Fujifilm Fanboy Flames

Fujifilm Senior Vice President Toru Takahashi at last night's press conference

I ended up staying awake way past my bedtime last night to watch the Fujifilm press conference from Tokyo celebrating the fifth anniversary of the X System. They did a good job of fanning the Fujifilm fanboy flames.

Charting dramatic growth in sales despite a down market (see the graphic in picture above), Fuji had a lot of resources to throw at the new X-Pro2. My impression is that it's been comprehensively tweaked, with lots of input from users, in a way that could transform a good camera into a great one.

The viewfinder is the same (a good thing, since it's one of Fuji's greatest accomplishments) but built-in diopter correction has been added—something the original camera lacked. Fuji says the new 24-MP sensor out-resolves 36-MP Bayer sensors; the new processor is four times faster; both the viewing screen and the EVF are much higher resolution; and ISO can now be set the old-fashioned way, with a physical dial inside the shutter-speed dial. The camera now has a joystick instead of the old four-way control pad that drew criticism on both the X-Pro1 and the X-T1. The menus and user interface have been thoroughly revised. And the X-Pro2 takes dual SD cards.

Of course the main gripe about the X-Pro1 was focusing speed and especially low-light focusing, both of which were iffy when the camera was new, never mind now. Those things are lens-dependent, so it's going to take some time to sort out whether the improvements in those areas are, well, enough.

One thing that went unspoken is that many of these improvements will probably also grace the X-T2, which is promising.

It's amazing how much Fujifilm has accomplished in five years. It was all founded on the X100, which created a genuine worldwide sensation in 2011 and is now in its third iteration. That led to the X-Pro1, introduced with just three lenses. The system was completely a clean sheet, and is thus much more coherent that many older companies' offerings. The lens line had grown to 20 by 2015. A new 100–400mm super telephoto was introduced last night (which will require firmware updates in the cameras, coming in February).

Mr. Takahashi emphasized Fujifilm's commitment to keeping customers' cameras current as long as possible with firmware updates. That seems to be one reason for the essentially conservative, classic design, too. People want to keep their cameras a long time.

The idea of "balance" they touted isn't just marketing hooey. It's what I like best about the system, personally. That, and the fact that you can use the same lenses on several very different types of cameras.

I have to admit I went to bed when David Alan Harvey showed up (nothing personal, David).

I liked what I saw. The five new products (one for each of the system's five years, geddit?) include a future flash unit. The other four, ready sooner, are:

The X-Pro2

The X-E2s

The XF 100–400mm (150–600mm-e) lens

The little fixed-lens X70, an apparent Ricoh GR II competitor which Ned Bunnell has offered to compare to the GR II for us as soon as he's able to get one. That one's probably aimed more squarely at the Japanese home market (a telltale is the fixed 28mm lens, a much more popular focal length in Japan than elsewhere).

Mike

P.S. By the way, although he wasn't name-checked, it sounds to me like one of the Fuji users Takahashi-san talked about might have been TOP reader Stephen Scharf.

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

John McMillin: "That was the first camera rollout I've ever watched, so I have little basis for comparison. But I really appreciated the emphasis on the fun of photography. I wouldn't expect Nikon or Canon to do this, at least for their top-of-the line models. Instead, they would use the word 'important' as often as possible. The X-Pro2 sounds like a significant improvement, while keeping everything that made my X-Pro1 so unique and appealing. Though I treasure the OVF, it sure needed a better EVF for long-lens work.

"Still, I'm not quite convinced. It's the Pentax FF announcement I'm waiting for, then a little longer for those prices to fall below a grand or so."

Doug Thacker: "I can attest to the interest Fujifilm takes in the opinions of their customers. I happened to be in Tokyo in early 2014, and while there decided to visit the photo gallery that lies on the ground floor of Fujifilm headquarters. Towards the end of my visit, near the exit, I encountered two pleasant, besuited gentlemen who, it turned out, were senior executives with the camera division. They'd seen the X-T1 I held in my right hand and engaged me in conversation about it.

"Not just conversation, it turned out, but serious enquiry about my photographic practice, followed by further solicitation of my opinion of their gear. It was kind of mind blowing to be asked such questions by senior execs of the manufacturer of my camera. What was even more mind blowing, though, was the care with which they listened. Christ, if I'd known it was this easy I'd have headed to Tokyo years ago. I'm still really impressed by it. (Can you imagine Nikon execs doing this? Not a chance.) As a parting shot, I asked about the upcoming XPro-2. 'Full-frame?' I wondered. 'Too big,' came the reply, 'X-Pro already big enough.' And they were right, too.

"On another note, I imagine Fuji sees Sony as its primary competitor. I'm also guessing Fuji's primary product for penetrating the market is the SLR-type camera, the X-T1. If Fuji can match what Sony has done with its latest iteration of the A-series cameras (which it touts as having faster autofocus than a DSLR), Fuji will have won the game, at least as far as I'm concerned.

"Until then I'll take a pass on the X-Pro2. For now the X-T1 does everything I want it to do."

