Fujifilm will make smaller, lighter and cheaper medium format GFX cameras to become a mainstream product

Cinema5D interviewed Fujifilm General Manager Toshi Iida - here is the recap from FujiAddict:

Coronavirus COVID-19

Toshi Iida is really sorry for the loss of people from COVID-19 and how it is affecting events like the Olympics that photographers work during and he hopes there is a swift recovery
Toshi Iida thinks we will return to some normalcy, but can’t be sure how long it will take
Fujifilm was first impacted at their China manufacturing site in early February, which was followed by an impact on demand
At the moment they are focusing on keeping their product development going
Fujifilm is working hard to overcome the situation with their own effort
At first, Fujifilm had to extend the Chinese new year by command of the gov
Then Fujifilm’s factory went back to normal by gov order

X-T4

Fujifilm originally intended to produce all X-T4 in China starting February due to the extreme demand
If you’re making something for the mass market China is the best place to produce a product
Fujifilm is worried about actual demand being affected by this situation
The preorders are still strong though so there are customers waiting for the X-T4
There are some warehouse issues they are working around, but most people can buy online still
With the X-T4 they have not seen preorders canceled yet
Fujifilm employees haven’t been asked to stay home in general because Toshi Iida thinks as a manufacture Fujifilm needs to continue to innovate rapidly
XT-3 was on the market for 1.5 years and X-T4 was developed rapidly to add IBIS and a bigger battery because those were the only complaints about the otherwise well-received X-T3
The rapid turn around was based on R&D time
X-H1 IBIS was too big and the IBIS in the X-T4 is 20%-30% smaller and lighter
X-T4 IBIS also required a new shutter be developed too
X-T4 also had a new longer life battery developed for it
So IBIS, the new shutter, and longer battery life should all be enough to make photographers happy
The Fujifilm X-T3 will still be produced and sold
Some customers would prefer the X-T3 at a lower price point than X-T4
The 6.5 stop IBIS unit was the most difficult thing to develop for X-T4
The X-T3 IBIS is better than the X-H1 IBIS in every day even though it is smaller and lighter

GFX

Medium format is the full-frame format for Fujifilm
Fujifilm is well aware of the dropping price point of full-frame, but that is why they have the GFX50R
Fujifilm is trying to make medium format GFX cameras that are small, lighter, and more affordable to become a mainstream product

Video

Fujifilm is a later comer to video with the X-T3 and the X-T4 is an attempt to further catch up
Fujifilm’s journey will never end and they are listening and adding more for filmmakers and videographers
Fujifilm has a lot of very high-quality broadcast lenses that they use the technology from in their MK and GF/XF lenses
They get a lot of requests for an anamorphic lens, but they just introduced the cine zoom Premista lenses and they are selling well so maybe in the future