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OK the new macro lens will be 80mm - its in Fuji's Road Map as a further feature it will be compatible with the 1.4 and 2x converters. I was able to get a  2x converter at a very good price, works very well with the 100-400 zoom.   My question is does anyone have any idea when we might be able to buy the new 80mm Macro Lens?

with the Vivitar 55/2.8 Macro (MD) ...
 

ein mir unbekanntes Insekt by Enzio Harpaintner, auf Flickr

Milandro, this is the Hejnar replacement tripod foot attached to my 50-140mm lens, please note the two threaded holes, allowing all sorts of gizmos to the foot! 
 
Its only drawback is the price!
 

Thanks Mike just the job - ouch the price.  Milandro, thanks for the suggestion, I already have bolt on plates very cheap($15) direct from China.  My point was OEM's should have a wider eye on what would be good to incorporate in what is expensive kit rather than look to the aftermarket for solutions.  The interest in ARCA Swiss mount seems quite wide, Body mounted brackets are very popular, changing from landscape to portrait using a ball head tripod heat is a fiddle.  The problem I have is I wont a bracket for my X-T2 like the one on the X-T1 ie with finger grip.  The current X-T2 brackets don't have the finger grip. I am sure it will happen soon - it just need patients.

Tough stuff, some one asked the question what makes pro kit pro or words to that effect, Maybe part of the answer is here. Mike G I feel for you, do you have a good heart doctor on call? Be COOL.

Yesterday whilst swapping lens XF 16-55 to 200-400mm the 16-55 lens rolled off my cabinet and fell almost 3ft to a granite floor. Thankfully nobody was within earshot. I am by nature very careful with my expensive toys - how could I allow this to happen?????? The answer to a common question NO I don't have accident insurance.
 
Following a close inspection and functional test all was well (I was on my blended knees).  A testament to the robustness to Fuji kit?

Yesterday whilst swapping lens XF 16-55 to 200-400mm the 16-55 lens rolled off my cabinet and fell almost 3ft to a granite floor. Thankfully nobody was within earshot. I am by nature very careful with my expensive toys - how could I allow this to happen?????? The answer to a common question NO I don't have accident insurance.
 
Following a close inspection and functional test all was well (I was on my blended knees).  A testament to the robustness to Fuji kit?

Once you had a XT1 its a no boner XT2 is a natural progression.

Recently brushed the dust of the EF-42 put a new set of quality batteries and embraced the job of the day.  7 people mostly young dressed in formal decorative degree presentation dress(Thai style). Bright sun as normal so I knew I needed fill in flash, 260 photos later a great set of pictures. XT2 with 16-55 f2.8 lens.  Back home time to review the results only 2 frames lost to camera shake zero to out of focus. RAF files hit the bin horrible. I do like sharp and the 16-55 lens delivers with very fast focus. The only editing of the photos was cropping and a touch of colour temp on some.  A3 prints from my Epson L1800 were great even without using the high quality setting in the print menu.
 
Back to the subject EF-42, there was inconsistency with the degree of fill in, mainly under fill not over fill in.  It did work well in manual mode when used with 2 Nikon SB flash units all controlled by the Cactus controller.  Comparing my last experiences with the Nikon D3 and SB800 flash the EF-42 was not ideal for anything other than having a low cost handy flash in the bag.  To buy the new super duper Fuji flash, don't know a matter of priorities I am very interested to see the new Maco lens. I did have the Fuji 60mm macro lens but I was not pleased with it probably because I was comparing it with the Nikon 105mm macro lens - what a fantastic lens a true benchmark for Fuji to match or even exceed.
 
Note: the macro lens was used with the X Pro1 then the XT-1 before any firmware updates, maybe relevant but  too late now cos I moved it on. (too hasty maybe).

My 100-400mm zoom is amazingly sharp and fast to focus. I use 99% hand held.However, I do understand the long distance problem, UV kills sharpness. I live in a hot climate and panoramic photos with any lens are a problem.  Editing can help.  Great photos posted.
 
I did have a Nikon 200-400 zoom {big bucks} on a D3. XT1/XT2 with 100-400mm results are so much better and the hardware is so much easier to handle which goes a long way in getting good results.  My only regret in changing from Nikon to Fuji is the money I have effectively thrown away.

I love this lens and frequently use it with a LED ring light a cheaper one that does not flash. OK the lens cover is naff. but I leave it off most of the time.  Low res pic attached.  The Ring LED was used.