Kenneth Tanaka: "Fun stuff!  Fujifilm has good reason to be proud of what they've created in so few years.  They've created a terrific camera system with something for every style of enthusiast. Their wide family of lenses are very good. They have cameras to suit nearly every major fetish and Fujifilm back-shares advancements to previous models to a greater degree than nearly any other manufacturer. Personally I have made a substantial buy-into Fujifilm's line with four cameras and a bunch of lenses. They're fun to use.

"I do have two items on my punch list for Takahashi-san. First, I'd like to see just a bit more durable bodies. During the past two years I've had to repair two of mine for what amounted to damage under unstressful conditions. I realize that the cameras are not designed for daily pro abuse but they should be less fragile. Second, please update the X30 to a larger sensor, feeling free to retain all other details. It is the among the most enjoyable walk-around cameras I've ever used.  Love it. Now a bonus third suggestion for Takahashi-san; make sure to have a native English-language staffer review your slides before you hit the stage.

"Thanks Fujifilm!  Keep 'er goin'!"

Ash: "Hey Mike, Are you planning to purchase the X-Pro2?"

Mike replies: I'd love to, but I have a perfectly good X-T1 and little in the camera budget. There are several lenses I'd like to have that I haven't bought yet. Still recovering from all of last year's moving and house-outfitting expenses and probably will be for a while.

A reader and friend asked me by email why I really use Fuji. I'm fortunate in that I basically like the camera form-factor and the lens line, but bottom line is that the Fuji gives me the best black-and-white I've been able to get out of digital, and with little struggle. I can't say it's the "best" digital B&W, but it suits my tastes.

Comments

[ben]

Wondering if the x70 can take the TCL X100 and WCL X100 conversion lenses.

[Dennis]

I don't use Fuji now and I expect my photography to change over the next five years and I don't really know where I'll end up. But an XT2 with the 24MP sensor (based on the early samples I've seen) with the lenses Fuji has available sounds like a great place to land.

[Stephen Scharf]

Hmmm....I'm going to have to see if I can find some way to watch this press conference.

On a more relevant note, I agree that what Fuji has accomplished in five years with the X System is remarkable, particularly the development of four major classes of camera bodies and a comprehensive system of truly excellent (and sometimes astonishing) lenses. These engineering and product introductions are challenging and complex, and Fuji has shown it's strength in rising to the fore. A former colleague had a great description of innovation: the creation of a revenue stream that did not exist before.. With smart phones destroying the point & shoot compact camera market, Fuji has pulled off a major innovation coup.

The thing I love about them most, though, is they TRULY listen to customers.

[MikeR]

I think, if I were able to roll back the calendar a few years, to when I transitioned to the M43 world, I would go with Fuji instead. I was infatuated with the X100 at the time of its introduction, but wanted interchangeable lenses.

So what is my "main" camera now? Lumix LX100. (but I ain't complainin' --- it's a NICE camera, and does everything I usually want in a camera)

[cecelia]

I want to like Fuji, but being left-eyed, they have simply designed me out.

[Not sure about this...I've been left-eyed for a number of years now, and I have the X-Pro1 here at the house, and I find it very comfortable and easy to use left-eyed, no trouble getting used to it at all. --Mike]

[Herman]

No thanks, I'll stick with my Fuji GF670.

[Ragnarok]

Is this the Lenny Kravitz edition?

http://img01.quesabesde.com/media/img/noti/0097/fuji_x_pro2_1.jpg

[beuler]

I'm sure a lot of Nikon folk lusting for a D500 have just stopped and asked themselves "do I really need to focus in 0.003sec or will 0.004sec be fast enough"?

[Kev Ford]

The list of new features that they're adding to the X-E2 graits is quite something. I am definitely getting more than a bit attached to this little system.

[Cliff R.]

Nikon, please take note of Fujifilm's commitment to a comprehensive and useful lens line and apply it to your DX product line. Thank you.

[Wayne]

I can't quite comprehend the enthusiasm for Fujifilm. Sorry for raining on the parade. Maybe I just happened to buy the wrong camera model. I do really like my XE-1. It has a very good kit lens (18-55) and does produce very good quality images, and it doesn't have a stupid faux prism bump, but I'm uncertain about buying into Fujifilm any further. The reason is Fujifilm's quirkiness. On the XE-1, Fujifilm configured AE-L/AF-L so that when you press the shutter half-way the focus locks, that's normal, and so does exposure (normal as well), but for some reason Fujifilm did not provide a switch so that the shutter press only locks focus, and not exposure. Failing to do this means you can't focus and recompose because the exposure does not change for the different lighting on recompose. I realize that you might want the camera to behave this way for some images, such as portraits. But I'm a landscape photographer. I have two Nikon cameras (D60 and F80) and an Olympus E-PL5, and they all allow configuring AE-L/AF-L independently on shutter-press. But Fujifilm, for some reason, has to be different. There are a couple of ways around this problem, such as shifting the focus point, but this is really cumbersome and slow in situations where you need to shoot quickly. I shoot a lot of images in vertical mode, so it is really a nuisance shifting the focus point around, and then back again in horizontal mode. You can also use manual focus and AF-L (who'd a'thought, you can autofocus in manual focus mode - another quirk). But I want to shoot the way I have learned and am familiar with, and not the way the camera forces me to. I'm rather dismayed that no one else has complained about this.

