Will Fuji continue to resist full frame sensors?

[Keith]

With Nikon and Canon finally entering the full frame mirrorless market Fuji have just released the XT3 and to to me it appears to be a brilliant camera. My friend Karen who bought the X100F recently is considering one herself and looking at the specs and reviews who could blame her.

Do you think a camera like the XT3 will lose sales against Sony and now Nikon and Canon by not being full frame? Given the mirrorless choices out there at the moment I would go with the Fuji every time especially considering that it is now the third incarnation of what was already a brilliant camera on it's original release.

 

[Darthfeeble]

At nearly half the price, for all but the most pixel fixated the same IQ, and better portability I hope not.

 

[sepiareverb]

The glass likely doesn’t cover full frame, I don’t see many folks stepping up to a FF Fuji needing all new glass. The X sensors are quite good, I don’t know how Much better they could get.

 

[charjohncarter]

The XT3 is close to the same size as the Sony Alpha 7r. The 7r is heavier by 22%, so it comes down to price. Setting (FF) ego aside logic goes with the Fuji for me.

 

[Agiknee]

I don’t see it happening soon. The lens IQ is great and it would be a pinch in the face to the consumers who own a lot of their existing glass.

I thought the new canon was crop sensor also ?

 

[sepiareverb]

I wonder now what the image circles are of the x lenses....

 

[cz23]

For the few hundred more, I would go FF. I suspect Fuji lowered the price because of these releases, to widen the cost gap. Once Olympus and Panasonic enter the FF market, I believe Fuji will suffer. Particularly if Panasonic and Olympus can keep lenses to a sensible size.

John

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Don't they have digital MF camera already?
Canonikon has none.

 

[Eric T]

Now that Panasonic appears to be going full frame, the flood gates will open. Fuji and Olympus will follow suit. But Fiji may just stick with their "medium format" line.

 

[splitimageview]

Fuji has decided on APS-C and the GFX medium format.

 

[Oren Grad]

Don't they have digital MF camera already?
Canonikon has none.

Fuji has decided on APS-C and the GFX medium format.

This. Per the rumor sites, the next step for Fuji is a less-expensive medium-format camera, the GFX50R.

Ultimately the market will speak, one way or the other. But the whole point of Fuji's strategy is *not* to compete head-to-head with Canon or Nikon - they've targeted market niches that aren't being served by either.

 

[Bob Michaels]

..... The X sensors are quite good, I don’t know how Much better they could get.

I see the numbers of photographers who still think a digital sensor should be the same size as a piece of 35mm film to be very small and diminishing. That ship has sailed.

Once there was merit in being able to reuse older film designed lenses but newer optical designs, auto focusing, and image stabilization, plus the low cost of the excellent Fuji lenses means that ship has sailed also.

 

[xayraa33]

Now that Panasonic appears to be going full frame, the flood gates will open. Fuji and Olympus will follow suit. But Fiji may just stick with their "medium format" line.

I agree, now most will follow suit.

It is a good thing.

We certainly live in exciting times.

 

[Archlich]

If you want small lenses paired with decent sized bodies, just buy Fuji. I don't understand why people would want it otherwise so much. Maybe just so that they could keep chanting "why these new FF lenses are so large". But in reality when they do have a small-ish lens: "hey that 40/1.2 has so much purple fringing" or "f/2.8 is too slow for me".

Fuji offers a very well balanced system. Do realized, and treasure it.

 

[shimokita]

Having the same sensor size (FL consistency) across one's gear makes some sense if you're changing lenses. On the other hand as an x100t user I don't see any reason to replace or upgrade what is essentially a social media camera (read browser viewing only)... I think of the fixed lens x100t as a 35mm FL equivalent and the in-camera JPGs are more than good enough for my needs. If I upgrade it would be to the x100f \(ツ)/

To me, moving from a Canon 30D to the 5DII made sense, the same logic may not apply in the mirrorless market. Having options is almost always a good thing...

"What looks large from a distance, close up ain't never that big". - Bob Dylan

 

[Veggies]

Yes, the GFX is there answer to that. The market is too crowded and they've found their niche.

 

[goamules]

To me, the only thing I shoot is legacy lenses. If they would cover full frame, that would make it easier to know when shooting a 35mm or 50mm what it would look like. But I'm fine with APS-C otherwise.

 

[splitimageview]

N and C had no choice, with their huge list of legacy lenses. Their mirrorless offerings needed to support those lenses, and also compete with Sony, which is taking big chunks of market share from them.

Fuji on the other hand had a clean slate and they are smart to leapfrog the legacy format.

 

[jsrockit]

Do you think a camera like the XT3 will lose sales against Sony and now Nikon and Canon by not being full frame? Given the mirrorless choices out there at the moment I would go with the Fuji every time especially considering that it is now the third incarnation of what was already a brilliant camera on it's original release.

To spec crazed pixel peepers? Sure... or to people who prefer big bodies and big lenses to look more pro? Sure...

Ok, joking aside, I think it is a hard sell to the uninitiated to accept that using an APSC camera just for ego purposes. They are told over and over all over the place that FF is THE format. However, for those who have actually used both extensively... we know that Fuji's current APSC cameras are the best overall combination of price, performance, weight, and size. However, if you are not concerned about keeping size low or about having legacy controls, or about the crappyness of Sony ergonomics / haptics / menus... it is hard to beat an A7 III for perceived value in FF mirrorless.

 

[jsrockit]

The glass likely doesn’t cover full frame, I don’t see many folks stepping up to a FF Fuji needing all new glass. The X sensors are quite good, I don’t know how Much better they could get.

Everybody always says this, but yet people do it all of the time. Time heals everything. Also, most people don't use an arsenal of lenses...