Goodbye old young friend. Let me give you all a piece of wisdom that I recently learned the hard way. If you go on a fishing trip called ‘Hit em’ Hard’ and the captain tells you that you should take your bag off and put it in the ‘dry container’, what he really means by ‘dry container’ is a place that will fill up with seawater after he accidently clogs the drainage pipe, soaking you and your friends cameras, bags, wallets and cellphones for over an hour in salty seawater.
Better yet, just never go on a fishing charter with a name like ‘Hit em’ Hard.’ Read more…
There has been no shortage of leaks, pictures and rumors surrounding Fujifilm’s followups to both its X10 and X100 models, but things just got official.
Fujifilm made quite a splash in the camera industry when it announced the sleek X100 back in September 2010, but since then the camera’s spotlight has been stolen by newer interchangeable-lens followups, namely the X-Pro1 and the X-E1.
When the X100 was discontinued back in July, many expected to see a followup announced at Photokina in September. It wasn’t. However, it now appears that the camera will be launched in early 2013, equipped with the same X-Trans sensor technology as its interchangeable-lens siblings. Read more…
Brazilian gadget site ZTOP recently attended a press event during which Fujifilm showed another roadmap for its X Series lineup. We’ve already reported that the company is planning to announce an interchangeable lens camera (hopefully with the X100′s retro style) in early 2012, but this new roadmap narrows down the launch date to February 2012. We’ll likely see the camera announced before then and showed off at CES 2012 in January.
When the X100 was announced a year ago, some people accused Fujifilm of ripping off the look of Leica’s rangefinder cameras. The retro look worked though, and retailers have had a hard time keeping the camera in stock. Now Fujifilm is making another Leica-esque move by releasing a limited edition version of the X100.
Only 200 units will be sold in Hong Kong, and it looks like the only difference is that the black covering has been replaced with light brown leather. Maybe the next special edition will be wrapped in ostrich skin…
The Fuji Guys sent out a tweet today saying that the company’s upcoming interchangeable lens mirrorless camera will not have a Micro Four Thirds sensor inside:
X Series Interchangeable lens system not = M4/3 nor current mirrorless cams. X series will be “premium” cameras!
From what’s being said, it sounds like the company is focusing on sensor size and image quality — good news for serious photographers. People have been begging for an X100-style camera with interchangeable lenses since that camera was announced, and Fujifilm likely isn’t ignorant of that fact. Read more…
Fujifilm’s retro-tastic X100 has been selling like hotcakes since hitting shelves earlier this year, and the company is reportedly primed for another big announcement: the X50. According to rumors swirling around the web, the X50 will be a smaller and cheaper relative of the X100 that uses the same sleek design.
While both cameras shoot 12 megapixel photos, the X50 will use a 2/3-inch sensor (smaller than Micro Four Thirds cameras) instead of the APS-C one found in the X100. The camera is also rumored to have an optical viewfinder, raw capabilities, and 1080p video recording. What’s most attractive is the price: instead of the $1200 price tag found on the X100, the X50 will cost just $600. Expect to see an announcement within the next few weeks.
sonyalpharumors published the above image today showing what appears to be a pre-production render of an upcoming Sony NEX camera (reportedly the NEX-7). If the image is to be believed, then it looks like Sony is gunning for the customers Fujifilm is trying to capture with its popular X100 — people who want a retro, rangefinder-style camera with a viewfinder and large sensor. The camera is rumored to have a 24MP APS-C sensor, an electronic viewfinder, manual aperture and shutter speed controls (like the X100), and a comparable price of $1,200.
Fans of the Fujifilm X100 who are hoping the company will release an interchangeable lens successor to the camera may soon get their wish. Camera division chief Takeshi Higuchi strongly hinted at their plans for an interchangeable lens camera in an interview with Reuters:
The launch of a mirrorless camera, which has an electronic viewfinder, making it lighter and more compact than a professional-style single-lens reflex camera, would be an extension of Fujifilm’s effort to move upmarket and would put it in direct competition with Sony.
The X100 uses an APS-C-sized sensor found in many DSLR cameras. The company is currently in fifth place in digital camera sales behind Canon, Sony, Nikon and Samsung, but Higuchi says the company plans on passing Samsung by next year and Nikon within three years. Given how in-demand the X100 has been, we’d say Fujifilm is off to a good start.
Fujifilm recently put out this infomercial showing the company’s efforts to restore production capabilities after having their manufacturing plant damaged by the disastrous earthquake and tsunami back in March. We get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what the manufacturing plant looks like, and the assembly line that puts the X100 together.
