Fujifilm has just announced its next X-Summit for October 14 at 9:00EST / 13:00 GMT (6:00PST or 22:00JST) and will be held at Fujifilm's Clay Studio in Tokyo.
Fujifilm has already had a pretty packed 2024, with two X-Summits already taking place this year, the first in Tokyo in February to announce the blockbuster Fujifilm X100VI alongside a raft of firmware and app updates, and the second in Sydney to launch the Fujifilm GFX 100S II, Fujifilm X-T50, and the Fujinon XF 16-50mm and Fujinon GF 500mm lenses.
But what can we expect from this October X-Summit? Well, Fujifilm has teased a few details but also left us with some incredibly cryptic breadcrumbs to follow when it comes to what new products might be announced.
The X-Summit is going to take place at Fujifilm's Clay Studio in Tokyo, which is the company's center for design, which coincides with Fujifilm's messaging that this X-Summit will be very focused on the design process of its products.
With most speculation online buzzing around a potential X-Pro4, X-E5, or GFX 100R – would an update to these product lines really be significant enough to bill as a design announcement, or instead are we looking at something totally new and revolutionary?
Rumors online are pretty wild, and corners of the internet have suggested that perhaps we are looking at a brand-new sensor design/size or even a new panoramic camera. And of course, let's not forget about lenses – might I get my wish of a new shrunken-down XF 16-55mm f/2.8?
This year is Fujifilm's big 90th anniversary year, and this could potentially be the final X-Summit of 2024 – I am expecting Fujifilm to finish the year with a bang, and Yuji Igarashi (Divisional Manager of Fujifilm's Professional Imaging Group) has promised that we won't be disappointed!
But new products aren't all we should expect from an X-Summit, with Fujifilm already pre-announcing new firmware coming for its Fujifilm X-H2, Fujifilm X-HS2, and Fujifilm GFX 100 II. These updates bring Fujifilm's F-Log2 C, which allows for a wider color gamut in recording, as well as timecode synchronization, compatibility with Ambient Lockit devices, and improvements in autofocus performance and face/eye autofocus. The firmware is expected in November 2024, and I am sure we will hear much more about it during the X-Summit.
Interestingly other recent cameras including the X-T5, X-T50, and Fujifilm X-S20 currently look like they have been left off the list for any firmware updates, which is surprising as they all share the same X-Processor5 as the cameras on the list, and the X-T5 and X-T50 share the same sensor as the X-H2. Hopefully, Fujifilm show some love for their other cameras during the event.
Finally, Fujifilm intends to give more information about its GFX Challenge grant program, with entries closing on September 15, we are closer to finding out the chosen 15 winners and seeing their work displayed in Fujifilm Square in Tokyo.
If you want to watch the full announcement presentation for yourself then you can find it below.
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