Now we are always talking about personality design. If you think about it carefully, every camera brand also seems to have a personality design. When talking about Sony, we will think of "black technology". When talking about Nikon, what comes to mind may be "excellent tolerance", and when we see Fuji, a brand that has been hand in hand with professional photographers since the film era, brings us a sense of retro and mystery.
But this retro and mystery are also accompanied by controversy. Fuji is a brand without full-frame cameras. Its APS-C frame flagship model, the price of the FUJIFILM X-T3 set is around 11,000 yuan, and the price of the FUJIFILM X-Pro3 set is around 13,000 yuan. In this price range, there are already many other brands of full-frame micro-only for people to choose from, such as Nikon's Z 6, and Canon's full-frame micro-single 6D Mark II. Even though it is a flagship phone with both APS-C format, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II is only priced at 6,099.
It is obvious that Fuji has broken the unwritten rule that "the larger the frame, the more expensive the price" in the camera industry, so sensor area and even paper parameters are not the core of the Fuji brand. But Fuji still harvested a group of loyal users. According to the sales ranking of mirrorless camera in Japan in March released by data agency BCN, Fuji FUJIFILM X-A5 and FUJIFILM X-E3 both entered the top ten lists, occupying 6th and 9th respectively. Fuji X-T100 is also a frequent visitor on the list. Fuji is like a "freak" in the camera industry. The people you love are very much, and there are many people who think they are not worth it.
No wonder someone said, "Fuji's specialness is only for those who understand it."
1. Appearance branding: small and retro - this is Fuji
For most people, if the camera logo is blocked, it may be difficult to recognize its brand, but Fuji's machine seems to be branded, and the retro color scheme of black and silver khaki is saying to us, "Hello, I'm Fuji like this." Fuji's micro-select really has a special look. Some people describe it as Fuji's appearance, even if it is not used to take photos, it is a pleasure to keep it at home.
One of the logos of Fuji's appearance design is that the metal surface is decorated with leather, which is more like a work of art placed in the old time museum. But the appearance of each series of Fuji is slightly different. For example, the X-Pro series and X-E series are matched with the shape of old rangefinder film. The X-A series does not have the viewfinder at all. In terms of size, most of Fuji models are also extremely small and thin, such as the X-T200, and the memory card and battery are only 370g, and the Fuji X-A5 is about 361g. Moreover, the "turntable" design of the Fuji body is also a bit unique. For example, the Fuji X100V can lift the turntable to adjust the sensitivity, and it has a mechanical sense of control.
Fuji official said, "The moment you lift the camera, you will feel and enjoy the feelings of photography. The uniqueness of the titanium finish will never disappear. You will soon realize that the camera is more than just a photography tool."
2. Fuji's stubbornness: "We will never enter the full-frame market."
Similar to major camera manufacturers, Fuji is now working on the micro-single market, but the difference is that Fuji sticks to the APS-C frame camp and has not yet launched any full-frame cameras.
Fuji's main layout of mirrorless cameras is the APS-C format X series and the medium format GFX series (larger than the full format sensor size). The price of the GFX series starts at 30,000 yuan. The X series covers the current mainstream micro-single cameras of Fuji, and each production line is "mixed and matched" with its own characteristics. For example, the X-H series is equipped with body anti-shake, the X-Pro series uses a hybrid viewfinder, which is considered a niche and personalized rangefinder, and the X-T series is the most in line with the current mainstream configuration.
In addition, Fuji also has the X100 series, and its features are still distinct - non-replaceable lenses. The latest Fuji X100V uses a large aperture 35mm fixed-focus lens, which is priced at more than 10,000 yuan. Therefore, Fuji's X100 series is also called the high-end portable camera series. The high-end defined by
Fuji is not exactly the same as the high-end of other manufacturers.When we review the development history of the micro-single market, we will find that since 2016, the concept of micro-single has begun to be deeply rooted in people's hearts. Since 2018, the micro-single market has moved towards high-end and professionalization. The sign is that among the new phones released in 2018, the number of full-frame products is as high as 11. The Nikon Z series was officially released in August, the Canon EOS R was released in early September, and the Panasonic S1/S1R was released at the end of September. But it was also this year that the head of Fuji said in an interview with foreign media at the Photokina conference, "We will never enter the full frame market."
Fuji believes that developing the full-frame series will destroy the existing product line layout. The person in charge of Fuji said, "We cannot see the value of producing full-frame cameras. Currently, our APS-C format and GFX medium format are two completely independent models. Those who care about the format will buy medium format. If you like lightweight, buy APS-C. The full frame will destroy this balance."
