Chris had a nice talk with a Fuji rep. He asked him about some of the rumors I’ve spread in the last weeks/months, and here are his answers:
– XF 18-135: The rep said it will come „next week“ (Fujirumros says June 16th)
– X30 coming in not so distant future (Fujirumors says this summer)
– XF 16mm would be a „good idea“ (Fujirumors says a 16mm 1.4 will come)
– XF 120-400 “sounds about right” (Fujirumors said it back in February here)
– XF 35mm f1.4 mkII will come after the lens selection has been completed, so probably 2016 (Fujirumors has no idea when it will be announced.)
– X100S, X-E2, X-Pro1 and X-T1 will get a firmware update soon (Fujirumors is working on this one ;-)).
Read more at ottokite.
105 Responses
Do you think these firmware updates will add any new features, or will it just be bugfixing? (interested X-E2 owner).
If (and it’s a big if) there’s a firmware update for the X-E2 coming I would expect it to fix a couple bugs, add the intervalometer function, add support for remote triggering from the Fuji Camera App on wireless devices, and that’s about it. There’s more that can be done but probably not. I wish camera makers would make their cameras open to developers to fill in gaps and add functionality.
The problem with this is IP protection (algorithms they would NOT like anyone else to have) and warranty; customer installs 3rd party firmware on camera, which turns it into a paperweight, then expects warranty service.
There are definitely challenges but they could be overcome. If they turned the camera services of the camera into an API akin to Android and iPhone and let developers write to the API that would resolve most of the issues.
True, an API would be one solution, however I can’t imagine it being much use for anything more than extra filters or similar.
If you want to make any core changes or fix bugs you’d still have to get down and dirty creating a custom rom. You can’t fix things by slapping something else on top.
Or maybe it could solve things like intervalometers, auto HDR, bracketing options, etc.
I’m hopeful we’ll get some cool new features (X-E2 owner, too) but in all honesty I think it’ll be just bug-fixes and support for the new lenses.
Actually you reminded me of something. Rico indicated that there would be some lens firmware updates soon that included a cool feature. I speculated it will be a focus override while in AF mode (instead of being in MF and using AF button). Maybe at the same time?
That would be cool.
A Fuji rep here in X. confirmed the 16mm already a couple of weeks ago as a replacement of the 18mm, the so called weakest lens in the line.
Im not so sure that the 16mm 1.4 lens will be a direct repkacement for the 18mm as im guessing the size and weight of the 16mm will be far far greater than the 18mm. I have had the 18mm for nearly 2 years now and I still enjoy shooting with it, its not going to win any scientific laboratory awards for sharpness but I find it to be a great everday carry around as its so small and light. Cheers, jon
I just passed the reps words while I had your thoughts. I’d appreciate more smaller f2.0 lenses and would prefer smaller size over DOF. An f1.4 16mm is an interesting approach though, if the lens performs well at f1.4.
I like the fuji strategy right now: different focal length and different size/speed. You might not find your desired focal length at the desired size/speed, but you will at least get one of both with the other not too far off.
Reps are usually the next to last to know anything. Only camera store employees know less. They speculate and guess as much as we do. In all likelihood they are guessing and spitballing.
You forgot the service hotline employees.
Sometimes its a miracle that they remember who they are working for.
better focus peaking for x-e1?
yes!, and intervalometer please, Ricoh put on gr digital (a very compact camera of 2006) and really i don’t thinks there was a hard work to do with fw. I do juggling with a stereo cable from headphones and a android tablet with a app. But i don’t know why sometimes shoots and some don’t.
Ok, in the end fuji is a business like and other brand, but i don’t like they play with my expectations and in the end Kaizen live with our x-e1 for only than a year (waw! my little lumix lx3 had 2 years fw updates before come lx5) , now is time to forget us, there are many of new models out there to care…
For the X100s firmware upgrade, they sure have to include the EVF refresh rate increase and the color selection for the focus peaking.
