Last Updated on 01/12/2017 by Anthony Thurston
Fujifilm really caught the attention of the photography community in 2016 in a way it had not done in years with the release of it’s X-Pro 2 and X-T2 flagship cameras, featuring their next-generation X-Trans sensors. In 2017 everyone has been wondering what the company will bring to the table and just how much of the technology presented in the flagship models will trickle down to the mid-range and lower tier models. Well, according to the latest batch of reports out of Fujirumors, we may have an idea.
According to the information in those reports, Fujifilm’s X-T20, the follow-up to the very popular X-T10, will be announced on January 19th. It will feature Fujifilm’s new X-Trans III sensor as well as the the new X-Processor Pro to drive it, but the report say the camera will not feature 4K recording nor the AF joystick that both the X-Pro2 and X-T2 got in 2016. To compensate for no AF joystick though, they say the camera will have have a touch screen, which depending on the implementation, could be a really nice feature for the X-T20.
But there is more that we can gather from this that meets the eye. Until now, only the X-Pro 2 and X-T2 have had access to Fujifilms incredible Acros film simulation. Since the X-T20 is expected to have the new X-Trans III and X-Processor Pro, one could reasonably expect that the new camera will also have the Acros simulation, making it the first of the mid-low tier cameras to get it. It is important to note that these reports are not official, so information could be mistaken or incorrect, but given how close we are to the expected announcement, reports like these tend to be more accurate than those referencing products months out. Regardless, take it with a grain of salt until the announcement on the 19th happens.
Beyond the X-T20 though, these reports are also pointing to Fujifilm launching a new pro-service for photographers – similar to Canon Professional Services (CPS) and Nikon Professional Services (NPS). The reports indicate they expect the FPS (Fuji Professional Service) to be announced alongside the GFX mirrorless medium format system, and they are unsure if it will extend to the current X-Series or if it will be a GFX only service. I guess we will have to wait until the 19th to find out.