Another annoyance (quirk) is that the X-trans sensor raw images may not be optimally processed in Lightroom. Again, why would I have to process my raw images differently. I've spent a lot of time learning Lightroom, why would I have to learn to use something else. Although the X-trans sensor does produce high-quality images (and very good B&W jpegs), I'm not sure it is really all that better, and the colours are often not great. It's true that the images from my E-PL5 are usually not quite as good as from the XE-1, but the Olympus does often produce better colours, especially autumn colours. If the X-trans sensor is so much better, why is almost every other camera company using the Bayer sensor?

And another thing, sometimes the camera comes up with a message indicating I must turn the camera off and on - what!!!!! I have never had an error of any kind from my Nikon. I'll admit the Olympus also does sometimes have a weird error where the viewfinder goes blank - probably related to the external viewfinder (which is supposed to be compatible.)

Why couldn't Fujifilm just produce a better camera - why do they have to do things differently for no really good purpose.

I'm still trying to decide whether to commit to Fujifilm or Olympus. Olympus does have one other big plus - built-in image stabilization. However, the APS-C sensor makes image quality a lot easier. I'm reluctant to buy another Fujifilm camera for fear of encountering more unexpected quirks.

Wayne

[J Wilson]

It's breathtaking to imagine none of this existed SIX years ago. I think Fuji's ultimate hat trick is that you can use any of the lenses with a DSLR-ish body (XT), a rangefinder-ish body (XP), or your basic digital-brick shape (XE, etc.), especially in light of the Leica SL which has it's own mount, and adapters for M's, R's, etc.

For me, that the XP2 now has a variable diopter is the news, those screw-ins kept me out of the original. Hooray !

[Peter]

Here's a link to the Fuji Guys discourse on the XPro2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S19U_eoa5Y&feature=youtu.be Pay attention to the "evolutionary" graphic behind the presenter; very clever. Fuji really has it's act together.

[Kevin Purcell]

More on the X70 at http://www.fujifilm.com/news/n160115_03.html

The TCL X100 and WCL X100 conversion lenses will fit on the X70 (and change the focal length) but they aren't supported by Fuji (distortion issues may be be an issue along with potential vignetting).

There is a VF-X21 optical viewfinder and the WCL-X70 wide conversion lens for a 21mm (eq) view. This matches a Ricoh GR feature.

It seems the X70 has both a leaf shutter (like the X100) and a rolling electronic shutter from reading the specs (as the electronic shutter time range is shorter than the total shutter speed range).

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/x/fujifilm_x70/specifications/

The X70 has a non-collapsible lens unlike the GR but that means the lens sticks out more when not in use. Is it jeans pocket compatible?

The X70 has acquired a "green box" fully auto mode ("the "Auto Mode Switch lever selects the fully automatic Advanced SR Auto mode."). A first for the Fuji X cameras?

Did they take an other Ricoh GR features like snap focus? It doesn't look like it. Zone focusing in manual mode is not snap focus. Snap focus is using fixed (settable) focus distance when you rapidly press the shutter button faster than the AF can focus. So depending upon how you press the shutter button you get AF or fixed focus distance. This is very handy on the street for snap shots.

No ND filter? I'm guess they think the fast electronic shutter can compensate for that (not quite but close).

Customization? Fuji continues the tradition of making every button customizable though Ricoh has a lot of very focused (and sometimes complicated) customizations that become mroe clear if you use them.

Is the zoom/crop mode setting as easy to use as the GR where it can be assigned to the left and side button? Probably not (unless you give up the control ring) as it seems to be a menu setting rather than a button. Unlike the GR it seems to be a "zoom mode" setting with the output JPEG being 16Mpx rather than a rendering faithful to the crop.

Two handed X70 versus one handed GR? This seems to be a fundamental design difference. The GR is mostly used as a one handed camera. "The camera is designed to allow the photographer to keep their left hand on the lens’s aperture ring with their right hand operating the shutter speed and exposure compensation dials on the top-plate." I'm expecting the X70 will be more like the X100 in use which is rather different from the GR.

But two-handed use might encourage people to use touchscreen as another way of doing street photography for those (like me) already happy with looking at the back of a compact camera. Selecting focus point on the fly, rather than my usual center point focus and recompose dance, might lead to some interesting shots.

No ACROS film simulation (with grain!) in the X70 either. Daido Moriyama fans who use JPEGs won't be happy!

Fuji seem to be moving to a "trickle down" model for new features in their range: 24Mpx sensor; ACROS film simulation; etc. They introduce them on the XPro then they'll appear in the X100 and XT (and I presume the X7*) in the future. I'm not sure that's the best way to do this (though it may be the best way to use their development teams). Except for the touch display in the X70.

Jonas Rask has already been shooting with the X70 and gives a slightly breathless review:

http://jonasraskphotography.com/2016/01/15/the-fujifilm-x70-review/

"That one's probably aimed more squarely at the Japanese home market"

More aimed at street photographers around the world, IMHO. The Japanese do like 28mm but home consumption alone is not going to sell this model. The Ricoh GR sells to mostly street photographers.

One other question is why Fuji didn't go with another focal length like 35mm eq or 40mm. It would be a bit bigger (as thick as the X100) but it might bring in buyers who don't want (or already have) a Coolpix A or Ricoh GR. Too much of a product collision with the X100 even though the shooting style is very different?