Would be nice to have zebra for dynamic range indication (anything easy to read)
I’d like to see a Mark II of the 18mm as I really like 28mm FOV and reviews of the 18/2 are not great. For the 16mm it’d be really good to make a tilt-shift 24mm equivalent lens for the system for architectural photography, I’m not too fussed about speed because it’ll be stopped down for sharpness anyway. Is there a third party wide FOV TS lens available?
I’d love a TS. The only one I can think of is the Samyang 24mm…so not that wide. Could you use a speed booster though, to keep the fov at 24mm, making it at least wide-ish? I don’t know but I’d like to find out
What’s the image quality like of both the speed booster and the Samyang 24? Some copies of the Canon 24 TS MKI suffer from horrible CA in overcast conditions, is the Samyang better? I’m planning to go Fuji to cut down on processing.
I’d love to see a 16 or 18 built like the current 14. If they did 18, they could replace the small-sized 18 with a 23 pancake. Which they aren’t likely to do, because of competition between the X-A/M/E + that lens with the Xx00s.
I’ve seen people using kipon tilt-shift adapters that can turn nearly any slr lens into a tilit’shift lens on fuji. I’m willing to getoneof those myself in a while
Another option, which is cheaper and stabler in the LONG run is using something like the Novovlex balpro T/S with sliding back. Using a 50mm Nikon enlarger large format lens with siding back would give a wide focal length equivalent similar to 24mm on 35mm film. It works in macro and gives good quality infinity images.
The Balpro is expensive, but enlargement lenses are much smaller, lighter, and less prone to distortion than any consumer T/S lens out there. In the long run: using several enlarger lenses on a compact bellows is less costly and far more versatile than a bag of T/S lenses.
In other news, Fuji will also release MkII versions of the 18/2 and 60/2.4 but probably when the lens lineup is completed in 2035.
come on, that’s unfair. Fuji made a couple of awesome lenses last year. And the 18mm and 60mm are not really slow to a degree that they must be called unusable. In the hands of an experienced photographer they produce outstanding pictures. In the hands of a P&S shooter they look like a failure. Guess what?
My comment was really aimed at how the rumored 35/1.4 Mk II was pure speculation from a rumor mongers’ part. This rumor site needs to nitpick and verify its sources and not just post anything and everything to gain traffic.
We all know companies produce Mk II’s of their lenses but to announce that it’s coming soon only to retract that statement later by saying it won’t be coming until at least 2016 is backpedaling. Shame.
P. S. All the XF lenses (with the exception of the 18/2 and 27/2.8 IMHO) are awesome
We got it, 😉
ps. Nothing is ‘retracted’, and no ‘statements’ were made in the first place … just rumors as one could expect on – what’s this site’s name again ?
There, i can do sarcasm too. 😉
Allow me to rephrase: ‘Spreading a rumor’ that the 35/1.4 MkII will be announced soon only to later ‘write another post’ that no one has any idea when it’ll come out sounds like backpedaling to me.
I guess it was a slow day when the initial post was made. 😉
Uh, the whole point of this site is to spread rumors.
If a trusted contact says that Fuji is building a new lens version then why not report it? The original rumor gave no timeframe, so common sense tells us it could take a very long time and/or not happen at all.
Common sense.
Common sense told me from the very beginning that the 35/1.4 MkII and X-T1b rumors are nothing but BS. I’m just pointing out that the latest series of rumors were likely only posted to generate more web traffic.
Obviously, not everyone here exercises their common sense; present company (i.e. you) included.
Well yeah, that’s in the nature of rumors. You’re not wrong, it’s just not that shocking. Point is, always ‘take it with a grain of salt’ .. to me it’s fairly obvious there isn’t really any credible proof of anything yet to make any real conclusions, so i didn’t read it as such whatever his wording was. Rumors are just whispers, gut feelings, and educated guesses unless otherwise specified, not the other way around.
Also, this ‘new info’ doesn’t really make or break anything yet either. It is just a report of some guys blog post with his interpretations of a conversations with some other guy who was maybe wearing a shirt with a Fuji logo on it. These so called brand representatives that show up places rarely have *all* the information either, usually they just know ‘enough’ to talk you through the ‘amazing’ features of their ‘unique’ brand line-up. For all we know he was guessing and reads Fujirumors just like us .. it happens.
who ever said that the 35 II would come soon? Fujirumors never said it (but mirrorlessrumors said it… don’t know where they have this information from. I think they are wrong)
The XF 18mm f/2 R is also an awesome lens, IF you know what you’re doing.
