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

Fujifilm’s X100V grew to become so wildly widespread 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 really foolish territory after it had a giant viral second on TikTok. The X100V was so in demand that Fujifilm might’ve taken the straightforward route for a successor and nonetheless been assured to have a success on its arms.

The brand new mannequin, being introduced at present, appears virtually the identical on the skin, however the X100VI contains significant enhancements that may make it a extra succesful digital camera — in much more taking pictures environments — than any earlier entrant within the X100 sequence. The flip aspect 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 offers higher cropping leeway and modifying 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 rise up to 6 stops of stabilization assist for these eventualities the place you wish to maintain the shutter velocity as sluggish as doable 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 somewhat 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 total dimension (it’s only a bit thicker), nevertheless it 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 inside four-stop impartial density filter when wanted.

Fujifilm has geared up 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 velocity enhance, 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 inform you one of many firm’s core strengths is JPEG processing: there are whole web sites dedicated to tweaking these movie sims and getting the absolute 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 all over the place with you. However as earlier than, you’ll have to outfit the lens with Fujifilm’s sold-separately adapter ring and protecting filter to realize true climate resistance. In a departure from its made-in-Japan predecessor, the X100VI will observe different current Fujifilm cameras in making the swap to China-based manufacturing. Some would possibly view this digital camera as having much less pictures “mystique” because of this — there’s a ton of historical past and heritage to cameras being produced in Japan — however shifting the method to China ought to enable the corporate to get many, many extra X100VIs off the meeting line and into digital camera retailers.

The X100VI shall be out there in silver or black and is anticipated to start out delivery in early March. Alongside the usual mannequin, Fujifilm will launch a particularly 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 singular serial quantity,” and the corporate says “these numbered X100VI models are packaged in a particular, soft-release field that features a particular strap and Fujifilm historical past playing cards.” You’ll solely have the ability to order the LE instantly 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 learn to use them, the X100VI’s dials and handbook controls supply an excellent reprieve from auto-everything smartphone taking pictures and the rising prevalence of computational pictures. And people Fujifilm JPEG colours are simply nearly as good as folks say. Keep tuned for extra impressions from each Becca Farsace and myself within the weeks forward.