Recent launches and future of the X-Pro series

Barbarus wrote:

Truman Prevatt wrote:

Barbarus wrote:

I believe the key lessons of your historical analysis of recent product of launches are not wasted on them. Fuji knows that whatever X-Pro4 they launch, some sizable percentage of current owners will scream bloody murder and write diatribes online about how "Fuji lost it's way" or that maybe they're switching to some competitor. This will be true no matter what kind of screen or feature set the camera has.

The man speaks the truth. The XPro has been polarizing from day one. There are those that want the OVF kicked under the bus. The unique feature is the OVF. There are much better options with EVF only out there.

Then we get to the display. I think the XPro is a luxury item in the sense that it until the XH2S it was the highest priced camera in the X line up with arguablely the the smallest feature set for the price point in the X-line up. It is one of those products that Fuji uses to promote itself - a camera no one else makes in this day of look alike mirrorless cameras.

Such products are going to cause all sorts of controversy - especially for those "looking for a deal,"

No matter what Fuji does - there will be whimpering, whining and gnashing of teeth. I think they know that and I don't think they care that much. With the current XT5, XH2 and XH2s - they have most based covered. Now they can produce the signature lines - the only cameras with an OVF in today's mirrorless world where one does not have to view the world through a video screen. Of course the X100V follow on and the XPro4.

I think Fuji actually enjoyed the XPro3 screen controversy, because it reflected conviction and creativity on the brand. They really "leaned into it" in their marketing. Also, modifying the OVF so it could be shared with the X100V was probably a practical necessity, given the lower production volume of rangefinder style cameras. I suspect the next one might get dual magnification back because the 40mp sensor's 1.4x and 2.0x cropping will likely be promoted as a more important feature of the X100VI.

If you watched some of the videos done by Fuji Ambassadors, produced by Fuji it is obvious that the camera was not one created for the masses.  That's probably part of the reason Fuji as referred to it as "luxury." They never really designed the XPro to be an everyman camera.  They designed it to stimulate the thoughts of the Leica M and Contax.  Neither of these cameras was an everyman's camera.  It may of been the photojournalist camera that brought back the images of WWII and the Korean conflict to the coffee tables of the US.  But it was some replace by the more flexible SLR in the 1960's - although many of the most iconic shots from Vietnam were taken with the Leica M.

I agree that one of the biggest upgrades may be the multiple  magnification OVF but one vastly improved to that in the XPro2 for use in the Pro4 and X100V upgrade as the will most likely push the idea of digital crops in the X100V upgrade with the 40 MP sensor.

One of the former members and frequent posters here used to snidely refer to the Leica M as "camera jewelry."  I don't think it would bother Fuji management much if the XPro4 was referred to in the same way.