DO YOU?
Yes, I do.
If you’re happy with it, then God bless you. It’s no dud, I’ll give you that. But as for me, I’ll pass. The 18-55 is sharper than it is and that’s a fact.
Those two: 18 and 27 are the two I respect most among the XF line: they are small and compact, the way mirrorless lenses should be. The 35 and 56 and 32 perform well but are either:
1. as big as equivalent FF competition
2. bigger than equivalent FF competition
I hope Fujifilm has plans to bring more compact lenses to the X mount.
Obviously you’ve never handled FF equivalent lenses. Only the Fuji 35/1.4 comes close in terms of heft and size to its FF counterpart. Get your facts straight (see below).
Canon 85/1.2
Filter Thread Front: 72 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 3.6 x 3.3″ (9.14 x 8.38 cm)
Weight 36.16 oz (1025 g)
Fuji 56/1.2
Filter Thread Front: 62 mm
Dimensions (DxL)Approx. 2.88 x 2.74″ (7.32 x 6.97 cm)
Weight14.29 oz (405 g)
Canon 50/1.4
Filter Thread Front: 58 mm
Dimensions (DxL)Approx. 2.9 x 2.0″ (7.37 x 5.08 cm)
Weight10.23 oz (290 g)
Fuji 35/1.4
Filter Thread Front:52 mm
Dimensions (DxL)Approx. 2.56 x 2.16″ (6.5 x 5.49 cm)
Weight6.60 oz (187 g)
Canon 35/1.4
Filter Thread Front: 72 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 3.1 x 3.4″ (7.87 x 8.64 cm)
Weight 20.46 oz (580 g)
Fuji 23/1.4
Filter Thread Front: 62 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 2.83 x 2.48″ (7.2 x 6.3 cm) Weight10.6 oz (301 g)
Obviously you and are are talking about two different things regarding ‘equivalence’. A FF sensor gets about 2/3 to 1 stop better ISO performance even at base ISO. Cleaner files. A 1,2 lens is a 1,2 lens. No one is disputing that. But that 1,2 lens gives an equivalent look to a 1,8 lens in its native mount.
Thus an 85/1,2 lens isn’t a fair comparison. An 85/2 lens, however, is.
And a 35/1,4 lens on APS-C gives the equivalent look as a 50mm f/2 lens. Most 50/1,8 lenses are the same size as the 35/1,4 XF. Most 85/2 lenses are the same size as the 56/1,2. Ditto down the entire line. The only lenses that are NOT smaller in their equivalent mounts are 28/2,8 lenses, which the 18/2 handily beats in terms of size.
Of course, there are truly small FF lenses that the XF lenses dwarf: rangefinder lenses. You could fit nearly two 50/2 lenses inside a single 35/1,4 XF.
I own and handle FF lenses. We merely disagree on equivalence.
Let’s agree to disagree with regards to equivalence. For me light gathering is more the to what is truly a “fast lens”. An f/1.2 lens (compared to say an f/2 lens) no matter what sensor size system it belongs to (micro four thirds, APS-C or full frame) will always have more expensive glass in it. So yes, a fair comparison would be a 35/1.4 APS-C to a 50/1.4 FF lens.
But the reason it has to tote expensive, large glass is that the sensor is smaller. A large sensor needs less complicated glass to get the same look.
If we disagree, it’s on a point that I agree with: f/1,2 if faster than f/2. But 1,4/50 in its native mount, is in on way equivalent to a 35/1,4 in terms of overall look. The APS-C sensor of the same generation will need a faster lens to be as noise free at the same ISO. And it will render the final image very differently to an equivalent 1,4 lens on a larger sensor.
So, yes, 1,2 is faster than f/2. But it renders like an F2 lens on a larger sensor. So if we have to disagree on anything, we should agree to a pissing match as the sensor is the deciding medium for how a lens draws.
