Fuji’s camera division head honcho spoke out in an interview with Reuters, noting that the company has some lofty goals to be the No. 3 camera maker ahead of Samsung and Nikon. To get to that point, Fuji will re-enter the interchangeable lens camera market with new “luxury” mirrorless models and dedicated lenses developed in house.
Based on the quotes from the exec, it doesn’t appear that Fuji has any interest in using Nikon’s F-mount, which it used with is DSLRs before it pulled out of that market in 2004.
The article notes that Fuji barely broke even on cameras last year; however, it expects an uptick this year (if Fuji can make the X100 faster and put some on store shelves, it will make a killing this year) and big plans over the next couple of years as Fuji hopes to build a more high-end camera brand.
If Fuji’s mirrorless cameras build and improve upon the excellent X100, I would expect them to sell like crazy.
What do you think? Would you buy a Fuji interchangeable lens camera if it was on par with the X100’s quality?
[via Reuters]
I would definitely buy a mirrorless Fuji if it was on par with the x100 and it was able to handle Leica M lenses.
The new Fuji sounds like a real winner in terms of performance (as long as you can live with a fixed lens), but the price point, USD1,200, is, I think, unreasonable.
At that sort of price, especially when one can purchase either a Canon G12 or S95 for substantially less (and still be able to shoot RAW, but have zoom capability), I’d expect more personally.
I only see this is a niche market camera not unlike the stuff from Leica.
Same opinion on the other side of the Atlantic!
X-100 is not just “fine”, it is super, its retro look especially appeals to me, since just ten years ago I still used Soviet-made cameras vintage 1960, but the price is much too high!
and of course here it sells for more than $1200, not only there are taxes and transport, but also the market is very small, no high quantities, just a few pcs. imported specially upon customer’s request …
Right now I am enjoying my HS20EXR. If Fuji can come out with a mirrorless dSLR-killing camera with ultra zoom lens, I will definitely buy it. The way I see it, someday all cameras will be made like this, except (there is always an exception) for specialized ones for special applications.
The X100 is way too expensive for a fixed lens camera. If Fuji make a luxury interchangeable lens camera, it too will be very expensive. For the affluent only. Lets hope they also make some affordable models too, without cripling them too much.
Never
We are now expecting a a “new” Canon mirrorless, a “new” Leica compact and according to this, a “new” Fuji. I have invested in several micro 4/3 from Panasonic with great results. I would hope that the new digicams would use a micro 4/3 format. Failing that, if Fuji used a hybrid v/f on a future interchangeable lens digicam- I almost certainly would buy it. I do not shoot wide angle, and it is the lack of telephoto opportunity that keeps me from buying the X100.
There are many of us who have the X100 who love it and there are even more who’d love to have the camera with interchangeable lenses – sounds like an excellent idea to me!
As configured the X100 is a niche camera, overpriced and under-functioned when compared to Canon s95 or g12, but a great replacement for the Leica x1. Give it an M mount and the ability
to use Leica lenses and you have an excellent market niche. Give it a Fuji exclusive mount and it’s just another alternative with limited appeal, ala the Sony nx offerings. Modify it with a
rangefinder auto-focus capability like the Contax G2 film camera and you have a market winner.