Hands On with the Fujifilm X100V
In 2011, Fujifilm released the first X100 camera. Many of us fell in love with it’s retro styling, it’s small form factor and of course the look of the images, and film simulations.
While I was intrigued at the X100, it wasn’t until the X100S came out in 2013, that I made the leap into the Fujifilm system. With the X100S there was a newer sensor and a variety of improvements from the original that sold me.
To this day, I still use that X100S as a walk around camera, as a street photography camera, as a travel camera. I love having a robust camera, that fits in my pocket, without a doubt.
Today Fujifilm announced the newest X100 camera, the X100V. I was super lucky and was able to get a little hands-on time with this camera before the announcement and have to say, I’m ready to upgrade from my X100S.
As someone fully immersed in the Fujifilm system, I’ve invested in other bodies like the X-T1 and X-T2, the X-T2 being my workhorse, I haven’t always thought on upgrading my X100S. But now, I’m ready.
Some of my fave features in this update include:
Fujinon 23mm f/2 II Lens:
The sharpness of this updated lens seems really great. I haven't had a chance to do a side by side test against the original 23mm f/2, but at a glance, I see a fab improvement.
ISO Dial Changes: The ISO Dial now clicks into place as you shift the number, instead of having to hold up the dial while you move it. It just makes the flow of shifting ISO a little easier.
Tilt Screen: I’m pretty sure people have been asking for this for ages on this series and now it’s here. It’s a two-way tilt screen, great for street photography, allowing you to “shoot from the hip” a bit, if that’s your style.
Simplification of Buttons: So yes, the D-Pad many of us are used to, has gone. The back of the camera has a simpler to use setup. You’ll find the Q button readily accessible on the rear/right grip. Once I set up a few things, like “My Menu” and the Function button on the top, to my go-to options, I quickly adjusted to using the X100V without the D-Pad. The joystick is so multi-functional, the ease of use is smooth.
A Deeper Peek at ISO
One of the things I did while I was working with this camera was push about the ISO a bit. I found myself at Pike Place Market, in Seattle, around dusk and decided it was a great opportunity to see what the higher ISO results may be.
Many cameras today have ISO ranges that push into the tens of thousands and beyond but I find for the most part, the results at those numbers isn’t always great. On my X100S I found a happy place, for photographing things like night markets at around 1600 ISO. With the X100V, I was really pleased to see awesome results at 6400. Below is a sample image, captured near Pike Place with a zoom in at 100% to see the detail. Bear in mind, this is a JPG (too!).
Versatility
For me one of the most enjoyable things about working with this camera, is the diversity of use. Does it have a fixed lens, yes.
When it comes to photography I’m a mover, I like to wander around and seek out different views of things and a fixed lens always helps push me.
Also it’s so small!
Having a camera in this line up is a great way to have something portable, robust and feature packed.
A Tour of Seattle, through the lens...
Here are a series of images I captured around Seattle, over my time with the camera. From the streets to landscapes to food, so much to see and do.
Where to Buy!
You may be ready to get yours today, unfortunately we all have to wait a little bit as they aren't quite available for purchase yet.
However you could Pre-Order one today! I love to support my local camera store, so I'll be getting mine at Glazer's! Where will you get yours?
About the Images
Images of Seattle were captured on the Fujifilm X100V. These are JPGs, straight from camera. On a few images I did some minor edits. I did use a few of my fave Film Simulations like: Classic Chrome, Classic Neg and Acros (Red, most often). I look forward to seeing the RAW files once Adobe / Capture One are ready to process them. With that said, the JPGs, look really fabulous!
Images of the X100V were captured on the Fujifilm X-T2.