Note: All samples in this article were taken using Fuji X100V. Different film simulations were used. They were all JPG direct output
For Fuji, the cost of producing full frame is actually higher. First of all, the appearance design is a highlight of the Fuji brand. Once equipped with a full-frame sensor, it is definitely necessary to compromise on the appearance of the camera, and it will definitely become bigger and heavier. Fuji's long-standing style is broken. Secondly, let’s imagine that if Fuji really launches full frame, the pricing will definitely be higher than the market. At the same time, Fuji’s loyal users may feel that they have misappropriated their trust and lost confidence in the APS-C camera. They sighed, “Fuji has also embarked on the road of full frame.”
Foreign media Dpreview once conducted a survey, "Do you think Fuji needs a full-frame camera?", and only about 30% of the users chose "I need a full-frame Fuji". In short, based on the current situation, producing a full-frame camera is actually an adventurous choice for Fuji.
3. Fuji is not full-frame: What is the performance?
has always had many horizontal evaluations about Fuji, and many of them are "overgraded" comparisons, that is, compared with Fuji's flagship models to other full-frame cameras. Recently, there are comparisons between Fuji X-T4 and Nikon Z6, Canon EOS R, and Sony A7M3, and some foreign bloggers have also compared the Sony A73 and Fuji X-T3. It is actually difficult to generalize which one is better, but these evaluations basically convey an idea. As an APS-C format camera, Fuji's shooting performance has indeed brought surprises, and it can be said that it has broken through the limitations of format. In fact, Fuji's ability to stand in the same arena with these full-frame cameras has shown that Fuji is not weak. This is mainly based on Fuji's X-TRANS photosensitive element, which can provide rich and delicate colors and improve picture quality. However, not all Fuji models are equipped with X-TRANS photosensitive elements, such as the X-T100 is an ordinary CMOS sensor.
It is gratifying that Fuji has been making progress. The "focus" problem that Fuji X-T3 has been criticized for has been significantly improved in the new generation of model X-T4. Some reviews have also shown that in terms of dynamic focus catching up, Fuji X-T4's performance is even better than some models of Canon, , Nikon , and Sony.
But Fuji's shooting performance will definitely be subject to its APS-C format. The industry's saying "the bottom is bigger and the first level is crushing people to death" is not unreasonable. Fuji's high sense is not particularly outstanding in flagship-level micro-single styles. Evaluation from Zhongguancun Online shows that at about ISO 6400, images taken by Fuji X-T4 will have visible noise, and this sensitivity is still available range, which is definitely not enough for some professional photographers of scenery and starry sky. In contrast, the Nikon Z6, the high-feel ISO 12800 is still basically available.
Although the APS-C format allows Fuji to maintain its petite size, what follows is limited heat dissipation. For example, Fuji X100V, this high-end portable machine, will feel the heat of the body when the device is standby for a long time. The cooling performance of the flagship X-T4 is now mixed.
In short, Fuji X series cameras have performance that surpass APS-C format cameras. The focus performance that has been criticized has also been improved on the X-T4, but the focus and follow-up capabilities of the previous generation models still seem a little clumsy.Fuji's performance of high sense and heat dissipation also needs to be examined.
4. Customized color: Where exactly does Fuji win?
In fact, when we are crazily measuring the performance of Fuji cameras, Fuji fans said, "I have bought Fuji, what kind of frame is there, focus." Indeed, they don't care about this. The reason why
Fuji gives people a retro film feel is because once, Fuji and Koda were the two major film and printers in the film era. This historical heritage gives Fuji excellent color tuning. Although many manufacturers now have built-in color tuning treatment, it is still a bit immature compared to Fuji's. Of course, some people believe that the so-called Fuji color is just adding filters to the photos.
But Fuji's color is not as simple and crude as it is handled in VSCO. Fuji can use digital cameras to simulate the retro effects of film cameras because it has a huge film color library, and this color library originates from the real colors of its own film era. Therefore, Fuji's JPG pictures are very good in color, which eliminates the process of importing photos into the computer, adjusting the color of the RAW file, and then exporting the JPG. For some users who are not keen on post-production and have an obsession with film colors, Fuji can touch their hearts in an instant.
People who like photography, some pay for lenses with different focal lengths, and some pay for updated models. Therefore, there must be people who pay for retro design, unique colors, and persistence from the film era to the digital era. Such people may be Fuji users.
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