My frustration was always with Fuji making claims about the XH2s that they never delivered, for the most part. I had just recently gone back to Sony, and was shooting with an A9 for my motorsports outings. I wanted to also get into shooting other sports as well, and was looking for the best bang for my buck. Sony was, and still is IMHO, cold and lifeless. But Sony was the right tool for the job at the time. I loved Nikon, but this was pre Z9/Z8. So I just couldn't trust Nikon AF. Fuji announced the XH2s and I got pretty excited about a stacked sensor, ultra fast shooting speeds and the crop factor/prices for zoom lenses. I jumped on the chance to grab one and immediately noticed the AF was close enough to what the A9 was giving me that I sold all my Sony gear and started buying Fuji lenses and an XH2 for slower shooting and high megapixel abilities. I tried college basketball and even a wedding with my Fuji gear and struggled with low light stuff. But, I also grabbed an XT5 for street stuff and was mostly happy with what I had. The problem was, Fuji never stepped up and delivered better, faster sports lenses. They were relying on old, outdated (still pretty good though) lenses like the 50-140 2.8 to get them through. The 200 f2 is still an amazing lens, but I couldn't justify that price. I adapted Canon lenses and got great shots, but the AF was never as fast as native Fuji lenses. Then, Fuji started with the firmware update mess. I was already frustrated with the lenses and low light issues, then the updates made it worse. After firmware 4 I believe, I just gave up. Sold it all and went back to Nikon. I eventually ended up with a Z8, and with using older F mount lenses, I was getting much better results than I did with Fuji. I shot the exact same stuff, and got way better AF, low light was better, and the old F mount lenses were still better than anything FUji had to offer for sports. It's like Fuji had aspirations of getting their gear on the sidelines and courtsides, but then gave up. They produced a camera (XH2s) that had so much promise. It was capable of being in the midst of all the Canon/Sony/Nikon gear in pro sports, but Fuji just didn't capitalize. Or, they realized they would never be able to compete with FF in the pro sports market. Either way, I gave them a shot, and it ended badly. I wanted a system that offered a sports camera, high megapixel portrait camera and a street style camera that I could alternate the same lenses between. Nikon now offers that for me with the addition of the Zf. I will never deny the IQ I had with Fuji, given that it was APSC. But, I couldn't deal with the AF issues. Canon and Sony, obviously, are great systems too, but their prices are just too much for me to deal with right now. Maybe someday I will pick up another Fuji camera for the street stuff, but for now, I cannot justify the system when Nikon is giving me all I need to shoot what I want. Others may have different needs. Fuji has a dedicated fanbase, and I sincerely hope they get their act together and fix the AF. I think it's also a hardware problem along with the botched firmware issues. Shooting Nikon pre-X-Speed 7 processors, it's clear that Fuji's processors just can't provide the AF necessary to compete with the FF beasts that are available today. Nikon had to step up their processing power to get better AF. Fuji will have to do the same, or just satisfy their fanbase with "OK" AF. I wish the best for all the Fuji shooters out there, it's undeniable that the system is good. But it needs work to get to where I thought they wanted to go.
I think the biggest problem in my book was not so much of the update that messed things up (things happen) it was the silence from Fuji. You can tell me or anyone else that they didn’t know about it, they could have made a small statement acknowledging it and that would have went a long way.
Yes and for my taste they are still not transparent enough. They said something about continuous autofocus in video but the problem seems much broader. They should be completely transparent and provide roadmaps for fixes in the future.
@@PeteCocoPhotoI disagree, they’re coming out with a new camera so their best bet was to acknowledge the issues that were going on so they wouldn’t lose anymore customers.
@@Chitownbrez I have asked a number of those making really a lot of noise on forums about whether they actually contacted Fuji about the problems and none of them had. Spoke volumes to me. One guy said he didn't know how, so I spent about a minute to grab the contact details for his region and he said thanks but it's not so bad he'll be happy when they eventually fix it but he can live with it. I mean I've contacted Fuji for lesser bugs. If no one's telling Fuji directly, Fuji then has to determine if those few that do actually have identified something that can be replicated, or it's just their settings, choice of lens, ability, specific to what they're shooting or their shooting style. Data is knowledge, and as you can see from the comments there are many that didn't have these issues. Just imagine if everyone making noise on social media actually spent the same effort informing Fuji and following up with them.
Fuji needs to make fewer different camera models, but make them to a higher standard. As a long-time Fuji owner (9 years) I don’t see the recent spate of firmware issues is necessarily something new - it has for a long time been a case of two steps forward, one step back. Each new firmware brought some new features but also potentially introduced some bugs. But that isn’t an excuse - it’s a sign that software QA has always been bad. I could forgive it in the early days when it was a new system and there were only a few models, but nine years later it’s tough to be sympathetic. On top of that, it is very clear that Fuji lacks some fundamental technologies around continuous autofocus. It’s as though they don’t understand how to make non-linear focus changes based on phase difference - or something. Seemingly every other manufacturer has figured out some kind of algorithm (or perhaps licensed some set of patents) except for Fuji. And it’s also clear that they don’t see this as a serious problem to be solved. I love my Fuji cameras and for nine years I’ve used them in spite of their crappy autofocus and buggy firmware. That doesn’t change for me now, but it does make it much harder to justify new purchases. I wish they would make fewer cameras, but make them all to a higher standard.
Now I believe they just save money for themselves (for top managers or how they call it) rather than really invest in technologies. All these "new film simulations every new model" is a pathetic excuse to the lack of basic techs. Even Sony evolves and makes their stabilizer better and etc.
You can get a Nikon Z F for $1,600 these days, professional level AF, full frame sensor, and excellent build quality.. really can't justify a more expensive crop sensor that falls really short these days. Granted, Nikon has larger scale but they're still much smaller than Sony & Canon.. Fuji has already neglected other products in their line for the last few years, also their build quality is no one where near what it used to be. So I am not really sure what Fuji is going to get from ignoring products they're already ignoring. I think they just want to ride the wave on hype from Instagram/Tiktok users since they're willing to pay a premium for their cameras and ignore professional users leaving for other brands.
@@PeteCocoPhoto It definitely is not the same which is why I am still using my X-T2, I have a Nikon Z8 and would love to consolidate to one brand. There isn't really nothing wrong with Nikon but I prefer my older Fuji primes and colors. Although Nikon colors are very good compared to Sony/Canon because of how neutral they appear. The Nikon Z8 gets used when I absolutely need to nail focus. The Z F unfortunately like you said isn't a Fuji, and that's why I have been reluctant to change fully to Nikon but eventually the time will come for me to consolidate if Fuji proves they cannot fix these issues with the X-T5 or X-T6/X-pro4 releases.
Thank you once again, Pete, your channel is among the best. I have been in love with FujiFilm since the XE1 and the 35mm 1.4 and how beautifully the camera would render a portrait and it became the street camera for its ability to recreate, hold what I saw in the street but it was never the portrait camera (though I have made some magic) that was always a Canon 5d2 then 5d3 and 4. Got an XT1 and 56 1.2 over a Leica and stayed with that for all the years up until it finally gave out. Was with an R5 and decided to go XH2 and the new 33 and 56 and then the autofocus went down just as I started filming weddings, jumping from the bride to people in the crowd behind her, and missed a prime Richard Gere moment in prayer where the focus jumped off him and went to a man at the back of the room and through a bunch of people and a bent arm. I've had to turn down wedding work because the focus cannot be trusted. Selling the gear but who's buying? And I can't sell without telling the buyer you can most do static portraits! Fuji has let down those who for many years have supported them. They have forgotten that it's us, not the tiktok crowd who made Fuji cameras great, it's us, the cameras in our hands and our eyes and visions. Thank you again.
This. I stopped using my XH2S's when I was filming live theater, one person on stage in a thrust theater (audience on 3 sides) and the focus kept jumping from the well-lit actor to random people in the background audience. The only way to get the AF-C to focus back on the actor was to pan far left or far right, ruining the shot. This was about a year ago, and I have been shooting Canon for professional work since then. It's sad - I still prefer the Fuji image.
First, thank you so much for the kind words and support, it means a lot to me. To your story - I am terribly sorry you are dealing with that. There's no excuse, especially for a pro who needs the gear to just do what it promised to do. It should just work as the brand says. That simple.
@@PeteCocoPhoto Just wanted to write, it was you and your videos on autofocus that took a lot of the stress off. At once, it wasn't just me and, in my head, and what am I not getting, what am I doing wrong here on every shoot. You and Chris @pal2tech. So thank you.
Not even close !! I have shot Fuji for over 16 years and I can remember everyone people saying they were in the death rattle (like Pentax) then a few years go by, and they started to catch on for a couple of reasons 1. Colors and 2. They are the best at firmware updates, I think they were not prepared for the immense growth they had so it's catch up time, I say hang in there they will correct what needs correction. I remember the crap cameras Sony put out, I didn't hear the same fatal talk about them (they flooded the market with some below average cameras) not saying they don't have a good product BUT every camera company has had issues. ( I paid 5 grand for a Canon 5d IV) I had to send it back because of a light leak issue, so I see this as a tiny and I mean tiny bump in the road....Fuji will fix the issues
You make good points. Fuji users are tough on the brand. I think it's because we are so passionate about the gear. And to be clear I still love my cameras, love the brand, and have no intention to ditch them any time soon. Thanks for this interesting perspective!
A little late, but good nonetheless, that we finally see some traction in this matter. Complaints about the AF started around April and users were heavily dismissed for it as "not knowing how to set up the camera". The same goes for Edvard, who was actually the first to really show the issues months ago. And again, he got dismissed for it because of "clickbait" and "using it wrong". When AF-C means using it wrong these days, Fujifilm should probably remove this mode completely.
I get the sentiment. I don't want to trash anyone's brand, so I waited to get feedback from people, and then based on that I tested it with the settings they were having issues with. It still works fine for me in AFS with a portrait subject,, esp when using a single focus point. This doesn't excuse the fact that AFC needs to work, as you say.
I made a video on my channel on this topic a couple of weeks ago. We share the same concerns... We'll see what happens in the next few months, this is a crucial time for Fuji
Pete, I’ll start with I think this video was a thoughtful examination of Fujifilm and how they have let down many of their customers who use their cameras professionally. I was a long-time Fujifilm shooter. I’ve shot their cameras dating back to the X-Pro1, X-E2 and X-E2’s, X-T series, the X-H1 as well as the X-Pro3. BTW, the X-Pro3 is my all-time favourite camera from Fujifilm. Here are my thoughts and you touched on some of these. Fujifilm is a corporation whose sole purpose is to sell products and make a profit. If they happen to make something that people think is cool and they want to be seen with their products and shoot their cameras, that’s an added bonus for Fujifilm. This is where the X-100V and X-100VI come into play. They had no way of knowing how both those cameras would go viral. They had no way of knowing that social media influencers on TH-cam and TikTok would make the sales of those cameras go through the roof. Simply put, they weren’t ready and this is what has gotten them into trouble when it comes to releasing other cameras and paying attention to detail like they did with the X-100 series. This is why Nikon with the Zf was able to come in and build an X-T model that was better in every way to the current X-T5 and its full-frame. Where Fujifilm lost me as a customer is them abandoning the X-Pro4. I love rangefinder styled cameras as well as actual rangefinders, I shoot the Leica M10-R. Fujifilm fumbled big time by not releasing the X-Pro4. Some will say, they didn’t abandon it, it’s coming out in 2025. Well this camera should have been released either late 2023 or at the top of 2024. It too would have sold like wildfire. The autofocus issue doesn’t concern me much because I shoot 80% of the time with manual focus M-Mount and vintage Minolta glass on all my kits, inclusive of the Nikon Zf, LUMIX S5II, and the Leica M10-R. Suffice it to say, Fufjilm needs to recenter and focus on what made them a popular camera brand in the first place. They have taken their eye off the ball and it will take a lot now for them to compete with the autofocus world of Sony, Canon, Nikon, and LUMIX.
@@PeteCocoPhoto thanks. Honestly, in order for Fujfilm to continue competing on the professional front they’re going to have to release a full-frame camera with a new mount and a new line of lenses. Imagine a Fujifilm full-frame camera with all the capabilities of the X and GFX models especially the film simulations. They have access to the technology to do it. Everyone else, for the most part are using Sony sensors except for Hasselblad. Imagine that.
A few years back there was a change of the guard at the top of Fuji leadership. At the time there was talk that the new leader was less interested in the photography section of the company. The talk died off, but I wonder if these mistakes that seems to be occurring are not related to that change of philosophy at the top….
My fingers are crossed, Pete. I hope Fujifilm gets it right this time. My patience is a bit thin as I've had some trouble with the XH2S and the 200 f/2 lens when photographing fast moving sports action.
I believe that the Fuji XT-3, when paired with the Fujinon 200mm f2 lens will actually do a better job with respect to autofocus than the “Pro” XH2-S camera. How absurd is this? Particularly, when paying over $2000.00 for the camera body & another $4000.00 (used) or $6000.00 (new) for the lens.
@@JeffreyHauser thankfully, I have two XT3 bodies, so I will give that option a whirl at my next sporting event. It's November and I am hopeful (especially with the release of the XM-5 that supposedly has the new firmware) that the new firmware will be free of all the bugs the previous versions have had. I'm giving myself till the end of this month for this to be resolved. After that, I'm likely looking at the Nikon Z8 as my only other option (as I do use a Nikon D500 for sports work).
Thanks for keeping the conversation going Pete. If you go to the official product page for the X-T5, in the auto focus swction there is a line that reads "This allows photographers to concentrate on composition and creativity, confident that X-T5 will track focus accurately.". Of course AF cannot be perfect all of the time but its frustrating that it doesn't even feel reliable.
You make a good point about Fujifilm creating an emotional connection to the product. I think they’re trying to be the “Apple of cameras” long term so it makes sense why they’re beginning to focus more on new users and hobbyists right now
There have been some very obvious issues for a long time now. For example, turn your shutter AF off, set your release priority to focus, select a subject detection mode (animal and bird works for me), point your camera at the subject and half press your shutter button. The camera will recognise it and give you a green box without actually focusing the lens. Press the shutter fully and it will take a picture. To me, this shows there is a clear disconnect between the subject detection and focusing system. This is one situation where it is easy to recreate but it happens the whole time where the green box is saying it’s in focus but it isn’t. This has worked on an XT5 and XH2S for me and Fujifilm were able to recreate it and have said they will fix it but that was nearly 3 months ago now. I hope Monday will bring some good news but they basically need to fix the autofocus, solve the shortage issues and also update a lot of the lenses because I don’t think all the lenses on the 40mp optimised list actually resolve enough detail for that sensor (interested to see what they say about the new 16-55 and the 40mp sensor)
I wouldn't lose all hope yet. I imagine they have been working on it for a while now, and probably just want to make sure it's right before releasing it. But yes, it's definitely frustrating for so many people.
