Fuji X100 price gets a bit lower in USA. Making space for the LX?


I still have no clue about the possible price of the upcoming Fuji LX interchangeable camera system. But the good news is that the Fuji X100 is now regularly in Stock worldwide and it already got it’s first small discount in some stores like Amazon (Click here).

Just a note: Fuji stated that the production of organic sensors is cheaper than the classic sensors. So the LX may not be not that more expensive than the Fuji X100? Let’s hope!

Will Fuji use a new organic sensor? Is that the key to beat fullframe sensors?


It is enough exciting to know that Fuji will implement the hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder technology on a camera that takes interchangeable lenses. But the even more amazing news is that the Fuji LX camera coming in February will be the first camera featuring an organic sensor! (Source: Zemes Gaoson).

As you know a month ago Fuji stated that the new camera will outperform current fullframe sensor. And the leaked images and lens info make us suppose that they will manage to squeeze that superb image quality on a small APS-C camera. That’s why It’s easy to guess that Fuji will use a completely new and revolutionary technology to archive the goal. Zemes says: “Fujifilm already said that the new sensor will have lowlight performance that rivals the current best full frame SLR sensors. And based on what I read about the Fujifilm’s revolutionary Organic CMOS, I have no reason to doubt this claim.“

Noisycamera found that research paper from Fuji (Click to download the pdf). In short this is the advantage of using the new organic sensors: “As the organic photoelectric conversion layer has a large absorption coefficient in principle, it can absorb enough light in spite of its extreme thinness. Therefore, it is free from spectral cross-talk between tiny pixels when capturing slanting rays of light and does not need any micro-lenses conventionally used for gathering incident light. The spectral sensitivity of the organic photoelectric conversion layer can be freely controlled by designing organic materials and it is possible to achieve a panchromatic property which does not have sensitivity to infrared light but only to blue, green and red light as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a conventional infrared light cut filter and we can eliminate its problem, a change of infrared cut wavelength and color hue caused by a change of the angle of light incidence.“

And here is the specs summary of the new Fuji LX camera coming in February:
– APS-C sensor size
– Organic sensor
– New proprietary mount
– All metal body
– Hybrid viewfinder
– 1/4000 top shutter
– universal hot shoe
– 18mm/2.0 pancake, 35mm/1.4,. Probably a zoom and a 60mm prime lens coming too.

 

I want that camera and you? :)

Fuji interchangeable X system leaked!!!


The new Fuji X interchangeable mirrorless X system has been leaked at Xitek. There is no info about specs and sensor size. The design is very close to the [shoplink 100018]Fuji X100[/shoplink]! It has an OVF/EVF switch option, metal body, tops shutter 1/4000, universal hot shoe. This could be the lenses: 18mm/2.0 pancake, 35mm/1.4 and a 60mm lens. Sounds like the sensor could be APS-C.

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Mirrorless news roundup…(Leica aims for 1% market share)

I didn’t know Leica currently has a market share of 0,15% only! But Andreas Kaufmann said at Frankfurter Allgemeine (german newspaper) that they want to increase the market share to 1% within…10 years! (via Techradar). Hey, sound slike the upcoming mirrorless cameras will be so expensive that only a very few will buy them.

Updated Samsung NX200 Studio Comparison (Dpreview).

Nikon V1 overview (Steve Huff).

Fuji X10 review: TechRadar labs data (Techradar).

Fuji X10 test images (Digital Outback Photo).

Samsung NX200 test at popco (korean)

Mirrorless news roundup (Nikon 1, Pentax Q, Samsung NX200, Fuji X10)

Nikon 1 V1 review at Cnet UK (Click here): “You get a lot of camera for your money with the V1, but that’s still a hefty price to pay. For our money, the J1 is better value, but in the final analysis only a careful balancing of price and specs will identify which is the best camera for you”.

Also the popular german magazine Der Spiegel (Click here) tested the Nikon 1 cameras: “The Nikon system cameras are probably best suited for people shooting cats, kids and everything else that moves fast“.

The next english Nikon review has been posted by Rob Galbraith (Click here): “Low light performance, while much better than an advanced point-and-shoot and probably in the territory of its primary Micro Four Thirds rivals, is no match for the high ISO skills of the D7000, let alone a low light demon like the D3S“.

Pentax Q review at Techradar (Click here): “At the moment, it’s just too expensive compared to high-end compact cameras, and the performance isn’t quite there when likened to similarly-priced compact system cameras“.

Luminous Landscape (Click here) posted a full Fuji X10 review: “The quality of fit, finish and materials is first rate, and belies the camera’s price point. For anyone over the age of forty or so, who remembers when cameras didn’t feel like they were made from molded lumps of polycarbonate, the Fujifilm X-10 will bring a smile to your lips when you handle one, even if you don’t decide to buy it“.

Ricoh’s GXR compact digital camera wins silver award at 2012 German Design Award (Imaging Resource).

Not a joke: Kodak announces a new sensor and after that sells its CCD Business to Platinum Equity!

Image on top: The Kodak Park in Rochester (now sold!)

And here is the news we were waiting for many months now. Kodak finally sold his CCD Business to Platinum Equity. There is not info yet about the amount of cash paid by Platinum. Also the 263,000 square foot facility in Eastman Business Park in Rochester, N.Y has beens sold (Source: Image-Sensor-World). Platinum Equity is not a firm that has own plans to produce CCD sensors, they will proabbly split up the resoruces they bought and sell them to others. And it comes quite surprising that Kodak announced new CCD sensors exactly the same day! That includes a new 16 megapxiel FF and APS-H sensor (More at Image-Sensor-World).

Now I am wondering what Leica will do. Will they get in touch with Platinum Equity or will they use Sony/Panasonic sensors inside their next Leica products?

Nikon 1 uses aptina sensor (+ more reviews).

Chipworks (Click here) dismantled one of the new Nikon 1 cameras and discovered that it actually sues an Aptina sensor. It will be interesting to see if Nikon will in future use Aptina sensors instead of Sony sensors even on larger sensors! Maybe Nikon’s plan is to become completely independent from Sony.

There is a new Nikon J1 review at Trustedreviews (Click here): “The Nikon J1 is a stylish looking compact system camera that delivers class-leading shooting speeds, super-efficient AF performance and vibrant, punchy images. However, given the highly competitive nature of the CSC market this isn’t really enough to elevate it above its peers and many rival CSCs offer richer feature sets and better value for money“.

The same camera has been reviewed by Cnet Uk (Click here): “It is a lot of money and some buyers may be put off by the conservative resolution, which tops out at 10.1 megapixels. Look beyond the pixels because the J1 is about quality not quantity, and here it delivers in spades to fully justify its asking price“.