Update: The first X-Summit of 2025 is now over - and the BIG news is the launch of the Fujifilm GFX100RF - a 100MP compact camera, with a fixed 35mm lens.
Think of it as a medium format version of the Fujifilm GFX100RF. It will go on sale from April 7 for $4,899 / £4,699 / AU$8,799 - with pre-orders being taken from today.
Read our full report on the Fujifilm GFX100RF
The countdown has begun to the first Fujfilm X-Summit of 2025 – and thanks to the the official teasers we know we will be getting a new camera.
This time the Fujifilm X-Summit is being held in Prague - the beautiful, historic capital of the Czech Republic. It's the first time the X-Summit has been held in Eastern Europe.
The Fujifilm top brass, journalists and brand ambassadors will already have arrived in Prague for the main event - which takes place on Thursday, March 20 from 6am ET / 10am GMT.
But don't worry, you don't have to miss out on all the latest news, roadmaps and development announcements that we have come to expect from these regular Fujifilm photographic events – as you can follow along right here as it happens.
We'll be following the whole presentation as it happens – and then bring you reports direct from our man on the ground in Prague. And furthermore, you can even watch along too - via the YouTube link below…
Thanks to two official teasers from Fujifilm, we also have some BIG clues as to one of the announcements we will get tomorrow.
The first teaser video appears to show us a Fujfilm X100VI compact being magically joined with a Fujfilm GFX 100S II medium format mirrorless camera to make a new camera.
Does this mean a really big compact camera?
Or a fixed lens camera with the highest-ever resolution?
Or is it the rebirth of the GFX 50R - a rangefinder-style medium format camera that I personally miss (and I know others think the same…)
Above: this early teaser shows an X100 compact camera magically joining with a medium format GFX to create something new
Our second teaser dropped earlier today, Wednesday, and shows what looks like a new camera control—a dial on the outside of the camera that allows you to switch aspect ratios. That looks neat. Intriguingly, one of these offers a 6:17 ratio. That's not an aspect ratio you hear of ever—until you remember (and the teaser shows us) that it references the mega Fuji GX617 medium-format panoramic camera from the 1980s.
Above: Today's teaser showing an all-new aspect ratio dial
The Fujifilm X-Summit has become something of a fixture in the camera calendar - but this industry event only started back in 2019, so in the 200-year history of photography is still relatively new.
The Prague March 2024 X-Summit will be the 15th so far, and the first of 2025. X-Summits typically take place two or three times a year.
Here is a list of all the dates and venues of the X-Summits to date:
1: Dubai - February 2019
2: Shibuya - September 2019
3: London - February 2020
4: Omiya - October 2020
5: Global (virtual) - January 2021
6: Global (virtual) - September 2021
7: Omiya - May 2022
8: New York - September 2022
9: Tokyo - November 2022
10: Bangkok - May 2023
11: Stockholm - September 2023
12: Tokyo - February 2024
13: Sydney - May 2024
14: Tokyo - October 2024
So if we know we getting a new camera today - what else do we also hope to hear about at the Prague X-Summit?
One thing I am hoping to hear more about is the Fujifilm GFX Eterna – a new medium format cinema cameras, that takes a 102 megapixel GFX sensor and the GFX lens mount, and puts into a body that is designed from the ground up for use by professional cinematographers.
The Eterna was revealed as a development announcement back in November last year - with the promise that it would be launched in 2025. We'd hope that today would be a great time to tell us more about this cine camera.
Another thing I'd hope for us to see today is an updated roadmap for the Fujifilm X-mount lens range. The last one of these was published in February 2024 - and the only outstanding lens on this was the Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR that was introduced in May.
Fujifilm has admitted that some of its older lenses are not really suitable with its latest 40-megapixel sensor - so it would be great to see what the plans were for updating more of its range.
These were the 20 lenses compatible with the Fujifilm X-H2 at the time it was introduced with the Fuji's first 40MP sensor - although obviously there have been other suitable lenses launched since in the last two years.
And what about Fujifilm GFX lenses? The last roadmap for its medium format range of primes and zooms was published back to September 2023.
At that time there were two lenses that had yet to be introduced. Of these, the GF 500mm f5.6 R LM OIS WR supertelephoto got introduced in May last year.
The one lens on this roadmap we have yet to see in the flesh will be Fujifilm's first Power Zoom for the GFX system - which was slated for this year.
Since the roadmap was published, we have since been told that the focal length range for this power zoom will be 32-90mm (effectively equivalent to a 25-70mm on a full-frame camera).
We would expect this to be launched at the same time as the Fujiflm GFX Eterna cine camera - as power zooms are primarily used by moviemakers.
Just an hour to go until the X-Summit starts…
What else do we hope to see and hear about – other than the new teased camera?