@@PeteCocoPhoto That’s what I’m hoping. I’m happy to wait as I get good results using zone or single point focusing and just avoiding the subject detection modes.
Hi Pete, I use Nikon and xt5 for my professional work. Honestly, never had an issue with my XT5, I’m a single point shooter and it does not bother me having amazing autofocus for my work. I actually find an amazing autofocus frustrating for my work, because if there is a group of people , it’s just keeps hunting to people expect the one I want. So for me I do not rely on amazing autofocus, single point for me all the way, I like to be in charge on my focus point and not letting the camera dictate. I have 2x XT5 and 2x Nikon Z6 MK1, and instead investing in the technology I have invested in glass, strobes etc
I've had good success with my XT5 as well, and as a portrait photographer I'm with you. More and more, I like to use a single focus point and aim it at my subject since it is simple and works.
@@PeteCocoPhoto I’m glad that it works for you. The reason why i love fujifilm is the ease of editing, the skin tones are fantastic and colours too. For me Nikon is the only one that comes close but txt wins for me. My go to focal length is 40mm, i have bought the victors 27 1.2 and it’s a fantastic lense, the 75 1.2 is on the way. I can use my sigma 18-50 2.8 and use for travelling and family moments because so light. For me is the ideal camera, it does everything i need.
Great points Pete. Fuji definitely gives me that emotional attachment that no other brand in my experience has offered. I hope they fix what they need to in order to take that experience to the next level.
Hi Pete. First of all, I appreciate your straight forward honesty and opinion. I have been fully vested in the X and GFX line for about 6-7 years. Like yourself, I have two studio locations in Upstate NY. Until recently, Ive been extreemly happy with my bodies and even though slow performers, the GFX line. Until...I picked up a Nikon Z Body. It really affirmed the idea that Fuji needs to really concentrate on functionality over form and appeal. Suffer by comparison, possibly but I find muself leaning on the Z mounts more every day. To be honest, The colors produced in the Fuji bodies are the only thing keeping them off marketplace. Most troubling is Ive read Fuji is contemplating new bodies with 1" sensors. I think they need to take a scalpul to what they already have and skip the meat cleaver of new bodies.
Hey Richard I totally understand where you're coming from. I am still using both Canon and Fuji in the studio and like each system for different reasons. I found the XH2 series to be a great balance of form and function when it comes to the layout. I hope you are wrong about them shifting gears towards the consumer cameras at the expense of the pro stuff but only time will tell.
Difficult situation for Fuji, i think. I own a X-T5 since 01/2024. Love it so far, cause the pictures are great, if - yes, if AF works. It unfortunately does not all the time. But this AF working is expected by cameras of this and other brands in 2024, isn't But - and that's what I see the difficulty in - Fuji is in need to make money, what needs them to sell new products... I hope they are able to fix this even when it means to go back a version or two. Since I am just a non-pro User, I also would like to trust the gear. Very happy that there is a strong community like Chris and you and others supporting us and Fuji to get this sorted.
I just want what's best for all of us who love the brand. I still have no issues with AFS and using single focus points but that works for me as a portrait photog
Good video, Pete. I'm a Nikon guy, but I have used an XT5 for the last year. I was also looking at an XH2S, but I will hold off until I see what Fuji does. After a year of using Fuji, I've noticed a few things: their cameras are not sturdy (scratch too easily), and Fuji needs at least to update the F2 line, especially the 18F/2.
@@PeteCocoPhotoI had the silver version of the XT5, and the paint got chipped after a few outings with it, and I wasn't rough with it. That was super annoying. I picked up the black version, and it has held up better.
Kind of tired about all that fujifilm autofocus issue. I find it positive that a big name in the company addressed the problem and shown some initiative to solve it… bought a a7c used with a 35mm f1.8. Really happy with 2020 sony autofocus for street.
Thank you for your insights about this. I agree with you. For me, continuous AF has never been great (since x-t3, my introduction to Fuji); my major issue is not as much with the AF as with the reply we are getting from Fuji concerning these issues. That’s the plot they lost, Fuji was a more grounded close to the consumer company (it seems), but not anymore. Now those old days seems more like a marketing strategy than a real care of their user base. Cheers
Pete- about 6-7 years ago I got into Fuji gear. At that time they were known for their quick attention to firmware upgrades even for cameras not recently released, except for the XF-10. Now it's not only lack of firmware upgrades for recent cameras but not listening to their fan base very much. The X100 series which is very popular as you well know, many customers will die on their waiting list. People are getting slammed on used gear prices also. The X-E4, (discont'd I know) is a sought after camera and prices for used are stupid high... X-E5 maybe??? Older Fuji's like the X-70 are in demand (1000.00) on ebay and an X-pro fans are waiting also. The list goes on! So Fuji comes out with the M5 and a color wheel dial camera, WTH? Was that in demand that? Their fans requests are falling on deaf ears IMHO! On a positive note, my XT-4 is rocking with some excellent Sigma glass! I hope Fuji listens up and rights the ship. Thanks Pete for your videos!!
I shoot a Sony a6000 that I bought used about a year ago to learn basic photography. I had every intention of upgrading to a new camera once I had command of the basics which I feel I do now. I have no brand loyalty yet, but after doing a lot of research I settled on an XS-20 as my upgrade when I buy later in the year, or whenever a sale comes up. However, due to the issues reported about the auto focus, I can’t go with that camera or the Fuji film system at this time. Thank you for the reporting and updates btw. I am considering maybe an a6700, but I’m in the position that I don’t “need” a new camera, I just “want” one, so I can wait. Maybe I’ll get the a6700, the pick up a used XT-2,3, or 20 that hasn’t been updated yet. Appreciate your content. Keep it up,please
Thank you! Hmmm, I mean I have an XT4, and the AF is really not great so I would imagine that the XS20 is probably still pretty good in comparison with the older models. I tested an XT50 for about a month, and the AF was fine for portraits, concert, and street stuff too. Canon and Sony still dominate on AF though.
Thank you for the video. Why do you think it is only a firmware issue and not also hardware, meaning the processor? The Fuji response appeared incomplete and left it open that it is more than just the firmware. I’ve had the XT 1-4 models, X-Pro's 2 and 3, and four of the X100 series. They met my expectations. The XT 5 however did not. Sold or traded all the Fuji and now with Sony full frame. I do not shoot video and that’s why I was drawn to Fuji's emphasis on still photography but eventually had to make a decision based on my use cases.
Good question. I didn't notice any issues until recently. At first, the 5 performed really well in the AF department. And, it wasn't until I tried the settings my viewers suggested that I noticed the issue. I am not an engineer,- im the furthest thing from lol - but my camera was focusing fine before.
Great talk, Pete! I'm new to Fuji, only this year I switched from Canon and got an used X-T2 and couldn't be happier, never been so in love with a piece of gear before, user experience is the key, it's like a charm. I'm just stuck with 'em, can't go back to boring PMSA dials and flip screens anymore. I'm used to AF-S from DSLRs but I understand the frustration 'bout the AF-C. I plan to keep the X-T2 for many many years and upgrade only IF they get their sh*t together with their pro line (not only with the cash-makers X100s and Instaxs).
Hi Pete, I've been watching for a while and never commented until today. I sold all my Fuji gear last month, including my XH2S, apart from the old X-E2 because I find it to be a fun, magical camera. The autofocus was not the only issue for me. There were many other factors which ultimately led me back to Nikon again. I'm the happy owner of a Zf and Z6III and both are getting the job done. I'll always love Fujifilm but not for pro work at the moment. Thanks for taking the proverbial "bullet" for us!
Thanks for watching, and reaching out! I'm sorry you had that experience with the gear. But I'm glad you found a kit that works for you. I have a Zf now for testing so I will be dropping some more content on that camera soon.
@@PeteCocoPhoto great to know! I've been using pre-AI lenses on it. Couldn't be happier. My only complaint is the weight, but no camera is perfect. Thanks for the great content!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Pete. I have been using Fujifilm from 2014. After the X-T3 I bought the Sony A7 IV for work because I was loosing several images because the bad AF. This year I bought the X-T5 because I missed the colors. But seriously, I'll keep shooting with the A7 IV until I see the continuous AF is sticky enough. Sometimes you have the green mark on the eye, but then you see the photos in your computer and the focus was not on the eye!
You are not wrong, I have a XT5, and I lost the AF with the last update, for that reason I bought a Sony A6700, and my Fuji are collecting dust waitting for a fix new update, I will waitting until decemeber, after that, I will sell it if not fix update arrive.
Probably the question I have is when the original firmware worked okay? It wasn't perfect but we got it to WORK. I'd say I've always said the hit rate needs to be 90%. That's probably what you're looking for. A 10% or even 15% failure rate in auto eye detection is fair. I don't have a problem with that and initially probably when we first started using our XT fives and other ex cameras that's what we were getting and then for some reason people started complaining about that so I don't understand if we were already getting a figure of around 90% wide actually needed changing. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for in other words people were wanting it to be 100 even Sony cameras don't shoot at 100% despite what people think so in this chase for perfection we've ended up with a worse set of firmware updates. If we could go back somehow to the original firmware and we are getting anywhere between 85 and 90% I think most people would be happy to accept that at least then you know what you're getting and I do agree with the marketing aspect of companies these days everybody is trying to make money so when they pitch these cameras at professionals they have to kinda amp it up. Is this deceitful possibly. Thank you for your video. It's giving me lots of thought about the actual process itself not so much about the camera not working. I've been able to work around it for events and so forth and still get pretty good results by changing a few of the settings, but even those are a stopgap measure but the hysteria and people saying they are going to jump to Sony and all that kind of stuff or Nikon that's okay. Just go and do that. I think eventually they will get it fixed. I do have an issue with the fact that the cameras stopped being made in Japan did see an effect on the quality and I don't care what people say. I'm just gonna say it camera's made in Japan are better quality than the ones made in China I look at the quality of my two GFX cameras which are made in Japan and some of the earlier Fuji cameras that were made in Japan and they are much better build quality. I know I'm digressing a little bit but it does seem to be that we have now problems with cameras that were not made in Japan which is all of this latest series of X cameras the XH2 and S...... to the S 20...xt5.... none of these cameras were made in Japan.
I am hopeful too that they will fix it. The whole Made in Japan thing is interesting too. I noticed that my older 16-55 is made in japan but the newer ones are not...
As someone who was in the market to buy a 1:1 macro, I cannot understand how the xf80mm f2.8 is more expensive than the Nikon 105 Z by a couple hundred Canadian dollars. I’ve also experienced the af issues, and the macro situation plus the slow autofocus has me switching to the Zf.
I'm speaking to this from a hobbyist point of view, but for me, the at stuff is pretty overblown. Is it as good as the new Nikon's? No, but it is still really good. I don't use the subject detection stuff anyways because I love shooting in the regular single point and moving it around as I need. The bigger issue I have that I hope Fujifilm remembers the x-pro users because I really love the x-pro 2 and 3 but that smaller battery is a bummer after using the new batteries. Great video Pete. Always love hearing your thoughts. Hope you have a great week
Thank you! Appreciate the comment and kind words. I think it depends on the kind of shooting one does, but yes, for my portraiture the af still works fine. But I wanted to address the issue nonetheless because so many have reached out to me about it.
8:20: Hit the nail on it’s head. I bought the 56mm 1.2 mkii and honestly, the size and image quality was amazing. But it was soo slow, noisy and clunky. Why oh why did they decide not to put a linear motor? When all the new gen lenses are getting that update? This was the turning point for me and now i use the a7iii with Sigma 85mm 1.4mm DG DN. About the same price of the Fuji 56mm 1.2 and slightly on par with the Sony 85mm gm ii. Sharp, quiet and fast AF. Yes it’s heavier, but it gets the results with reliability so i can focus on other things like composition and lighting more. If anything, the 50mm f/1.0 is heavier than the Sigma 85mm. But man do I miss it’s lens character and dreamy bokeh. That, I don’t mind taking time to focus on, but it’s more of a personal endeavour than a work one. I appreciate the honesty Coco and I’m glad people like you and Pal2tech have this discussion forum that is essential to keeping the Fujifilm in check. Even though i have moved to Sony, I will be watching your future updates. Keep it up!
I shoot Canon as well….. but no question I prefer Fuji hardware interface and features. But the only reason I use Canon is the tracking otherwise Fuji all the way. So even if they can’t make big improvements I’m still keeping my Fuji kit….tracking is not everything but Fuji has everything else for what I need.
I mean I’ve been using the XT5 for the past year. It works great. Lenses are fantastic. If you use continuous AF, then it seems to struggle. As I told Pete in the last video is that the auto focus isn’t a dealbreaker. I’m still walking away with shots. I do see some issues here and there that can be fixed with firmware that they aren’t focusing on.
Same here. For portrait work, the AF is doing what I need it to do, no major issues. But for those shooting events, sports, nature, it's another story.
They are not trying to kill anything. I am hopeful that they will sort it out in the next firmware update. However, for portraits, and other slow moving subjects, I still have no issues with mine. I still love the camera.
Well Fuji has come forward saying they are focusing on this so it looks like they are listening (though admittedly after a lot of noise). Let' see what happens next Monday Oct 14.
Pete, Yeah, i moved away from the brand an couple years ago, mostly die to their menus, their confounding way of one obscure change causing some other setting to be blocked out, times it would freeze ip, etc. But i continue to be drawn to their designs, more solid build feel and smaller apsc size-image quality trade off.
I have both the X-H2S and several other APSC Fujis, as well as GFX, and using them… GFX cameras are just more reliable, less firmware fuss… I get the feeling that Fuji has teams distinctly working on these products, and the GFX team is just better! The X-E4, and X-T3 are the best of my apsc cameras, if I had the X-T4, that would prolly be it… but as long as Fuji keeps futzing the H2S firmware, that camera is a bit of a mixed bag for me
I’ve started selling my Fuji lenses that I’m not using on a regular basis. Perhaps I’m leaving room to add another camera brand in the future. Lenses are such a huge cost when you are in a brand ecosystem. I hope that Fuji comes through with improvements. I’m concerned that if I wait too long, I won’t be able to get as much money for the gear that I currently have to put towards another brand if I felt compelled to.
