Fujifilm X-T1 firmware update to bring a host of AF goodies

Fujifilm's weather hardy X-T1 is more than a year old, but that doesn't mean it has gone out of fashion. Especially not after this promised update coming in late June that will bring the digital camera forward to 2015. While it promises improvements across the board, Fujifilm is making it no secret that the bulk of the update will revolve around a new autofocus system that adds two new modes, Zone and Wide/Tracking, that will let the X-T1 easily catch up even with fast moving subjects.

The Fujifilm X-T1 already has a fast and accurate 49 point system but there's always room for more, especially when you're talking about fast moving subjects. 77 AF points are not at users' disposal and how they use them depends on the mode that camera is set to. With Zone mode, users can pick 3x3, 5x3, or 5x5 zones. This zone is where the camera will focus, no pun intended, its attention on, which makes it easier to track moving things.

With Wide and Tracking modes, the area of focus is identified using the 77 AF points and the subject is tracked across that entire 77-point area.

Still in the realm of AF systems, the X-T1 will get a new Eye Eetection AF feature in the upgrade, which will make it easier for photographers to focus on the eyes to pull off certain effects.

Aside from AF, the new firmware will also add finer controls to options, like Exposure Compensation even when the camera is set to manual exposure. The "Silent" mode has also been renamed to "Sound & Flash Off" to make it clear that you can use this mode for those sneaky shots.

The Fujifilm X-T1 firmware version 4.00 upgrade is set to roll out starting late June and will be available for free to the X-T1 and X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition models.

SOURCE: Fujifilm