Latest Fuji X-trans vs Bayer, has X-trans lost it already?

il_alexk wrote:

Bill Ferris wrote:

Canadianguy wrote:

Why is anyone surprised when people start to questions the claims made by them – especially when they started to move back to Bayer for their top tier and lowest tier products instead. (GFX and X-T200).

Asking the question isn't surprising, to me. In fact, I'd say it's rather natural and normal to be curious about such things. However, when the differences in performance - if there are differences - require pixel peeping at 1:1 to be seen, that's when I suggest exiting the theater in an orderly manner and moving on to more relevant issues.

For example, I would never discourage a person from buying a Fuji camera built around a Bayer sensor, just because it's a Bayer sensor. I'd focus more on the fit of the controls, features, interface, etc. with the person's expressed photographic interests.

Nobody in decent mind is going to claim that X-A5 is a better camera than X-Pro3, so what you say is well agreed and accepted.

Perhaps, not in an absolute sense but, if we're debating which camera is the better fit for the brand spankin' new photog seeking their first ILC, I'd listen to you or someone else making the case for the X-A5. I might even be in that camp.

However the whole Fuji fuss about superiority their X-Trans sensor seems to be a bit misleading. Their own OOC jpegs show that it's the other way around for OOC shooters. When it comes to raws Bayer is as good if not better than X-trans.

Other way 'round for OOC JPEGs. As I demonstrated, the heavy-handed in-camera sharpening of the X-A5 and X-T100 produced more disagreeable artifacts.

So I started this thread with the only goal to understand if Fujifilm X-trans strategy still makes sense today.

If current and new owners list X-Trans as a factor in their decision either to stay with or purchase Fuji, I'd argue, yes. Some folks seem to swear by X-Trans' ability to handle fine detail and avoid moire. Personally, I have no experience one way or the other on that factor.

I suspect Fuji will stay with X-Trans as long as two things are true: sales are good and X-Trans remains an element folks strongly identify with the Fuji brand. I realize this may seem like punting on the question of which is actually better. But, as a business,  Fujifilm, Inc. will make product decisions based on their opinion of what's best for business.

Rational or not, this may be the equivalent of "Mad Men" character, Don Draper, selling Lucky Strikes above the tagline, "It's toasted." It works because it differentiates the product.