[adamct]

FWIW, I think we are in something of a golden age of cameras right now. Consider the following current products:

- Pentax 645Z / K-3 II
- Nikon D5 / D500
- Sony A7 Mk II variants / RX1R Mk II / RX100 Mk IV / RX10 Mk II
- Leica S2 / SL / Monochrom / Q / M
- Olympus E-M1 / Stylus Tough TG-870
- Panasonic GX8 / GM5 / LX100 / FZ1000
- Canon "G" variants / "M" variants / 5DS
- Fuji X70 / X-Pro2 / X-E2S / X-T10 / X100T / X30 / X-T1
- Ricoh GR II

As you scroll through that list, it represents an incredible variety in terms of sensor size, camera size, interchangeable vs. fixed lenses, optical vs. electronic viewfinders, focus mechanisms, sensors, stabilization, etc. And just about every one of those cameras is highly capable, indeed. While Mike has often praised the beginning of the digital era for its spirit of enthusiastic creativity and radical new designs, it is hard not to be impressed by the array of camera designs currently available to us. Consider the differences between the following:

Pentax 645Z
Nikon D5
Sony A7R II
Fuji X-Pro2
Panasonic LX100
Panasonic GM5
Sony RX100 Mk IV

Those are all very different cameras, yet all of them are excellent and most strike me as very good value. Astonishing.

[Hugh Smith]

As much as I really love my X-100S, it still frustrates me no end.
Converting RAW files is a REAL chore; strange messages (e.g. mentioned by Wayne) and VERY strange artifacts in conversion files; one has to REALLY love the cameras.
If only Fuji would shoot DNG files, we'd all be much happier and the consumer would be better off.
Mi dos pesos

[Nick]

Hi Mike, I noticed the statement about firmware updates. Great news! That must mean the coveted 'Classic Chrome' film simulation will arrive for my X100S any day now...
Other than that, loving Fuji!
Best, Nick

[Helio]

I've been using the X-E1 for a couple of years now and was waiting for the X-E3 so I could buy a discounted X-E2. But I pulled the lever on the X-E2s for a couple reasons. The first is the price, which may be the most remarkable update. The second and third, I really, really wanted the little "s" on the front of the camera and the Fn button to say "AUTO". Near as I can tell, these are the only differences with the firmware update to the X-E2.

[Chris Kern]

Given that I can't get my hands on an X-Pro2 yet to form my own conclusions, I was especially interested in the announcement of the 100-400mm lens because the clear implication is that Fuji believes its current generation of sensors and processors offers the autofocus performance necessary to compete with a DSLR for shooting fast-moving subjects.

[aaronL]

Mike, In you reply to 'cecelia' above, you say you use the xpro1 with your left eye...
Your right eye is now hidden behind the camera body so have you not lost the traditional advantage to the rangefinder style?
Wouldn't you be better sticking with the raised prism and using both eyes?

Thnaks,
Left Eyed Aaron.

[No, that only works with a 1:1 finder or something close to it. The M3 and M6-J had nearly 1:1 finders. The Fuji's is nowhere close, so opening both eyes just confuses things. It's an overrated technique anyway, I've done it. Can't say it ever really helped my shooting much. --Mike]

[Robert Roaldi]

I've said this before on these pages, but if I won a lottery (how timely this week) I'd buy one of everything that Fujifilm makes just to encourage them. I wonder how many photographers out there would be perfectly happy to have a 100T (with fixed 35-e mm lens) and some other model, say 150T (with a fixed 50-e mm lens), and never need anything else. Be a nice combo.

I really like the ISO control dial.

[Robert Roaldi]

Oops, I wasn't paying enough attention, the 100T does have an aperture ring.

[Kevin Purcell]

Interesting talk with the senior product manager for Fuji cameras

http://www.bjp-online.com/2016/01/fuji-x-pro2-interview-takashi-ueno/

I've been wonder about Fuji and medium format digital for a while now. They have a history with medium format. And 645D is "two stops" up from APS-C and a more sensible choice than 36x24mm for a new camera.

I rather expect a "medium format X100" (X645D?) at some point to test the waters. It won't be cheap!

@Wayne:

There isn't a way to get exposure on full press of the shutter button but Fuji does enable the functionality in three different ways.

1. In autofocus mode use the shutter button to focus. Then use the AF-L to lock focus distance (i.e. AF-L button set to AF-L hold) then recompose and set exposure with the shutter button for multiple shots until you refocus again. Note that AF-L doesn't make an autofocus operation when pressed it just locks that current focus distance -- this has caused confusion for some.

2. Or use "back button focus" to decouple focus and exposure. Put the camera in manual focus mode. The AF-L button acts as "AF ON" to acquire focus (it will make a single attempt to focus). Recompose. Exposure is set on half press of the shutter button.

3. Or you can move a single focus point to the correct spot in the frame for focus so there's no need to recompose. The "modern solution" and the reason for the thumbstick on the XPro2 to make it easier to move the focus point on the fly.

