March 20th is already slated to be a very possibly exciting date for the world of photography. With reports of the Fujifilm GFX100RF coming out, photographers are truly excited all over the web because of possible brand new features that are all really designed for photographers first. And that means that many photographers are also waiting for the Fuji X Pro 4 (also called the Fujifilm X Pro 4 and, properly, the FUJIFILM X-Pro 4) to be announced. But in the past, Fujifilm has done development announcements — and if anything, we should probably look out for a development announcement about this camera. Why? Well, as someone who’s used Fuji cameras since the beginning, this is why I think so.
The XH2’s Life Span
Why does the XH2 matter to the Fuji X Pro 4? Well, it’s kind of obvious. Fujifilm does exactly what OM System does — they use variants of a sensor and they put them in nearly every camera they have. With the current Fujifilm iternations, we’ve got the 40MP monster on the XH2 and the XH2s’s sensor designed for video primarily. That means that the XH2’s sensor is also in the X100vi along with pretty much the same guts. It’s all getting recycled and Fujifilm will need something new to keep bringing in more sales as other manufacturers start to edge into this marketplace. After all, folks are canceling their orders because the wait is taking way too long. So Fujifilm might have to do something else — and that means using the X Pro 4 as a possible option.
In terms of timing, it would make sense from an ultra-capitalist point of view because XH2 orders are probably dwindling. So Fujifilm would need to find a way to keep using the tech to make sales.
The Only Thing That Might Change about the Fuji X Pro 4
One of the biggest complaints about the Fuji X Pro 4 was the LCD screen — people didn’t know how to use it unless you really are a classically trained photographer. I still to this day think that the screen of the Fujifilm X Pro 3 is one of the most brilliant things they’ve done. What Fujifilm failed to do was put it into the hands of photographers who knew what they were doing in the first place. Instead, they’ve opted for an influencer approach — and unfortunately, consumers don’t know how to verify the authenticity of what they’re seeing online.
With all this said, because the Fuji X Pro 4 is bound to be delivered toward the end of the sensor’s lifetime, we probably also won’t see many firmware updates because the processor and memory space will be all full. They majorly disappointed X Pro 3 users with a lack of firmware updates over the years.
Considering that Fujifilm has done development announcements in the past, we’re probably going to get something similar from them on March 20th and we might be able to expect the X Pro 4 later this year if not early next year.
The timing would make a great deal of sense — Fujifilm recently beat out Nikon to the #3 sales spot in January sales and they’d need to keep their lead.
So in summary, there are lots of reasons why we’d see a new Fuji X Pro 4. The XH2 is nearing the end of its life, and the XH2 sales aren’t doing all that well compared to other camera bodies. So, with the supplies being available, Fujifilm will transition more of that to the X100vi and some other camera in the lineup. That other camera is bound to be the X Pro 4.
If it Isn’t the X Pro 4…The X70 Successor?
With the excess of sensors that Fujifilm will have, we can’t imagine that they’ll give all of it to the X100vi. So with the trend of compact cameras being a thing, we’d hope that Fujifilm moves quickly and brings us a successor to the X70. This is one of the compact cameras that reminds us of the golden age of Fujifilm’s history in the mirrorless digital space thus far. Many of us thought that the XF10 would’ve been the replacement, but it wasn’t.
I truly wish for this to be the case — but the hard truth is that the Japanese manufacturers move way too slow to tackle trends and see the massive cash cows in front of them. Instead, they just sit on patents and take a while to develop a product. Everyone these days wants compact cameras, but we keep getting ILCs instead. And a few years ago, the brands could’ve released fisheye lenses, but didn’t do it. I truly hope that the Japanese companies start thinking about the compact camera as something that isn’t designed to compete with the smartphone.