Category: Equipment

Equipment for photographers.

News: instax mini Evo Cinema

The tl;dr: Fujifilm announced the instax mini Evo Cinema: a movie camera shaped Instax mini Evo camera.

That means it is a digital camera that directly print on Instax mini. But the rest feels very gimmicky:

– record short videos (up to 15sec) and then print a thumbnail with QR code to share it with other.
– the “Eras Dial”: it’s like a film simulation dial but for time period specific effects, including with the audio.

Most of it requires the use of the associated mobile app.

The ergonomics look interesting, with a grip allegedly inspired by Fujifilm own FUJICA Single-8 movie camera (an 8mm film movie camera from 1965) and a viewfinder attachment to turn the small rear LCD into an EVF. Seriously Fujifilm, make this a proper movie camera that can do 4K and you get my money.

It feels like we are being punked by Fujifilm. The fact that there are very few articles (no review) and very few videos on YouTube about it is either that Fujifilm didn’t send the camera to influencers. Even the Fujifilm corporate channels are light on content with only a video in Japanese. Reading closer what Peta Pixel knows, it seems that the instax mini Evo Cinema is set to be released in Japan, with an unknown prices and international availability.

X-E5 is still unobtainium

So I have a request for an X-E5 in black with a XF 23mm f/2.8 kit on a wait list at a Canadian retailer. It was days the announcement that I was put on the list. So I should be pretty much on top of the list. Turns out the camera in black is “back ordered” and the silver model comes in more often. I definitely want it in black.

At that pace Fujifilm will announce the X-Pro4 (whatever name the X-Pro3 successor will have) before I can even get an X-E5 in black.

Fujifilm GFX 100RF Fragment Edition

Fujifilm still has supply issues where the X-E5 is still hard to find (still waiting on my notification from the retailer).

But now they announce a special edition of the GFX 100RF… a special collaboration with Japanese musician and fashion designer Hiroshi Fujiwara

Beside a few more specially designed accessories and finishes, like a leather strap, the camera is the same as the GFX 100RF, albeit with a higher price tag. On this special edition camera the Monochrome film recipe (and its filtered variants) is being replaced by the FRGMT BW recipe.

From Fujifilm, here is the official FRGMT BW FS Recipe:

– Film Simulation: ACROS
– Grain effect: Strong, large
– Tone Curve (Highlight): +4
– Tone Curve (Shadow): +2
– Sharpness:-4
– High sensitivity noise reduction:-4
– Clarity: +5
– Exposure compensation: +1/3

To get one you’ll need to reserve it starting 20th Dec 2025 at 11:00 (likely Tokyo time), and a lottery will attribute the very limited number and the price of ￥998,000 (including taxes). The regular version is sold for ￥822,200 at Yodobashi, making this about CA$1500 more.

Link: both eyes open – nine years with the Fujifilm TX-1

both eyes open – nine years with the Fujifilm TX-1 is an updated version the long term review I already mentioned last year.

The Fujfilm TX-1 (or its Swedish sibling the XPan) is still on top of my wanted camera list. The problem is more that it calls for a hefty price, which, despite being simple in operation, remains a fairly complex camera that will be hard to repair.

I still haven’t gotten a proper solution for shooting 65:24 either on film or digital.

“The New Era of Film Scanning”

From Soke Engineering: Knokke The New Era of Film Scanning.

Strips of slide film (positive) on a light table viewed in a diagonal orientation. The punchy colours brings joy to the photographer.
Strips of slide film on the light table.

The very short version: a new 35 mm film scanner with roll feed, not unlike the Pakon. But with modern parts, repairability, and open-source software to drive it. The software part is not negligible. You cannot use a Pakon without installing the software on obsolete Microsoft malware. Same for the very expensive Fujifilm Frontier, for for Nikon or any other vendor from decades ago. And without the software they are expensive bricks.

Their target price is €999 at launch, later €1599 (I do have questions). With an intent to scan a roll in 5 minutes at a resolution of 4064 dpi.

It’s still in a state of development, with a Kickstarter planned for Q1 2026, so it’s not available soon yet. But it’s good to see a renewed interest in that niche of equipment that the previous manufacturers have abandoned with their software no one can fix and that doesn’t run on modern computers.

I’ll make sure to post an update.

New Fujifilm X-T30 III and XC 13-33mm

Also today were announced the new Fujifilm X-T30 III and the XC 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS.

The X-T30 III is just a refresh of the X-T30 II from 2021, the entry level X-series body. Added is the new processor on top of the X-Trans IV sensor, bringing it in par with the X-M5 and X-S20, with updated auto focus and video capabilities.

From the control changes, the left dial is no longer used for drive. but instead is, like on the X-T50 and the X-M5, the film simulation dial, with support for film recipes as introduced by the X-E5. Still hoping for a firmware update doing this on the X-M5.

It also adds direct printing support to the Instax Link printers as well as the associated “crops” for the Mini, Square and Wide formats. Fujifilm, can we get a firmware update to do that on the X-M5 and X-E5 ?

This camera comes optionally with the new XC 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS that replaces the XC 14-45. A bit wider, and shorter, slower at the long end, and it dropped the power zoom.

Shipping in November 2025 body only for CA$1249, or in December as a kit for CA$1449, in three different colours, Silver, Black and Graphite.

DPReview: Fujifilm X-T30 III adds fresh ingredients to familiar recipe.

Fujifilm product page.

Rangefinder less Leica M EV-1

Take a Leica M11, remove the rangefinder and replace it with an EVF, shave the price by 10% (it’s still unaffordable) and you have the Leica M EV-1.

DPReview preview:

At the most basic level, you can get essentially the same sensor in the Sony a7CR for considerable less money, and get a similar shooting experience by adapting your M-mount lenses to fit. It won’t be as small, be as nicely built or say Leica on the front, but in purely pragmatic terms, it’ll be comparable.

I think that removing the rangefinder is like removing the main reason to buy a Leica M camera. I don’t see where that make sense. If you want to use M lenses but don’t care for the rangefinder, the above suggestion from DPReview will be probably more adequate, and anything else, the law of diminishing returns applies. And instead of a Sony, you can also use any other full frame mirrorless like a Nikon Z or Panasonic S.

This doesn’t mean Leica is abandoning the rangefinder though, but I still wonder who this camera is for except if you want to 12K.

One day I shot two rolls of film in a Leica M7. And I loved it.

A black & white picture of the WW2 era aircraft up close. To the right the propeller. To the left further away the shiny nose of the Beechcraft Expedition with the propeller reflecting in it.
Beechcraft Expedition, Langley Museum of Flight, Langley, BC — October 2011
Leica M7
25mm Biogon f2.8
Kodak BW400CN

The Leica M EV-1 will cost CA$12,315 as per one of my local stores, and should be available starting 23 October 2025 (ie today).

Post scriptum:

David Imel video Why Leica shed its most iconic feature (YouTube) explains the rangefinder quite well, but I’m not convinced the reasoning make sense.

Analogue aF-1

Analogue announced the pre-order for the Analogue aF-1.

The aF-1 is a compact 35mm point-and-shoot camera designed by the Amsterdam company Analogue. It has 35mm f2.8 glass lens, LiDAR autofocus and built-in flash. All the features expected from the early 21st century point-and-shoot.

The pre-order price is 449€ or CA$790 (+ shipping) for a delivery Q1 2026.

Specs are not unlike an Olympus mju-II.

Esquisse, Sketch of a camera

DPReview has an interview with the people at Esquisse. Esquisse is the French word for sketch, and a French startup company whose goal is to design a new pocketable camera with interchangeable lenses, trying to fill a void left by Panasonic and Olympus. Why these two? Because Esquisse are designing a micro 4/3 camera which make sense given the range of high-quality and reasonably priced lenses.

Currently in the early stages, the design seems to focus on having control accessible at your fingertips. The four person team is trying to strike the right balance with the features. And their goal is to build it in “public” i.e. to have update and get feedback from outside. At the moment the design feature an EVF, a built-in 256GB memory (a trend I do not like), words of a built-in battery (WAT?), a touchscreen and a few knobs. Nothing ground breaking but you don’t need to, to make a better tool — albeit a few bad trends. No words on what they envision for the software, since it is a digital camera this is not even a question, but I just hope they go the Leica M9 route rather than the Pixii-you-need-a-phone-app route.

Physical size is always a concern to me. The Fujifilm X-M5 feels a bit small in my hands and I did try the Panasonic GM-1 that felt too small, but the esquisse having an EVF looks promising.

Esquisse also state they don’t want to crowdfund it until they have something physical, if they even fund this way.

We’ll see, it could just end like it started.

Another French designed camera is Pixii which now exist as a full-frame M compatible camera. So why not a second French camera.