The Fujifilm XT30 II and XT3 WW are Big, Giant Slaps

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Let’s be clear. I understand why camera manufacturers would want to revamp certain cameras. Sony has done it with the a7r series where you can get a new LCD screen. Today, Fujifilm is announcing two small revamps. There’s the XT3 World Wide and the Fujifilm X-T30 II. I’ve got mixed feelings about the cameras in one way. And in another way, I feel really slapped in the face as a decade-long Fujifilm customer.

What You Should Know about the XT3 WW and the Fujifilm X-T30 II

First off, the Fujifilm XT3 WW (World Wide) is something that could annoy a lot of photographers. It’s basically the camera without the charger. That means that you’ll need to charge it via USB-C. Personally, I’m alright with that. Lots of devices use USB-C and I already own a charger from the four Fujifilm cameras I’ve bought over the past decade. So if I want to charge my X Pro 3 and X Pro 1 at the same time, at least one battery will be in a charger. This also lets them get cameras out to the entire world and cuts down on logistics issues.

That’s fine. I can live with that.

But the Fujifilm X-T30 II is a particularly odd one. They’re removing the charger. They’re also giving it a new LCD screen and updating the firmware to have the autofocus to Fujifilm XT4 level. This one is the one that’s angering me a bit.

But Why?

As a long time X Pro series camera owner, this is annoying me. I’ve written often about the Fujifilm X Pro 3. Fujifilm has stated that not much support comes for it because it doesn’t sell well. But in reality, I feel they just didn’t support the camera well enough. 

So why couldn’t the X Pro 3 get some sort of update? Where is the Fujifilm X Pro 3 II? Are they saving it for the 10-year anniversary of X-series next year? And if so, will it come with even bigger features?

Fujifilm tells us that sometimes a camera can’t get a firmware update because there isn’t enough memory on the camera. Why can’t the X Pro 3 get a second version with more memory? And more importantly, why can’t the X Pro 3 get the XT4’s autofocus performance? 

It may annoys others even more that the camera didn’t get other film simulations like the Bleach Bypass or Nostalgic Negative simulations. Seriously, how do they just stop giving major support to a camera after around a year or so? 

To make this not look like just a rant, I’m also thankful to Fujifilm. I’m thankful to them for creating retro-styled cameras with great ergonomics. I’m thankful to Fujifilm for creating a space where we don’t need to sit in front of a computer for hours. I’m thankful as a publisher and Editor in Chief for previous advertising as well. It helped me pay the staff and keep the lights on. And I’m also very thankful for the years of constant firmware updates. They truly changed the industry in this way. But how does a company go from doing that for a decade to then neglecting a core customer base? 

I’m really annoyed that Fujifilm won’t do this with the X Pro 3. Why and how can a camera we reviewed in 2019 get a major boost and update? The X Pro 3 was also announced in 2019, and that’s when we reviewed it too! But even so, a newer camera is still being neglected.