“V”, as in X100V and by the way it’s the 3rd letter in the word “LoVe”! Now it ain’t my intention to try explain what love is here, so let’s just head over to Merriam Webster (dictionary). They got a fitting definition I’d like to share with y’all: Love is … “a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties”. Another? Ok, so in this case it ain’t a person, but it’s the X100V! Please check out my user review, tips & recommended settings below after nearly 4 weeks of extensive use:
Twin lamps’ shadows, captured on Fuji X100F with 23mm F/2 @F/8, 1/350 sec, 160 ISO
See the picture above? Somehow I never seem to find that kind of images (or should I say the image found me? ;-) when using my exchangeable lens cameras (X-Pro2, X-H1, GFX 50R, etc.) … Maybe it’s the increased creativity spawned by the X100V’s limitation to one lens only or its smallness & unobtrusiveness? Whatever. Look at the image below, another example. OK, I do concede this kinda images don’t qualify as artistic masterpieces by any measure, but they do elicit a strong emotion in me, which most of my other, documentary style photography don’t. It’s somehow got something to do with how the X100 series cameras influence my approach to photography: These little cameras make you want to try out new things. Their fixed focal length animates you to experiment with light & shadows, perspective & point of view, rather than fussing around with focal lengths. You start to intensely feel the world around you, rather than just taking pictures of it. The whole experience is similar to the impressionist painting style: Impressionists like Claude Monet, or Pierre-Auguste Renoir are known for their flurried brushstrokes, they paint the scene as if they had only glanced at it for a moment. It’s just a quick, spontaneous “impression”. That spontaneity is also the core attribute that justifies the X100 series’ value for me! Below another surreal motif which captured my fancy. It’s defined by the stark contrast of the puddle’s inky blackness vs. the bright white pillars - looks like the black puddle is “leaking” from those pillars:
Pillar puddle, seen by Fuji X100V with 23mm F/2 @F/8, 1/80 sec, 200 ISO, -1 EV
Fuji’s original X100 launched in Feb 2011. It went on to become a game changer in the world of photography, mainly due to its promise of “A compact take-everywhere-with-you camera with pro-level image quality output”. Despite its undeniable (retro) charm it did however have several quirks and bugs, many of which were subsequently solved by numerous firmware updates. Since then Fuji has also launched several camera upgrades, all of which have since accompanied me for parts of my photographic life, building the aforementioned “kinship” & “personal ties” in my opening “Love” statement: After the initial X100 came the X100S = “second”, X100T = “third”, X100F = “fourth” and now, after 9 years Fuji’s fifth iteration called X100V is here (the Roman numeral “V” indicating the “fifth”)
Below night image benefitted from using the X100V’s tilting rear LCD screen. I could unobtrusively frame the image properly and wait for the right moment before firing the shutter:
Nightly bistro rendezvous, observed by Fuji X100V with 23mm F/2 II @F/2.8, 1/40 sec, 6400 ISO
The X100V is the one, which in my opinion finally fulfils the original X100 model’s promise, due to following 5 major upgrades:
Weather Resistance (provided the lens is protected by a good UV filter attached to the AR-X100 adaptor ring): Finally this gives me the peace of mind to really always have the camera with me & take photos in all conditions (hey, usually that’s when you find the best images!)
Articulating LCD Screen: Finally the LCD screen can be tilted. In combination with the X100V’s fast autofocus this allows me to discreetly & unobtrusively snap quick pictures from the hip while remaining in full control of image composition & lighting (no more guesswork). The slightly lower point of view also results in a more pleasing perspective in people shots. Raise the camera to your eye? People notice immediately & gone is the spontaneity!
Significantly Improved version II Lens: Honestly I was never unhappy with the X100 series’ original 23mm F/2 lens: But it’s definitively no match for the improved 23mm F/2 version II on the X100V! At max. aperture it’s already sharp over the full frame! And there’s no more close focus softness nor weird lens flare patterns around bright highlights
More Intuitive ISO Dial (and user interface in general): This may be a small change technically but it completely transforms the usability, as you can now leave the ISO ring in the lifted (unlocked) position & fluidly change ISO w/o needing to take the camera from your eye!