If you don’t want to work on equivalence, APS-C never achieves parity: it never can achieve the same look unless the FF lens is stopped down to match it, but then why compare two inequivalent lenses in the first place?
All things considered FF with 85/2 = APS-C and 56/1,2. Of course, the APS-C lens will be at least double the price and the same size.
I agree with the above (the sensor is the deciding factor for how a lens draws) with the except an f/1.2 lens on an APS-C 1.5x crop sensor has an equivalence of f/1.8 on a FF sensor. But more importantly, with newer APS-C mirrorless sensors (almost, not quite) negating any noise advantage of FF cameras at higher ISOs, an f/1.2 lens on an APS-C sensor will still give you a shutter speed advantage over an f/1.8 lens on a FF camera.
That 56/1.2 lens has come in handy during my child’s school plays/recitals where I can shoot wide open instead of bumping up my ISO to 6400 or higher.
But in the end, you will get the same image from a 85/1,8 as you will from a 56/1,2. There are no advantages to my X-T1 over my D800 in high ISO. The Fujifilm’s JPEG engine is better, I agree, but that can be made to be equal.
In the end, the 56/1,2 is a great lens, but comes at double the price of its FF competition and gives the same exact image. The difference comes in the body.
The D800 is a massive, corpulent mess. The X-T1 is elegant and traditionally sized. The FF Nikon is the same size and a bit lighter. They both produce equally sharp, equally impressive images. The 56 may have slightly cleaner/smoother bokeh.
But, all things being equal, it is the 85/1,8 that compares to the 56/1,2.
Good thing I didn’t listen to the rumor that a 35/1.4 MkII version was coming out (in the near future) otherwise I may have skipped the Zeiss bundle sale. This reminds me of the time when 43rumors kept on getting it wrong that Olympus would release their own 25mm lens. Eventually it happened but the accuracy of the prediction is akin to a weatherman saying it will rain sometime in the next few weeks.
Yes, that’s a very good deal, so you were right to take it!
There will always be rumors and anyway, there will always be new models coming in a few months, so you should buy what you need, when you (really) need it.
Amen to that. Though admittedly it was more want (replaced the 35/1.4 with a 23/1.4 when it came out) than need. 🙂
Even if they made the announcement, it would be months before you could buy one. It takes Fuji a long time to get stock out.
That is definitely a fair and true statement. As I said, I’m glad I bought the Zeiss bundle when I did.
Firmware: no auto auto-bracketing for x-e2 and X-t1 in the future.
This are bad news for a lot of users.
Sorry , but I don”t get what you mean, could you elaborate please ?
HDR in camera?
What does the XF 18-135 is “coming” mean. I have a long backpacking trip the beginning of Jul and I would really like to take this lens along but can’t wait too much more. So will it be available for purchase somewhere on the 16th? Wil it be avilable in kit form? I’d just like to know what “it will come next week” means.
Probably means formally announced instead of pre-announcements and previews. Depending on your location it may not be available for purchase for some time based upon other recent formal announcements.
announcement next week, available after your trip: in 2 months. have fun & take nice pics with your other lenses! 😉
if your trip goes through Japan, I am sure you can get the lens on time 😉
Not sure if Fuji offers international warranty, but I should buy a few of those lenses and sell them on ebay for international users in a hurry…
Really hoping to see an improvement in video quality via firmware upgrade. Given the quality we get from stills, and their experience creating lenses for the film industry, this would seem like low hanging fruit.
Me to, for the last couple of years my hobby photography has been shooting
film and all that camera does is take pictures! What I need my Fuji to do is
everything else, one shop travel camera, AF, Auto ISO, High ISO, Long lens,
Zoom lenses, a camera that my wife and parents can borrow and also importantly
Video. There may be easier cameras to use, but the Fuji is so good in so many
areas ,including just taking pictures! especially with the internal RAW and
ability to set it up for amazing easy to store JPEGS. People knock Video but it’s
very hard to do well. I also hope the x100s gets Face detection as well,
another taboo subject for some! but as a travel camera its very common to want
a family shot with all of us all in it, hand it to a stranger and you’ll get a
nice focus straight down the middle between heads.
I think that the video quality must me the first improvement!