As more and more people load up the YouTube channel ready for the X-Summit to begin, I love looking at all the comments – and to hear what everyone is hoping for…
Quite a few people wishing that we get news of a success to the Fujfilm X-E4 – the petite mirrorless camera that was a perfect choice for travel and street photography. Could today be the day we get to hear about a Fujifilm X-E5?
Others are hoping for a successor to the Fujifilm X-Pro3 rangefinder style compact. With the huge popularity of the X100VI - there would certainly seem to be demand for a Fujifilm X-Pro4. But probably not one we will see today…
Okay... just about time to grab a coffee ahead of the main event.
So X-Summit presentations tend to last just under an hour - and this time we expect the main announcement to be the launch of the new camera that Fujifilm has been teasing us about this week. Think love child of the super-popular X100VI and a GFX medium format camera - or so we are led to believeh - with a new aspect ratio dial that allows you to easily switch between different crops.
But we have come to expect more at these events. We'd love another camera… but more realistically we could expect development announcements for new lenses.
And, we might reasonably expect more details on the Fujifilm GFX Eterna cinema camera, and the promised GF power zoom lens.
Okay - five minutes to go.
In case you didn't know, those silhouetted statues on the holding screen for the livestream is Charles Bridge – probably the most photographed place in the super-photogenic city of Prague. It is pedestrianized - making the medieval bridge really friendly for photographers, with great views of the historic buildings on the other side of the river - as we see in this sunset image.
Okay, the countdown music has begun - take your seats and get set for the show!
So, the first news is a new addition to the GFX range - the GFX100RF.
It has a fixed lens - and the RF means that it has a rangefinder style - borrowing the design and ethos of the highly-successful X100VI launched last year.
The GFX100RF weighs only 735g (including battery and SD memory card) - so that's lighter than the GFX 50R body (the previous lightest GFX), but has a built-in wide-angle lens - a 35mm f/4, with an effective focal length of 28mm.
For comparison, the smaller format X-T5 with 16-50mm lens weighs more, tipping the scales at 797g.
The camera comes with a rectangular lens hood - that helps the overall retro look of this unusual compact camera
High mag and high resolution 5.76 million dots 0.84x magnification EVF - same as the 100S II
New 3.15in LCD screen
There is a teleconverter lever - that allows you to crop into the 100 megapixel sensor.
But also new is the teased aspect ratio dial - that allows you to add this to the creative experience, we are told. Nine aspect ratios - two more than previous cameras - including 17:6 and 3:4
The 17:6 and 65:24 aspect ratios give you a panoramic camera - like the Fuji medium format rollfilm cameras of old.
The 3:4 and square aspect ratios, we are reminded, are also formats used on historical Fuji analog cameras. So this aspect ratio dial allows you travel back in time, perhaps!
The GFX100RF top plate is made from one block of aluminum - whth sharp edge, to give a precise tactile feel.
There will be black and silver versions of the camera.
The leaf shutter of the fixed lens has allowed Fujifilm to reduce the back focus of the lens - helping to reduce the overall size. The lens has 10 elements in 8 groups, including two aspherical elements.
Minimum focus is 20cm.
Weatherproofing requires the use of a filter adapter - the same arrangement as found on the X100VI - and undoubtedly an additional cost.
South African photojournalist Lee-Ann Olwage, who has just won a World Press Award, shows the project she has done with the new camera - showing the lives of female seawood farmers.
There is no IBIS or OIS with this camera - no doubt to help keep the size of the camera small enough to be considered a 'compact'. But the photographer still feels this camera could make medium format a natural choice for documentary photography.
Leaf shutter means that flash photograph is easier - as any shutter speed can be used – this is particularly useful when using flash in bright daylight.
The camera has a built-in four-stop ND filter.
Giulio di Sturco - another World Press Photo winner - says the image quality is as good as the GFX100S II. He is also impressed with the autofocus - which he demonstrates with taking a tracking sequence of a moving horse.
We are now introduced to an exhibition of Prague-based Josef Koudelka - one of the best-known documentary photographers of the 20th century. Interestingly, he was a fan of the 617 camera - so hopefully will like the new 6:17 aspect ratio.
Now aged 87, Koudelka now talks about his work with the Fuji 617 Professional panoramic camera.
His advice to other photographers is to buy good shoes - so you can walk and look around!
And so much does it cost?
Price will the US$4,899 - and available from early April.
World Press Photo is celebrating its 70th anniversary - and again will be sponsored by Fujifilm.
To support photojournalists, Fujifilm now supports C2PA - and will offer content credentials on its cameras in the near future, we are told.
It's "One more thing" time...
And it is an update on the GFX Eterna cinema camera
We see a short film shot on the Eterna - but we are told to will still have to wait for more info :(
Also, we get news of a Fujikina event - a hands-on event to be held in Prague this weekend for Fujifilm fans. Fujikina events like this have become a regular fixture that run alongside X-Summits - giving people a chance for the public to get their hands on Fujifilm products new and old.
And the credits roll - so that's a wrap for the first X-Summit of 2025
