28mm

Fujifilm X80 Or X100V 28mm Edition?

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X70

A lot of photographers (including me) have been patiently waiting for an update to the X70 camera. I was told by Fuji UK, back in my X-Photographer days, that because the old 18mp sensors had been discontinued in favour or the newer 24mp ones, a replacement for the discontinued X70 wasn’t so easy. The main reason being that the 24mp sensor requires the NP-W126 battery, which wouldn’t fit in the tiny X70 body.

X-E4

At first announcement of the X-E4, I thought that it could be a fantastic little street camera. But with the lack of a Focus Selector switch, View Button, and D-Pad, the X-E4 is a disappointment to me. Even the reviewers that are praising the camera (often trying a little too hard), are constantly making excuses for what this camera is lacking. For me, every time Fuji adds a new product, they are taking away my options.

X100V-28

Would it be too difficult to stick the 18.5mm (28mm FF equivalent) lens from the X 70 on to the X100V?

An updated X70 would be great for sure, but I would actually prefer an X100V with a 28mm equivalent lens. But here’s the thing; put a 28mm lens on the X100V, but DO Not change anything else. Produce identical cameras with two versions, 35mm and 28mm (FF)

Ever since the X-Pro1 was added to the X-Series, which at that point only included to X100, there has been a problem with Fujifilm constantly changing button position for no apparent reason. Just when you get a couple of models with the same layout, the next update will have a different position. Hands haven’t changed design for thousands of years, so I think ten years is more than enough time to decide on the best position for buttons. I don’t care too much where they are, I just want them to be the same place on my camera bodies. And don’t get me started on the D-Pad. I didn’t buy the X-E3 or the X-Pro3 because of the lack of the D-Pad, and only bought the X100V because, despite the lack of a D-Pad, the lens was finally improved!

A Propper Lens

So my wish would be a 28mm FF equivalent X100V with nothing changed on the camera. I would also be happy with the X70 lens on it. But if Fujifilm wanted to make a perfect street camera, they could create a new 28mm (FF equivalent) lens, hard stops at either end of the focus ring, a focus tab, and a proper depth of field scale.

Sales

I don’t see this X100V-28 making a negative effect on X100V sales; sure some might buy the 28mm version over the 35mm version, but some would also buy both (myself included). Fujifilm might even gain some of the Leica Q sales; sales that Leica might be gaining from Fuji’s X100V because of the focal length??


So obviously this post is just wishful thinking on my part, but surely the amount of R&D that would go into making this camera would be a fraction of that for new cameras like the L-shaped thing that came out recently?? Plus, the X100 series is tried, tested, and love. See, it’s a no-brainer :o)

Will Sports Finder Mode Turn A 16mm f2.8 into A 28mm?

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I’ve had a recent comment on my review of the Fujifilm XF16mm f2.8 R WR from Kid Sodbrennen about using this lens with the Sports Finder Mode in the newer Fujifilm cameras. Kit reckoned it would crop in to match a 28mm. After doing a quick test, I replied that it was not as wide as a 28mm. But testing further for this post, I have come to change my mind. The problem was that I was basing my opinion on the 18mm f2, which is actually more like a 27mm.

The 16mm f2.8 is actually a bit wider than the 16mm f1.4. As you can see from the two example photos above, the f2.8 is more like a 15mm. 1mm doesn’t add or subtract to a longer lens, but on a wide Ange lens this can make a big difference.

As you can see from the image to the left, the 18mm with a 1.5x crop comes in at 27mm. The picture on the right shows the 16mm f2.8 using the X-T3’s Sports Finder Mode, which has a 1.25x crop. So assuming the 16mm f2.8 is actually a 15mm - 15 x 1.5 = 22.5. 22.5 x 1.25 = 28.1.

But if you compare the pictures above, one shot on the X70 and the other shot on the X100V with the 28mm WCL-X100 conversion lens, the 16mm f2.8 using Sports Finder Mode is indeed just like a 28mm.

The downside to this is that you are throwing away megapixels, but I’m still shooting street with my X70, which has a 16.3mp sensor, as opposed to the newer 26.1mp sensors in the latest cameras.

Apart from the X100V, my only camera with Sports Finder Mode is my X-T3, which I would never use for street photography. So I guess I won’t get the chance to make use of this setup. But I’m sure with the X70, X100V with the WCL, and the X-Pro2 with the 18mm, I’ll manage for now.

But imagine a new 18mm f2 mkII and an X-E4 with an X100V style flip-out screen (for shooting from the hip). That would be an awesome street camera!

UPDATE:

An X-E4 was indeed released with an X100V style flip-out screen. Unfortunately it has no front focus selector, no View Mode button, and of course, no D-Pad. Not only that, it has less Fn buttons that might have allowed to compensate for these short-comings. I really fear for the future of Fujifilm’s next generation of cameras. But at least it’s saving me money by forcing me to stick with older models :o)