Fujifilm will need to pull out all the stops if they want the next version of the X100 to be a must-have.
Fujifilm has seen success with their X100 line of cameras, but we have always felt that the pocket cameras have needed a little bit more in the way of features to really take them over the edge. If new reports are to believed, the next version of the Fujifilm X100 will hit the streets early in 2020, but to be a success this time around, it will need some significant upgrades over the Fujifilm X100F.
According to a recent article posted on Fuji Rumors, the next Fujifilm X100 will make its first appearance in February 2020 with a potential price of $1,500. The last Fujifilm X100 (the X100F) was launched in February of 2017 with a retail price of $1,299 (on sale for $1,099 right now). We are hoping there will be improvements given the possible price increase to a camera that has garnered somewhat of a cult following with street photographers.
The Fujifilm X100 series of cameras have never been slouches when it comes to things like the sensors, the autofocus systems, and of course, their image processing chips. However, these are not the things that grind our gears with the X100F. At their price point, they should be featuring weather-sealing, especially when you consider the type of photographer Fujifilm aims these cameras towards. We believe all cameras that cost the end-user over $1,000 should come with weather-sealing. There is no reason why this feature should be excluded, and we hope the next Fujifilm X100 camera features this.
The next significant improvement needed is with the lens. The Fujifilm X100F used the good, but long in the tooth (even in 2017) XF23mm f2. This lens wasn’t capable of fully utilizing the 24-megapixel X-Trans sensor then, so there is no way it will be able to take advantage of the 26.2-megapixel X-Trans 4 sensor the new X100 will likely use this go around. The XF23mm f2 came out in 2016, so perhaps it is time for a newer version of this lens. A new lens would undoubtedly go a long way to justifying the potential price increase of the new Fujifilm X100, and it will help photographers capture better stills. Better yet, a newer version of the 23mm f1.4 would really justify the bump in price, but that’s probably wishful thinking.
If Fujifilm keeps the same Rangefinder design, bumps up the sensor to the latest X-Trans 4 model, adds in weather-sealing, and a new lens that can take advantage of the increased megapixels, the next Fujifilm X100 will be a pocket powerhouse. These features, along with improved battery life, better autofocus performance, and all of the latest Fujifilm simulations, will make the new Fujifilm X100 hard to ignore. What do you want to see in the next iteration of the Fujifilm X100? Let us know in the comment section below.