Beautifully Designed & High Quality Sleek Housing: Ok, so this one don’t really influence your images but the latest iteration of this camera feels so solid & looks so beautiful, especially the silver version - you just can’t put it down anymore & constantly need to take photos … ;-)
There’s one more upgrade which is the slightly higher resolution BSI (Back Side Illuminated) X-Trans IV sensor with 26MP and 160 base ISO vs. the previous 24MP X-Trans III sensor with 200 base ISO. However I can’t really see a big difference here so for me this one don’t really qualify as a substantial upgrade … The new sensor even demonstrates slightly higher noise levels at higher ISO’s, but you really need to look very closely to see the difference, see below example taken at 1600 ISO - still perfectly OK if you ask me:
Grey vase found by Fuji X100V with 23mm F/2 @F/2.8, 1/40 sec, 1600 ISO
Unfortunately there are also 2 “downgrades” compared to the X100F which I’m not so happy about:
1. NO infinity target indicator box in the OVF (Optical ViewFinder) when using “Corrected AF Frame”:
This means you lose any indication of where your AF target box will be at distances larger than your current focal position, making AF focussing using the OVF less predictable: No way of knowing to where the AF target box will jump when refocussing from near to far. If you’re at a point A on a map and you don’t know how far away point B is, how’re you supposed to know when you’ve passed 1/3, 1/2 or 2/3 of the distance toward point B? On the X100F the always visible near & far target boxes make it more easier to judge!
2. Missing D-Pad: This is partly mitigated by the ability to use gesture swipes on the rear LCD touch panel
To be fair the X100V’s EVF has a higher resolution compared to the X100F (3.69 mln dots vs. 2.36 mln dots) & it offers a more smooth viewing experience than the EVF on the X100F. Below image was composed by using the EVF (I needed the precise limit of the frame on the right side to exclude a building crane from intruding into the image & I didn’t want to have to crop afterwards … ;-)
Early morning sun on town house façade, Fuji X100V with 23mm F/2 @F/8, 1/680, 320 ISO
OK, so I can live with those lesser downsides. Not to forget there are still 2 big benefits inherent to the X100 series compared to other mirrorless cameras: A super quiet leaf shutter allowing flash sync up to 1/4000 sec shutter speed and a built in (4 stop) ND filter
In overall I gotta say that the above mentioned improvements make the X100V the most significant upgrade of the whole X100 series ever (from my point of view). The X100V finally fulfils the brave promise of Fuji’s original X100: A compact, always with you everywhere camera delivering pro-level image quality. So, how about some images of brick walls to demonstrate that “pro-level image quality”? Sorry, I ain’t a brick wall photographer really. Y’all just gonna have to believe me on that one … the X100V’s new version II lens is phenomenal. Totally rad. Simply awesome! Don’t trust me? No problem, there’s like a million of brick wall photography specialists roaming the net - just head over to them & pixel peep to your heart’s content!
There are some reports on the web about the camera heating up and the manual focus ring making grating noises. While I’ve not experienced the former I did have to exchange my first camera to get one without the grating noise of the manual focus ring …
Summing up I can without any reservations highly recommend the X100V and rate it with ***** (five stars) … It’s ideal for all kinds of documentary & street photography and for social, family and wedding photography I’m sure y’all will have a wonderful & fruitful experience with the X100V. FYI for me the X100V is a “her” coz I got an emotional connection to her & absolutely love shooting with her (her name’s “Irene”, crazy huh? ;-)
So, before I close this post I’d like to share my preferred personal Fn (function) button allocation with youse (don’t worry, it’s totally for free, kinda like a “bonus”)
These Fn button settings give me a seamless adjustment experience while using the camera, minimising the interference on the image taking process (please excuse the less than perfect image quality of the X100V’s LCD screen off my iPhone, but it’s good enough to see the settings I think):
Fn1 ………… Shutter Type
Fn2 ….…….. Face / Eye Detection Setting On/Off
T-Fn1 ……… Photometry
T-Fn2 …….. ISO Auto Setting
T-Fn3 …….. AF Mode
T-Fn4 …….. Natural Live View On/Off
AELAFL …. AE Lock Only On/Off
R-Dial ……. Focus Check (press to Zoom in)
Selector … ND Filter (pull to the right & hold for 3 sec to activate)
Q …………… Quick Menu
If you have any questions and/or any comments / suggestions please leave me a note in the comments section below or on my “about” page (your email will not be disclosed), I’ll answer every one of your messages!
Many thanks for visiting & reading and hope you enjoyed it! Please take care & stay healthy,
Best regards,
Hendrik
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