The problem is that this sort of functionality is done differently by different manufacturers i.e. Olympus have a number of "AFL modes"; Canon and Nikon DSLRs use AF ON. I recall spending some time with a Panasonic G5 before I realized a (non-obvious) group of menu settings would give "back button focus". For a while I didn't think it was possible. The manual didn't mention it but the feature was on the camera.

[Oskar Ojala]

While Fuji does have some good selling points such as certain models being attractively styled, the lens lineup being balanced and built-in film profiles of high quality, it also comes with certain weaknesses such as unusual raw conversion leading to poorer software support than cameras with Bayer sensors enjoy, not really being class leading in terms of compactness and not having scored many points in video. For me personally this tips the scale away from Fuji, though they did now sensibly introduce a 24 Mpix model, something Sony did like a century or so ago.

I do keep wondering why Fuji users seem to be so devoted to the brand. Perhaps it is that Fuji is different and in many good ways. I do however hope that Fuji would change their approach in certain areas, e.g. cooperate with software vendors on raw conversion. And outresolving 36 MP Bayer sensors? I take that with a very large grain of salt.

The X70 is a welcome addition; the Ricoh GR and its significantly less famous competitor Coolpix A are nice cameras, photographic devices that clearly distinguish themselves from the best phonecams while being pocketable and easy to use.

[Ilkka]

When I saw the title picture, showing the impressive growth against the industry, I could not help of thinking 'lies, damn lies, statistics'.
I am sure the numbers are correct, but think about it. Let's say cameras are a shrinking 1 million unit a year market. I build a new handmade camera and sell one piece. Next year the market has shrunk to 950,000 units but I build two pieces and sell them both. My sales have grown 100% while the overall market has shrunk 5%. You can make nice graphs out of correct statistics that show wonderful things but may not have any relevance to actual reality. Just saying.

[cecelia]

@Mike and Aaron, I had the Fuji X100 and I just could not handle having my entire face behind the camera. Plus I always had a nose print on the LCD. I would love to try a right-side viewfinder if one existed...seems like it would be just amazing. Not necessarily because I'd keep both eyes open, but because it would be such an expanded way of holding the camera.

The Fuji gestalt is very appealing. An X-T1-style body with a hybrid finder, IBIS, a Bayer sensor and more pixels could be quite tempting to displace Olympus.

[Dave Karp]

Oh boy. I love the look of these cameras. The rangefinder look is so attractive to me. I learned how to make a photograph with my dad's Nikon S. We both lusted after, but never could justify purchasing, the Nikon SP. My first camera was a fixed lens Konica rangefinder. I loved it.

I am a happy Olympus E-M1 user, but these Fuji cameras tug at me. I don't know. Maybe its the the rangefinder form, or the fact that I have several Fujinon large format lenses that are just super, or the way that Fuji keeps making their cameras better with software upgrades long after you buy them - I just don't know. But I know the best thing for me to do is stay away from the camera store!

[Trevor Johnson]

"It's an overrated technique anyway, I've done it"

I too use that technique and find it very useful with my Leicas: you always make the shot before it's there.

[D. Hufford.]

Fuji is an interesting company among the camera producers in that they do appear to actually listen to customers. My experience with Nikon is exactly the opposite as far a service goes.

However, I have learned my lesson about jumping at new cameras and accessories, especially with Fuji. Need no more buggy, poorly thought-out beta-level releases apologized for by some reviewers as merely "quirky."

That said, if I were in the market for a new body, I'd being more seriously looking at the Nikon D500. Totally different use than the Fuji, and would fill any imagined need I now have better. And I doubt the focus speed difference of the D500 and the new Fuji would be anywhere near as close as .003 vs .004, especially on anything moving.

When Fuji does get that close to a D(X)00, in focus speed and overall operating speed, then I might consider one as a replacement. Just for Fuji's customer relations, if nothing else.

[Robert Hudyma]

The first photo shows a graph with a percent on the Y-axis and, on the X-axis, a timeline from 2011 to now. The total market sales (I assume this is revenue -dollars or yen but it could mean units sold) drops by half over the 5 years. No doubt the mirrorless market is a multi-million dollar market; this graph gives no indication of its size except that it has declined by half in the past five years.

The Fuji line is harder to understand. First it is labeled "market demand" (is this revenue, units sold or something else?). Since they entered the market in 2011 their units sold and revenue started at zero, and have grown 300% in the past five years. So to understand this line you need to have some numbers (ie units or revenue). And so, for example, if they sold 1,000 units in 2011 they would be at 3,000 units today.

The graph looks great, but provides no clue as to what is really going on, and probably for good reason. As a statistician this graph is visually misleading, but as a photographer they make great products.

[John McMillin]

When I've used my XP1 for portraits, something special seemed to happen. My subjects seemed surprised and intrigued by this odd, ancient-looking camera, totally different from the hulking NiCanon with 70-200/2.8 they might have expected. With a little Touit 32mm, my camera was much less intimidating and weapon-like, putting them at ease. Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed easier to make a personal connection if my whole face wasn't covered by a conventional camera. Fujifilm's unveiling slide show illustrated this, as the photographer opened his left eye to meet the subject's. Magnification ratios didn't matter at this point; I had already found my viewpoint and framed my shot. This rangefinder design seems to share some of the big benefit of working with a Rolleiflex, which removed the camera from face level completely.

