Fujifilm has just rolled out a new firmware update for three of its most popular cameras – the X-T5, X-T50 and X100VI.
If you check the official release notes, you’ll find just one line: "Minor bugs have been fixed." That’s all. No specifics. No details. Nothing to suggest whether you should update immediately or wait it out.
On its own, that’s already frustrating. But the timing makes it even more interesting because this minor patch is following hot on the heels of a larger firmware update Fujifilm pushed out just last week. That one was a security-focused update with menu optimizations and system tweaks. It was a significant update, even if it didn’t bring shiny new features. And now, only days later, we get a silent follow-up fix.
That’s a pattern, and not a great one.
It’s starting to feel like firmware is being shipped before it’s fully baked. Fujifilm isn’t alone here by any means. Nikon’s done it, Sony too, but the pace at which these quick fixes are showing up suggests that testing might be getting trimmed short in the rush to ship.
And for those of us who use these cameras every day, that puts us in an awkward spot: update and risk new bugs, or wait and risk missing important fixes?
Let’s be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with fast iteration. Bugs happen, and manufacturers reacting quickly is a good thing. But what’s frustrating is the lack of transparency. If a firmware update says "minor bugs have been fixed", what does that mean? Are we talking about something that affects autofocus accuracy? Image write speeds? Bluetooth pairing? Or something obscure that 0.1% of users ever noticed?
Without detail, the entire decision falls on the user. If your X-T5, X-T50, or X100VI has been behaving itself since the last update, you might hesitate to install this one. Why risk stability if you don’t even know what’s being fixed? And if you have noticed something weird lately, you have no way of knowing if this patch is aimed at your problem.
Firmware updates used to feel like trust. Like your camera was getting smarter over time. Now they feel a bit more like dice rolls.
To Fujifilm’s credit, the company has built one of the most passionate and loyal user bases in the photography world, myself included. Fujifilm shooters tend to be engaged and not shy about giving feedback. That’s a strength. But part of that trust comes from transparency, and these vague updates chip away at that.
The takeaway? If everything’s working fine, it might be worth sitting this one out until the community has more feedback. If your camera’s been acting up, this could be your fix, but you're installing it blind. Either way, this is another reminder that camera firmware, once an afterthought, now plays a major role in the shooting experience.
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