Can Fuji improve the X100s EVF via firmware?

[NicoM]

I must admit, I'm pretty jealous of the EVF of the X-E2 and X-T1 with their improved frame rates, even in low light. I'm hearing things about Fuji improving the X-E2 EVF even more via firmware. Would any of you know if the EVF lag of the X100s is a hardware thing or a software problem.

It'd be great if Fuji could implement a firmware upgrade to increase frame rates.

 

[willie_901]

I suspect a frame rate improvement would depend on the central processor and digital signal processor chip speeds. More efficient assembly-language code won't help if the hardware can't keep up.

I wouldn't know where to start in trying to sort out chip performance differences between XTrans bodies.

My suspicion is quite a bit of existing assembly-language code from Fujifilm's P&S cameras was ported to their early generation X-Series products. As time went by more efficient firmware was developed to make full use of the optimized for the X-Series' chips. Developing robust code and very fast code simultaneously may not be possible when Marketing is looking over your shoulder. Assembly language is difficult.

 

[JRG]

... Assembly language is difficult.

Oh yes indeed!! 😉

 

[Gary Sandhu]

Nikon improved the v2 EVF refresh rate with firmware.

 

[bwcolor]

What improvements are you looking for?

Less stutter with motion.. Less noise in low light.. More accurate colors????

I've an X100s, but not the others that you mentioned.

 

[Rupes]

The OP specifically mentioned faster frame rates in low light.

I don't own an X100S yet but I am also curious about this. The processor is the same but the EVF on the X100S is an LCD and on the X-E2 / X-T1 it is an OLED. I believe OLED have faster refresh rates.

 

[Ken Ford]

I must be lucky - I think the X100s EVF is pretty darn good the way it is!

 

[GaryLH]

Nikon improved the v2 EVF refresh rate with firmware.

As Willie_901 has stated it could be a hw limitation that prevents this. A different example of a hw limitation would be dead bus speed or width (8 vs 16 vs 32 vs 64 bit wide bus) as well limitations in the CPU or digital components that were used.. Other issue could be associated w/ the size of the frame buffer or the flame line refresh rate that the evf will accept.

Both the xe2 and xt1 were known to have beefed up CPUs and digital components, especially the xt1. While the x100s was the first of the faster CPU cameras, it may not have gotten all the improvements of the other two cameras.

Improving the efficiently of the sw algo will improve the performance, but u eventually hit a point where your gain for the amount of work is just now worth it any longer.

With all this said, we could still a fw improvement.. I suspect that we are not anything currently because everyone is working on the next gen xp2... If the improvement is possible, it is up to the product managers to decide what fw updates go on what cameras when. The sw communities actually does not have the call since their budget in this area is controlled by the product managers.

Gary