[Sarge]

I'll consider migrating to the Fuji X-system if Ctein buys the X-Pro 2.

Meanwhile, I'll stick to my aging Ricoh GXR-M of which I have accumulated two bodies, three LM lens modules, and eight lenses.

[Gabe]

I'm a Fuji fan ... since the early modified Nikon DSLR bodies. I bought into the X early with the Xpro1, adding lenses and XT and XM bodies, thoroughly enjoying the fine hardware. In 40 years of sometimes pro photography, and constant GAS, I've rarely found a company as responsive to the end user as Fuji. Constant upgrades, two way communication ...... I felt my investment in the hardware was secure, and had a future.
Dream on McDuff!
For the last few weeks, Fuji has been dumping XPro1 bodies at $499, bringing high value of my $1,300 pristine, low mileage USED Xpro1 to *bupkis.
Wouldn't it have been smarter to provide a financial upgrade path to unusually loyal (registered) owners? Or could they have priced these at let's say $800 all along so just a majority of early adopters feel screwed?
Blunder in my eyes. Doesn't negate the quality of the cameras, but IMHO does sour the heretofore exemplary end user/manufacturer relationship a bit.
(*Bupkis - Yiddish for greatly diminished eBay value.)

[David Ralph]

So, what is its bracketing ability? A deal breaker for me on the X-Pro1 was its stunted ability to shoot a bracketed exposure series. I like, and at times, need to do a series for HDR correction. My bulky Nikon 810 can do nine shots. When I wrote to Fuji's American office about this, or did they plan to change this in software or a newer model, the response was deadly silence. In the B&H description, text search for the word "bracket" does not come back. I would really like to see this camera come up that facility.

[Maybe you need an X-T1. The camera has a "BKT" setting on the drive dial that you can set with a flick of the finger. The options are very extensive--you can bracket by ISO or exposure, in various increments, and you can even bracket film simulation types and white balance if you set it up that way. I don't know how it will work on the X-Pro2. You can find out as easily as I can. --Mike]

[Kefyn Moss]

I've already tried digesting a lot of what's out there on the X-Pro 2 and the main problem I have is that it's giving me GAS!

There's also a piece in the British Journal of Photography http://www.bjp-online.com/2016/01/fuji-x-pro2-interview-takashi-ueno/, talking to Takashi Ueno from Fujifilm that, although very short, has a few interesting insights into the thoughts behind some of the design decisions. I personally like their decisions on the whole.

[Jack Johansen]

And yet Fujifilm has never gotten more than 4% marketshare. How is it possible to be so successful and have such dismal sales?

[Because the total market is ~43,000,000 units (2014), and 1,720,000 units (4%) is plenty enough for success.

Tell you what, I'll take 4% of the toilet paper market, and you take 100% of market for mechanical adding machines. :-) I'm just sayin'. --Mike]

[Jack Johansen]

"When I saw the title picture, showing the impressive growth against the industry, I could not help of thinking 'lies, damn lies, statistics'."

Very true Ilkka. Fujfilm's graph is very dishonest, as their sales are no where near that impressive. Fujifilm has reported only TWO profitable quarters, EVER for their imaging solutions division. That's in over 10 years! Two quarters out of 40. They have lost money making digital cameras for over a decade.

Clearly Fujifilm is not in this business to make money. It's less than 5% of their whole company so they could flush the camera division down the toilet and barely notice. No, their camera division is to keep the brand name in the public eye.

[Jack Johansen]

"The graph looks great, but provides no clue as to what is really going on, and probably for good reason. As a statistician this graph is visually misleading, but as a photographer they make great products."

Very true Robert. Anyone like you or myself, who are trained in statistics, can clearly see how Fujifim's "data" tells us absolutely nothing. If Fujifilm had real, substantial success to show, it would be clearly communicated. As it is, they have very modest success (8th in marketshare, vastly outsold by Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic) so they have to hide this fact.

[Nigel]

Italics...

"I imagine Fuji sees Sony as its primary competitor...."

Apparently Sony makes the sensors for the new cameras, so they clearly take a more relaxed view.

[Daniel]

Having used and sold the X-Pro1 because of slow focus and short battery life in the cold I hope this version fixes the shorcomings.
8 frame per second auto focus - is it predictive and able to cope with action as it is happening? Nothing said about that - or I missed it.
For what it does the Fuji rangefinder style is an enjoyable camera. Am hoping the improvements make it usable in all conditions now.

[Dave]

Is it just me or is it weird/unfortunate that they went with the X70 model name/number?

I mean, the X100 line has a 35 mm (equiv.) lens, so they could have gone with the perfectly appropriate X80 (80% of 35 is 28). That would have opened up the camera line to an X60 (21mm), X140 (50 mm), an X250 (85-90mm), an X300 (105mm), etc.

Could just be the math nerd in me...

[Thom Hogan]

Ah statistics.

Fujifilm didn't HAVE an X "system" camera in 2011, so it's obvious that Fujifilm is referring to all models with X in their name.

They started with three X cameras in 2011. By my count they were selling eleven X camera models in 2015. So, given that they were spreading more models across more categories, you'd damn well better hope that they showed growth.