My struggles with the xh2s autofocus....man. that camera was phenomenal until it wasn't. I shoot pro wrestling in lower light and it was a monster until it just stopped focusing the first time. My hit rate plummeted.
I like my XH2 but yes I would prefer better AF. The eye tracking works fine until it doesn’t. Anything coming towards the camera its just not getting things in focus. Usually I put it on single spot and get much better results. Too bad other than that the film simulations are awesome and the tweaks you can do with them. I shoot in both raw and jpeg and love that I can do so much tweaking to them in camera and “develop” so many different looks from the raws. The ios app works great too. Only wish I could download the photos when the camera is off in the bag like I could with my older Canon 6d II.
Pete, would there be any reason why Fuji would not be able to port over the Auto-focus - C algorithms to the X-T5 if the two cameras are using the same processor or logic system in both models? (I am not sure of the processor in the higher end camera, but if that works, why not port the logic over to the X-T5?) 🧐
Still using my X-T30 II and X-H1. I am concerned with seeing X-T5, H-2S on KEH wondering if the firmware has been installed that the buyer wouldn't discover until they turned it on. I hope that KEH would ask the seller what firmware is installed before they agree to buy that body and I trust KEH, having dealt with them for a number of years.
This focusing fiasco reminds me of canon 1Dmark3 fiasco when it first released. Canon ended up fixing mirror assembly under warranty to " fix the issues" ... It never really worked . 1dmark4 fixed everything. I went thru that fiasco and it was absolutely not fun.... This is a luckily a pure firmware issue so there's still hope heheheh
Have the xt-30ii and was going to upgrade to the XT-5 for the weather sealing , 3 way tilt screen and Ibis. Thoughts on getting a new one and downgrading? I’ve actually been looking at Sony A7iii, the V is awesome but so much $$$$. For shooting street and portraits Anyone here have any thoughts? Sit and wait since Fuji is finally kind of responding? At the.m moment I’m just sticking with the xt30ii till it breaks since the xt5 was more about luxuries and not needs.
The autofocus problems are just symptoms of a deeper issue: Whoever is now in charge of Fuji no longer understands what made Fuji so popular in the first place. It wasn't marketing. It was word-of-mount promotion by delighted Fuji users. The current Fuji management doesn't get that and is squandering much of the goodwill they once had. One clear symptom of this is the way that new film simulations are no longer made available for older cameras. It would be easy to do, they did it in the past, and along with all the other kaizen love for older models it created a level of customer loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion that no amount of advertising dollars could ever buy. In the past, Fuji photographers felt that Fuji "got" them, cared about what they cared about, and delivered it. That has changed.
I agree wth you! Especiaally on the lenses. The lenses am really interested are arr three or more years old. They don't all fully resolve 40MP. Thee 16-50 f2 s a prime example. I could go on but.....
If they just have realiable af like firsts firmware when come out and all newest features in lastest firmware actually is good enough, no need say improving af more😅
I was about to buy the XT-5 coming from an XT3, I have some of their best lens but after hearing again about AF issues from fujifilm I stopped, im not buying anything from them and im facing this question now can I trust Fujifilm anymore seing the way they managed these AF issues ? Disapointing because I really love the fujifilm experience, when it works.
Hope is not lost. Wait for the XT5 update which they say is coming soon. Let's see what happens. Again, for portrait photography, street, and concert photography (small jazz clubs like I frequent) the af is still fine.
Absolutely should wait to implement new updates in software for anything. Heck, I still haven't updated to the latest update on my X-T3! LOL! Several of the later updates had no effect on my use anyway. But, engineering should be done in house first over a long enough period of time to give an bugs a chance to show up and be fixed. I have a feeling your thoughts about where time and resources have gone recently may be part of the answer. The X100 series V and VI have been the golden children receiving a lion's share of the attention I think. Question: Do you know anything about this NAB event happening at the Javits Center? I registered just in case I can get there. But, just wondered if it's worthwhile. Have a great week Pete!
I agree, Charlie! I only update right away so I can let you all know what happened to my camera LOL.. but with my Macbook... man I hate when I have to update it. Something always get's screwed up LOL
@@PeteCocoPhoto Having had a career as an electronics tech in the 1980s prior to teaching and having a son who is a software engineer, it's pretty much a mantra for me!!
Pete good video . I remember not long ago that Fuji did restructuring and a lot of priority was put on their medical divisions . They could be suffering from the brain drain of restructuring that lays off differently from the way they hire ( this is affecting all tech industries to my knowledge ) and I suspect we are seeing knowledge gaps .
My hot take is that their concentration on video is what broke the AF. They are evolutionarily speaking where canon was with the 5DMKII. They don't have the experience with video and are trying to catch up and bit off more than they could handle. Everything went pear shaped when they messed with the AI learning Algorithm. The push that updated / brought that to the forefront is the same update that started all the problems. This is why it got worse and worse, the AI was learning (incorrectly). And like most AI, it's not a simple fix because of the nature of "AI learning" is that it has to be unlearned / limited which has it's own spin off issues, as we saw.
Pete i just sold the majority of my fuji gear after over 5 years with the brand. The autofocus and firmware issues are absolutely big issues. You add on supply chain issues: people still waiting since FEBRUARY for a camera they pre-ordered and its just another empty promise at this point. I've lost mostly all my confidence with them as a consumer. They've broken the trust / relationship i (and many others) had with the brand.
Hi Pete. Once again, thank you for your commentary regarding the AF problems with Fuji. Hopefully we will see some movement on the part of Fuji. I wonder to what degree the silence and lack of transparency of Fuji is a manifestation of a cultural norm, or is it just corporate arrogance.
I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure they are not trying to sabotage their own brand. BUt at least they are addressing it now, so that's good news.
I still have this conspiracy that the XH2S hardware was manufactured at launch at one location and vendor and then later they switched to a different vendor for the hardware. So when the firmware was made it was made based on the first vendor hardware and that is why the firmware is messed up with the rest of the products.
Pete, thanks for making this visible! To make all of this simple, as FujiFilm user we love to keep using our camera and definitively need that it wrks reliably. Nice colors and dials are not enough to accept AutoFocus issue. So please don't stop till we get the proper attention and solution by FujiFilm!
Thanks. I just want what's best for the brand and for us as the consumers. For my portraits and concert photography, AFS and single point focus still work fine.
@@PeteCocoPhoto Well, since you provide feedback on the FUJI system it should not be just related to a specific type of photography. As FUJI user when we buy it is not written for "portrait and concert photography" only so we need the AF to work, it's not asking too much.
@@jackrussel9991 yep I agree although in my reviews I always remind viewers that I am a portrait photographer and that’s what I use it for. Unless it’s a specific vid. But you really have to watch/read a bunch of reviews since everyone has a unique experience with the gear
@@PeteCocoPhoto That's the point. What's strange to me is seeing so many enthusiastic reviews of new products (exactly like it was for the XT5 at that time) when the issue created is very serious. Of course this will reflect not only on the specific brand but also on reviewers.
@@jackrussel9991 people have been having trouble w af since the last firmware update, or last 2 depending on who you talk to. So if you watch an older review it’s based on the performance of that specific firmware. You can’t fault them if the af has gotten worse since then is all I’m saying
Honest thoughts and musings concerning Fuji and the recent controversies, glad to see a rationale, dispassionate discussion, so rare nowadays. Just throwing this out there and I get that it might sound a bit…conspiratorial. Do you (or anyone out there), believe that Fuji is, to borrow from Kasey’s ‘Camera Conspiracies’….”Crippling” their cameras in order to drive interest elsewhere in their lineup, specifically the higher priced GFX lineup?
Thanks! I'm trying to be as dispassionate and even handed as possible. I don't think they are applying a cripple hammer (LOL I love Casey's channel btw) because it wouldn't make any sense. The cripple hammer Casey talks about is more like a feature they don't give you, not that they intentionally make the camera not work right.
I don’t understand the need for AI eye tracking auto-focus for portraits. I manually focused for years with a Hasselblad, then switched to a Canon 5DMK4. I always used a single focus point and put it on the subjects eye, sometimes with back button. On commercial jobs I always tethered with an assistant on the computer checking focus. The AI face/eye tracking seems more useful for sports, birds, or wildlife.
I used a 5d iii for many years this way, just a single point and I navigated it to the eye. I personally don't think you need it, but you do get used to it however. I love it on the R5 as it works flawlessly. It works okay on the Fuji too, but I like to shoot wide open too
@@PeteCocoPhoto I think the Fuji is just a slower, more deliberate system. Slowing down in photography is not always a bad thing, kind of like medium format.
My thought exactly. Tracking AF, whether on eyes or in general, is for subjects that move. However, there may be another issue here at play. In my experience shooting mirrorless cameras (Olympus E-M5i and ii), the single focus point doesn't work as well. I get false positives and it's harder to move the focus point around because the camera is small and fiddly to work with. Is it possible that mirrorless cameras need these focus detection features because the SAF isn't as workable as with a DSLR? Another possible explanation is that mirrorless shooters feel they need to use AF tracking and detection features to justify the thousands of dollars they've spent moving to mirrorless. Maybe they would've been better off sticking with their old systems and working on their skills as a photographer.
@@gregnyquist7714 Good points, I also now better understand the frustration some have with Fuji. Frustrating to have new features that don’t work properly.
That vertical bar is the crux of the whole video. That vertical bar, dividing me in half, represents the internal turmoil of Fuji users. That vertical bar is the dichotomy, the essence, the very contradiction itself - the formless form that forms the forms we formulate. Can’t believe I need to explain this to you, maaaaaaaan……
@@PeteCocoPhoto 🤣 I was wondering how this would play out. Fuck... now I have to sub. Subbed!!! ~looks around. Hmmm... I hate it here already. Lol. Cheers. 🤜🏾🤛🏾... well, more like 🤜🏾🤛🏻.
I use an XT5 because of the dials and the rear screen, hence the HS I wouldn't be bothered with, I don't shoot Video or wildlife. I don't use face or eye detect, not even for portrait I just use the focus square both on single and continuous focus and it works fine. I tried to do an update on one of my lenses a while back, just couldn't get it to work so I left it. My XT5 does what I want it to. However for other users doing wildlife and video it must be bloody annoying and Fuji need to pull their finger out. If people put faith in a product then Fuji should honour them with a quality product and service. I watched a review on the X50 by Dylan Golby, it was a disaster and I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
I'm eyeing up a ZF to draw a line under the brand instead of the 18mm and 27mm pancake voigtlanders I've been jonesing after. I may not use alot of AF but I've paid for it and want it working, rather than it finding tree bark more interesting. Certainly no fujinon lenses until this is sorted, but sadly I've seen the same complaints on DPReview from 2017
I get that. I'm teseting a Zf now, it's super cool, well made, great AF. Still don't like it as much as my Fuji though but we will see. I just got it a few days ago.
Pete, totally agree with your take on all this and your recommendation not to upgrade to new firmware until it has been used by actual photographers for some time. Thousands of amateur and professional photographers bought expensive Fuji cameras knowing that the tracking AF might be somewhat inferior to other major brands but would be sufficient for their needs. Fuji then released buggy or defective (use whatever term you like) firmware that is widely reported to have degraded the tracking AF in many of their cameras making it materially worse than the original. Fuji encourages users to update their firmware to the latest version for best performance, so putting aside the massive hit to Fuji's reputation and possible loss of business from this AF debacle, I have to wonder whether Fuji is exposing itself to a consumer class action if they don't fix this.
HAHAHA I always joke that sony is like a brick with a shutter button. Even Canon, which when I started photography in the late 1990s, was like the cool kid in town, feels like a soulless brick now to a degree.
I had an xt4 and xh2s and the autofocus for video and how it was always hunting drove me to sell the xt4 and get a sony ZVE1. I use the sony now almost all the time for travel and video. I only use the xh2s for wildlife and sports photos. I really hope they fix the autofocus or I might just sell the xh2s to and go fully to sony. The sony autofocus is just amazing compared to fuji.
I cant say nothing about the new xh2 or the xt5 , i use fuji and i love fuji , i have the xt3 but used alot the xt4 and those cameras have really really bad autofocus , i actually almost dont use auto focus , specially not in studio , i do it manually becous even in very good light and with perfect condition it is allways a bit off and i must say i recognized it from videos i watch on the xh2 . I never saw even one video on youtube that can look as sharp as my manual focus on the xt3 with the 50mm f2 wich is not the most amazing lens on planet. There is one video , canon r5 vs fuji xh2 vs sony a7r4 and the guy there show how the xh2 is not even close the the other 2 sharpnesd , looks blury compair to the other two , but this is not bexous the xh2 is really not comparible in sharpness its just miss focus . the xt3 is 60% the megapixel of the xh2 and still on this video it looks exectly like my xt3 when i use auto focus ... Sorry , i like fuji alot but for working ill never trust it , its slow , lose tracking , and not accurate by few milimeters with makes portraits and close ups not so nice , the sony a7iii on F-1.2 will track and nail sharp focus exectly on the eye when its tracking when the xh2 will be 95% sharp on F-2.8 So for Fuji , pleas do something , its a shame , those cameras are not cheap at all and even a 500 $ sony will preform better and its a fact
Thank you for sharing your honest opinion. I own an XT5 but haven't experienced the same level of autofocus errors with Fuji as you have. Nevertheless, I appreciate your call for Fuji to improve. They need to support all their users, not just focus on entry-level cameras. Unlike you, I sold all my Canon bodies and lenses to go back to a camera experience that is more focused on photography (I'm not interested in video). Ace video thanks and lets hope Fuji is listening.
In my country the marketing team and the support for Fujifilm is very poor,I think it's not going to survive, though I am a Fujifilm user I am worried about the same
Until their auto focus is Sony level, Xh2s is my last camera. I'm not professional and mostly just taking photos for my family. I found I'm using my iPhone all the time instead of grabbing the camera unless I'm in extreme lighting condition or need to use a flash. Coming from XT2 and X100IV, really enjoyed using fujifilm, but the auto focusing really puts me off when shooting my kid running around.
