Fujifilm rumors 2024
The Fujifilm rumors are as reliable as a Japanese train at this point, with plenty of water cooler talk proving to be prescient.
As was extensively rumored, the Fujifilm X100VI was launched just before CP+ 2024 while the Instax Mini 99 was launched days before The Photography & Video Show 2024 – and they're both already proving some of the most successful launches of the year.
With rumors that Fujifilm will unleash even more cameras this year, what else is on the way from the creative powerhouse?
No Fujifilm film camera
Despite film cameras experiencing a renaissance so great that many of the iconic brands – from Pentax to Rollei to Kodak – are all back in the game, Fujifilm has no plans to launch a new film camera of its own.
"For now, I don't think a new film camera is on the agenda," Franck Bernard, director of Fujifilm France's photo division, told Phototrend. He went on to suggest that the current boom may not quite be what everyone thinks.
"I would, however, qualify the idea of a 'return to film'. As a film manufacturer, we have access to market data and know whether this is really a large-scale phenomenon. It is true that there is a real craze for film, particularly among young people, who are looking to understand and learn.
"However, we also see its limits. We know exactly what we are offering: disposable cameras, films… There is indeed a return to film, but its importance should be put into perspective."
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So, there you have it: a company that used to make film cameras, and still makes film, will not be making a new film camera.
No more entry level cameras (X-Txxx and X-Ex)?
There is conflicting chatter on the future of Fujifilm's entry-level cameras – mainly because there is conflicting ideology within the industry as a whole on the future of entry-level cameras. While Canon still makes affordable cameras for beginners, Nikon and the rest of the big players have seemingly abandoned this sector.
So what, then, of successors to the Fujifilm X-T200 and Fujifilm X-E4? It depends who you listen to.
Japanese execs told DP Review that "We haven’t lost focus on any of our existing range, so we’re always thinking about what will be next for us," when asked about the X-E series. However, a French exec told Phototrend that, "If we have decided to stop entry-level products such as X-T200 or X-E4, it is because it is not promising as a market."
Reading between the lines, it does feel as if these lines' days may be numbered. (It has long been rumored that these two camera lines had been outsourced to manufacturer Xacti, and weren't produced by Fujifilm anyway.)
That said, the company has just resurrected the entry-level Fujifilm X-M5 after 11 years – so perhaps attitudes are shifting. Or Fujifilm is just looking to capitalize on the current trend for compact-sized cameras…
Fujifilm X-Pro4
With no sign of the Fujifilm X-Pro4 on the horizon, and rumors that the manufacturer has stopped production of the Fujifilm X-Pro3, could this be the end of the line for the beloved rangefinder series?
Fujifilm wanted the X-Pro3 to be a camera that made you “rely more on your instincts” so, in a bold move, it removed the standard rear screen for a 'hidden' one that you had to flip out. Needless to say, not everyone loved this change. And although there has been no official announcement from Fujifilm, the X-Pro3 has been listed as discontinued by a number of retailers. And with the X-T5 and X-H2 being such phenomenal cameras, is there still demand for the quirky X-Pro line?
It's always been a prestige camera for the brand, given its position as the first interchangeable lens member of the X Series family. So the daddy of the X Series is highly symbolic – and I don't think we've seen the last of it, even if it becomes an even more niche product.
Fujifilm X-E5
The Fujifilm X-E4 was one of our favorite cameras at DCW – my colleague Gareth, our reviews editor, particularly loved his.
Unfortunately, the camera was barely available for a year before rumors swirled that Fujifilm had discontinued it. And when I say "barely available for a year", I mean that in both senses – it was seemingly pulled from sale after 18 months, and during that time it was almost impossible to find in stock anywhere.
Accepted wisdom was that it was a victim of the extended supply chain issues caused by the COVID pandemic. It's also noteworthy that, following the inactive X-Pro and GFX 50R lines, this was the company's last rangefinder-style interchangeable lens camera.
Still, after seemingly dropping the X-T30 series, the X-T50 came back with a bang – so Fujifilm may yet resurrect the much-loved X-E line. Hopefully with a shored-up supply chain.
The Fujifilm verdict
Fujifilm has now successfully updated all four pillars of its imaging business: the GFX, X Series, X100 and Instax lines. Without an entire product line needing an upgrade, the only glaring holes I see are the MIA successors to the X-Pro3 and X-E4…
More camera rumors: Canon rumors • Nikon rumors • Sony rumors • Olympus rumors • Panasonic rumors • Sigma rumors • Hasselblad rumors • Leica rumors • Ricoh & Pentax rumors • GoPro rumors