[Wayne]

@Kevin Purcell

Thanks for confirmation of the different focus methods on the XE-1. I did have some doubts whether I was missing something. I have tried all 3 methods. At first I used #3 in S-Mode, move the focus point. Works ok so long as you have plenty of time to shoot, otherwise annoying and frustrating, especially when switching horizontal-vertical. Not implemented in the most intelligent manner. Why do you need to press the AF button first (I link it to the function button)? What else are you going to use the 4-way controller to do when shooting?

I tried method #1 after becoming frustrated with #3 while shooting in Zion & Bryce, last year, have to be really fast to avoid those fellow tourists in your photos. Learned the hard way that you have to press the shutter first, then the AE-L/AF-L button, lost a morning of shooting at Bryce Canyon. Leaves a bad feeling. A further pitfall with this method is that the focus remains locked (even after full shutter press) until you press the AE-L/AF-L button again.

Later I settled in to using method #2 in M-mode, which I discovered on the internet, not really explained in the manual, never heard of "back button focus." This seems to be the simplest and least error-prone method since the camera always refocuses on press of AE-L/AF-L. The disadvantages are that you cannot resize the focus point as you can with the other methods, duh! why not? There is no focus confirmation, other than the image in the viewfinder. As an older person, my eyesight is not perfect and I have to rely on autofocus. I don't find focus peaking very useful, can't really discriminate what it is showing in the viewfinder, and a problem is it stays on until you press the shutter, so if you don't take a picture it could cause some battery drainage.

I just noticed that a little green light comes on next to the the AE-L/AF-L button on shutter press which seems to be confirming focus, I think. There is no implementation of this indicator in the viewfinder!

A significant problem occurs when using method 1 or 2. No exposure lock, since the button is now dedicated to focus lock. I'll admit that I rarely use this since auto exposure is quite good on the XE-1 (does tend somewhat to underexposure). But I very likely will want to use it at some time. What am I to do? reconfigure the settings? very error-prone. Unfortunately there is no way to save these different methods as custom settings (not sure if any camera allows saving these types of settings.)

Most of these problems could have been easily avoided if Fuji had provided a switch setting as per Nikon for Autoexposure Lock (on half-shutter press) Yes / No.

I have only used a couple of Nikon cameras (one digital), but I think Nikon have perfected camera functional ergonomics. Why do it differently? Unfortunately Nikon don't build the type of camera I want (small, light, fully functional, good quality small, light lenses, APS-C, image stabilization).

I don't know but it doesn't sound to me like Fujifilm have changed configuration with their newer cameras. On the XE-2 they have a button for each of AE-L and AF-L, doesn't seem like a simplification to me. So if I go any further with Fujifilm, I'm going to check every functional aspect of the camera first - you really cannot trust review sites to do this, you have to do it yourself. Rental first might be a good ideal.

The whole idea is that you must be totally familiar and comfortable with the camera you are using so you can concentrate on picture-taking.

Wayne

[vinck]

X70. Crap. What were they thinking?

Fixed-lens cameras for
35mm shooter : RX1 + X100 + X + X-E = 4
28mm shooter : GR + A + X70 + Q = 4
50mm shooter : zero. rien. nada.
Do you think 28mm aficionados outnumber 50mm lovers 4 to 1? I don't.

What a waste of resources : developing a me-too product that doesn't bring anything decisive into an arena crowded with very competent alternatives. The X70 is so close to the GR that everybody is already comparing them. From now on they'll get more or less equal market shares. Except that the GR has been here for a while and has already vacuum-cleaned the market of people interested into the design brief of these cameras.

My euros to the first manufacturer that makes a 50mm equivalent to any of the above mentioned cameras! (Preferably a RX-1 alike, with Fuji imaging engine.)

[I sympathize, but waiting for products that don’t exist will just make you crazy. Ask me how I know.

Why not just buy an X-M1 and slap a 35/2 on it? X-M1’s are still available new on eBay. —Mike]

[Mark W]

Mike,
First - thanks for a great blog. I'm a long time reader, but this is my first post.
I picked a great night to have insomnia... I realised about 1215am that the Fujifilm intro to the X-Pro2 was streaming.
I'm one of those people who (after reading the comment on Kirk Tuck's blog) married into Fuji lenses. Bodies come and go - but the lenses stay for a long, long time.
As someone who is enjoys photography for fun - and who has spend WAY TOO MUCH on Fuji lenses, I sincerely enjoyed watching about the X-Pro2.
I had instant GAS/LUST for what I saw. Unfortunately, I have spent WAY TOO MUCH money recently on lenses to be able to afford a new body. The good news is that I have the lenses and I can wait for the right time to move to a body that is "better" than the X-T1 and X-E1 I have.
Once I pay off my recent lens acquisition I can think about budgeting for a body that can provide even more from the incredible lenses I have.
As an aside - I have a boss who lends me his Sony A7xxx bodies/lenses and Leica M/Q on occasion. I love full frame, but don't have the income to support going there... But having access to that equipment shows me that we're in a golden age where the choice of lens/camera combination is simply amazing and getting better and better.
I highly recommend sending as much of your disposable income as practical to the camera manufacturer of our choice to ensure a promising future for all of us!!!
Sincerely,
Mark

[Glad to hear from you Mark. Thanks for commenting. Don't know if I'll take your advice though--what would I use to buy photo books? --Mike]

[Earl Dunbar]

@ vinck - or an X-Pro (pick your version) and 35 (pick your version)

Here's my take on the announcement and Fuji cameras in general:

1. Fuji makes some interesting cameras, some of which are pretty different from the rest of the market.

2. Those cameras are capable of making good pictures in the hands of someone who takes care.

3. Not every Fuji camera, nor their entire range, satisfies every photographer's fantasy spec list. Not that user feedback isn't important and valuable--Fuji gets that. But if it's never quite perfect, then the logical thing is to design it, research it, manufacturer and sell it yourself.

