I get asked somewhat regularly when I think the X-Pro4 camera will be announced, or if it will ever come. It’s long overdue. Some folks are even losing hope, believing that Fujifilm has abandoned the line altogether. I often see questions like: When will the next X-Pro come? What will be different about it? Was the X-Pro3 the last iteration?
The X-Pro1 is a historically significant camera. It was the first interchangeable-lens X-series model, and the first X-Trans camera. Fujifilm’s success in the digital camera world hinged on this one model. If it flopped, there would not likely be any X or GFX cameras being manufactured today. The X-series would be a forgotten footnote, like Samsung’s NX line. However, the camera was a success, and the rest is history, as they say.
The lifecycle of the X-Pro series has been pretty consistent. The X-Pro1 was announced in early 2012. Exactly four years later, the X-Pro2 was announced. The X-Pro3 came just a smidge early, in fall 2019 (instead of early 2020). If this pattern continued, the next X-Pro—presumably called X-Pro4, or maybe X-Pro5 since the number four is considered unlucky in Japan (sometimes, but not always, Fujifilm skips it)— should have come out either in fall of 2023 or first quarter of 2024. Obviously it didn’t. And there’s not been any indication that it is coming soon, either. The X-Pro4 is now long overdue, and seemingly abandoned. An X-Pro4 in 2024 would have made a lot of sense, as would an X-Pro5 in 2025 (assuming they skip the number four).
In my opinion, camera makers refresh camera lines much too quickly. A four-year cycle should be pretty normal, and some models should take longer than that. I don’t have a problem with the next X-Pro coming out five or even six years since the last. I do wish that the X-Pro3 hadn’t been discontinued. I can’t say for sure, but its discontinuation was likely due to the ribbon wiring harness to the rear screen not being reliable enough, which caused problems for some X-Pro3 owners. The backwards rear screen was a bold experiment that I applaud Fujifilm for having the guts to try, but ultimately I think it was a bust. Between the screen issues and so-so sales after the initial demand faded, I think Fujifilm felt the X-Pro3 had run its course after three years.
Just to be clear, I have no inside information. Sometimes people assume that I do, but I don’t. I get my information the same way that you do. All I have are guesses. Please take this article with a grain of salt.
I believe that Fujifilm is currently developing the next X-Pro camera right now. I don’t know if they’re at the beginning stages or near the end or somewhere in-between (probably somewhere in-between). It’s possible that a few people already have their hands on a prototype, I don’t know. But I do have a lot of confidence that the work has begun on the camera and it is somewhere on the path to becoming a reality. There will be an X-Pro4 (or maybe called X-Pro5) in the future, I’m 99.9% sure of it.
When exactly the camera comes out and what will be different about it is something I don’t know. Back in 2023 I speculated that it was likely to be released in 2024. Earlier this year I speculated that it was likely fall of 2024, or maybe spring 2025 at the latest. Obviously I was wrong about those dates. Some speculation that I’m mildly confident will prove to be true: the next X-Pro iteration won’t be X-Trans V, but X-Trans VI.
Fujifilm introduced the world to X-Trans technology with the X-Pro1. The X-Trans I sensor was fairly short lived (only the X-Pro1, X-E1, and X-M1 cameras had it… the X-M1 paired the sensor with the X-Trans II processor). The X-Pro series completely skipped over the X-Trans II sensor. Fujifilm introduced the X-Trans III sensor with the X-Pro2. The X-Pro3 was the third X-Trans IV camera; however, they introduced Classic Negative, Grain size, Color Chrome FX Blue, and Clarity with it. My guess is that—like X-Trans II—Fujifilm will skip X-Trans V and go straight for X-Trans VI, introducing that sensor with the next X-Pro camera.
I don’t know what will differentiate X-Trans VI from X-Trans V, but my guess is speed and efficiency. Probably not megapixels. I suspect that Fujifilm will look to improve autofocus, frame rates, sensor readout, heat dispersion, and things like that, with the next X-Trans sensor. Most of these improvements are unlikely to significantly impact an X-Pro model due to how people typically use these cameras, but I’m sure they will be welcomed nonetheless—especially if the Clarity pause can (finally) be shortened. Fujifilm might (should, in my opinion) introduce a new Film Simulation—Fortia? XPro (cross-process)? Natura? PRO Neg H (looks like 400H and turns pastel with overexposure)?—and maybe a new JPEG tool or two (faded shadows? split toning? Medium Grain strength and size? mid-tone boost? half-step WB Shift?) with the X-Pro4. Increasing the number of Custom Settings presets from 7 to 10 (or more) would be celebrated. The XPan aspect ratio is a must, I think. There’s plenty that Fujifilm could do.
