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Fujifilm made a splash at its X Summit event in Tokyo today. Beyond announcing the highly anticipated X100VI camera, which is nearly everything we wanted from a new X100 camera, Fujifilm added a few interesting tidbits to the end of its keynote speech, including teasing a new XF lens and announcing exciting firmware coming to older cameras. Fujifilm, one of the rare companies that still shares lens roadmaps, updates its roadmap at many of its X Summit events, including last September in Stockholm, Sweden. At that time, the company announced it was developing a GF 500mm lens for its medium-format GFX system and a GF power zoom. In Tokyo, Fujifilm shared new plans for its XF lens lineup. Fujifilm’s excellent 18-55 f/2.8-4 R LM OIS standard zoom kit lens, one of PetaPixel‘s favorite kit lenses ever, is getting a refresh, which makes sense given that the XF 18-55mm is about a decade old. Fujifilm is working on an XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 new kit lens for “X Series 5th Generation” cameras. Some obvious differences exist between the new kit lens and the existing one, including a different focal length range (18-55mm versus 16-50mm) and slower minimum aperture (f/4 versus f/4.8).
“This is a next-generation kit lens,” Fujifilm says. “We only have the focal length and f-stop info today, but we can assure you that it will be beyond the ordinary kit lens.” Fujifilm is focused on making the new kit lens compact, versatile, and sharp. Last year, Fujifilm announced XApp, a refreshed mobile app for X Series and GFX System photographers. At the Tokyo X Summit, the company revealed that it will release XApp version 2.0 this month. The major update will refresh the app’s “Activity Page” and add an Equipment Page to check the status of the connected camera, including its battery life and lifetime shutter count. The app will also enable background firmware updates for compatible cameras. Fujifilm also announced new firmware for existing X Series 5th Generation cameras. The X-H2S and X-H2 are getting a red frame indicator to show active video recording, joining the X-T5 and X-S20 cameras that already include this feature. Touch Subject Tracking AF is coming to the X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20.
The X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20 will deliver improved subject detection autofocus performance when using the electronic shutter, and the same cameras, save for the X-H2, will soon have better tracking performance. The relevant firmware updates will arrive this spring. A subsequent firmware update this summer will introduce the new Reala Ace Film Simulation to the X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20. Further, the X100VI, which has Frame.io Camera to Cloud functionality without a special file transmitter grip, is paving the way for the X-H2S and X-H2 to follow suit. Image credits: Fujifilm
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