Back in 1968 I was loaned a Minolta 50mm f1.2 lens and body, it had been purchased in the far east by a ships chief engineer. Big glass! but the results were stunning, the image quality was not just sharp but smooth. But the one big downfall that is applicable to-day is the lack of depth of field.
 
I know some people like wide aperture lens so that when its closed down a touch you get edge to edge sharpness.  But to-days lens are very good edge to edge so there is no need to pay the extra and carry the extra weight.
 
Before digital cameras film sensativeity was low so there was a need for wide aperture lens but now?

The Ring Light is a Viltrox Macro Cool Light JY675 it was supplied from China for $45 new.  Cool Gadgets USA site or similar may well stock it.  It came with a number of filter thread ring adaptors but non fitted - no matter cos the largest ring slid smoothly over the focusing ring of the 60mm Macro lens.  Any tape or wedge would have done to fix the ring in place. The battery/control unit sits in the flash shoe.  It has a,b and a+b selection with a dimmer control.  Easy to use, thanks to digital camera flexibility exposure is easy if you don't have a nice Sekonic flash/light meter.  I quite like to use it indoor without any other light ie the cat, background is uniportant.  However, it works quite well outdoors as a fill in for portrate pics.
 
About other pics I will have a look, maybe I need to please Maurice - I havent noticed any pictures of his here - maybe some where else?
 
I have down loaded the V4.00 firmwear looking forward to giving it a try on Tuesday n.b. I used the Official Fujifilm website.

I love this lens and frequently use it with a LED ring light a cheaper one that does not flash. OK the lens cover is naff. but I leave it off most of the time.  Low res pic attached.  The Ring LED was used.

I have a Samyang 8mm f2.8 and a Fuji 16mm. The Samyang is so cheap you have to try it.

I love this lens and frequently use it with a LED ring light a cheaper one that does not flash. OK the lens cover is naff. but I leave it off most of the time.  Low res pic attached.  The Ring LED was used.

The good thing about forum is it brings people with very diverse experiance and opinions.  I am the complete oposit to the original poster. Russion SLR Zenit, Canon QL, Olympus OM1 and OM2, Nikormar, Minolta Autocord first of the 120 cameras, Mamiya C330 Press Super 23 and Hassleblad C500. Then came a gap until the first digital Olympus 8080 was a complete failure the auto focus was ug.  Then came the Nikon 7S it was a good camera  but then upgraded to a 200 - very poor camera but then came the D3 great.
 
But now I have Fujifilm X-Pro1 and XT1 wow I do not miss any of the previously hardware. Digital has come so far with some way to go.  Has Sony just  set the bar even higher? Future? I think I will see what the XT2 will offer XT10 not for me too slow when shooting RAW.  Sell the X-Pro1 cos anything over 60mm lens is a compramise.
 
A fav bit of kit I have is very inexpensive LED ring light(not flash), great for portrates, my cats and more. couple it with my 60mm lens I enjoy.
 
Now its so nice to be able to carry a range of lenses plus bodies all in one bag, before with the Nikon D3 plus lenses I needed to go out in my 1 Ton truck and for what? smoother images greater range of tones but now the difference is being eroded. With the advantage of greater portability.
 
My other great interest is editing my images it started in the dark room using a stopwatch hands and bits of card, the smell of fixer ugh but now its so civalised and so flexible.  Coral Paint Shop Pro, I hate Lightroom. Now we are spoilt for choice there is such a great range of editing software out there, RAW converters Optical correctors as well. It goes without saying there is no substitute for first class images out of the camera.
 
To refer back to the original post does my past experiance help to-day yes, but only as the ability to capture good images. Understand about depth of field and other tecchnical aspects. To-day we see more images caputred on mobile phones!!!!!!!

Back in 1968 I was loaned a Minolta 50mm f1.2 lens and body, it had been purchased in the far east by a ships chief engineer. Big glass! but the results were stunning, the image quality was not just sharp but smooth. But the one big downfall that is applicable to-day is the lack of depth of field.
 
I know some people like wide aperture lens so that when its closed down a touch you get edge to edge sharpness.  But to-days lens are very good edge to edge so there is no need to pay the extra and carry the extra weight.
 
Before digital cameras film sensativeity was low so there was a need for wide aperture lens but now?