[shuttertalk]

Looks like "mirrorless" is the new buzzword of this decade, with Fujifilm now committed to jumping on the mirrorless bandwagon.

It has some lofty claims though, including:

Meanwhile, company president and CEO Shigetaka Komori said it will create a mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera built around a larger sensor with ‘resolution and low noise [that] will surpass the 35mm full size sensor.’ We’re not taking this to mean it will be a full-frame camera.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1110/11100510fujifilm.asp
http://www.photographyblog.com/news/fuji...ss_camera/

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that Fuji have not traditionally manufactured lenses, well in the recent past anyway. They have usually produced interchangable lens bodies that are compatible with other lens systems, it'll be interesting to see what they can come up with.

[matthew]

Fuji has made interchangeable lens cameras, but I think their most recent was my Fujifilm GX680III, which is fifteen years old, give or take. They also had an interchangeable lens 120 rangefinder for a while. But their fixed-lens cameras have all had excellent reputations for performance.

But the interchangeable bodies that they had in the S-Pro series were Nikons. You win some, you lose some.

But with m4/3, NX, NEX, Q, and N1, I think that the mirrorless market is getting a little silly. That's a lot of new lenses that need to be made – and while I'm interested in seeing what Fuji can come up with, I'm not feeling quite as excited as I could be.

[shuttertalk]

Fuji has made interchangeable lens cameras, but I think their most recent was my Fujifilm GX680III.

Oh yeah, forgot about their medium format cameras...

My point exactly with the lenses, seeing that it has none in recent history to build upon. All the others you've mentioned are established DSLR and lens manufacturers already, who at the very least can tell their engineering teams to take the design of the so-and-so and shrink it. Ok, I may be oversimplifying things a bit but you get the gist...

Smart move would be to partner with one of the existing formats and build a body that no one can resist. Users of other systems would then be able to switch without giving up their investment in lenses...

[Toad]

The news release was extremely ambiguous. They discussed 2 cameras, a superzoom bridge camera which they showed a prototype of, and they discussed a new mirrorless system camera to come with *performance* that exceeds full frame - but perhaps not with a sensor size bigger than full frame.

We need to play wait and see with this one - but IMO, Fuji is really pushing the envelope lately - and because they do have a history of medium format cameras, its not out of the realm of possibility. I would call it likely that they will release a new high performance mirrorless camera and unlikely that it will be FF or larger.

What if they did release a FF or larger mirrorless camera, though? Wouldn't that put the fear into Leica? Particularly if it had an M mount and autofocus...

[Mr X]

Fujinon is Fujifilm's lens brand. One of the largest lens manufacturers in the world, Fujinon, located in Oomiya, Japan, manufactures lenses for everything from mobile phones to Hasselblad cameras and 3D movie cameras like those used to make the motion picture "Avatar",to satellites orbiting the Earth and even the Moon. The Super EBC (Electron Beam Coating) is arguably the best in the world.

Their market share of high quality broadcast lenses worldwide, exceeds 50%. Fujinon is manufacturer of the longest zoom lens, 101x, for which they recently created a 2x adapter.


Yes Fujifilm can manufacture lenses as they have quite a substantial foundation on which to build.

By the way the S1, S2 & S3 bodies were made by Fujifilm using Some Nikon parts under license.

[shuttertalk]

Found some "leaked" pics of the mirrorless camera that Fujifilm is developing.
http://photorumors.com/2011/11/15/fuji-m...ra-leaked/

Not much except for blurry pics...

More details: the new camera will be called Fuji LX and probably will have an APS-C sensor. It will be announced with three lenses: one pancake 18mm f/2, the second will be 35mm f/1.4 and the third lens will be a zoom. A fourth 60mm lens is also a possibility.

[shuttertalk]

Apparently, they're now calling it the X-Pro1, and it's looking more like an all black X100 with an interchangeable lens system.

There are some yummy specs here:
http://photorumors.com/2012/01/07/detail...more-17586

And the major newsflash:

Fuji will also launch their own M bayonet adapter for Leica lenses!

Wow! Could it be true? Quality optics and an affordable body?

[adam]

Looks nice!!!!!

[Zig]

Hmmm...I wonder how adaptive that M adaptor will be...
Also, 16MP is fairly meaningless to me...anyone any idea of whether this will be a full-frame sensor(an "M-adaptor" would be a so-what to me otherwise, I confess)

(..Ah, sorry Jules, skipped right past your earlier comment....possibly APS-C then; can't see the point of an M adaptor then really...)

[shuttertalk]

The official announcement is out!
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content...1673-12248

Similar EVF to the X100, but adjusts the magnification to match the three lenses being launched with the body.

Fujifilm's press release says the camera will be available in February 2012. It does not give any pricing information on the camera or lenses, but reports from the CES trade show indicate the camera will cost in the range of US$1,700 in the U.S., and the lenses will cost in the range of $600-$700 each in the U.S.

[Pavel]

I am intrigued.

[Toad]

Its expensive - but nothing like an M9. What intrigues me is the ability to use my Leica glass on a body like this - possibly even as a backup body.

[shuttertalk]

Dpreview's preview here:
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/fujifil.../page4.asp

Some nice comparison images to other camreas, such as the Sony NEX 7 and the Leica M9-P...

