It seems that an entry-level mirrorless camera from Fujifilm
is real, and it might be announced soon (before summer in Northern hemisphere). The rumors about the "X-M1"
circulate around the for quite a while.It is expected that the camera will be in class of Olympus E-PL5 or Sony NEX-5, somewhat above the entry level. Note that the cameras in this segment generally do not have fixed screens :) Expect to see tiltable screen...
The current X cameras are very popular. It is reasonable for the company to add product in extremely popular segment of the mirrorless market to compete with cameras such as Olympus E-PL5 or Sony NEX-5. However, Fuji does not have a cheap compact zoom lens for a mid-range market. The available XF18-55mm F2.8-4 lens adds a lot in price, size and weight to the kit, so it wouldn't be cheap, compact or light. In Australia the price of the Olympus E-PL5 single lens kit is essentially identical to price of Fujinon XF18-55mm lens. The same true for Sony NEX-5R. Obviously, Fuji can heavily discount the kit and price it at around $900. Or it might combine it with the new XF55-200mm lens. While it sound odd, it would make an attractive package for me: I am interested in the zoom lens and don't mind to have a spare body. Obviously, I can buy just the lens, but in Australia Fuji has a strange(?) price policy: the X-E1 zoom kit costs ~$150 more than the body, while the lens itself is priced at $730. In other words, buying the kit ($1250) saves over $550, or close to 80% of the lens price. While I am interested in the zoom lens, the current price policy is a very strong demotivator for buying the lens. I'd rather wait or grab it on eBay.
BTW, here is a link to
the official samples from XF55-200mm F55-200 F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens
