Fujifilm has hosted its first ever Focus on Glass – Untold Stories event. The company's product planning team unveiled new concepts for Fujifilm X lenses – and gave viewers the chance to vote on which they would like to see become real products.
In total, 14 lenses were proposed by a pair of Fujifilm product planners:
• XF33mm f/1.0
• XF 18-50mm f/1.4
• XF 16-80mm f/2
• XF 14-140mm f/3.5-6.3
• XF16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 Ghost Control with hood
• XF 90mm f/2 APD
• XF 23mm, 35mm, 50mm with Brass Exterior
• Manual Focus Lens 23mm, 35mm, 50mm
• Cine Prime Lenses T1.2
• XF35mm f/1.4 WR II
• XF35mm f/1.4 WR II with Silent, High-Speed AF
• XF35mm f/1.4 II New Optical Design
• Soft Focus Lens – Porous Aperture
• XF 18mm and 30mm inspired by Travel Mini
You can watch the event right here via the embedded video below, and beneath that is my live commentary during the stream as I shared and reacted to each lens proposal!
Exciting… we're about to go live! What is Fujifilm going to tease us with?
Igarashi-san is reminding us that none of the products being introduced are currently under development
Bigging up the OG 35mm f/1.4 lens, delivering "high image quality not only as technical resolution" – and we're reminding us that this lens can't resolve 40MP. Rather, pleasing images and soft bokeh at widest aperture and crisp results while stopped down.
14 years, 40 lenses… actually, when you think about it, is that really a lot?
Fujifilm is grateful to third-party manufacturers (take THAT, Canon and Nikon!), but cites Fujinon XF and XC lenses as the cream of the crop.
These are the considerations Fujifilm takes into account when designing lenses
Of course, these seven Red Badge Lenses are in a league of their own:
Okay, down to brass tacks… over the lens product planning team to introduce their dream lenses of the future!
These lenses are all in addition to those already unannounced but under development – and are the personal "dream lenses" of these two designers.
You can vote for your three favorite lenses on the Fujifilm website.
Lenses will be in four categories:
• Wide-aperture lenses
• High-magnification zoom
• Character-rsich
• Reviving legendary
First up, the lads are looking at wide-aperture lenses, starting with:
XF33mm f/1.0
Of course, the last time they tried this, things didn't go so well and they abandoned it! They also mention that they'd love to crank it up (down?) to f/0.95 if possible.
Next up, a wide-aperture zoom lens:
XF 18-50mm f/1.4
Ideal weight 700-800g, size 110-130mm
And another fast zoom:
XF 16-80mm f/2
Aiming for 400-500g, 80-100mm in size – ideally similar to the f/4 version
Okay, now onto high-magnification zoom. First up:
XF 14-140mm f/3.5-6.3
A super-high image quality superzoom lens for all-in-one coverage.
Now character lenses:
XF16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 "Ghost Control with hood"
Ah, I see what they're talking about – they want "character flare" and "character ghosting" when you take off the lens hood, but normal performance with the hood on.
Oooh, now an apodization filter lens:
XF 90mm f/2 APD
For those who don't know, that's a recipe for bokehlicious deliciousness
"Not just for portraits"… but also mostly just for portraits!
Now another character lens:
XF 23mm, 35mm, 50mm with Brass Exterior
So… hipster lenses, basically. References an old Fujinon lens from 1954. They want to make lenses that have age, character and patina.
Apparently, convering these three f/2 lenses to brass would be easy
Okay, now:
Manual Focus Lens 23mm, 35mm, 50mm
Seems like they want to make manual focus optics to complement the rangefinder-style cameras.
Kinda feels like this should be in the same pitch as the brass lenses, no?
Right, now a lens "that reflects a very personal wish":
Cine Prime Lenses T1.2
They're looking at 16mm, 23mm, 33mm and 56mm – but would like to expand that to wider and more telephoto options.
Now onto reviving legendary lenses…
XF35mm f/1.4 WR II
They mention that the XF 35mm f/1.4 is the most used and loved lens by Fujifilm shooters, and that many first-generation lenses have now been replaced by other lenses and been discontinued. But they really want to make a true successor that keeps the same character and quality, in the same size and feel.
Uhh…
XF35mm f/1.4 WR II with Silent, High-Speed AF
I think they just double-dipped here!
(TBH, I thought "reviving legendary" would be old Fujinon lenses kinda like the one they just referenced 🤔)
Now they're TRIPLE DIPPING:
XF35mm f/1.4 II New Optical Design
So, a complete overhaul of the lens. Which does sort of fly in the face of what homeboy said at the beginning.
Ooh, bonus lenses:
Soft Focus Lens – Porous Aperture
Dreamy soft focus nonsense… I mean, I own a soft focus lens, but I'm not sure we need Fujifilm to waste its time making these – leave it to Lensbaby and co.
And finally:
XF 18mm and 30mm inspired by Travel Mini
Taking after Fujifilm's clever little travel camera, this would be a lens that doesn't zoom but has two focal lengths – and you can flick between them. Slightly larger than a pancake lens. Now THAT is something I'd like to see!
Okay, that's everything! You can vote for your favorites over at the Fujifilm website.
But I don't know if / when / how Fujifilm will ever share the results of that vote, so I'd love you to share your vote here as well, so we have a feeling for which one people are most interested in!
