Fuji X-T2 Price Drop

Right now, July 8th, the Fuji X-T2 has suddenly popped up on Amazon priced at only $1,099, the lowest price ever. Same deal at B&H Photo too.

That's a $500 price drop. Great deal on a great camera even if it means an X-T3 announcement is imminent.

The X-H1 is also on sale, but not such a big price drop—$250 off. Still pretty good savings.

Thought you might want to know.

Mike
(Thanks to Michael Matthews)

Original contents copyright 2018 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.

B&H Photo • Amazon US • Amazon UK
Amazon Germany • Amazon Canada • Adorama

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

Stephen Scharf: "The medium format Fujifilm GFX50S is also on sale, $650 off the body, and with the 45mm or with the 63mm lens as a bundle for $1,000 off. The superb GFX50S/110mm ƒ/2 'portrait' lens bundle is an even better deal at $1,200 off, and this price is superb for a lens of this quality. These are all screamin' deals for a truly superb MF digital camera system. (BTW, Fuji will be introducing a perspective control lens for the GF mount some time in the near future)."

Comments

[Tom Kaszuba]

Gulp. Wow. These sales always sting AFTER you bought two of them months before the sale.

[Peter]

Could this be due to the impending Nikon & Canon Full Frame onslought ?. Premium APS-C in the face of premium full frame is going to be difficult. Especially if the full frame is approx. the same price !.

And. Off topic. When will Fuji drop their X-Trans CFA. From my readings, it is hurting them ... witness their Medium Format offerings and the newly announced XT-100 ... Bayer !

[Daniel]

If you don't want X-Trans, you can always use an Asprin...

[Stephen Scharf]

Just another note, Mike: The medium format Fujifilm GFX50S is also on sale, $650 off the body, and with either the 45mm or 63mm lens as a bundle for $1000 off. The superb GFX50S/110mm f/2 "portrait" lens bundle is an even better deal at $1100 off, and this price is superb for a lens of this quality. These are all screamin' deals for a truly superb MF digital camera system. (BTW, Fuji will be introducing a perspective control lens for the GF mount some time in the near future).

Just a note for @Peter:
To honest, I don't think Fujifilm is feeling any pressure from the forthcoming Canikon mirrorless onslought at all. They already have a mirrorless camera that is superior to FF with the GFX system, and their APS-C cameras fully hold their own with FF offerings when it comes to features, lens systems, and image quality in ways that practically matter in the real world (not just numbers on a spec sheet). In fact, I think Sony have effectively all but ceded the high-end APS-C mirrorless market to Fujifilm, because from a business competitive perspective, they will very soon will be fully engaged in a "red ocean*" shark fight with Canon and Nikon as soon as their FF mirrorless offerings hit the market.

Fujifilm has very intelligently avoided the FF red ocean (which is loaded with bloodthirsty sharks) by pursuing opportunities in the APS-C "blue ocean", based on the seminal book on innovation, Blue Ocean Strategy*. Fuji played this one very intelligently.

No, the real reasons for the price reductions for the X-T2 and X-H1 is to reduce existing inventory for the soon-to-be announced X-T3, which is schedule to be announced at or slightly before Photokina in September. As for X-Trans, I would not expect Fuji to be dropping the X-Trans CFA any time soon; the forthcoming X-T3 will utilize an X-Trans sensor, and a very large number of users (including me) feel that the X-Trans CFA contributes in a not insignificant way to how beautifully Fuji X-cameras render images when converted to B&W.

The reason that the GFX50S does not utilize an X-Trans sensor is that the Fujifilm engineers say that a large-area, high-res MF sensors do not require X-Trans CFA to prevent moire, so there is no engineering-based requirement for it, and Fuji is nothing if not a very engineering-requirement-based company.

The reason that the X-T100 does not utilize an X-Trans sensor and the X-Processor Pro image processor is simply based on cost (or, more specifically, COGS). They could not bring the camera in at its projected sales price point with those features/functions.

*-Blue Ocean Strategy, by Renee Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim

[jseliger]

Given the sticker price of the XT2 and Sony A7 III, I can see why Fuji can't move them.

At $1,100, the two cameras are at least playing in different (price) leagues.

[Eric Rose]

Do you get a spif for every mention of Fuji products? Just joking but it does seem they get a lot of love on TOP.

[No, I just like them. --Mike]

[Kaemu]

Of course, since I just bought one... These days I feel one does not lose much in terms of IQ or features when buying at the tail end of these products’ (rather short) lifecycles. I got mine for $1399, so I did mot miss the drop completely, but next time I may wait another 2 weeks :-)

Gotta say I am very happy with the xt2 as it ably replaces my D810 for most of my shooting and weighs so much less. I certainly considered the Sony FF offerings but since my intent was to go small, APSC systems, with their smaller bodies and lenses made more sense (I never connected with 4/3 systems). Once that was decided, Fuji quickly became the leading choice due to their commitment to the format (bodies, lenses etc). That said, its very possible I chose APSC because of Fuji itself...

We all have our preferences, but since I have become a JPEG shooter (the horror, I know) the whole x-trans vs Bayer issue is just not much of consideration for me. Plus I do like the B&W conversions.

[Stuart Dootson]

I bought an X-T20 last week because I couldn't justify spending the extra 50% for an X-T2... not sure that the price drops (they don't seem to be as deep in the UK) would change that decision (that's what I'm telling myself ;-) )... With the discount I got on the X-T20, I still paid a good lot less than I would have for the corresponding X-T2 bundle...

[Geoff Wittig]

The Fujifilm X-T2 in graphite silver is also $500 off, not quite as good a deal at $1399, but then it's simply the most beautiful camera I have ever seen. From the feel of the mechanical controls to the classic design and petite size, it's basically jewelry that coincidentally takes great photos. Fuji helpfully produces their three exquisite little f:2 'Fujicron' prime lenses in silver, perfectly matching the graphite silver X-T2.
I will confess that the X-T2 and I didn't hit it off the first time through, but the graphite silver version is so gorgeous my GAS overcame my common sense. Now it and the 3 silver 'Fujicrons' travel with me everywhere in a tiny bag, when 30 lbs. of Canon SLR gear seems like overkill.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

@ Kaemu: A TOP piece of mine from 2012 that seems to be more relevant each year, particularly with regard to Fuji’s X-Trans cameras.

[Jack]

The X-T3, with a new sensor and processor, is strongly rumored for announcement at Photokina in a couple of months.

It's unclear whether this move is clearing out X-T2 stock, or simply counteracting "I'm'a gonna wait'n see" thinking. I doubt Fuji would tell us which.

[Peter Gilbert]

Hmm, and I always thought moire was caused when the pixel-spacing matched some fine repeating line-spacing pattern in the subject. In which case, smaller sensors at lower megapixel count (i.e. with a relatively larger pixel spacing) would be more prone to moire than would sensors of the same size but higher megapixels (i.e. smaller spacing, requiring a finer line-spacing in the subject to have moire show).

So, I have believed that when APS-C sensors increased to 24MP with corresponding smaller pixel spacing, moire pretty much became a thing of the past. And therefore, ipso facto, so did the need for X-Trans CFA, in APS-C sensors.

As for the 50MP "medium format" (we know it ain't really)..not sure what is the pixel spacing on that Sony sensor, but I've not heard complaints about moire on satin dresses, or the like.

[Khürt L. Williams]

Stephen Scharf, thank you for that thoughtful analysis. I’m waiting for the X-T3 to be announced so that I can pick up gently used X-T2 deals from the GAS afflicted.