2 ms·

The astonishing revelation is that their film line is responsible for the success of their digital camera line. How so? Call it nostalgia or a realization that

by hbarka 2y ago

The astonishing revelation is that their film line is responsible for the success of their digital camera line. How so? Call it nostalgia or a realization that the film look is more aesthetic, but in any case Fujifilm turned their historical film intellectual property into software for film emulation and that move has proven to be very successful and demand for their hardware shows it. It's incredible that a used X100v can still fetch above its original price. For the newly-released successor, the X100vi, you'd have to get on a waiting list or they're on limited stock.

ryukoposting 2y ago
There's certainly a case for their film business aiding their digital business - I just mourn that it isn't a two way street. What happens to the appeal of Fuji's film simulation as the real film stocks go away? Two of their most iconic brands are already defunct, and as already mentioned, the last two appear to be approaching a similar fate. The photography industry moves in cycles as the brands take turns being trendy (just ask Olympus- erm, OM System). Where does Fuji go from here?
- hbarka 2y ago
  The value proposition is Fuji’s film stock which they have converted to software emulation. No one is allowed to copy it nor do they have the Fuji scientists who developed it. It’s unique, which makes it long term. There’s at least 20 in the classic Fujifilm film stock. Here’s some of the popular ones. Photographers will recognize them. 1. *Provia (Standard)* - General-purpose film simulation. 2. *Velvia (Vivid)* - Saturated colors and enhanced contrast, suitable for landscapes. 3. *Astia (Soft)* - Softer contrast and natural skin tones, ideal for portraits. 4. *Classic Chrome* - Muted colors and enhanced shadow tones, for a vintage look. 5. *Pro Neg. Hi* - High contrast and vivid colors, used for fashion and commercial work. 6. *Pro Neg. Std* - Balanced colors and softer contrast, suitable for portraits. 7. *Acros* - High-quality black and white with fine grain and deep blacks. 8. *Monochrome* - Standard black and white simulation. 9. *Sepia* - Warm, brownish tones for a nostalgic look. 10. *Eterna* - Cinematic look with low contrast and subdued colors. 11. *Classic Neg* - Mimics color negative film with muted tones and enhanced contrast. 12. *Eterna Bleach Bypass* - High contrast and desaturated colors, resembling the bleach bypass effect.
  - ryukoposting 2y ago
    > No one is allowed to copy it nor do they have the Fuji scientists who developed it I don't buy this. I can crank green and magenta, pull red, throw in a little contrast, and just a hint of gaussian noise to make the raw files from my OM-5 MKII look damn near identical to Fuji 400H. Fuji has copyrights on things like "Superia," "Velvia," and "Provia." They have patents on Superia chemistry, and nobody else knows how to make it. What Fuji doesn't have is patents on "vivid greens and magentas with cool-leaning daylight white balance, fine grain and high acutance." Fuji's own ability to accurately simulate their film stocks digitally is proof that digital simulation of arbitrary film stocks is feasible. Just don't call them by name if you don't own the copyright.
    - hbarka 2y ago
      You’ve missed the entire point. Sure, anyone can shoot raw. The Fujifilm value proposition is in not having to do post-processing of raw files. The finished good is right there in the jpeg, complete in all its film-like glory.
      - ryukoposting 2y ago
        You missed my point. It's utterly trivial to do with a GIMP/LR/RawTherapee/Whatever preset and a $300 used camera from 10 years ago, it's a weak selling point for a prosumer camera costing thousands. If the X100VI also had a button that instantly uploaded your shot to Instagram and added an LLM-generated 2deep4u caption, well now they have something. The X100VI sells because it's a good camera, and a good-looking camera. Fuji's default color rendering is the best in the industry. The film presets are a convenient way to recycle dying IP.

by hbarka 2y ago

ryukoposting 2y ago

There's certainly a case for their film business aiding their digital business - I just mourn that it isn't a two way street. What happens to the appeal of Fuji's film simulation as the real film stocks go away? Two of their most iconic brands are already defunct, and as already mentioned, the last two appear to be approaching a similar fate. The photography industry moves in cycles as the brands take turns being trendy (just ask Olympus- erm, OM System). Where does Fuji go from here?

hbarka 2y ago
The value proposition is Fuji’s film stock which they have converted to software emulation. No one is allowed to copy it nor do they have the Fuji scientists who developed it. It’s unique, which makes it long term. There’s at least 20 in the classic Fujifilm film stock. Here’s some of the popular ones. Photographers will recognize them. 1. *Provia (Standard)* - General-purpose film simulation. 2. *Velvia (Vivid)* - Saturated colors and enhanced contrast, suitable for landscapes. 3. *Astia (Soft)* - Softer contrast and natural skin tones, ideal for portraits. 4. *Classic Chrome* - Muted colors and enhanced shadow tones, for a vintage look. 5. *Pro Neg. Hi* - High contrast and vivid colors, used for fashion and commercial work. 6. *Pro Neg. Std* - Balanced colors and softer contrast, suitable for portraits. 7. *Acros* - High-quality black and white with fine grain and deep blacks. 8. *Monochrome* - Standard black and white simulation. 9. *Sepia* - Warm, brownish tones for a nostalgic look. 10. *Eterna* - Cinematic look with low contrast and subdued colors. 11. *Classic Neg* - Mimics color negative film with muted tones and enhanced contrast. 12. *Eterna Bleach Bypass* - High contrast and desaturated colors, resembling the bleach bypass effect.
- ryukoposting 2y ago
  > No one is allowed to copy it nor do they have the Fuji scientists who developed it I don't buy this. I can crank green and magenta, pull red, throw in a little contrast, and just a hint of gaussian noise to make the raw files from my OM-5 MKII look damn near identical to Fuji 400H. Fuji has copyrights on things like "Superia," "Velvia," and "Provia." They have patents on Superia chemistry, and nobody else knows how to make it. What Fuji doesn't have is patents on "vivid greens and magentas with cool-leaning daylight white balance, fine grain and high acutance." Fuji's own ability to accurately simulate their film stocks digitally is proof that digital simulation of arbitrary film stocks is feasible. Just don't call them by name if you don't own the copyright.
  - hbarka 2y ago
    You’ve missed the entire point. Sure, anyone can shoot raw. The Fujifilm value proposition is in not having to do post-processing of raw files. The finished good is right there in the jpeg, complete in all its film-like glory.
    - ryukoposting 2y ago
      You missed my point. It's utterly trivial to do with a GIMP/LR/RawTherapee/Whatever preset and a $300 used camera from 10 years ago, it's a weak selling point for a prosumer camera costing thousands. If the X100VI also had a button that instantly uploaded your shot to Instagram and added an LLM-generated 2deep4u caption, well now they have something. The X100VI sells because it's a good camera, and a good-looking camera. Fuji's default color rendering is the best in the industry. The film presets are a convenient way to recycle dying IP.