Guest post from Kolarvision:

THE CANON EOS RP DISASSEMBLY AND TEARDOWN

Sigma CEO Yamaki released an interview with Lensvid. A couple of takeways:

1) Sigma might use non Foveon sensors in future L-mount cameras.
2) Sigma might even use an APS-C sensor again.
3) Sigma’s first lens designed for Full Frame mirrorless is coming this year. For sure it will be available for Sony E-mount but it’s easy to guess this lens will be available as native L-mount versison too
4) Moving forward we will release more lenses designed for mirrorless cameras. 

Imaging Resource interviewed Toshihisa Iida and Makoto Oishi from Fuji. Fujirumors as usual did a superb job making a quick summary of the news that matters:

Market Future & Canon Predictions

• Fujifilm totally disagrees with Canon’s prediction, that ILC business is going to contract by half over the next two years
• Market will depend on innovation that will come
• Fujifilm believes there is room for further grow
• Some markets will decline, but other markets have still potential to grow (Asian market)

Full Frame

• Customers should have different options
• Currently full frame has 1/3 of the market by value
• 2/3 of market is predominantly APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, and some medium-format
• other manufacturers focus on full frame, this might open opportunities for Fujifilm as long as they keep up innovating APS-C and MF
• mainly X-T3 and GFX 50R helped Fujifilm to grow by 10% total volume growth
• APS-C vs FF is not just about sensor size, but also the lens size, lens weight, overall cost, or the speed, the 4K movies
• people judge the system more on the overall package

Fujifilm X-T3 vs X-H line

• sold better than expected
• Fujifilm X-T3 sold 40% better than X-T2 if you compare to same period since launch
• X-T3 and X-H1 have cannibalized each other
• with the new lower X-H1 price tag, X-T3 and X-H1 sit nicely next to each other
• H-series and T-series will coexist for the future, but we need to clearly differentiate the lineup without confusing customers

Lenses

• XF200mmF2 is not only for sports, but also for portraits for very creamy bokeh and concerts for example

GFX System

• Fujifilm GFX 50R sales are above expectation and factory is very busy
• Fujifilm GFX 100 design is almost final, very early firmware, and IBIS still does not work
• GFX 100 megapixel autofocus: same sensor structure as the X-T3
• GFX 100 has almost zero competition, because FF is only at 50MP and other medium format cameras are very expensive
• Fujifilm thinks at multi-shot high-res shooting mode for GFX100, but has not decided yet
• designing IBIS is a real challenge for big MF sensor
• Fujifilm has no idea about how many stops IBIS they will achieve [FujiRumors leaked internal press sheets that show they aim at 5 stops]
• Fujifilm is still improving image quality via firmware
• GFX100 launch in first half 2019 for around $10,000
• Fujifilm GFX 50S most popular lens is the GF 32-64mmF4
• Fujifilm GFX 50R most popular lens is the GF 45mmF2.8
• GFX 50S owners have more lenses than GFX 50R owners
• GFX owners complaint about the lack of more fast lenses for the system and Fujifilm is taking into consideration their feedback
• Fujifilm listens to customers and tries to make their wishes happen, but sometimes their wishes become reality is very difficult and challenging
• As bright as possible, as small as possible, as affordable as possible…
• same team works on GFX and X. One R&D budget and depending on needs they are flexible to shift their focus

Autofocus

• X-T30 has improved algorithm which will come to X-T3
• CMOS sensor is always reading by lines. So it isn’t very suitable for horizontal phase-difference […] technically we can make a cross-type system but normally, subjects are more… and horizontally-arranged PDAF pixels support them better
• Fujifilm could do vertical AF correlation, but hasn’t felt the need to do it
• 8% of pixels are phase detection pixels (high density), good for low-light and high-frequency subjects
• signal and phase pixel are read separately
• we used to have like 60 regions within each AF point, but now 240
• depending on the light level, the X-T3 can “bin” PDAF pixels together (basically just adding their contents) to get a better signal/noise ratio, and so be able to determine focus even in very dim lighting. Depending on how you do this, you’ll trade-off some ability to see the finest details, but it can really help in very low-light conditions

At The Photography Show 2019 ePhotozine spotted this world’s first Pinhole Zoom Lens from Thingyfy. This 18-36mm has been show mounted on the Sony E-mount. There is yet no info about price and shipment date but I bet this lens will be available for other mounts too (like Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds).

Here you see the new pinhole zoom (in the center) with the other already existing Thingyfy pinhole prime lenses:

The Sony folks got two new lenses from third party manufacturers:

Samyang announced the 85mm f/1.4 autofocus FE lens (full info here).
Zenit announced the 50mm f/0,95 manual focus FE lens (full info here).