Fujifilm announces the X100VI, its follow-up to a TikTok sensation

Fujifilm’s X100V grew to become so wildly standard that it felt just like the digital camera was endlessly backordered at each digital camera retailer round. On the secondary market, costs for the rangefinder-style mirrorless digital camera shot up into actually foolish territory after it had a giant viral second on TikTok. The X100V was so in demand that Fujifilm might’ve taken the simple route for a successor and nonetheless been assured to have successful on its palms.

The brand new mannequin, being introduced at present, seems to be virtually the identical on the surface, however the X100VI consists of significant enhancements that may make it a extra succesful digital camera — in way more taking pictures environments — than any earlier entrant within the X100 sequence. The flip facet to these upgrades is that the value has climbed by $200 to a brand new MSRP of $1,599. That’s not far off from the X-T5, however the two cameras serve very totally different functions: the X-T5 is an interchangeable lens system, whereas right here, you’re getting a 23mm f/2 mounted lens.

Just like the X-T5 and X-H2 earlier than it, the X100VI has jumped as much as a 40-megapixel sensor, which supplies larger cropping leeway and enhancing flexibility. Having extra decision to work with is nice and all, however a extra spectacular improve is that Fujifilm has constructed in-body picture stabilization (IBIS) into this digital camera. You stand up to 6 stops of stabilization assist for these situations the place you wish to preserve the shutter pace as sluggish as potential whereas preserving picture sharpness.

However Fujifilm hasn’t upgraded all the pieces. The X100VI sticks with a UHS-1 SD card slot — fairly sluggish for a digital camera this costly — and it makes use of the identical battery because the X100V fairly than the bulkier (and far longer-lasting) battery that’s current within the firm’s different fashions. The latter alternative was made to protect the X100VI’s general dimension (it’s only a bit thicker), but it surely means you’ll wish to have a spare battery readily available everytime you’ll be out taking pictures for a full day. The digital viewfinder and rear LCD even have the identical resolutions as final time, at 3.69 million and 1.62 million dots, respectively. You continue to have the liberty to decide on both the optical viewfinder, EVF, or a hybrid of the 2 when taking pictures, and the X100VI continues to supply an inner four-stop impartial density filter when wanted.

Fujifilm has outfitted the X100VI with its newest X-Processor 5, which makes the brand new digital camera “virtually” twice as quick because the X100V. Together with the pace increase, you’re getting much-improved autofocus that makes use of the corporate’s newest algorithms for topic detection. And the X100VI will come loaded with 20 Fujifilm movie simulations, together with the Reala Ace sim that was beforehand unique to one of many firm’s dear medium format cameras. Ask any Fujifilm shooter, they usually’ll let you know one of many firm’s core strengths is JPEG processing: there are total web sites dedicated to tweaking these movie sims and getting the very best straight-out-of-camera outcomes.

As for its development, not a lot has modified: the X100VI has an aluminum physique designed to resist some bumps and go in all places with you. However as earlier than, you’ll must outfit the lens with Fujifilm’s sold-separately adapter ring and protecting filter to attain true climate resistance. In a departure from its made-in-Japan predecessor, the X100VI will observe different latest Fujifilm cameras in making the change to China-based manufacturing. Some would possibly view this digital camera as having much less images “mystique” in consequence — there’s a ton of historical past and heritage to cameras being produced in Japan — however shifting the method to China ought to permit the corporate to get many, many extra X100VIs off the meeting line and into digital camera retailers.

The X100VI will likely be accessible in silver or black and is anticipated to start out transport in early March. Alongside the usual mannequin, Fujifilm will launch an extraordinarily limited-edition model of the digital camera that’s “engraved with the company model emblem from Fujifilm’s founding in 1934.” Priced at $1,999, “every unit bears a novel serial quantity,” and the corporate says “these numbered X100VI items are packaged in a particular, soft-release field that features a particular strap and Fujifilm historical past playing cards.” You’ll solely be capable of order the LE immediately from Fujifilm.

If the X100V is any indication, there’s going to be a ton of curiosity on this digital camera. For anybody keen to discover ways to use them, the X100VI’s dials and handbook controls supply a wonderful reprieve from auto-everything smartphone taking pictures and the rising prevalence of computational images. And people Fujifilm JPEG colours are simply nearly as good as individuals say. Keep tuned for extra impressions from each Becca Farsace and myself within the weeks forward.