Recent launches and future of the X-Pro series

Truman Prevatt wrote:

The issues with the screen cable is an engineering issue not a design issue.

Indeed.

Personally I love the hidden screen, but I hate the submonitor, which for me has no useful function and only serves to clutter the rear of the camera. The rear is already ugly enough with the thick borders around the panels and the discontinuities of lines around the folding panel.

So I hope they stick to the fundamental design, but tidy up the rear a great deal so it’s as clean as the X100V and X-E4.

I also think the viewfinder on the X-Pro3 feels like a fudge, in that they seem to have decided to simply reuse the unit from the fixed-lens X100V. I’m an EVF user so it’s not such a big deal for me—though I think the X-Pro deserves a better EVF—but the OVF of the previous models works much better with several key focal lengths. Overall, given that the rear screen is hidden and the viewfinder is so important to this camera, the X-Pro4 would do well to improve tooth the OVF and the EVF. The question is whether the significant investment would be worth it. Maybe it makes more sense to design for the X-Pro4 first and reuse that in the X100 mk6.

Aside from those improvements—a major physical tidy-up and an improved viewfinder—there’s nothing I’m crying out for. I’m even fine with the old battery and lack of IBIS, though for sure I’d happily take stabilisation if it arrived.

But if they were to release one with a monochrome sensor I’d be all over it…