Just dumped XH2, XH2S and GFX50Sii and moved to Nikon ZF and Z8. Nice trusting the cameras to capture the image in focus! GFX was overpriced and underperformed. Truly disappointed. Hope they get focused on focus!
Fuji has been lying about it's AF performance since the beginning - that's the problem. Leica makes no such claims. All of Fuji's marketing materials talk about how great the AF is - actual users have time and time again proved them wrong. Until they completely blow up their existing AF system, there will always be behind the competition. I still own 1 Fuji - X100VI - and understand it's limitations so I don't get frustrated. Stills only, AF-S with reasonably sized AF area - keep it simple.
I mean this is kind of what ive been saying to people. And I already shoot with 2 brand so I'm fine in that sense. But, I felt like I owed it to my viewers to address this, because I also noticed an issue recently. And I've been a really staunch defender of Fujifilm and still remain so - I just want them to do what ever they need to do to keep their client base happy.
I just moved to Fuji Systems last month, and I am not satisfied with the autofocus performance. Having said that, the price point is the same as the Sony A series. Yes, Fuji has nice color science, but it's useless without good autofocus. I just realized that no matter how great your color output is, if the autofocus is poor, it’s essentially useless. Color can be fixed and color graded, but blurry images and videos due to autofocus issues are hard to correct in post-processing. Fix it, Fuji!
I think trying to take any credit to yourself of Chris for Fujifilm taking note of AF concerns with their brand is pretty egotistical. How about we credit the actual YTer that was the catalyst for all this AF stuff to begin with? The timeline goes; - FIVE MONTHS AGO, Eduard proves AF is broken on 6.00 (several videos to prove this fact follow). - Fanbois proclaim Eduard doesn't know how to use AF, 'settings' etc. - After a few weeks and more and more reports coming in to support Eduard's findings, 3 months ago Fujifilm USA (Victor Ha) announces a fix is coming in June to address these concerns (on a live broadcast with Adorama). - Once Fujifilm acknowledge an issue exists and improvements can be made, the fanbois retreat or change their tune entirely. - Fujifilm patch a single AF issue with 6.01, but a lot still needs to be done. - Eduard continues pointing out SPECIFICALLY AND TECHNICALLY the faults that remain (and downgrading to 1.03 highlights how bad the kaizen f/w has been for Fujifilm). - Now everyone is siding with Eduard and joining on the AF talks, be it weeks to months after the real problems started to be talked about. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Chris and you are talking about it, but credit where credit's due man... no one seems to want to give this man the respect or credit he deserves, and if Fujifilm genuinely improve AF it is off the back of Eduard..
I didn’t take any credit - I gave it to Chris. That’s exactly what I said in the vid. Like it or not, Chris has many years and a huge following behind him. And he is highly respected as well. It was just a coincidence that he had me on to talk Af.
@@PeteCocoPhoto And that's exactly what I'm saying, passing the credit to Chris for ONE video he did about it (or a stream with you), when this has all been discussed and uploaded for MONTHS already.. and not mentioning the single guy who has been doing the hard work, testing, reporting, demonstrating (and not simple hit record and talk pieces but actual TESTING)... where the heck is his mentioning or credit?! It feels like you both jumped on the bandwagon at the end of the discussion once the proof and hardwork was done, and trying to seem instrumental in Fuji's outcome... Sorry man, that's just how it comes across...
@@PeteCocoPhoto At the end of the day, only EDUARD proved that Fuji have been ruining AF with Kaizen f/w. Up until his thorough investigation and methods to roll back f/w to compare and demonstrate, this would have been incredibly hard to prove. We all now accept that Fuji broke the AF with Kaizen (not just 6.00 but in general from the outset), yet no one mentions this guys name, gives him any credit? That stings man..
@@SummersSnaps I think its because if all you have are videos trashing a brand, people will look at it as trolling for clicks. I mean the dude is def good at trolling but I'm sure he has pissed off a lot of #fujiflakes LOL.
@@SummersSnaps Like it or not, Fuji pays attention to Chris's videos because he has the reach. I seriously doubt that they care what I say or what Edvard says. You also gotta remember that most of us "TH-camrs" have full time jobs, businesses, families, etc, so when we make videos its a labor of love done on whatever limited time we have. I did get feedback from my viewers and then commented on it when I was able to do my own testing.
The X-S10 was my first camera ever, I upgraded to the X-H2 a couple of months in, and sold it again after only 3 months for a Z8. I mainly shoot birds/wildlife, and the X-H2 is unable to reliably focus on subjects as easy as a perched bird. Considering the prices of these cameras, the AF has been a joke even long before these software updates. They keep showing the amazing subject detection, and how the box is pretty much always where it needs to be, but they never show that most images are still out of focus, even if the box confirms focus. For one software update, they had a demo of a boxing match or something, showing the live view, but never showing the final images, that's borderline deception, in my opinion.
I really feel that the problem is, Fuji is making a lot of money from sales, and it's only when people buy their products and then realise the advertising and promises don't deliver, that they go on to sell their products on. Fuji already made their money, and continue to make money with their X100 line and I'm sure the new hobbyish reboot. They aren't yet facing any monetary consequences for their poor firmware.
Corporations are pretty secretive and hush hush these days. This new across the board ethos is not good for us consumers who appreciate transparency. I believe that there may be a larger issue involved within the camera industry today. Cell phone companies are raking in the money and perhaps the camera manufacturers are envious. We will never be privy as to what is happening at Fuji corporate headquarters or any other for that matter. Fuji creates such beautiful jpegs that will never be matched by any other brand, and I will continue to use Fuji gear. There may be some debate at headquarters about Fuji's future as a camera manufacturer, who knows? Maybe the bean counters are having more sway. If Fuji is serious about keeping their loyal customer base, it needs to correct the autofocus issues sooner than later.
I've already decided to switch to the Canon R6 Mark II sometime between Black Friday and Christmas when the cameras and lenses go on sale. Sorry Fuji, but you've lost me.
I wanted to switch to Canon, but their telephoto lenses don’t call my name at all. I’m happy with my 100-400mm with Fuji. If canon can come out with a telephoto that I like, then I’m all in. Until then, my wife is getting the R5 mark 2 for her work. I’m almost jealous.
@@danielschmaderer What's wrong with EF 100 - 400 or RF 100 - 500 or even rf 200-800? The EF 100 - 400 should still hold up (I haven't used it in years, cannot really compare though).
@@szank I don’t want to use an ef to rf adapter. Also the 100-500 is f7.1 at 500mm. For a lens that costs $2700usd, that’s a bit ridiculous. My 100-400 (with crop factor, it’s 150-600 at f/5.6 when zoomed all the way in) is drastically cheaper.
I'm tired of the TH-cam conjecture around what Fuji is going to do. Let's wait and see. We have no idea. They are all very bright people This is the last video on this topic I watch until Fuji actually does something.
Nobody cared about AF one month ago. Fuji AF has been way below competitors for the last 5 years. Now everybody is jumping. Non sense, except for clicks.
Yeah I get that. I was very late to this party, as I have been defending them until my vid the other day. But after getting feedback from my YT fam and doing some testing, I had to address it. People are upset. But don't worry tomorrow I will have a video NOT about Fujifilm LOL
I can’t say that I’ve ever purchased a Fujifilm camera for their astounding autofocus. I honestly believe that anyone that has bought into the brand with expectations of Canon and Sony autofocus capabilities, clearly have not done an ounce of research. I did however get the XH2 for all of its options in video such as bitrate, format, resolution and shutter angle. This to me is a value as I intended to use it with cinema lenses that lack autofocus anyway. On the other hand, I have used it for a bunch of portrait sessions with absolutely no issues. I also own Sony, Canon and Nikon if I want improved autofocus. I do want to see Fujifilm improve their performance but none of these highly complained about issues were enough for me to diss or abandon the brand.
Right. When I got my XT5 I knew it would be better than the 4, and it is by a big margin, but I didn't expect it to rival my Canon. And for portrait work, in a studio setting, it's totally fine. Even now, using it in AFS
@@PeteCocoPhoto exactly. I love my XH2 for portrait work. It amazes me that so many have dissed the brand for one issue but overlook all the things that they have done right with these cameras. The only time I experienced any real issues with AF in video came while shooting family videos with my hyperactive son, so that let me know to never use AF for sports. As bad as they said Nikon’s AF was, I was using the original Z6 to record highlight reels for college athletes. I’m not out here trying to shoot the next Micheal Bay or James Cameron film so Fujifilm is good enough for 90% of what i would need it for. I don’t think I own a single camera that covers 100% of my needs 🤷🏽.
Im glad the X-T5 is meeting most of my needs and wants because I genuinely think the dials are a FAR superior way to control the exposure compared to any camera with a mode dial. People using full manual wont care, but everyone who likes using aperture or shutter priority should love the dials. I use aperture priority a lot, but sometimes I need to use shutter speeds outside of what the camera is allowed to chose (based on my settings) and all I need to do is to turn the dial. No need to switch modes. Every time I use my 50S II I am reminded how much worse of a design it is. All that is to say, I'm glad the auto focus is good enough for me, because I would hate to have to give up on this camera design because the AF was bad, if that makes sense. It is wild that Fujifilm has not fixed it yet though! They are usually so good with updates. Hopefully they will fix it.
Hi,Really enjoy your channel. I have an XH2s and 150-600mm and 100-400mm which I took to spain, actually just got back .I took over 6000 photos really put the gear to work there ,EAGLES VULTURE, STORKS ,IBISES ETC ETC ...from slow bird to fast movers. So the testing was there right in front of me using different settings. IF the bird as big as a barn has a sky background thats fine 100% or thereabout . As soon as the barn door bird passes or dives in front of a background, fields ,trees etc... the camera looses focus or grabs on to whatever else it feels like. Also if the bird has a background to start off with and the camera locks on [sometimes not or takes quite a while too] I got a few shots in and then still green locked on a huge bird the result is out of focus. I am not a new user I HAVE an xt2 and xt3 so Have been using the equipment for quite a while. Anyway u are completly RIGHT in what you and Chris say .Hopefully FUJI will one day listen .THANKYOU. [SORRY ABOUT THE LONG RANT😊]
I own the Fuji xh2 and xt5 cameras with the original software which has the best auto focus and do you think I’ll get a high bid on eBay from Fuji fanboys?
Professional or not for >$2000 AF just has to work in all modes and under all use cases.
Leica would disagree😂
@@josephryan5448shots fired 😂
😆
Yes, I didn't mean if the person using it was a "pro" just that they are pro level cameras, and I agree w you
(cough) Leica (cough)
My frustration was always with Fuji making claims about the XH2s that they never delivered, for the most part. I had just recently gone back to Sony, and was shooting with an A9 for my motorsports outings. I wanted to also get into shooting other sports as well, and was looking for the best bang for my buck. Sony was, and still is IMHO, cold and lifeless. But Sony was the right tool for the job at the time. I loved Nikon, but this was pre Z9/Z8. So I just couldn't trust Nikon AF. Fuji announced the XH2s and I got pretty excited about a stacked sensor, ultra fast shooting speeds and the crop factor/prices for zoom lenses. I jumped on the chance to grab one and immediately noticed the AF was close enough to what the A9 was giving me that I sold all my Sony gear and started buying Fuji lenses and an XH2 for slower shooting and high megapixel abilities. I tried college basketball and even a wedding with my Fuji gear and struggled with low light stuff. But, I also grabbed an XT5 for street stuff and was mostly happy with what I had. The problem was, Fuji never stepped up and delivered better, faster sports lenses. They were relying on old, outdated (still pretty good though) lenses like the 50-140 2.8 to get them through. The 200 f2 is still an amazing lens, but I couldn't justify that price. I adapted Canon lenses and got great shots, but the AF was never as fast as native Fuji lenses. Then, Fuji started with the firmware update mess. I was already frustrated with the lenses and low light issues, then the updates made it worse. After firmware 4 I believe, I just gave up. Sold it all and went back to Nikon. I eventually ended up with a Z8, and with using older F mount lenses, I was getting much better results than I did with Fuji. I shot the exact same stuff, and got way better AF, low light was better, and the old F mount lenses were still better than anything FUji had to offer for sports. It's like Fuji had aspirations of getting their gear on the sidelines and courtsides, but then gave up. They produced a camera (XH2s) that had so much promise. It was capable of being in the midst of all the Canon/Sony/Nikon gear in pro sports, but Fuji just didn't capitalize. Or, they realized they would never be able to compete with FF in the pro sports market. Either way, I gave them a shot, and it ended badly. I wanted a system that offered a sports camera, high megapixel portrait camera and a street style camera that I could alternate the same lenses between. Nikon now offers that for me with the addition of the Zf. I will never deny the IQ I had with Fuji, given that it was APSC. But, I couldn't deal with the AF issues. Canon and Sony, obviously, are great systems too, but their prices are just too much for me to deal with right now. Maybe someday I will pick up another Fuji camera for the street stuff, but for now, I cannot justify the system when Nikon is giving me all I need to shoot what I want. Others may have different needs. Fuji has a dedicated fanbase, and I sincerely hope they get their act together and fix the AF. I think it's also a hardware problem along with the botched firmware issues. Shooting Nikon pre-X-Speed 7 processors, it's clear that Fuji's processors just can't provide the AF necessary to compete with the FF beasts that are available today. Nikon had to step up their processing power to get better AF. Fuji will have to do the same, or just satisfy their fanbase with "OK" AF. I wish the best for all the Fuji shooters out there, it's undeniable that the system is good. But it needs work to get to where I thought they wanted to go.
I think a lot of people feel similar to you. They made big promises, now they gotta deliver. That's part of why I made this vid
I think the biggest problem in my book was not so much of the update that messed things up (things happen) it was the silence from Fuji. You can tell me or anyone else that they didn’t know about it, they could have made a small statement acknowledging it and that would have went a long way.
Yes and for my taste they are still not transparent enough. They said something about continuous autofocus in video but the problem seems much broader. They should be completely transparent and provide roadmaps for fixes in the future.
I mean I can't get in their heads so I don't want to speculate what they knew or not.
@@PeteCocoPhotoI disagree, they’re coming out with a new camera so their best bet was to acknowledge the issues that were going on so they wouldn’t lose anymore customers.
