There was Fujifilm's X100V The A toy that has been owned for the past two years (Thanks, TikTok) and the company has now released its successor 40.2-megapixel X100 VI, with major improvements across the board. Keeping the same retro form, it offers super fast shooting speed, body stabilization, 6.2K 30p video and more.
The X100VI looks similar to the previous model, with the same styling and control positions. Taking a lot of styling cues from Leica's famous rangefinder cameras, the series evolved as a street photography camera. So, it doesn't have the world's best ergonomics, but at 521 grams it's light, sensible to shoot and can slip into a jacket pocket.
Fujifilm opted to go with the much larger X-H2, which has the same 40.2-megapixel (MP) APS-C sensor, a significant increase in resolution over the X100V. A camera with a wide-angle fixed with a 23mm f/2.0 lens (35mm full-frame equivalent) – I think it's a smart choice because it has more cropping options. The price may be a small drop in low light sensitivity.
Another big new feature on the X100VI is built-in 5-axis stabilization with 6 stops of shake reduction. Given the X100VI's compact body, this is an unexpected but welcome feature, and should be a big help for street photographers to capture candid shots on the fly.
The X100V retains the same 3.69-million-dot hybrid optical viewfinder and 1.62-million-dot LCD display, but the latter now tilts downward an additional 15 degrees to make shooting from above easier. It retains the same battery as before (CIPA rated for 300 shots) and, unfortunately, the same slow UHS-I card slot.
The X100VI still shoots at 11fps with the mechanical shutter and 20fps in electronic mode, but Fujifilm says the autofocus is faster and more capable. It now offers the company's latest tracking and face/eye detection, animal/vehicle and other types of object detection.
Image quality should be improved with the added resolution and lower native 125 ISO. And since the camera's newfound social media popularity is based on film simulation methods, the camera has 20 built-in modes, including a new one called RealA Ace, designed to deliver “faithful color reproduction and contrast toning.”
Finally, one doesn't usually think of video when it comes to this series, but the X100VI is surprisingly capable in a small compact. It can shoot 6.2K video at up to 30fps, 4K at up to 60fps and 1080p at up to 240fps. You get 10-bit f-lock and f-lock2 recording, which is shockingly good for a compact, photo-focused camera with a fixed lens. The only downside is relatively low data rates (200Mbps max) due to slower cards, but you can capture ProRes to an external recorder.
Fujifilm's X100VI is now available for pre-order in silver or black for $1,600, with shipping scheduled for early March 2024. The company is offering a special edition “embossed with the corporate brand logo founded by Fujifilm in 1934” for $2,000. Like other recent models it has promised to reduce the longevity of the previous model by making it in China.