4. I've been as subject to GAS as most. But I'm glad I didn't win the Powerball (apparently you need to actually buy a ticket to win; who knew?) because if I did I would now own at least one of each Fujifilm X product and experience the paralysis of choice.

5. So I'll just take pictures with my "flawed" X-Pro1 with 18-55mm and a few adapted legacy lenses (fun), many of which are of my mountain of unused (hence unnecessary) gear that has been GAS-collected over the years. And with whatever cash I clear, I'll buy a Fujinon 240/9 A for the Chamonix.

[David Ralph]

It, and its predecessor, are great cameras, and their operation is so much like film cameras for geezers such as I. But, as above, I want the ability to shoot wide exposure brackets, important to landscape and HDR. The X-Pro2 continues the limit of three exposures, but it does expand the exposure difference from one EV up to two EV between those three exposures. Since the camera will take a fair number of continuous pictures the buffer sounds robust. So, one wonders why a software change could not improve this? For now, I pass.

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/x/fujifilm_x_pro2/features/page_06.html

[Sarge]

Re: Fujifilm stats/graph

Mike,

May I submit my interpretation of Fujifilm's X system growth figures below. I have no quarrel with how they depicted the growth of their X system sales or market share. But I can't wrap my head around their "Total Market Demand" graphic. It suggests that the photography industry has shrunk since 2011. Has it really?

Note: The Y-axis is not drawn to scale. (Shorthand for: "I don't know what Fujifilm's market share is.":)

[Christopher Mark Perez]

I see there are two important aspects to imaging tools design and manufacturing. One is to listen to the customer (as many have pointed out - Fuji seems to do this particularly well). The other, which is more important to me, is for a company to lead it's customers into usefully creative areas users might not previously dreamed of.

I see Apple/Google doing this with their cell phone cameras. You have lots of image processing options and instant upload/sharing capabilities. I see Sony doing this, too.

What they have in common is they are electronics companies, and they work to seamlessly integrate imaging into a broader cultural/social context than stand-alone imagers do (Canon, Nikon, Fuji, etc.).

Which goes back to a question I've been pondering for a while now: How do we honestly/really/truly consume/appreciate/view images?

I've found a satisfactory answer for myself, and it doesn't include using tools from traditional imaging providers. For me it's hard to return to the days when making an image is distanced from sharing/discussion/observation/repeat-until-"correct" cycles.

[Pritam Singh]

@ Kenneth Tanaka regarding your comment "a bonus third suggestion for Takahashi-san; make sure to have a native English-language staffer review your slides before you hit the stage." ... there is a questionable dogma embedded in the suggestion that only "native" English language staffers are competent at grammar.

[Isn't it an even more questionable dogma to assume, as the Japanese traditionally have, that they can master English to a point where they require neither improvement nor correction? Just playing devil's advocate. Remember I've been involved in photography for many years, and have encountered much "Japlish" in that time.

Of course, my response would have been that many native speakers of English wouldn't know "past" from "passed" either. Lol. --Mike

P.S. I thought Takahashi-san did a very good job with his presentation.]

[Andy F]

And yet Fujifilm has never gotten more than 4% marketshare. How is it possible to be so successful and have such dismal sales?

Maybe the same way Apple is successful with only 15% smartphone market share.

[Bruce Cooper]

Mike,

I'm curious,why did Fujifilm stop calling its cameras "Fujica"?

[Stephen Scharf]

It's still somewhat surprising to me that folks are still griping about RAW conversion for the Fuji files. This problem has been well-solved a quite a while ago. There are a number of RAW convertors that do a truly excellent job on converting Fuji RAW files.

First and foremost is Capture One Pro. Capture One was one of the first to provide 3rd party RAW conversion for X-Trans RAW files, and is still amongst the best. Oh, and, in my experience, the best RAW conversion for ANY camera, for that matter.

For folks that want to use Lightroom or Photoshop, Irident Developer does an outstanding job and will pull an unbelievable amount of detail out of an X-trans RAF file. Iridient Developer functions as a plug-in within LR or PS, and is very easy to use. I timed an "out and back" from Lightroom to Iridient and back to LR, and it took all of 38 seconds, less time than a Silver Efex Pro B&W conversion.

For me, any portfolio-grade image is worth 38 seconds of my time.

[Dennis ng]

No ibis hard to start. Standardised on nikon and ibis help q a bit in using 80-400 on Olympus.

But the change in dipo. help as the show room Xpro-1 I cannot see. Have to wait ever there might be ibis.