Fujifilm camera chief adds weight to interchangeable lens rumors

One thing to consider, folks: the entire concept of concentrating on "luxury models" has been what's morphed Leica from a producer of 'must have,' highest quality photographic tools into a laughable producer of grotesquely overpriced neck jewelry. The M9? A must have highest quality photographic tool for serious photographers? With out dust and moisture sealing? With laughable performance at ISOs above 640? Priced like a cheap car? I don't think so. Let's hope Fuji emulates the old Leica, rather than the new Leica.

A GW670lll D camera would be the perfect luxury model. 60, 90, 150 Fujinon 2.8 lenses. 40MP sensor.

No toys, compacts or 35mm rehash. A full size digital camera for pros.

I'd love it if they came out with a serious M9 competitor. That's luxury and would fit cleanly above the X100

I was disappointed that Fujifilm does not plan to manufacture future "luxury" models in Japan. This suggests that the X100 may be their last camera to say "Made in Japan" on it.

Wonder if Fujifilm is ready to deploy its Multilayer Organic CMOS announced a few years ago.
That for sure would be quite something if it can surpass Foveon quality.

Fuji needs to be a niche player. I hope they specialize in digital rangefinders in the m43 mount. I'd buy into such a system.

If Fujifilm starts its own film line it will become very popular and in demand, because of the quality of the lens and engineering. I am liiking forward for this day for an FX model.

Hey Fujifilm how about a brilliant new marketing approach? Try making enough of your new products so that people can actually buy them! you might actually find that it is good for business!

I hope fuji continues their bridge cameras..I actually prefer my beloved s6000fd over Canon 60D for walk-around vacation/traveling. Sadly, all the successors after the legendary F30 time frame started going downhill.

If by 'luxury' they mean absurd prices like the X100, then I'm guessing their financial strategies will follow Pentax too..downhill.

My vote is for Full Frame backlit SuperCCD EXR.. call that luxury and now we're talking.

It is amazing that Fuji doesn't seem to "get it right" when it decides what camera models to roll out and how to price them. It is as if such decisions are made by non-photographers. The formula for success is really quite simple:

1. Excellence in performance sells. Applies to cameras and to lenses. Look at Leica.
2. Aesthetic appeal in cameras sells (that is all that the X-100 has going for it; sadly, Fuji screwed up by having lots of firmware problems, bad autofocusing and grossly overpriced end product).
3. Versatility sells. That means either zoom or interchangeable lenses or both. The X100 has neither; no I will not carry two camera bodies.

If a manufacturer does not follow those three simple edicts, then it can only compete on gimmickry and price and lose in the process.

If Fuji really wants to make a mirrorless camera, then it makes much more sense to join with one or more partners than by going all the way by itself.
It is the lenses that makes the difference. And you just don't pull a full range of quality lenses out of a hat.
Fuji can distinguish itself from Olympus and Panasonic by copying the controls from the X100. The other two seem to go for much more menudriven interfaces with buttons thrown in. Fuji X100 classical dial controls are so tempting for many photographers - myself including.

There are two ways Fujifilm could get into the mirrorless system market. Either they provide a camera that is compatible with existing lenses, which could be Leica M9 or M4/3, or they produce a new system of their own.
The problem of developing an entire new system is that some people, such as me, would never buy into the system until it looks at least part finished.That will require putting R&D and production resources into several lenses, which may not sell all that well, if your system fails to take much sales from m4/3 and NEX.
Thus developing a camera to be compatible with existing lenses and making a few lenses of their own, would seem the less risky strategy.
The other possibility is an M-mount camera with a viewfinder based on that in the X100. It would have to cost a lot less than the Leica M9, but that could create a new market for a compact full frame system.

How about a range of ultra-fast Fujinon lenses please? like f1.2, 1.4 20mm tilt/shift and f2 300mm lenses?
No-one else seems interested, and the quality of Fuji was always excellent.

Also, could we please have a 'basic' high-end digital camera with NO silly 'scene' settings, just aperture and shutter-speed controls along with high-speed autofocus? Don't need all the other expensive techno stuff, just high-quality basics - most pro photographers could cope with that couldn't they?

I'd really like a stripped-down basic camera with TOP-end quality chip, and top-end lenses please, and leave out the retro styling too, we don't need to look backwards any more - go on, you know you can!

Currently still sticking to my S5, it would be awesome to have some sort of successor available, be it DSLR, Mirrorless or Rangefinder style. I would even go for it if the mount is changed to Fujis own. Fujinon lenses are awesome, they know how to do optics. As long as DR and colors are Fuji once again and I can mount an 75-85mm f/1.4 equivalent, it will be my choice over anything else.

I love my X100, now all I need is a X200 with a fixed lens between 70-90 mm, then I'm set to travel with two small cams, semi wide and portrait, what more does a photog need..........no time for changing lenses, else you've misses it.........

Three words:
FULL FRAME MIRRORLESS

wanna cam like x100, but with interchangeable lens

Or better yet offer a FF X100 variation. There are already two other companies making APS-C mirrorless already.

Indeed, an x100 with interchangeable lenses would be a game changer the likes of which have not been seen since Kodak invented the Brownie.

Higuchis-san: Please give us an X100 with M-mount. You don't have to worry about the rest. :)

Honestly, I have no interest in "another" proprietary lens system. I feel like we've already got too many of those and the problem is getting worse with compact system cameras. Fujifilm either needs to stick with the Nikon mount or (if they are going in the direction of an interchangeable X100) they should go with an existing compact system lens mount like Micro Four Thirds or the Sony NEX lens mount. As far as I know Micro Four Thirds is the only "open" standard so that probably makes the most sense.

Fujifilm will probably ignore common sense and develop another proprietary lens mount ... then they'll go bankrupt and be purchased by Ricoh. ;)

Owning several Fuji cameras in the past and being aware how Fuji made decisions over the years I'm not having my expectations high on this. They missed a lot of opportunities but they had great potential.
If they still have the same people taking those crazy decisions I won't hold my breath for them to come back. when the X100 was announced my predictions were right on the money. They always sabotage their own great ideas with something stupid constantly making flawed gems and when they hit with something good they don't maintain it like Canon does.
BTW, Fuji never really were in the interchangeable lens market. They just refurbished Nikon bodies with their sensor and processing chip.
also they never seem to listen to their customers even in the era of social networks. Big exception being the X100 firmware. I hope they have changed.

That is absolutely great news, with Pentax switching to toys, let's hope Fuji will start making some good stuff and Canon and Nikon going into the mirrorless market, what an interesting future for cameras!