Tom writes:
Sony and Fujifilm are currently two of the most popular mirrorless camera brands around – but which camera system should you investr your money in? Well, after owning and testing multiple Sony and Fujifilm cameras over the years, here’s my take to help you decide which of these mirrorless camera systems is the right one for you.
Next week, on January 20/21, Fujifilm will announce the most beautiful instant camera I’ve ever seen: The Insta WIDE EVO! I’m sure Fujifilm will sell a ton of these because not only is it incredibly beautiful, but it also features a unique and cool element from the “film” era.
Let me tell you all about it:
I have the images, but the source has asked me not to use them. If you have images that I can share, please send them to me at: mirrorlessrumors@gmail.com or use this contact box. I can describe the camera in detail so that when the announcement happens next week, you’ll know I was telling the truth!
In my personal opinion, this is the most beautiful instant camera I’ve ever seen. It’s a “hybrid” instant camera, meaning it has a sensor and takes a digital image that you can choose to print afterward.
Here’s what I can tell you about it:
But the real highlight is this:
To print an image, you’ll need to rotate a classic film crank! It might sound impractical, but I believe this feature will resonate with many people because of the tactile “experience” it provides.
The Instax business is booming and generating a significant portion of the camera industry’s profits, far outweighing the contributions of digital X and GFX cameras and lenses. That’s why this camera is so important. Be sure to follow Fujirumors.com and Mirrorlessrumors.com for more updates on this exciting release. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some exclusive images soon!
BCNranking collected the sales data from a majority of the Japanese stores. And there is really good news! BCN reports:
After losing a lot of sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, the camera market is recovering in the post-COVID era. December sales volume was 123.7% higher than the previous year, showing a booming performance. Unlike PCs and TVs, cameras generally increased year-on-year until around last summer. There were times in the early fall when sales fell significantly below the previous year’s level, but they regained momentum in November and December and significantly exceeded last year’s level. Compact cameras with built-in lenses showed particular growth. December sales volume was 132.7% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, sales volume of interchangeable lens cameras, whose momentum has slowed due to rising unit prices, continued to fall below the previous year’s level since August, but in December it rose to 101.0%, slightly higher than the previous year.
Canon led the camera market overall in December with a 25.5% unit sales share. Sales volume increased significantly to 151.4% compared to the previous year. Fujifilm, in second place with a market share of 18.6%, maintained its good performance with a 107.3% increase compared to the previous year. Kenko Tokina, which rose to third place for the first time with a market share of 11.8%, also put up a strong performance with a 256.8% increase compared to the previous year. However, Kodak, with a market share of 10.4%, was affected and ended up below double digits at 89.7%. Sony, which remained in fifth place with a market share of 9.7%, also fell below the previous year to 92.4%.
As is often the case, we don’t receive detailed reports from markets like the US, China, or Europe, which is unfortunate. The key takeaway here is that Sony holds just a 9.7% market share. This is largely due to their absence from the growing affordable compact camera market, which is experiencing a boom right now. In contrast, companies like Kenko Tokina and Kodak had strong years, as both offer popular compact models
Only 0.1% of the people reading this blog can afford to pay for a Leica SL3. But don’t worry, folks! In a month’s time Panasonic will announce the new S1R II, which has the same Leica technology, but with excellent video quality and at less than half the price.
Of course, you will want to have the iconic Leica badge…but real photographers don’t care about brand names…do they?)
43rumors leaked the images of a new vintage OMD camera that could be announced around January 29! No info on specs yet…
Leica is sending out invitations for the January 16 event. We know for sure that we will receive the SL3-S on that day! The SL3-S is basically the same SL3 camera but with a lower resolution sensor (24mp?) and more affordable price.
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via Weibo and Asobinet
Om Digital CEO Shigemi Sugimoto wrote a letter that has been published on om-digitalsolutions.com. In it he teases the launch of two new products:
we plan to add a new camera to our lineup and bright, compact single-focal-length lenses with splash & dust-proof performance. Additionally, we are continuing to work hard to bring to market the long-awaited mid-range telephoto zoom lens on our lens roadmap by the end of this year
According to latest rumors the camera should be a vintage OM model. I have no info on the bright prime lenses yet, all we know is that a sort of 50-200mm PRO lens is on the roadmap.
This is the full letter:
A Happy New Year.
As we enter our fifth year of business, we are celebrating our achievements over the past four years since OM Digital Solutions Corporation split from Olympus Corporation. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of our customers, stakeholders, suppliers and employees for their continued patronage and support.
2021 was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic as it changed lives and economies across the globe; creating concern and worry about starting a new company. Whilst transforming into a compact and highly mobile organization, with revamped processes to deliver a profitable business; we also launched our new brand OM SYSTEM. The result has been increases in consolidated revenue and profit for the past three fiscal periods, a trend we expect to continue for the current fiscal period concluding in March.
With an expansion into solution and services, our success has not been limited to the camera and audio markets. Built upon a solid foundation of imaging and optical technology production, we now provide solutions to industrial and academic fields; along with services in high-quality electronics manufacturing; both of which have led to stable profitable growth.
The vision of OM SYSTEM brand for camera and audio equipment is to provide enriching sound and imaging experiences that contribute to the experience of life outdoors for everyone across the world. As we look to the future of the camera business; we will provide more options for compact, lightweight, splash & dust-proof products to expand photographic horizons for our customers. With features like computational photography, our dust reduction system and powerful image stabilization, which have been highly regarded by professional photographers, will be available to both existing and new customers. ‘It’s in our nature.’ is the heartbeat of OM SYSTEM. We create cameras to facilitate a life of curiosity and joyful discovery, enabling you to explore nature’s beauty and, perhaps, uncover forgotten parts of your own being.
Shortly, we plan to add a new camera to our lineup and bright, compact single-focal-length lenses with splash & dust-proof performance. All created to meet the challenges of harsh outdoor environments to ensure that you enjoy not only landscape photography in the great outdoors, but also authentic photos of life every day. Additionally, we are continuing to work hard to bring to market the long-awaited mid-range telephoto zoom lens on our lens roadmap by the end of this year.
We look forward to delighting our customers again with these products and encourage you connect with us on social media or sign-up for our newsletters to keep up to date with these announcements.
Bringing joy, inspiration and excitement through our products drives each and every one of us, and we hope your year ahead will be filled with adventure.
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My take:
I really like the fact that the CEO wrote a personal letter to explain OM Digital’s plans. We need this kind of direct communication to build trust in the company. What are your thoughts on this letter?
