The Fujifilm X-Pro3 successor is taking ages – but there’s actually a very good reason

The Fujifilm X-Pro3 is a favorite among many street photographers and retro camera fans – and yet the rangefinder-inspired camera hasn’t seen a successor in more than five years. In the time frame since the October 2019 launch of the X-Pro3, Fujifilm has launched two of its rangefinder-like X100 series compact cameras, leaving many to wonder if the X-Pro line has been abandoned. But, Fujifilm has a reason for not introducing the X-Pro4 so quickly: they want it to be good.

In an interview with PetaPixel during the CP+ photography show, a Fujifilm executive said that a successor will come in the future, but it needs to be “something which would satisfy the expert users.” Yuji Igarashi, a general manager inside Fujifilm's Professional Imaging Group, then proceeded to call putting the latest sensor and processor that are already available in other cameras inside an X-Pro like body “boring.”

While the delay may be frustrating for fans of cameras with that rangefinder-inspired style, the implication that Fujifilm is working on a successor that isn’t just a “boring,” expected update is good news for fans of the series. I can’t count how many times I’ve been excited to see a new camera announcement only to realize the refresh is essentially tiny changes like a USB-C port.

Granted, upgrading the Fujifilm X-Pro3’s 26MP sensor to the 40MP variant found on cameras like the X-T5 would be far from boring. But the X-Pro3 is more about the experience than the latest technology. The hybrid viewfinder is unusual to say the least and that, mixed with the ergonomics and hidden LCD screen make shooting the X-Pro3 a far different experience than working with cameras like the X-T5.

My hope, cemented by those official comments from Fujifilm, is that the X-Pro4 is taking so long because it's going to have more than the expected bump up to the latest processor. The experience of the X-Pro3 is so much different from Fujifilm’s other cameras and I hope the X-Pro4 takes that to another level.

Do I hope that the X-Pro4 gains that new sensor, processor and a stabilization system? Sure. But I hope Fujifilm takes the retro-inspired experience of shooting with the X-Pro3 up to another level. Film cameras and retro designs are trending – and I can’t think of a better line poised to create a digital variant of those trends than the X-Pro series. I hope Fujifilm stays true to that lineage as a stills-first, experience-focused camera. Lots of cameras can take great pictures, but none of them feel like the X-Pro3.

What would bring the experience of shooting with the X-Pro3 up to another level? The unusual viewfinder and hidden LCD screen needs to stay intact, but I hope Fujifilm brings some new retro-inspired goodness. I think the film simulation dial on the X-T50 would fit right in. But to be honest, I hope Fujifilm also does something that they’ve never done before to really capitalize on the experience of shooting with a camera that forces you to slow down (and take better pictures as a result).

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A Fujifilm X Summit is coming up on March 20, an event that usually brings Fujifilm's biggest launches. Or, browse the best Fujifilm cameras or the best Fujifilm lenses.