Future of Fujifilm Lenses :: Compact or Performance Designs?

Fujifilm has had a really big year so far. Back in October we saw the release of the XPro 3 and this year they released the X100V and the X-T4. We know there are 4 lenses coming this year, but the only one we know details about is the Fujifilm 50mm f/1.0.

So where are we headed with the future designs on Fuji lenses? To date we've seen a lot of compact primes that have been designed with the emphasis on optics. I think this is one of my favorite things about the Fujifilm system. You have great lenses that don't break the bank.

However we also have seen the introduction of 15fps mechanical shutter burst rates - even 30fps if you don't mind a crop and electronic shutter. I think Fujifilm are in a position similar to where Sony was a few years ago in designing their system for speed. I personally speculate we're going to get lenses with great optics and faster speed performance. I would also expect these lenses to be bigger, heavier and more expensive.

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Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[ales_krejci]

First of all Fujifilm needs new generation of F1, 4 primes with AF speed of their F2 primes.

[DeepteshLovesTECH]

Fujifilm please share your protocols with 3rd party manufacturers like Sigma! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
We need 350-450usd f1.4 primes!

[davidanderson]

The Fuji APSC lenses are awesome and I love that they have the 2 clear lines, compact and fast. Only thing missing, IMHO, are some longer primes like a 135, 200 and 300 more configured for landscape than sports.

[amkar]

Proper Sports photographers have a team of editors immediately picking up their photos on the fly by wireless transmission to file quickly to clients, so 20 FPS is most definitely not a problem. Speaking here as one such editor. :)

[antonmarkin]

I am owner of 16-55, since 2018, it’s the most underrated Fujifilm lens! Brilliant for video, with low signal to noise ratio as well as no focus breathing

[richardbriscoe]

I think it “time” for Fuji to “refresh” the older primes with the newer technology (linear) focusing system which will necessitate a redesign of the optics themself. That said, it may not happen this year due to other priorities which are more urgent.

About the sampling rate for the focus algorithm, 60 times per second does not seem to be too frequent to me. As far as the electronics are concerned, that isn’t that fast and even for portraiture there are movements of the subject which can contribute to a less sharp image, especially with ambient light. The only issue I see is the ability of the lens to respond to the change and hence the need for the update of the older lenses.

Yes, you can overcome some of this with a faster shutter speed and a smaller aperture, but that may defeat the purpose of having the “fast glass”.

In any event, it will be interesting to see what Fuji brings out.

[MathieuPhotoArt]

Glad to see my lenses featured in your video, love my 16mm f1.4 and 35mm f1.4 use both for basketball and no complaints whatsoever with autofocus speed, if you’re able to follow the play autofocus speed isn’t as much important. Anyhow, it’ll be interesting to see where Fuji go with their lenses from here.

[rafaelbranco]

Ted, thank you for this video because, despite it isn't one of your best ones, it still talks about PHOTOGRAPHY. It starts to get difficult to have good videos in youtube that talks about photography. The vast majority of the recent videos i find on youtube talking about gear, cameras, lenses, they all (almost) are directed to the video features.
Like, the AF question. Nobody talks about the AF-S performance. Everybody talks AF-C. In most cases when people talks AF, they mean C, but they don't even tell it because its like AF-S doesnt make sense anymore...
I follow your work for quite sometime and like i said before, thank you for talking about photography giving us your photographer insight.Plesase continue your great work and lets talk about the art of photography!!

[hameed]

Would love an updated 23 1.4 with WR, a quieter motor, and faster AF

[howitzer]

100% agree about "a system of organizing and picking the shots in camera". As i'm watching your video I'm currently sorting through 4000+ pictures from my daughters 3-day hockey tournament. Seems to be taking me forever to inspect and purge. Definitely need an easier way.

[HelloAgentJay]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this value-filled video. I've learned so much in a matter of minutes. Please keep doing what you're doing. It matters 🙌

[thedondeluxe]

Couldn't agree more. I was more than happy with 8 fps on my Canon 1D mark IIn when I started out as a press photographer. I even bumped it down to 5 fps sometimes. I don't think I'm getting better sports shots with a higher frame rate, and like you said, you just end up with thousands of photos to go through afterwards. Press photographers always have tight deadlines! I'd much rather have a faster buffer than a higher frame rate.

[barclayjb]

Now that so many cameras can shot at very high frame rates we need an improvement in editing software so we can very quickly scan the photos, almost like stop-action movies, so we can pick the right frame out of 20 or so.

[omarknowsphotos]

Product videographer and sports photographer/videographer here. I switched over the Fuji about 2 years ago and I'm thinking (hoping) we'll get a 10-24 f2.8 with weather sealing and maybe ois, an updated 150-600, and a 16-55 with ois. That could just be my wishlist but if we're speculating anyway... 🤷‍♂️

[brandonluk]

I love my 56mm F1.2. Slow auto focus - yes, but the output is phenomenal. In this case I chose optics over speed and I haven’t regretted it.

[zupperm]

What I'd like: 70mm F1.4.
What the lineup lacks: XC 10-18mm, XF12mm, XF135mm, XF400mm, Tilt shifts, fisheyes.

[thelonghaul]

i shoot landscapes, with the occasional portrait session, i always choose optics over speed, and with astro i usually choose manual focus anyways. love the optics and choices in the fuji system. i own the x-t3 myself and fell in love with the experience of shooting with the fuji system and the hybrid analog/digital feel. it just works for my brain, lol.

[sloikalamos]

For me, one clear hole of the line up is a f4 telephoto prime. Even olympus has an excellent 300mm f4.
And second thing would be 10-24 2.8 to rival sony 15-36 GM. If they have both of them, at least they can fight toe-to-toe with others.
Moreover they already prepared 50mm f1 as a super fast lens. That completes the 3 areas to complement x-t line as a hybrid camera: faster video ois lens, super fast portrait lens, and prime telephoto.

[OwenWagoner]

I agree with you. Optics are better than speed in almost every situation for my normal photography. I can see the benefits of speed, they just don't come into play that often with what I do.

[MiguelRuiz-kpdd]

Didn't they also release a new xc35mm f2?