But there’s also plenty that Fujifilm shouldn’t do. I will be mildly surprised if the X-Pro4 has a backwards screen like the X-Pro3 (my guess is that it will be more like the X100VI and X-T5); otherwise, the less they change the better. Look at the feedback from the X-Pro2 and X-Pro3, and change as little as possible. In my opinion, the best X-Pro iteration was the Fujifilm X-Pro2, so if the upcoming X-Pro is more like it I certainly won’t complain.
My guess is that the X-Pro4 (maybe called X-Pro5) will be announced either in September/October of 2025 or (more likely) the first quarter of 2026. Prior to its announcement, I would expect that Fujifilm will release an X-E5 (the X-E series is almost always released at the end of a sensor generation) and maybe an X-T30 III. Both of those will likely have an X-Trans IV sensor paired with the X-Trans V processor (although it is certainly possible that the X-E5 will get the 40mp X-Trans V sensor). I wouldn’t be surprised to see another model, such as the 1″ sensor camera that’s been rumored, also announced in 2025. My best guess—and remember, it’s just a guess—is that the next X-Pro, along with the X-Trans VI sensor, will arrive in early 2026, approximately 15 to 16 months from now. I know a lot of people are looking forward to it, and it will surely eventually happen, but I think it’s still a little ways out.
I’m probably WAY into the minority here (which means it probably won’t happen), but I’d love to see Fujifilm put some extra effort into the OVF for the X-Pro4/5. Go back to the dual-magnification design, but keep the physical size at least as it was on the X-Pro3. Bigger and more magnification would be better. Add rangefinder patch functionality (digitally, using the same technology that already allows for the hybrid viewfinder). Get rid of the flip-out LCD (it was cute, but they all broke…). IBIS is take-it-or-leave-it for me, but I think it’s hard to build a flagship-type camera in this day and age without including it. More megapixels and weather-sealing are the same for me: they’d make no difference to how I work, but are probably a sticking/selling point for some.
I think your OVF suggestion is a winner, I hope that it happens. My guess is that it will continue to have weather-sealing. Most likely IBIS will be included. The backwards flip down screen is most certainly only ever going to be found on the X-Pro3. I appreciate the input!
The OVF, improved reliability of the flip screen and weathersealing recommendations are solid. I would also add a faster start-up time to the list – my XPro3 would literlly not fire if I didn’t give it enough time to turn on. Doesn’t seem like would be high on may user’s list, but it made a real-world difference with me when I would shoot back-to-back with my Ricoh GRIII.
If these changes happen, it would have me back in line to buy an XPro. And that is after buying and selling both the X100V and Xpro-3.
They used the 4 on the X-E4 & the X-T4, so I can’t see an issue with them not using it on the possible X-Pro 4.
It’s hit or miss. The X-A line went from X-A3 to X-A5 (skipping over the 4), and the X-T00 line (at least for now) skipped over the X-T40. So it could go either way. My best guess would be X-Pro4, but I see it more as a coin flip. In the end, I don’t think it matters much what they call it, so long as they make it.
…as long they do not add this odd simulation dial like the XT50&XM5…
Yes!
Also, I hope they don’t change the design and make it fugly like all the newer models! I’m so repelled by the new changes. Keep it classy (functional and cutting-edge, Fujifilm)!
The classic controls look nice but they were what made me pick the X-H2 over the X-T5. When working, dial controlled is just so much faster for me.
I don’t really care how stylish a camera looks as long as it gets the job done.
I like the dial, personally, but I would be surprised if it made it onto the X-Pro. If I were to wager money, I would bet that it won’t be on the X-Pro4. Having said that, Fujifilm does like to pull surprises out of their hat, so they might have something unexpected in mind for this camera.
Hoping for an X-E5 more than the Pro4.
Might settle for the Pro. But probably pass due to weight and thickness…
I’m fairly confident that the X-E5 will come before the X-Pro4. I’ve certainly been wrong on these date guesses before, but I would look at sometime before summer of 2025 for the X-E5.
My thoughts on the X-Pro4:
OVF: Keep it simple! – It’s good to cover the wider focal lengths, 18mm, 23mm like the X-Pro3. The dual OVF was nice but unnecessary. Yes, give us the option of a centre ‘rangefinder’ style patch.
Screen: Keep it simple! – the X-Pro3 screen was the best way to have a hidden screen option without some kind of complex foldout, twist or flippy screen. Either make it more robust, or opt for a standard screen that folds out like on the Leica Q3.
Controls: Keep them simple! – All manual controls without entering menus – just add the click lock to the ISO selection. Stick with the minimal programmable buttons.
IBIS: If they really have to?
It should be released alongside a v2 18mm f2 with mf scale and hard stops at infinity and mfd. (In my opinion all the Fujinons below 35mm should have this.)
Fujifilm have to get this right as it may well be a rival to the Leica M12 (will Leica go for a dual EVF/OVF this time as rumoured?)
The release of the X-Pro4 would be an ideal opportunity for a refresh of the 18mm f/2, wouldn’t it? I hope they do!
I wonder whether the screen problems with the 3 are simply because people use it a lot more than they would if it had a more conventional screen.
I would never buy an X-Pro3 because of the screen. In a way I can see why they did it but I think it was wrong to force a film camera ethos onto photographers.
I’ve had an X-Pro1 for about 2 years and have been waiting to see whether there would be a 4 (or 5 for the superstitious!). I’ve nearly run out of patience so if I’ve got any money left after Christmas I’ll start looking for a good X-Pro2. Frankly I don’t need whatever a 4/5 would give us. Like so many people I’m almost satisfied with my X-Pro1, and even the AF is adequate for how I use it. An X-Pro2 would keep me happy for many more years.
That’s probably Fujifilm’s problem. There are plenty of people satisfied with the X-Pro they have or can buy for way less than a new model in the series, so they may feel the potential market is too small for what is already fairly niche compared to their SLR style cameras.
I thought I was going to love the X-Pro3 screen. But when I tried it, I just didn’t. I appreciate the willingness of Fujifilm to try something unconventional, but it just wasn’t for me. I’ve talked to people over the last few months who love the camera and you couldn’t pry it out of their hands if you wanted. It’s definitely polarizing, with strong love and also strong dislike.
There is an enduring aspect of the X-Pro line. I can see people using them for not just years, but decades. So it is less “throw away” maybe than other models. With that said, I would bet that there is some level of pent-up demand for the next X-Pro. There’s a lot of new people in the system, plus those who do wish to upgrade their “old” X-Pro, so I’m sure there is enough demand to justify the next iteration.
I do agree that an X-Pro2 would keep me quite happy for several years. I think it was (so far) the best one in the series.
The thing I’d love to see from an X-Pro4: a wider OVF. Not wider-angle, a wider aspect ratio. If it could get wide enough to fit at least the 18mm, realistically the 16mm, or ideally the 14mm when in a 65:24 crop mode, that’d be fantastic. I’m happy with the vertical, but accommodating something more on the horizontal side would be great.
I’ve banged a drum for a long time that a 65:24 TX-1/XPan aspect ratio sensor doesn’t make sense (just crop and make fuller use of the image circle!), but there are a few things that could be done to optimize a 3:2 camera for use in 65:24 crop modes. An OVF that covers more space, allows frame lines for TX-1 crop with much wider lenses than current X-Pro could be really sweet.
An X-Pro 4 with a 40mp XTrans5 sensor and as many optimizations for 65:24 crop use as are practical would be the ideal in my opinion. Making the viewfinders better able to accommodate wider aspect ratios, maybe a physical switch similar to the AFS/AFC/MF switch to click between 65:24, 3:2, and User-selected (choose 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 or such in a menu). The most pie-in-the-sky would be a slightly larger sensor, something like an APS-H that’s a little bigger where the image circle doesn’t quite coverthe corners, but when cropping to 1:1 or 65:24 you can get a bit more width or height out of the image circle.
//
I’m not convinced on a center rangefinder patch. First off, I think an optical RF patch is just a non-starter. Very mechanically complex (driving up costs), but it’d also necessarily have to be a rangefinder-by-wire, and I think it’d have all the awkwardness of manual focus by wire. It’s so easy to turn past the mark when using a focus by wire lens, and there’s a disconnectedness between your action and the change in focus. I’ve been enamored with the idea in the past, but the more I’ve thought about it, the development costs would almost surely be large, and I doubt the ability for execution to be truly worthwhile.
If it’s the EVF patch from the bottom corner just moved to the middle… I think that’d be pretty frustrating, too. It’d be a substantial electronic screen blocking the middle of the OVF, where the subject is. The downside to the status-quo patch placement is that you have to look away to use the peaking or punch in. But it doesn’t block the view, and blocking the view entirely is probably worse than looking away.
