Last Updated on 12/15/2016 by Chris Gampat
Every year camera companies hit us with new products, cameras, and lenses to help us improve and grow our capabilities as photographers. But each year they miss something or leave something out. This is the first in a series of posts in which we will discuss our wishlist for each brand heading into 2017.
Today we kick off this series with a look at the Fujifilm X-Series, a system that has enjoyed a lot of growth and popularity this year with the release of their new flagship X-Pro 2 and X-T2 cameras, as well as some great lens releases. But as noted, we are still left wishing for more in 2017, so here is our wish list for Fujifilm.
Cameras
In terms of cameras, 2016 was a strong year for Fujifilm. The X-E2s was sort of a dud (not that it is a bad camera, just when putting it next to the next gen X-Trans in the X-Pro 2 and X-T2 it was never going to shine), but the next generation of X-Trans in the X-Pro2 and X-T2 really reminded everyone what they loved about Fujifilm, and introduced a whole new crop of photographers to the joys of the Fuji X-System. So what can Fujifilm bring us in 2017 in terms of cameras? Simply, more of them.
The flagships are out, so now it is time to get that next generation X-Trans technology into the mid and entry level cameras. I am talking X-T10, X-E3, X100F. But beyond just new cameras, we also have some features that we would love for Fujifilm to add to their cameras:
Touch Screens – Yes, many of you still consider this a gimmick, along with the flip screen, but it is hard to deny the benefit of a touch screen once you have had the opportunity to use a good one. The way they implemented it on their X70 compact was great, and we would love to see that rolled out into some of their more serious cameras.
Tethering Support for the X-Pro2 and other Cameras – Fujifilm just launched their paid tethering app for the X-T2, and now we would like to see that trickle down to the other cameras as well. At the very least to the X-Pro2.
Better Video – The X-T2 has 4K, beautiful 4K at that, but every other Fujifilm camera is stuck at 1080 right now. Give us 4k on some of the newer models, or if not 4K, maybe 1440p?
Lenses
In 2016 the X-Series saw the addition of several new lenses, including the 23mm F/2 and 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 which both in their own ways helped expand the X-Series. In 2017, at this point all we know is we can expect the third fast compact prime lens addition in the 50mm F/2: a much-needed lens. But what else are we hoping to see from Fujifilm in terms of lenses for 2017?
200mm F/2.8 – Yes, the 100-400mm gave nature and sports enthusiasts a nice starting point for capturing subjects at a distance. But true professionals, like those now considering the X-T2, need to have those quality fast telephoto primes. A 200mm F/2.8 would have the effective field of view of a 300mm on full frame, making it an excellent place to start a fast telephoto prime lineup. Ideally, an aperture of F/1.8 would be more ideal, to offset the Bokeh and DoF differences between Full Frame and ASP-C, but we imagine the lens would be prohibitively large or expensive – but if it was possible to do affordably, we would love that.
F/1.4 Prime Lens Updates – A lot of the F/1.4 Fujifilm lenses are starting to feel a little long in the tooth compared to their newer lenses in terms of build, AF performance, and weather sealing. We would love to see Fujifilm start to roll out some F/1.4 prime lens updates, starting with the 35mm F/1.4.
Accessories
In terms of accessories, in 2016 Fujifilm brought us the newly updated NP-W126s battery which solved some heat issues with the original NP-W126 batteries in the X-Pro2 and X-T2. That said, we would like to think that the technology is there now, and that Fuji could cram a little more juice into those batteries so we didn’t have to carry so many on us for a full day of shooting.
Additionally, we would like to see Fujifilm either release their own or work with third-party manufacturers to get some AF adapters for the X-Series system to market. We feel one of the biggest reasons, beyond the FF sensor, that Sony’s mirrorless system has had such great success has been thanks to the availability of these AF adapters which allow users of other cameras systems to ease into the system, or try it out without having to completely sell their current kit right off the bat.
And most important: Chris wants a wireless flash system that works well and doesn’t rely on infrared transmission.
So there you have it, our wishlist for Fujifilm’s X-Series heading into 2017. Make sure and let us know what you would add (or subtract) from our list, and what might be on your wishlist for other manufacturers.