@@Chitownbrez I have asked a number of those making really a lot of noise on forums about whether they actually contacted Fuji about the problems and none of them had. Spoke volumes to me. One guy said he didn't know how, so I spent about a minute to grab the contact details for his region and he said thanks but it's not so bad he'll be happy when they eventually fix it but he can live with it.
I mean I've contacted Fuji for lesser bugs.
If no one's telling Fuji directly, Fuji then has to determine if those few that do actually have identified something that can be replicated, or it's just their settings, choice of lens, ability, specific to what they're shooting or their shooting style. Data is knowledge, and as you can see from the comments there are many that didn't have these issues.
Just imagine if everyone making noise on social media actually spent the same effort informing Fuji and following up with them.
@@brownbear100 I told Fuji. I wrote directly to Fuji Japan and they redirected it to Fuji Europe and told me to download the latest Firmware 🤡
Fuji needs to make fewer different camera models, but make them to a higher standard.
As a long-time Fuji owner (9 years) I don’t see the recent spate of firmware issues is necessarily something new - it has for a long time been a case of two steps forward, one step back. Each new firmware brought some new features but also potentially introduced some bugs. But that isn’t an excuse - it’s a sign that software QA has always been bad. I could forgive it in the early days when it was a new system and there were only a few models, but nine years later it’s tough to be sympathetic.
On top of that, it is very clear that Fuji lacks some fundamental technologies around continuous autofocus. It’s as though they don’t understand how to make non-linear focus changes based on phase difference - or something. Seemingly every other manufacturer has figured out some kind of algorithm (or perhaps licensed some set of patents) except for Fuji. And it’s also clear that they don’t see this as a serious problem to be solved.
I love my Fuji cameras and for nine years I’ve used them in spite of their crappy autofocus and buggy firmware. That doesn’t change for me now, but it does make it much harder to justify new purchases. I wish they would make fewer cameras, but make them all to a higher standard.
Now I believe they just save money for themselves (for top managers or how they call it) rather than really invest in technologies. All these "new film simulations every new model" is a pathetic excuse to the lack of basic techs. Even Sony evolves and makes their stabilizer better and etc.
You can get a Nikon Z F for $1,600 these days, professional level AF, full frame sensor, and excellent build quality.. really can't justify a more expensive crop sensor that falls really short these days. Granted, Nikon has larger scale but they're still much smaller than Sony & Canon.. Fuji has already neglected other products in their line for the last few years, also their build quality is no one where near what it used to be. So I am not really sure what Fuji is going to get from ignoring products they're already ignoring. I think they just want to ride the wave on hype from Instagram/Tiktok users since they're willing to pay a premium for their cameras and ignore professional users leaving for other brands.
I have a Zf for testing right now. Really nice camera, I tried it once before, but it's not the same as using my Fuji. Time will tell.
Thanks for this perspective!
@@PeteCocoPhoto It definitely is not the same which is why I am still using my X-T2, I have a Nikon Z8 and would love to consolidate to one brand. There isn't really nothing wrong with Nikon but I prefer my older Fuji primes and colors. Although Nikon colors are very good compared to Sony/Canon because of how neutral they appear. The Nikon Z8 gets used when I absolutely need to nail focus. The Z F unfortunately like you said isn't a Fuji, and that's why I have been reluctant to change fully to Nikon but eventually the time will come for me to consolidate if Fuji proves they cannot fix these issues with the X-T5 or X-T6/X-pro4 releases.
Thank you once again, Pete, your channel is among the best. I have been in love with FujiFilm since the XE1 and the 35mm 1.4 and how beautifully the camera would render a portrait and it became the street camera for its ability to recreate, hold what I saw in the street but it was never the portrait camera (though I have made some magic) that was always a Canon 5d2 then 5d3 and 4. Got an XT1 and 56 1.2 over a Leica and stayed with that for all the years up until it finally gave out. Was with an R5 and decided to go XH2 and the new 33 and 56 and then the autofocus went down just as I started filming weddings, jumping from the bride to people in the crowd behind her, and missed a prime Richard Gere moment in prayer where the focus jumped off him and went to a man at the back of the room and through a bunch of people and a bent arm. I've had to turn down wedding work because the focus cannot be trusted. Selling the gear but who's buying? And I can't sell without telling the buyer you can most do static portraits! Fuji has let down those who for many years have supported them. They have forgotten that it's us, not the tiktok crowd who made Fuji cameras great, it's us, the cameras in our hands and our eyes and visions. Thank you again.
This. I stopped using my XH2S's when I was filming live theater, one person on stage in a thrust theater (audience on 3 sides) and the focus kept jumping from the well-lit actor to random people in the background audience. The only way to get the AF-C to focus back on the actor was to pan far left or far right, ruining the shot. This was about a year ago, and I have been shooting Canon for professional work since then. It's sad - I still prefer the Fuji image.
@@MarkD3P I have always loved the Fuji image, so much I chose Xh2 over R5. Oops.
First, thank you so much for the kind words and support, it means a lot to me. To your story - I am terribly sorry you are dealing with that. There's no excuse, especially for a pro who needs the gear to just do what it promised to do. It should just work as the brand says. That simple.
@@PeteCocoPhoto Just wanted to write, it was you and your videos on autofocus that took a lot of the stress off. At once, it wasn't just me and, in my head, and what am I not getting, what am I doing wrong here on every shoot. You and Chris @pal2tech. So thank you.
Not even close !! I have shot Fuji for over 16 years and I can remember everyone people saying they were in the death rattle (like Pentax) then a few years go by, and they started to catch on for a couple of reasons 1. Colors and 2. They are the best at firmware updates, I think they were not prepared for the immense growth they had so it's catch up time, I say hang in there they will correct what needs correction. I remember the crap cameras Sony put out, I didn't hear the same fatal talk about them (they flooded the market with some below average cameras) not saying they don't have a good product BUT every camera company has had issues. ( I paid 5 grand for a Canon 5d IV) I had to send it back because of a light leak issue, so I see this as a tiny and I mean tiny bump in the road....Fuji will fix the issues
You make good points. Fuji users are tough on the brand. I think it's because we are so passionate about the gear. And to be clear I still love my cameras, love the brand, and have no intention to ditch them any time soon. Thanks for this interesting perspective!
A little late, but good nonetheless, that we finally see some traction in this matter. Complaints about the AF started around April and users were heavily dismissed for it as "not knowing how to set up the camera". The same goes for Edvard, who was actually the first to really show the issues months ago. And again, he got dismissed for it because of "clickbait" and "using it wrong". When AF-C means using it wrong these days, Fujifilm should probably remove this mode completely.
I get the sentiment. I don't want to trash anyone's brand, so I waited to get feedback from people, and then based on that I tested it with the settings they were having issues with. It still works fine for me in AFS with a portrait subject,, esp when using a single focus point. This doesn't excuse the fact that AFC needs to work, as you say.
I made a video on my channel on this topic a couple of weeks ago. We share the same concerns... We'll see what happens in the next few months, this is a crucial time for Fuji
I agree, Luca! Checking out your vid now thanks for letting me know!
@@PeteCocoPhoto curious to know your thoughts
Pete, I’ll start with I think this video was a thoughtful examination of Fujifilm and how they have let down many of their customers who use their cameras professionally. I was a long-time Fujifilm shooter. I’ve shot their cameras dating back to the X-Pro1, X-E2 and X-E2’s, X-T series, the X-H1 as well as the X-Pro3. BTW, the X-Pro3 is my all-time favourite camera from Fujifilm.
Here are my thoughts and you touched on some of these. Fujifilm is a corporation whose sole purpose is to sell products and make a profit. If they happen to make something that people think is cool and they want to be seen with their products and shoot their cameras, that’s an added bonus for Fujifilm. This is where the X-100V and X-100VI come into play. They had no way of knowing how both those cameras would go viral. They had no way of knowing that social media influencers on TH-cam and TikTok would make the sales of those cameras go through the roof.
Simply put, they weren’t ready and this is what has gotten them into trouble when it comes to releasing other cameras and paying attention to detail like they did with the X-100 series. This is why Nikon with the Zf was able to come in and build an X-T model that was better in every way to the current X-T5 and its full-frame. Where Fujifilm lost me as a customer is them abandoning the X-Pro4. I love rangefinder styled cameras as well as actual rangefinders, I shoot the Leica M10-R. Fujifilm fumbled big time by not releasing the X-Pro4. Some will say, they didn’t abandon it, it’s coming out in 2025. Well this camera should have been released either late 2023 or at the top of 2024. It too would have sold like wildfire.
The autofocus issue doesn’t concern me much because I shoot 80% of the time with manual focus M-Mount and vintage Minolta glass on all my kits, inclusive of the Nikon Zf, LUMIX S5II, and the Leica M10-R. Suffice it to say, Fufjilm needs to recenter and focus on what made them a popular camera brand in the first place. They have taken their eye off the ball and it will take a lot now for them to compete with the autofocus world of Sony, Canon, Nikon, and LUMIX.
Thanks for this, I think you make a lot of solid points and I agree!
@@PeteCocoPhoto thanks. Honestly, in order for Fujfilm to continue competing on the professional front they’re going to have to release a full-frame camera with a new mount and a new line of lenses. Imagine a Fujifilm full-frame camera with all the capabilities of the X and GFX models especially the film simulations. They have access to the technology to do it. Everyone else, for the most part are using Sony sensors except for Hasselblad. Imagine that.
A few years back there was a change of the guard at the top of Fuji leadership. At the time there was talk that the new leader was less interested in the photography section of the company. The talk died off, but I wonder if these mistakes that seems to be occurring are not related to that change of philosophy at the top….
Interesting. Who knows?
@@icogicog8287 I wonder if we are talking about the same guy at Fuji !
My fingers are crossed, Pete. I hope Fujifilm gets it right this time. My patience is a bit thin as I've had some trouble with the XH2S and the 200 f/2 lens when photographing fast moving sports action.
You and many other my man. I'm hopeful they are on it tho!
I believe that the Fuji XT-3, when paired with the Fujinon 200mm f2 lens will actually do a better job with respect to autofocus than the “Pro” XH2-S camera. How absurd is this? Particularly, when paying over $2000.00 for the camera body & another $4000.00 (used) or $6000.00 (new) for the lens.
@@JeffreyHauser if so yes, that's unacceptable
@@JeffreyHauser thankfully, I have two XT3 bodies, so I will give that option a whirl at my next sporting event. It's November and I am hopeful (especially with the release of the XM-5 that supposedly has the new firmware) that the new firmware will be free of all the bugs the previous versions have had. I'm giving myself till the end of this month for this to be resolved. After that, I'm likely looking at the Nikon Z8 as my only other option (as I do use a Nikon D500 for sports work).
Thanks for keeping the conversation going Pete.
If you go to the official product page for the X-T5, in the auto focus swction there is a line that reads "This allows photographers to concentrate on composition and creativity, confident that X-T5 will track focus accurately.".
Of course AF cannot be perfect all of the time but its frustrating that it doesn't even feel reliable.
for me, xt50 with its dial showed the direction fuji is going right now. sold almost all my gear just keeping xt30 with 27 and 56 mils for travelling
I don't think they will do that with their pro line tho, but I get the sentiment.
You make a good point about Fujifilm creating an emotional connection to the product. I think they’re trying to be the “Apple of cameras” long term so it makes sense why they’re beginning to focus more on new users and hobbyists right now
Maybe. But that’s prob not great for the pros who use the gear unless the stay on top of that too
There have been some very obvious issues for a long time now.
For example, turn your shutter AF off, set your release priority to focus, select a subject detection mode (animal and bird works for me), point your camera at the subject and half press your shutter button. The camera will recognise it and give you a green box without actually focusing the lens. Press the shutter fully and it will take a picture.
To me, this shows there is a clear disconnect between the subject detection and focusing system. This is one situation where it is easy to recreate but it happens the whole time where the green box is saying it’s in focus but it isn’t.
This has worked on an XT5 and XH2S for me and Fujifilm were able to recreate it and have said they will fix it but that was nearly 3 months ago now.
I hope Monday will bring some good news but they basically need to fix the autofocus, solve the shortage issues and also update a lot of the lenses because I don’t think all the lenses on the 40mp optimised list actually resolve enough detail for that sensor (interested to see what they say about the new 16-55 and the 40mp sensor)
I wouldn't lose all hope yet. I imagine they have been working on it for a while now, and probably just want to make sure it's right before releasing it. But yes, it's definitely frustrating for so many people.
@@PeteCocoPhoto That’s what I’m hoping. I’m happy to wait as I get good results using zone or single point focusing and just avoiding the subject detection modes.
Hi Pete, I use Nikon and xt5 for my professional work.
Honestly, never had an issue with my XT5, I’m a single point shooter and it does not bother me having amazing autofocus for my work.
I actually find an amazing autofocus frustrating for my work, because if there is a group of people , it’s just keeps hunting to people expect the one I want. So for me I do not rely on amazing autofocus, single point for me all the way, I like to be in charge on my focus point and not letting the camera dictate.
I have 2x XT5 and 2x Nikon Z6 MK1, and instead investing in the technology I have invested in glass, strobes etc
I've had good success with my XT5 as well, and as a portrait photographer I'm with you. More and more, I like to use a single focus point and aim it at my subject since it is simple and works.
@@PeteCocoPhoto I’m glad that it works for you. The reason why i love fujifilm is the ease of editing, the skin tones are fantastic and colours too. For me Nikon is the only one that comes close but txt wins for me. My go to focal length is 40mm, i have bought the victors 27 1.2 and it’s a fantastic lense, the 75 1.2 is on the way. I can use my sigma 18-50 2.8 and use for travelling and family moments because so light. For me is the ideal camera, it does everything i need.
Great points Pete. Fuji definitely gives me that emotional attachment that no other brand in my experience has offered. I hope they fix what they need to in order to take that experience to the next level.
I think they will, I'm hopeful. Thanks for watching and for the comment!
Hi Pete. First of all, I appreciate your straight forward honesty and opinion. I have been fully vested in the X and GFX line for about 6-7 years. Like yourself, I have two studio locations in Upstate NY. Until recently, Ive been extreemly happy with my bodies and even though slow performers, the GFX line. Until...I picked up a Nikon Z Body. It really affirmed the idea that Fuji needs to really concentrate on functionality over form and appeal. Suffer by comparison, possibly but I find muself leaning on the Z mounts more every day. To be honest, The colors produced in the Fuji bodies are the only thing keeping them off marketplace. Most troubling is Ive read Fuji is contemplating new bodies with 1" sensors. I think they need to take a scalpul to what they already have and skip the meat cleaver of new bodies.