I’d guess that video quality is probably the last thing on most Fuji shooters’ list. Video on a Fuji is like ‘Oh yeah, got that too.’ Which is fine by me. I wish it wasn’t there at all.
Many people wants a good video option in the camera.
In the 4k age fuji must take at least the best full hd video.
must?
MUST
Not for me. I don’t mind it, but there are other problems I like to be sold.
That’s a little selfish… many want to have the video feature.
I do, and I am still surprised looking at the comparison charts between the X-t1 and really any Panasonic or Sony… Huge gap.
While I also hardly care about video, it definitely wouldn’t hurt if Fuji tried to improve there, given their background in building Cine or TV lenses.
But maybe their strategic partner panasonic wouldn’t be too happy about it.
No doubt Fuji can add more manual control but the lack of an AA filter makes me wonder what, if anything, Fuji can do about the moire issue.
the X-trans color matrix was supposed to get rid of the moire, and it works perfectly fine for stills, so I still don’t get why they have this issue on videos…
Because the ARM chip they’re using is too slow to de-mosaic it in high quality at 30fps? Bayer might be less compute intensive.
I hope they remove video.
just cover the video button with tape. done.
The ability to convert the files to 16-bit TIFF in-camera is the most needed update, but I bet they are still sleeping on this. Colour peaking would be nice too, but the X-T1 already has that…
Yes, the ability to convert to Tiff would be nice for those worried about RAW conversion quality from LR5 etc.
Definitely…then, there would be no raw conversion issues, and one could import the TIFF into any software, including PS/LR, to do further processing, if necessary. In my opinion, they need to either provide this or provide a bare-bones converter, that could be a plug-in for PS/LR. Without either of those options, I will be hesitant to buy the X-Pro 2 that I am looking forward to. Right now, I am using the in-camera converter, which is great, but I don’t like the compromise of having to save the files as Jpegs, which are lossy. So, hopefully, Fuji doesn’t continue sleeping on this issue.
Capture One is pretty good, but the results are not as good as those from the in-camera converter. And, Iridient Developer is sharp, but with colour artifacts and not as nice colours as either Capture One or the in-camera converter. Photo Ninja is alright too, but it doesn’t produce as good of results as the in-camera converter either.
So, if Fuji were smart, they would provide us with the ability to convert the files in-camera to 16-bit Tiffs, or with a bare-bones converter, that could be in the form of a PS/LR plug-in. The latter option would be the best option, but the first option would be less costly for Fuji – either one would do. But, ignoring this, may lead me to not buy any more Fuji gear, as I want the best image quality I can get out of whatever I buy, just like I have with my Sigma DP1 Merrill (Sigma provides their own software, and it produces exceptional results).
Ok fuji, updates are cool but keep on working on the x200, if rumors are right and it’s a aps-c again, well, why not keeping the same body? so we can use x100’s tele and wide converters. blazing autofocus and better EVF is all we need.
While the X100 body is very nice already, there are a few major shortcomings that I would expect a successor to solve if they wanted me to upgrade (the annoying AF mode switch, the weird rotary dial, no weather sealing, the AF ring, hard-to-correctly-insert-in-the-dark-correctly batteries, and most importantly, lack of a dedicated ISO dial).
The body in itself has very little to do with compatibility with the WCL/TCL. You could theoretically screw those converters onto any lens with the same filter diameter as the X100(s) lens. So improvements to the camera body wouldn’t necessarily mean that the new model would not be compatible with the existing converters.
if the converters could stay compatible with the next version, that would be quite important, indeed.
But if the sensor format stays the same, the only way to justify an upgrade would be with major ergonomic improvements like, tilting screen, weather sealing, +3/-3 exp compensation dial, more fn buttons (one is too limited), auto macro toggle. And even then, it would be difficult to justify changing from the X100s… it’s such a good camera!
I’d rather invest in an ILC (T1 or E3) than replace the 100s.
No questions/answers/rumors about a GOOD dedicated TTL flash unit???
What about firmware for xe1?
“Read more at …” 😉
Fuji needs to make haste in announcing that X30. With the RX100m3 already out, the Panasonic LX8 out soon and the rumoured Nikon P8000 it is getting busy in the 1″ market.
