DPReview interviewed Toshi Iida, Makoto Oishi and Shin Udono. Here are the main points (full interview at dpreview here):
Medium Format
- Full Frame and Medium Format will coexist
- GFX 50R sales look very promising
- FF is 1/3 of market in terms of value, slightly growing
- MF was 1%, but doubled after GFX introduction
- 70% of MF buyers were coming from other brands, mainly DSLR, and the GFX is their additional system
- 20% of GFX users are professionals, 80% non-professionals (especially GFX 50R users)
- Fujifilm wants to increase professional base, also thanks to Capture One support and with future GFX 100
- Fujifilm GFX 100 should show the potential of medium format
- FF can reach 70-80 Megapixel
- GFX lenses designed for 100MP resolution
- Fujifilm GFX100 will be available before the end of June
- Fujifilm GFX100 target is commercial photographers, fashion, landscapes, but also more general purpos
- GFX 100 will shoot at 16bit RAW. Benefit noticeable mostly at low ISO and deep shadow detail. 4 times the amount of data, 14 bit lets you shoot faster, which is appropriate for APS-C
APS-C vs Full Frame
- Fujifilm is positioning APS-C against full-frame
- APS-C is faster and more responsive thanks to smaller sensor [FujiRumors explains it here]
- APS-C focus is on speed and image quality and versatility
Video
- no plans for X/GFX dedicated video camera
- good video needs good video oriented lenses, hence the Fujinon MK-line
- No huge sales for MK lenses, because customer base is still quite small
Lens Design
- Fujifilm’s philosophy is to minimize digital correction and maximise optical quality of lenses. Downside of analogue correction: cost and size
- digital correction has impact on IQ, for example resolution. Chromatic aberration correction also reduces total resolution
- Fujifilm starts designing lenses with no analogue correction only, but if too big, too heavy, they start with software correction, until they find a balance
- Compared to first generation X lenses, Fujifilm has learned and developed technologies to make lenses smaller without compromising image quality
Production
- Fujifilm still depend on craftsmen, but for example to make resolution adjustments to lenses, they have introduces some automation, for more accurate adjustments to the barrel
- With more focus on video, also the lens focus system has been made more suitable for video shooting
X100 line
- Number one request is better glass, since the current lens is a 2010 design [DPReview speculates X100F successor will come with new lens]
- X100 shooters are split between wanting a tilt screen and no tilt screen
- People don’t want to change style and size
- Some want 4K and weather sealing
- X100 is a symbolic line
Closed X Mount
- Fujifilm does not think they need to open up the mount to third parties, since they already offer 31 lenses
- if third-party manufacturers reverse-engineer AF lenses for X mount, that’s good from a customers’ point of view [looks like they won’t sue Viltrox for making the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8]
Next Big Thing in Photography
- Global shutter would give more design freedom and no rolling shutter
- Computational and Artificial Intelligence technologies would let photographers „just press the button and let the camera do everything“
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