Hey Richard I totally understand where you're coming from. I am still using both Canon and Fuji in the studio and like each system for different reasons. I found the XH2 series to be a great balance of form and function when it comes to the layout. I hope you are wrong about them shifting gears towards the consumer cameras at the expense of the pro stuff but only time will tell.
Difficult situation for Fuji, i think. I own a X-T5 since 01/2024. Love it so far, cause the pictures are great, if - yes, if AF works. It unfortunately does not all the time. But this AF working is expected by cameras of this and other brands in 2024, isn't
But - and that's what I see the difficulty in - Fuji is in need to make money, what needs them to sell new products...
I hope they are able to fix this even when it means to go back a version or two. Since I am just a non-pro User, I also would like to trust the gear.
Very happy that there is a strong community like Chris and you and others supporting us and Fuji to get this sorted.
I just want what's best for all of us who love the brand. I still have no issues with AFS and using single focus points but that works for me as a portrait photog
Honest question, why not grab a manual focus lens and just use MF?
Lack of product and auto focus is a killer for sure Nikon Zf was what I shifted to
Good video, Pete. I'm a Nikon guy, but I have used an XT5 for the last year. I was also looking at an XH2S, but I will hold off until I see what Fuji does. After a year of using Fuji, I've noticed a few things: their cameras are not sturdy (scratch too easily), and Fuji needs at least to update the F2 line, especially the 18F/2.
Would you consider the 18mm f1.4 LR WR? It’s a bit bigger and heavier but not too bad. The quality of the build and the images are stellar.
Thanks! The XH2/s are the most robust out right now. The 5 has been great to me - no issues - other than the silver paint getting easily scuffed.
@@kingelvis4688I agree that the 18 1.4 is a stellar lens, but I would like something a little smaller.
@@PeteCocoPhotoI had the silver version of the XT5, and the paint got chipped after a few outings with it, and I wasn't rough with it. That was super annoying. I picked up the black version, and it has held up better.
@@jtes1442 I only got the silver because the black was backordered and I was impatient lol
Kind of tired about all that fujifilm autofocus issue. I find it positive that a big name in the company addressed the problem and shown some initiative to solve it… bought a a7c used with a 35mm f1.8. Really happy with 2020 sony autofocus for street.
Me too - but it needed to be addressed. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but I was disappointed by their lackluster response
Thank you for your insights about this. I agree with you. For me, continuous AF has never been great (since x-t3, my introduction to Fuji); my major issue is not as much with the AF as with the reply we are getting from Fuji concerning these issues. That’s the plot they lost, Fuji was a more grounded close to the consumer company (it seems), but not anymore. Now those old days seems more like a marketing strategy than a real care of their user base. Cheers
Thanks. Who knows. I just hope they sort it out soon!
I hope the November announcement is positive for hobbyists (me) & pros alike. The boat can't hold much more water..........
I wouldn't worry too much if you're not doing a ton of sports, nature, and events.
Pete- about 6-7 years ago I got into Fuji gear. At that time they were known for their quick attention to firmware upgrades even for cameras not recently released, except for the XF-10. Now it's not only lack of firmware upgrades for recent cameras but not listening to their fan base very much. The X100 series which is very popular as you well know, many customers will die on their waiting list. People are getting slammed on used gear prices also. The X-E4, (discont'd I know) is a sought after camera and prices for used are stupid high... X-E5 maybe??? Older Fuji's like the X-70 are in demand (1000.00) on ebay and an X-pro fans are waiting also. The list goes on! So Fuji comes out with the M5 and a color wheel dial camera, WTH? Was that in demand that? Their fans requests are falling on deaf ears IMHO! On a positive note, my XT-4 is rocking with some excellent Sigma glass! I hope Fuji listens up and rights the ship. Thanks Pete for your videos!!
Thank you! Yep I'm with you - hope they figure things out and soon!
I shoot a Sony a6000 that I bought used about a year ago to learn basic photography. I had every intention of upgrading to a new camera once I had command of the basics which I feel I do now. I have no brand loyalty yet, but after doing a lot of research I settled on an XS-20 as my upgrade when I buy later in the year, or whenever a sale comes up. However, due to the issues reported about the auto focus, I can’t go with that camera or the Fuji film system at this time. Thank you for the reporting and updates btw. I am considering maybe an a6700, but I’m in the position that I don’t “need” a new camera, I just “want” one, so I can wait. Maybe I’ll get the a6700, the pick up a used XT-2,3, or 20 that hasn’t been updated yet.
Appreciate your content. Keep it up,please
Thank you! Hmmm, I mean I have an XT4, and the AF is really not great so I would imagine that the XS20 is probably still pretty good in comparison with the older models. I tested an XT50 for about a month, and the AF was fine for portraits, concert, and street stuff too. Canon and Sony still dominate on AF though.
Thank you for the video. Why do you think it is only a firmware issue and not also hardware, meaning the processor? The Fuji response appeared incomplete and left it open that it is more than just the firmware. I’ve had the XT 1-4 models, X-Pro's 2 and 3, and four of the X100 series. They met my expectations. The XT 5 however did not. Sold or traded all the Fuji and now with Sony full frame. I do not shoot video and that’s why I was drawn to Fuji's emphasis on still photography but eventually had to make a decision based on my use cases.
Good question. I didn't notice any issues until recently. At first, the 5 performed really well in the AF department. And, it wasn't until I tried the settings my viewers suggested that I noticed the issue. I am not an engineer,- im the furthest thing from lol - but my camera was focusing fine before.
Great talk, Pete! I'm new to Fuji, only this year I switched from Canon and got an used X-T2 and couldn't be happier, never been so in love with a piece of gear before, user experience is the key, it's like a charm. I'm just stuck with 'em, can't go back to boring PMSA dials and flip screens anymore. I'm used to AF-S from DSLRs but I understand the frustration 'bout the AF-C. I plan to keep the X-T2 for many many years and upgrade only IF they get their sh*t together with their pro line (not only with the cash-makers X100s and Instaxs).
Thanks! They really do soooo much right, if the AF is even brought back to what it was in early '23, everyone will be happy.... hopefully LOL
Great session. I agree that FUJI needs to step up and fix this AF Issue. We will keep our eyes and ears open. Thanks
Thanks! yep - I am remaining optomistic
Hi Pete, I've been watching for a while and never commented until today. I sold all my Fuji gear last month, including my XH2S, apart from the old X-E2 because I find it to be a fun, magical camera. The autofocus was not the only issue for me. There were many other factors which ultimately led me back to Nikon again. I'm the happy owner of a Zf and Z6III and both are getting the job done. I'll always love Fujifilm but not for pro work at the moment. Thanks for taking the proverbial "bullet" for us!
Thanks for watching, and reaching out! I'm sorry you had that experience with the gear. But I'm glad you found a kit that works for you. I have a Zf now for testing so I will be dropping some more content on that camera soon.
@@PeteCocoPhoto great to know! I've been using pre-AI lenses on it. Couldn't be happier. My only complaint is the weight, but no camera is perfect. Thanks for the great content!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Pete. I have been using Fujifilm from 2014. After the X-T3 I bought the Sony A7 IV for work because I was loosing several images because the bad AF. This year I bought the X-T5 because I missed the colors. But seriously, I'll keep shooting with the A7 IV until I see the continuous AF is sticky enough. Sometimes you have the green mark on the eye, but then you see the photos in your computer and the focus was not on the eye!
I've been using a single focus point. Let's hope they fix it soon
@@PeteCocoPhoto I will try single focus then and 🤞
Thank you for posting! Does the AF improve in the GFX series?
The latest firmware that will drop soon addresses the gfx as well I believe
You are not wrong, I have a XT5, and I lost the AF with the last update, for that reason I bought a Sony A6700, and my Fuji are collecting dust waitting for a fix new update, I will waitting until decemeber, after that, I will sell it if not fix update arrive.
I am sure they are working on it. They prob don’t want to release it until 100% sure it’s gonna work
Probably the question I have is when the original firmware worked okay? It wasn't perfect but we got it to WORK. I'd say I've always said the hit rate needs to be 90%. That's probably what you're looking for. A 10% or even 15% failure rate in auto eye detection is fair. I don't have a problem with that and initially probably when we first started using our XT fives and other ex cameras that's what we were getting and then for some reason people started complaining about that so I don't understand if we were already getting a figure of around 90% wide actually needed changing. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for in other words people were wanting it to be 100 even Sony cameras don't shoot at 100% despite what people think so in this chase for perfection we've ended up with a worse set of firmware updates. If we could go back somehow to the original firmware and we are getting anywhere between 85 and 90% I think most people would be happy to accept that at least then you know what you're getting and I do agree with the marketing aspect of companies these days everybody is trying to make money so when they pitch these cameras at professionals they have to kinda amp it up. Is this deceitful possibly. Thank you for your video. It's giving me lots of thought about the actual process itself not so much about the camera not working. I've been able to work around it for events and so forth and still get pretty good results by changing a few of the settings, but even those are a stopgap measure but the hysteria and people saying they are going to jump to Sony and all that kind of stuff or Nikon that's okay. Just go and do that. I think eventually they will get it fixed. I do have an issue with the fact that the cameras stopped being made in Japan did see an effect on the quality and I don't care what people say. I'm just gonna say it camera's made in Japan are better quality than the ones made in China I look at the quality of my two GFX cameras which are made in Japan and some of the earlier Fuji cameras that were made in Japan and they are much better build quality. I know I'm digressing a little bit but it does seem to be that we have now problems with cameras that were not made in Japan which is all of this latest series of X cameras the XH2 and S...... to the S 20...xt5.... none of these cameras were made in Japan.
I am hopeful too that they will fix it. The whole Made in Japan thing is interesting too. I noticed that my older 16-55 is made in japan but the newer ones are not...
As someone who was in the market to buy a 1:1 macro, I cannot understand how the xf80mm f2.8 is more expensive than the Nikon 105 Z by a couple hundred Canadian dollars. I’ve also experienced the af issues, and the macro situation plus the slow autofocus has me switching to the Zf.
I'm speaking to this from a hobbyist point of view, but for me, the at stuff is pretty overblown. Is it as good as the new Nikon's? No, but it is still really good. I don't use the subject detection stuff anyways because I love shooting in the regular single point and moving it around as I need. The bigger issue I have that I hope Fujifilm remembers the x-pro users because I really love the x-pro 2 and 3 but that smaller battery is a bummer after using the new batteries. Great video Pete. Always love hearing your thoughts. Hope you have a great week
Thank you! Appreciate the comment and kind words. I think it depends on the kind of shooting one does, but yes, for my portraiture the af still works fine. But I wanted to address the issue nonetheless because so many have reached out to me about it.
Love your channel it’s fantastic for us Fuji users
THANK YOU!!!
8:20: Hit the nail on it’s head. I bought the 56mm 1.2 mkii and honestly, the size and image quality was amazing. But it was soo slow, noisy and clunky. Why oh why did they decide not to put a linear motor? When all the new gen lenses are getting that update? This was the turning point for me and now i use the a7iii with Sigma 85mm 1.4mm DG DN. About the same price of the Fuji 56mm 1.2 and slightly on par with the Sony 85mm gm ii. Sharp, quiet and fast AF. Yes it’s heavier, but it gets the results with reliability so i can focus on other things like composition and lighting more.
If anything, the 50mm f/1.0 is heavier than the Sigma 85mm. But man do I miss it’s lens character and dreamy bokeh. That, I don’t mind taking time to focus on, but it’s more of a personal endeavour than a work one.
I appreciate the honesty Coco and I’m glad people like you and Pal2tech have this discussion forum that is essential to keeping the Fujifilm in check.
Even though i have moved to Sony, I will be watching your future updates. Keep it up!
Thank you! I have the 50 f/1 and love it, slow af and all
I shoot Canon as well….. but no question I prefer Fuji hardware interface and features. But the only reason I use Canon is the tracking otherwise Fuji all the way. So even if they can’t make big improvements I’m still keeping my Fuji kit….tracking is not everything but Fuji has everything else for what I need.
I prefer the interface of the Fuji and the colors/film sims too
I’m new to photography, been looking into the Xt5. Are they “updating” the firmware to kill the camera? I want a camera that will last 10+years
I mean I’ve been using the XT5 for the past year. It works great. Lenses are fantastic. If you use continuous AF, then it seems to struggle. As I told Pete in the last video is that the auto focus isn’t a dealbreaker. I’m still walking away with shots. I do see some issues here and there that can be fixed with firmware that they aren’t focusing on.
Same here. For portrait work, the AF is doing what I need it to do, no major issues. But for those shooting events, sports, nature, it's another story.
They are not trying to kill anything. I am hopeful that they will sort it out in the next firmware update. However, for portraits, and other slow moving subjects, I still have no issues with mine. I still love the camera.
Well Fuji has come forward saying they are focusing on this so it looks like they are listening (though admittedly after a lot of noise). Let' see what happens next Monday Oct 14.
I'm hopeful we will hear some good news!
Pete, Yeah, i moved away from the brand an couple years ago, mostly die to their menus, their confounding way of one obscure change causing some other setting to be blocked out, times it would freeze ip, etc. But i continue to be drawn to their designs, more solid build feel and smaller apsc size-image quality trade off.
he af menu system is another place they could improve quite a bit. It's needlessy complex
I have both the X-H2S and several other APSC Fujis, as well as GFX, and using them… GFX cameras are just more reliable, less firmware fuss… I get the feeling that Fuji has teams distinctly working on these products, and the GFX team is just better! The X-E4, and X-T3 are the best of my apsc cameras, if I had the X-T4, that would prolly be it… but as long as Fuji keeps futzing the H2S firmware, that camera is a bit of a mixed bag for me
I agree - the GFX don't seem to be plagued with as many issues
I’ve started selling my Fuji lenses that I’m not using on a regular basis. Perhaps I’m leaving room to add another camera brand in the future. Lenses are such a huge cost when you are in a brand ecosystem. I hope that Fuji comes through with improvements. I’m concerned that if I wait too long, I won’t be able to get as much money for the gear that I currently have to put towards another brand if I felt compelled to.
I get that. You have to do what makes sense for you.
