rrrrrichard

I expect it at the end of this month. That's what Fujifilm said, and they rarely give us early surprises. [uPDATE: Earlier than expected! ]

How would one prevent this effect with linear motor focus drives? Seems simpler to just let the stuff slide around, but include damping at the limits of motion. That is, what I've seen on every LM focusing lens I've used.

[uPDATE] Here's a sample, a slightly Lr-tweeked RAF exported to JPG. Subject is a very old 10 UKP note (I'm American, but it just came to hand) shot at f/11 using a cheapo ring flash. The shutter speed was 1/180, and the output of the ring light was attenuated a bit. (I don't really understand where all the light was coming from, but that was the necessary exposure. Possibly I forgot to close down the aperture after focusing? The note was parallel to the sensor plane. so who knows?) The magnification is somewhere just north of 1:1 (the Meike is capable of 1.5:1, that is, slightly "super macro"). My technique is far from polished, and I expect a better focus is possible. I did use a tiny, but good, desktop tripod. Here're the RAF and xmp (my Lr changes, FYT) files. If another kind of sample image using this lens, shared in this way, would be useful to you, let me know and I'll try to produce a decent one. I also have an X-Pro2 and an X-E2s (if I don't sell it), and I can use one of those instead of the X-E3.

The jump to a new body style for the IBIS camera gives me some small hope. I don't want IBIS. I certainly don't want even more features aimed at video and reviewer check lists. Nor a bigger, heavier, LCD-on-top design. Maybe, in addition to this unwanted (by me!) type of camera, Fuji will continue to produce small, light, highly capable cameras with the body style and design -- X-Pro, X-E, X100 -- for which I moved from Sony. But I fear the market will speak, and the camera I like will be produced by no one. (Except maybe Leica, which means it will be de facto nonexistent for me.)

In a last-minute, epic swerve I cancelled my order for this lens. I've been waiting for it for close to two years. But I just now noticed the existence of the Meike 85mm f/2.8 Macro lens. It is fully manual and of course without stabilization. And it's $300. I bought one yesterday from Amazon. I have had doubts about whether the Fujinon 80mm macro is right for me. I already have the brilliant 90mm and have never been a fan of stabilization. So the features of the Fujinon for non-macro photography are superfluous for me. (The same is true of the claims made by Meike that their lens is also good for portraiture. But for $300, who cares?) I have only minimal expectations for the Meike's quality, in spite of a fairly glowing review by ePHOTOzine. But hoping for a surprise. I'll dump it and get back on the queue for the Fujinon if it's unsatisfactory. I'm not trolling, just saying. I intend to report on this lens, though I won't have a Fujinon macro with which to compare it directly. I'll try to post some big raws. It's supposedly arriving Thursday, and I hope to be able to shoot with it over the weekend. Regards from crazytown...

I assume everyone who finds Luminar 2018 usable must be on Macs. If anyone had found it even remotely as useful as Lr on Windows, I'd like to hear about your workflow. (I'm a very casual, amateur photographer, so my standards for a productive raw developer are quite low. Even so...) [uPDATE] After a few days wait (I can imagine their support staff is deluged), I received the full refund I requested for the Windows Luminar 2018.

I too have been waiting for this lens for what seems like forever. Based on experience with the X-E3's waitlist at Adorama, I may not get it even weeks after the official US release date (30 Nov). Boo hoo! (Of course, all the flowers are gone anyway. Great macro timing, Fuji!)

XF 16mm f/1.4 (My favorite by far.) XF 56mm f/1.2 XF 80mm f/2.8 (Soon, please! Will almost certainly become my new favorite. Sorry, sixteen.) Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 Obviously, gap in the middle there. If I ever have the courage to street shoot (extremely unlikely), the XF 23mm f/2 would get used much more.

I'm a casual amateur photographer, so I don't even think about it. If I were more serious, or if my income depended on it, I don't think I'd watermark either. (milandro, I understand the distinction you're making, but, sadly, as with so many language errors, the ship has sailed on this one.) First, watermarks damage the image, by definition (except in vanishingly rare cases where the watermark itself is part of some ironic artistic statement). And they also damage the relationship between the artist and the viewer, in my opinion. Serious or professional photographers should by all means copyright and register their images and employ steganographic techniques for protection. When viewing photos online, I tend to give images by those I believe are not taking themselves seriously much easier "likes". If an image is watermarked and I have any doubts at all about it -- no likey.

Seems very strange that selective blurring could be caused by (or fixed by) software. Not doubting your reports at all. I figure if I could hear an authoritative explanation, I'd learn something very interesting.

Mine too. This is the only Fuji product I've really been wanting since the X-Pro2. Long wait. Still waiting. (Not to say casual GAS hasn't resulted in numerous other Fuji thingies finding their way into my cabinet.)

I shoot RAW+jpeg and save everything (within reason). I rarely need my saved jpegs. I, fortunately, haven't ever needed a cloud backup jpeg. With the Raw Studio, I will now delete ALL my cloud backup jpegs. Really no reason for them at all with a relatively easy technique for accurate (ie, genuine Fuji in-camera processor) regeneration of jpegs from cloud RAWs.

flysurfer, (1) I didn't know it has a color histogram, that's nice! (2) How many 27mm pancakes do you have?

Although I've eagerly preordered the X-E3 to replace my E2s, I think the touchscreen is a minor net negative when considered together with the absent D-pad. As an old fogey, I almost always use the viewfinder, so the touchpad is pretty much in exactly the wrong place -- shoved against my cheek -- for a physical control interface. Not the end of the world for me, but I can see it would be a problem for some shooters.

Are you saying that rechargeable AA batteries cannot be used in the TT685?