It’s quite staggering that, broadly speaking, a good two-thirds of Fujifilm camera sales are of Polaroid-style Instax instant print cameras alone.
This takes some getting my head around because, when thinking of Fuji, I typically visualize one of its sleek, metal-bodied APS-C sensor incorporating ‘X’ series mirrorless cameras. Or even its ambitious medium-format GFX lineup, via which it has built a solid reputation among enthusiasts and pros. As a member of the photo press, those large-sensor digital cameras are the ones I most typically experience – and value.
But as for Fuji itself, does it still value the ‘X’ series in the same way? Especially when it been almost exactly a year since the previous ‘X’ camera launch in the X-T30 III, which was preceded by the slightly gimmicky X-half.
Sure, competing manufacturers have had a very quiet 2026 too, but that’s not quite true of Fujifilm.
While there have been no new ‘X’ models this year, at the time of writing there have been four new Instax cameras in the Instax Mini Evo Cinema, the Instax Mini 13. the Instax Square 2 and the Instax Pal 2. Alongside these, there have been two Instax standalone portable printers launched this year in the Mini Link+ and the Link Wide 2, aimed at smartphone photographers.
It’s therefore not such a stretch to assume Instax is now the priority for Fujifilm and its X and GFX cameras for enthusiasts and professionals are, by contrast, on the back burner. It would come as no surprise to learn the typical Fuji customer is now a young female, not the middle-aged male typically found at photo shows.
If so, is there anything wrong with that? It makes sound business sense to go where the money is. Instax sales have boomed in recent years and there’s little apparent slowdown. All Fuji is doing is feeding the beast; that ‘beast’ being someone who likes cutesy, shiny things.
However, does that mean its traditional photographer audience is feeling slightly neglected right now, or worse still, alienated?
Not quite yet, I’d argue. Us photo enthusiasts are used to ever-lengthening gaps between new camera iterations – and, in the specialist photography market, a wait of one, two, three or even five years between models isn’t unheard of. Especially when the wider industry is beset by chip shortages and production delays.
However, no new Fujifilm ‘X’ cameras at all in the space of a year still feels unusual.
It’s too early to tell if this is a blip or the new normal, but, given the evidence above, I’d wager that it may well be the latter.
Check out the best Fujifilm cameras you can buy right now