HOW TO DOWNGRAID my XH2s to ollder version when the AF works good? Can you and Cris can make on video about this steps?
I have no idea. I'm not going to do that personally. They will release another update soon and I will let everyone know how that works for me.
My struggles with the xh2s autofocus....man. that camera was phenomenal until it wasn't. I shoot pro wrestling in lower light and it was a monster until it just stopped focusing the first time. My hit rate plummeted.
They are supposed to release a firmware update soon
@PeteCocoPhoto I couldn't wait for the one that fixed after so many didn't:(
I like my XH2 but yes I would prefer better AF. The eye tracking works fine until it doesn’t. Anything coming towards the camera its just not getting things in focus. Usually I put it on single spot and get much better results. Too bad other than that the film simulations are awesome and the tweaks you can do with them. I shoot in both raw and jpeg and love that I can do so much tweaking to them in camera and “develop” so many different looks from the raws. The ios app works great too. Only wish I could download the photos when the camera is off in the bag like I could with my older Canon 6d II.
I love to shoot in raw and use film sims
I still use the XT3 and XT4 and now thinking of selling as I'm not a fan of newer models, so looking at a Nikon Zf
Wait and see. The Zf is super cool, but it's not the same. I have one on loan rn
Thanks Pete for making this video and sharing your thoughts.
My pleasure. I'm still not all doom and gloom, I think they will sort it out soon.
Pete, would there be any reason why Fuji would not be able to port over the Auto-focus - C algorithms to the X-T5 if the two cameras are using the same processor or logic system in both models?
(I am not sure of the processor in the higher end camera, but if that works, why not port the logic over to the X-T5?)
🧐
I don't know enough technical stuff to give you an educated answer, but I will say I hope so LOL
hola, tengo una X-T5, y para el precio que tienen bien podrían dedicarle un poco de tiempo para mejorar el enfoque. un saludo
"¡Gracias por ver - estoy de acuerdo!"
Still using my X-T30 II and X-H1. I am concerned with seeing X-T5, H-2S on KEH wondering if the firmware has been installed that the buyer wouldn't discover until they turned it on. I hope that KEH would ask the seller what firmware is installed before they agree to buy that body and I trust KEH, having dealt with them for a number of years.
You can always call them and ask what firmware is installed on a particular used item
This focusing fiasco reminds me of canon 1Dmark3 fiasco when it first released. Canon ended up fixing mirror assembly under warranty to " fix the issues" ... It never really worked . 1dmark4 fixed everything. I went thru that fiasco and it was absolutely not fun.... This is a luckily a pure firmware issue so there's still hope heheheh
There's always hope LOL
what about going all in on gfx for studio pro work?
It's a big investment but on my radar. I have shot with a few GFX bodies and do love the results.
Have the xt-30ii and was going to upgrade to the XT-5 for the weather sealing , 3 way tilt screen and Ibis. Thoughts on getting a new one and downgrading? I’ve actually been looking at Sony A7iii, the V is awesome but so much $$$$. For shooting street and portraits
Anyone here have any thoughts? Sit and wait since Fuji is finally kind of responding? At the.m moment I’m just sticking with the xt30ii till it breaks since the xt5 was more about luxuries and not needs.
Wait for the next firmware updates - the XT5 is awesome I love mine despite the AF issues
The autofocus problems are just symptoms of a deeper issue: Whoever is now in charge of Fuji no longer understands what made Fuji so popular in the first place. It wasn't marketing. It was word-of-mount promotion by delighted Fuji users. The current Fuji management doesn't get that and is squandering much of the goodwill they once had. One clear symptom of this is the way that new film simulations are no longer made available for older cameras. It would be easy to do, they did it in the past, and along with all the other kaizen love for older models it created a level of customer loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion that no amount of advertising dollars could ever buy. In the past, Fuji photographers felt that Fuji "got" them, cared about what they cared about, and delivered it. That has changed.
I don't know enough about the internal workings to comment on this, but I will say that it often customer service declines as a company grows.
Thank you Pete, for everything you share with us poor FUJIFILM owners we will wait for something to be resolved.... Hopefully as soon as possible.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I am hopeful they will sort it out soon!
I agree wth you! Especiaally on the lenses. The lenses am really interested are arr three or more years old. They don't all fully resolve 40MP. Thee 16-50 f2 s a prime example. I could go on but.....
Yep
If they just have realiable af like firsts firmware when come out and all newest features in lastest firmware actually is good enough, no need say improving af more😅
Good point lol
I was about to buy the XT-5 coming from an XT3, I have some of their best lens but after hearing again about AF issues from fujifilm I stopped, im not buying anything from them and im facing this question now can I trust Fujifilm anymore seing the way they managed these AF issues ? Disapointing because I really love the fujifilm experience, when it works.
Hope is not lost. Wait for the XT5 update which they say is coming soon. Let's see what happens. Again, for portrait photography, street, and concert photography (small jazz clubs like I frequent) the af is still fine.
Absolutely should wait to implement new updates in software for anything. Heck, I still haven't updated to the latest update on my X-T3! LOL! Several of the later updates had no effect on my use anyway. But, engineering should be done in house first over a long enough period of time to give an bugs a chance to show up and be fixed. I have a feeling your thoughts about where time and resources have gone recently may be part of the answer. The X100 series V and VI have been the golden children receiving a lion's share of the attention I think. Question: Do you know anything about this NAB event happening at the Javits Center? I registered just in case I can get there. But, just wondered if it's worthwhile. Have a great week Pete!
I agree, Charlie! I only update right away so I can let you all know what happened to my camera LOL.. but with my Macbook... man I hate when I have to update it. Something always get's screwed up LOL
@@PeteCocoPhoto Having had a career as an electronics tech in the 1980s prior to teaching and having a son who is a software engineer, it's pretty much a mantra for me!!
Pete good video . I remember not long ago that Fuji did restructuring and a lot of priority was put on their medical divisions . They could be suffering from the brain drain of restructuring that lays off differently from the way they hire ( this is affecting all tech industries to my knowledge ) and I suspect we are seeing knowledge gaps .
Thanks! Who knows, it is a huge company so I can see there being some corporate hierarchy challenges there too.
My hot take is that their concentration on video is what broke the AF. They are evolutionarily speaking where canon was with the 5DMKII. They don't have the experience with video and are trying to catch up and bit off more than they could handle. Everything went pear shaped when they messed with the AI learning Algorithm. The push that updated / brought that to the forefront is the same update that started all the problems. This is why it got worse and worse, the AI was learning (incorrectly). And like most AI, it's not a simple fix because of the nature of "AI learning" is that it has to be unlearned / limited which has it's own spin off issues, as we saw.
Interesting take. You could be right. The whole AI af thing just doesn't interest me either, personally
Pete i just sold the majority of my fuji gear after over 5 years with the brand.
The autofocus and firmware issues are absolutely big issues.
You add on supply chain issues: people still waiting since FEBRUARY for a camera they pre-ordered and its just another empty promise at this point.
I've lost mostly all my confidence with them as a consumer. They've broken the trust / relationship i (and many others) had with the brand.
Sorry to hear this, and I have to tell you, I keep hearing a similar story from more and more people.
Hi Pete. Once again, thank you for your commentary regarding the AF problems with Fuji. Hopefully we will see some movement on the part of Fuji. I wonder to what degree the silence and lack of transparency of Fuji is a manifestation of a cultural norm, or is it just corporate arrogance.
I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure they are not trying to sabotage their own brand. BUt at least they are addressing it now, so that's good news.
I still have this conspiracy that the XH2S hardware was manufactured at launch at one location and vendor and then later they switched to a different vendor for the hardware. So when the firmware was made it was made based on the first vendor hardware and that is why the firmware is messed up with the rest of the products.
I have no clue about any of this haha
Pete, thanks for making this visible! To make all of this simple, as FujiFilm user we love to keep using our camera and definitively need that it wrks reliably. Nice colors and dials are not enough to accept AutoFocus issue. So please don't stop till we get the proper attention and solution by FujiFilm!
Thanks. I just want what's best for the brand and for us as the consumers. For my portraits and concert photography, AFS and single point focus still work fine.
@@PeteCocoPhoto Well, since you provide feedback on the FUJI system it should not be just related to a specific type of photography. As FUJI user when we buy it is not written for "portrait and concert photography" only so we need the AF to work, it's not asking too much.
@@jackrussel9991 yep I agree although in my reviews I always remind viewers that I am a portrait photographer and that’s what I use it for. Unless it’s a specific vid. But you really have to watch/read a bunch of reviews since everyone has a unique experience with the gear
@@PeteCocoPhoto That's the point. What's strange to me is seeing so many enthusiastic reviews of new products (exactly like it was for the XT5 at that time) when the issue created is very serious. Of course this will reflect not only on the specific brand but also on reviewers.
@@jackrussel9991 people have been having trouble w af since the last firmware update, or last 2 depending on who you talk to. So if you watch an older review it’s based on the performance of that specific firmware. You can’t fault them if the af has gotten worse since then is all I’m saying
Fujifilm is focusing on medium format to compete with full frame cameras and neglecting crop sensor ones.
Perhaps...
Honest thoughts and musings concerning Fuji and the recent controversies, glad to see a rationale, dispassionate discussion, so rare nowadays. Just throwing this out there and I get that it might sound a bit…conspiratorial. Do you (or anyone out there), believe that Fuji is, to borrow from Kasey’s ‘Camera Conspiracies’….”Crippling” their cameras in order to drive interest elsewhere in their lineup, specifically the higher priced GFX lineup?
Thanks! I'm trying to be as dispassionate and even handed as possible. I don't think they are applying a cripple hammer (LOL I love Casey's channel btw) because it wouldn't make any sense. The cripple hammer Casey talks about is more like a feature they don't give you, not that they intentionally make the camera not work right.
I don’t understand the need for AI eye tracking auto-focus for portraits. I manually focused for years with a Hasselblad, then switched to a Canon 5DMK4. I always used a single focus point and put it on the subjects eye, sometimes with back button. On commercial jobs I always tethered with an assistant on the computer checking focus. The AI face/eye tracking seems more useful for sports, birds, or wildlife.
I used a 5d iii for many years this way, just a single point and I navigated it to the eye. I personally don't think you need it, but you do get used to it however. I love it on the R5 as it works flawlessly. It works okay on the Fuji too, but I like to shoot wide open too
@@PeteCocoPhoto I think the Fuji is just a slower, more deliberate system. Slowing down in photography is not always a bad thing, kind of like medium format.
My thought exactly. Tracking AF, whether on eyes or in general, is for subjects that move. However, there may be another issue here at play. In my experience shooting mirrorless cameras (Olympus E-M5i and ii), the single focus point doesn't work as well. I get false positives and it's harder to move the focus point around because the camera is small and fiddly to work with. Is it possible that mirrorless cameras need these focus detection features because the SAF isn't as workable as with a DSLR? Another possible explanation is that mirrorless shooters feel they need to use AF tracking and detection features to justify the thousands of dollars they've spent moving to mirrorless. Maybe they would've been better off sticking with their old systems and working on their skills as a photographer.
@@gregnyquist7714 Good points, I also now better understand the frustration some have with Fuji. Frustrating to have new features that don’t work properly.
That vertical bar behind you "coming out of your head" is a weird production mistake for a portrait photographer to make.
That vertical bar is the crux of the whole video. That vertical bar, dividing me in half, represents the internal turmoil of Fuji users. That vertical bar is the dichotomy, the essence, the very contradiction itself - the formless form that forms the forms we formulate. Can’t believe I need to explain this to you, maaaaaaaan……
@@PeteCocoPhoto 🤣 I was wondering how this would play out. Fuck... now I have to sub. Subbed!!!
~looks around. Hmmm... I hate it here already. Lol. Cheers.
🤜🏾🤛🏾... well, more like 🤜🏾🤛🏻.
@@musicmaestro88 you have no idea how thrilled I am to have won you over 😆😆😆
@@PeteCocoPhoto 🤣... good thing I showed up when I did. This place was on its last leg. It's okay... I ( @freshouttafocus ) got you fam. 📷💪🏾
Fuji is WAY ahead of the competition, and has seriously lost absolutely NOTHING.
I use an XT5 because of the dials and the rear screen, hence the HS I wouldn't be bothered with, I don't shoot Video or wildlife. I don't use face or eye detect, not even for portrait I just use the focus square both on single and continuous focus and it works fine. I tried to do an update on one of my lenses a while back, just couldn't get it to work so I left it. My XT5 does what I want it to. However for other users doing wildlife and video it must be bloody annoying and Fuji need to pull their finger out. If people put faith in a product then Fuji should honour them with a quality product and service. I watched a review on the X50 by Dylan Golby, it was a disaster and I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
Didn't see that vid, I will check it out. I tested the XT50 and had a really great experience with it.
I'm eyeing up a ZF to draw a line under the brand instead of the 18mm and 27mm pancake voigtlanders I've been jonesing after.
I may not use alot of AF but I've paid for it and want it working, rather than it finding tree bark more interesting.
Certainly no fujinon lenses until this is sorted, but sadly I've seen the same complaints on DPReview from 2017
I get that. I'm teseting a Zf now, it's super cool, well made, great AF. Still don't like it as much as my Fuji though but we will see. I just got it a few days ago.
Any idea on when the new update (XT5) will launch??
Nope, they didn't say yet to my knowledge
Pete, totally agree with your take on all this and your recommendation not to upgrade to new firmware until it has been used by actual photographers for some time. Thousands of amateur and professional photographers bought expensive Fuji cameras knowing that the tracking AF might be somewhat inferior to other major brands but would be sufficient for their needs. Fuji then released buggy or defective (use whatever term you like) firmware that is widely reported to have degraded the tracking AF in many of their cameras making it materially worse than the original. Fuji encourages users to update their firmware to the latest version for best performance, so putting aside the massive hit to Fuji's reputation and possible loss of business from this AF debacle, I have to wonder whether Fuji is exposing itself to a consumer class action if they don't fix this.
Exactly, this is a good summary of what I think happened too. Thank you!
They've lost me years ago to the soulless but technically perfection of Sony.
HAHAHA I always joke that sony is like a brick with a shutter button. Even Canon, which when I started photography in the late 1990s, was like the cool kid in town, feels like a soulless brick now to a degree.
