This blog post is primarily not a camera review. It is much more a description of the experiences I made with this camera, after having shot almost everything using an analog film camera for almost 3 years. This post shows whether the X100V can complement my Leica M6, what it is like to photograph with it and to whom I can recommend it. I will not go into technical details (you can find them using Google instead).
I have always been an X100 shooter (see my review of this camera here and here). I actually used every X100-iteration except for the first one. I have photographed a lot with these cameras, from weddings , street to the birth of my daughters. In 2017, I sold most of my digital gear and bought a Leica M6, a 35mm lens and a few roll of Tri-X film. It couldn’t be more basic than this setup. You set your ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I fell in love with the simplicity of analog photography, that’s why I am looking for a digital camera that feels exactly like my M6.
First Impressions
When I heard about the announcement of the X100V and saw the first reviews of this camera shortly after, I was deeply impressed. I ordered one in silver. I really have to say that FujiFilm redefined and simplified this camera body close to perfection. I only had a few complaints about the X100F such as the the lack of a true manuals focus lens (something that will probably never come) and the eyepiece, with its soft rubber being a dust magnet. Also, the F had way too many buttons on the back, making the camera look somehow complicated (the M6 showed me what true simplicity is). So Fuji’s bald move to abandon the d-pad made the back look simple again.
Built Quality
The build quality is really good, the camera feels very solid and is a lightweight at the same time. This is great compared to my hefty M6. However, in comparison with the overall build quality of my thirty year old Leica M6, I truly have to give it to Leica. After all this time, my M6 still looks and feels like new and and solid. There is no comparison.
Fuji reworked this camera and made it weather resistant- but you need to seal the lens by adding a filter adapter and an UV-Filter to obtain a fully weather sealed camera. Fuji could not seal the lens of the camera because the front element still extends / retracts. FujiFilm’s own filter adapter and UV filter are quite expensive, third party options also do the job. At the price point of the X100V, this should have been included.
FujiFilm also updated the lens. Many users complained about the fact, that the original X100 lens was quite soft wide open at close focussing distances. Honestly, to me, sharpness is not the most important thing. I do not need my pictures to be ultra sharp. The image quality has always been good with these cameras but of course, the V is a noticeable improvement over the F.
In Use
I’ve shot this camera as my everyday carry. I’ve taken it with me everywhere, from shooting family pictures around the house and indoors, roaming the streets in Ulm, on a Family trip to Hamburg, to a #blacklivesmatter demonstration and a wedding party.
Although I would not have thought to see it, the dynamic range of the sensor was noticeably improved compared to the X100F.
The X100V delivers, it is very light and small. Making it easy to take it everywhere. The Leica on the other hand is much more heavy. It’s also (depending on the lens) noticeably bigger. The V is way more comfortable to be carried all day.
I shoot it mostly with the OVF over the EVF, way more that with on any of its predecessors. I read somewhere that Fuji updated the viewfinder, I can’t really tell but maybe that’s the reason I prefer using the OVF now. I also customized the OVF it to be as simple as my viewfinder of the M6- just the frame lines and that’s it.
I mostly use this camera with auto settings, this is somehow liberating after shooting everything manually for such a long time. I can just focus on getting the picture, take the camera to my eye without adjusting the shutter speed and aperture setting every time.
So depending on your purpose and what to shoot, the V is mostly the easiest choice.
The overall shooting experience is excellent! The only gripe I see is the complicated menu system.
I know the Fuji Menus ever since the X-T1 era. But every since the X100F, the menu system started to get way more complicated and bloated. There are so much features and menu points packed into this camera, that it took me quite some time to fully set up the camera.
This time, I also saved a lot custom presses. For inspiration, I found a very cool blog where you can get film recipes that look like vintage film. This is actually a huge deal for me! I am a big fan of consistency, I want my black and white and color pictures to look like the films I shoot.
My favorite is the TriX-simulation. It looks so good and really like TriX to my eyes! Another cool simulation is Fuji Superia 100. In fact, all pictures in this review are made using the aforementioned TriX simulation for the black and white pictures and the Superia simulation for the color pictures. Generally, I end up by just using the jpg-files out of the camera. I still shoot raw, but just as a backup if I mess up the exposure. This simplifies the workflow of my digital shooting massively. It’s so time saving and quick, the exact difference of shooting film. This is a welcome thing, but in general, I enjoy the process behind shooting film so much more. It starts with the excitement when you don’t get to see the pictures you’ve taken until you develop the film. Printing in the darkroom also adds too this experience. This is of course highly subjective and I can’t blame the V for this. In fact, you can configure the V by switching off the LCD and I you like, shooting it manually to behave like an analog camera.
Conclusion
I can highly recommend this camera. It’s a great all-round camera and due to it’s compact size, an easy carry around. It’s still a Swiss-Army-Knife camera for me. You can shoot everything with it! The build quality is also great and it’s simply a joy to use. The only thing that is still on my wishlist is a true manual focus lens.
The V complements my Leica M6 in every respect. In fact, it’s a digital sibling to my Leica. With the X100V, I found the perfect digital companion! I consider myself lucky to be able to choose between these 2 excellent cameras. With film, I mainly document my family- people which are the closest to me. When I want to shoot on the streets, travel, want to experiment or simply don’t have the time to develop and scan / print film, I prefer the little Fuji.
I would always recommend this camera to people, who just start with photography and of course, to people who want a simple and small camera and can live with a fixed 35 mm lens.
If you already have the X100F and simply want to upgrade, I don’t think it’s worth forking out so much money. The F was and is still a Great Performer! To me, the lens update, the new tilting screen and also the addition of weather resistance of the X100V are not really worth it spending so much money. If I haven’t sold my X100F, I would still be shooting with it.
Below, I added some more pictures. Thanks for reading and happy shooting!
