Fuji t/s to be released. Thanks
It most probably will. But the kipon – I have and like it – does not live up to a real TS lens.
I agree. I like the X-system for a number of reasons, but shooting architecture or landscapes with a T/S would be quite a plus for the system, though I don’t suppose it’d be a volume seller compared to the rest of the lineup.
While I do take a little more comfort in things made in Japan over other places it shouldn’t be too worrisome. I used to worry, but two of my Nikon lenses changed my mind. The newest Nikon 85mm 1.8G is made in china I believe and really is an outstanding performer. In addition to that I believe my 70-200 f/4 was made in Thailand and that lens is unbelievably sharp across the whole range with minimal vignetting. That changed my mind about not being made in Japan. Other than build quality both of those lenses are superior to my made in Japan 24-70 2.8.
If fuji can keep up their quality standards they should be just fine. Maybe they can move production of compacts and xm1s and the like to this plant and continue making their higher end lenses in Japan much in the way Nikon does.
Not much for macro on the list. I didn’t vote for the 100mm f3.5 either. For me a 90mm f2.8 macro is a better fit as it can also double as a portrait lens. And Fuji can skip the OIS, I’ll use a tripod.
Unfortunately I don’t know if such a lens is possible. I’ve read that Tamron’s 90mm f2.8 for FF is already a stretch, and huge! :-((
18mm f/2.0, OIS, higher quality in the corners of the frame than an old 18/2.0;
17–50mm f/2.8 OIS. All metal, aperture ring.
now sigma has sigma 18-35mm f1.8. Hope Fuji can producee a Fuji XF lens 18-35mm f1.8 also. And a Prime lens 16mm f1.4. Why is this prime wide angle lens missing in the road map line up??Hope Fuji is listening here. Thx.
Made in Japan was a prime reason for me switching to Fuji from Panasonic. I work for one of the worlds largest American companies that has outsourced all over the world, I’ve spent time in all these places, It was only after visiting Japan and then China that the differences really told, in Japan their tag line is No matter who makes it now, we can make it better quality, in all the other Asian countries, their tag is No matter who makes it now, we can make it cheaper. And presides I like the tradition, the best quality glass is made in Germany or Japan, I wouldn’t buy a premium watch not made in Switzerland. Everyone to their own though.
It was one of the reasons why I switched to Fuji too.
Really, you think that they will change the manufacuring strategy and production alocation because of some customer voices? LOL
Well, then I want an equivalent 85mm 0.95, medium-rare.
Seriously…?!
Uhh, customer voices is what created the X100s.
They’re not making these things for themselves you know.
Well…product development and manufacturing strategies are completely different business units. Production allocation is usually a supply chain decision which is after the R&D or Marketing. Customer voices usually feed in quality management, or in NPD, they are gathered by marketing teams whilst R&D picks it up later for the development part. They are really unlikely to be part of the team setting up decision where to manufacture some given units.
still no 18-135 mm fxx/xx
Yup, here’s the “road map” to lower quality and lots of sample variation. Same old story: hi-end=Japanese-made; everything else=China, Philippines, Thailand. Ask Nikon D600 owners about oil-splattered sensors on their Thailand-made cameras.
no “made in japan” no deal
Any lens that goes on a full frame Fuji body + that body. That’s what I want.
23mm f/2.0 pancake even without OIS would be great 😉
This + the 18-55mm I have and I’d be perfectly happy.
I hope someone from Fuji actually reads that post.
same here