I had an xt4 and xh2s and the autofocus for video and how it was always hunting drove me to sell the xt4 and get a sony ZVE1. I use the sony now almost all the time for travel and video. I only use the xh2s for wildlife and sports photos. I really hope they fix the autofocus or I might just sell the xh2s to and go fully to sony. The sony autofocus is just amazing compared to fuji.
Let's hope the fix it right and soon!
I cant say nothing about the new xh2 or the xt5 , i use fuji and i love fuji , i have the xt3 but used alot the xt4 and those cameras have really really bad autofocus , i actually almost dont use auto focus , specially not in studio , i do it manually becous even in very good light and with perfect condition it is allways a bit off and i must say i recognized it from videos i watch on the xh2 . I never saw even one video on youtube that can look as sharp as my manual focus on the xt3 with the 50mm f2 wich is not the most amazing lens on planet.
There is one video , canon r5 vs fuji xh2 vs sony a7r4 and the guy there show how the xh2 is not even close the the other 2 sharpnesd , looks blury compair to the other two , but this is not bexous the xh2 is really not comparible in sharpness its just miss focus .
the xt3 is 60% the megapixel of the xh2 and still on this video it looks exectly like my xt3 when i use auto focus ...
Sorry , i like fuji alot but for working ill never trust it , its slow , lose tracking , and not accurate by few milimeters with makes portraits and close ups not so nice , the sony a7iii on F-1.2 will track and nail sharp focus exectly on the eye when its tracking when the xh2 will be 95% sharp on F-2.8
So for Fuji , pleas do something , its a shame , those cameras are not cheap at all and even a 500 $ sony will preform better and its a fact
Thanks for the feedback. I will do more manual focus stuff in my studio, this is a great idea.
Thank you for sharing your honest opinion. I own an XT5 but haven't experienced the same level of autofocus errors with Fuji as you have. Nevertheless, I appreciate your call for Fuji to improve. They need to support all their users, not just focus on entry-level cameras. Unlike you, I sold all my Canon bodies and lenses to go back to a camera experience that is more focused on photography (I'm not interested in video). Ace video thanks and lets hope Fuji is listening.
I hope they are listening too, thanks for the comment!
In my country the marketing team and the support for Fujifilm is very poor,I think it's not going to survive, though I am a Fujifilm user I am worried about the same
I'm sorry to hear that
Until their auto focus is Sony level, Xh2s is my last camera. I'm not professional and mostly just taking photos for my family. I found I'm using my iPhone all the time instead of grabbing the camera unless I'm in extreme lighting condition or need to use a flash. Coming from XT2 and X100IV, really enjoyed using fujifilm, but the auto focusing really puts me off when shooting my kid running around.
I just don't enjoy using the iphone. I love bringing the XT5 for family stuff, in spite of AF issues
yes
Well let's hope they find it again soon.
Just dumped XH2, XH2S and GFX50Sii and moved to Nikon ZF and Z8. Nice trusting the cameras to capture the image in focus! GFX was overpriced and underperformed. Truly disappointed. Hope they get focused on focus!
Sorry you felt you had to switch brands but I understand for sure
If I had a dollar for every out of focus shot… I could have bought a Hasselblod X2D!
Fuji has been lying about it's AF performance since the beginning - that's the problem. Leica makes no such claims. All of Fuji's marketing materials talk about how great the AF is - actual users have time and time again proved them wrong. Until they completely blow up their existing AF system, there will always be behind the competition. I still own 1 Fuji - X100VI - and understand it's limitations so I don't get frustrated. Stills only, AF-S with reasonably sized AF area - keep it simple.
I don't want to accuse anyone of lying. But they definitely hyped up the AF big time.
Why not switch to another system if you're having so many issues? Life is too short to spend not enjoying your craft.
I mean this is kind of what ive been saying to people. And I already shoot with 2 brand so I'm fine in that sense. But, I felt like I owed it to my viewers to address this, because I also noticed an issue recently. And I've been a really staunch defender of Fujifilm and still remain so - I just want them to do what ever they need to do to keep their client base happy.
I just moved to Fuji Systems last month, and I am not satisfied with the autofocus performance. Having said that, the price point is the same as the Sony A series. Yes, Fuji has nice color science, but it's useless without good autofocus. I just realized that no matter how great your color output is, if the autofocus is poor, it’s essentially useless. Color can be fixed and color graded, but blurry images and videos due to autofocus issues are hard to correct in post-processing. Fix it, Fuji!
Yes, good points. I've still had solid success using it in AFS with a single focusing point that I move around. Like the old days! LOL
I think trying to take any credit to yourself of Chris for Fujifilm taking note of AF concerns with their brand is pretty egotistical. How about we credit the actual YTer that was the catalyst for all this AF stuff to begin with? The timeline goes;
- FIVE MONTHS AGO, Eduard proves AF is broken on 6.00 (several videos to prove this fact follow).
- Fanbois proclaim Eduard doesn't know how to use AF, 'settings' etc.
- After a few weeks and more and more reports coming in to support Eduard's findings, 3 months ago Fujifilm USA (Victor Ha) announces a fix is coming in June to address these concerns (on a live broadcast with Adorama).
- Once Fujifilm acknowledge an issue exists and improvements can be made, the fanbois retreat or change their tune entirely.
- Fujifilm patch a single AF issue with 6.01, but a lot still needs to be done.
- Eduard continues pointing out SPECIFICALLY AND TECHNICALLY the faults that remain (and downgrading to 1.03 highlights how bad the kaizen f/w has been for Fujifilm).
- Now everyone is siding with Eduard and joining on the AF talks, be it weeks to months after the real problems started to be talked about.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Chris and you are talking about it, but credit where credit's due man... no one seems to want to give this man the respect or credit he deserves, and if Fujifilm genuinely improve AF it is off the back of Eduard..
I didn’t take any credit - I gave it to Chris. That’s exactly what I said in the vid. Like it or not, Chris has many years and a huge following behind him. And he is highly respected as well. It was just a coincidence that he had me on to talk Af.
@@PeteCocoPhoto And that's exactly what I'm saying, passing the credit to Chris for ONE video he did about it (or a stream with you), when this has all been discussed and uploaded for MONTHS already.. and not mentioning the single guy who has been doing the hard work, testing, reporting, demonstrating (and not simple hit record and talk pieces but actual TESTING)... where the heck is his mentioning or credit?! It feels like you both jumped on the bandwagon at the end of the discussion once the proof and hardwork was done, and trying to seem instrumental in Fuji's outcome...
Sorry man, that's just how it comes across...
@@PeteCocoPhoto At the end of the day, only EDUARD proved that Fuji have been ruining AF with Kaizen f/w. Up until his thorough investigation and methods to roll back f/w to compare and demonstrate, this would have been incredibly hard to prove. We all now accept that Fuji broke the AF with Kaizen (not just 6.00 but in general from the outset), yet no one mentions this guys name, gives him any credit? That stings man..
@@SummersSnaps I think its because if all you have are videos trashing a brand, people will look at it as trolling for clicks. I mean the dude is def good at trolling but I'm sure he has pissed off a lot of #fujiflakes LOL.
@@SummersSnaps Like it or not, Fuji pays attention to Chris's videos because he has the reach. I seriously doubt that they care what I say or what Edvard says. You also gotta remember that most of us "TH-camrs" have full time jobs, businesses, families, etc, so when we make videos its a labor of love done on whatever limited time we have. I did get feedback from my viewers and then commented on it when I was able to do my own testing.
Why can't they just take the L and roll back the firmware updates that destroyed autofocus
The X-S10 was my first camera ever, I upgraded to the X-H2 a couple of months in, and sold it again after only 3 months for a Z8.
I mainly shoot birds/wildlife, and the X-H2 is unable to reliably focus on subjects as easy as a perched bird. Considering the prices of these cameras, the AF has been a joke even long before these software updates. They keep showing the amazing subject detection, and how the box is pretty much always where it needs to be, but they never show that most images are still out of focus, even if the box confirms focus. For one software update, they had a demo of a boxing match or something, showing the live view, but never showing the final images, that's borderline deception, in my opinion.
I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully no one is trying to intentionally deceive anyone
I really feel that the problem is, Fuji is making a lot of money from sales, and it's only when people buy their products and then realise the advertising and promises don't deliver, that they go on to sell their products on. Fuji already made their money, and continue to make money with their X100 line and I'm sure the new hobbyish reboot. They aren't yet facing any monetary consequences for their poor firmware.
I think they oversold the AF ability for the XH2/s when those cameras were released, but I've been happy with the gear for what I do
Corporations are pretty secretive and hush hush these days. This new across the board ethos is not good for us consumers who appreciate transparency. I believe that there may be a larger issue involved within the camera industry today. Cell phone companies are raking in the money and perhaps the camera manufacturers are envious. We will never be privy as to what is happening at Fuji corporate headquarters or any other for that matter. Fuji creates such beautiful jpegs that will never be matched by any other brand, and I will continue to use Fuji gear. There may be some debate at headquarters about Fuji's future as a camera manufacturer, who knows? Maybe the bean counters are having more sway. If Fuji is serious about keeping their loyal customer base, it needs to correct the autofocus issues sooner than later.
I'm not jumping ship either. I agree with you, they just need to get it done.
I've already decided to switch to the Canon R6 Mark II sometime between Black Friday and Christmas when the cameras and lenses go on sale. Sorry Fuji, but you've lost me.
Same here I got the r6mkii with the 28-70
I wanted to switch to Canon, but their telephoto lenses don’t call my name at all. I’m happy with my 100-400mm with Fuji. If canon can come out with a telephoto that I like, then I’m all in. Until then, my wife is getting the R5 mark 2 for her work. I’m almost jealous.
@@danielschmaderer What's wrong with EF 100 - 400 or RF 100 - 500 or even rf 200-800? The EF 100 - 400 should still hold up (I haven't used it in years, cannot really compare though).
@@szank I don’t want to use an ef to rf adapter. Also the 100-500 is f7.1 at 500mm. For a lens that costs $2700usd, that’s a bit ridiculous. My 100-400 (with crop factor, it’s 150-600 at f/5.6 when zoomed all the way in) is drastically cheaper.
I get it. I love my R5 and have the benefit of owning 2 systems
Yes. I realized a long time ago. Glad I left. U still love their products but I think their strength is in personal cameras.
I still shoot with Canon too, but I love the brand for concert photography and street photography especially so I will keep on trucking lol
I'm tired of the TH-cam conjecture around what Fuji is going to do. Let's wait and see. We have no idea. They are all very bright people
This is the last video on this topic I watch until Fuji actually does something.
Nobody cared about AF one month ago. Fuji AF has been way below competitors for the last 5 years. Now everybody is jumping. Non sense, except for clicks.
Yeah I get that. I was very late to this party, as I have been defending them until my vid the other day. But after getting feedback from my YT fam and doing some testing, I had to address it. People are upset. But don't worry tomorrow I will have a video NOT about Fujifilm LOL
If they started working on it only after the stream you talk about and not in april where the issue started we are fucked.
Let's hope not LOL
I can’t say that I’ve ever purchased a Fujifilm camera for their astounding autofocus. I honestly believe that anyone that has bought into the brand with expectations of Canon and Sony autofocus capabilities, clearly have not done an ounce of research. I did however get the XH2 for all of its options in video such as bitrate, format, resolution and shutter angle. This to me is a value as I intended to use it with cinema lenses that lack autofocus anyway. On the other hand, I have used it for a bunch of portrait sessions with absolutely no issues. I also own Sony, Canon and Nikon if I want improved autofocus. I do want to see Fujifilm improve their performance but none of these highly complained about issues were enough for me to diss or abandon the brand.
Right. When I got my XT5 I knew it would be better than the 4, and it is by a big margin, but I didn't expect it to rival my Canon. And for portrait work, in a studio setting, it's totally fine. Even now, using it in AFS
@@PeteCocoPhoto exactly. I love my XH2 for portrait work. It amazes me that so many have dissed the brand for one issue but overlook all the things that they have done right with these cameras. The only time I experienced any real issues with AF in video came while shooting family videos with my hyperactive son, so that let me know to never use AF for sports. As bad as they said Nikon’s AF was, I was using the original Z6 to record highlight reels for college athletes. I’m not out here trying to shoot the next Micheal Bay or James Cameron film so Fujifilm is good enough for 90% of what i would need it for. I don’t think I own a single camera that covers 100% of my needs 🤷🏽.
Im glad the X-T5 is meeting most of my needs and wants because I genuinely think the dials are a FAR superior way to control the exposure compared to any camera with a mode dial. People using full manual wont care, but everyone who likes using aperture or shutter priority should love the dials. I use aperture priority a lot, but sometimes I need to use shutter speeds outside of what the camera is allowed to chose (based on my settings) and all I need to do is to turn the dial. No need to switch modes. Every time I use my 50S II I am reminded how much worse of a design it is.
All that is to say, I'm glad the auto focus is good enough for me, because I would hate to have to give up on this camera design because the AF was bad, if that makes sense.
It is wild that Fujifilm has not fixed it yet though! They are usually so good with updates. Hopefully they will fix it.
In most cases it's good for me too, but I definitely noticed an issue when shooting the other day using settings my YT fam told me to test it with
Hi,Really enjoy your channel. I have an XH2s and 150-600mm and 100-400mm which I took to spain, actually just got back .I took over 6000 photos really put the gear to work there ,EAGLES VULTURE, STORKS ,IBISES ETC ETC ...from slow bird to fast movers. So the testing was there right in front of me using different settings. IF the bird as big as a barn has a sky background thats fine 100% or thereabout . As soon as the barn door bird passes or dives in front of a background, fields ,trees etc... the camera looses focus or grabs on to whatever else it feels like. Also if the bird has a background to start off with and the camera locks on [sometimes not or takes quite a while too] I got a few shots in and then still green locked on a huge bird the result is out of focus. I am not a new user I HAVE an xt2 and xt3 so Have been using the equipment for quite a while. Anyway u are completly RIGHT in what you and Chris say .Hopefully FUJI will one day listen .THANKYOU. [SORRY ABOUT THE LONG RANT😊]
Thank you! And no worries this rant was much shorter than many that people leave and shorter than mine too! LOLOL
I own the Fuji xh2 and xt5 cameras with the original software which has the best auto focus and do you think I’ll get a high bid on eBay from Fuji fanboys?
You can downgrade any Fuji camera to whatever software version you want. It's pretty easy.
Haha who knows.