Fujifilm X100VI First Impressions
An exclusive look at the much-hyped lifestyle camera
It’s called the Fujifilm X100VI. And in case you’re wondering, that’s pronounced “eX one-hundred six” because Roman numerals are still a thing. It’s the successor to the X100V and introduces a handful of upgrades designed to iterate on an already great camera.
What’s New?
You now have a 40MP APS-C X-Trans Sensor, the same one you’d find in the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-H2. There’s also in-body image stabilization now, which should compensate for all that coffee you can’t stop drinking. We also see an upgrade to the X-Processor 5 that brings along several software updates but most notably, a substantial upgrade to autofocus performance and subject tracking from the previous version. And something that I’m happy to see, the inclusion of the new Reala Ace film simulation that was introduced with the Fujifilm GFX 100 II last year.
Looking at the body, you’d have to get closer to actually spot the differences. At 521g, it feels slightly heavier. There’s a tiny design change to the front toggle switch. And overall, the camera is just a smidge thicker. Other than that, not much different. You get the same lens, the same flash, the same ND-filter, the same hybrid viewfinder, the same tilting display, and even the same battery.
So, if we take all the upgrades with what’s being carried over from the predecessor, what can you expect for the photographer’s experience? Well, I decided to spend a few weeks across several environments to find out.
What Will People Enjoy?
What makes this camera so enjoyable to use is how effortless it feels in the hand. At well under 600g, it’s light and starts to feel like more of an extension of your hand. You don’t have to fight it to take a photo. You have direct access to the key photography settings and something I’ve said in the past, it’s a layout like this makes for an easier path to learning photography.
What reinforces the “enjoyment-loop” of this camera are the film simulations. I decided to revisit my recipes and create a new set for my current tastes and yea, it’s still fun to craft a unique look in camera. While I’ll always have a RAW copy for serious work, a good recipe makes the JPEG plenty good for sharing casually.
The new Reala Ace film simulation is based on the (now discontinued) colour negative film stock of the same name and it’s definitely worth experimenting with. Like I said in my GFX 100 II video, this one has a good amount of contrast but offers a more neutral colour palette compared to the standard colour profile. It serves as a versatile starting point to create a new recipe.
Like I mentioned before, this camera brings over the same sensor you’d find in the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-H2. At 40MP, you have plenty of resolution and if you’re asking me, more resolution than an X100VI customer will ever need. This sensor should deliver incredible results and even fair well in some professional environments. Whether it’s for BTS work or tackling the actual shot list, you have an extremely capable sensor and processor that’ll keep up in all kinds of environments. I’m looking forward to really test-driving the RAW files for an upcoming review.
I hope we see tethering support soon, but what's arguably better is that this camera offers Frame.IO support. You can build out a solution on set where this camera is capturing images and transferring them to the cloud, where your team can be reviewing the files and adding notes almost instantaneously. Really cool sh*t.
What Do I Love?
Now, I might be in the minority here but love using the optical viewfinder on this camera. I see the world with zero latency where I can use the parallax-corrected frame lines to anticipate my subject. And most of all, it just makes for a shooting experience that I enjoy. But here’s the thing, you still get the option to use the electronic viewfinder if that’s what you enjoy. Or the back LCD if that’s feels more comfortable. Or the hybrid options that’s an optical window with a tiny EVF display if you’re a psychopath.
A key benefit of the 40MP sensor is that you can crop or skew your image and still have a good amount of resolution and detail to left over for post-processing. A camera like this will land well with customers that often need to realign buildings or landscapes in post.
What makes the X100 series extra special is that you have this leaf shutter system with a 4-stop neutral density filter and a built-in flash. It’s just three things but together, they exponentially improve what a camera can do and you start to wish it was included with every camera on the market. It’s like when the British discovered chilli, saffron, and turmeric. There was no going back.
If it’s too bright outside and you wanna wider aperture, toggle the ND filter to cut the light. If your subject is moving really quick and you wanna freeze the moment, turn on the flash because it’ll work at any shutter speed. If you’re 100 hours into Hogwarts Legacy and starting another play through as Hufflepuff, for the love of god please touch grass. The X100VI can’t solve every problem but when it comes to photography, it gives you just about everything you need.
What About Accessories?
There’s been a healthy ecosystem of accessories built for the X100 series and many of you will be happy to know that anything that worked with the X100V will work with the X100VI. Something that everyone should invest in right away is the filter ring adapter and a filter of some kind. These additions are necessary if you want to complete the weather resistance of the camera.
You can use the digital converter in the camera to punch in for a 50mm or 70mm equivalent perspective. But if this is your only camera, you should consider the wide- or teleconverters. If you’re asking me, 35mm is still the GOAT but some people might want a 28mm option in the field. Or a 50mm perspective without a digital crop. These pieces do a great job to just bring more value to an already capable camera.
