Fuji Unveils Two X-Series Macro Extension Tubes and a Serious Firmware Upgrade for the X-T1

Nov 20, 2014

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Sony might be stealing the show with the announcement of the a7II today, but one other camera company released some gear today too. They’re a little Japanese outfit you might have heard of called Fujifilm, and today they unveiled two new X-Series macro extension tubes and the release date for the huge X-T1 firmware 3.0 update.

First up, the extension tubes. The MCEX-11 and MCEX-16 tubes are compatible with XF and XC lenses, and offer electronic contacts that will keep your auto exposure intact. Focusing range, however, will be limited with the tubes attached. So much so that the company felt the need to mention the need to “[move] the camera forward and backward” to find the focus point.

Fuji isn’t revealing more about the two new products than that, but both tubes will arrive on store shelves mid-December for $100.

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The other major news is the re-announcement of firmware V3.0 for the Fuji X-T1 — re-announcement because we first heard about this update at Photokina, but now we get more details and a release date.

X-T1 users will get a plethora of new and improved features when the firmware lands on December 18th, including: high-speed electronic shutter up to 1/32,000s, AF area direct selection, Classic Chrome film simulation mode, manual control of shutter and aperture during video capture, Natural Live View that simulates what you’d see through an optical VF, and a bunch more.

You can read the full laundry list of updates and upgrades that 3.0 delivers by clicking here.

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On a final note, if you’re using a different X-Series camera, don’t worry… you’ve got some goodies coming your way too.

In the name of giving X-Series camera users “greater longevity of use,” the X-E1, X-E2, and X-Pro1 are being updated with Classic Chrome film simulation, an Interval Timer, enhanced wireless function through Fuji’s smartphone/tablet app, and AF+MF capability that lets you fine tune focus after the AF has done the heavy lifting for you.