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new Firmware for X-T1, X-E2 & Co coming October 29


Patrick FR

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Is there any news of whether the firmware brings anything more significant than TC compatibility? It sounded from today's posts that there might be a surprise - whether it was new firmware that brought actual new features, or even a pre-announcement on the X-Pro 2. What I've seen so far is just the lens and TC (with no surprise in the specs of either one), and a firmware upgrade that seems to alert the bodies of the possibility of the TC, but do nothing else.

 

At least to me, this was a disappointing set of announcements. I don't especially like 35 primes (this is a function of the type of photography I do - landscape, and I'm always either a bit wider or longer than normal), and the TC doesn't seem to have the lenses it needs to be intriguing just yet. Very few photographers use a TC on a 70-200 f2.8 on full-frame (it's easier and better quality just to use a longer lens, which is a much more anticipated announcement than a workaround by converting a moderate telephoto). The 120 macro will be an intriguing host for the converter, especially for insect photographers and others who like close focusing at long focal lengths. Assuming that at least the newer bodies can focus with a lens that slow (f8), the combination of the 100-400 and the TC will provide extreme telephoto capability.

 

Fuji has done something simply amazing in building the most complete set of APS-C lenses out there, all in about four years from scratch. We have more options than even Nikon or Canon shooters in dedicated APS-C glass (although those two mounts add versatility through the use of full-frame lenses, at the cost of size, weight and occasionally odd focal lengths). Almost all of the Fuji glass is also of high quality. About the only weakness in our choices (apart from REAL oddities like tilt/shift lenses) is longer telephotos and macros, and I'd rather have seen one of those two today than a third 35mm prime option (plus four zooms that cover 35mm) and a teleconverter that feels like it's waiting for the lenses to use it with...

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Very few photographers use a TC on a 70-200 f2.8 on full-frame (it's easier and better quality just to use a longer lens, which is a much more anticipated announcement than a workaround by converting a moderate telephoto).

TC are usually used to save weight and/or price. Full systems always have dedicated high quality lens until you are using longest 800mm telephoto. But it's usually cheaper and lighter to take a lens and a TC for additional reach.

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Agreed, but most TC users I know of are already a step longer than the 50-140 before dropping the TC in. 300 f2.8s are popular TC hosts (and anybody who owns an even more exotic telephoto like a 400 f2.8 or a 600 f4 also has the matching converters, and uses them regularly). The other places TCs see service are on ultra-long zooms (Canon's 200-400 f4 actually has a 1.4x built in, activated by a switch, a feature borrowed from long video lenses) and occasionaly on odd lenses like tilt/shifts. I once heard of someone using a TC on a FISHEYE - they wanted the distortion, but with a slightly narrower field of view...

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Agreed, but most TC users I know of are already a step longer than the 50-140 before dropping the TC in. 300 f2.8s are popular TC hosts (and anybody who owns an even more exotic telephoto like a 400 f2.8 or a 600 f4 also has the matching converters, and uses them regularly). The other places TCs see service are on ultra-long zooms (Canon's 200-400 f4 actually has a 1.4x built in, activated by a switch, a feature borrowed from long video lenses) and occasionaly on odd lenses like tilt/shifts. I once heard of someone using a TC on a FISHEYE - they wanted the distortion, but with a slightly narrower field of view...

I disagree. Practically every press photographer I know of has a 1.4x tele in his or her bag because it gives them extra reach on their 70-200 without having to carry the extra load of a 300mm and a monopod. As many of them are now freelancers, the 'extra load' of a 300mm can be translated to 'additional cost I can no longer justify'.

 

Two bodies, three lenses, a flash or two, a teleconverter, a laptop, and associated gubbins can all fit in a Think Tank ShapeShifter. Anything that cannot fit into that bag is excess baggage for a press photographer... unless it's a step-ladder!

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Of course we will know the content of the update only when it will be released.

 

Since it hasn’t been introduced and anticipated with a great deal of leaks or rumors ( as we saw with the great AF revolution which didn’t really happen) about its content I am guessing that this is strictly a necessary technical update.

 

I am not holding my breath or stay up late to wait for it. I might even decide not to install it at all if it turns out that the mountain has given birth to a mouse.

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I think you are wise to limit your expectations. I, for one, will not be holding my breath thinking that an FW update will turn my X-E2 into a D7200 as far as focus tracking goes. But we can't completely discount the possibility that the FW update will do very different things to the different models. Honestly, I can't think of that much that much my X-E2 doesn't do for me (the way I use it - like a digital Contax G). Exposure compensation in manual exposure mode+auto-iso would be really nice.

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Apparently, as I’ve just read on the rumors side of this forum, aside for making cameras suitable to be used with the new lenses or tele converters to come ( which some prefer to abbreviate in TC just in case, like me, you were wondering what these beats were... ) the X-T1 will be receiving the possibility to convert the film button into an FN button ( function button to which you can assign an arbitrary function).

 

http://www.fujirumors.com

 

Hardly a revolution but could be of some use to someone, I will have to think of whether I am missing one such button as for now, since I do not film with my camera, I have disabled that button but I suppose I might consider this.

 

Other than that there are no rumors involving this update so, should anything else come it will be a surprise, which come to think of it, before rumors site ever existed almost all new things on the market always were but then again, if there wouldn’t be rumors so many people wouldn’t know what to talk and write about, no?  ;)  :D

 

FN.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Personally the main thing I am interseted in with turning video button to function button is will they make Video and assignable mode that can be put on any button or at the very least swap buttons but have it work the same way (less ideal) We will call these option 1 and 2.

 

I hate the location of that button and have many videos that start with camera shake and other issues as I have to move my hand to an awkward position.

 

If Fuji go with option 2 I can move the wifi button to the video record button as I use that quite infrequently and it would be good to have it in a place I find hard to activate :) I would then move video button to another assignable button. probably the one on the front of the camera.

 

In option 1 I am even happier, video becomes a selectable mode same way as on X-E2 and one that you can assign to a function button. (the x-e2 even though video mode was selectable from the Drive menu, you could also shortcut it by adding it as a direct access function to one of the button) 

 

I would love this and have it assigned to wifi or front button. The ideal would be a press of this button takes you into video ready mode, aspect view changes you can set Exposure and SS settings etc and then depress shutter when you are ready to record.

 

Here is another idea for Fuji that would improve life for those of us who are hybrid users. Have a video menu much like the Auto ISO menu that allows us to set some standard settings for video. I shoot mainly stills and I often use a SS of 125 and up to freeze action, which is totally unsuitable for video. It would be great to be able to set and forget SS for video to 50 or 60 depending on what FPS i am shooting at and know that as soon as I activate Video mode I am in my predefined SS, this would mean that I only have to focus on A which would probably be the same or similar to what I was shooting stills, and then it would just be a quick turn of the ISO wheel to set correct exposure.

 

The above may not be a professional workflow, but it is a workflow that would work well for me in the way that I find myself often using video which is in the middle of shooting stills.

 

G

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