A few weeks ago, I wrote about a development in the world of JPEG engines that made me think of the possibilities a good in camera development system could provide. Today, after shooting a local St. Patrick’s Day celebration, I have ACROS burned in to my head. I have always been a RAW shooter, but with my Fuji cameras, I usually shoot RAW+JPEG to see how their engine interpreted a scene.
I’m still getting the hang of the X-Pro 2, but using the EVF and looking at ACROS through the EVF for several hours made me consider an interesting possibility. The overwhelmingly positive response to ACROS might one day lead to a monochrome X-Pro type camera with an ACROS tonal signature.
This wouldn’t be the first time Fuji has tweaked their sensor for a nitch market. The Fujifilm X-T1 IR has a very limited market and is largely marketed to law enforcement. Modifying the X-Pro 2 sensor for black and white would not be very difficult, and we know there is a market for monochrome cameras. After all, Leica has successfully released two generations of their expensive luxury monochrome cameras to rave reviews.
ACROS has sparked an interest in me that did not exist before, and it’s making me want a more advanced monochrome experience that as of this time can only be found in very expensive/specialized cameras. I have used so many digital cameras over the years now that I have begun to look at them like they are bodies with film baked in, and it would be nice to be able to own a body where I can change the digital film or at least be able to buy a body with color or B&W digital film baked in. I could always swap my M240 for a Monochrome, but I would rather own a color and monochrome X-Pro, since owning a color and monochrome M would be ludicrously expensive.
If you think the possibility is far-fetched look, at how heavily Fuji borrows from Leica. Their aperture ring, viewfinder, rangefinder body, menu structure, dials, and yes, even the new focusing numb, which could come directly off the Q or SL, are all Leica inspired. So, why not produce a premium monochrome X-Pro with ACROS tonality baked in? Fuji is currently the only company trying to out Leica, Leica. They should take advantage of the opportunity to grow, while Canon and Nikon are still absent from the serious mirrorless camera market. I have used every high-end mirrorless camera on the market, and Fuji/Leica are the only companies pushing professional mirrorless photography forward.