Last Updated on 02/05/2020 by Chris Gampat
The Fujifilm X100V is a camera that I’ve been waiting a long time for; and I’m not disappointed.
The Fujifilm X100V is finally the X100 series camera that I’ve always wanted. Is it weather sealed? Fujifilm says that if you put a UV filter on the front, it will be fully sealed. Does it have a rangefinder-style body? Yes. Does it focus quickly? Yes. Is it still small? Yes. Photographers will also love that it has the Classic Negative film simulation. Indeed, there’s a lot to love about the Fujifilm X100V. We got to spend an hour or so with the camera very recently. And with a few firmware updates, this camera will be a no-brainer purchase.
Tech Specs
- 26.1 MP APS-C X Trans Sensor
- Single SDXC UHS1 card slot
- 14 Bit RAW files
- 23mm f2 lens (revamped)
- 3inch LCD screen
- 3.69MP dot EVF
- Same EVF/OVF as the X Pro 3
- USB-C
- Pretty much the same size as the predecessor
Ergonomics
The Fujifilm X100V is a camera that comes in both silver and black. Photographers who owned or used the previous one will feel right at home here. The front is even very similar to the previous version.
So what’s new? Let’s start with the lens. It’s a revamped 23mm f2 lens that renders a near 35mm field of view. This is the only place that doesn’t have full weather sealing. To get that, you’ll have to attach a UV filter. Fujifilm didn’t do that in order to keep the lens the same size.
Also new to the Fujifilm X100V is the way that the ISO dial works. Instead of lifting it and turning, you’ll just lift and it will stay raised. Then you can turn the knob to whatever your heart desires. And while you’re there, also check out the function button, the exposure compensation dial, shutter speed dial, hot shoe, and the on/off switch.
Turn to the back and you’ll find the main interface. Here you’ll spot the joystick, a few buttons, and the LCD screen display. There’s also the viewfinder there too.
The LCD screen on the Fujifilm X100V flips up in case you need that. And it surely does come in handy!
Build Quality
The Fujifilm X100V is built and feels very similar to the X100F. There’s no D-pad on the back of the camera. There also is no hidden LCD screen like with the X Pro 3. Instead, this feels like a retro-inspired point and shoot with a modern update. But what I’m really excited about is that it’s completely weather-sealed except for the front of the lens. If you want to seal that, you’ll need a UV filter. You’ll also notice that the control ring on the lens is a lot stiffer than on the X100F.
Ease of Use
Photographers that are used to Fujifilm cameras will feel right at home with the Fujifilm X100V. What they’ll be really happy with though is the new ISO dial. It’s still built into the shutter speed dial. The big change is with how it works. When you lift it up, it stays up. Then you just twist it to the ISO setting you want. No need to lift and continually twist anymore. This will be a lot easier for photographers who’ve never shot mechanical film cameras before. But my concern is that one might accidentally lift the ISO dial up when shooting in manual mode. This didn’t happen to me, but I see how it will happen. We’re going to need to use the Fujifilm X100V for more than the half-hour that we did to get a better sense of this.
Autofocus (and Street Photography)
Autofocus on the Fujifilm X100V is sort of a mixed bag. It’s similar to that of the X Pro 3 in that it doesn’t get all the benefits of the X-T3. Here are my findings in brief:
- Single point autofocus selection is fast
- The focusing speed is fast
- When you select an area, the autofocus remains to be quick
- Face detection isn’t as smart as the X Pro 3
The latter is a big one when it comes to street photography. To make the best use of the Fujifilm X100V when shooting street photography, you need to set it to Tracking, Continuous, Face detection and focusing on all of the areas. When someone is walking past you, you’ll ideally stop the lens down, focus, the camera will track the subject, and you’ll get the shot. Sometimes the tracking on the Fujifilm X100V is a bit slow though. So with that said, I’m not totally sold on it yet. But with a few firmware updates or even one, the Fujifilm X100V should theoretically be able to hold its own with cameras that are far more expensive.
Image Quality
These images are from a Pre-Production Fujifilm X100V.
First Impressions
I’m going to be completely, 100% honest and that that I DESPERATELY NEED MORE TIME WITH THE CAMERA. The Fujifilm X100V seems to be ticking off all the boxes to make this a class-leading camera. But we still need to see if it can handle autofocusing for both documentary and street photography situations. The X Pro 3 is good at it, but not flawless. Hopefully, a firmware update will come to both cameras to get them there. One of the things that I’ve most excited about is the build quality. Just think: you can go shooting in the rain with the Fujifilm X100V. Just set it to Acros and think of all the badass photos that you’ll be able to shoot. Then consider the size and the fact that you can take it anywhere with you. There’s a lot to love about the Fujifilm X100V. But we need to get a production-quality unit in before we make our final conclusions.