Also, they have a rumoured lens roadmap, which was confirmed by Fujifilm as a "close estimate"...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/01/10/...lm_Roadmap

Rumored lens roadmap:

(To supplement the 18mm F2.0, 35mm F1.4 and 60mm F2.4 Macro already announced)

2012:

14mm f/2.8
18-72mm f/4.0 with Image Stabilization
2013:

28mm f/2.8 pancake
23mm f/2.0
72-200mm f/4.0 Image Stabilization
12-24mm f/4.0 Image Stabilization

[Zig]

I'm the 1st one to laud Fuji, yet I'd throw in that being able to use Leica M lenses on this format is a far cry from receiving Leica M results from them...yes, the nominal "sweet spot" of the lens would be used(a fairly academic and superfluous term given that one already has the whole lens' area as a sweet spot ), but there are other physical and mathematical factors to take into account. In short, I'd strongly guess that M-quality results would not occur by placing M lenses on it, nor on any APS-C size camera.
That said, it's also my feeling that Fuji have done more than merely come out of the woodwork here in "taking on"(at least in the perception of the Great Unwashed, which is where the battles are fought) Leica. ....
I've spoken in threads passim about Fuji's "name-taunting" in terms of their nomenclature. Short of going full-frame and calling the resultant progeny something like "M-x10", looks like they're stepping up to the plate big-time...which actually fills me with glee. I really wouldn't put it past them to have already thought of this: the next Leica M will be the 10.....any wonder that Fuji have already been using the "10" nomenclature? I really do reckon the Fuji boys are cackling unrestrainedly.
The only thing that might shoot them in the foot, will be dithering between AF and manual, as AF needs to be more consistent(which I gather the X-10 is).
I'd even go way, way beyond speculation here and suggest that, given Fuji's creamingly-excellent medium-format experience, it would really blat people's heads if they were working on a >35mm "full-frame plus" format. Mind you, am woolgathering amidst the clouds again.

[shuttertalk]

Ok, here's a review of the X Pro 1.

It seems to me that most of the issues that plague the X100 have carried over to this new body: sketchy and slow AF, awkward manual focusing, and the OVF isn't as successful in the interchangable world as it was on the X100.

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/f...ro1_review

At the end of the day, it's a LOT of money to pay for a system with so many compromises...

[Toad]

Sad but true - I did so want to love this camera. I still find the X100 intriguing though - possibly because it promises less.

[shuttertalk]

Haha, the old under-promise and over-deliver...

[slejhamer]

I give up photography for a couple years and the technology landscape shifts under my feet ... someone please tell me what's the advantage of mirrorless? Is it that it allows for a compact body with interchangeable lenses? Anything else?

[Pavel]

I give up photography for a couple years and the technology landscape shifts under my feet ... someone please tell me what's the advantage of mirrorless? Is it that it allows for a compact body with interchangeable lenses? Anything else?

Pretty much the size, weight, often price. Electronic viewfinder, often smaller sensor (greater DOF, often more noise as the pixel count remains high), often smaller or non-existent manual controls

[shuttertalk]

Yes, Pavel is spot on - basically they reduce size and weight by removing the mirror mechanism, and also in most cases putting in a smaller sensor. You still get interchangeable lenses and the resulting lenses are smaller, and with a pancake lens attached most are not much bigger than a compact camera.

But you lose the optical through-the-lens view, and also the phase detect AF which makes AF slower especially in low light. Most offer an EVF as an add on accessory which hooks into the flash bracket.

What do you shoot with these days, Mitch?

[slejhamer]

Thanks Pavel. So basically it's a non-point & shoot digicam with potentially better glass. Other than the lenses, really seems not much different than what's been around for two decades now.

Honestly I wouldn't mind a small Canon body that takes EF or EF-S lenses, but not with so many other apparent trade-offs. But I'm sure Canon will be glacially slow moving into the mirrorless field, for fear of cannibalizing their EOS line.

Good for Fuji for at least making the effort. And the Sony line seems to get good reviews as well.

[slejhamer]

What do you shoot with these days, Mitch?

Lol, I was typing as you responded. Here's the current gear list:

My old infrared-converted 3MP Canon G1 still works! That thing is built like a tank. The latch on the battery door gets stuck open though ...

I replaced a broken POS Canon G9 with a dirt-cheap pocket-sized Sony point-and-shoot (I don't know which model!), which doesn't have as many features but does alright for casual jpeg shooting.

I got a Kodak underwater camera for vacation - Amazon had it as a pre-Christmas blowout sale, and it was cheaper than buying a couple of disposables. But it's a real piece of junk! Horrible focus, colors, image quality ... I'll give it to the kids to play with at the pool this summer.

In DSLR land, I still have the 10D and just added a shiny new 60D now that Canon has finally dropped the price.

Lenses are Canon 50mm f/1.4, Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro (not the L), Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS, and the Tamron 70-300 VC, f/4-5.6. Wish that one was a constant f/4, but that would probably double the price.

So, as I said I wouldn't mind a small-body Canon that takes the EF-mount lenses. Maybe a little bigger than the G1-X, with the full APS-C sensor. But I'm not holding my breath...

[shuttertalk]

Speaking of Sony point and shoot - I saw this awesome review of one - I really liked the review more than the camera itself but the 1080p steady cam shooting looks cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cz2FH_imSM

[slejhamer]

LOL, yeah, that was a good video review. I checked my Sony model, it's the hx5v, two generations before that one. Prob'ly why I got it cheap on a closeout deal. I haven't done much with the video yet, but I really need to try that panorama trick where you twist the camera! Props to Sony ... as I recall the early Canon Gs had Sony sensors, like my G1. I really like the looks of their mirrorless, interchangeable-lens NEX line ... but not the price or the proprietary lens mount.

[shuttertalk]

I really like the looks of their mirrorless, interchangeable-lens NEX line ... but not the price or the proprietary lens mount.

Incidentally, we had a NEX & Mirrorless discussion recently - some interesting viewpoints there...
http://www.shuttertalk.com/forums/showth...hlight=nex