Leica announces coming surprises for 2012. Is one of them the Fuji partnership?


The Leica Camera Blog reports that Leica will announce some new “surprise product” in 2012. And we are not talking about the pre announced mirrorless system only. Dr. Kaufmann “told us that they haven’t been discussed or discovered by Leica Rumors or the Leica Forum until now.“.

After reading that I checked back some strange rumors from unknown sources. They might be false but it’s the only rumor I got that haven’t been posted by anyone. The rumor says that Leica could use Fuji organic sensors for their next cameras (including the M10). I repeat, the rumor is from unknown sources but what’s true is that Leica will no more rely on Kodak sensors. And Fuji organic sensor technology looks very promising….

Canon fears Fuji sensor technology. Fuji expands sensors business. Organic sensor patent.


A chinese source at Xjrumo (Click here) said that Fuji will use an APS-C sized (organic?) sensor (via Photorumors). The source also said that it will NOT use a hybrid viewfinder. It would use the same kind of viewfinder from the [shoplink 100018]Fuji X100[/shoplink] (optical VF that zooms in and out). So the real highlight will be the mysterious organic sensor. I am not the only one thinking this could be a real sensation. The Online Photographers writes: “Komori-san says that the sensor quality of Fujifilm X mirrorless will exceed that of current full-frame sensors, although its sensor size will likely be smaller than 24x36mm. The claim reminded me of something…I have a hazy memory of someone with knowledge of the industry telling me long ago that an official of Canon said that Fuji is the only company Canon is scared of—not Panasonic, not Sony, not Nikon—because of Fuji’s expertise with sensors. (I might not have that right, so please don’t quote me.)“. (via Petapixel). Image Sensor World also found a new Fuji organic sensor patent.

One more news: Fujifilm to establish a semiconductor material manufacturing company in South Korea (Fujifilm). Getting ready for organic sensor mass production? :)

 

This is how the Fuji LX could look (a Photoshop reconstruction)


A japanese deisgner recreated that Olympus Fuji LX image on the base of the leaked images. I think it’s a very reliable reconstruction of the final cameras.

For comparison only: Below you can see the front of the [shoplink 100018]Fuji X100[/shoplink].

P.S:
There are price drops on the Fuji X100. Check at [shopcountry 100018].
And the Fuji X10 is finally in Stock in most stores: Check at [shopcountry 100018].

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)