Meanwhile, I can’t get the hang of the faux rangefinder or prism modes within the EVF as an alternative to peaking. They don’t behave at all like a rangefinder or a focus prism, and overall much worse than peaking and punching in. Considering that those already feel like the worst ways to manually focus on a Fuji, leaning into that seems like a mistake.
//
I’d love a few more custom buttons. Having a few more lets folks bring up film sims more quickly than the Q button. I think the film sim dial is a fantastic addition to the M5, a pretty good one for the T50. For those, it’s a good fit for the kinds of camera they are, but it’d be the wrong decision on an X-Pro, if only because there’s nowhere to put it. You can pry my EV Compensation dial from my cold, dead hands.
Personally, I have my film recipes ready to go on the little Fn2 button on the front of the camera in the OVF/EVF selector switch. That goes a long way. Getting more buttons for folks to bring up their own most important features is great. I’m sure there’s stuff I never touch that some folks find critical.
I like to put them on the “R-Dial” Fn button, where if you push in on the rear command dial it activates a C1-C7 menu, and then you scroll through by turning the rear command dial wheel. Works really slick. Unfortunately, my X-E4 lacks this feature… that’s where your more buttons idea comes in handy. It’s usually better to have one too many than one too few.
Having just purchased a second x-pro3 ( first one stolen) I’d say OVF is the killer feature, and Fuji will make bank if they implement a zooming OVF – not the dual magnification system that they have used before, but a reimagining of the zooming viewfinders old 35mm zoom point&shoots had. It doesn’t have to be a crazy range, but something like a 28-50mm zoom would be freaking cool. They should keep the excellent OLED EVF for wider/tele lenses, but also completely discard the rear lcd screen altogether for the cool e-ink-screen, and REALLY work on their wireless/wired connectivity-something that Fuji decidedly sucks at. Develop the quality of apps that Leica and Pixii have made. That will have benefits for their entire lineup as well. Basically a better M10D.
The hybrid OVF/EVF is really cool. Anything that Fujifilm can do to improve or even innovate with that would be awesome.
I personally wouldn’t mind having no rear screen. My guess is on a whole it might not be well received on the X-Pro, but neither was the backwards screen to an extent. So perhaps it would be worth trying. I have no idea what they will do, but my best guess would be a screen either like the X-T5 or the X100VI.
I wonder if they would do a monochrome version too. That would be ian interesting addition to the lineup.
I would love it, and I hope they do! 😀
I’ve been shooting Fuji X Pros since Fujifilm sent me an X-Pro 1 and the original lenses in late 2012 to play with. I’ve since owned the 1 and I’m on my third Pro 2 (I drowned one in a canoe flip and wore out the second one). I do the majority of my photojournalism work with a Pro 2. It’s always around my neck. While my Nikons come out for certain work it’s the Fuji that is my workhorse.
I passed on the Pro 3 because I hated the way Fuji handled the rear screen and hipster factor. I’m tough on cameras and knew that flippy screen was a no-go.
I opted to replace my aging Pro 2 with a newer mint used Pro 2. I would jump at an updated Pro 4 if they keep to its roots of simplicity. Keep it simple. Figure out a rear screen with out the hipster factor. And give me clean high-ISO files.
I think the more it is like the X-Pro2, the better; however, I have no idea what they might do with the X-Pro4. I appreciate the input!
If they nail it I’m all in. If they Pro 3 hipster it…meh…The reality is my Pro 2 is still performing so well it’s hard to let go of it. It’s only failure is stage lighting and that’s when my Nikons come out.
My opinion is that the X-Pro2 is the best version; however, I know some very talented photographers who you couldn’t pry their X-Pro3 out of their hands—meaning that they love the X-Pro3 and don’t see it as “hipster” or anything like that. I’m not sure what all of that means for the X-Pro4, but it might just depend on who is in charge of designing it, and who that person listens the most to. I have no idea.
I would like to see the old obsolete JPEG replaced with JPEG-XL and JPEG 2000 with adjustable quality including lossless. It would also be nice to have DNG for raw files. Perhaps standard raw format would result in the availability of more advanced DSP post processing software.
My opinion is that the “old obsolete” JPEG will be around for much longer than JPEG-XL or JPEG 2000, which are unlikely to catch on. If you use the latter two formats, you risk it being very difficult to view your photos in 15-20 years when everyone has moved beyond and largely forgotten those formats. Heck, even now you might have trouble.
After reading the article, I still don’t know when the X Pro4 will be available!!!
Nobody knows, outside of the team that is developing it. My best guess is February/March of next year, but that is only a guess.