Last Updated on 09/21/2023 by Feroz Khan
The next iteration in the Fuji X100 series would be its 6th. The first model was released over a decade ago, in 2010, heralding a new era for Fujifilm. Until now, they’ve kept a 23mm APS-C (35mm full-frame equivalent) lens on all the models. A new report from FujiRumors suggests that the successor to the Fujifilm X100V could have a new lens altogether. We take a look at what this lens might be and how it could impact the legacy of one of Fujifilm’s best series of cameras.
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Why Is The Fujifilm X100V An Excellent Camera?
The Fujifilm X100V is one of their most successful cameras of all time. It comes from arguably the most well-known series of digital cameras. It’s become an incredibly expensive camera on reseller websites due to its huge global demand. The X100V is a camera that even a non-Fujifilm user like me considered getting at one point. It’s somewhat pocketable and comes with a 35mm equivalent lens that’s considered the perfect focal length for street photography, a genre in which this model has comfortably excelled.
In our review we said:
“The Fujifilm X100v is the closest thing that we have to a perfect point and shoot on the market. It’s got great autofocus capabilities, wonderful image quality, weather sealing, a revamped lens, and a simple interface. What more could you need?”
And a camera so perfect, as you may have rightly said, took home our Editor’s Choice Award, too. Aside from the quick draining battery life, we really didn’t have too many qualms about this camera. Much like its predecessors, the Fujifilm X100V, which was released in 2020, also came with a 23mm APS-C lens. But a new report from Fujirumors suggests that the next model could come with a new lens. Whether this would be a newly designed lens altogether, a new focal length, or something else, is still not clear from their report. Here are some of the possibilities we thought of
Still 23mm, But Weather Sealed
One of the few gripes we had about the Fujifilm X100V was the fact that the lens wasn’t weather-sealed as-is. You needed to add a UV filter to get it to be weather-sealed. It’s possible that the next camera in the Fujifilm X100 series might have a lens that’s weather-sealed right out of the box. The most minimal of redesigns, but this might be all that we get in the next model.
A Slimmer Lens With The Same Focal Length
Could the successor to the Fujifilm X100V have a thinner 23mm lens, that sits more flush against the body? This would make it even more pocket-friendly. However, it may not appeal to those with stubby fingers, especially those who enjoy manual focusing. Maybe they just need to make the autofocus so good that no one complains about it.
40mm Is The New 35mm
This would be a radical shift in the series – a new focal length altogether. So many photographers these days are opting for 40mm lenses over 35mm ones. Could the next model then have a 26.5mm APS-C lens? Some might say I’m being sacrilegious for even suggesting so. But is it really such a bad idea? Fujifilm might continue to sell the X100V, while releasing a new camera model with a different focal length.
A Pancake Zoom Lens
I would absolutely love to see a variable focal length lens in a compact body like the Fujifilm X100V. Nikon have done a decent job with their APS-C DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens which was launched along with the Nikon Zfc. And for a kit lens, this can produce some fairly good results. It would be really interesting if Fujifilm also went down this route and introduced a zoom lens with the X100 series’ next camera. It doesn’t need to be really fast at the long end of the focal range, as long as it can keep a wide aperture when its fully zoomed out. As long as it collapses back in when you need to put the camera away, I think it would be well accepted by Fujifilm fans if they got the ability to zoom in situations where they might need to.
If It Ain’t Broke, Why Fix It
For all you know, Fujifilm might not change much in the lens at all. This is a camera that’s doing awfully well in a world where the compact camera made way to the smartphone camera almost a decade ago. A massive demand for them has led to them being on backorder for a few months now. It’s a focal length that a lot of photographer swear by, so maybe we won’t see anything changed in this aspect. One way or another, the Fujifilm X100V successor is a camera that’s eagerly awaited for.