Fujifilm is having one of the most exciting years in the camera industry. We have seen them launch three new cameras, two of which are true innovations in the world of photography. In fact, quite recently, we found a new patent hinting at full-frame lenses, suggesting that Fujifilm is thinking differently for its future. However, it has now come to our attention that the said patent could also hint at the revival of one of the most popular cameras from the company, the TX series.
The first TX camera was launched in 1998, a result of a collaboration between Hasselblad and Fujifilm. What made the device so unique was its ability to shoot 65×24 format film images, which allowed many to look at the world very differently. There was also a successor, the TX-2, but the camera was not as popular as the Hasselblad X-Pan. In fact, the Fujifilm series had a niche fan following. However, per Fuji Rumors, it appears that the TX series will see a revival in 2028.
Let us first take you back to the patent, which we had mentioned earlier. Fuji Rumors pointed out that one of the lenses mentioned in the patent actually seems to be designed for the panoramic camera. Here’s a look at the 21mm f2.8 that seems ideal for the TX series successor:
- The 35mm f1.6 features a back focus of 21mm, which is ideal for a 24x36mm sensor. As a result, it would allow users a large angle of view, approximately between 90° to 110°, except for one outlier.
- One of the 18mm lenses featured a back focus of 9mm, which is too short for an interchangeable lens. In fact, most lenses had a back focus shorter than 13mm.
- The patent even stated the circle diameter at 50 mm, which is huge for a 24×36 sensor and minuscule for a 33×44 sensor. This would ideally be between a 24:65 crop of a 33×44 sensor.
The 2028 timeline, in that regard, seems ideal as the TX-1 would be 30 that year. Since Fujifilm recently revived a 12-year-old camera, a digital successor to a popular film camera can have many takers. Fujifilm’s X-Half has already received positive reviews and reactions, thanks to its ability to shoot half-frame. If the X-Half can get so much praise, then why not the TX-3?
However, if the company manages to make this dream come true, it must ensure that it retains the design of the original. Similarly, a larger sensor would be great since the original camera shot images on 35mm film. A cropped GFX sensor, for instance, will have a fanbase of its own. There are, of course, multiple challenges, but if we can get a camera like this within the next two years, then it would be ideal. Anything later only means people will move on just as fast.