Oh, and just add a second battery to the cart if you’re buying this camera. The battery life has slightly improved but with how much you’ll be using this thing, you’ll need a second battery for those long photography days.
What About Video?
If you’re asking me, this is more of a photo camera than even a hybrid solution but that didn’t stop Fujifilm from including some robust video features. You can shoot up to 6.2K video at 30P. If you’re gonna capture short clips that may be resized for different resolutions and orientations, this is a feature that’ll prove to be useful.
As with most modern Fujifilm cameras, you can capture in F-Log or F-Log2 depending on what works best. And Fujifilm is claiming that you can get up to 13 stops of dynamic range in the best case scenario.
The in-body image stabilization promises up to 6-stops of compensation which should make video capture smoother in the field. Or going back to the photos for a second where I think this really shines, being able to capture a steady shot at a tenth of a second. You have a mic jack, micro-HDMI, and USB-C that can double as a headphone port with the right adapter. Basically you have all the ports you need to flesh this into a video capture tool if you really wanted to. Or, just use it as a webcam.
Do I believe that most X100VI customers are gonna be capturing a serious amount of video on this camera to warrant these features? I don’t think so. But it sure looks good on the spec sheet. And for those that do take the time to play with the Log files and develop their skills to expose correctly in the field, you can create some truly stunning clips. It takes a bit of work but there’s no denying that these files can deliver exceptional moments.
What About Inventory?
One of the questions I asked Fujifilm was about how they’re tackling availability; will people be able to easily pick one of these up considering how hard it was to get the previous model after it went viral. And well, I got the answer that any company would provide: they’re doing everything they can to ensure they can meet the demand of their customers.
For what it’s worth, these cameras are now being made in China instead of Japan, and I imagine that’s a decision made to address supply issues with the previous versions.
Another thing that’s gonna help supply is the price. This camera noticeably more expensive than the previous model and it’s just gonna price out some people. Or it might push some to consider another Fujifilm camera with an interchangeable lens mount. Or even drive some people to the used market. Basically, if you’re one of those shut-up-and-take-my-money types, this is a camera should be more available than before. Theoretically.
What Are Your Thoughts?
In my long-term review of the Fujifilm X100V, I called it the perfect companion camera where it just keeps photography fun. And now, there’s a lot to be excited about with this new version. On paper, it’s simply a better X100V and that’s gonna make a lot of people happy.
But I can also hear the die-hards and skeptics arguing that Fujifilm didn’t do enough.
I’ve shared my first impressions and in my upcoming review, I wanna explore what this camera means for the market, test how the UHS-I card slot impacts performance, push the limits of video production, and ultimately, just figure out who’s gonna benefit most from a camera like this.
But until then, let me know what you think about this camera in the comments below. Did Fujifilm do enough to secure your pre-order? Or are you planning more of a wait-and-see approach? I’m genuinely curious how you perceive this camera.
New February Contest!
Each month, I run a contest for the Church & Street community and try to feature something that I think people will appreciate.
For February, I’ll be giving away a one-year subscription to Capture One Pro. Yes, an entire year of Capture One Pro on me! This is the image editor that I’ve relied on for years and the one I recommend for active photographers.
How am I picking the winner? All you have to do is be a member of this community and leave a comment on this post. As with every contest, I’ll be randomly picking one person, confirming they meet the requirements and then contacting them directly before announcing the winner publicly.
Once again, this contest is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!
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What’s Next?
I’m not gonna lie, putting all this X100VI material together was difficult. Early into the production, I was hit with a personal matter that really changes how the rest of the year will shake out. But as I started finalizing my deliverables, I was just reminded how grateful I am to have such a great team around me.
I’ve said it before, creativity is a team sport. It takes work but when you put yourself out there and develop a community that you can collaborate with, it really helps to push you further, and especially through challenging times.
I’ll also say, I owe you a thanks as well. To have a community of people supporting my work gives me purpose and makes me want to keep inching forward. Wrapping up this project gave me something to sink my teeth into and it brings me joy that you’re enjoying it.
Anyway, that’s enough for this week. Stay tuned for some more cool stories in the weeks to come. See ya next time!
GB
Great write-up 🙌 The X100 is now a more serious competitor to the Leica Q system, which is great in my book. The improvements are all expected though. Even without the leaks most of us would have guessed pretty much all of these. Would have been nice if Fujifilm had included a kicker feature of sorts. Something on top of what the camera needed to be. What I've always wished for it's proper parametric RGB curves in camera. That shouldn't be too hard to do and it would set fire to the recipe community, which is really where this camera belongs.
Still a great upgrade! Me, I'm waiting on the X-E5.
Nice review but it just makes me envious in wanting mone to come through on a back pre order in the uk It looks a great cane ta I have the V - so really wanting the 6 now.