[Leica] Fuji and Sony - OT

Jayanand Govindaraj jayanand at gmail.com
Tue May 8 20:18:02 PDT 2018


 Fuji released a "Kaizen" firmware update yesterday for the Fuji X-T2 which
effectively makes the X-T2 a Fuji XH1 (the latest model) without IBIS. Fuji
are in the habit of releasing major upgrades through firmware even for
older bodies which are not being manufactured anymore.

When Sony were asked about this (from Fuji Rumors):

Quote:
What Sony Thinks About Firmware Updates

So there are Pros and Cons in Fujifilm’s firmware strategy. We take note
that it is a strategy adopted almost exclusively by Fujifilm, whereas most
companies go a different path, such as Sony.

In fact, when asked about firmware updates on Sony cameras like Fujifilm
does, a Sony manager said here
<https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/1178102988/sony-interview-if-cameras-are-going-to-develop-manufacturers-have-to-develop-mirrorless-technologies>
:

“*We’re still in the early stages of challenging the market with our
products, and the new model cycle is relatively rapid, compared to our
competitors. But the next step is to increase our market share. And if we
want to reach new customers, we need [to make] new types of cameras*.
[…] *Maybe
this is one of the reasons our product release cycle is faster than some of
our competitors*.”

The result is clear: Fujifilm releases slower new models and delivers lots
of improvements via firmware, Sony instead chooses to be aggressive on the
market by releasing tons of new cameras as soon as they can with little
firmware support for older cameras.

I am sorry, but personally I do love Fujifilm approach much more. I simply
like it to buy gear that I know will be really taken care of also after my
purchase.

Unquote

Reminds me of Canon (Sony) vs Nikon (Fuji) in the old days. It is just a
reminder to choose systems based on our requirements and not on marketing
and social media hype.

Cheers

Jayanand


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