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Cameras

How a Bunch of Fanboys Ruined Fujifilm

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 06/05/2026
06/08/2026
5 Mins read
A camera, an extra lens, and headphones on a wooden desk with a black laptop and a mouse.
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Several years ago, I decided that the Phoblographer wouldn’t cover APS-C cameras anymore with very rare exceptions. And if you read the room in the camera world, it’s easy to see that brands saved all their good tech for full-frame and medium format and then gave APS-C and small format cameras those features as a mere pittance. Fujifilm didn’t necessarily do that all the time, but the GF series surely does have significantly better image quality than X-series. When the company launched the X Pro 3, it was met by a bunch of YouTubers and others who’d never shot film or even understood the experience of life outside of an EVF. With that, they brought with them the desire for Fujifilm to be a lot more like Sony. That’s how they’ve ruined Fujifilm.

“I’ve concluded that not only did Fujifilm screw this camera on firmware updates, but they also have massively disrespected their audience who likes character lenses by not making any more with weather resistance,” is a line that I’ve been texting friends over and over this past weekend. “The camera itself is fine if you’re not looking to hold it to the crazy autofocus things that other systems do. It’s the lenses and the need to do so much more to bring out character that’s the issue.” I realized a while back that someone probably can’t use Fujifilm as their only and primary system unless they’re shooting a very specific way.

I have consistently been one of the biggest advocates for improving the Fujifilm X Pro 3 with my requests being met with nothing else but words like, “there might not be enough memory on the camera.” This seemed baffling considering that Fujifilm also made the X Pro 3 their most expensive camera at one point or another.

A camera with a braided strap and a separate lens sit on a wooden desk near a window.
Fujifilm X Pro 3 product images

So what could’ve made the X Pro 3 better? Well, I think that if they targeted it to photographers and perhaps even removed all the video features that it would’ve been better. Recently when the Panasonic L10 was launched, our rep flat out told a room of mostly influencers and Youtubers, “This camera is meant for photography first, it’s not a video camera,” to which I clapped. Yet the YouTubers went on and on to ask more about the video features instead of asking about when a Micro Four Thirds camcorder may be on the way.

What’s more, the X Pro 3 is a camera that’s meant to be a hybrid of sorts between the analog world and the digital world. You can surely use the EVF all the time, but then you’re missing out on what makes the camera unique: the OVF with a superimposed display. Additionally, you’re not supposed to be chimping the LCD screen all the time to see your images like you’re going to die if you didn’t get the shot. You’re also not supposed to be using the LCD to make all your photos.

Folks, photography isn’t that serious. You’re going to move on.

Two people stand and talk on a subway platform, seen through a window with reflections and warm lighting.
Fujifilm X Pro 3 sample image with Tifen Hollywood Star Filter

It reminds me of a time at the end of the DSLR era where people were only using the LCD to make their images instead of using the viewfinder. Surely, there’s nothing, “wrong,” with it; but it’s not designed to do that. It’s similar to drinking tea made from a sad little Lipton tea bag when you really want coffee and the aroma that it gives you.

But most importantly, Fujifilm hasn’t updated or given photographers the character lenses we’ve so long desired. Let alone, they haven’t done updates with weather resistance to any of them while maintaining their character. It’s quite odd considering that the company literally sold themselves to photographers based on vibes. The fanboys from other camera systems made them lose their identity like when your favorite Thai restaurant serves super spicy food but then changes the entire kitchen around to accommodate to a few awful people who say that the food is too spicy. Then the next time you go in and ask for super spicy, they tone it down even though you paid for what you wanted. Why can’t the restaurant accommodate to you too?

Five people sitting on a subway bench, four looking at phones, one gazing up; advertisements in the background.
Fujifilm X Pro 3 sample image with Tifen Hollywood Star Filter

But after I swore off APS-C cameras, I loaned the X Pro 3 to my best friend for a very long time. It needed repairs, so I took it back, sent it back to Fujifilm who gave me a VIP discount on them (thank you, I’m making that journalistic declaration), and then sent me everything back quickly. Before I give it back to him, I decided to use it for a bit. But most importantly, I decided to use it in mostly the OVF mode and mostly in program auto with the center focus point in use. Attached to the X Pro 3 is the 16mm f1.4 with a Tiffen Hollywood Star filter. Then I tweaked the Classic Negative simulation a bit, set my own custom white balance, and made photographs with it.

A man with glasses sits in a warmly lit restaurant, sunlight shining on him, with bottles in the foreground.
Five people sit around a table at a restaurant, laughing and talking, with sunlight streaming through the window.
Man in a striped shirt and cap holds a beer bottle at a casual restaurant table with empty bottles.
Six people sit around two tables in a casual restaurant, eating, drinking, and talking together.
Three people sit at a table with drinks and food, talking in a warmly lit restaurant with neon signs.
Six people sit around a table at a restaurant, sharing various plates of food and drinks.
A camera on a table with empty bottles, tissues, and a food tray in a casual indoor setting.
A hand holding a green bottle of Bedessee Cream Soda in a restaurant with empty chairs in the background.
People sitting and standing in a modern library with tall bookshelves and bright ceiling lights.
Overgrown grassy lot with trees, cars, and houses in the background on a sunny day.
A tree-lined street with parked cars on both sides and STOP painted on the road.
People on bikes and walking cross a busy city street with yellow taxis and sunlight streaming in.
Sunlight filters through dense green trees and tall grass near a metal pole and building structure.
People cross a busy city street at an intersection with tall buildings and cars under a clear sky.
People waiting and walking on a busy subway platform under fluorescent lights at 23rd Street station.
Two people sit on stools talking on stage with a photo projected on the screen behind them.
Passengers sitting and standing inside a subway car, with metal poles and overhead lights visible.
Empty chairs and a table in a warmly lit restaurant with shelves of snacks and a mirrored wall in the background.
View from inside a car looking out at people sitting at a patio café, seen through window slats and flowers.
Bar scene reflected in a window, with colorful lights, hanging bottles, and people seated at the bar.
A bartender uses two torches to flame garnish on a cocktail at a bar, with a menu and glass nearby.
A warmly lit Japanese izakaya with hanging lanterns, string lights, and a glowing Izakaya Fuku sign.
People wait on a subway platform as an E train arrives, lights shining, with a warm, blurred effect.
People waiting on a subway platform, warmly lit, seen from across the tracks at night.
Cars and people at a busy city intersection at dusk, with buildings and streetlights illuminated.

If it wasn’t for the character of the 16mm f1.4 and the Tiffen filter, I probably would’ve just completely disregarded the camera. I also own the 23mm f1.4 R WR and I’ve given away the rest of my Fuji lenses to good friends who’ve given them good homes. The 23mm isn’t a lens for character; and sometimes I even regret purchasing it.

Fujifilm, for the love of god: no one needs more video features. And if they want them, those people should go buy video cameras meant for shooting video. They shouldn’t be converting stills cameras into something it wasn’t meant to do. The BlackMagic 6K FF couldn’t do everything I wanted it to do for stills.

Admittedly, I’m not very jazzed about the Fujifilm X Pro 4 at this point because I don’t trust it to feel like an actual camera meant for photographers. I’d want an interchangeable lens rangefinder style GFX camera to make its return instead.

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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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