“It’s getting busy in the 1” market”….That’s NOT what she said:)
And yet it isn’t busy, because the RX100 is still the only 1-inch compact camera.
Unless I am badly mistaken you’ve also got Nikon’s V, J and S series
We hope this 18-135mm to have the same image quality as in xf 18-55.
Any chance that the X-T1b rumour is tied to the X-T1 firmware update, crossed wires? Timing seems about right.
Was thinking the same thing. Seems likely…
“sounds about right”…..as nebulous a statement as one can find. I am curious as to the details for the “pending” 120-400. Is it a professional “wildlife” (specifically, birding for me) lens that can equal or exceed in IQ, speed etc the Nikon/Canon counterparts, it will certainly accelerate the transition from the big body dinosaurs to the Fuji X system. I for one would like as many details as feasible as a super tele (actually, my preference would be a fixed 400/4 with a 1.4 TC, at minimum) that does the task would trigger my departure from the arrogant ways of Nikon.
Why is Nikon arrogant?
Story too long to tell, but in short look at the way they treated their customers during the D800 issues, D4 troubles and D600 debacle, (not your average el cheapo bodies) First silence then blaming clients before issuing a recall only after a class action was threatening in the US (D600) costed them USD 17M plus long term damages with their clients. I was one of them, now almost sold all my Nikon gear.
fuji makes strong efforts to become the next nikon or the nikon within the mirrorless….;) or even worser…..
XT-1 –> XT-1b (s)
Light leak issues, d pad, unresponsive buttons, soft sluggish card door etc……
you are brave my friend but i think there are too many sharks in here….hehehe 😉
It is better to take /spend the time for/with your girlfriend….but let mee guess you dont have one….i know why and understand the girls……
I disagree – mistakes do happen (Canon, Nikon, Fuji , probably others, have all had their share of issues) what’s most important, IMHO, is the way the company handles these mistakes. And, to date, Fuji has lived up to it’s reputation, acknowledged the issues rapidly and offered a way to fix them at no charge to the users. I for one am not worried about buying Fuji gear. I can’t say the same about Nikon.
Will be an exciting lens for sure. I don’t know why you think it will perform ‘better’ than Nikon, but I’m sure it will be a great lens.
Wish Chris would have asked about the X-T1b.
iso 100 for raw!!! please!!!
Buy a nikon…..iso 100, even iso 50 raw.,,,,;)!
See you!
200 on the X-E2 is pretty close to 100 on other cameras. Don’t get hung up on the numbers, they don’t mean the same thing when comparing brands.
“firmware update soon”
HOPE Fuji ADD FULL MANUAL VIDEO
Don’t you think it could be frustrating to manually control video settings and get same obscene video quality as with automatic settings?
you do not have nothing knowlage about video….
just buy d800 fully manual…..;)
Who would like to carry around a steam iron looking camera ? DSLR belong to the past, as do CRT monitors, Walkman, VCR… :-p
compare size and weight some prime lenses, body and price…. and go fly to alps…
I hope they will solve the minimum shutter speed issue in the next firmware update. As on Nikon would be perfect.
We are waiting also for improved XE1 FW.
At least correct easy to fix, but for user frustrating bugs like ():
1. exposure compensation dial setting is ignored if AUTO-ISO & Av,Tv in manual mode. (this is NOT FULL MAN mode, but semi auto mode so exp. correction should be applied ) …. this BUG is very frustrating for shooting in low light, while taking care for best quality (lowest ISO) where setting exp. compensation is useful e.g to keep ISO lower.
This problem is serious with zoom lens where minimum shutter speed setting is almost useless, because it do not adapt according used focal length = it is OK only for narrow zoom range.
2.
in playback mode viewing portrait orientation pictures, view uses only very small part of the display.
3.
in manual focus, zoom view screen is fixed in center, can’t be moved to outer regions.
…..
NO improvement of X-E1 FW would cause me big frustration
Stan,
you can use whole LCD for viewing the portrait orientation pictures by selecting Autorotate PB to OFF in one of the menus.