FUJI’S TRIPLE ‘X’ SHOWCASE

We’re not very far into the year, but Fuji has already introduced three new ‘X’ series cameras: the X100V, X-T200 and X-T4. While we can share detail of the first two, we were awaiting the full unveiling of the latter as we went to press.

The company admits that not much has changed as regards the travel and street photographer targeted X100V’s concept over the past nine years, but it has instead updated the shooting technology. Indeed, the manufacturer has gone to town on this fifth generation model. New here are the 23mm f/2 lens (improved resolution), back-illuminated X Trans IV sensor, hybrid viewfinder (an OLED panel with 3.69 million dots and a smoother live image), a tilt screen for the first time, and an aluminium top cover, while there are said to be more Film Simulation modes than ever (including Classic Negative mode). Naturally there’s also the ability to shoot 4K-resolution video up to 30fps.

The camera’s designer Masa Imai was present at the London launch and told us he’d attempted “to enhance the beauty of the camera through simplification”. This involved the tilting touch screen being positioned flush to the body so no extra bulk is added, plus a revolutionary process being deployed for the stamping and cutting of the metal that forms the camera body – known as multi point forming technology. The X100V comes in two colours: silver or ‘deep black’ and boasts a battery life of up to 415 shots. At £1299 SRP, the silver bodied version should be available now, with the black option on sale from March 12th. Accessories for retailers to push include a black case at £79.99 SRP, plus a Weather Resistance Kit at £99.99 (half price at £49.50 in the UK when purchased with the camera), which includes an adapter ring and filter to make the camera weather resistant.

Also available now is the X-T200, which is being pitched as an ideal step up from a smartphone. This features a new variangle touch screen, and is 80g lighter than its X-T100 predecessor at 370g. It comes supplied with a XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens for £749 SRP. Three colours of the camera body are available: silver, dark silver or champagne. It can also be paired with a new Fujinon XC 35mm f/2 lens, which has an SRP of £169 and like the camera was due to go on sale at the end of February. Users of the company’s large format GFX camera series meanwhile also have a versatile new nature, landscape and portrait lens in the dust and weather resistant GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR. It’s available now at £2049 SRP. A new lens roadmap has also been unveiled, showing that two further forthcoming optics in the GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR and GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR will swell the total line up to 13 in number.

In related news, after more than 35 years with Fuji, Senior Vice President Adrian Clarke is stepping down and retiring this March. His replacement is Shusuke Kozaki (seen above with Adrian Clarke), who joined the company in 1997 and has been working for the past three years in its optical division.

Adrian says: “It’s been an incredible journey in the digital camera business since I began in 1994. Back then we were selling 1.3 megapixel SLRs at a price roughly equivalent to the 102 megapixel GFX100. I’ve had a wonderful time and will be sorry to leave behind all the great friends I have made in the industry.” Having known Adrian for the past couple of decades, BPI News wishes him well for his next chapter. www.fujifilm.co.uk